Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Hatsetsu, Japan to the outside eye is a lovely ocean side town filled with comfort and culture. Which wasn’t untrue by any means: it was home to historical castles, ornate theatres, and relaxing hot springs. However the locals there knew another truth about Hatsetsu; it had an underbelly of crime that had been just as prominent as it’s zen outer shell since the town’s founding.

Mari Katsuki never minded that fact. The way she saw it, Hatsetsu's dark side was good for business. It’s probably not the best attitude for a private eye, but was she wrong? Best part was, since she wasn’t an officer of the law there was nothing stopping her from visiting the seedy parts of town to fish up information. Yep, she had it pretty good. That is until one seemingly ordinary job came her way.

The story itself was a premise she dealt with all too often. An upper class woman was expecting a very important shipment of priceless family heirlooms from across the sea. Until she received the unfortunate news that the cargo ship carrying her valuables had been pillaged.

For the local police, pirates were somewhat of a lost cause. They have neither the resources or time to have a wild goose chase through the seas, cause the thing about pirates is that there are so many of them that it’s almost impossible to track one down. That is, if you don’t know the right people. Luckily, Mari knew everyone. So, when piracy came up the police would discreetly suggest that the victim go to her.

The wealthy women had paid Mari a large sum to find her heirlooms and bring them back. No big deal, Mari got this kind of case so often that it really only takes two steps. First step, find the Pirate’s vice. Every thief had one: drinking, gambling, sex. All of which can be found at The Cove: a hidden harbor just north of Hatsetsu that was frequented by all kinds of criminals.

It was a wonderland where you could sell your illegal merchandise or order a prostitute only a few feet away from where you dock your boat. Mari would stop by, find what the culprit’s poison was, and there you are bound to find someone desperate enough to snitch them out. Once all the information she needed was found the easy part’s over. Step two, is when Mari has to decide if the best way of action is stealing back the merchandise, blackmailing the culprit, or just breaking down and buying it back.

Usually this whole process would take about four days to complete, but this current job -for some reason- wasn’t working as smooth.

It’s been six days and Mari is still on step one! She’s pulled all the stops, she bribed all The Cove’s bartenders to no avail. Then she stopped by all the back alley games -craps, blackjack, even domino's- yet, no dice. Finally, she stopped by the red light district where one of her largest contacts works, Phichit, a pimp who employs the majority of the girls there. Phichit has never let her down, he has dirt on even the most careful of crooks. Yet, when she inquired about the pirate she heard the same thing she had been hearing for days.

“Sorry, that guy’s a mystery.”

“Ugh,” Mari felt ready to pull out her hair.

“Calm down, hun.” Phichit rubbed Mari’s shoulder, “I’ve never seen you so frustrated.”

“Is he even here? I’ve never heard of a pirate who could resist The Cove and all it’s….” Mari gestured to around her trying not to say ‘filth’ or anything that would offend Phichit, “..Temptation.”

“Oh, he’s here alright.” Phichit crossed his arms, “I wish he wasn’t. He’s alway strutting around like he’s better than us. My girls work hard, what does he do? Drive a big boat around and play cap-”

“Wait! You’ve seen him? What does he look like?”

“Oh, you don’t know? Gosh, he must be elusive. Usually when you come to me you’ve already got a guy’s number, address, and mother’s maiden name.” Mari was too tense to acknowledge his joke, “Fine, fine. He’s got a silver head of hair, pale skin, real attractive, young, but a horrible attitude.”

“How so?” Phichit scoffed at this question.

“I’ll tell you how so. First night he came here, I introduced him to one of my girls for free, you know cause he’s new in town, and he practically pushed her away. Who does that? There are definitely more polite ways to decline a gift. That’s the last time I show him any courtesy.”

Mari reflected to herself for a moment. There is no way a man whose career was crime became a saint when it came to his hobbies. Mari could convince herself that maybe he didn’t want to spend money, but Phichit gave him a deal. Phichit’s girls were nice girls, and Phichit was a good guy…. for a pimp. It made no sense to Mari. What kind of pirate doesn’t even enjoy the fun parts of being a criminal!

Then it hit her.

“Do you think maybe he would want to buy a male companion instead?”
“Oh,” Phichit mouthed, “That option honestly slipped my mind, I haven’t had a male employee for so long.”

“Why not?”

“You don’t know?” Phichit said this as if Mari was well versed in pimp-politics, “A new guy came around here a couple years back. His business grew exceptionally fast, so much so, that we almost had a bit of a turf war. I really didn’t want that to go down, my job is to keep my girls safe and I can’t really do that if I have a rivalry going on.

“So we made a deal that we would share the same turf, but I employ girls and he employs boys. That way we aren’t direct competition.”

“Hmm,” Was all Mari said in reply.

“That’s not a good noise, that means you got something risky for me.”

“Well…,” Mari finally had a way out of this slump, “What if I had someone pretend to be working for you and you introduced them.”

“Shit….” Phichit took a big sigh, “For you? Why not. Fine, but if Chris finds out you gotta help fish me out.”

“Chris?”

“The other pimp- don’t worry about it. Just bring me someone, and a bit of cash for my trouble, then I’ll make them up all pretty. Ohhhh! How about your hot brother, he could do it! He would fit in real well.”

“No, no, no. I would never ask Yuuri to do that.”

____________

“Hey, um, Yuuri. I gotta ask you to do something.”

Mari really didn’t want to ask her baby brother to seduce a pirate. Mari never thought she would have to ask her brother to seduce a pirate. Infact, when she started this job she never thought she would ask anyone to seduce a pirate. God, her usual system was easier than this mess.

This case has made Mari so desperate. She has a reputation to keep, and her client knows it. She has been bothering Mari all week for progress, but she has none. Mari tried some other options, looking into finding some of his crew members, but all she found were drunks trying to impress other drunks by saying they worked for him. Not to mention Mari didn’t charge by the hour, so spending so much time on this one was hurting her income.

Mari didn’t think it would be easy to find someone to do this job, but she didn’t think it would be this hard. She asked a few friends of hers, all of which understandably declined. Then she turned to hired help, all of which were threatened by either the pirate or the prostitute aspect.

Finally she found a guy, one Jean-Jacques Leroy. He had no undercover experience, but all the unjustified confidence to make an attempt. Sadly, when she brought him to Phichit he shut it down by saying out right ‘Bring me something I can work with.’.

Pirates don’t stay in port forever, so if Mari didn’t find someone soon she might miss her chance. And that’s how she ended up doing what she really did not want to do.

“What is it, Mari?” Her brother asked.

“Are you busy, I can come back later?”

She couldn’t do this. It's her baby brother, he is too pure for this world. What would happen if he got hurt?

“No, I’m not busy. What’s up?”

Shit, but he’s the only option left. Plus, it’s not like he had to sleep with this guy. He just had to sweet talk him, get some information from him. Yuuri could do that, he was a dancer by trade at one of the local theatres and his looks reflected it. He had very pretty features, any pirate would be lucky to be conned by her brother. Which is a weird thought to have.

“Well, I’m afraid I’m a little…. Stuck on case right now and..” Mari fidgeted with the pack of cigarettes in her coat pocket. She was planning on cutting down, but this conversation was worse than the whooping cough that smoking could give her. “And I might need your help.”

“Sure, how can I help?” This poor kid, so eager. Mari wondered if he would hate her when this was over.

____________

“Here it is,” Yuuri watched as Mari gestured towards a run down tavern. He had never been in the cove before, even if his sister had such a weird fondness for it -that she would never admit. Yuuri always imagined it as a filthy port with crates on fire and shady people with trench coats waiting down every alley. So he really shouldn’t have been surprised when that was exactly what it was. The only thing different from his imagination and reality was that his fantasy left out the smell of fresh vomit.

“Huh…. So how do you know this..” Yuuri realized he didn’t even know the name of the pimp his sister was taking him to.

“You remember that kid that used to live across from us when you were in middle school?”

“Yuuko?”

“No, the one that moved after two years.”

“Phichit?”

“Yeah, yeah.” Yuuri hadn’t seen Phichit since they were kids, he assumed he had moved somewhere else safer and became a musician or something. The context of this conversation would suggest something way worse.

Mari never answered Yuuri’s first question, just led him into the tavern and had him take a seat on a bar stool at the end of the room. She told him to stay put and he did. Yuuri loved his sister and he would do anything for her, sure this was not something he thought was in his brotherly duties, but he would do it. If he could. He probably couldn’t. Seriously, why is he qualified? What the hell is happening?

“Yuuri!”

“Phichit!” Where have you been? Why am I here? What the fuck? All valid questions he could be asking but instead, “How are you?”

“Oh couldn’t complain, but It’s so nice to see you again. Even under such circumstances.” Why did that make it sound like someone was gonna die? A new, but still valid thought popping into Yuuri’s head.

“Oh there you are Phi.” Mari said, all too nonchalant as she came back with a drink in hand.

“Day drinking are we Mari?” Phichit teased, wiggling his eyebrows.

“No, not for me.” She placed the mug of oddly warm beer in Yuuri's hands.

Yuuri will be honest, this whole situation is making him a bit nervous. So he took a slow gulp of that beer.

“So Yuuri,” his sister started, “As you might have guessed from context clues Phichit is a pimp now.”

Alright, maybe he shouldn’t have sipped that beer cause now he was coughing it up. Mari gave him a few pats on the back as he recovered from not only the shocking news but the fact that there was more beer in his nose than air.

“How would I get that from context clues.”

“I don’t know, at this point he seems very pimpy to me.” She said

“Hey!” Phichit looked confused whether he was insulted by this.

“Okay, okay, but what does this have to do with me?”

“Well, I kind of need you to pretend to work for Phichit?”

. . .

“Yuuri, you aren’t saying anything.”

“I’m taking it all in,” He took another swig of his beer. “And if I was to do this, what would I be doing.”

“. . Seducing a pirate? . “

Yuuri took one last long drink.

________________

Yuuri loves his sister, so therefore here he is. Sitting in a crappy bar, in a far too revealing outfit, waiting to flirt with a deadly pirate. Probably a deadly one, honestly, Yuuri didn’t ask. The less he knew about this criminal with sea legs, the better.

What he did know is that he felt stupid. Phichit had taken his time making sure Yuuri looked the part. Yuuri had never worn tighter pants, and that is a feat for a dancer. His upper body was mostly covered by a black corset-like item with a small piece of silky black fabric draped over his hip. Phichit had told him this signified to passersby that ‘the goods were on sale’.

It took some convincing, but Yuuri had gotten Phichit to agree to having something covering up his modesty under the corset. Yuuri, understood that he wasn’t supposed to be modest but he just felt silly with most of his upper body exposed. So the corset sat on top of a white poet shirt (loosely laced as a compromise). Finally Phichit took some kind of sticky goo and pushed back Yuuri’s hair, leaving his face without its normal comfort blanket. By the time he was finished even Yuuri had to admit, he looked good.

Now the real work began, Yuuri stood at the bar of the tavern with some of his new peers. While Mari waited in the special rooms they saved for special guests just like this pirate apparently was. If he was being honest, Yuuri was nervous. This scheme was meticulously planned out, yet he just knew it had to go wrong somewhere. It just felt too…..covenant.

Phichit had told them that he only sees Captain Nikivorfov at The Cove on Thursday afternoons. Luckily, Yuuri never needed to perform that day so he could be here waiting for the Captain. And, apparently, he had to walk by this tavern to get anywhere worth going. Phichit was also convinced that he could charm him inside simply because he believes himself to have ‘real flair’. Yuuri didn’t doubt this, his concern was what would happen once this pirate was in the Tavern with Yuuri. The plan was more extempore from there, Yuuri had to figure out how to be sexy fast.

Yuuri rested his elbows onto the bar and let his face fall into his hands. The tavern was busy tonight, it was a little overwhelming in itself without the added stress of this whole situation.

“Hey there beautiful,” Yuuri turned to see who was the slurring voice behind him. The man had shadowy facial hair covering his jaw line, a wandering eye, and what seemed to be a military uniform sloppily worn.

“Are you talking to me, sailor?” Yuuri saw out of the corner of his eye some of Phichit’s girls giggling at the man. Or maybe they were giggling at him. There was no way to tell.

“I sure am, darling.” The man got a little closer and reached his hand to grasp at the cloth draped over Yuuri’s hip. “I’d love to do more than talk. What do ya say, hm?”

Maybe Yuuri should have mentally prepared to be propositioned if he would be playing the role of a sex worker. This was a big part of the job he was pretending to have. Yet, Yuuri really did not imagine any scenarios besides the one Mari had described to him exactly. Meet the pirate, lure him into the backroom where Mari was waiting, get him drunk enough to let his guard down, then let Mari take over and do whatever she does. Seemed simple, seemed clean. However, there was a non-pirate man now touching him and Yuuri wasn’t very professional about it.

“Oh, well I-I’m very expensive…” Yuuri’s blush was more hued than the cheap rouge Phichit had smeared on his cheeks. “I don’t think you could afford it.”

“How much, sweetheart” How much was sex usually worth?

“Fifty…”

“That’s nothing!”

“-thousand. Fifty thousand.” Phichit’s girls were now most definitely laughing at Yuuri. So was the drunk sailor for that matter.

“Yeah, right sweetheart! Why don’t you give me the real cost after you show me the goods?” The man gripped onto Yuur’s arm, dead set on pulling him away to God knows where.

Lucky for Yuuri, Phichit’s girls weren’t the only ones that took notice of his failure of a transaction.

“I don’t think he is what you are looking for.” An authoritative voice makes the sailor stop in his path.

A voice attached to a rather imposing figure. Tall, broad, with stylish silver hair; all wrapped up in an expensive looking waistcoat. He had placed himself right in the man's trajectory, instantly taking the sailor aback.

“No?” The man looks shortly at Yuuri then back to the man. Seemingly sobering up while weighing a quick decision. “My mistake then.”

He stumbled away back to his table, but this new man stayed to watch him leave. Yuuri looked desperately around the tavern, he needed to talk strategy now. Phichit probably had minutes to explain the oldest profession to its newest participant. However, Yuuri was shocked to find Phichit, closer than he assumed.

Phichit quickly shuffled over to the side of the man who had scared the sailor away. The man who had his eyes steadied on Yuuri.

“Captain, I see you’ve met Yuuri. A good friend of mine.” Phichit looks slightly panicked, gesturing to Yuuri to communicate something important. While the gestures out of the man's sight were complex, the message was clear. This was the big scary pirate captain Yuuri has been waiting on.
“Yuuri,” The Captain trys out on his lips.

“And you are?” Yuuri tried to channel a more coy facade. Sultry would have to wait until Yuuri had a couple more drinks.

“Victor Nikovfrov, but please call me Victor.”

Chapter Text

“It’s very nice to meet you, Victor” Yuuri pictured pirates much differently than Victor Nikiforov. Victor was inarguably attractive, that was evident. There was something else about Victor that Yuuri hadn’t expected.

“Believe me, it’s my pleasure Yuuri.” Victor bowed slightly to Yuuri. Yuuri wasn’t sure, but he was pretty certain Captains didn’t bow to prostitutes. So he immediately curisited to balance out the oddly formal gesture for a tavern.

Phichit leaned in to say something about drinks being on him, then quickly made himself sparse. If Phichit was getting out of the way, that means it’s Yuuri’s time to do his stuff. It’s time to get seductive.

“So,” Yuuri tried to make his voice silky like actors do when they're being sexy, but he didn’t quite know what to say after the first word “. . .”

Oh God, what does he say? Do people typically flirt with clients? Do they get to know each other? Or should yuuri get to the point? Do you want to go have sex with me in a back room where no police officers are waiting for specifically you? Flirting sounds like the best bet.

“So, do you come here often?” No, no. Yuuri did not just ask that. Yuuri could play nymphs and playboys in Ballets, but he couldn’t pretend to flirt for the life of him.

Victor's lips curled slightly at the cheesy line.

“Not quite, a friend of mine owns a competing tavern. I just so happened to run into Phichit on my way there and he insisted there was someone I would like to meet inside.” Victor laughed to himself, “I never knew Phichit was so perceptive, but he was definitely correct.”

Gentlemanly, that's how Yuuri would describe him. He had imagined a swaggering ruffian, but this man was charming in a more sophisticated way? Maybe that’s what Yuuri found surprising about him, he had such a pose.

“What I’m more interested in knowing is what are you doing here?” Victor asked with a completely genuine curiosity.

Is Victor on to him or just as horrible at flirting as he is?

“Well, I’m a friend of Phicit’s, of course. So naturally, I make an appearance now and then.” Yuuri tried to emphasize ‘friend’ the same way Phichit had when he introduced him. Subtlety seemed like the norm so he shouldn’t try to be too forward.

Luckily Victor was polite, and seemed interested enough in Yuuri to endure what was probably a very dull conversation. Yuuri felt overwhelmed by all the overthinking he had to do to answer simple questions in his new persona. To be honest, this felt more like an awkward first date than a seduction scenario. And while Yuuri wouldn’t mind dating such a handsome and well mannered guy, good manners weren’t going to get this pirate into a shaddy backroom.
Yuuri had to do something to change this situation around.

So Victor, isn’t what he expected? That’s fine, it just means Yuuri needs to switch his perspective. This is a performance in a way, just like Yuuri’s ballets. So if Victor is playing the gentleman, Yuuri must be the fiery playboy.

If this was a ballet, Yuuri wouldn’t get someone's attention with what he said but with what he does.

Yuuri took a breath in like he would right before stepping on stage. He leaned his elbow onto the bar next to them. Allowed his spine to straighten, but his hips to jut to the side. And craned his neck to accentuate his exposed skin.

Victor took notice of his postering, tracing his eyes for just a moment on the curve of Yuuri’s hip.

In his shows, seduction always starts with making contact.

Yuuri looked directly into the pirate’s eyes, almost pointedly. As he hoped, Victor's eyes met his as well. Slowly, he reached up and brushed his hand through Victor’s smooth silver hair. Victor's lips parted, possibly surprised by the sudden contact, but he didn’t pull away. With that slight reassurance, Yuuri rested his hand on the back of Victor's head, still ever-so-gently twirling his pointer finger to play with his hair further.

“Your hair’s so soft,” Yuuri leaned in as he spoke, lowering his volume so it felt like a secret between the two.

“You think so?”

Yuuri let his other hand sneak onto Victor’s coat shoulder, letting his thumb roam over to the gold detailing over his clavicle.

“I do, Victor…” Yuuri drawed out the man’s name, playing with it just as Victor had with Yuuri’s name.

Under Yuuri’s hand, Victor’s breath hitched.

“Thank you-” It sounded almost like a whisper, but closer to a quick exhale that caught words along the way.

Yuuri wanted to grin, this was exciting! He wasn’t certain if it was succeeding in the mission or just knowing that a man like Victor could have all his attention focused on a man like Yuuri. Well, at least the man he thought Yuuri was.

Yuuri made his body stay liquid, teasing Victor’s increasingly tense muscles under Yuuri’s hands. This was the time to make a move, but he couldn’t overwhelm him. If he comes on any stronger, he might scare Victor off. Or worse, Yuuri would forget why he was doing this. The more Yuuri watches Victor’s piercing eyes transfixed on him, the less he wants to take him to Mari’s trap.

“Yuuri, you rea-” Oh no, Yuuri took too long. They can’t go back to conversation, that will ruin the perfect moment to hook him. Yuuri panicked, what should he do?

“Shhhhhhhh” Yuuri regretted whatever made him press his finger to Victor's lips. Shushing? Was he a preschool teacher? Victor is a pirate Captain, not someone talking in a theater!

Yuuri tried to keep up his demeanor, but that slip up did hit his confidence a bit. Thank god, Victor looked more than happy to see what Yuuri wanted to say. Yuuri leaned back, hoping to replicate a fraction of the effect.

“Let me get you a drink,” Slipping his hands away, Yuuri turned to leave, only turning back to say “Wait for me, okay?”

Yuuri tried to walk with a sway in case he was still watching. Turning his head from left to right, Yuuri needed to find Phichit. Luckily, all the way at the end of the bar he was waving to him. Yuuri didn’t waste a minute and B-lined to the only familiar face. God, Yuuri never thought he would be relieved to find someone claiming to be his pimp!

“Yuuri! Why’d you leave? You were doing great!”

“No, I messed up. Ruined the moment..”

“What are you talking about! I’ve been watching, Yuuri, that man looked ready to get on his knees if you asked him. Seriously, please reconsider your job prospects.”

The unwanted job offer aside, that was reassuring. The tension must have been getting to him. A sting operation is a lot to handle, he just needed a second to cool off.

“Phichit, can I have two drinks?”

“That’s the spirit, kid!” Phicit grabbed a bottle from behind the bar, “Well, actually, we keep the spirits on the shelf up there. This is Champagne.”

Phichit grabbed two tall steamed glasses and slipped them into Yuuri’s hand. Yuuri picked up the bottle, but stopped looking at the large cork still fastened pretty tightly on top.

“Uh, Phicit, you forgot to open it.” Phicit shook his head.

“No, let him open it. Guys like that. They pop the cork, and you act surprised, grab his arm. You both laugh. Makes them feel good.” Wow, Phicit knew his stuff.

“Oh..” What else did Phicit know? “Phichit? What else should I do? I’ve just been making it up so far, but when talking starts I’m so clueless.”

“Oh Yuuri,” Phicit seemed a little too happy to have his expertise noticed. “You’re doing really well. You’ve got his interest ten times over. Just be playful, make him feel like you want him, then when he asks to get some alone time take him to the VIP room. Boom! Mari’s got him!”

“Okay, sounds manageable.” That’s three steps if he thinks about it. Yuuri can do three things. Three is a great number.

“But most importantly..” Uh oh, that’s a fourth thing. “Have fun!”

“Have fun?” Yuuri needs a new pimp.

“Yeah! When's the next time you have a hot date with suave pirate Captain? I don’t trust Nikiforov as far as I could throw him, but that boy is something.”

Phichit was saying everything, Yuuri didn’t need to hear. Yuuri was painfully aware of how attracted he was to the man. He’ll have fun.

After taking a moment to find his confidence, Yuuri made his way through the now very crowded tavern. Victor was still patiently waiting.

Yuuri approached with his glasses and bottle.

“Thirsty, Sailor?”

Victor Laughed.

_____________________________
“Phichit, Phichit” Mari called from the crack in the curtain that would usually lead towards the VIP rooms. Today of course, they lead to a pirate trap.

Phicit glared towards the interruption. Making sure to casually leave his current conversation partner without causing suspicion, Phicit slipped behind the curtains.

“Mari, please be a little more discreet. You have no idea how much seeing the town’s private detective lurking around can ruin a party's mood.”

“I know, I know, but this is taking so long. Has Nikiforov not shown yet?”

“Oh, he’s here. He has been here for a good while.”

“Was Yuuri not able to . . .you know . . get his attention?”

“No, he got his attention, give him ten more minutes and he might have a lot more than that.”

“What does that mean, Phichit? What is happening out there?”

Phicit sighed. He took a quick peek out the curtain, scanning the room.

“There. He is right there, take a look for yourself.”

Mari hastily looked out at where Phichit indicated. There, she saw her brother laughing with a much taller man. She watched the man pop a bottle, while Yuuri giggled and grabbed his arm. Holy shit, Yuuri was really doing it. Yuuri was seducing a pirate.

“You worry too much about him, you know, he’s pretty good at this.”

“I’m not renting my brother out to your brothel, so stop asking.”

“What! I wasn’t ev- I would never even imply.” Phichit defended himself, “but he would make so much cash.”

“Wait, hold that thought, would ya”

Mari watched intensely as the Pirate Captain Whispered into her brother's ear.

“Ohh is it happening? Mari, you should go hide.”

“Shit, your right”

Mari and Phicit rushed back to the VIP room. Mari snuck into a less visible spot behind, yet more, curtains. Phichit tidied, then rushed back to the bar to find them once again. They weren’t hard to find. In the time he had been gone, Yuuri had taken to the dance floor with his Captain at his side. They were good, of course they were good. Yuuri was a ballet dancer, and the Captain was too handsome to not know his way around the floor.

Phicit went back to tending the bar, checking every now and then to see the two take turn after turn on the dance floor. The champagne bottle eventually bottoming out. There was a dispute between one of his regulars and a sailor that Phicit had to get in the middle of and by the time it was done Phicit couldn’t see either Yuuri or the Captain on the dance floor. Or anywhere in the tavern. Or at all. Uh oh.

_____________________________

The music in the room faded once again after another song had come and gone. Victor had asked him for a dance, ‘a’ dance, six songs ago. Yuuri knew that a mission like this didn’t require six consecutive dances, but good dance partners are hard to find these days and Victor was very good. He knew what he was doing, yes, but more importantly his eyes never left Yuuri.

No matter the song, no matter the difficulty; Victor was most transfixed in what movement Yuuri made next. It made it very easy to play with him, to tease him. Victor could pick up on a small change from Yuuri and adapt to it.

When Yuuri realized this, he took advantage of it to the fullest. Sliding and caressing and sometimes stumbling into exciting movements. Yuuri may be trained in body language but it must be Victor’s native tongue.

As much as Yuuri would have loved to have performed a ballet for this dingy tavern with this rugged pirate dansuer. He knew why he was actually here. Yuuri waved to the bartender, hoping that it meant anything to them, then led Victor to a small table they could catch their breath at.

“Wow,” was all Victor said, pink settling in on the tops of his cheekbones. Paring devilishly well with his pale complexion.

“You're a wonderful dancer.”

“Me?” Victor almost laughed, an airy delighted laugh. “You should have seen yourself, I couldn’t look away.”

Yuuri leaned his own cheek comfortably in his hand, to look up at Victor through his eyelashes and say “I know.”

“I never expected to see someone like yourself here tonight, it’s almost like a dream.”

“Well, I’m perfectly real,” Yuuri smiled, thinking of a sultry line in his mind.

Yuuri knew this was his time. Victor was in, and a little drunk, and hopefully a little warn from dancing. If he was ever going to invite him to the backroom it would be now.

“Vic-”

“Yuuri, could I possibly take you somewhere? I want to show you something”

Well, one detour couldn’t hurt.

_____________________________

Wood creaked under Yuuri’s feet as Victor’s ship rocked him into a comfortable lull. The sound of waves crashing immediately followed by the salty smell of the fresh sea. Yuuri didn’t notice when his head rested against Victor’s shoulder, but the warmth of his arm made the chill of the open air disappear. Leaning on the railing, they look out at the cove. Lanterns still burning in the distance, drunks still hobbling out of taverns.

Victor was speaking in a low hushed voice, Yuuri couldn’t understand what he was saying but the noise vibrating in his ears felt so relaxing. By now the liquor in his system had faded to a light buzz, but Yuuri wanted to hang on a little longer to his excuse to break physical boundaries.

“Yuuri?”

Recognising his name within the whispers, Yuuri shifted his gaze up to meet Victors. The expression on the other man’s face was so gentle.

“Are you tired, Meelyi?” Yuuri would ask what Meelyi meant if he wasn’t distracted by the arm now wrapping him up.

“No, no. I’m just caught up in the view. Thank you for taking me to see it.”

“Oh, yes it's nice, isn’t it?” Victor's gaze never left Yuuri. “To be completely honest, I’m so used to looking at the ocean that it’s not as captivating as it used to be.”

“That sounds horrible!”

“It’s not so bad, there are many things I find much more beautiful.”

“Oh?”

“Actually, I don’t want to be too forward, but something I find exceptionally beautiful is your work. I’m something of a fan.”

Of sex work? It wasn’t insane that sex workers could have fans, Yuuri just didn’t expect Victor to be so open about it. Maybe since Yuuri is supposed to be a sex worker, Victor is trying to flatter him? What do you say to that?

“That’s nice.” Was all Yuuri came up with.

“Oh no,” Victor looked embarrassed, he loosened his hold around Yuuri. “I’m sorry, you probably don’t want to talk about work. Was that weird?”

“What, no, no.” Yuuri hurt the hot pirates feelings? “I’m touched, really, I’m just not used to people saying they’re fans.”

“How? You are mesmerizing, truely.” Victor was no longer holding on to Yuuri but his eyes were so passionately pressuring Yuuri’s gaze. It felt as if Victor had a hold on him in a new sense. “The first time I saw you, you just ignited something in me.”

Yuuri, in his brain, knew that Victor had only seen him a few hours ago. Yuuri also knew that he was now on this man’s boat, correction, pirate ship. A functioning brain should process this whole situation as at least a little creepy. However, Yuuri’s brain was very much overruled by the warm feeling in his stomach as Victor reached to hold his hand.

“It is a crime, an injustice, if no one is telling you how magnificent you are.”

Yuuri put his hand on Victor's check. Bedding to close the space. If Victor felt this way from only seeing Yuuri haphazardly flirt in a tight outfit, Yuuri wanted to know what he would say if he showed him so much more.

“Honestly, I couldn’t believe the role they gave you this time.” What did Victor just say?

“Huh?”

“Don’t get me wrong, you are fantastic at playing the seductress. Truly, fantastic, but you can do so much more than that. I desperately want to see them utilize you to the fullest.”

Shit. Was this Pirate critiquing his undercover work? How did he figure out this was a honeypot? Did he know the whole time? Oh no, and Yuuri went willingly to a secondary location. Yuuri didn’t know what to do. Victor seemed reasonable, maybe he should just beg for forgiveness?

“I’m so sorry, Victor. I didn’t know what you were like before I agreed to do this! If I knew I never would have done any of this I swear!”

“Ouch, uh, okay.” Victor looked completely dejected. “I’m sorry, I suppose I should have said something sooner.”

“I’m glad you didn’t.” Yuuri blurted.

“I’m lost.” Victor

“You said you knew they were having me play a seductress?”

“Yes, in La Sylphide. You were brilliant. I’ve noticed your work at quite a few productions before that but I have to say after seeing you then I was quite taken.” Victor sighed. “I’m very sorry, Yuuri. I should have said something sooner. I didn’t intend to deceive you. I wanted to tell you I admired your work as soon as we were introduced but-”

“You know me from my work at the Ballet?”

“Yes? Did you think I was referring to something else?”

Chapter Text

“Did you think I was referring to something else?” Victor's innocent question held in the air while Yuuri scrambled to trace back their night's conversation.

“No, no, of course not.” Yuuri blurted out. Despite how warm and cozy it felt to stand so close to him, Victor was still a dangerous man. He couldn’t just casually come clean about his sister's whole plan to arrest him, right?

Victor’s face kept a strangely polite expression, he took his hands off Yuuri’s side, the warmth immediately missed. He stepped back, looking somewhere other than Yuuri’s face.

“I see, then I'm sorry to have disappointed you. I’ll take you back to port then.” Yuuri could only stare as Victor slipped from his grasp. The pit of his stomach grew rapidly cold, stunned by how quickly Yuuri had ruined all his own work. Yuuri was desperate to find a way to fix it.

“Victor, wait,” Yuuri grabbed onto Victor’s hand. He tried to hide the desperation by trying to replicate some of his sultriness from earlier. “Why go back so fast?”

“But you-”

“Forget about that,” Yuuri ran his fingers up and down Victor’s arm, hoping to coax him back into some of their previous closeness.

“Yuuri, please-” Yuuri tried to catch the gaze Victor had been trying to keep from him, but Victor’s eyes seemed like they were trying to escape him. “Stop.”

Yuuri let go. “I’m sorry-”

“Yuuri, you are lovely, truely, but this is all too confusing. You just said that if you knew what I was like earlier you wouldn't have come here, and now you're clinging to me? What is it you want from me?”

Yuuri felt heat rising into his cheeks. It didn’t look great from Victor's perspective did it? Insulting him then asking him to stay. Worst of all, now all these actions Yuuri's been taking aren’t some character for a honeypot in Victor’s eyes they are Yuuri’s. He must look insane. What would someone acting this way want, what does Yuuri want?

“I want to know what you want from me?” A cowards answer, but Yuuri tried to say it with commitment.

“Can I not even keep my pride?” Victor ran his hand through his hair, “I was hoping you might find me at least half as enticing as I found you.”

Yuuri’s breath suddenly felt short. If only Victor knew how dangerously enticed he was. “Victor I-”

“Please, don’t. I’m rather embarrassed already. I couldn’t take much more rejection in one night.”

“I don’t want to reject you, Victor!” Yuuri isn’t sure if he has a plan anymore. He just knows he wants Victor's face to stop looking so pained and start looking back at him. “You’ve misunderstood.”

“Yuuri, please, don’t feel as if you need to make me feel better.”

“I wouldn’t do that! I mean it, I’ve wanted you tonight more than I’ve wanted anyone in years.”

Victor stared at Yuuri slack jawed. Yuuri, for the first time, felt petrified. All the confidence he had earlier to make very public and rather indecent advances at Victor disappeared. Now he felt exposed, finally he was just Yuuri laid bare and waiting for a response.

Victor eased his hand onto the side of Yuuri’s waist. He looked to Yuuri, searching for some sort of sign to stop that never came. So he went further, Victor stepped into Yuuri’s space, pinning Yuuri legs to the rail of the deck. Yuuri wrapped his arms onto Victor’s shoulders for balance. He could feel Victor's nose brush against his ear, he held back the small noise of surprise that wanted to leak out.

“Victor?”

“Do you want me to stop?”

“. . No.”

Victor kissed the crook of Yuuri’s neck, chaste at first but then with licks and nips. Yuuri felt more and more excited by each kiss but desperately wanted to see Victor's face. Victor moved his attention to the corner of Yuuri's jaw, as he snuck his hand into the back of Yuuri's hair. Yuuri’s mind ran away with thoughts that simple small kisses shouldn’t have the power to give you. The sound of the ocean’s waves helped cover up Yuuri’s growing groans as he grew more impatient.

“Victor,” Yuuri begged. Victor looked up. Yuuri grew more excited by the wildness in his eyes. “Kiss me for real.”

Victor wasted no time. Pressing himself into a kiss that Yuuri felt overcome him. Hands ran through hair, clothes pulled, the rail of the deck creaked with every frantic movement.

Soon the sound of the ocean was the only thing that grounded Yuuri to reality. The crashing waves rolling off the wood of the ship synced in rhythm to the waves of excitement Yuuri felt as his body was pressed against the rail. Like sinking down below the ocean depths Yuuri felt a firm hand sinking below to rub him.

Yuuri’s head leaned back as he let out a groan, “Victor!”

Victor’s sharp blue eyes peered back into Yuuri’s. Yuuri’s previous control over his own demeanor completely vanished, lost to this man who seemingly had no shame. Yet Yuuri’s eyes didn’t dare break away from Victor’s, perhaps if he looked away for a single moment Victor would disappear. Like a trick of the moonlight on his eyes, or a siren coming to claim it’s dinner. Yuuri couldn’t believe this vision was real, but it felt delightfully real.

Yuuri grabbed Victor's face, pulling him closer. He needed to kiss him at this moment more than he needed air in his lungs. Victor gladly obliged but never stopped toying with Yuuri, sending bolts of pleasure up his spine.

Yuuri pulled away, just enough to fumble a few words out, “Victor, let me please you.”

“Wow,” Victor’s eyes widened as he slid his gaze from Yuuri’s eyes to his lips. Cupping the side of Yuuri’s face, his thumb brushed gently over Yuuri’s cheek, “Yuuri, you have to understand. I may seem like a gentleman tonight, but I am not. I’m a pirate-“

“I know, I don’t care-”

Victor moved his thumb over Yuuri’s lips, hushing him. “Yuuri, I mean it. I take, and I steal, and if you choose to go any further with me I might not be willing to give you back.”

Yuuri, overwhelmed with curiosity and lust, could only nod a yes.

-----------------------------------------

“Where the hell is my brother?!” Mari paced back and forth through the empty tavern.

All the customers had long past went home or went to a private room with one of Phicit’s ladies. The only private room that stayed unused all night was the very one Mari had waited in for her brother.

Phichit counted the drawer, no idea of where their bait had run off, but still trying to avoid idle hands anyway. “I’m not sure.”

“You aren’t sure or you don’t want to tell me?” Mari accurately yet still rudely accused.

“Well, I don’t know where he went but certainly it’s safe to assume with who.”

“Oh God, I got my baby brother kidnapped.” Mari planted her forehead onto the bar. “I’m a terrible sister.”

“Maybe so, but a fantastic matchmaker. Those two were really hitting it off.”

“Will you stop joking, this is serious!”

“Oh come on, either your brother will turn up tomorrow with a smile on his face and a cigarette in his hand or he will make quite a successful career for himself in the whoring business. Either option, anyone should be happy to have.”

“Oh yeah?” Mari sat up and grabbed one of the bottles behind the counter. “And what happens when Nikovfrov mentions his new boytoy he picked up at your establishment to Chris?”

Phicit straightens his posture, the cash in the drawer losing it’s interest.

“You don’t really think he would mention that to him, do you?”

“Why not? I’m sure Chris would be very interested in the details of you breaking your truce.”

“But Yuuri doesn’t actually work for me, so I didn’t break the truce.”

“Good Luck explaining that loophole,” Mari took a swig from the bottle, “‘Don’t worry I only broke our truce so I could help get your friend arrested!’ He’ll love that.”

“Fuck.” Phichit slammed the drawer closed, locking it “Fine. let's go get your Brother.”

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Yuuri felt hazy, running his hands over Victor's top sheet. Sitting on the side of the bed waiting for him to return. What in the world was he thinking? Wasn’t he supposed to be the one seducing Victor and taking him to a secondary location. How did Yuuri get this caught up at the moment? An amazing moment, yes, but still so reckless. What was Mari even thinking right now? She must be pissed.

Yet, Yuuri did not attempt to leave his spot as he waited. Instead he just kept rubbing his hand against the mattress.

The door opened, Victor came in with two glasses of wine but without his coat. Without it, Yuuri could see just how open his poet’s shirt neckline was. Victor must know that too as he certainly looked comfortable with his shirt revealing so much of his muscular chest.

“For you,” Victor handed Yuuri a glass, which Yuuri had to reach up to take. Victor towered over him when he sat. Yuuri wondered if he should get up, or if there was something appealing about having to stare up at Victor. “So, you were saying earlier something about- what was it- ‘wanting me more than anyone ever’-”

“I did not say ever!” Yuuri took a sip of the wine.

“Did you mean ever?” Yuuri let out some exasperated type of noise, maybe it was a laugh, maybe it was a scoff. Whatever it was, it was certainly telling.

“That’s quite bold, Nikovfrov” Yuuri could no longer hold that gaze he had enjoyed just moments ago. There was too much heat running to his face that he instinctively wanted to hide.

“You’re more shy all of a sudden,” Yuuri tensed as Victor said it, he supposed he had stopped acting at some point on this ship. He had got so swept up in Victor that he was just being himself. “I like it, it’s cute.”

“Cute? I was supposed to be sexy.”

“Supposed? Why Yuuri, you weren’t trying to seduce me tonight were you?” Victor had become so teasing out of nowhere. Yuuri was surprised at how charming he found it, but it also bubbled up the need to tease him right back.

Yuuri leaned into Victor's frame, his cheek pressing right above Victor's hips. He mustered up the courage to look back at Victor from this angle, knowing full well what it suggested. “Are you saying it isn’t working?”

Yuuri knew he was onto something, as he felt Victor's breath hitch under him. He slid his hands onto both sides of his torso, letting himself feel the details of Victor's form as he pushed up his shirt just enough to give a small soft kiss on his skin.

“Meelyi, you are-” Victor couldn't finish before Yuuri gave a sharp tug on his waistband. “Oh, God.”

Yuuri couldn’t help but feel the same smug satisfaction he had as he did at the bar. Having such a renowned and dangerous man like Victor react like that to Yuuri’s touch was heaven. Yuuri wanted him to see everything he could do, wanted him to watch him do it.

Yuuri glides his hand into Victor’s boxers, pulling out Victor’s cock and pressing the tip in between his lips. Looking up to Victor, inviting him to push it forward.

First Yuuri feels a shiver on Victor's skin, then he feels how deep chest his is rising and falling, but he doesn’t expect to feel Victor's hands on his shoulders gently pushing him away.

“What's wrong?” Yuuri’s mind is racing, he must have made a mistake. Did he misinterpret this all? Surely not since Victor was the one stroking him moments ago.

“You are nothing that I could have ever imagined, truly Yuuri. And it is not easy to resist doing everything I’m thinking of doing to you right now.” Victor stepped back, catching a breath. He sat further away, on his desk that was already covered in maps and papers. “But, I can’t forget about it. I just don’t understand.”

“I don’t either, Victor, what are you talking about?”

“What you said earlier, ‘If you knew what I was like earlier you never would have come here with me’. Yet, you also say you don’t care I’m a pirate. I’m so confused, Yuuri.”

Yuuri’s act had caught up to him. Earlier tonight, he had completely different aims for this evening but now all he wanted was to make it right with Victor. “I was mistaken when I said that.”

“Mistaken how? You found me attractive enough to kiss but couldn’t stand my personality once we arrived here? If that is the truth Yuuri, you can just tell me.”

“No, no.” Yuuri got up, hoping finding closeness again would find him some perfect excuse. “I wouldn’t have kissed you, or anything else, if I had hated speaking to you.”

Victor massaged his furrowed eyebrow, “So why did you say that?”

“I-” Yuuri had no lie he wanted to tell, he was tired of lies frankly.

“While I admired you before, and of course found you beautiful. Tonight, I thought there was something there. I am really taken by you. And as much as I desperately want to touch you, I can't, my heart won’t allow it because my mind is still reeling wondering what you think of me. I suppose that’s a bit pathetic, isn't it?”

“No,” Yuuri felt shame and anger all at once. Shame that he had made Victor feel this way and anger that Victor thought it was pathetic to feel it. “No, you're not pathetic. I feel the same, taken by you.”

“Then why-”

“Because I was trying to trick you. I was supposed to pretend to be a sex worker and seduce you so that a private detective could arrest you in one of the backrooms, but I just found myself wanting to enjoy more time with you. . .”

Victor sat up, a new seriousness to his expression that scared Yuuri just a little bit. “How did this private detective know to get you? No one outside of my inner circle knew I had an infatuation with you.”

As flattering as the idea of Victor telling others about him was, that was hard to feel over the anxiety that came with the sudden reminder that Victor is a dangerous man. And that they are on a boat far from the coastline. And Yuuri had just admitted something that would upset any normal person, let alone a famous pirate captain.

“She had no idea, I swear, it was a coincidence.”

“A coincidence they chose the one person in this town that I had interest in? That’s a hard sell, Yuuri.”

“The detective, she’s my sister. She just needed someone and I was the only one who was willing to do that big of a favor.”

Victor ran his hand through his hair, “So no one in my inner circle fed her that information?”

“No! She was just hired by some old lady that you robbed the cargo ship of, and she really didn’t have any other ways of finding you.”

Yuuri couldn’t read what was going through Victor's head. He didn’t look angry but he wasn’t saying anything either. What was he thinking over, deciding whether to throw him overboard?

Victor pushed himself off the desk and met Yuuri where he was standing in the middle of the room. Yuuri wasn’t sure if he should consider running but there didn’t seem any point on a boat. Before he could decide, Victor brush his hand against Yuuri's check.

“I can work with that.” Victor now seemed in greater spirits than he had all night.

“You aren’t mad I lied to you?”

“Mad? Oh Yuuri, I have done so much worse then that. Besides, this creates the perfect opportunity for us to make a deal.”

“A deal?”

“I’ll return the cargo your sister was hired for and in exchange you come with me to Sydney.”

“Sydney, Australia?”

“So you’re familiar? I’ll be there for the next three months, you could come with me and I promise to bring you right back after” Victor winked, which should have worried Yuuri, but only excited him. “Yuuri, they have the most amazing ballet there and if we leave tomorow you would still have time to audition for their spring production”

“I have heard amazing things about the ballet studios there.” Could Yuuri just up and leave with this man he has spent one night with? He wanted to, and he did have the excuse of getting his sister's client’s cargo back. If he thought of it that way, how could he turn down the chance to help this poor woman reconnect with her things?

“It would be wonderful, Meelyi. I’ll do my work, you can try a ballet studio that will give you the roles you deserve, and in between we can spend more time . . . getting to know each other.”

Yuuri was crazy. He was, and Mari would tell him that too. But Mari does owe him a favor, a big one, after all he had to seduce a pirate for her. They could go to shore, give her the old ladies stuff and then sail off into the sunset. And all Yuuri would ask is that Mari does him the favor of trusting his judgment. As bad of a judgment as it might be.

Yuuri wrapped his arms around Victor's neck, unable to hold in his excitement.

“Deal!”