CaptainHookmon cursed when he awoke, knowing by the steady tide that night had fallen. He actually had the audacity to fall asleep after warning his crew of danger?! At least the pain was gone. Jumping up, the Captain pulled on his boots, coat, and hat, then nearly bolted out of his quarters.
Panjyamon was still steering, though his tail waved in greeting to the Captain.
"Has anything…?" he didn't bother finishing, his first mate knew what he was asking.
"Tinkermon had the nerve to dart around some of the crew members earlier," he responded cooly, "but she didn't stick around for more time than it took to send a few Digimon overboard."
CaptainHookmon's hand met his forehead with an audible smack.
"You'd think they'd learn by now, wouldn't you?" he mumbled, slowly moving his hand away.
"You'd think," Panjyamon chuckled.
"I'm heading out to the island," he idly announced, walking down on deck.
"But captain-"
"I'll be fine," he waved a dismissive hand to his first mate, who smiled.
"Mermaimon?" the lion-Digimon chuckled.
"Aye. Mermaimon," CaptainHookmon replied, very matter-of-factly. With that, the Captain quickly hopped into one of the life boats and began a slow descend into the water. The boat finally hit the waves with a loud splash.
He didn't know how many times he'd done this. Sometimes, it was to bring young Digimon from (like Babydmon) "Never-Ever Land" (which is what Petermon had named the island). Other times, it was to seek out Tinkermon and try to convince her- with all his gentlemanly class- where Petermon's hideout was. And other times still, times now more often, it was to visit the Ancient Lagoon, where a young Mermaimon would be awaiting his attention.
He smiled at the memory. The two had met when Petermon had tossed him into the lagoon, hoping the Digimon there would give him a few scratches before he got back to his ship. Instead, a Seadramon had been lying in wait (it must have come from the channel connecting the lagoon to the Net Ocean), and nearly deleted him. In a blur, another Digimon had come to his aid, and then everything had gone black.
Beyond that, he remembered waking up on the rocks of the lagoon with the beautiful Digimon staring down at him. He'd been bewildered at first, not to mention cautious and suspicious. Alright, so it was longer than "at first." He was actually terrified of the Mermaimon, knowing their cruel tricks on sailors. But she'd told him she too disliked Petermon, her "brutality" being merely play whilst his was sheer cruelty. He hadn't believed her at first. It was months before he dared near the lagoons' shores.
But with time, their uneasy relationship changed. He'd gotten bolder one day, leaning over the waters edge to search for her, and she'd pulled him in. When he surfaced, she'd swum around him in lazy circles, giggling and brushing against him every now and again. Every time he'd try to leave the water, she would pull him back in, laughing all the while.
Finally, when he'd be to tired to swim anymore, he'd laid on one of the rocks, legs mostly still in the water, and she'd jumped up onto him. It was startling at first, but the surprise quickly changed to passion when she pressed a kiss to his lips. He'd kissed back, resting his hands on her hips, completely engulfed by bliss.
Chuckling, he took a moment to dip his hand in the cool ocean waters around him. Bringing his hand back up to rub the water on his face, he sighed. He knew he was probably blushing like a young boy with a crush. It was sort of like that, too.
His boat caught on the sandy bottom of the islands' beach, and he swiftly hopped out to pull it onto shore, being mindful of his surroundings (no need to repeat the Seadramon episode, after all). Once the boat was mostly out of the water, he began hiking into the forest in the direction of the Ancient Lagoon. It was actually a rather long trek, but he didn't mind. It gave him time to think- not that he really needed anymore of that today.
After a little while, he stepped out of the woods and onto a slate of rock that made up a part of the lagoons' shore. The Captain walked quietly to the water, kneeled down, then dipped his hand in. For a moment, he watched the ripples in the water, seeing how it moved his reflection, but is attention soon changed when he glimpsed something move beneath the surface.
Slowly, the Captain pulled his hand from the water, only to have another, more petite hand slide into his. Smiling, he pulled gently, Mermaimon breaking the surface of the water and rising up so their faces were equal. Without taking his eye off hers, he brought her hand up to his lips and placed a sweet kiss to it. The other Digimon smiled.
"Hello, Captain," she said, nudging him back and pulling herself partially onto the shore. He happily obliged, leaning back and pulling her upper body into his. Her laughter, like wind chimes, danced to his ears. The sound was intoxicating, and he idly stroked a hand down her back, resting it where her skin ended and her scales began. He liked it when she wasn't wearing all of her "battle gear." It made her seem more fragile, like a treasure he needed to protect from those with poor intentions.
The Captain wondered for a moment if that made him a hypocrite.
"Hello, my dear," he finally said once she'd gotten comfortable. "I've been dying to see you all day." She pressed a kiss to his scar, clearly delighted by the announcement.
"Where have you been?" her voice was soft, teasing, and it made his heart skip a beat. Good God, it really was like a little boy with a crush. "I've missed you."
"Do forgive me," he returned the kiss to her forehead, on the gem that hanged there. "I've been a bit busy lately, and things have been slightly more hectic than usual."
"Petermon," she had stated it more than asked it, her voice taking on an annoyed tone.
"Aye," the Captain replied, his hands twitching from the dark feeling that came with the utterance of the fools name. Mermaimon seemed to pick up on this, playfully tugging his hat off to distract him. He was thankful for the gesture, but he never liked to watch her have all the fun without him. The Captain leaned forward a bit and caught the tip of her hat in his teeth, gently tugging it off. She laughed and nuzzled into his now vulnerable neck.
He moaned softly, trying to keep himself under control. He was nothing if not a gentleman, was he not? But it was easier said than done, as the hand resting on her waist applied a bit more pressure. Her quiet laughter was like music to his ears. Lord, he wished he could stay there forever. Here, on this beautiful island with his beloved, and many young Digimon he could take care of.
But alas, he knew that was impossible. Sailing the Net Ocean was in his blood, and he could never stay in one place for very long. The only reason he had stayed here for the years he had was to stop Petermon, or, at least, save the young Digimon he controlled.
A nip to his ear brought him back from his unappealing thoughts. Mermaimon had wrapped her arms around his torso, idly nuzzling him before she'd realized he'd drifted off. Thankfully, she wasn't insulted by it. Mermaimon knew he was quite the thinker, and didn't mind it.
The Captain moved his hand from her waist and began to idly toy with her braid. He knew he'd have to leave soon, so he decided that he'd wasted enough time playing with her. One last thing, and then he'd be back off to his ship.
The pirate Digimon placed a kiss to her head. When she glanced up curiously, he began to trail kisses from her forehead, slowly moving down until…
His lips brushed hers, and in that moment, he gave up his gentlemanly demeanor. The Captain pressed his lips to hers, tongue swiping a taste and requesting entry. She didn't hesitate to oblige.
'I need to leave soon,' he reminded himself. 'I need to return to the ship to check on the crew, to make sure Babydmon is okay. I need to…' his thoughts began to fade, and all he was aware of was the passionate kiss he shared with his beloved, Mermaimon.