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Captain Philza Minecraft has a reputation.
No one in the seven seas could claim ignorance. The man was a legend on the seas. In his years of sailing, he'd never lost a boat, a crew member or even a sail to the cruelty of the sea. The rumours of his expeditions and journeys were legend - navigating treacherous waters that no one had ever dared to try, sailing safely through the shallow waters of hidden islands so far away. Traders were forever clamouring to be the one he traded with due to the rarity and value of his trades. Rumours and legends swirled around the man wherever he docked. Even the most dedicated of pirate and bounty hunters would never dare to cross his path, for those before them who have tried were washed upon sure, knives plunged into their hearts, as warnings. The rumours around him were numerous, each as legendary as the next.
Whether it be for better or worse, Phil never cared for rumours.
"Dad!" Phil snapped back as his eighteen-year-old ran up to him. A smile stretched across his face as he looked to his eldest.
"Yes, Wil?"
"You got distracted again. What's on your mind?"
"Penny for your thoughts?" Techno, his middle child said, barely glancing over his novel. Phil could barely make out the name but the telltale pictures of knuts and bolts on the cover told him it was some sort of mechanical tutorial.
"Not a penny, maybe a dime though," he joked and Techno rolled his eyes with a smile on his lips. "Truth is they aren't worth much. Nothing to bother you about, Wil, just watching the sea." He felt Wilbur come up behind him, resting an elbow on his shoulder - tall shit - and watched the sea with him.
"She is peaceful today."
"No, Wilbur, she is happy today. And we could blame her!" He says. "The sun is shining and the sea is glistening." Wilbur smiles.
"We get it, dad, you love the sea," he says.
"And you don't?" Techno says, joining the duo. "Cause I think the endless poetry and songs you've written about 'her overwhelming love' and 'the familiar blue' would like to contradict you."
"Have you been reading my notes again?" Wilbur causes, turning to face his brother.
"No, but I have ears, Wilbur, I can hear you go on and on about the sea," Techno teases.
"As if you don't love this too," Wilbur scoffs, turning back to the glistening blue.
"Of course I do," Techno says as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. "I just don't pretend to be cool and edgy and can simply admit it." Wilbur pulls a face and Phil laughs.
"Stop it you two," he says. "You're both smart and older than this." This time, they both roll their eyes. "Oi, you little shits, respect your elders."
"Oh sorry, dad didn't realise we were in the presence of an elder, you should've said!" Wilbur says.
"Carefully you don't pop a hip making it back to the deck," Techno says, turning away from the blue and making his way over to the deck.
"You two are little shits," Phil says chuckling. "speaking of little shits, where's Tommy?"
"Probably bullying the deckhand to put on another disk so he can listen to music," Wilbur said, also turning away from the sea and moving towards the deck.
"I'll be over in a minute," Phil replied, still watching the deep blue as the wind caught his sails and pushed his ship through her waves.
"Okay, tell the sea I say hi," Wilbur says.
"Me too!" Techno calls. Phil smiles at their receiving laughs.
"Don't worry, boys," he says quietly, for only him and the sea to hear. "The sea knows. She always does."
Tommy did, in fact, bully the deckhand to put on a tune was currently laughing loudly as he moved and sidestepped around different crew members, who were smiling, indulging the rambunctious eight-year-old.
"Now Tommy, if you're going to distract everyone with your music, you should probably know how to dance," Phil said.
"I do know how to dance," Tommy said, barely pausing in his movements.
"You know how to dance much faster music, but this disk is slower, so the dance is too," Phil explained, moving closer to his son as the crew parted for their captain.
"Can you teach me, dad?" he asked, stopping his swaying and racing over to his father. Phil smiled, extended his hands.
"'course, c'mere," He says and a grin breaks out across Tommy's face as he takes his father's extended hands. "Now, when you're dancing, you gotta either lead or follow someone's lead. So, I'll lead." Tommy nods, smiling up at his dad. "So, let's do a basic waltz, yeah?" Tommy nods enthusiastically. "So, right it's a three-step dance. So 1, 2, 3, and 1, 2, 3- Tommy that is my foot." The boy giggles, letting himself be lead by his father.
"Who taught you to dance, dad?" Phil smiles, continuing through the movements.
"My mother tried to," Phil said. "Though I owe most of the credit to your mother." Tommy looks up at him, wide-eyed.
"Mom liked to dance?" Phil nods, a nostalgic smile on his face.
"Yup. She used to lead me through all our dances."
"I wish mom could teach me how to dance," Tommy said. "no offence, dad," Tommy adds sheepishly. Phil smiles.
"None taken. Despite her being the best teacher, I'm still not the best dancer."
"You can't be worse than Techno."
"Oi, brat, I heard that!" Techno shouts in reply.
"Maybe I wanted you too!"
So yeah, Phil didn't care much for rumours. He had all the freedom he wanted and all the people he wanted to spend with it.
That wasn't to say the rumours weren't true.
He's not quite sure who was attacking at first. He had been awoken from his dream of the sea and her beauty by the sound of metal clashing. It took him less than a second to register that, no, most likely his crew had no decided to start a friendly fight and it took him even less than that to grab his sword. He pushed his way onto the deck where, as he assumed, there was an enemy ship attacking. It was unlikely to be government or bounty which only left other pirates.
Let the record state, Phil did not particularly like many other pirates.
"Ah, the infamous Philza has come to play," a man Phil did not recognise said.
"My friends call me Philza, you can call me Captain, or you can not refer to me at all," Phil said coldly. "Get off my ship, scum like you are dirting it."
"Don't be so harsh, Captain," the man said, smiling a rotten smile. "You sailed into our territory, we're issuing a warning."
"This isn't your territory. You don't own the sea," Phil said.
"Oh? We don't?" The man said in mock surprise. "You see, I think we do. I control what ships come in, I control what ships leave. So, I guess I do own the sea." Phil gritted his death as the man stepped forward, grip on sword tightening. "So it seems you're at my mercy."
"Like hell, he is," Techno said, beside him. "You? Who can barely hold a sword? Please." Techno waved his hand at him dismissively. Phil looked at his son and Techno looked back. 'Where are your brothers? he communicated silently. Techno smiled at him slightly. 'Safe.' Phil nodded once before returning to the man in front of him,
"Wow, the big bad Philza Minecraft needs a teenager to help him out? What, your rob a local orphanage for free labour?" Phil moves forward, sword at the ready. "Oh don't tell me he's yours? Who'd you have time to get busy with-"
"Unless you want to find yourself very dead in the next few minutes, I suggest you shut up," Phil interrupted. He dashed forward but the man evaded him.
"It's funny," he continued. "I'd heard about you having children, but I figured it was another rumour."
"I don't much care for rumours."
"You can afford to." The man sighs before spitting on his deck and Phil nearly kills him there and then. "Enough chit chat, I'm bored." It amazes Phil how he thinks this man thinks he has the upper hand. "I suppose I could let you through my sea, for a price?"
"First, you come onto my ship and try and brute your way in. Then, you claim you own the sea, and then you try and shake me down for treasures?" Phil said. "You must have some nerve-"
"Maybe, but I also have a plan." There's a commotion below deck and Phil heart stops when he realises the only two people not here.
"Techno go to-" The door burst open right as Techno moves closer to him. Wilbur is brought out first, gag over his mouth and hands tied up. He's straining against his captor, trying to break free. Phil rages at the look in his son's eye and bruise across his wrists and neck. It's when he sees Tommy that he sees red. His youngest is crying, barely swallowing as a sharp sword is being held against his neck. His tears are streaming down his face and he looks so scared.
"I figured you wouldn't care about treasure. It probably means nothing to you now, with how much you have," he says and Phil can barely suppress his rage. "So to have an equal exchange, I need to have two equal bartering chips." He's moving towards Tommy now, whos looking at him with wide tearful eyes. "It's a pity, he's quite a pretty kid. Looks strong. Could probably fetch a fair price. Whatever they do with him after that, I don't care." Tommy cries out and looks at Phil but Phil won't let Tommy see the rage in his eyes or the way his hands are shaking.
"You're either an idiot or a coward," Phil says through gritted teeth.
"Excuse me-"
"You're either a coward or an idiot." Phil doesn't move because he knows his youngest depends on it. "You think you're the first to go after my sons? You won't be the last either. O would offer you mercy, but I don't want to."
Three things happen at once.
1. Techno sets off the canons at the side of the boat.
2. A massive wave crashes into the enemy boat. That, and the large holes from the canons, are enough to sink the enemies ships.
3. Wilbur gets out of his hold and grabs his captors gun.
The next few seconds are a blur. Phil charges at the man holding his youngest as his crew and sons fight off the enemy crew, either killing them or dunking them overboard. Phil grabs the captors hands and pries them off his baby before kicking the man overboard. Tommy collapses into his chest, all ragged breathing as his hands reach up to soothe his throat.
"Shh," Phil comforts, rubbing his son's back. "I've got you. Daddy's right here, baby, I'm right here." Tommy sobs, let his father wrap him in his arms. "You're safe now. I've got you. I'm not going anywhere. I'm right here." He finds himself uncaring about what happened to the enemy captain. Wilbur and Techno join them, holding each other and their baby close as the crew cleans up around them.
Eventually, they all move to Phil's captain chambers. Tommy is cursed up next to Techno as Phil tends to Wilbur's wrists.
"I do not want you blaming yourself," Phil says, applying ointment. Wilbur is caught off guard but Phil can tell by the tears welling up in his eyes that the thoughts had crossed his mind. "You were not too weak or not good enough and me, or either of your brothers, would ever think that. I trust you did everything you could and that's enough for me, okay?" Wilbur nods but several more tears rolling down his face. Phil frowns, wrapping the boy up and holding him close. "My brave, brave boy, you did so well. The best you could." Wilbur sobs against his chest, being able to be fully consumed due to his sitting down. "So proud of you." There's a faint blue glow from outside the small window as the sea seems to light up. The door burst open a few seconds later.
"Oh, my boys."
"Mum!" It's Tommy who's up first as he barrels into his mother. Her dark blue robes with swirling silver and light blue patterns crinkle but she doesn't care.
"My dear," she says, cupping his face. "I'm so sorry, love." He buries his face in her neck, breathing in her scent of salt and the sea. Techno is next, coming up behind Tommy and wrapping himself around both of them.
"Missed you, mum," he says quietly.
"I miss you too, my brave little mechanic. You were so smart today, guppy, you did so well. So so smart."
"Wanted to protect the family," Techno mumbles, letting his mother caress his face.
"And you did so well, guppy, so so so well," she sends him a small smile just for him. "where's my eldest fry, huh?" Wilbur huddles himself further into his father's chest. Kristen smiles sadly. "Oh guppy, no. C'mere." Wilbur looks up, eyes still red. "C'mere." She opens her arms, letting him approach her before he all but buries himself in her robes. She smiles, holding them close as Techno moves closer to Phil, resting his head on his father's shoulder.
"You're mother is not the only one proud of your quick thinking. You did so well Tech, so well," Phil praises, smiling as his eldest squirms. He returns his gaze to the rest of his family. "Love?" he says and Kristen looks up, smiling as they make contact. "I appreciate your help."
"I would never leave my four boys in my waters without protecting them," she says softly, still holding their eldest and youngest close. "I would've liked to reach my waves up and snatch them off the deck myself, but I knew you would ensure it was done."
"You can always rely on us, love," Phil says and Kristen smiles wider. Phil lets their eyes meet and lets himself get lost in her eyes that held the power of the ocean.
"You're really cool mum," Tommy says, pulling his head out from his spot on her shoulder to lean against Wilbur, who wrapped an arm around him.
"The coolest," Wilbur agrees before yawning.
"Let's all go to bed, yeah?"
"Does the deity of the sea need to sleep?" Kristen smiles.
"Not always. I don't need to but I can sleep," she explains and Tommy accepts her explanation, stepping into the bathroom to change. "I do what to curl up next to my guppies though. It's been a hard night."
"Whats a guppy?" Tommy asks. Wilbur and techno make eye contact as he leaves the bathroom and both begun racing towards the bathroom to be next. Phil chuckles as Wilbur narrowly makes it ahead and techno curses him under his breath.
"Guppy is a baby fish," Kristen explains, pulling off her robes to reveal her pyjamas - Phil's pretty sure that's his shirt, but those shark pants are all Kristen.
"But I'm not a baby," Tommy says before yawning, laying down beside his mother who pulls him close. He snuggles in, his eyes already drooping.
"You'll always be my baby," she says. Wilbur plops down in the middle as Phil, who was still in his pyjamas after his rude awakening, climbs into bed, leaving a spot for Techno.
"Mom, surely I'm not still guppy?" Wilbur says.
"You'll always be my guppies," Kristen states simply. Techno crawls in beside his dad, and all three of the boys are close and safe. Kristen starts humming softly, easing the boys into sleep though she doesn't really need to. Tommy's already asleep, Techno's eyes are drooping and Wilbur's breathing is steady. "How are you, love?" she asks.
"Grateful," Phil replies instantly. "So grateful for you. You gave me my boys and my freedom. You gave me your love."
"No, dear, you earned that." Phil takes her hand and kisses her knuckles softly.
"My Queen," he says, holding eye contact and trying to show as much of his love for her as possible.
"My pirate," she replies before they both settle down. Fingers interlocked and arms protecting their fry.
They don't need 'I love you's, they just know