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Ryusui leaned over the ship’s wheel, his eyes were fixed on the horizon. The wind was calm today and the water was smooth, but his head just felt odd.
He had been working for days, checked the maps and watched the repairs. He gave a lot of orders and he barely got any sleep. There was a dry cough sharp at his throat. He tried to ignore it, just pressed a hand to his mouth. His forehead felt warm, okay, but he told himself that it was just the sun shining bright today. Nothing to worry about.
Someone asked him from below deck about the new sails. Ryusui raised a hand in answer and tried to keep his voice steady.
“Sure! Make sure they’re tight. I want the Perseus ready before sunset.”
When he turned back, Gen was leaning on the rail nearby.
“Our captain looks a little pale today.” He leaned closer. “Are you getting seasick on your own ship now?”
Ryusui laughed, then wiped some sweat from his neck.
“Nah. It’s just sea air and too much genius in one body!” His smile looked bright, but his eyes were tired.
Gen didn’t move. “You’ve been up since yesterday.” He said. “Are you planning to sleep this week, or are you testing how long a man can run on pure desire?”
Ryusui rested both hands on the wheel. “I’ll sleep later. We need to reach the island in three days.”
He coughed again, rough and dry but waved Gen off when he opened his mouth to comment.
“It’s nothing, really.” Ryusui said. “Probably just dust from the sails.”
Gen raised his eyebrow. “Sure. Dust. That cough sounded like it’s trying to mess with your lungs.”
Ryusui smiled again. “I’m fine. Save your concern for someone fragile.”
Behind them, Tsukasa walked across the deck carrying a barrel. He stopped when he saw Ryusui cough again. Watched him carefully, but didn’t say anything yet.
Gen gave Tsukasa a certain look and just shrugged.
“I tried. Your turn.” He said, then walked off toward the cabins.
Tsukasa set the barrel down and stood beside the captain.
“You don’t look well. Everything’s okay?” He said simply.
Ryusui gripped the wheel tighter. “You too, Tsukasa? Jeez, I’m surrounded by worriers...”
“You’re sweating.” Tsukasa pointed out. “And pale.”
“It’s just the sun.” Ryusui answered. He turned his face toward the sea, hiding the small tremor in his hand.
Tsukasa studied him for another moment. “Okay. But don’t push yourself too far.” He finally said. “The crew needs you healthy.”
Ryusui gave a small laugh. “I’m not that easy to break.”
Tsukasa didn’t smile. “Everyone breaks if they don’t rest.” He picked up the barrel again and walked away.
Ryusui let out a slow breath when Tsukasa was gone. His chest hurt. He looked at his hands. They were shaking.
He told himself it was fine. Just the usual exhaustion. Nothing more. He smiled again, even if it hurt. The crew needed a captain, so he stood tall and kept moving.
⚓︎✬⚓︎
Ryusui shut the door to his cabinet and leaned against it for a moment. The quiet inside felt heavy after a whole day of noise. He felt some pressure behind his eyes.
He moved through the room and sat down at his desk. Some maps were spread across it, the corners were held down by stones and cups. He picked up a compass but quickly laid it back where it was. His legs felt like jelly. Like he had been standing on deck for a week straight.
He told himself he just needed a few minutes to rest. Just until the shaking stopped. Then he could go back on deck.
But his chest hurt when he took a breath. The coughing came back. He quickly pressed a hand to his mouth, waited for it to stop. Then rubbed his face. He felt so hot.
There was a knock on the cabin’s door. He quickly sat up and tried to sound like always. “Come in!”
Tsukasa stepped inside. “There you are. You disappeared from deck.” He said. “Is everything all right?”
Ryusui waved a hand at the maps. “Just checking the route. Making sure we’re still on course.”
Tsukasa looked at him, then at the tools which obviously weren’t used right now. “You don’t look like you’re checking anything to me.”
Ryusui gave a small laugh, then sighed. “...Your eyes are too sharp.”
Tsukasa stepped closer. “You should be resting.”
“I said I’m fine.” Ryusui pushed the map toward him. “Look here. If we adjust the sails-”
“Ryusui.” Tsukasa’s voice carried some weight.
Ryusui stopped talking.
“You’re shaking.” Tsukasa said. “And sweating. How long have you been feeling like this?”
“Since yesterday, but-” Ryusui said without thinking. Then he caught himself. “It’s nothing serious. I just need-”
“Rest.” Tsukasa finished the sentence.
Ryusui tried to stand up, maybe to prove a point. But his legs gave out. He grabbed the desk and coughed hard.
Tsukasa moved to his side, holding him up.
“You need to lie down.” Tsukasa said.
Ryusui’s voice was hoarse. “I can’t be sick. I don’t have time for that.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t think you have a say here.”
“I can still work...” Ryusui argued and tried to pull away, but his hands were trembling.
“You can hardly stand.” Tsukasa’s tone softened. “Come on. Let someone else over for now.”
Ryusui tried to protest again, but another cough didn’t let him.
Tsukasa guided him toward the bed. Ryusui tried to push him off. “I can walk.”
“Maybe.” Tsukasa said and refused to let go. “But not now.”
He sat Ryusui down on the bed. Then pushed his shoulder, until he lay on the mattress. Ryusui stopped arguing. His throat was too raw.
“You’re impossible.” He said quietly. “Treating me like a child.”
“You’re acting like one.” Tsukasa pulled the blanket over his body.
Ryusui looked at him. His face was sweaty and flushed. “Sometimes you’re just too damn serious.”
Tsukasa glanced up. “Just because you’re so stubborn. We’re even.”
For a moment it was still.
Eventually Ryusui sighed. “Fine. But just for a little while.”
Tsukasa nodded. “Good.”
Ryusui closed his eyes. He still wanted to fight, but the blanket felt just so soft and so warm. The sound of the ocean outside was like a lullaby. It didn’t take a minute before he fell asleep.
Tsukasa waited a little longer, until Ryusui was finally calm. Then he turned to search for Senku and Gen.
⚓︎✬⚓︎
When Ryusui woke up again, the room was darker. The only light was a lantern on the desk. Tsukasa stood by the doorway, he chatted quietly with someone.
He groaned. “Really? You called for backup?”
Senku stepped inside, carrying a small box of supplies. Gen followed with a grin and a cup of water in his hand.
“Still claiming you’re fine?” Senku said as he walked over. He placed a hand on Ryusui’s forehead before the captain could protest.
Ryusui frowned. “Hey. You could at least ask first.”
“I don’t need to ask when you’re this warm.” Senku said. He moved his hand to Ryusui’s neck and checked his pulse. “The heartbeat is fast, the breathing rough... fever’s around thirty-nine degrees, more or less. Impressive for someone insisting he’s fine.”
Ryusui frowned. “You can tell that just by touch?”
Before Senku could answer, Gen did. “He can. Not bad, huh? He’s not guessing. Learned it when he was still a teenager. Said it became handy for his experiments.”
Senku just shrugged.
Ryusui moved a hand over his face. “It’s nothing serious, really.”
Gen leaned against the wall. “That line always comes right before someone faints.”
Ryusui gave him a look. “You all act like I’m dying.”
“You’re not dying.” Senku said. “But you will not steer anything like this either.”
Ryusui tried to sit up. He pushed the blanket off his legs. “I just need some water and fresh air. I’ll be fine in a few minutes.”
He started to stand but stumbled almost immediately. Tsukasa caught him before he fell forward.
“Stay down.” Tsukasa said.
“I’m not-” Ryusui started, but a cough cut through his words. It was deep and rough.
Gen winced and held out the cup. “Go on. I didn’t quite catch that over the coughing.”
Ryusui drank, glaring at him over the rim. “You enjoy this too much.”
“Only because I care.” Gen said with a small smile. “And because you’re a terrible patient.”
Senku put a hand against Ryusui’s forehead again. “You’ve got acute bronchitis.” He said. “Your lungs are inflamed. Might be from too much engine smoke, mixed with sea air and working nonstop. It’s not contagious, but if you refuse to rest now, you’ll just make it worse.”
Ryusui sighed. “I can’t just stop. The crew-”
“The crew can manage.” Tsukasa said.
“They rely on me.” Ryusui tried, his voice was still hoarse.
“They rely on you being alive.” Gen said.
Ryusui shot him a tired glare, but he didn’t have a comeback ready.
Senku picked up a vial from his box. “Take this. It’ll help with the fever and the cough.”
Ryusui eyed it suspiciously. “What’s in it?”
Senku didn’t look up. “Some herbs mixed with science. Drink it.”
Ryusui groaned quietly but took the vial. The taste made him grimace. “That’s awful!”
Gen laughed. “That means it’s working.”
Tsukasa folded his arms. “You’ll stay in bed until your temperature drops again.”
Ryusui’s head fell back onto the pillow, obviously annoyed. “You can’t trap me in here!”
Tsukasa raised an eyebrow. “Yeah? Try me.”
Ryusui gave them a look. “I thought you’re supposed to be my crew, not my babysitters.”
Gen smiled again. “You’re usually the one giving orders. Consider this a change of pace.”
Ryusui let out a long breathe. The fight in his voice was gone. “Fine. But just until morning.”
“Until you can walk straight again.” Tsukasa said.
Senku started packing his box. “Rest, water, and no work. If you ignore that, I’ll have Tsukasa tie you down.”
Gen chuckled. “Oh? I’d pay to see that.”
Ryusui covered his eyes. “You’re unbearable. Every one of you.”
“Maybe.” Gen said. “But at least you don’t have to face it alone.”
Ryusui eyes were half closed now. “Tze. Go back to your experiments.” He muttered.
Senku stood. “I will. But if you do something reckless and your fever climbs higher, we’re bringing Francois in next. They won’t be as polite.”
Gen filled the cup with water again and placed it on the nightstand. “Sleep, captain. I promise the sea’s not going anywhere.”
Ryusui gave a weak chuckle but didn’t answer.
Senku packed his things into the wooden box. Ryusui was half asleep again, breathing unevenly.
“His fever should drop by morning. If he starts coughing up blood or tries to get out of bed, call for me.” Senku said.
Gen smiled a little. “Or if he goes back to his workaholic self.”
Tsukasa nodded. “I’ll stay with him.”
“Good.” Senku said. He closed the box, then stood up. “He’s strong, but even he has his limits. Don’t let him push himself.”
Gen gave a small wave before leaving. “Try to sleep too, Tsukasa. He’ll need someone calm around when he wakes up.”
When they left, Tsukasa stayed behind. He pulled the blanket higher over him. Ryusui tried to watch him, but his eyes were already closing again.
“Tsukasa.” he mumbled. “You could’ve just let me work.”
Tsukasa’s voice was calm. “You’ve done enough for today.”
Ryusui didn’t even try to argue this time. He just relaxed, breathing slowing down, drifting right back to sleep.
Outside, the waves picked up again and filled up the silence.
⚓︎✬⚓︎
Tsukasa wanted to stay awake, just in case. He sat by the bed the whole night, and after a while he started reading one of Senku’s notebooks.
Ryusui stirred in his sleep. Just a faint twitch at first, the blanket shifting a little. Then his breathing changed to something different. It was shallow and fast. His face tightened. A small sound escaped his mouth, almost a whimper.
He shifted again and tugged at the blanket as if he was trying to get away from something.
“No... don’t leave...” He whispered.
Tsukasa leaned forward. “Shhhh. You’re dreaming.”
Ryusui didn’t wake up. On the pillow his head moved again.
A few moments later he let out another small sound of distress. His face twisted. His hand clenched at the blanket.
“...Sai...” He murmured with a shaking voice. There were tears in his eyes.
Tsukasa frowned. He never heard this name before, but it wasn’t important now. He carefully reached out and placed a hand on Ryusui’s chest to ground him. His heartbeat was fast under his fingers. Too fast for his liking.
“Everything’s okay.” Tsukasa said quietly.
It worked. Ryusui’s body slowly relaxed. His breathing got steadier, even if it was still rough.
But then the calm broke.
Ryusui woke up with a start. He jerked upright and coughed hard. His eyes looked around. They were unfocused and panicked.
Tsukasa leaned toward him quickly. “Hey. You’re okay. It was just a dream. This is your room. We’re on the ship.”
Ryusui’s eyes found him, he looked lost. Still somewhere between the fever and the dream. His hand reached out and found Tsukasa’s wrist. The coughing got better, but the panic didn’t.
Tsukasa froze, just a short moment, before he placed his other hand over Ryusui’s.
“I’m here. Just breathe and try to calm down, okay?.”
Ryusui swallowed hard, his voice was weak. “Please don’t go...”
“I won’t.” Tsukasa tried to soothe him. It helped. Ryusui took a few breaths, still shaking. His grip loosened a bit.
“How long was I asleep?” He asked quietly.
“Since afternoon.” Tsukasa said. “You’ve been out for hours.”
Ryusui laughed, but it sounded tired. “Honestly, it feels like days. I dreamed about... some really weird stuff. Some things I haven’t thought about in a long time.” He coughed again. “Urgh, I still feel shitty.”
“I know.” Tsukasa gave him a small smile. “But it’s getting better.”
He reached out for the cup of water on the nightstand. “Here. Drink something.”
Ryusui didn’t argue, he just took the cup and drank it all in one go before he sank back against the pillow, his eyes already closing again. His fingers stayed around Tsukasa’s wrist, unwilling to let go.
He wanted to sleep again, but the shivers just wouldn’t stop.
“D- do we have another blanket?” He muttered, voice rough. “It’s freezing.”
Tsukasa sighed. “No. But we could improvise...”
He glanced at Ryusui’s hand around his wrist. “I need this arm back for a second.” He murmured.
When Ryusui grudgingly loosened his grip, Tsukasa pulled his shirt off and let it fall on the floor. “This will help more than another blanket.”
He shifted a little before he lifted up the blanket and quickly slid under it.
Ryusui instantly moved closer towards the warmth. He rested himself against Tsukasa’s bare chest without thinking. The warmth helped, more than he wanted to admit. I felt good. It felt comforting. Grounding. Safe. His shivers became less and his muscles stopped fighting. A yawn escaped him.
Tsukasa placed a hand on his back, keeping him close. “I’ve got you.” He murmured. “Sleep.”
Ryusui’s coughing was gone for now and his body relaxed. Tsukasa stayed still. He just listened to his breathing until it calmed down again.
⚓︎✬⚓︎
The room was bright when Ryusui woke up again.
He blinked slowly, still half asleep. His head was resting against Tsukasa’s chest. He stayed like that for a moment, feeling the slow rise and fall beneath him. Tsukasa was awake, reading one of Senku’s notebooks again with one hand. The other was still resting on Ryusui’s back.
When Ryusui moved, Tsukasa looked at him, a hint of amusement in his voice. “You know...” He said “...you’ve spent half the night clinging to me like a koala.”
Ryusui groaned and rubbed his eyes. “I was dying of fever, not climbing trees.”
“You didn’t seem to mind though.” Tsukasa said calm as ever.
Ryusui gave a weak grin. “I must have been out of my mind.” He shifted a little but didn’t move far. The bed was warm and his body still felt heavy.
Tsukasa’s hand stayed where it was. “Do you feel better?”
“Mostly.” Ryusui said. “Still tired.”
Before Tsukasa could answer, he heard a soft knock on the door. Gen pushed it open with his usual grin.
“Oh, my. What a scandal! Captain caught in bed with the guard.” He said. His eyes slid to Tsukasa’s bare chest, then back to Ryusui. “Anyway, you look better already. I’m sure the company has nothing to do with it.”
Ryusui groaned again. “You can leave, you know?”
“I will, but I need to drop something off before I go.” Gen said. He set down a tray on the desk. “Francois made this. Said it should help with your fever and your mood.”
The smell of warm soup filled the small room. Ryusui sat up slowly, Tsukasa helped him steady his back.
He took the bowl from Gen and stirred it once before he started eating. The first spoonful made him stop. His eyes widened. He hadn’t tasted it in ages, but it was still the same.
Back then, when he was small and sick or crying over something he couldn’t fix, Francois had made this soup for him. The taste hit harder than he expected, warm and heavy in his chest.
“It tastes like... home...” He said quietly. His throat tightened. He blinked hard and looked down.
Gen’s grin softened. “They said they tried to make it like something from before the petrification. Guess they got it right?”
Ryusui nodded and swallowed down the lump in his throat. “Yeah... they did.”
Tsukasa watched him silently, but his hand stayed on Ryusui’s shoulder.
After a while, Gen stood up. “I’ll tell Senku you look better already. Try not to ruin it by overworking again, all right?”
Ryusui smirked. “No promises.”
Gen rolled his eyes. “Of course not. Anyway, call if he tries to escape.” He said to Tsukasa, then he left the room.
The door closed again.
Ryusui leaned back against the headboard. He looked tired but peaceful.
Tsukasa shifted slightly. “I should get back, let you have some space.”
He started to move, but Ryusui caught his arm. He didn’t say anything at first, just stared ahead, the empty bowl still resting in his lap. His hand stayed there like he wasn’t sure why. It took a while before he spoke, and when he did his voice was quiet.
“Can you stay for a bit longer?” He said. “Just in case I’m getting cold again.”
Tsukasa raised an eyebrow. “That’s a poor excuse.”
Ryusui smiled, eyes half closed. “As long as it works? You make a decent heater.”
Tsukasa stayed. They sat in comfortable silence after that, the blanket pulled up over both of them. The ship rocked gently and some sunlight came into the room.
Ryusui’s head began to droop. His shoulder brushed Tsukasa’s arm.
“It’s fine. Go ahead.” Tsukasa said quietly. “You still need more rest.”
Ryusui hummed while he closed his eyes. Within minutes he was asleep again with his head resting against Tsukasa’s shoulder.
He’d never been good at stopping. He kept pushing, telling himself he wasn’t worth the trouble, that caring for himself would only slow everyone down. He thought strength meant handling everything alone.
But they never let him.
Gen was the first to notice something was off, seeing through the smile he tried to hide behind.
Senku noticed when he pushed too far and told him that if he didn’t rest, he’d make it worse.
Tsukasa stayed the whole night and longer, keeping him grounded through the fever and the dreams.
Francois cooked for him without asking.
The crew worked around him so he could finally rest.
They showed him it was okay to rely on others, that he wasn’t a burden, that being seen didn’t make him weak.
And as his eyes grew heavy, he understood.
Home wasn’t a house, or the ship, or the horizon ahead.
It was them.
The people who saw him and made him feel like he didn’t have to be anyone else.
And for someone who always desired everything, maybe that was all he’d ever needed.