Archive of Our Own ^beta

James Norrington was a man of honor. You’d heard Elizabeth’s stories about the former commodore. He was bound to a strict moral code, a responsible and fierce leader. And you also had come to learn he was a complete and utter pain in your ass. Whenever Jack asked you to teach him something new to make himself useful aboard, you knew you were in for a day of withering glares and painfully awkward silences. It was no secret this was the last place on God’s green earth that the man would ever wish to find himself. He loathed pirates and all that they stood for, or rather, didn’t stand for. Which was why it was all the more surprising when a mere week ago he boarded The Black Pearl back in Tortuga, no doubt with his own secret agenda as his drive. He might have been quite the put-together fellow a few years back, but since his career took a dive and his life went to shit, he looked more like any other pirate than he cared to admit; what with that sheen of sweat and grime covering his sunkissed skin, his chestnut locks in total disarray. Sure, you couldn’t stand the man, but that didn’t mean you couldn’t enjoy looking at him. It would be a blatant lie to say you did not find him somewhat intriguing.

His voice, you swore it was like velvet, sweet and baritone. In the rare moments in which he’d spoken more than a few sentences you understood what the men spoke of when they told their tall tales of being lured in by sirens. But you were no man and you would not allow yourself to be seduced as easily as one. Especially not by a pompous, disgraced errand boy of a government you despised. You would keep this one at arm’s length, you decided. Unfortunately for you, Jack had decided it was you who would keep Norrington company during the night watch tonight.

The sun was dipping dangerously near to the horizon when Elizabeth draped a friendly arm around your shoulders. She offered you her warmest smile as you turned to meet her gaze. “Do not be frightened, friend.” She teased. “I know James can take a while to warm up to, but I think you will find more depth to him than meets the eye.”

You snorted at that, arms crossed. “If he’s such a lovely fellow why did you not wed him when you had the chance?”

Elizabeth clicked her tongue at that. “It was not Mr. Norrington’s fault.” She explained, and you could tell in her mind’s eye she was revisiting some of her fondest memories. “It was Will. I could not love another even if I had wished to.”

“Oh.” You tilted your head as a small smile bloomed upon your face. “Well, I cannot blame you for that, can I? Love is a force to be reckoned with, stronger than the break of the wave upon the rocks. At least that’s how I imagine it must feel.”

“Imagine?” Elizabeth echoed in disbelief. You could feel her eyes trailing after you as you moved towards the bow of the ship, desperate to drink in those last beams of sunlight. “You mean to tell me you have never been in love?”

You sucked in a breath as you shook your head in reply. “Not that I know of.”

“Trust me.” Elizabeth assured you giddily as she offered you one last embrace before heading off to her cabin for the night. “When you will fall in love, you will know.”

Night had fallen around The Black Pearl. You had stayed where Elizabeth had left you, seemingly tethered to the bow as you watched the pale moonlight dance off the ripples of the calm Caribbean waters. Oh, how you loved the sea! When life on land had become too grueling, you set off in search of something more. You had planned to go back to England, but then you met Jack and his crew, and they eventually became the closest thing you had to family.

“What are you doing here?” Norrington’s voice pulled you out of the depths of your thoughts. You looked over your shoulder at him. “Jack told me I was in charge of the night shift tonight.”

“First of all, that’s Captain Jack to you.” You said it just to rile him up, in all honesty. “And he thought you might need some company.”

Norrington’s brow furrowed at that. “Well, I do not.” You truly did love to vex him.

“Too bad, you’re stuck with me anyway!” You hummed in a sing-song tone as you cast your gaze back to the sea and fiddled with your tricorn hat.

“Christ, what did I do to deserve this?” You heard him mutter under his breath as he too took a seat.

“You could do a lot worse.” You sneered at him, and he did the same in return. “Not very gentlemanlike of you, anyhow.”

Norrington sighed the saddest of sighs. “Believe me, it has been a long time since I was last considered a gentleman.”

You turned to look at him, all signs of mockery or mischief gone from your face. He too had grown solemn. He seemed to be lost in thought, no doubt longing for the good old days when he was at the height of his career and engaged to marry the governor’s daughter. It only went downhill from there. “You are too negative, Commodore.” You clicked your tongue.

He couldn’t help but roll his eyes at that. “I have little reason to be positive. And why do you insist on calling me that? I am nothing now.”

“Because you speak of yourself as if you were a ghost among men.” The words left your lips against your better judgement. His eyes met yours then, something akin to hope swirling in them. “But you don’t look very much like a ghost to me. You look like a man of honor who has simply been dealt a shit hand.”

He released a laugh, genuine or not, you couldn’t tell. “You may very well be the only person to think so, Miss (Y/L/N).”

You offered him a kind smile. “Turns out you’re not such an ass after nightfall, Norrington.” Another laugh, this time a heartier one. God, you loved the sound of it. Dangerously so.

The rest of the night went smoothly enough. You brought out a deck of cards and two bottles of rum, to which Norrington declined politely. But you wouldn’t have it. You shoved the bottle into his hand and did not let up until he took at least one sip. Once he had loosened up a bit, he began to tell stories of his youth, of his time in the militia. You told him of your turbulent upbringing and your eventual escape towards the sea. By the time the skies had taken on a golden hue as dawn broke, you were both laughing so hard your cheeks and ribs ached.

You greeted the following day with uncharacteristic merriment. You hummed as you scrubbed the deck, not even noticing the sweat on your temple as you worked. As you carried out your tasks on deck, you couldn’t help but feel observed. Sure enough, whenever you managed a sidelong glance, Norrington would turn away, cheeks pink as he busied himself with whatever he could. You chuckled to yourself. So bashful. How clear it was that this man did not belong on a pirate ship. The thought amused you until it did not. Not when you remembered his time here was limited, only a stepping stone to get wherever he needed to go. You needed to snap out of whatever stupid haze you were in. You would not fall for James Norrington.

It was not until there was a lull in the day that he finally approached you. You were in your usual spot at the bow of the ship, studying your collection of maps and your journal where you charted the constellations or sketched whenever you had the chance.

“What are those?” Norrington’s silky voice jolted you out of your deep concentration, causing you to jump ever so slightly. “Forgive me, I did not mean to startle you.”

You turned and peered up at him through your lashes, and if the look on his face was any indication, the sight had some effect on him as he tensed up.

“Nothing much, only old maps and doodles of mine.” You offered him a broad grin, unsure what to make of him. If he hated pirates so much then what was he doing sniffing around you? Was he simply bored? Perhaps he was searching for information. For a moment you thought perhaps he too felt the curious, warm feeling that lingered in you since last night, but you quickly cast it aside.

“Might I see them?” He asked, but was quick to take note of the way your body locked up at his request. “Only if you wish me to, of course.”

You supposed nothing much could come of him looking through the journal. It contained nothing of importance, anyway. He offered you a timid smile in gratitude as you handed him the leather-bound book, your fingers brushing against his as you did so. You could not tell why, but that nearly imperceptible touch sent an electric current down your spine. It was stronger than anything the men you’d been with had ever made you feel. You studied him closely as he flicked through the pages, his eyes drinking up each mark you’d left on them.

“Miss Y/L/N, these are remarkable!” He beamed down at you as if he were the sun personified. “You are a great talent!” You felt the apples of your cheeks grow hot at his praise. You waved him off as you clicked your tongue, taking the journal back when he returned it to you.

“You flatter me, Commodore.” You rolled your eyes.

“James.” He said suddenly, and when you met his gaze again there was a resolved look there that hadn’t been there before. “Please call me James.”

“Very well.” You nodded. “You flatter me, James.” You hated the way his name rolled off your tongue as if it were always meant to.

“And I would do it again.” He grinned at you rather boyishly, and it was as you caught yourself watching him walk away that your sneaking suspicions about your affection for him became nearly impossible to ignore.

“I saw you speaking with Mr. Norrington.” Elizabeth grinned smugly as she leaned back on the railing. “If I did not know any better I would say you were flirting with one another!”

You scoffed at that. “You have been out at sea far too long, dear Elizabeth. I fear you’re starting to go mad.” But you knew there was some truth to what your friend had said. You had been flirting, though you were not sure if Norrington had been doing the same.

“Please, I watched you two!” She laughed. “He could not take his eyes off you all day! He nearly got hit by the boom, he was too distracted watching you scrub the deck.” You could not believe what you were hearing. Could it be that this, whatever this was, was more real than you thought?

“It does not matter, anyway.” You sighed. “Soon he will return to his real life and this will only be a story he will remember fondly and laugh at.”

“You are too pessimistic, my friend. While you are right that James is not fit for the life of a pirate, that is not to say he could never fall in love with one."

You tried your best not to let her words fill you with pure, unbridled hope, but as you tossed and turned the following nights in your bed, you realized you were unsuccessful. You let your mind roam free, conjuring up images of Norrington; of his kind eyes and the stray hairs that taunted you. You so desperately wished to reach out and touch him, tuck the strands back into place. You wondered if thoughts of the same nature plagued him as well. For the past weeks ever since that night you kept watch together, the feeling swelling in your chest only grew whenever you were near him. He too became more agreeable. Gone were the stagnant silences that used to hang over you as you worked, replaced instead with lighthearted jests and stolen glances. You moved in tandem as he helped you repair the sails or clean the brig, and you couldn’t help but relish in the proximity.

But in the back of your mind was the knowledge that soon the ship would make port in the nearest island, and James would most likely make his escape. You would probably never see him again. You drank in the sight of him all throughout the day, hoping to commit him to memory; the slope of his nose, the serious furrow of his brow when he concentrated, the siren song of his honey-like voice. You tried to get some rest come nightfall, though you dreaded the thought of saying goodbye to him the next day. As you slipped into the underdress you usually slept in, you noticed a piece of parchment on your nighttable. As you read its contents, you recognized it to be a poem by Emily Dickinson, reproduced with the finest of penmanship.

You knew instantly who had left this here for you to find, and you wasted no time running out of your cabin in search of him. It did not take long, as he was out on the deck, so entranced by the glow of the moon that he barely heard you approach.

“James.” You gasped. He turned to look at you, surprised to find you in your sleeping garments, though he seemed to drink in the sight. “What is the meaning of this?” You held out the parchment for him to see, and you watched his cheeks grow pink with embarrassment.

“Forgive me, my lady. I am not gifted with the ability to make speeches. I thought it might be a better way to express my feelings for you.” He stuttered nervously. “I realize now it was inappropriate, but our last few weeks together had taught me to hope my affections might be requited. I understand they are not and I apologize for having been too bold.”

“You believe your feelings to be unrequited?” You tilted your head in confusion. “James, you could not be more wrong.”

Hope shone in his eyes. “I could not?” He asked. You smiled warmly as you took his rough palms in your own, shaking your head no.

“I can assure you they are very much requited.” You said, watching him visibly relax before you. “I simply thought you would never see someone like me in that light, and denied myself my own sentiments in order to protect myself from inevitable heartbreak. Tomorrow we will make port and you will be free to go where you wish.”

“My dear Miss (Y/L/N),” James breathed huskily, and you braced yourself for whatever he planned to say next, “I know we did not exactly see eye to eye at first, but the truth is from the moment I boarded this ship I have been fond of you. That night - that night I felt something change.

“I felt you stopped seeing me as an enemy and more as a human being. As for me, I suppose I only kept doing what I had been doing from the start, which would of course be falling madly in love with you.

“If I for any moment made you feel anything less than the extraordinary woman you are, I am truly sorry. If only you could see you as I do, then you would know that you could not be further from the truth.”

You only stared at him, mouth agape as you let word after word wash over you. Then he stepped closer, bridging what little space remained between you. His eyes were such a gorgeous shade of emerald beneath the moonlight, it nearly took your breath away. The closer he got, the more clearly you saw the desire that pooled within them.

“As for tomorrow,” He rasped, a hand reaching out to tuck away an errant strand of your hair. “I had no intention of leaving when we reached land. I will go wherever my lady does, if she will have me.”

Right then and there, you felt it; stronger than the break of the wave upon the rocks. Norrington’s gaze fell to your hand as it reached for his jacket, but he barely had time to react before it was pulling him in, his lips crashing into yours. His hands found their way into your hair, holding you in place as he kissed you with all the hunger of a man starved. When you finally parted, he was pleased to find you looking up at him with the sweetest of looks, cheeks flushed and lips swollen.

“If there is any doubt left in your mind, my dear James,” you smiled coyly up at him, which he mirrored back at you, “she will have you.” You barely got the words out before his lips were back on yours as he swept you up in his arms, your giddy laughter ringing across the midnight waters.

Elizabeth was right, you thought to yourself. When you fell in love with James Norrington, you knew.