A few hours had passed since the pirates had left their new friend, Charles Darwin on that tropical island to begin his new expedition, not before saying goodbye to him, of course. Now they were back out in the middle of the ocean, on their way back to Blood Island. The crew had told the Pirate Captain they had a surprise for him to reward him for his bravery during their latest adventure. The Captain didn't have to wait very long to see what this surprise was, for when he left his cabin, his beloved dodo, Polly hooked under his arm, he was instantly met by them all waiting for him on the deck with huge grins plastered on their faces. He noticed immediately that the Albino Pirate, the youngest member of the crew, was holding something behind his back. Urged by the rest of the crew, he stepped forward and revealed what it was he was holding as he handed it to the Pirate Captain. The Captain took it from the boy, handing Polly to his best friend and faithful first mate, the Pirate with a Scarf as he did so. Holding it out in front of him, his heart warmed instantly as he looked at what appeared to be a handmade replica of the Pirate of the Year trophy. It was a simple replica, made out of a cereal box painted gold cut into the shape of a skull (an unusually rectangular shaped skull, but a skull nonetheless), a knife driven threw it and what appeared to be a bit of squid tentacle wobbling out over the top of it.
"That..." he began, but trailed off as his delight was slowly replaced with confusion at the tentacle. Flicking it with his finger, he asked, "I, er... Is this a bit of... squid tentacle?"
"Yeah, and that's my earwax," smiled the Albino Pirate proudly as he pointed, obviously gesturing to the sticky, golden-coloured substance holding the knife in place.
Although a little disgusted by this, the Pirate Captain was still warmed by the effort his beloved crew had made into making this for him and appreciated the gesture all the same. At long last, he had a trophy he could put on his empty cabinet to replace that measly little Runner-Up ribbon he had gotten for Best Anecdote, about a squid.
"Thank you, all of you," he smiled to his crew. "This is a lovely thing you have all done for me. I really do appreciate it."
"You're welcome, sir," said the Pirate with Gout, unable to remove the grin from his face. "We just felt that you deserved this for being the best Captain in all the world."
His smile getting wider at this, the Captain then turned to his first mate, who also had a warm smile on his face as he held Polly under his arm.
"I keep telling you, it's never been about the trophies or the treasure," he told him. Putting his hand to his heart, he added, "It's about who you are inside."
As he said this, the Captain felt his heart leaping a little. Without thinking, he immediately dropped this subject to ask his first mate, "I say, you're not a... You're not a woman disguised as a man, are you, Number Two?"
Seemingly unfazed by such a question, the Pirate with a Scarf merely answered, "No," as he shook his head, still smiling.
"No? Because that does happen surprisingly often at sea," The Pirate Captain went on, putting his hand on his hip.
"Yes, indeed, it does, sir," the Pirate with a Scarf agreed, nodding his head. "But no, I am not a woman in disguise."
"Are you sure now, Number Two?" asked the Pirate Captain again, squinting his eyes suspiciously at the first mate.
The Pirate with a Scarf just chuckled and shook his head. "Yes, Captain, I'm quite sure."
After about a few more seconds of suspicious squinting, the Captain ceased and just chuckled as well.
"All right, then," he said. Turning back to his crew, he said to them, "Thanks again for this, lads," holding up his trophy once again before disappearing back into his cabin to put it on the trophy cabinet.
A few days later, the Pirate Captain was sitting in his cabin. He was seated at his desk, drinking tea out of his "World's Best Captain" mug and nibbling on some custard creams, feeding the occasional one to Polly who was sitting next to him. Sometimes he would just be absentmindedly swirling one around in his tea as strange new thoughts of a certain first mate of his were going through his head.
He and the Pirate with a Scarf had been the best of friends for years. They had always been there for each other and had stuck by each other through the hardest of times. Of all the members of the crew, he was the one who understood the Captain the most, and he was so incredibly loyal to him, so he felt he could trust him with his life. He really was the best friend anyone could ever ask for. Until that incident just a few days before, it had never occurred to him that maybe he had feelings for him that were more than just platonic feelings. Indeed, there was something about the way he said that thing about the reward not being about the trophies or the treasure but about who he was inside that seemed a bit romantic. The Pirate with a Scarf had always been the wisest member of the crew and was always giving him excellent advice, but he had never said anything that sounded quite as beautifully touching and inspiring as that. He still couldn't quite figure out what it was that had made him ask him then if he was a woman disguised as a man. Was it always because anyone he had found himself falling in love with had always been a woman? So maybe that was just his mind telling him that his first mate would have to have been a woman in order for the Captain to fall in love with him? But then he remembered those men who fell in love with other men, and thus realised that maybe he could've been in fact one of those very men. He wasn't ashamed of the concept, because he himself had never disapproved of any of those men, or even any of the women who fell in love with other women either, but he had never once imagined himself to be one of those people until just now. Though now that he had discovered that perhaps he was, well, he really saw no point in worrying about it.
He wondered then if the Pirate with a Scarf liked him that way as well. He thought then about telling him about his feelings for him, but then he wondered if it would be even worth it. Would the Pirate with a Scarf turn out to be one of those men as well and reciprocate? Or would he be the type that preferred the opposite gender? How would he react to such news? He highly doubted that the Pirate with a Scarf would be appalled by him; the first mate didn't seem like the judgmental type. Even if he didn't return his feelings, would things still be good between them, or would it only cause feelings of awkwardness between them? Well, there was only one way to find out.
As he pondered more on the whole thing, he raised a custard cream he was dipping into his tea to his mouth, only to have the soaked end drop off and fall right back into the tea again, from having been held in there for too long. That was annoying, he thought as he looked at that half of the biscuit floating in the surface of the tea like an iceberg. But just then, something else immediately caught his eye; the "World's Best Captain" sign on the mug. And then it hit him.
Once the crew were all in bed, the Pirate Captain decided to look for the Pirate with a Scarf, who had left them all in the middle of that week's Ham Night. He was accompanied by Polly, who was perched precariously on his shoulder. He couldn't help but notice that the first mate looked a little upset and the Captain wanted to know why. He never liked to see his friends upset and was always willing to do what he could to try and make them feel better. At first, he had looked for him in his cabin, but he wasn't there. So he looked in the galley, but no sign. He then thought that his friend might've decided to take the evening air up on deck, so he thought he'd look there next.
He ascended the stairs, opened the hatch and sure enough, there was the Pirate with a Scarf leaning against the railing as he stared out at the dark sea in front of him. Walking up to his friend, the Pirate Captain took his place next to him at the rail.
"Number Two?" he asked with great concern.
In response, the younger pirate just turned and looked up at him, the saddened expression from earlier had not left his face.
"Hello, Captain," his friend merely replied before turning back to face the sea.
"What is it, lad?" asked the Captain. "Whatever could be the matter?"
The Pirate with a Scarf just hesitated, looking as though he was trying to come up with an excuse for his strange behaviour earlier on. "Oh, it's just..."
Just then, Polly leapt off the Captain's shoulder and landed safely one the wooden rail. He watched as she waddled up towards the Pirate with a Scarf and nudged her beak against his arm. The first mate just turned to look down at the little bird and smiled.
"Hello, Polly," he said as he stroked her head, earning an affectionate coo from her.
"Number Two, what is the matter?" asked the Pirate Captain again, a little more firmly this time. "You were sitting in there, looking like Admiral Nelson after losing his arm. Now why is that? What with it being Valentine's Day tomorrow, you'd think that, like the rest of us, you'd be as happy as a-"
Just then, as it dawned on him, the Pirate Captain's concerned expression slowly morphed into a wide Cheshire cat grin."Oh, wait a minute, I know!"
The Pirate with a Scarf then looked back up at the elder pirate. "Y-yes...?" he said, now seemingly a little uncomfortable with the way the Captain was looking at him.
"You're in love with someone!" exclaimed the Pirate Captain, the grin still plastered on his face.
The Pirate with a Scarf just rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "Oh, Captain, you can read me like an open book," he answered miserably.
"Aha! I was right!" cried the Captain triumphantly. "So, who's the lucky wench then?"
In the same glum tone, the Pirate with a Scarf just replied, "Someone who's very unlikely to return my feelings, sir."
"Oh, come now, Number Two!" said the Pirate Captain. "How could you possibly be sure of that!?"
The Pirate with a Scarf shrugged. "Not sure, sir. Just a hunch, I suppose."
"Well, why don't you tell them yourself?" asked the Captain.
The Pirate with a Scarf opened his mouth, as if he was about to speak, but no sound came out of him and he just looked back towards the sea, still looking miserable.
"Ah, fear if rejection, is it?" asked the Captain again, now fully understanding his friend's situation.
The young lad just sighed sadly and nodded in reply.
"Well, I have a suggestion that should help you solve this little problem of yours," said the Pirate Captain cheerfully.
The Pirate with a Scarf turned to face him once more. This time, he looking a little bit worried, but still seemed to be willing to listen.
So the Captain continued, "Why don't you just drop this person a little hint of your feelings for them? Nothing too forward, but something that should hopefully give them an idea. Like, oh I don't know, a small gift or something. Something simple, but still something that would really please or flatter them. Something that's sure to grab their attention. And besides, think of it this way. No matter how bad your Valentine's Day is, it can't be as bad as the one Captain Cook had when he went to Hawaii, that's for sure."
The Pirate with a Scarf, who for some reason was looking very surprised during the Captain's speech, chuckled at his final comment. "Thank you, Captain."
"No problem, Number Two!" replied the Pirate Captain, feeling glad that he had cheered his best friend up as he gave him a hard, encouraging pat on the back. "As your friend and captain, it is the least I can do to help my first mate."
Picking up Polly and hooking her under his arm, he then yawned, suddenly feeling a bit tired. "Well, me and Polly are off to bed now. Perhaps you should do the same," he said as he began to walk away in the direction of the hatch.
"Aye aye, sir," smiled the Pirate with a Scarf. "But I'd rather just stay out here and enjoy the evening air a little while longer."
"Suit yourself," the Captain smiled back. "Goodnight, Number Two."
"Goodnight, Captain," he heard the Pirate with a Scarf reply as he took Polly back down the hatch below decks and headed towards his cabin.
Once there, he couldn't help but feel very sorry for his first mate and hoped that that pep talk he had just given him really had cheered him up, and that the Pirate with a Scarf wasn't just pretending in order to stop him from worrying about him. He also hoped that his friend would at least take his advice and get this person, whoever she was, a gift in order to get her attention. Well, only time would tell, he thought.
Stripping down to his undergarments, he climbed into his hammock and blew out the lantern that swung from the wall. Pulling his sleep mask over his eyes, he settled down as comfortably as he could into his hammock and wished Polly goodnight before soon drifting off to sleep.
The next night, the Pirate Captain was up late, sitting at his desk and looking over one of his old maps when he heard a knock on his door.
"Come in!" he called. For a moment, he wondered who it could possibly be who was outside, as he thought that all the crew had gone to their own cabins by now. However, he didn't have very long at all to wonder, for in the instant that he gave his call, the door opened and the Pirate with a Scarf entered, nearly stumbling over his own feet as he did so.
"Ah, Number Two!" exclaimed the Captain, very pleased to see his friend.
The Pirate with a Scarf just gave out a half-nervous, half-friendly laugh. "Good evening, Captain," he replied with a small smile.
"Good to see you're feeling better," the Pirate Captain smiled back.
"Th-thank you, Captain," the younger pirate stammered, not really looking the Captain in the eye. His face had turned to face Polly, who was perched fast asleep on the globe next to the desk. It was in that moment that he noticed his friend's expression became slightly calmer than before. However, it wasn't long before he also noticed that the young man appeared to be holding something behind his back.
"Um, Number Two, what's that you've got behind your back?" he asked curiously.
The Pirate with a Scarf just froze for a couple of seconds before stuttering again, "I-I, er... I... got a little present for you today, Captain."
As he said this, the first mate brought his hand round to reveal a white mug. As he brought it over to the desk, the Pirate Captain became very interested as he took it from his friend. He took a few moments to look at it and saw that it had painted on it in block red capitals, "World's Best Captain". Feeling his heart quickly warming, he let out a hearty chuckle.
"I say, that's rather nice," he said.
There was a short pause before he heard the Pirate with a Scarf ask nervously, "So... so you like it then?"
The Pirate Captain looked up at the first mate with a warm smile on his face. "Love it more like, Number Two."
The younger pirate's jaw dropped a little. "Gosh... Really?"
The bearded pirate chuckled again. "Why, of course! This really is the nicest present anyone has ever given me! It certainly tops any chest cram packed fill of treasure anyhow. Thank you, Number Two. I really do appreciate it."
Once he had finished his speech, the Captain placed his new mug down and continued to look over his map once again. For a few more moments, he didn't notice that the Pirate with a Scarf was still in the cabin with him until he head him say, "Um... Captain...?"
The elder pirate looked up again. "Yes, Number Two?"
"Is there -?" he began, but stopped in his tracks and sighed sadly before continuing, "Nothing. Just... you're welcome." Turning towards the door, he added, "Goodnight, Captain."
The Pirate Captain, though confused about his friend's slightly negative reaction, smiled and replied, "Goodnight, Number Two," before going back to his map.
After hearing the door closing behind his best friend, the Pirate Captain began to wonder about what had just happened. Why did the Pirate with a Scarf look so disappointed? The Captain really did appreciate him getting that mug for him after all. It was a really selfless act that he did to show him how much he treasured his friendship, and out of nowhere too. So he had no reason to hide his flattery and appreciation, right? What other kind of reaction could his friend really have expected from him? And why did it he just go back to looking as sad as he did the night before? Thinking about all of this, the Pirate Captain began to worry about the first mate once more. Though because it was very late, he chose not to bother him about it just now and let him retire to his own cabin. Questioning him more about it would have to wait till the morning. Not wishing to worry himself any more about it for the night, he decided to just go back to looking over his map.
Of course! The mug! That alone served as the Pirate Captain's answer. That was why the Pirate with a Scarf had gotten it for him. That was why the lad was looking so depressed the day before. The day before... St Valentine's Day! So, his friend had followed his advice and bought a gift for the one he was hopelessly in love with to give to them on that day. To leave him a hint of his feelings for him, just as he had told him. That was also why the first mate never told him who it was that had captured his heart. It was because that very same person was the Pirate Captain himself!
It was at this moment that the Captain started to mentally kick himself. How could he have been so stupid? How could he have missed all these signs? Especially since it was plain that the younger pirate had done exactly what he had told him. Even after he had done so, the Captain still somehow managed to remain blind to the Pirate with a Scarf's motivation for what he did that day.
What an idiot I am! He screamed in his head.
Of course, even then, he still couldn't be sure from that alone whether the Pirate with a Scarf really was in love with him or if that was just his rather fertile imagination running away with itself. So he then made the decision to try and find out for himself if it was indeed true. He would look for more signs from the lad that would confirm his feelings for him, and if said feelings did turn out to be true, then he would make his move of telling his friend of his own growing feelings for him. There was still the slight fear that it might not be, but no matter. He would still be brave and see it through to the end all the same. He just had to be sure, he had find out and right now, it was his every intention to do so.
A few nights later, the crew were back on Blood Island and having a jolly night of drinking grog at the Pirate Captain's favourite pub, the Barnacle's Face. The Pirate with a Scarf had earlier expressed his apprehension about the idea, knowing what happened every time the Captain and his arch nemesis, Black Bellamy were in there at the same time. Though he very was glad to hear from one of the latter pirate's crew members that he wouldn't be showing his face there that night. He said he was still too much in shock after having his Pirate of the Year trophy taken from him so suddenly by the Pirate King. That made the Pirate Captain and his own crew laugh out loud. If that bully of a pirate was always such a bad winner, then who was to say that he wouldn't be a bad loser either? Even the Pirate with a Scarf, who was never really one for gloating, couldn't help but chuckle at the idea. Well, after all the misery that Bellamy had caused his dear Captain, could he really be blamed?
Although that night at the Barnacle's Face lasted several hours, to the whole crew, it seemed to only last several minutes. They were all enjoying themselves that much, sipping grog, playing cards, laughing at each other's jokes and singing shanties. Indeed, this was the Pirate Captain's idea of celebrating a great victory at the end of an exciting adventure. However, throughout the evening, the Captain kept looking in the Pirate with a Scarf's direction and catching him looking at him in a somewhat longing fashion, though he appeared to be smiling dreamily to himself as well. Though once he was aware that the Captain had noticed this, he kept turning away from him, his face taking a light but very obvious shade of red. Although the Captain was now aware that the younger pirate had had feelings for him for a long time now, he couldn't help but feel that such behaviour was a little unusual for him, especially whenever the two of them were alone together. All the same, he definitely knew that that could indeed be another sign that the first mate was in love with him. Though he still wasn't willing to jump to conclusions just yet and decided to wait just a little bit longer to see if any more signs would make themselves known.
Eventually, the Pirate with a Scarf excused himself from the rest of the crew and went outside. He had said that he needed a spot of fresh air from all the smoke floating around the pub produced by some other pirates who were smoking, and that he would only be about a few minutes. However, after about half an hour, he had still had not returned and the crew were starting to get a little worried, especially the Pirate Captain.
Standing from his seat, he said to his crew, "Listen, lads. I'll go check on the Pirate with a Scarf and see if he's all right."
"Yes, sir," they all said as the Captain turned and went out the door of the pub and into the cobbled streets of Blood Island.
He was very surprised to see that it had gotten dark so quickly, save for the light provided by the many street lamps lined along the streets and even the bright full moon above. He took a look around, hoping to catch sight of his first mate. He found that the streets were now quite empty, only two or three other pirates could be seen standing outside one of the other shops on the island or walking along the street.
But he was glad that he quickly spotted the Pirate with a Scarf seated at the end of a nearby pier, seeming to be staring out into the distance. Without even having to think about it, he found his legs immediately taking him towards the direction of the first mate. As he stepped onto said pier, he only took a few steps before he saw the younger pirate turning round to face him. Evidently, he had heard the Captain's footsteps against the hard wood.
"Oh, hello Captain," he said.
"Hello, Number Two," answered the Pirate Captain. "Didn't mean to surprise you there. Mind if I join you."
The Pirate with a Scarf hesitated for a second before tilting his head in the direction of the ocean as a gesture for the elder pirate to join him. The Captain did so and, walking right up to where his friend was sitting, took a seat next to him, legs dangling from the edge. For a few moments, the two of them just stared out at the dark ocean spreading out for miles in front of them, the reflection from the moon sparkling against the distant waves, outshining all the stars in the sky. The only sound that broke the rather pleasant silence was the lapping of the waves and the creaking of the rigging from nearby ships along the dock.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" said the Captain eventually, referring to the view in front of them.
"Hm?" asked the Pirate with a Scarf, turning to look at him. "Oh, yes. Yes, it is rather, isn't it?"
"Kind of makes you wish you had a special someone to share a view like this with, eh, Number Two?" smiled the Captain, turning to the first mate.
The Pirate with a Scarf just sighed sadly in response. "Yes, I... I suppose it does," he answered, turning to back to face the ocean.
As the Pirate Captain took a minute to watch his friend, he couldn't help but notice the bright light from the moon casting a soft, pale glow on the Pirate with a Scarf's face. Even before realising his feelings for the younger pirate, he always knew that his friend was rather attractive, but in this sort of light, he felt that "attractive" would pretty much be the understatement of the century. He thought that the Pirate with a Scarf looked really quite beautiful like that, almost angelic even, and he was pretty sure by now that he was in love with him.
"Indeed, I have often wondered why you yourself have never had a special someone of your own to share any kind of romantic moment with, if I must be honest," the Pirate Captain went on.
The Pirate with a Scarf just blushed at the complement. "I-I'm... very flattered you should say that, sir," he answered shyly, not really looking the elder pirate.
"I mean it, Number Two," said the Pirate Captain encouragingly. "Any other pirate would have to be crazy to not want to be with you."
The Pirate with a Scarf's blush just got deeper. "Th-thank you, sir," he answered quietly. "I think the same for you." Immediately after saying that, the first mate clenched his eyes shut and lowered his head, as if angry with himself for having just revealed a big secret of his.
And that did it. The Pirate with a Scarf's returning his complement and then his own reaction after doing so confirmed to the Pirate Captain that his friend did indeed harbour romantic feelings for him. It was at this moment, the Captain decided then to just tell his friend all he had to say.
Clearing his throat, he began by, "Er, actually, speaking of that, Number Two, I've, er... got something to tell you."
The Pirate with a Scarf then snapped back to his senses and turned back to face his captain.
"And it might come as a bit of a shock, but... er, well..." the Captain continued but then trailed off, struggling
to find the appropriate words to use.
"Go on, sir," said the first mate. "I'm listening."
"Right," said the Captain. "You see the thing is, Number Two, well... you remember that mug you got me as a present last year?"
"I'm hardly likely to ever forget, sir," replied the Pirate with a Scarf. "Seeing as how I'm the one that bought it in the first place."
"Yes, of course," answered the Captain, nodding his head. "How silly of me. Anyway, er... Until just recently, I had never really given any thought to the date on which you had bought it for me. You know, I assumed that it was just a random gesture of friendship you had decided to make to me that day. But a few days ago, it only just occurred to me that you had given it to me on St. Valentine's Day, and I thought, at first, that that was just a coincidence. But then I remembered how depressed you were looking the day before, and you told me that it was because you were in love with someone who you doubted would ever return your feelings. I then suggested you drop this person a little hint of your feelings by buying them a simple gift. Nothing too forward, but still something which would warm their heart. The next evening, which just so happened to fall on St. Valentine's Day, you come into my cabin with a mug that says 'World's Best Captain' on it, which warmed my heart very much indeed. Of course, as silly as I am, I never once considered that maybe you did that because you were following my advice to get a gift to this person that you were hopelessly in love with. Now that can only mean one thing, can't it? The person you were in love with... was in fact... me."
Once the Pirate Captain had said that last sentence, the Pirate with a Scarf's expression got sadder, as if he was expecting to hear the heartbreaking mixture of words which would form a sentence which indicated that the elder pirate didn't feel the same for him.
"So, thinking about all of that now, Number Two," the Captain went on. "I think you should know that -"
He was interrupted when the Pirate with a Scarf held his hand up as a gesture for him to stop talking. "Don't worry, sir," he said sadly. "You don't have to say any more. I already know you don't love me."
"But that's just it, Number Two," said the Pirate Captain, feeling a light blush appearing on his cheeks at the knowledge that he was now about to make that simple declaration of love that would change both their lives forever. "I think I am falling in love with you."
The Pirate with a Scarf just sat rooted to the spot, as he stared at the elder pirate with a look of utter shock and surprise. "What? Really?" he asked.
"I know how surprising it must sound," said the Captain. "I can still hardly quite believe it myself. I mean, I never thought for a minute that I'd be one of those men who preferred their own gender to the opposite one, never mind having such feelings for your good self. For years, I was always so sure that I preferred women. I mean, you've probably seen me expressing some sort of desire for Cutlass Liz once or twice, haven't you?"
The Pirate with a Scarf nodded.
"Well, that was all just a mere infatuation, really," the Captain continued. "Because, let's face it, even if we did eventually become an item, things between me and Cutlass would never really have worked out anyway, would they? But you, Number Two," he added, taking the younger pirate's soft hand into his own strong, callused ones. "The feelings I have for you are very different. There's something more special about them, if you know what I mean. I feel as though we are destined to be together. No, not as friends, as something much more than that. You have always been such a good friend to me, Number Two. You are very loyal, and you have always been there for me during my darkest moments. I don't think I can even begin to tell you how thankful I am to have you by my side, for all the loyalty and devotion you've shown me through the years." Placing a hand on the first mate's cheek, he finished his speech with, "And let me tell you, my dearest friend, I wouldn't trade any of it for all the ham in the world."
For a few moments, the Pirate with a Scarf could only just sit there and stare at the Pirate Captain, completely stunned by the news and still not quite able to believe what he was hearing. As he stared, he took a minute to look into the elder pirate's oaken brown eyes and definitely recognised the unmistakable look of love from within. He knew then that what his beloved captain was saying must have been true. Not that the Captain would ever lie to him about something like that anyway, whether he was returning his feelings or not.
"Captain, I..." he began at last. "I really don't know what to say."
The Captain just slipped his hand round to the back of the younger pirate's head. "Then don't say anything at all," he whispered, starting to lean forward.
Before he had any time to register what was happening, the Pirate with a Scarf felt himself being gently pulled towards the Captain until their lips met. At first, the younger pirate was very surprised at this, but that was all soon replaced with happiness as he drooped his eyes closed and returned the kiss. Even then, the Pirate with a Scarf still couldn't believe what was happening. Here he was, sharing a kiss with the very man who he was previously sure would never return his feelings. He still couldn't quite decide if he was dreaming or not, because it all felt too good to be real. And yet, he could tell that everything he was feeling right now was definitely real; the Pirate Captain's soft, kissable lips pressed against his own, his fingers tangled through his hair and both their fingers intwined with each other. All of that was definitely real, and he definitely wished it could last forever. Though sadly, that was not so, for both pirates soon felt themselves running low on air, so they parted reluctantly.
Without realising what he was doing, the Pirate with a Scarf leaned closer to the Pirate Captain, resting his head against his chest.
The Pirate Captain chuckled as he wrapped his arms around the younger pirate. "What's all this?" he asked, somewhat amused by this.
Unable to stop the tears that had been threatening to escape his eyes from sliding down his face, the Pirate with a Scarf, answered in between light sobs. "I'm just... really happy, sir."
Chuckling again, the elder pirate said, "So am I, Number Two. So am I."
"No, really, I am," the Pirate with a Scarf almost cried as he sat up to look at the Pirate Captain again. "Because it wasn't just the fear of rejection that was keeping me from coming right out and telling you how I felt. One of the things I feared about you finding out about my feelings for you was that you wouldn't accept me. In fact, I was afraid you'd be disgusted by me and that you'd run me through or have me marooned or something."
The Pirate Captain smiled and wiped a tear away from his first mate's face. "Well, Number Two," he said softly to him. "Even if I didn't feel the same for you, I think you should that I would never do a thing like that to a fellow pirate, especially a member of my own crew, or even my most trusted friend and right hand man, for something as simple as his romantic preferences."
He gave the Pirate with a Scarf a reassuring wink. The younger pirate returned Pirate Captain's smile before the two friends, now lovers, leaned in for another kiss, this one proving to be more passionate than the last. Soon, they both completely forgot about everything and everyone else around them as they became lost in this romantic moment between them.