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Draken would say he hadn't been staring, but it would be such blatant lies and the object of his observation would not hesitate to call him out on his bullshits.
"Didn't you have more important things to do?"
Draken blinked and responded rather eloquently, "Huh?"
Mitsuya didn't even bother to turn his head. Hunching over the map he was drawing, he continued to sketch, filling the room with the sound of pencil and paper friction.
Draken didn't mean to stare!
Not openly, at least.
Ever since Mitsuya joined his crew, everyone could see how his presence had greatly fascinated Draken.
A brilliant navigator, an excellent cook, and his quiet handsome face that could attract men and women his way, human or not.
Draken wouldn't say he was head over heels for Mitsuya, but he wouldn't say no to the possibility either (though to be fair, he would 100% deny it if anyone had the audacity to ask him). It seemed that Mitsuya was perceptive enough to pick up his interest, though he was wise to not comment on it, except when they were alone.
Like, tonight.
The whole crew was having a party at the dock, their usual tradition after finishing the sailing from one destination to another destination. Mitsuya had kindly provided the food, and yet here he was, trying to finish his map.
Draken wouldn't come looking for him if he stayed with the others.
As the captain of the ship, he was slightly concerned.
"Didn't you have a party to be at, Captain?"
This time, Mitsuya put down his charcoal, to look over his shoulder.
"I couldn't find my navigator," Draken lightly said, ignoring the shudder that electrified him over the possessive pronoun. "What if he couldn't navigate himself to the said party?"
Mitsuya chuckled. "I don't feel comfortable in the crowd, Captain."
"Draken," he corrected automatically. "No need to be so formal with me, Mitsuya."
Mitsuya lifted his eyebrows. "Of course, Draken."
Draken pretended he didn't get too excited when he heard his own name flow from Mitsuya's lips.
"Like I said, I love it when people are having fun, I just feel that the fun doesn't really fit me. I prefer to watch it from afar."
Draken took a chair and dragged it right next to Mitsuya's table.
On the table, a giant scroll of parchment was laid out, decorated by gracious drawing from Mitsuya's hand. The lines were drawn in different thicknesses to indicate the contour of the landscape. The seas that surrounded them were riddled with various symbols, along with Mitsuya's elegant handwriting.
He had made so much progress from the last time Draken took a peek at the project.
"You're fine," Draken assured, his hand running on the edge of the parchment. The more he looked into it, the more he found that Mitsuya was a very detail-oriented and meticulous person, not to mention very artistic. "You're very talented."
Mitsuya shook his head in amusement. "You don't meet many navigators and map-makers, do you?"
"Excuse you," Draken frowned. "I met enough of them to know that you are indeed, exceptionally skilled, Mitsuya."
Mitsuya didn't contradict him, but he ducked his head as if Draken's praises somehow embarrassed him.
Draken grinned, pulling the chair even closer.
"You have some specific destination in mind? The one that you really want to go to?"
The person before him seemed like he hadn't expected the question.
"Merlysium."
Mitsuya answered in an almost too quiet voice, before he cleared his throat and decided to redirect his nervousness into the motion instead. He resumed his drawing.
"The Merpeople Paradise?"
"Yeah."
Draken didn't mean to be skeptical, but Merlysium wouldn't be the answer that he hoped to hear from Mitsuya.
"But isn't that—" he wanted to say something along, a myth, a legend, but Draken didn't know how to say it without offending him.
"Unrealistic," Mitsuya finished his sentence.
He didn't look upset, only slightly disappointed like Draken had reacted the way he had predicted him to be. He still gave Draken a smile though. "Ever since I was little, the tales of Merfolks had always intrigued me. I'm dying to see what kind of paradise they were living in."
There was something itchy on the back of his head. Having wheeled the ship in the right direction according to the map and yet, the wind showed and opened the right path. The mention of Merlysium felt like something that Draken had to remember, but he genuinely didn't know why or how.
"I am aware that Merlysium is closer to the daydream, more than it is to reality,"
Mitsuya clarified. "Didn't hurt to try though. Even if Merfolks themselves didn't have much faith in the existence of the Merlysium, I would still keep on believing until I see it manifested in front of me."
Draken smiled. "Maybe you've been there in your previous life. Maybe you're one of its residents."
He could imagine that happened. Mitsuya with the half of his body being all magnificently scaly. His movement remained beautiful. His agility was admirable. Draken could picture him befriending the humpback whale first, before he tried to befriend the human. The picture he had painted was crystal clear in his head, that Draken almost mistook it as memory.
What kind of memory was that? Their past lives?
Draken hadn't had many interactions with the Merfolks in close proximity, but he knew how annoying they were. It remained a mystery to him why such beautiful creatures were armed with aggressive attitudes. Nobody hunted them anymore. If anything, they were feared for their ruthless behavior.
Draken could see how they fascinated Mitsuya, but he just couldn't really understand the appeal.
However, if Merlysium was Mitsuya's dream destination, who Draken was to judge?
Every sailor had one basic rule: nobody should laugh at your dream, even if it was impossible.
“Draken,” Mitsuya began. “why did you let me onto your ship?”
Draken blinked, didn't expect the question.
“Uh well, because I was looking for a navigator and you seem qualified.”
Mitsuya chuckled. “What if I was part of one notorious pirate and we're looking for some new target? You don't exactly know me.”
To be honest, Draken hadn't thought about it.
He just knew the moment Mitsuya showed up on the dock to offer himself as the navigator to Draken's ship, Draken knew he had found what he had been looking for.
Mitsuya was skilled and clever, Draken could tell he was also a good guy, even if to think about it, Mitsuya couldn't provide reliable information about himself.
Call it, instinct or something else, it was like deep down, Draken had just known that Mitsuya could be trusted.
“It's not a problem,” Draken shrugged. “I can get to know you, later. And if you wonder why I trust you from the first day, then let's just say, I feel like I've known you.”
Mitsuya seemed like he wanted to say something and even if he ended up not saying anything, Draken knew Mitsuya wouldn't contradict him.
“I’ll make good of your faith in me,” was the response he got. Draken could see the rising heat on Mitsuya's cheeks before he ducked his head and continued to draw.
Draken grinned.
Now that Mitsuya knew he had Draken's trust, Draken was looking forward for Mitsuya to having the same amount of faith in him too.
