A/N: This is a fic I wrote a long time ago for a friend, hope you like it... Please review!
It felt good. The sun, the sea, the wind, the salt, he loved it. Every single second. He held onto a rope in his calloused hands, letting himself lean forward off of the ladder, letting the wind push him back up again. Letting himself fly. He climbed higher and higher, until finally pulling himself into the crow's nest. Out of his belt he pulled a spyglass and looked out on to the Caribbean sea. It was a calm crystalline blue today, a small wave breaking the glass every so often. The sun shining on the water making almost unbearable to look at and the heat making it almost unbearable to concentrate.
Arthur wiped a cool hand across his sweaty forehead. He wrapped a rope around his hand and jumped. He swung down around letting the rope wrap around the mast before landing softly on the deck, his leather boots making only a whisper.
"Bravo Captain." A deep voice said from behind him. Arthur whipped around to see Antonio leaning on a mop smiling easily.
The Spaniard was quartermaster and often spent his free time picking on Lovino, one of the chefs.
"What are you looking at you bloody ass?" Arthur snapped.
The man laughed. "Definitely not looking at yours." With that he turned and continued swabbing the deck. Arthur shook his head and headed for the wheel.
At this moment in time Tino was standing pilot, his sharp eyes squinting into the distance, his eyesight rivaling that of a osprey. Arthur set a hand on his shoulder, the smaller blonde jumped, and hit his head He rubbed the newly forming lump and grumbled something about the captain giving him a fright.
Arthur laughed and extended a hand. He helped the younger boy up.
"Why don't you go see if Berwald has something for that bump."
At the thought of visiting the medical ward, the blonde visibly brightened. He saw the captain's smirk and promptly adjusted his attitude.
"I mean… Uh... Aye aye captain." The finnish teen scurried off leaving the captain very amused. Arthur took the wheel and looked out over the deck as his crew interacted. Currently it was late afternoon and the twins had emerged from the kitchen and were standing on the deck. If appeared as though Feliciano had dragged ludwig with him and the german didn't look all that happy about it. Lovino was busy running away from Antonio who was currently begging for a hug.
"The Nordics" as they were affectionately dubbed emerged next Tino and Berwald first, Mattias, Lucas and little Emil straggling behind. Tino had a bandage wrapped about head and as soon as they got into the sunlight, Berwald pushed Tino on to the first thing that he could sit on. Mattias ran ahead yelling "Freedom!" Lucas just rolled his eyes and tried to coax the 10 year old into calling him "Storebror". Emil just rolled his eyes and wandered over to Ludwig, again asking when he could be an apprentice.
Ludwig just smiled and shook his head, "When you're 15." he answered.
Emil pouted "Ahhhh! I'll be an old man by then." He moaned. The rest of the crowd laughed and Mattias ruffled his hair and Emil tried to swat his hands away. The last people to appear on deck were Ivan and Yao. As soon as Arthur had vacated the Crow's Nest, Yao had taken over, looking at the sky and carving calculations into the main mast and generally horrifying Berwald. Ivan had emerged from his "cave". He was in charge of… Mending sails and clothes. (Gasp!) Ivan came and rested his large meaty arms on the smaller asians head, crushing him.
"Aiya Ivan! Stop that hurts!" Yao tried to push Ivan off, but he just giggled.
"Ivan you have the count of three before I one kick you ass, two navigate us into some rocks and three take the night shift for at least a month." The last threat seemed to hit him hard and he stood straight.
He dramatically frowned. "Thats not very nice, Yao-Yao. I'll have to punish you later." The air temperature dropped 20 degrees when the Kols started. Yao blushed and tried to hide it, but it was too late. Everyone smiled knowingly, except Feliciano who just continued humming and staring at the sky and Ludwig.
All of them at one point had been matelots on the island of hispaniola and eventually all ended up in Jamaica at the same time Arthur was looking for a crew. Antonio and Lovino, Ludwig and Feliciano, and Francis had all been Boucaniers together. The Nordics, were low ranking officers on a trade ship and escaped for a better life. Arthur had been an indentured servant and had escaped from his abusive master to buy a ship to once again be close to the sea and his father. He had picked up this ragtag group in the nastier parts of Port Royal. This is where it had all began and a fight over a little violet eyed boy. From there on they slowly became closer, eventually accepting Arthur as their captain and setting out for a life of adventure.
Over the years they had made friends, foes and rivals. Right now they were headed for the city of Cartagena hoping to catch the last stragglers of this years Spanish Treasure Fleet. All the while planning and trying to be faster than the Salted Fish and their penny pinching Captain Abel. The first to arrive, would get the first shot at the iron plated, gold filled, treasure ships. Arthur was determined to be there first.
Arthur looked at the wheel, slumped his shoulders and stuck a baton in between its pegs. He then took meaningful steps down toward his crew. They all turned to look at him, as he stood there in all of his eyebrowy glory. He stared back, then turned his attention to the Crow's Nest.
"Yao," Yao had gone up there to escape embarrassment. "How long until an landable island?" Yao leaned out his silhouette being cast on the deck by the dying sun.
"An hour at most… The closest landable is a tiny island known as Sugar spring, after its nice fresh water spring."
"Take us there." Arthur directed.
"Aye captain." He turned to the rest of the crew.
"Lucas take the wheel." He whirled around to point at Mattias who was poking Berwald in the head.
"I expect 15 barrels done by the time we get there we need to restock." He turned back to the crew as a whole.
"If there is any light left we will venture out, if not tomorrow we will wake early and see what we can find. Until then back to your duties." There was a chorus of nodding heads and "Ayes".
"Oh and one more thing.. Well I guess two. One," He said looking straight at the Italians, "Pasta, I'm guessing, I want dinner done before or as we arrive. Next, I am feeling generous and if you want to sleep ashore to night, scout first, but then that's fine, just know I will be leaving at exactly 9 o'clock, with or without you." From a single look in his eyes you could tell he was lying. With the finishing of his announcements, he nodded at Antonio and headed towards the Aft where his quarters were. Listening to the Spaniards voice on the warm breeze as he sauntered away.
He gently pushed open the door to his cabin hoping to sneak up on him. "Arthur, zhere is no point in trying zhis yet again, you walk like an 80 year old man with two broken legs and whooping cough." A voice sounded from deeper in the room.
"Damn Frog…" He mumbled.
"You also talk az zhough you are hard of hearing."
Arthur huffed in exasperation "Well fuck you too."
"Of course, just tell me when you are ready~" The Frenchman sang. Arthur gathered up what was left of his dignity and tried to walk gracefully into the room.
"Oh are we are trying zhe "I-am-trying-to-up-hold-my-dignity" approach?" Arthur turned and scowled at the ever-so-slightly taller man.
"You know I could kill you right now, right?" He stared into the Caribbean sea blue eyes. "Oh I am well aware, But I know you won't, because you love me to much." Arthur lunged for his throat.
"I am going to murder you!" Francis just laughed and placed a finger to the Englishman's lips.
"Shhhh… You are going to upset Feli." Arthur sighed, his anger being replaced by a sense of defeat.
"I came to tell you we will reach land in an hour. Also I have given the crew the option to stay on shore tonight."
Francis quirked a brow. "And when were you going to offer moi?" "Never," He replied. "You love the ship and they need their alone time." A feral grin spread across the elder's face "Oh… And do we get zhis… Zhis 'Alone Time'?"
"Not over my dead body!" The captain back in rage, stood up (he hadn't even noticed he was sitting on Francis' lap)
"You say zhat now mon cher~" Arthur slammed the door trying to block out the "honononon~" slipping under the door after him.
As predicted they arrived about 45 minutes later, the sun just above the horizon. There was a mad rush to shove food in as fast as possible and get off the ship. Berwald, Ludwig, Tino and Antonio went as the scouting team and quickly gave the all clear. (It was a small island) The rest soon joined them on shore, save Arthur and Francis, and a bonfire was lit and a bottle of rum opened. Arthur leaned on the railing and watched them for a while. He yawned, rubbed his eyes and almost jumped out of his hide when Francis laid a warm hand on his shoulder.
"No time to be tired Cher. We have things to do… Perhaps some alone time." He wiggle his eyebrows suggestively.
"Is it irrational to think that I could spend the night on the deck, under the stars?" Arthur didn't even turn the Frenchman, probably because He was pressed up behind him.
"Wee." And with that Arthur was dragged back to his cabin.
Arthur awoke the next morning at exactly dawn. He could see the sun just peeking over the horizon, through the window opposite his bed. He was lying under the rough cotton sheets, in between two strong arms. He sighed and rolled over facing the older man. He traced his lover's face, over cheekbones, chin and stubble, over soft lips and closed cobolt blue eyes. Arthur withdrew his hand and the eyes snapped open.
"Awake already? I figure last nights "Alone Time" would have put you to sleep." Arthur rolled his eyes.
"We have things to do, we need to get supplies and beat Abel." Francis laughed.
"Let them do the work. You know you are going to be sore." Arthur puffed out his cheeks
"It's your fault! We have things to do!" Francis tugged him closer.
"Come! Be rational! Let's lay for a little longer." Arthur closed his eyes, he was warm and comfortable and Francis had started humming.
"Fine a couple more minutes." He felt Francis smile against his head.
Arthur thought of himself as pretty level headed person, but when when it came to the blonde man lying next to him, all logical thoughts flew out the window. Because as many times as he tried to deny it, he loved Francis and Francis loved him. It was completely and totally irrational.