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veronica_richSee Part 1 for disclaimers, etc.
They made it back to Pearl in under two hours, including ducking between buildings to get to the docks and rowing back out to the ship. Escape was serious work, and nothing distracted them until they were about halfway out on the water. Jack leaned back, watching Will row, studying his arms and shoulders and the way he pressed the soles of his feet into the bottom of the boat to gain leverage. The slender, boyish smith of Port Royale almost two years ago had been replaced by a sturdier frame of upper-body musculature, sharper facial features, quirkier brow, and longer curls.
Stretching forward, Jack pressed an impulsive kiss to Will’s mouth, gaining entrance before sliding a hand between the man’s legs to cup his half-hard shaft. “Jack!” he chastised, pulling back a few inches and pausing in his rowing. “Do you want to get to the ship, or don’t you?”
“Oh, I forgot.” With a careless air, Jack leaned back again, widening his feet in the bottom of the boat. He slid his hand toward his own groin, eyes on Will, who still hadn’t resumed his rowing. Never taking his eyes off Will’s face, he licked his lips and unfastened his breeches with a few simple tugs. “You like t’ watch.” Palming his own cock, he lifted it free of the material and let his head fall back as he stroked it up and down, feeling the burn of those hazel eyes fixed on his ringed fingers.
Will hissed. “Dammit, Jack, this is serious. We might be pursued.”
He tightened his grip, stroking harder, then loosened it to allow his cock to bounce a little, reaching down to cup and withdraw his bollocks as well. A moment later, he heard the clatter of wood on wood, and his hand was being pushed aside amid the noise. When he opened his eyes and tilted his head up, it was just in time to see Will, on his knees, swallowing him halfway down. “Oh, yeah,” Jack encouraged, reaching up to stroke that loose, soft hair. “Suck me, love. H-Harder, now. We might be … pursued.”
Will growled low in the back of his throat, and Jack felt the vibration. He fell back on both elbows braced on the sides of the rowboat, trying to leverage so he could thrust. Will, however, anticipated and forcefully held Jack’s thighs to the seat with strong hands, tonguing the underside of his cock even as he tightened the back of his throat around the crown, squeezing, coaxing. Jack let a loud, ragged groan escape his throat, then another, half-hoping to be discovered. He didn’t want to share Will with anyone, but at the same time, the occasional urge for the world to see what the gorgeous young man could do to him was overpowering.
The smith grasped his balls, squeezing, stroking, rubbing, and it was too much. Jack pulsed into Will’s throat, hips pumping, buttocks clenched, sounds desperate and high. He heard the short, sucking sounds of swallowing, and released a heavy, tense sigh. “Really hits th’ spot,” he murmured, relaxing as he felt Will draw off.
“Maybe now you’ll shut up,” the younger man groused, picking up his oars again. “We’re almost there, Your Highness; you might want to rethink your entrance.” Jack looked up in time to see Will nodding toward his groin, amusement in his tone.
A few minutes later, tucked away, he waited for Will to start climbing aboard before he followed, crawling over the rail with some help from Will. He strode toward the poop deck, glad to see Gibbs at the helm. “Bit of speed, if ye please,” he commanded. “In th’ opposite direction of this fine country?”
“Aye, and ‘s good to see ye again, Captain.” Gibbs nodded curtly at both him and Will, then raised his voice toward the two lookouts near the front. “You gobs get some men! Weigh anchor, an’ let’s get some rowers below!”
“We’ll get th’ anchor,” Jack volunteered, nodding back at Will, then addressing the two crewmen. “Get those sweeps on double-time, least for the next hour.”
Dawn hadn’t even touched the sky when the two men made it to Jack’s cabin, exhausted and finally relieved they were far enough out to have a head start. Jack yawned as he pulled off his armaments and belts, and managed to unknot and shed his sash while kicking off his boots. He was glad he’d had the presence of mind to order three of the crew, once they were far enough out, to have the tub filled and heated; he wasn’t a fastidious bather, but he wanted the stench of that gaol gone. “Wasn’ sure we’d see th’ inside of this old girl again,” he admitted aloud.
“Jack.”
When he turned, Will drew him near and lowered his forehead to touch Jack’s. Remembering his promise from earlier, Jack shook his head. “I don’ feel like movin’ stuff tonight,” he begged off. “Let’s just get it later today, aye?”
Will met his eyes, smoothing hair back from Jack’s temples, and the pirate was quiet. They kissed lazily, nothing too insistent. He reached for the bottom of Will’s shirt, the vest already on the floor. They took their time pulling each other’s clothes off, stroking sooted, clammy skin, finally climbing into the tub, Will sitting and Jack on his knees before him. It was a simple few moves to shift around and impale himself on the lad’s hard, soapy prick. They sighed almost in unison, Will sinking further down into the warm water, eyes half-closed, boneless in relief as Jack braced his hands on the sides of the tub, balancing. Fairly soon, hands came up to hold his waist, helping; Jack let his head fall back, riding smoothly as his partner’s hips jerked in rhythm, the man’s knees bracing Jack’s backside as he moved.
“That was … too close,” Will gritted out, hands tighter.
“Fuck, yeah,” Jack breathed, sucking air sharply through his front teeth. He leaned forward to better leverage his own cock between their abdomens, letting his head hang down close to Will’s. “Closer, love – get me closer, c’mon.”
“No,” Will whispered, hands sliding up Jack’s back. “I mean, getting caught … dying.”
“I know.” Jack nodded, the change in angle making him dizzy and hot. “Hell of a rush, idn’ it?”
“The last time I was locked up-“ Will stifled himself, head back, eyes closed, body arching, and Jack lengthened his reverse thrusts, drawing it out, leaning over to lick Will’s exposed throat, still sweaty. “Jack, yeah … oh yes … fuck …” That last part slipped out as Jack sucked at his chin, clenching his muscles around the man’s deeply-buried shaft. Will’s hips froze, and he cried out, clutching tighter to the body above his, nearly sliding underwater in his bliss. Jack braced his knees to hold him in place, but jerked his own hips to continue abrading his erection, thrusting several more times before exploding underwater across the other man’s flat belly.
Eventually, Will scooted back up, but kept his arms around Jack. The captain was used to this open affection the man displayed; truth was, he’d grown quite fond of the way Will held him, wanting to feel him close after a coupling such as this. “Jack,” he whispered near the man’s ear, and he sank a bit more into that embrace, loving how Will’s breath rolled around his tongue to produce the sound, intimate and slightly harsh. “You there?”
Jack chuckled roughly, suddenly exhausted. “’M here,” he nodded, sliding his own arms around Will’s wet, muscular torso. “What’s on your mind?”
The smith was quiet a moment, fingers stroking along Jack’s spine. “The last time I was locked up,” he began, “we were on-“
“I remember.” Jack did not want to discuss Elias Francois.
“It’s just that you’ve never told me what happened.” The fingers stopped, tightened. “What you did.”
“You’re not stupid.” His tone sounded harsh to himself, short. “You can figure it out.”
“I’m not trying to judge you, Jack,” soothed the voice, and the fingers resumed, a palm with it now. “It’s just – you’re so distant, sometimes. Like maybe I’m using you, or something. And I know that was the last time you … you know, did anything with-“
“I don’t want to talk about this.” He stiffened, tried to pull away.
“Jack, I do. Please.” His embrace loosened, as if unsure. “There’s times when you look at me, and I catch you, and you look away. When I want you to look at me, at my eyes, and you break that connection.” He paused. “It’s happened often since then.”
If pressed, Jack would admit one of the things working in Will’s favor in this relationship was his absolute refusal to let Jack bullshit him. Rarely did he have to wonder where he stood with the smith; the man might refuse to speak if he were truly in a snit, but he didn’t play games. “Why?”
“Because you need to say it.” Will released him as Jack sat back on his heels. “You can turn around, if you want – need to get your hair clean before the water goes cold, anyway. I mean, you don’t have to tell me every detail … I don’t think I’d want to know, anyway.” Will was stubborn – not out of pride, but out of principle – and Jack knew the conversation had been coming, delayed long enough. Feeling heavier than he actually was, he stood and turned, sitting between Will’s long, outstretched legs, allowing most of himself to be drawn down beneath the surface, his ears still above when Will prompted, “Jack.”
“Where do I begin.” He hummed to himself, feeling the vibration of his own voice in his ears. “It’s not that difficult a choice, Will – imagine that he basically threatened to do all manner of things to ‘Lizabeth while you stood by, kept immobile. But,” he lifted a hand to gesture, feeling large fingers massaging his scalp, working water through the loose parts of his hair, “s’pose, then, you were given th’ choice to take his mind off her. To distract him, as it were.” He sat up, watching Will’s hand reach past him for the cake of soap. “’S all I did, really. Distraction.”
"But, it wasn't just distraction, was it? There's something else that's been bothering you about it."
"You askin' if I enjoyed it?" Jack tilted his head back, letting Will work the soap in, and shrugged, eyes closed. "Depends how ye look at it. I wasn' about to let him 'force' me into anything. A lot of coping in life is mindset; you know that."
"You're not refuse, you know," Will massaged the scalp and strands. "You're not some scrap of iron in the street that blocks a lost diamond. You are a treasure in your own right, no matter what he told you. You know that, right?"
"It doesn't matter much as you think it does." Jack reached for the wet cake of soap and lathered his hands, working at his nails. "My opinion of me own self doesn't hinge on what a right bastard like that thinks o’ me."
"I know. But I needed to say it." There was a pause as they cleaned themselves in silence, and then Will spoke again. "You're just so angry about everything ... What are you trying to tell yourself you could have done differently?"
Rather than deny it, as that would inevitably lead to more questioning, Jack admitted ignorance. "I don't know. Maybe that I didn't kill th' son of a bitch when I had a chance earlier. Or that he had cause t' look for me in th' first place." He rinsed his hands, watching the soap further cloud the water, and added quietly, "All comes back to bad choices, doesn' it? Th' fact I trusted Hector has been singularly responsible for leading to much of th' tragedy in me life over th' past dozen years."
A small pause. "Though – if you think about it … well, that one mistake maybe brought you something good, too."
"Look at all th' people who died from it." He was silent a moment. "Including Bill."
"If you hadn't made that mistake, we wouldn't be here, you and me. I'd be making swords somewhere on land. Da might be dead of his own choices – and so might you. But, we are here. And we'll probably still make stupid mistakes. We're still human, no matter what people say about us." There was a small, self-deprecating laugh from the smith as he unknotted some of Jack's tangles.
He hesitated. "I know you say you don't think less of me ..."
“But, you think I actually do?"
“There are grand differences between us."
"Unless you find some magic way to not get older for a few years, that's not going to change," Will pointed out.
“I don't just mean our ages, William."
He could sense Will shaking his head. "I'm too tired for tact. Jack, I really couldn't care any less about the number of people you've lied to, stolen from, paid, or bent over a barrel. You've protected me when I didn't know I needed saving, and you've let me do the same for you. I'm not insisting on roses and romance and that kind of thing. Your respect, regard, and loyalty are all I need."
Jack laughed softly. "You've had th' first two since th' day we met."
"Only because I was better at the sword. Sometimes, if I'd had it to do all over again, I wonder if I would hide you rather than let Norrington get his hands on you."
"I don't think so. You wouldn' be Will Turner if ye did that."
The smile was audible in Will's tone. "Well, that all depends on whether I could know then what I know now."
"What, jump ahead two years?" Jack slid down again as Will guided, letting the man submerge his head.
"Something like that." He held Jack's head so his face was above the water, using one hand to rinse the soap from the thick mane. "I'm sure if he weren’t already dead, we could come up with something to make that bastard pay."
Waiting until the rinse was complete, Jack sat up, rubbing water from his eyes. "I'd really rather jus' not devote any more thought to th' puta 'tall," he mumbled.
"Then maybe you should tell me what's really eating at your core."
He wasn't sure what to say. Admit of all the times in his life he'd felt cheap, maybe that was the highest point, because he'd been protecting someone worth shielding? There'd been so many such moments in his life – none of which had bothered him until he knew Will better and realized how pure of motive and character someone could be. What did the average pirate see when they looked at the two of them together, after all? Depravity and innocence, he answered himself. You protected him because you're the one who got him into that mess. Outwardly, Jack was quiet, rinsing his arms and chest.
Will took the moment to wrap his arms about Jack's body, resting his cheek on Jack's wet mane. "Don't think you're not good enough for me, all right? I've heard you talking to Pearl sometimes. You're no worse than I am. Just different." A pause, and Will reached for more soap.
It felt ... good. Jack grabbed Will's arm, stopped him, pulled it back where it had been. He hated admitting he needed something, especially another person, but Will had initiated this and he was going to take advantage of it. Will resumed his position, holding onto the man. "You're safe with me, you know.” Jack nodded, wrapping his arms around Will's, leaning back into his chest. When did I earn this?
They spent the next several minutes in silence, the water cooling around them as Will rocked them both, humming a tuneless melody under his breath. Finally, Jack patted his lover’s arms and freed himself from the embrace, pushing to his feet. "Better finish up your own hair," he nodded, water sluicing off his skin. "Be cold before too long."
Over the next few minutes, Jack dried off and Will finished his bathing; once out of the water, Will tossed several buckets of the water out the porthole to lighten the tub, then he and Jack carried it into the corridor to be collected and emptied by the last of the night watch. While Jack finished drying his hair, Will discarded his towel and climbed into the bed, not bothering to dress for sleep.
As soon as Jack slid between the covers, Will scooted closer and wrapped his arm around Jack’s waist, pressing a hand to the center of his naked back. They kissed, Jack easing against that warm, lithe body, reaching up to play with Will’s damp hair. “I’m gon’ sleep like the dead,” he murmured, exhausted.
“Makes two of us.” Will yawned, and sank listlessly into his pillow. “Don’t you dare wake me at the first hint of sunlight …”
On to Part 3 ...
They made it back to Pearl in under two hours, including ducking between buildings to get to the docks and rowing back out to the ship. Escape was serious work, and nothing distracted them until they were about halfway out on the water. Jack leaned back, watching Will row, studying his arms and shoulders and the way he pressed the soles of his feet into the bottom of the boat to gain leverage. The slender, boyish smith of Port Royale almost two years ago had been replaced by a sturdier frame of upper-body musculature, sharper facial features, quirkier brow, and longer curls.
Stretching forward, Jack pressed an impulsive kiss to Will’s mouth, gaining entrance before sliding a hand between the man’s legs to cup his half-hard shaft. “Jack!” he chastised, pulling back a few inches and pausing in his rowing. “Do you want to get to the ship, or don’t you?”
“Oh, I forgot.” With a careless air, Jack leaned back again, widening his feet in the bottom of the boat. He slid his hand toward his own groin, eyes on Will, who still hadn’t resumed his rowing. Never taking his eyes off Will’s face, he licked his lips and unfastened his breeches with a few simple tugs. “You like t’ watch.” Palming his own cock, he lifted it free of the material and let his head fall back as he stroked it up and down, feeling the burn of those hazel eyes fixed on his ringed fingers.
Will hissed. “Dammit, Jack, this is serious. We might be pursued.”
He tightened his grip, stroking harder, then loosened it to allow his cock to bounce a little, reaching down to cup and withdraw his bollocks as well. A moment later, he heard the clatter of wood on wood, and his hand was being pushed aside amid the noise. When he opened his eyes and tilted his head up, it was just in time to see Will, on his knees, swallowing him halfway down. “Oh, yeah,” Jack encouraged, reaching up to stroke that loose, soft hair. “Suck me, love. H-Harder, now. We might be … pursued.”
Will growled low in the back of his throat, and Jack felt the vibration. He fell back on both elbows braced on the sides of the rowboat, trying to leverage so he could thrust. Will, however, anticipated and forcefully held Jack’s thighs to the seat with strong hands, tonguing the underside of his cock even as he tightened the back of his throat around the crown, squeezing, coaxing. Jack let a loud, ragged groan escape his throat, then another, half-hoping to be discovered. He didn’t want to share Will with anyone, but at the same time, the occasional urge for the world to see what the gorgeous young man could do to him was overpowering.
The smith grasped his balls, squeezing, stroking, rubbing, and it was too much. Jack pulsed into Will’s throat, hips pumping, buttocks clenched, sounds desperate and high. He heard the short, sucking sounds of swallowing, and released a heavy, tense sigh. “Really hits th’ spot,” he murmured, relaxing as he felt Will draw off.
“Maybe now you’ll shut up,” the younger man groused, picking up his oars again. “We’re almost there, Your Highness; you might want to rethink your entrance.” Jack looked up in time to see Will nodding toward his groin, amusement in his tone.
A few minutes later, tucked away, he waited for Will to start climbing aboard before he followed, crawling over the rail with some help from Will. He strode toward the poop deck, glad to see Gibbs at the helm. “Bit of speed, if ye please,” he commanded. “In th’ opposite direction of this fine country?”
“Aye, and ‘s good to see ye again, Captain.” Gibbs nodded curtly at both him and Will, then raised his voice toward the two lookouts near the front. “You gobs get some men! Weigh anchor, an’ let’s get some rowers below!”
“We’ll get th’ anchor,” Jack volunteered, nodding back at Will, then addressing the two crewmen. “Get those sweeps on double-time, least for the next hour.”
Dawn hadn’t even touched the sky when the two men made it to Jack’s cabin, exhausted and finally relieved they were far enough out to have a head start. Jack yawned as he pulled off his armaments and belts, and managed to unknot and shed his sash while kicking off his boots. He was glad he’d had the presence of mind to order three of the crew, once they were far enough out, to have the tub filled and heated; he wasn’t a fastidious bather, but he wanted the stench of that gaol gone. “Wasn’ sure we’d see th’ inside of this old girl again,” he admitted aloud.
“Jack.”
When he turned, Will drew him near and lowered his forehead to touch Jack’s. Remembering his promise from earlier, Jack shook his head. “I don’ feel like movin’ stuff tonight,” he begged off. “Let’s just get it later today, aye?”
Will met his eyes, smoothing hair back from Jack’s temples, and the pirate was quiet. They kissed lazily, nothing too insistent. He reached for the bottom of Will’s shirt, the vest already on the floor. They took their time pulling each other’s clothes off, stroking sooted, clammy skin, finally climbing into the tub, Will sitting and Jack on his knees before him. It was a simple few moves to shift around and impale himself on the lad’s hard, soapy prick. They sighed almost in unison, Will sinking further down into the warm water, eyes half-closed, boneless in relief as Jack braced his hands on the sides of the tub, balancing. Fairly soon, hands came up to hold his waist, helping; Jack let his head fall back, riding smoothly as his partner’s hips jerked in rhythm, the man’s knees bracing Jack’s backside as he moved.
“That was … too close,” Will gritted out, hands tighter.
“Fuck, yeah,” Jack breathed, sucking air sharply through his front teeth. He leaned forward to better leverage his own cock between their abdomens, letting his head hang down close to Will’s. “Closer, love – get me closer, c’mon.”
“No,” Will whispered, hands sliding up Jack’s back. “I mean, getting caught … dying.”
“I know.” Jack nodded, the change in angle making him dizzy and hot. “Hell of a rush, idn’ it?”
“The last time I was locked up-“ Will stifled himself, head back, eyes closed, body arching, and Jack lengthened his reverse thrusts, drawing it out, leaning over to lick Will’s exposed throat, still sweaty. “Jack, yeah … oh yes … fuck …” That last part slipped out as Jack sucked at his chin, clenching his muscles around the man’s deeply-buried shaft. Will’s hips froze, and he cried out, clutching tighter to the body above his, nearly sliding underwater in his bliss. Jack braced his knees to hold him in place, but jerked his own hips to continue abrading his erection, thrusting several more times before exploding underwater across the other man’s flat belly.
Eventually, Will scooted back up, but kept his arms around Jack. The captain was used to this open affection the man displayed; truth was, he’d grown quite fond of the way Will held him, wanting to feel him close after a coupling such as this. “Jack,” he whispered near the man’s ear, and he sank a bit more into that embrace, loving how Will’s breath rolled around his tongue to produce the sound, intimate and slightly harsh. “You there?”
Jack chuckled roughly, suddenly exhausted. “’M here,” he nodded, sliding his own arms around Will’s wet, muscular torso. “What’s on your mind?”
The smith was quiet a moment, fingers stroking along Jack’s spine. “The last time I was locked up,” he began, “we were on-“
“I remember.” Jack did not want to discuss Elias Francois.
“It’s just that you’ve never told me what happened.” The fingers stopped, tightened. “What you did.”
“You’re not stupid.” His tone sounded harsh to himself, short. “You can figure it out.”
“I’m not trying to judge you, Jack,” soothed the voice, and the fingers resumed, a palm with it now. “It’s just – you’re so distant, sometimes. Like maybe I’m using you, or something. And I know that was the last time you … you know, did anything with-“
“I don’t want to talk about this.” He stiffened, tried to pull away.
“Jack, I do. Please.” His embrace loosened, as if unsure. “There’s times when you look at me, and I catch you, and you look away. When I want you to look at me, at my eyes, and you break that connection.” He paused. “It’s happened often since then.”
If pressed, Jack would admit one of the things working in Will’s favor in this relationship was his absolute refusal to let Jack bullshit him. Rarely did he have to wonder where he stood with the smith; the man might refuse to speak if he were truly in a snit, but he didn’t play games. “Why?”
“Because you need to say it.” Will released him as Jack sat back on his heels. “You can turn around, if you want – need to get your hair clean before the water goes cold, anyway. I mean, you don’t have to tell me every detail … I don’t think I’d want to know, anyway.” Will was stubborn – not out of pride, but out of principle – and Jack knew the conversation had been coming, delayed long enough. Feeling heavier than he actually was, he stood and turned, sitting between Will’s long, outstretched legs, allowing most of himself to be drawn down beneath the surface, his ears still above when Will prompted, “Jack.”
“Where do I begin.” He hummed to himself, feeling the vibration of his own voice in his ears. “It’s not that difficult a choice, Will – imagine that he basically threatened to do all manner of things to ‘Lizabeth while you stood by, kept immobile. But,” he lifted a hand to gesture, feeling large fingers massaging his scalp, working water through the loose parts of his hair, “s’pose, then, you were given th’ choice to take his mind off her. To distract him, as it were.” He sat up, watching Will’s hand reach past him for the cake of soap. “’S all I did, really. Distraction.”
"But, it wasn't just distraction, was it? There's something else that's been bothering you about it."
"You askin' if I enjoyed it?" Jack tilted his head back, letting Will work the soap in, and shrugged, eyes closed. "Depends how ye look at it. I wasn' about to let him 'force' me into anything. A lot of coping in life is mindset; you know that."
"You're not refuse, you know," Will massaged the scalp and strands. "You're not some scrap of iron in the street that blocks a lost diamond. You are a treasure in your own right, no matter what he told you. You know that, right?"
"It doesn't matter much as you think it does." Jack reached for the wet cake of soap and lathered his hands, working at his nails. "My opinion of me own self doesn't hinge on what a right bastard like that thinks o’ me."
"I know. But I needed to say it." There was a pause as they cleaned themselves in silence, and then Will spoke again. "You're just so angry about everything ... What are you trying to tell yourself you could have done differently?"
Rather than deny it, as that would inevitably lead to more questioning, Jack admitted ignorance. "I don't know. Maybe that I didn't kill th' son of a bitch when I had a chance earlier. Or that he had cause t' look for me in th' first place." He rinsed his hands, watching the soap further cloud the water, and added quietly, "All comes back to bad choices, doesn' it? Th' fact I trusted Hector has been singularly responsible for leading to much of th' tragedy in me life over th' past dozen years."
A small pause. "Though – if you think about it … well, that one mistake maybe brought you something good, too."
"Look at all th' people who died from it." He was silent a moment. "Including Bill."
"If you hadn't made that mistake, we wouldn't be here, you and me. I'd be making swords somewhere on land. Da might be dead of his own choices – and so might you. But, we are here. And we'll probably still make stupid mistakes. We're still human, no matter what people say about us." There was a small, self-deprecating laugh from the smith as he unknotted some of Jack's tangles.
He hesitated. "I know you say you don't think less of me ..."
“But, you think I actually do?"
“There are grand differences between us."
"Unless you find some magic way to not get older for a few years, that's not going to change," Will pointed out.
“I don't just mean our ages, William."
He could sense Will shaking his head. "I'm too tired for tact. Jack, I really couldn't care any less about the number of people you've lied to, stolen from, paid, or bent over a barrel. You've protected me when I didn't know I needed saving, and you've let me do the same for you. I'm not insisting on roses and romance and that kind of thing. Your respect, regard, and loyalty are all I need."
Jack laughed softly. "You've had th' first two since th' day we met."
"Only because I was better at the sword. Sometimes, if I'd had it to do all over again, I wonder if I would hide you rather than let Norrington get his hands on you."
"I don't think so. You wouldn' be Will Turner if ye did that."
The smile was audible in Will's tone. "Well, that all depends on whether I could know then what I know now."
"What, jump ahead two years?" Jack slid down again as Will guided, letting the man submerge his head.
"Something like that." He held Jack's head so his face was above the water, using one hand to rinse the soap from the thick mane. "I'm sure if he weren’t already dead, we could come up with something to make that bastard pay."
Waiting until the rinse was complete, Jack sat up, rubbing water from his eyes. "I'd really rather jus' not devote any more thought to th' puta 'tall," he mumbled.
"Then maybe you should tell me what's really eating at your core."
He wasn't sure what to say. Admit of all the times in his life he'd felt cheap, maybe that was the highest point, because he'd been protecting someone worth shielding? There'd been so many such moments in his life – none of which had bothered him until he knew Will better and realized how pure of motive and character someone could be. What did the average pirate see when they looked at the two of them together, after all? Depravity and innocence, he answered himself. You protected him because you're the one who got him into that mess. Outwardly, Jack was quiet, rinsing his arms and chest.
Will took the moment to wrap his arms about Jack's body, resting his cheek on Jack's wet mane. "Don't think you're not good enough for me, all right? I've heard you talking to Pearl sometimes. You're no worse than I am. Just different." A pause, and Will reached for more soap.
It felt ... good. Jack grabbed Will's arm, stopped him, pulled it back where it had been. He hated admitting he needed something, especially another person, but Will had initiated this and he was going to take advantage of it. Will resumed his position, holding onto the man. "You're safe with me, you know.” Jack nodded, wrapping his arms around Will's, leaning back into his chest. When did I earn this?
They spent the next several minutes in silence, the water cooling around them as Will rocked them both, humming a tuneless melody under his breath. Finally, Jack patted his lover’s arms and freed himself from the embrace, pushing to his feet. "Better finish up your own hair," he nodded, water sluicing off his skin. "Be cold before too long."
Over the next few minutes, Jack dried off and Will finished his bathing; once out of the water, Will tossed several buckets of the water out the porthole to lighten the tub, then he and Jack carried it into the corridor to be collected and emptied by the last of the night watch. While Jack finished drying his hair, Will discarded his towel and climbed into the bed, not bothering to dress for sleep.
As soon as Jack slid between the covers, Will scooted closer and wrapped his arm around Jack’s waist, pressing a hand to the center of his naked back. They kissed, Jack easing against that warm, lithe body, reaching up to play with Will’s damp hair. “I’m gon’ sleep like the dead,” he murmured, exhausted.
“Makes two of us.” Will yawned, and sank listlessly into his pillow. “Don’t you dare wake me at the first hint of sunlight …”
On to Part 3 ...
