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Paul isn’t quite sure when, nor how it had happened, but he’s sure as hell it had happened.
He’s not really sure what to do with the information though. Not when it involves his enemy-turned-captain.
Maybe, Paul thinks as he watches the horizon, it had been when Sky had made Henry spare him.
Maybe, he wonders as he listens to Françoise and Jonny chatter, it was when Sky brought him warm meals even though the ship he was prisoner of was falling apart.
Maybe, he considers, staring at the ribbon around his wrist -one that had belonged to the captain himself; a vestige from a make-shift bandage- it had been when Sky had lunged through the fray and taken a bullet that was meant for him.
Or maybe, he contemplates as he turns around when the object of his musings calls for them, it hadn’t been any singular event and he’d just let himself be swept up by Sky’s unique charm.
“Henry!” Sky calls, “When should we meet land?” He asks his first-mate, navigator, swordsman...The list goes on. Henry, possibly the only one other than himself with an ounce of a brain, slouches a little and answers easily,
“If all is right capt’n we should be at our destination in two days time!” Henry calls back, and Sky nods, apparently happy with that answer. Although, Paul has yet to see Sky truly displeased about anything…
The man is insufferably happy-go-lucky. It’s why Paul is so frustrated over his feelings for him. Feelings that don’t exist, of course.
Honestly, he thinks, tuning out the conversation, how had he of all people fallen for this sorry excuse of a captain!?
Their ship is a wreck, Françoise is lovely but terrible at physical labour, Jonny is kind and fun but Paul has met chickens brighter than him, their only saving graces are Henry and himself. And he isn’t even a pirate!
Well, he wasn’t. That’s changed now though hasn’t it? It changed the moment he asked his superior to spare the Sky Pirates and got shot at for his audacity.
Denial is a petty creature, and Paul does not care. He refuses to admit he became one of them much before Sky ever released him. Won’t acknowledge that in all his years, the few weeks he’s spent in the care of these silly pirates have been some of the best of his life, well treated and well fed, much better than he’d ever been as a respected officer of the navy.
Thinking about it now, he can understand why pirates continue to thrive even with all that’s against them. There’s a certain feeling of camaraderie, of family… Lost souls coming together to simply enjoy life and explore the seas. It’s a shame about the pillaging, but it turns out only a select few actually do any real damage.
The Sky Pirates are very good at enjoying life. In fact, were it not for Henry, Paul is pretty sure they’d have sunk themselves months ago.
Paul blinks as the rest of their small crew moves away, visibly dismissed, he moves to do the same but something stops him, or rather, someone.
“You’ve been very distracted lately Paul, what’s on your mind?” Sky asks him, starting towards the bow of their sorry excuse of a ship. Instinctively, Paul follows, back straight and hands held behind himself in a perfect posture.
“Not much sir. I’ve simply been reflecting on what I’ve done in my life to end up here,” He answers. It’s a half-truth; Sky is gullible, but Paul respects the man too much to outright lie to him. Somehow.
Must be the whole ‘taking a bullet for him’ thing again. Yes. That’s just it.
A hum leaves the captain and he remains silent until they reach their destination, leaning over the railing with a blind trust that the creaky wood will hold his weight. Paul admires that in him. Not that he’ll ever admit it of course.
“Are you regretting it?”
“Regretting, sir?” Paul repeats, and Sky huffs before looking over to him, a distinct pout on his lips,
“How many times do I have to tell you to relax for you to actually relax around me?” Paul tilts his head the slightest, but Sky catches it anyway. He’s oddly attentive for such an airhead, Paul kind of likes that about him. Likes how much Sky pays attention to him.
“I do relax though, sir,” He answers. In fact, Paul is plenty relaxed. So much so he can’t actually remember a point in his life where he was this relaxed.
“I know that!” Sky huffs and Paul is reminded of a child, “I said around me! You’re always so stiff!”
“I apologize captain,” Paul answers, insisting on the ‘captain’, almost as if Sky’s childlike behaviour is pulling it out of him despite his better judgment, “It’s called discipline. No matter how much I may dislike it, you’re my superior, and I act as such. Sir.”
The grimace that Sky makes is not cute! Paul refuses to accept it! Grown men aren’t cute! Especially not airheads like this one!
“I’ll get you to relax…” He hears Sky mutter to himself, and Paul has to hide the unstoppable quirk of his lips behind a cough, schooling his expression once more as Sky huffs again and glares at him like a moody noble-man, “Anyway. I asked if you regretted it.”
Paul clears his throat to keep his amusement at bay,
“Again, regretting, sir?”
“You know…” This is the first time Paul has heard Sky sound, if not unsure, definitely awkward. Instead of relishing in it like he’d expected, he wishes he could do something about it, return the captain to his free-spirited self, “Regretting it. Leaving it all behind to become a pirate. One of us.”
Paul will walk the plank thrice over before he admits to the way his heart triples in sizes at the words ‘one of us’.
“I didn’t have much to leave behind sir, so no, I don’t regret it. I find life to be a little more entertaining since joining your merry band of idiots.”
Only the captain of the Sky Pirates could take that as well as he does, and Paul is almost blinded by the bright grin on dashing features,
“Good to hear it! And here I was worried if you were happy!” Sky practically shouts, patting Paul on the back. There’s no hiding his small smile this time as he answers,
“Well sir, I’m certainly not unhappy,” Paul quips, words out a lot easier than he could have expected. Sky nods at him, still grinning,
“Do think about it though,”
“Think?”
“As much as we love- I love having you on the ship, I don’t want you feeling like you’re trapped. The island we’re sailing towards is pretty well-populated from what Henry tells me, you could easily make a new life for yourself there if you wanted.”
Yet again, Sky surprises him. First he’d let him live, then he’d taken much better care of him than any prisoner had the right to be cared for, and then he’d straight up saved his life by taking a bullet for him. And here he is now, offering him a chance at a new life?
After everything Sky has already done for him?
“I have a life debt to repay to you sir, I couldn’t possibly-”
“Nonsense!” Sky interrupts him, “I don’t care about that. You’re part of us, I’d do it for any of my crew. But if you really want to call it a debt or whatever, just say it’s my way of apologizing for taking you prisoner.”
Paul grimaces slightly, but he knows there’s no arguing with Sky on this point. He sighs but doesn’t get to talk again before the captain is moving away, turning with a swish of his coat,
“Again, think about it Paul. You’re welcome to stay, but I don’t want you resenting us if it’s not what you want…I’d rather we part on good terms than turn into enemies once more,” The last words are quiet, so much so that Paul isn’t sure he’s quite meant to hear them. He’s not sure what to do with them, or with Sky’s uncharacteristic solemnity, so he turns to look back towards the horizon, watching as the sun starts to lower into the sea.
Never had he actually expected to be given the option to walk away and start a new life.
Now that he’s got that choice, it dawns on him that he had never even wanted it.
*
Later that night, Paul turns for the umpteenth time in his cot, listening to Jonny’s quiet breathing and Françoise’s surprisingly loud snores while Henry sleeps so soundly Paul had at first wondered if the man even breathed.
Sky’s words are circling his mind, round and round and round until they reach the only conclusion he can fathom : There’s no way he’s leaving this crew.
His heart gives a quiet thump as he thinks of Sky himself.
There’s no way he’s leaving Sky.
With a sigh, Paul shuts his thoughts up before he can start thinking about feelings of all things, and sits up, sliding out of his cot as quietly as he can. Sticking to the shadows is his best bet : if Henry is resting, that means Sky is the one outside keeping watch, and he’s the last person Paul wants to see right now.
So he slinks as carefully as he can through the night, staying in the shadows cast by the moon above him with all the skill of a marine who has never had any form of stealth training. Ever.
He makes it without stumbling or drawing attention to himself; Sky hasn’t spoken up, so it’s a win to him. He settles to lean against the mast, knowing that it’s one of the rare blind spots on this death-trap of a ship, and stares up at the sky.
Ha. How ironic. Paul kind of hates the captain’s name right now; it’s as if he can never escape him, after all, it’s kind of hard to not be under the sky.
A part of him thinks it’s rather poetic, but he quickly silences it.
Now that he thinks of it, he’s not even sure what he’s doing up. Sure he’d been having trouble sleeping, but it’s not like his thoughts had stayed in his cot once he’d gotten up. No, instead here he is, staring up at a sky that reminds him of a man with it’s namesake. Exactly the thing he had been trying to escape.
Well, if there’s no escape, he guesses now is as good a time as any to reflect on it.
Paul is no stranger to feelings as much as he likes to pretend he is. He’s loved before, men and women alike, but never anyone quite like Sky.
Sure, Sky is a pirate, which is also a completely new concept for him to accept- oh his commanding officer would be furious if he found out that not only had Paul betrayed him and joined a pirate crew, but fallen in love with one too. A captain at that !
The thought of his commander, red in the face, that stupid moustache bristling as he seethes, has Paul biting back a laugh.
“Oho? It’s rare to see you smile, what’s got you in such good spirits?”
Paul absolutely does not jump out of his skin, thank you very much. He just deems it impolite to be slouching when his superior is standing. That’s all. And the way his heart is beating in his throat and pushing adrenalin through him has everything to do with these silly feelings that he’s been refusing to acknowledge and nothing to do with surprise.
“Sorry,” Even with the pale moonlight, Sky’s smile is bright and luminous, “I didn’t mean to make you jump! I made sure to make noise as I came over, but you were obviously in lala-land!”
Paul has no response to that, so he changes the subject, “Shouldn’t you be watching where we’re going?” He asks suspiciously, taking a step back so he can see the helm, it serves the double purpose of adding some space between him and Sky, as a bonus.
“Nah we’re good! There’s no wind, we’re not going anywhere for a bit. And if we do Henry will just correct it in the morning!” Sky answers easily, grinning at Paul like he’s just given him an incredibly interesting piece of information.
Curse the gods for making this man so handsome! Curse them!
“So you thought it wise to come talk to me instead?” Paul queries, raising an eyebrow, barely standing his ground when Sky leans in, grin turning into something else that Paul can’t quite make out with what little light they have,
“Is that a crime?”
“It might be,” Is Sky courting him? Is Paul responding!?
“Well, it’s a good thing I’m a pirate and have no regards for the law then, isn’t it?” Oh. Sky is a lot closer now, that step Paul had taken a few seconds prior has been breached by the captain, and Paul wishes there were more light so that he could better read Sky’s features while also liking it like this because he’s already a little weak in the knees.
“What if I told you the law says you’re too close?” He murmurs, needing to gain control of the situation. Thankfully, Sky takes a step back and Paul can breathe once more,
“That’s one law I’m willing to abide,” Sky answers,
“You’re not that great of a pirate then, are you?” This pulls a laugh from Sky, and he leans in close once more,
“I think, dear Paul,” He whispers, “There are some laws that are worth respecting,” With that said, Sky moves away and starts walking back towards the helm, “At least until they’re willing to be broken, that is. Go get some sleep.”
The way the captain waves his hand in the air while walking away should not look cool, but Paul is too busy reeling over the past few minutes to silence his enamored feelings as they bubble up to comment on how good the man looks and sounds when he’s not goofing off.
Dazed, Paul obeys his captain’s order and returns to the sleeping quarters, sliding into his cot and staring unseeingly at the ceiling.
What had Sky meant? What even was that? Was he courting him? Or simply playing with him? Sky didn’t seem the type; too dumb and wearing his heart on his sleeve. But these past couple of days Paul had seen a more serious side to him, and he didn’t know what to make of it; all he’s managed to get from these moments is that Sky is unfairly attractive, which isn’t much to go on.
No, Paul thinks as he recalls Sky’s words and actions, the man had definitely been courting him, and playfully at that.
There’s no denying it any more, not when his feelings may well be reciprocated. With a sigh, Paul admits defeat and lets his heart have this victory.
It’s time for payback.
*
“Captain!” Paul calls as he knocks on the captain’s quarters, “I’ve brought you food, may I come in?” There’s a thud and a groan, followed by the sound of something falling over, and shortly after the door opens, revealing a tired Sky who blinks once, twice, before his eyes widen and he straightens,
“And here I thought I was dreaming when I heard you call for me!” He says, sleep-addled but cheery, and Paul can do nothing but nod, mouth a little dry,
“I thought I’d volunteer today, since everyone seemed busy with chores. May I come in? I brought my lunch too, I thought you might like the company,” The surprise on the captain’s face makes Paul preen internally, and the flush to sun-kissed cheeks that follows has him wishing he’d given in to his feelings a long time ago. How much has he missed out on if just volunteering to spend time in the man’s company elicits this kind of reaction?
Seemingly dumbstruck, Sky doesn’t answer and instead opens the door wider in invitation, slapping his cheeks a couple of times before moving into his quarters.
Paul follows, disregarding any previous inclinations to ask for verbal permission. No, Paul is a man on a mission, and any invitation, be it silent or not, will be taken as such.
It’s as he places their food on the table that Paul finally notices Sky’s state of undress. Maybe he’s staring, but anyone would in his shoes. Now that he thinks about it, he’s never really seen the captain without his coat or hat.
Oh what a sight he is. No wonder Paul is attracted to him. Only a fool would think of Sky as unappealing.
The thin shirt is loose and shows off part of a shoulder and a collarbone while the absence of his coat to cover him allows years of hard-earned muscle to shine through. His hair is flowing freely, looking soft to the touch despite the marine air. Like this, Sky looks like any other man, and Paul is willing to admit that he has quite good taste. Physically at least.
Of course, all good things come to an end. It just so happens that this one has Sky opening his mouth,
“You know I usually eat my meals in the kitchen, right?” The captain queries, giving Paul an odd look; halfway between amusement and curiosity.
Paul knows this, of course; one doesn’t spend months on a ship without picking up on the crews’ habits, “Yes, I’m aware. I just thought it would be nice for you to eat in your quarters, and perhaps share a meal with someone instead of eating alone while everyone does their chores.”
For a split-second, Paul fears Sky is going to call him out on his odd actions, but he doesn’t, instead he sits himself at his table and gestures vaguely to the chairs around it, leaving the choice of where to sit to Paul.
“That’s nice of you…” Sky says, obviously confused, but seemingly still too out of it to do much about said confusion. The captain is quite cute like this, not that Paul will tell him that.
Yet.
*
“My turn is it?” Henry quips in an agreeable tone as Paul approaches him at the helm later that day.
Now, Paul could fake stupidity and pretend he doesn’t know what Henry is talking about, or he could concede that Henry is more observant than any of them.
“That’s an odd way of putting it, but I suppose it is, yes,” He answers. Henry turns his slightly bored gaze away from the map and towards Paul,
“I’m flattered to be a part of whatever it is you’re doing.” The second in command deadpans, looking back to his map. For all his baby-face and cute looks, Henry sure is ruthless…
Paul stays silent for a long moment, looking to the horizon, before speaking at last,
“We’re reaching land tomorrow,”
“We are,” Is Henry’s distracted answer,
“The captain offered me a chance to leave and start a new life on the island we’re headed to.” This gets Henry’s attention, and Paul watches as his shoulders tense before relaxing, blue eyes looking to him eerily slow, blinking once before sighing heavily,
“Of course he did…” The way the man says it has Paul hiding a wince, especially when Henry turns to him fully and pats his shoulder, face pinched, “Sorry, our captain can be tactless. Please tell me he at least made sure to tell you we’d be happy to have you stay?”
The words lift a weight off of Paul’s shoulders that he hadn’t even known existed. It’s one thing to have Sky tell him the crew enjoys his presence, it’s another to have the only other sane person on the ship tell him he’d be happy to have him.
“He did,” Paul reassures stiffly, “It’s nice to hear it from someone else though,” He admits, prompting an amused huff from Henry,
“Let me guess, he said we’d be happy to keep you and then corrected it to he would be happy to keep you,” It’s not a question, and Paul feels his cheeks heat a little at the wording Henry uses,
“Words to that effect, yes,” He admits, and Henry nods, turning back to his map,
“That doesn’t explain what you’ve been doing since this morning. Don’t think I didn’t notice you helping Jonny and Françoise. And from the lack of captain in the kitchen earlier, I’d say you had lunch with him in his quarters,” Henry says. There’s no accusation in his tone, the man is just stating facts, but it makes Paul wince nonetheless. He takes a moment to centre himself, watching as Sky and Jonny start chattering animatedly a little further down the deck,
“I thought I would like to be sure of what I could be leaving behind, since I’ve been given the chance to start again,” He says at last, and Henry chuckles quietly,
“You mean you’re making sure you spend time with each of us so that you have ammunition if captain Sky tries to tell you it’s really okay to leave.”
It’s still not a question, and Paul doesn’t answer this one, eyes still fixed on their captain as Jonny picks up a rope,
“Well, as long as you make sure your feelings don’t get in the way, I guess it’s fine to go on the way you are now for a little longer,” Henry adds, and Paul glances over briefly enough to see the first-mate watching the to-be-disaster unfold in front of them as well. Paul still doesn’t see the need to answer; Henry is observant, “Though I expected you to have different tastes…”
Paul sighs and watches Jonny push Sky around like he’s a barrel, all roped up,
“Me too Henry… Me too…”
And if his voice is a little fond… Well, he trusts Henry to keep that to himself.
Or use it as blackmail later.
*
They reach the island the next day, just as planned, and as everyone disembarks to go venturing, Sky seizes Paul by the arm and tugs him back onto the ship. The way the captain is staring at him, full of intensity, has the hairs on his arms rising,
“Will I see you later?” He asks, uncharacteristically quiet.
Paul’s eyebrows shoot up and he doesn’t have time to control his features before they’re softening,
“I’m offended you’d think so lowly of me that I would leave without at least having the decency to say goodbye,” Paul says, back in control of himself once more, offering an amused smirk to Sky to let him know he’s not serious.
The bark of laughter that Sky lets out is much better than the grave look he was sporting just a moment ago,
“Well you never know! We’re pirates after all!” Sky answers with a grin, patting Paul on the back so hard he stumbles slightly, coughing to fill his lungs back up,
“The laws of decency dictate that I at least inform you of my departure, sir,” Paul answers with a quirk of the lips, pleased when he prompts more laughter from Sky, unnoticed by the passers-by, the sound drowned in the bustling crowd on the docks,
“I’ve already told you, as a pirate, breaking laws is what I do!” The wink that follows that statement makes Paul think he’s talking about something completely different,
“With all due respect sir, I do recall you mentioning that there were some laws you were willing to respect,” He arches his brow, smirk firmly in place now.
The sultry look Sky sends him confirms Paul’s suspicions and sends a shiver of excitement up his spine that he miraculously manages to hide,
“And I said I’d only respect them until they were ready to be broken,” Sky’s grin is corny and awful and Paul loves it,
“Are you insinuating you’re going to break my laws, captain?” There’s a challenge in Paul’s voice, and Sky rises up to meet it,
“Oh no, I’ll respect these boundaries you seem so keen on, but it’s not going to stop me from seeing how far I can push them.”
“I look forward to watching you fall, then. I’ll see you later, captain.”
And with that, Paul turns on his heel and sets himself a leisurely pace to saunter off the ship and into the town.
Yes, he really is looking forward to seeing how far Sky can push until he realizes that Paul has been pulling him all along.
Really, Paul thinks, being a pirate is so much more fun than he’d ever anticipated.