Two Coins
Anne paced outside of Max's bedroom, hating herself for her indecisiveness, yet not quite able to force herself to knock on the door anyway. While she roamed, her hand was shoved into her right jacket pocket, and every few seconds her fingers would compulsively clutch at the object she had hidden away in it.
"Yer bein' stupid," she muttered to herself, pausing in her pacing to look at Max's bedroom door resentfully.
A few seconds later Anne's fingers wrapped around the object in her pocket again, and for a moment she considered yanking it out and throwing it over the railing, ridding herself of the damn thing and thereby sparing herself from having to make the decision that was currently plaguing her.
Anne bit down on her bottom lip, chewing on it nervously as her eyes focused on the staircase that led down to the first floor of the brothel. The stairs were escape and there was a part of her that longed for that, that wanted to just walk down the stairs, cross the street to the tavern and have a drink or five, until she forgot what a ridiculous fool she had been, stalking back and forth outside of Max's room for almost half an hour.
Max probably wouldn't even want it, she told herself as her fingers surrounded the object in her pocket again. It wasn't like she knew anything about fine ladies things. What she had for Max was probably just junk. It was probably useless and if she knocked on Max's door and gave it to her, she'd end up looking like an idiot, trying to make a gift of something that wasn't worth anything.
"What are you doing?"
Anne looked up sharply, her head turning to the side to find Max standing just outside her bedroom door, holding a shawl around shoulders as she peered at Anne curiously.
"Nothin'." Anne's response was instinctive, her tone defensive and a little harassed.
"That certainly seems about right," Max breathed out, her lips curving up just the slightest bit as she gazed at Anne. "But why are you doing it outside of my room, and so noisily?" she asked, arching a perfectly sculpted dark eyebrow at Anne.
"Can walk where I want," Anne muttered.
"Max cannot disagree." Max's words were light, and her posture remained relaxed and open, utterly unperturbed by Anne's hostile tone and posture. "Come in for a drink," Max continued a moment later, nodding her head towards her open bedroom door before she turned and walked back inside, leaving Anne to follow.
Anne stayed rooted her place for a moment, staring at the spot where Max had just been standing. Her fingers compulsively clutched at the object in her pocket again, and she shifted her gaze towards the still open bedroom door.
Max was just a fucking woman. Anne was a killer of men. Max should not have been able to make Anne feel apprehensive and uncertain, yet there she was, once again standing in the hallway like an idiot, staring.
Anne's upper lip curled in distaste, but then, like a pirate facing the plank, she marched solemnly forward and entered Max's room.
She had been spotted which meant she had no choice but to go inside. Behaving like a coward, pacing back and forth outside of Max's room was one thing, but she wouldn't have Max thinking she actually was one by refusing to follow the woman inside. She was better than that, or at least it was important to her that Max think she was.
By the time Anne walked into the room and pulled the door closed behind her, Max had made it across her room and was standing at a table near the balcony with her back to the door.
Max didn't say anything when Anne walked in, even though Anne had made enough noise that she knew Max was aware of her presence, so Anne just took a few more steps into the room and then waited for Max to turn around.
"All I 'ave is rum," Max began as she turned, "but Max 'as never met a pirate that did not like rum, so I think we'll be okay," she continued, approaching Anne with two glasses filled with amber liquid clutched in her hands.
"Rum's good," Anne murmured, taking a few steps forward to accept one of the glasses from Max's outstretched hand. "Thanks," she added awkwardly as she remembered her manners.
Max smiled at her warmly and then lifted her glass and waited.
Catching her drift, Anne lifted her glass as well.
"To … nothing," Max toasted, and then with a playful wink, she tipped her glass towards Anne's and clinked them together.
"I'll drink to that, but only cuz I'll drink ta anything," Anne replied, and then she tipped her glass back, draining it in one go as Max laughed softly.
She knew that Max had been teasing her with the toast, but the look in Max's eyes had been warm and affectionate, and Anne couldn't work up any anger over it, even though it usually made her feel murderous when people joked at her expense.
"Are you ready to tell Max why you were roaming outside her room for the better part of 'alf an 'our?" Max asked as she wandered over to the side of her bed and then dropped down onto it.
"Could use another drink first," Anne muttered, her eyes straying over to the table where a half full bottle of rum sat, offering her an opportunity to delay the inevitable for a just a little while longer.
"'elp yourself," Max said, and Anne took her up on it, directly moving over towards the table to refill her glass.
The room was quiet for a while after that, as Anne drank from her refilled glass, slowly this time, savouring the drink and stalling for time as her eyes scanned the darkness beyond Max's balcony.
"I have somthin' for you," she said a few minutes later, ending the peaceful silence.
She walked over to the table where the bottle of rum stood and left her glass on it before she walked over to Max, who was still seated on her bed.
"Sit," Max offered, patting the open space on the mattress beside her as Anne's hand dug into her right jacket pocket.
"I'm alright," Anne replied as she took hold of the object in her pocket.
"I'm sure you are," Max replied lightly, smiling a little as she looked up at Anne. "But it makes Max nervous when people hover."
Anne stared at her for a second, deliberating over whether or not to give in to Max's request. She didn't really see why her standing should bother Max any, but Anne's instincts of late ran towards protectiveness when it came to Max, and she didn't like the idea that she might be making the brunette feel unsafe, so she took a step forward and seated herself on the mattress.
"Throw it away if you want," Anne said once she was seated, and then she pulled an ornately decorated bottle out of her jacket pocket and handed it over to Max.
Max reached out and carefully took the bottle from Anne's hand before she looked down and studied it.
It was a bottle of French cologne, and a very expensive one at that.
"Where did you get this?" Max breathed out, looking up at Anne with a touch of surprise.
"Won it," Anne replied shrugging. "Playin' cards," she added as an afterthought.
"Who were you playing cards with?" Max asked, still not quite able to wrap her mind around the fact that she was holding what she was holding. "Do you 'ave any idea how much this is worth?"
"Some gentleman or another," Anne replied, shrugging again. "Do you like it?" she asked a moment later, turning to face Max.
"Oui," Max breathed out. "Beaucoup. Very much," she added, realizing that Anne would not be able to follow her French beyond 'oui's' and 'merci's'. "It's just … you could have traded this for a lot of rum. Why give it to Max?" she asked curiously, eyes focused intently on Anne's face.
She had an idea of course. Anne's eyes had lingered on her a little too often and a little too long in the past, but since her split with Jack a few weeks earlier, Anne's eyes were almost always on her, and the expression in them was … wanting.
Anne looked away from Max, fixing her gaze on the floor before she shrugged her shoulders.
"Drinkin' that much rum'd kill me," she muttered, digging the toe of her boot into Max's floorboards. "'sides," she continued, shrugging again. "Figure'd you'd like it."
The truth was, she hadn't even considered trying to figure out how much the little bottle of fragrance could fetch her. As soon as she'd seen it, she'd known that it was something Max could've made use of, and she'd made up her mind to give it to her.
"I do," Max said softly, reaching out to place her free hand on Anne's thigh. "This was very kind of you. Thank you."
She dipped her head down and to the side, trying to catch Anne's eyes, but the redhead was determined not to meet her gaze, so Max leaned closer to her and pressed her lips to Anne's cheeks to help convey her thanks since Anne wouldn't let her do it with her eyes.
When Max's lips made contact with Anne's skin, Anne's back straightened slightly and she breathed in sharply as her cheeks flushed.
"What'd ya do that for?" Anne asked gruffly, her treacherous cheeks still blazing even after Max's lips had left her skin.
Heat suffused Anne's body, and strange, ridiculous things like the thought that she had never felt anything as soft as Max's lips, swirled through her brain. She didn't like it. It made her feel weak and vulnerable. But even so, her eyes flickered to the side and focused on Max's lips, and when they did Anne could not deny that she wished to feel those soft lips on her skin again.
"To say 'thank you'," Max replied softly as she her eyes scanned Anne's face.
"Ya already said 'thank you' with words," Anne pointed out, averting her eyes once again. "Didn't needa kiss me."
"No, I didn't," Max agreed slowly, thoughtfully. She hadn't had to kiss Anne, she'd wanted to. She wanted to see how Anne would react. "Did I offend you?" Max asked as she studied Anne's profile intently. "Does Max's touch repulse you?" she continued, allowing a touch of hurt to enter her tone, though she knew very well from the blush that had touched Anne's cheeks that the woman had enjoyed the kiss.
"Don't be stupid," Anne muttered, looking over at Max for the briefest of seconds. "Didn't mind none," she continued softly, bothered by the idea that she might have hurt Max's feelings, when the truth was that the brief touch of Max's lips against her skin had made her heart beat quicken and her palms begin to sweat.
"You didn't?" Max inquired gently.
"No," Anne replied as she found herself turning, helplessly, to face Max.
"So you wouldn't mind if Max did it again?" Max breathed out, an enjoyable little flutter starting in her stomach as she got her first really good look at Anne Bonny's baby blue eyes.
"No," Anne murmured, her voice barely loud enough to register as she dropped her eyes down, averting her gaze, unnerved by the idea that Max might be able to read in her eyes just how much she wanted Max to kiss her again.
It was stupid really, to feel so uncertain, to feel so nervous. Anne had fucked pretty much every way there was to fuck in the past. She was no blushing virgin. It made no sense for her become bashful at the prospect of a mere kiss. But she was. Max did that to her. She made her care.
Max leaned forward and pressed her lips against Anne's cheeks once again. She let her lips linger for a second, enjoying the warmth and the softness of Anne's skin before she shifted her lips to the side and pressed gentle kiss to the corner of Anne's mouth. Anne's head tilted towards her then, and Max took advantage of the opportunity Anne's knew position provided and pressed her lips to Anne's, kissing her properly.
When Max pulled back from her lips a short while later, Anne's eyes were still closed. She looked so young and so sweet like that, that Max was tempted to leaned back in and kiss her all over again. But, before she could, Anne's eyes slid open, and the moment was lost.
"I ain't her," Anne stated, her voice low and raspy.
"I know," Max replied her, meeting Anne's eyes. "I don't want you to be. If I wanted her, I could walk across that bridge and take her," Max continued, and it was mostly true.
Eleanor had never been able to resist her. A touch, a kiss, a flash of skin and Eleanor had always fallen to her knees before her, ready and eager to please. In the end, Eleanor had chosen business over her, but Max knew that Eleanor's desire for her touch hadn't and would never die. She didn't hate Eleanor enough to exploit that desire however. As much satisfaction as crossing that bridge would have temporarily provided her with, it wasn't worth the damage it would do to the friendship she and Eleanor were slowly managing to rebuild.
"But Max is not out there," Max went on, slipping her hand onto Anne's thigh again. "She is 'ere … with you."
Though Anne was less verbose than Eleanor, she was a no less complicated a woman. The situation between herself and Anne was less complicated than the mess between herself and Eleanor however. She liked Anne. Grumpy and gruff as the woman could be at times, Max enjoyed her company. She felt safe with Anne, and she trusted her as much as she was capable of trusting anyone presently. It wasn't love, but it didn't need to be. In fact, it was probably better that it was not.
"Don' let that fool ya," Anne breathed out, glancing down at the bottle of cologne still clutched in Max's hand. "I can't buy nice things for ya. I can't drape ya in silks."
"Ca marche," That's fine, Max breathed out as her lips curved up gently. She didn't need Anne to take care of her. Not like that. Not anymore. She was now capable of providing for herself. "Maybe Max will buy you pointy things and drape you in leather."
A puff of laughter escaped from Anne at that and her lips turned up in the sweetest smile Max had ever seen on her.
"Could use a new jacket," Anne murmured, her lips turned up the slightest bit as she looked over at Max. "What'll it cost me?"
"Another kiss," Max replied, and another puff of laughter escaped from Anne.
"Thought you were supposed ta be a good negotiator."
"Why do you think I'm not?" Max asked.
She was a very skilled negotiator.
"A kiss from me ain't worth that much," Anne replied.
"We'll 'ave to agree to disagree about that," Max breathed out, reaching out so that she could then gently guide the redhead's face towards her. "As far as Max is concerned, she'd be getting the better deal," she continued softly as she looked into Anne's eyes.
And then, Max leaned forward and brought their lips together again, kissing Anne longer and deeper than she had before.
Giving gifts and exchanging little kisses on the cheek were things that were outside of Anne's comfort zone, but kissing she knew about and could handle as deftly as her blades. So when Max's lips touched hers again, Anne lifted her hands to the sides of Max's face, took hold of her, and kissed her back.
She kissed Max as the brunette moaned and shifted back onto the mattress, following Max with her lips until her body was draped over Max's. She kissed Max as Max's hands reached up to pull her hat off and drop it on the mattress. She kissed Max as Max's hands ran up her back, and she kept on kissing her until Max placed a restraining hand on her shoulder when Anne's hand slid under Max's skirt and began to move a little too high on her bare thigh.
"I …" Max began softly, looking up at Anne with apologetic eyes.
"Sorry," Anne interjected before Max could continue, immediately slipping her hand out from under Max's skirt and then shifting away from Max on the mattress, placing some space between their bodies. "Shoudn't a done that," she continued, looking down, mad at herself for getting carried away and not thinking about the fact that the last time someone had touched Max they hadn't been considerate of her wishes either. "I should go," she stated resolutely a few seconds later, picking up her hat before she slipped off of the bed altogether.
"You don't 'ave to," Max said, sitting up and sliding to the edge of the bed so that she was seated with her legs hanging over the edge. "Max is not upset with you."
"Good," Anne muttered, digging the toe of her boot into Max's floorboards again, feeling awkward now that she was forced to depend on words. "Wouldn'ta wanted that," she added softly, chancing a look over at Max.
Her eyes held on Max's face for a long moment, but heat still suffused Anne's body, desire pulsing between her legs, and eventually her eyes dropped down to take in Max's full, heaving bosom, and the length of smooth calf that was on display where Max's skirt had ridden up when she shifted.
"Gonna go," Anne said, putting her hat on quickly.
"Okay," Max breathed out.
There was no mistaking the hungry, desirous look in Anne's eyes as they roved over her body. She wouldn't have minded Anne staying longer, but she knew that her kisses had stoked a fire inside of Anne, one that it would be unwise to fan by asking her to stay. Though Max's desire was strong, the prospect of having sex still made her apprehensive. It would have been nice to have Anne's company, but Max knew that it wouldn't have been fair of her to expect Anne to stay after getting Anne excited when Max knew that she was not yet ready to satisfy the desire she had provoked.
Anne turned from her and headed towards the door.
"Thank you," Max called out before Anne could complete her escape. "I'll wear some for you tomorrow," she continued, offering Anne a sweet smile before reaching over to pick up the bottle of cologne from where it had fallen on the mattress when their kissing had intensified and she had needed the use of both of her hands.
"If you want," Anne replied, looking pleased by Max's words despite her gruff tone.
"Bonne nuit," Max said as Anne pulled the bedroom door open. "It means 'goodnight'."
Anne paused in the doorway and looked back at Max.
"Bonne nuit," Anne returned clumsily, not quite managing the words correctly though she did try.
Max smiled at her warmly in response, appreciating that Anne had made an effort to wish her goodnight in her native tongue.
Anne brought her hand up to the brim of her hat and tipped it respectfully in Max's direction, and then she continued through the door and pulled it closed behind her.
Max gazed at the spot Anne had just been occupying for a few seconds, and then she flopped back on her mattress as a smile tugged up the corners of her lips.
She suspected that starting something up with Anne so soon after things had ended between herself and Eleanor, and Anne and Jack, might be a bad idea. But, as Max's fingers drifted up to face to trail gently over her lips, Max knew that it was a bad idea she was looking forward to pursuing.
The End