...
Eyes open wide at the revelation, Lorenzo's heartbeat stopped, as if hit by the honest and kind wisdom of the woman.
"Sorry...", a weak murmur, almost inaudible.
Hearing Yukina's sorrowful words, silent tears rolled down Lorenzo's cheeks. He could feel the pain in her voice... no doubt his weakness had opened the woman's old wounds. Such a thing could not be forgiven easily, especially not by him. But somewhere in his heart, Lorenzo felt strange, somewhat... fuzzy.
"You know, I haven't been honest with you. I am not the greatest pirate of the seas, if I was My crew, my life's work, my ambition, my foolishness, my greed. It all-"
But he never finished his sentence, he remembered a word, one that had shaken Lorenzo's very world on that day.
It was a hopeless battle, a bout agains an impossible monster that was to crush him and all that he held dear. Lorenzo most surely fought well and bravely, but it just wasn't enough. He remembered the last word his companion, his best friend, his bother told him.
"Live."
"Live, and they will live on in me...." , the pirate muttered. And with that, he sobbed once again, but make no mistake: these were no tears of sorrow, but tears of joy. "You are right miss Yukina, I have made a terrible mistake. I tried to forget, to make myself believe it never happened, but their death... They died to protect my life, but it was my duty to do so for them!"
The man was now shaking, the crying had finally stopped, but in it's stead was a dead silence. "... I understand, If my crew sacrificed their life for my sake, to protect me, I must make sure to live no matter what. Your words, they touch me, I understand now, if I do not life to the fullest, their death would have been for naught, and I would only dishonour their sacrifice..."
In a hair's breath, a sudden noise could be heard from the bathroom, one couldn't tell if it was a crying lament or a tearful laughter, but one sound would forever erase Lorenzo's broken world.
The door was suddenly open, standing in front of Yukina was a smiling man, his pained yet serene face wet with tears and his body inert and unmoving. He was covered by a thick towel wrapped around him, moonlight reflecting off his gleaming body. A lean body covered in countless scars and old battle wounds.
Instinctively, almost as if his mind was being controlled by some alien force, Lorenzo hugged Yukina.
"Thank you. Thank you...", he murmured softly over and over again., his head resting on her shoulder.
Sniffling, Lorenzo whimpered and wept, never before had he talked about his feelings in such a way to anyone, the feeling of getting such a burden off his chest was...
"...I'm sorry... I am sorry... sorry for showing my weakness like that... i'm being silly and pathetic, ain't I?"