The Commodore took off his hat and his wig, then buried his head in
his hands with a small soft sigh, the uncertain lamplight glistening off of
his closely-cropped dark hair. He was still having trouble believing
it.that Elizabeth Swann had actually agreed to marry him. She had seemed
so.safe. The perfect choice, really. He'd known her since she was a small
child; he'd always been fond of her.rather paternally, probably due to his
friendship with Governor Swann. And everyone with eyes could see how
devoted she was to young Will Turner, the orphan-turned-blacksmith;
everyone, that was, except possibly Will and Elizabeth themselves. And
therefore Elizabeth was sure to refuse him. It could then be explained away
poetically, the bachelorhood of the young Commodore. He was in love with
Elizabeth Swann, yet Elizabeth herself was devoted to another. How tragic,
people would whisper, and yet how beautiful.the heartbroken man who
remained in love with a woman he could not have. It was perfect.
But Elizabeth did not refuse him. And now all of his carefully-laid plans were falling down around his feet. Poor Elizabeth. She really deserved better.
"You know." a familiar voice intoned, disrupting Norrington's thoughts. The unsuspecting Commodore jumped, lifted his head.although he knew perfectly well whose voice it was. "For a man who's about to marry a beautiful young girl.you don't seem very excited, mate."
Norirngton thrilled at the sound of the familiar voice as he always did, tried to stop the mad rush of adrenaline, still the frantic beating of his heart; to calm the madness that the sight and sound and very thought of the pirate-captain had been stirring up since their first encounter. "How did you get in here?" he inquired of the pirate, in his cool brisk military- officer voice. It was a well-practiced tone, one guaranteed not to let any emotion slip through. Outwardly he was cool and composed. Like always. Yet.
Jack Sparrow grinned, and inwardly Norrington melted. "You forgot one thing, luv," he crooned. "I'm Captain Jack Sparrow." His dark-lined eyes flashed with amusement.
"Of.of course." Norrington babbled, surprise at being referred to as "luv" eroding his normal calm.
This earned another roguish grin from Captain Sparrow. "So," he said, approaching Norrington, "You are human after all. I was beginning to think that was it."
"It?" the Commodore wondered, rather stupidly.
Jack paid him no mind, merely stepped closer. "She and Will are mad for eachother. But you knew that all along. Why anyone would want to be refused."
Norrington frowned. "What makes you think."
The other man laughed. "I may be.a pirate." he paused to gesture, rather extravagantly, "But I'm not stupid. Savvy?" He winked.
Desperately trying to convince himself that there shouldn't be anything alluring about Jack Sparrow winking, he murmured, "Your French is atrocious. It's ca va, not ca vie, and."
Another step closer. "I've learned a lot of things from the French, mate." That said, it was quite easy for him to close the remaining distance between them and demonstrate the sort of kissing one learned from the French on the unresisting, starry-eyed Commodore.
As if in a dream, Norrington took full advantage of the moment because.well, how often did one have the advantage to kiss Captain Jack Sparrow?
It was over far too soon, and Jack drew away and smiled down at the Commodore. "So. That's why."
"I.I can explain." Norrington murmured, hastily, a look of panic replacing the one he had been wearing that was far closer to guilty pleasure. Found out.he couldn't be found out.!
"I think I understand, " replied the pirate. That said, the only thing to be done was to offer another kiss. And another and.
"This won't." Norrington told Jack, breathlessly, "Change the fact that you.you're."
Jack pressed a finger to Norrington's lips. "Quiet as the grave," he whispered, placing his other hand on one of the other man's shoulders and leading him towards the bed. "Savvy?"
Shoulder. Shoulder? Someone still.gripping his shoulder.
"Commodore? Commodore?"
Norrington opened his eyes groggily and looked up at his adorably- attentive lieutenant hovering over him.
"You fell asleep at your desk again, sir," Gilette informed him. "Come..to bed? You've been working far too hard lately. But there's nothing to worry about tonight." He smiled, a calming, loving smile.
There was.well, everything to worry about, from pirates to weddings and everything in-between. But Norrington merely smiled back and let the lieutenant take him to bed.and wondered idly how Gilette would look in eyeliner.
But Elizabeth did not refuse him. And now all of his carefully-laid plans were falling down around his feet. Poor Elizabeth. She really deserved better.
"You know." a familiar voice intoned, disrupting Norrington's thoughts. The unsuspecting Commodore jumped, lifted his head.although he knew perfectly well whose voice it was. "For a man who's about to marry a beautiful young girl.you don't seem very excited, mate."
Norirngton thrilled at the sound of the familiar voice as he always did, tried to stop the mad rush of adrenaline, still the frantic beating of his heart; to calm the madness that the sight and sound and very thought of the pirate-captain had been stirring up since their first encounter. "How did you get in here?" he inquired of the pirate, in his cool brisk military- officer voice. It was a well-practiced tone, one guaranteed not to let any emotion slip through. Outwardly he was cool and composed. Like always. Yet.
Jack Sparrow grinned, and inwardly Norrington melted. "You forgot one thing, luv," he crooned. "I'm Captain Jack Sparrow." His dark-lined eyes flashed with amusement.
"Of.of course." Norrington babbled, surprise at being referred to as "luv" eroding his normal calm.
This earned another roguish grin from Captain Sparrow. "So," he said, approaching Norrington, "You are human after all. I was beginning to think that was it."
"It?" the Commodore wondered, rather stupidly.
Jack paid him no mind, merely stepped closer. "She and Will are mad for eachother. But you knew that all along. Why anyone would want to be refused."
Norrington frowned. "What makes you think."
The other man laughed. "I may be.a pirate." he paused to gesture, rather extravagantly, "But I'm not stupid. Savvy?" He winked.
Desperately trying to convince himself that there shouldn't be anything alluring about Jack Sparrow winking, he murmured, "Your French is atrocious. It's ca va, not ca vie, and."
Another step closer. "I've learned a lot of things from the French, mate." That said, it was quite easy for him to close the remaining distance between them and demonstrate the sort of kissing one learned from the French on the unresisting, starry-eyed Commodore.
As if in a dream, Norrington took full advantage of the moment because.well, how often did one have the advantage to kiss Captain Jack Sparrow?
It was over far too soon, and Jack drew away and smiled down at the Commodore. "So. That's why."
"I.I can explain." Norrington murmured, hastily, a look of panic replacing the one he had been wearing that was far closer to guilty pleasure. Found out.he couldn't be found out.!
"I think I understand, " replied the pirate. That said, the only thing to be done was to offer another kiss. And another and.
"This won't." Norrington told Jack, breathlessly, "Change the fact that you.you're."
Jack pressed a finger to Norrington's lips. "Quiet as the grave," he whispered, placing his other hand on one of the other man's shoulders and leading him towards the bed. "Savvy?"
Shoulder. Shoulder? Someone still.gripping his shoulder.
"Commodore? Commodore?"
Norrington opened his eyes groggily and looked up at his adorably- attentive lieutenant hovering over him.
"You fell asleep at your desk again, sir," Gilette informed him. "Come..to bed? You've been working far too hard lately. But there's nothing to worry about tonight." He smiled, a calming, loving smile.
There was.well, everything to worry about, from pirates to weddings and everything in-between. But Norrington merely smiled back and let the lieutenant take him to bed.and wondered idly how Gilette would look in eyeliner.