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Flint approached the moonlit beach and spotted a figure sitting in the sand. As he got closer, he recognized a head of thick long hair. He'd recognize those curls anywhere. They'd stopped by the island to restock supplies and had been stuck there because of an approaching storm. He hadn't set eyes upon those curls all day, so he went out looking for them. As he got closer, he could smell alcohol mixing with the salty scent of the water.
"Silver, what are you doing?" Silver didn't turn, as if he expected Flint to find him there.
"Drowning my sorrows, Captain." He said as Flint sat down next to him. Flint watched as Silver stared down at the boot with contempt.
"Is it working? Have you succeeded in drowning them?" Flint asked as he stared at Silver’s profile.
"Oh Captain, you know as well as any man that they can't be drowned." He said as he leaned his head against his captain's shoulder.
"Sometimes it helps to try even if you aren't successful. How long have you been out here?" Flint asked as he positioned his cheek onto the top of Silver's head.
"Too fucking long." Silver whispered as he raised his head to look at Flint. Somewhere distantly behind them a couple of men were shouting. A fight over a bet, a whore, or some other pointless thing. The voices that are usually ignored background noise are somehow amplified in times like these. The times that they cannot contain themselves.
"Take me to bed, James." Trying to ignore his thrumming heart, Flint rose and held out a hand to help Silver up. The pair felt a shock flow through them as their hands touched. This thing between them, still so new, felt akin to holding fire in a glass ball. Warm to the touch, but oh so breakable. Unleashing untold damage, if broken.
"Do you mean my bed or a cot with the men?" Flint wrapped his arm around Silver's waist to support his weight. It will be quite the trek to his tent with Silver's leg and his drunkenness Flint thought.
"Yours, why the fuck would I sleep anywhere else? The men are loud, and they smell. I like sleeping with you. It's quiet and warm and I can prop up my leg on you which helps the pain." Feeling like he just admitted something he wouldn't have when sober he shut his mouth and leaned into Flint's warm touch. Flint, grinning, started their walk back to his tent.
Several stumbles and one almost fight later they made it back to Flint's tent. Silver, already half asleep, was sat down on the bed by Flint's gentle but callused hands. Silver began to remove his clothes as Flint lit extra candles. When they finished their respective tasks, Flint walked over and kneeled to unbuckle Silver's prosthetic leg.
Silver asked, "How is it that you can be such a savage, unrepentant, killer one moment and the gentlest most loving man I've ever had the pleasure of knowing the next moment?"
Flint stopped unbuckling, placed his hands on Silver's thighs, and looked up into his lover's eyes. Those eyes, as blue as a summer sky, held a lifetime of struggle.
"I was not born to be a murderer or a pirate. I was born to read books and be a gentle loving man. Life has forced me to be what I am, not what I was born to be." Flint said as he ran his fingers along Silver's tanned thighs.
Silver laughed. “I think you chose to be a murderer and a pirate, but you were undoubtedly born to be a lover.” He said as he leaned down and kissed his captain. Flint’s hands ran up along Silver’s body, feeling every curve and muscle along the way. Silver ran his fingers through the shorn hair on Flint’s head wishing it was long again as they felt the warmth from each other’s lips.
Reluctantly pulling away Flint said, “let me finish unbuckling this.” while gesturing at the boot. Sliver groaned like a child getting told that playtime is over. Flint carefully finished the buckles and gave silver a moment to brace himself against the forthcoming pain. Grabbing Flint’s shoulders, he nodded. Flint pulled the boot off and Silver’s fingernails dug crescents into h muscles.
“Has the pain been bad enough to drive you to drinking? Or were you trying to drown other sorrows?” Flint asked as he eyed the leg. It looked infected again with its alarmingly red and bruised color.
“A little of both I would say, Captain.” Silver said with a grimace. He finally loosened his grip on Flint’s shoulders. Flint flexed the pain away.
“Dr. Howell will look at you soon then and I will hear no complaints about it either.” Flint insisted as he pushed Silver down onto the bed.
“Alright, I’ll complain to Madi about it then, so you won’t hear any complaints.” Said Silver with a grin as he grabbed Flint by the waist and pulled him down onto the bed with him.
Flint, half laying on Silver, said “Hush you and go to sleep.”
“Oui, oui mon capitaine.” Silver slurred as he slowly drifted off to sleep. French? Flint wondered where that came from. No matter, He finally went to sleep. Flint watched Silver sleep for a while. It’s the only time he doesn’t look world weary. He looked like the young man he was meant to be. Like he could be sleeping in a comfortable house in London and will wake up to a lovely little life with a lovely little wife.
Flint whispered, “See you in the morning, love.” He wrapped himself around the sleeping lump next to him and drifted off to sleep while the thunder boomed somewhere near the island.