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Rain pelted down from the sky. Sero clambered onto the deck, water lashing down on him. He stumbled forward, sliding across the wood, and gripping the rail to keep himself from falling overboard.
There was a loud rumble. He jumped. Lightning lit up the sky, and he nearly fell over the side when someone grabbed his arm. A small jolt of electricity ran through him, and he felt his face flush.
"Careful." Sero tensed. He yanked his arm away. Beside him stood Kaminari, the man's eyes gleaming in the dark of the storm, and his smile bright. Sero glared at him. The pirate captain only laughed. The cheery sound rang out amid the crash of the waves and the roar of the thunder.
Then, the captain rested his arm on the rail, and tilted his head. Sero's hand clenched the wooden railing, his knuckles turning white. Kaminari's gaze sharpened even though his lazy smile remained.
"So what are you doing out here during the storm? I thought you'd be below deck." He teased. Underneath his jovial tone, Sero sensed curiosity and caution.
"Getting some fresh air."
"In the middle of a thunderstorm?" Kaminari chuckled. Sero frowned. He wasn't about to admit to the pirate that he had come up here because the rocking down below made him feel sick. Or that he felt nervous being alone with the crew particularly the prickly blond barbarian and the red haired werecreature.
"I don't mind a little rain." To his relief, Kaminari didn't press him. The pirate only hummed softly, drumming his fingers on the rail.
"You're a strange guy, braving a thunderstorm like this. I don't think most others would describe it as a little rain."
"I'm the strange one? You're the pirate who commands electricity. And you were out here first anyway." Sero scoffed then stiffened. Snapping at the captain might not have been the brightest idea especially considering he was stranded on his ship in the middle of a lightning storm. Sero shrank back, his muscles tensing, but Kaminari didn't seem bothered.
"That's true. But I'm not the one who wandered onto a pirate ship. Honestly, I'm amazed you haven't tried to swim to shore or demanded me to turn this ship around."
"I don't have a death wish." Sero snorted, and Kaminari laughed.
"Smart answer." Another thunder clap sounded, and the sky split, torn apart by a jagged bolt. Kaminari snapped his fingers, and a small spark of electricity crackled between them. Sero noticed that the pirate tended to discharge energy when there was something he wanted to say but was hesitant to. Not that Sero knew Kaminari for long or cared enough to learn to know him, but he was always observant and picked up on small habits of others.
In this case, it appeared his hesitation won out. Kaminari fixed his hat and nodded at the sky, still dark and ominous although Sero could've sworn he saw the sun peeking through the cloud cover.
"The storm will be over soon. Then it'll be smooth sailing til we reach port."
"You can predict the future, too?"
"Nah, that's something Ochako can do. I'm not a witch like her, just a pirate with a bit of magic." He grinned, and Sero frowned, crossing his arms. "What? Don't give me that look, it's true. I just have a knack for sensing the weather. You get good at reading the patterns when you've been out at sea for this many years."
"Well, I'll take your word for it. After all, once we reach port, I'm jumping ship." Sero sighed turning his back on Kaminari and heading towards the ladder that led down below. Kaminari shrugged.
"Suit yourself. I could always hold you for ransom, but I doubt it'd be worth the effort." He chuckled, then paused. Sero hesitated, halfway down the ladder, torn between leaving now and staying to hear what Kaminari had to say. "But I mean if you wanted to stay on board, I could always..." He trailed off. "Sero?" There was the sound of footsteps, and Kaminari was leaning over the hatch and peering down at him. Sero felt his face heat up, embarrassed to be caught actually listening to the pirate's offer.
"What?"
The pirate's face flushed at Sero's snap, and small sparks flew from his fingers. Sero felt a surge of triumph at the captain's flustered appearance.
Straightening his hat, Kaminari regained his composure. The captain put his hand on his hip.
"Nothing. I, that is," he started then stopped. "Forget what I said."
"And what was it you said?" Sero tilted his head, feigning innocence. A small smile pulled at his lips which he struggled to restrain, and he watched as Kaminari's muscles relaxed although small sparks still jumped around his fingers.
"Be careful I don't change my mind about keeping you here." The captain waved his hand and averted his eyes, a small blush dusting his cheeks. Sero chuckled.
"Well I doubt it'd be worth the great Stingray's while to hold a peasant blacksmith such as I hostage aboard his grand vessel." Sero called up to him while descending the ladder. His feet touched down on the floor of the lower deck, and he headed back towards his cabin grateful Kaminari could not see his flushed face although the captain's laughter carried from above.
This was going to be a long journey back to the mainland...Although, it might not be as bad as he had feared.