Author's Note: This is an AWE fic and something of a "missing scene" that I wrote to do away with the boredom of a Sunday evening. It is heavily laced with spoilers and adult content. You have been warned. Also, I have only seen this movie once. If anything is incorrectly depicted, I apologize; inconsistencies will be corrected if necessary.

Disclaimer: The Pirates of the Caribbean is owned and exploited by Disney. What follows is a piece of work from which no profit is made. All credit goes to the mouse.

Trust

by L.Freyja

"How can I trust you?"

Silence.

"You can't."

The words rang in his ears and Will stared at the post before him as Elizabeth climbed the stairs onto the deck. He curled his hand into a fist and slammed it into the wood, feeling satisfaction at the solid thunk. It wasn't just her lack of faith that had him angry. They were finally together on the same ship- which seemed to be a rare thing the past few weeks- and it felt as if they were miles apart.

Will sighed and wiped a hand over his eyes. It was more than her omission. It was more than the empty air that hung between them. It was the fact that even though she gave him no reason to, he still continued to trust her. Love was a stupid thing, really. It made men think stupid things and do things that were equally stupid.

And it made him want Elizabeth.

He loved her heart and mind, to be sure. But years of waiting and months of stolen kisses and touches were taking their toll. Just thinking about the sweet smell of the soap she used made his pulse race. The touch of her hair brushing his neck when they embraced, her lips on his chest, her tongue in his mouth- it was too much. And her close proximity a few minutes ago didn't help matters any. It was bad enough that he had to spend the whole trip eastward knowing that she never slept far from him. Will groaned and felt himself stir.

The sound of footsteps- too light to be a man's- caused him to pull away from his musings. "Will?" She sounded as if she were trying to remain detached. "Barbossa sent me down here to..."

The pained look on his face must have caught her attention because she stopped at the bottom of the stairs and shifted uneasily on her feet. He noticed the way she reflexively gripped one arm with the other, as she always did when she was unsure of what to say or do. She stood still, silhouetted by the light coming in from above. Like an angel standing before the sun.

"Will, I really am sorry."

Will looked away. "I know."

"Please, Will. Look at me." Elizabeth took his cheeks in her hands and turned him to face her. The look in her eyes was pleading. Almost desperate. "I did what I thought was right. I thought you had too much to worry about already. I knew you wanted to free your father and get us home safely. And I just... I just wanted you."

"Elizabeth..."

"I still do."

He was upon her then. His arms were around her and he took advantage of her gasp of surprise to kiss her open mouth. It was a kiss that lacked finesse, but a kiss nonetheless. He was desperate for her. She sank into him, responding willingly and just as eager.

"I love you," he rasped.

Elizabeth pressed herself flush against him. He knew she could feel his hardness pressing into her hip and his knees almost buckled when she pressed back.

"This could be it," she whispered. "This could be our last hours together and I don't want to spend them fighting. Either one of us could die before this is over and I'm tired of waiting."

Will didn't have to be told twice. He turned them around so that she was against the same support post she had been earlier. His lips slid over hers and on to her neck as he laced his fingers through her hair. He could taste the salt of dried seawater and sweat on her skin. The soft breaths, quickening with every kiss, made his own heart race. Every one of his senses was stimulated by her.

Elizabeth stifled a moan when Will's mouth reached her ear. He nipped at her earlobe, well-acquainted with the way it sent shivers down her spine, and her back arched reflexively. The wooden post dug into her shoulders, but that didn't stop her from undoing buttons and wiggling until her jacket was on the floor and her shirt hung open. She stood there, exposed, pinned by a panting Will Turner. He stopped suddenly when he felt the heat from the flesh of her small breasts through his open-necked shirt. Elizabeth watched him as he pulled back to look at her, traced one work-roughened finger along a tan line she'd acquired.

If Will was expecting her to be hesitant or conscious of her appearance, she knew he was going to be sorely disappointed. She allowed him to continue his appreciative exploration and took it upon herself to begin removing articles of his clothing, occasionally running her nails across his skin. Elizabeth paused only when he took one hard nipple in his mouth and slid his hands up her bare thighs. She wasn't sure when her boots or trousers went missing, but that hardly mattered.

This wasn't the fist time he'd touched her, but it was the first time he'd touched her like this. The fingers of one hand stopped at mid-thigh. The other did not. His fingers sent fire through her and then, suddenly, they were in her. Will returned his mouth to hers, swallowing her cries as he inserted one finger, then two. She was wet and warm and everything he knew she would be. He used is hands and mouth to bring her to the edge and then, cruelly, withdrew and would not let her go over. Elizabeth emitted a soft whimper of protest; she then decided to take revenge.

This wasn't the way she had imagined it would be between them the first time. Elizabeth had always pictured the two of them gently disrobing and climbing into bed together, placing soft touches on skin. But this was something else entirely. This was need. Pure, unadulterated lust and love and frustration. Their movements were frantic, desperate, as if both were afraid this moment might be end too soon. They weren't even fully undressed. She remained in her unbuttoned shirt and Will's pants were-

"Ah! Elizabeth..."

"Your pants," she managed to say. "They're in the way."

She managed to shove his pants down to his calves and he stood naked from the knees up. If she were in the mood to be poetic, Elizabeth might have described him as a statue of a Greek god come to life. But she was not in the mood to be poetic, nor was she in the mood for patience. She reached forward and took him in her hands, amazed by the simultaneous hardness of him and the softness of his skin. A grin spread across her face as she watched his eyes close and his hips bucked forward.

"Elizabeth. Please." He buried his face in her neck and gripped her waist with one hand while the other cupped a breast. His breath washed over her skin and his erection throbbed in her hold.

Mercifully, she let go of him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Will used both hands to lift her up and then, in one swift move, sank himself into her, stretching and filling her. She opened her mouth in a silent cry. She realized Will was watching her face, waiting for a signal to continue. When he saw what he wanted, he began to move in and out of her, slow and controlled.

Too controlled.

"Let go, Will. Don't worry." She tightened her legs around his waist and shifted slightly. "Will... Don't hold back."

And he didn't. Suddenly it was like that first frustrated kiss- lacking refinement, fast and hard, and almost sloppy. Elizabeth let her head fall back against the beam and rocked with his deep thrusts. Years of restrained want were let loose as they clung to each other, eager to find release. And then she was there. She came with his name on her lips and Will struggled to stay upright as she contracted around him. It was too much and he followed her with a soft grunt after one last thrust of his hips.

The two of them remained that way for a moment, sweating and gasping for air. Will felt a small hand brush his hair back from his forehead. He opened his eyes to meet her own gaze. What he saw made his heart clench. He loved her, and she loved him. And no matter what happened, no matter what she might say, he would always trust her. The only thing to worry about now was whether or not she would still trust him once the Black Pearl was in his hands.