The Pirate King Ch. 10

The Captain looked up, surprised. "Finn." The small blonde standing at his side didn't even react, his attention fully on the map spread out on the table before him. The Captain crossed his arms over his chest. His face held no emotion, but his tone was warm. "Do you need something?"

Finn couldn't meet his eyes. This was not what he wanted, not how he wanted to have to be before his Captain. "I've got a friend," he started nervously.

The Captain frowned. "Good for you?"

"On Hyrun."

The dark curls shook as the Captain showed his confusion. "Finn, you're not -"

The words popped out before he could let himself think about them. "He's there. He saw him."

Natch froze. The Captain froze. The very air in the room froze, those words acting as a catalyst for the things that had been hanging over all of their heads for the past few weeks. This was what Finn had been afraid of - that he would cause the Captain to shatter. Natch's eyes tracked up to the man beside him, his form suddenly frighteningly still.

"Oh," he said quietly. He leaned back on the table, his legs crossing lightly at the ankles. The other men in the room gave him a moment, waiting to see what would happen.

"Well." The Captain found his voice, but it didn't seem quite right. It was too soft, missing bits that should have given him the depth that he usually held. "How is he?"

Finn hesitated. "Good. He's good." He let out a small breath at the smile he found on the Captain's face. Beside him, Natch relaxed.

But there was more that he needed to tell them. There was something else. "But."

The Captain's eyes narrowed. "But what?"

Finn was shifting from foot to foot now, his palms sweaty. He dropped his gaze to the floor just before the Captain's feet. "He wasn't alone."

There was a moment of quiet. "And?" the Captain asked, sounding annoyed.

Finn took a deep breath and let his eyes track back upwards. He met Natch's for a second. The blue eyes stared him down with confusion and concern, but he merely shook his head sharply and continued to avoid the Captain's gaze.

"Who was he with," Natch asked quietly.

The Captain frowned. "Does it matter? I think we should know to trust the sailor by now with his -"

"Cap," Finn broke in. "I think it might." He finally allowed his gaze to meet the dark, endless inquiries that were the Captain's eyes.

Fuck it, he thought. They need to know.

"Have you ever heard of the man they call the Worm?"

The room crashed back into iciness. Beside the Captain, Natch had wrenched his body upright, seemingly no longer able to control either his muscles or his breathing.

"To Hyrun," the Captain said, and his voice was nothing but depth, held only darkness, was anything but soft. Natch was still frozen, seemingly unable to move, his blue eyes trapped on Finn. "Now."

Natch jumped, all but running out the door and grabbing Finn on the way. As the door closed behind them they heard the crash of something hit the floor.

"Shit," Natch muttered. He met Finn's eyes with an intensity that Finn had never wanted to see. "The Worm? Truly?"

He nodded.

"Shit," Natch muttered again, pressed a hand to his forehead. "Do you think he knows what he's doing?"

"I hope so." Finn turned and glanced back at the Captain's quarters. "For all of our sakes, lad, I truly hope so."