Wang Bao was sitting on the top deck staring up at the moon, it was almost full and its silvery light was shining on the calm black sea. He tried to hold back tears after thinking of his Mother and Father, but was failing. Nakai slowly walked out onto the deck, and saw Wang Bao sitting on a bench near the front of the boat. He had checked their bedroom first but didn’t find Wang Bao, making him check up here. Walking over to the young man, Nakai said in a quiet voice.

 

“You’ll get sick if you stay out here too long.”

 

Nakai sat beside Wang Bao, looking out to the pitch black horizon. He could hear Wang Bao’s sniffles but made no comment and continued to stare out at the water. Wang Bao didn’t want to cry in front of Nakai, and he rubbed at his wet face roughly then cleared his throat.

 

“Ehm, have you met my Mother or Father during your travels through Man Country?”

 

Nakai looked at Wang Bao briefly before looking back at the dark water, talking with the same quiet voice as before.

 

“I met your Father but it was in Giant Country… He was a kind man. As for your Mother, I’ve heard a lot of stories thanks to Wang Lei but I have never had the pleasure of meeting her.”

 

Wang Bao suddenly stood up and leaned his back against the railing of the ship, his voice was quiet because of the wind but Nakai could hear it.

 

“Whilst being on this trip, I’ve found out that my Father has been to many places, more than I could have imagined. It also seems like everyone has nothing but good things to say about him. So many people loved him yet he was forced to marry someone that hated him, in turn her hatred was also aimed at me.”

 

Nakai walked over to the railing, his voice had a sense of warmth Wang Bao hadn’t heard before.

 

“You should know that your Father was kind but not naive or simple minded, he knew your Mother was a bad person but he had his reasons for living the life he did. We can’t go back and change all the bad things that have happened to us or to the people we love, but we can learn and grow stronger because of them. You’ve been through more than you let on, it’s okay to let it out Wang Bao.”

 

Wang Bao felt Nakai pat his head softly and he looked up, Nakai was avoiding his gaze as he continued to pat his head. Nakai noticed Wang Bao’s gaze wasn’t moving, and he said with a hint of embarrassment.

 

“Don’t look at me.”

 

Wang Bao lightly laughed as he stood on his tippy toes, staring at Nakai harder. Nakai quickly removed his hand from Wang Bao’s head, and turned away from the man’s face before he continued looking out to sea. Although Nakai’s face couldn’t be seen by Wang Bao, he was sure he saw a held back smile on the Giant’s face. The pain in his chest fading, Wang Bao kept playing around with Nakai to get his attention, but the Giant kept averting his eyes. Laughing happily, Wang Baod stood on a small step the railing was attached to, he tried to grab Nakai’s shoulder’s to turn the Giant but his foot slipped. He was in no danger of falling off the ship but Nakai still pulled Wang Bao closer, his large hands resting on Wang Bao’s back firmly. Wang Bao let out a scared gasp before saying awkwardly.

 

“Hehe, You looked at me.”

 

Wang Bao’s hands were still resting on Nakai’s shoulders while his cheeks burned, the familiar yet unfamiliar feeling he felt with Nakai a couple weeks ago began to burn in his chest. Nakai squeezed Wang Bao’s waist gently before letting go, clearing his throat while walking away. Wang Bao stared at Nakai’s back with a dumb expression until he heard the Giant say.

 

“It’s getting cold, let’s head back.”

 

Oh. Wang Bao felt his chest, he could feel his heartbeat thumping against his hand quickly. By the time he had made it to the first lower deck, Nakai was nowhere to be seen. Wang Bao wanted to get a glass of water to cool his body when Rara came sprinting down the hallway.

 

“Brother~”

 

Close on his heels, Tira was running after her son. Tira’s voice wasn’t raised but it was obvious she was losing her patience.

 

“Rara, come back here.”

 

Tira tried to keep her blue silk robe closed tightly while also running after her son, her white hair was pulled down her back in a loose braid, giving her a more humble image. Instead of slowing down, Rara squealed as if his Mother was playing a game then Jumped at Wang Bao. Tira finally stopped her quick steps in front of Wang Bao, her breathing a little rushed. Wang Bao awkwardly held Rara while the toddler held his neck tightly, refusing to let go. Tira couldn’t help but sigh tiredly before holding her hands out to her son, apologising seriously.

 

“I’m sorry Bao. I tried to tuck him into bed but when I opened the door to leave, he ran out.”

 

“It’s fine.”

 

Wang Bao tried to give Rara back but the child stuck his body to Wang Bao like a limpet. Rara let out a childish whine as his Mother attempted to wrench him from Wang Bao, but it was no use. Tira’s face instantly turned serious as she pulled harder, but Rara only shouted stubbornly.

 

“I’m  sleeping with brother tonight! Mama, goodnight.”

 

Soft fake snores came from Rara as he stared up at Wang Bao expectantly. Both adults didn’t know if they should laugh or cry because of the young boy. Tira couldn’t believe her son and tried again to take him, but Wang Bao stopped her.

 

“It’s okay your Majesty. I’ll take him to my room for the night. You should rest early, it’s been a tiring day.”

 

Tira wanted to refuse because she didn’t want Wang Bao to be uncomfortable, but it was clear her son wasn’t leaving his side anytime soon. All she could do was sigh again tiredly and accept Wang Bao’s offer.

 

“Thank you Bao. Rara, behave yourself.”

 

The Sea Queen gave a stern look at her son before returning back down the hallway. Wang Bao slowly carried Rara towards his shared cabin, and pushed the door open before covering the child’s eyes. At the same time, Wang Bao looked at Nakai in astonishment, his voice stiff.

 

“Cover. Your. Self. Now!”

 

Nakai took one look at Rara then flicked the sheet over his lower half. Rara instantly pulled Wang Bao’s hand down and stared at Nakai then up at Wang Bao. His small pudgy finger pointed at Nakai before shouting.

 

“Why is he here?”

 

Wang Bao replied with a tight jaw.

 

“We share a room.”

 

Wang Bao walked over to his “bed” but came to a stop then looked back at Nakai’s bed, finally he turned his eyes to look at Rara. There was no way that Nakai would fit on the hammock, but there was also no way Wang Bao’s tall body would fit with Rara on the hammock, one of them would end up on the ground and Wang Bao didn’t want that for either of them. With no other choice Wang Bao placed Rara beside Nakai. The Giant and toddler glared at one another then looked at Wang Bao. While speaking, Nakia jerked his head towards Rara.

 

“Get him off.”

 

Rara didn’t take it to heart since he was also against the sleeping arrangement, his childish voice whining loudly. 

 

“Brother~ I don’t want to sleep with him~.”

 

Despite saying this, Rara wriggled around the bed, inching closer to the Giant and in turn, moving closer to the thin sheet that was barely covering what needed to be covered on Nakai. Wang Bao quickly picked Rara up then glared at Nakai.

 

“He can’t sleep on my bed with me, it’s just for one night.”

 

Nakai was quick to retort and nodded his head towards the hammock in front of his bed.

 

“He’ll be fine on the hammock alone. You can share my bed, it wouldn’t be the first time.”

 

Nakai patted the empty space while smirking at Wang Bao but it didn’t happen. Wang Bao plopped Rara on the bed with a firm cold face. With two disappointed people looking at him, he pointed at the two people on the bed seriously.

 

“You two will share this bed. I’m going to shower, try and get along.”

 

Wang Bao stepped into the bathroom cubicle and turned the shower on. He couldn’t hear any screaming or crying after he left so stepped into the shower. In the bedroom, Nakai continued to ignore Rara as he used a tablet he was given with the submarine to search through the different cities in Sea Country. Rara quietly rolled on the bed a few times before sitting up, he pulled at the bottom of his pants but they wouldn’t come off, he then tried to rip his shirt off but it got stuck around his head. Without any warning, Rara screamed because of his shirt covering his eyes and Nakai tugged the shirt off while asking.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

Rara rubbed his round belly happily while replying to Nakai.

 

“I want to sleep naked like you.”

 

Nakai scoffed as he tore the pants off of Rara, leaving the toddler in his night time nappy. Rara tried to tug his nappy off but Nakai flicked his hands away.

 

“Leave that on, I don’t want you peeing in my bed.”

 

Rara huffed as he crawled onto Nakai’s stomach, staring at the screen. He used his small foot to point at the picture before saying sternly.

 

“Show me my home. I want to check if anyone is stealing my toys. Mama said there are robbers in the house.”

 

Nakai spoke honestly while searching up the Sea palace online.

 

“The palace should be on fire by now.”

 

Rara looked up at Nakai, confused at what he heard but Nakai was telling the truth. On the screen in front of them, the palace was engulfed in flames. Nakai opened a live video from a news channel. In the video the large building was burning brilliantly. When Rara saw his home being destroyed, he burst into tears; at the same time, Wang Bao was walking out of the shower. Nakai instantly clicked to a different channel where a news anchor was speaking in a serious tone.

 

“An hour after sunset was the last time the palace was standing in one place. It is reported that a fire was called in at the palace once maids and guards couldn’t stop the blaze. The main section of the palace that was set aflame was the private quarters of the Queen and the young Prince. It has been reported that after the fire was extinguished by professionals, two bodies were found and they have been identified as the Queen and the young Prince. We will have more news on this topic every hour, thank you.”

 

Wang Bao was shocked by the news since he hadn’t been clued in on the plan, Rara was also shocked and he grabbed his bare feet, screaming at the top of his lungs.

 

“I’m dead~ Wahhh~”

 

Nakai laughed at the child and poked his pudgy belly.

 

“Can you feel that? If you can, then you’re not dead.”

 

Rara quickly stopped crying and started giggling while Nakai continued to poke him. With Nakai and Rara distracted, Wang Bao quickly removed his towel and dressed in his pyjamas. With quick reflexes Rara caught Nakai’s finger and bit it before it started poking him again, sending a new wave of giggles to come out into the room. Once Wang Bao was dressed he tiredly sat in his bed and looked at the two curiously. Nakai was tickling Rara now, aiming for the toddler's armpits and feet. Wang Bao was quite surprised with what he was seeing, and he couldn’t help commenting.

 

“You’re good with kids.”

 

Nakai looked up at Wang Bao and stopped his playing. Rara also looked over at Wang Bao and patted Nakai’s thigh.

 

“Sleep here Brother, but you have to be naked.”

 

Wang Bao stared at Rara in shock, then at Nakai who was laughing into the back of his hand. With a red face, Wang Bao shouted at Nakai.

 

“What the hell did you teach him!?”

 

Nakai raised both hands in surrender while talking, the laugh still evident in his voice.

 

“That was all him, I didn't tell him to say anything.”

 

Rara patted Nakai’s thigh again, thinking Wang Bao would come over but Wang Bao slipped into his own blankets. Seeing this Rara instantly slid off of Nakai’s firm stomach and shimmied off of the bed, his little feet could be heard pattering on the floor but Wang Bao pretended to be sleeping. Rara looked up at Wang Bao’s closed eyes before he pushed the hammock, Wang Bao felt the small push swing his bed only faintly before a bigger push happened. With his bed swinging uncomfortably, Wang Bao heard Rara whine loudly.

 

“Brother~.”

 

Wang Bao continued to ignore Rara and hoped he would get the hint, but it only caused Rara to push harder and yell louder. Wang Bao suddenly opened his eyes to tell Rara off when he saw a small hand fly towards his face. Rara had jumped up with his short legs to push the hammock with all his strength when his hand connected with Wang Bao’s face instead. Wang Bao instantly shouted in a mix of pain and surprise, his body falling out of the hammock thanks to how his body had jumped in shock. Across the room, Nakai laughed loudly at the scene unfolding in front of him while Rara draped his body over Wang Bao’s chest. He was no longer whining, instead he apologised truthfully.

 

“I’m sorry, brother~ Does it hurt?”

 

Rara kissed Wang Bao’s eyes before Wang Bao crawled up from the ground, answering the small boy at the same time.

 

“It’s fine, don’t worry.”

 

Wang Bao picked Rara up tiredly and tried to put him on the bed then leave, but it was no use thanks to Rara’s tight grip on his clothes. Wang Bao sighed heavily, he was tired from everything that had happened over the past few days. In the end Wang Bao sat on the bed and Rara pointed at the space between him and Nakai. Wang Bao eyed Nakai who had gone back to looking at the tablet to watch more of the news and laid down, keeping Rara in the middle. Rara clapped happily because of his success and he sat on Wang Bao’s chest. His small hands then reached down and tugged at Wang Bao’s shirt, saying happily.

 

“Off, off. We need to be naked.”

 

Both Nakai and Wang Bao had no idea where Rara had gotten this thought from, but Wang Bao refused.

 

“I like to sleep with clothes on. It’s late now, lie down and sleep.”

 

Wang Bao thought Rara would refuse but to his surprise, Rara slid off of his chest and laid between the two men obediently. Rara snuggled close to Wang Bao’s chest then closed his eyes, falling asleep within seconds. Wang Bao was also tired and quickly fell asleep when he heard Rara’s slow breathing. In the room, Nakai was the only one left awake and he glanced at the sleeping people beside him. Rara had wrapped his arms around Wang Bao’s neck, and was snoring softly while Wang Bao was curled in a ball, one hand resting on Rara’s back. Nakai suddenly felt a little odd at what he saw and switched the screen off, lying back in the bed comfortably.

 

. . . . . .

 

In the morning there was no alarm to wake everyone up for morning chores, most likely because of Rara and the Sea Queen being on board; this didn’t stop Nakai from waking early and he felt something warm against his front. Nakai slowly opened his eyes and saw Wang Bao’s back was pressed against his chest and stomach, Rara was clinging to Wang Bao’s chest, and Nakai’s hand was resting against the toddler's back instead of Wang Bao’s. To Nakai’s surprise, Rara peeped his eyes open before shutting them quickly. The small boy had tried to be sneaky, but Nakai had seen him and he moved his hand that was resting against Rara’s back to poke his belly. Rara tried to not giggle but after a few more pokes he couldn’t help but let out a stifled laugh. Nakai slowly removed his arm from Wang Bao’s and Rara’s body then sat up. He silently dressed before he walked to the other side of the bed. Rara was trying to dress himself too but it wasn’t working out, and Nakai helped the small boy dress before he left the room, Rara following behind while shouting.

 

“Up. Up!”

 

Rara held his arms out at Nakai expectantly, grabbing at the air. Without saying anything, Nakai bent down and lifted Rara onto his shoulders before walking into the dining area, surprisingly Pou and the Sea Queen were awake. Rara greeted his Mother happily before pointing to the kitchen and banging on Nakai’s head.

 

“I want milk.”

 

Staying silent, Nakai prepared a warm sweet milk for Rara before setting him down on the counter to drink. Pou’s voice could be heard from the table, it was clear he was talking to Tira about the events that had just happened.

 

“How long do you plan to play dead?”

Nakai stood in the kitchen, listening silently as Tira replied.

 

“Once all of the traitors show their faces, everything will start moving accordingly. I have people I can trust back in the capital, and they will take care of everything while I’m gone. It will take at least a few weeks for the spies to get complacent or worried, but until it is safe for my son, we’ll stay in the north city.”

 

Wang Bao’s voice suddenly came from the doorway of the dining room.

 

“I thought we were going to the east city.”

 

Pou smiled warmly at Wang Bao before explaining.

 

“That was all part of the plan, if there were spies present during the meeting of receiving the package, then they would make sure to send people to the east city, making it easier to sniff them out.”

 

In the kitchen, Rara patted his belly while pulling on Nakai’s shirt.

 

“This is full now, This is full too.”

 

Rara happily patted his nappy while looking up. Nakai instantly picked Rara up from under his arms and gave him back to his Mother, at the same time, Wang Bao walked into the kitchen to start preparing breakfast. During the meal, Nakai told Wang Bao to meet him on the deck once he had finished eating. Because the crew didn’t have to catch any fish or prepare for any jobs, Pou had given them the chores of cleaning up after every meal. This also allowed Wang Bao to have more free time, after hearing Nakai, Rara made it known that he would be present too. As planned, Wang Bao and Rara walked up to the deck and saw Nakai, he was wearing his cargo pants and grey shirt, making him regain the true look of a soldier. Once Rara saw Nakai, he ran up to the cold faced Giant and tried to get picked up but he was refused, instead Nakai beckoned Wang Bao closer with his finger. His voice matched his serious attire and it made Wang Bao feel funny inside.

 

“Until we reach the north city, I’ll train you to fight. If your Mother has truly found out about you being in Sea Country then it means we’ll run into trouble sooner or later, it will be easier if you are able to protect yourself.”

 

Rara jumped up excitedly while shouting loudly, at the same timeNakai ruffled his silver hair.

 

“I want to learn too~”

 

Nakai gave a firm nod to the small boy before replying.

 

“You can learn too but I will teach Wang Bao first. Go sit over there and watch.”

 

Rara ran to the bench by the door that led to the lower deck and watched seriously. Wang Bao focused on what Nakai was doing and slowed his breathing. He had never been good at fighting despite both his Father and brother being great soldiers, but Wang Bao was serious about learning and would give it everything he had. When Wang Bao was standing in front of him, Nakai stood with his right foot in front of his body while bringing his hands up to his face. Without moving his stance, Nakai said in a calm voice.

 

“I want you to mimic how I move, once you look comfortable I’ll start to move in.”

 

Wang Bao copied Nakai’s pose then watched how Nakai stepped. His large body moved smoothly while stepping in a horizontal line with fluidity. Wang Bao tried to copy but his legs and feet were stiff, making his steps clunky and slow. Nakai pointed down at Wang Bao feet, advising him as he moved.

 

“Bounce on the ball of your feet and loosen your legs and knees, you want your body to be relaxed.”

 

Wang Bao bent his knees a little more while bouncing on the balls of his feet lightly, after getting the movement down he started stepping around the deck with the same motion. Nakai kept critiquing his form and fixing certain points when he suddenly stepped forward, the palm of his hand lightly striking Wang Baos chest. The quick motion scared Wang Bao and he tried to run away but Nakai held his arm, pulling him back to stand in front of him as he talked in a light tone.

 

“You’re not fast enough to run away, instead use your fear to strike fast. The more you hit your opponent, the more chance you have of injuring them. I’m going to strike again, all I want you to do is push my hand away and strike anywhere on my body. Make sure you hit me as hard as you can.”

 

Wang Bao quickly calmed his breathing before nodding his head. Seeing Wang Bao was ready, Nakai let go of his arm. Wang Bao quickly got back into position with Nakai moving a few feet away. Once both men were ready, Nakai moved in a large circle with Wang Bao following opposite him; while they moved around gracefully, Nakai couldn’t help but smirk at Wang Bao’s scared face. Before doing anything else, he corrected Wang Bao’s form then moved forward, Nakai’s large legs stepping towards Wang Bao with less than a quarter their usual speed. Nakai pushed his palm forward like last time, Wang Bao’s reaction time was slow but he didn’t run or flinch. A second after he felt the pressure on his chest, Wang Bao used his right hand to push the wrist of Nakai’s hand, his left hand was balled in a fist and he flung it forward to land at Nakai’s jaw but his hand was caught mid throw. Wang Bao reacted by shutting his eyes tightly, still a little scared of the fake fight.  While holding Wang Bao’s wrist, Nakai explained calmly.

 

“You’ll break your hand if you punch like that, your thumb should be over your fingers and hit with the flat area of your fingers, between your first and second knuckles. You want to rotate your hips when you throw a hit to have more impact, it will keep you balanced as well. Make sure you move your weight around on your feet too, otherwise you could be pushed over and it would be the end of the fight.”

 

Once he was done explaining, Nakai pushed Wang Bao back with a light shove before getting into position again. Wang Bao was becoming frustrated with all the critiquing and he glared at Nakai seriously. The two started and restarted again and again, but Wang Bao hadn’t been able to land any type of hit against Nakai. His attacks would always be caught and he would need to listen to Nakai’s criticism or cocky remarks. After telling Wang Bao to keep his hands up for the hundredth time, Nakai returned back to the starting position. However Nakai didn’t bother with walking in circles this time and he met Wang Bao’s glaring eyes head on, a hint of cockiness in his voice as he teased.

 

“Let’s see if you can make it past the first step before nightfall.”