"How do you expect me to believe you?" Blaze leaned her head back, as if she was speaking to the rolling sky. Her head swayed with the motion of the ship, her ears more tuned to the ocean waves than a potential response. She had no clue where the ship was taking her, Silver, or his crew, and it was only then that she began to care.

Silver, whom she was speaking to, immediately stopped his needlework. He laid Blaze's limp dress in his lap, pretending to inspect his stitches for any imperfections in lieu of looking Blaze's way. "Believe what, Princess?"

Blaze thought for a moment. With how deeply she had explored her feelings, she expected the words to flow out of her mouth, but this wasn't the case. She clasped her hands together over the loose shirt Silver had given her. "You say you love me more than anyone in the world," Blaze began, "but you're a nomad, Silver - constantly moving. You travel. You meet others. You love. I'm sure hundreds of women have been through your chamber doors on this very ship-"

"Closer to thousands," Pipe, one of Silver's top crew members, mundanely added as he walked by. Silver laughed through his nerves.

Blaze gave a weak smile. "My point exactly. I don't understand what makes me any different. Is it because I'm Princess, soon to be Queen? Do the riches entice you more than my body?"

"Oh, Princess," Silver looked to the ocean, "if I desired your coin, I would've had it by now. In fact, with how often I've been in and out of your kingdom, I might hold half of Sol's economy if I had the ambition." The pirate stood from his seat, and laid the dress in his place. "I understand your skepticism, my dear. What you say is true. I've loved many women, some men as well. And during my time with them, I gave each my all. But I was always aware that my time with them would be short, temporary."

Pipe raised his scratchy voice as he passed by once again. "About a minute each," he smirked.

"The Princess can attest to the contrary!" Silver shot back, his face flushed. The pirate brushed the frills of his shirt to calm himself. "My apologies, Princess, for I cannot explain myself in the way you wish. Feelings confuse me, so I tend to act on them more than I think about them. I only know that I long for your company more than your body. I long for your company more than I long for freedom - I've finally admitted it. I wish to be with you, my dear. Forever, perhaps. I've only ever felt this way about one other lover in my life," Silver paused, feeling that he had revealed too much in his monologue.

Blaze sat up, intent on probing the pirate's conscience. "Tell me about her."

Silver's eyes widened, and he gripped the side of the ship, feeling as though he might vomit into the sea below. "What?" he asked innocently.

"Or him, whichever it was," Blaze added. "I'm surprised you would admit to such."

Silver rubbed the back of his head, and tried to regain his composure. Soon, Blaze took the spot next to him, tilting her head to steal a look at his face. The pirate sighed, and finally croaked, "Her name was Lola."

The princess waited for Silver to continue, but he merely stared at the passing ripples of water. Blaze spoke up after some time. "I was hoping to learn more than a name," she said.

Silver attempted to laugh, but it was clear that he was shaken by his thoughts. "My apologies, Princess. It is difficult to revisit those memories," the pirate took a deep breath, and rested his elbows on the ship's edge. "Lola was a performer - a dancer specifically. She held shows at a large city I used to visit often, but she was well-known across the land. Patrons from all over the world would flock to see her each weekend. Friday, Saturday, Sunday - a different theme each night, and every show was spectacular. Lola seemed to have a new dance every week, and she was always captivating to watch. So much so that, each week, I would stay the entire weekend to watch her perform."

"What were the shows like?" Blaze quizzed.

"Oh, electric. The crowd hinged on every movement she made. Her shows would always end with her famous trademark dance - I can't recall its name at the moment - but even though everyone knew the steps, they cheered and clapped along as if it were completely new. She was like a mystery, with those long frilled dresses she always wore. Any time she would reveal fur, the men would howl and holler, throw coin her way, lift her skirt to try and steal a glance-"

"Oh," Blaze interrupted, rolling her eyes, "perhaps I should've known why you attended."

The princess anticipated a laugh or a playful rebuttal, but it never came. Instead, when she turned her head, she found two daggers staring back at her. Silver took a step back; anger and disbelief contoured his face. For once, the pirate had no words. He merely sighed as he walked off, softly picking up Blaze's unfinished dress as he moved toward his chamber.

Blaze was paralyzed by shock. She had never seen Silver genuinely upset, but it appeared she had struck a nerve. That thought alone sank her stomach to the floor. It was true; she cared deeply for Silver, and never would she have malicious intent toward him. Yet, she had surely hurt him. The princess felt an overwhelming wave of guilt course through her body, and it finally sprang her to action. She caught up to the pirate as he was starting down the narrow hallway to his bed.

"Silver," Blaze called timidly, "I didn't mean any harm, please forgive me."

The albino stopped, but didn't turn around. He looked to the floor, grasping Blaze's dress tighter. "Princess," Silver croaked, nearly choking on his words, "am I nothing more than a filthy pirate to you?"

Blaze felt her lip quiver. "Silver,"

"Lola was a beautiful woman. However, she had a hidden quality that drew me to her shows - not a good one. She loved her craft, but hated the attention that came with it. The majority of the city - and the country, for that matter - thought exactly as you did, Princess. They called her a whore, a disgrace to women, a stain on society. Those words ate her very soul."

"I didn't mean-"

Silver finally turned around, revealing his tear-stained muzzle. He was choking on his words. "She only wanted to dance, my dear; can't you understand that? It's quite alright if you can't; nobody else could. After shows, Lola would cry for hours. She critiqued herself so harshly; if she missed a step, it was a hundred lashes to her wrist. She practiced for hours upon hours every single day. She was incredibly dedicated to her craft, and yet to others, she was just a whore who liked to show fur. Don't you understand how debilitating that was to her?"

Blaze's eyes were wide, her body frozen. She could only nod.

Silver continued his story, slowly walking toward the princess. "I thought I could change all of that. I thought Lola needed love. I thought my love was the key to her happiness, as if it were simply locked behind a door, waiting to be found." Silver looked to the side for a moment, wiping another tear from the corner of his eye. His stare was burning a hole in Blaze's heart. "And for a while, I felt like I succeeded. Every day, I told her how magnificent she was. I told her how much I loved her, and how that love was so deserved. The crew and I worked so hard to destroy newspapers that slandered her, especially around town. I was so madly in love with her; I wanted her to see herself the way I did."

Blaze turned away, as she was certain how the tale would end. Silver swallowed hard, and backed into the wall to rest against it. He removed his cap, and ran a hand over his quills. "I still have her last letter," he admitted, "she addressed it to me, she wrote, because I was the only soul who tried to help her. The pain that brings me knows no bounds, for Lola was a beautiful soul the world couldn't afford to lose." The pirate paused, replaced his cap, and followed the floor with his eyes until they met Blaze's feet. "So tell me, my dear, why do you think I attended her shows?"

The princess squinted to keep her tears from falling, but it was a futile attempt. She ran to Silver, and buried her face in the shoulder of his soft coat. She wasn't sure that he had forgiven her until he rested his hand on the back of her head. "Princess, allow me to ask you this," Silver began, "what have I done to deserve your disbelief?"

Several moments passed with no answer.

"Certainly, I could understand your skepticism when we first met. But now, what is it that you desire from me, dearest Princess? I cannot make myself any more plain. I feel for you the same I felt for Lola, and there has never been another beside the two. Is it because I am deceitful in my trade?" Silver pushed off the wall, and lifted Blaze's chin to make eye contact. "How is that any different from a noble?"

The feline's eyes trailed off, and she nervously grasped her tail. "I'm not sure what you mean,"

"Princess," Silver pursued, "you cannot tell me you, or the council of Sol, do not have secrets you keep close. You barricade yourself from the people you are sworn to protect, my dear. You know not of their struggles, you merely pretend. I, as a pirate, also pretend. There is nothing wrong with that, now is there?"

"I-"

"And what excuse do nobles give?" Silver interrupted, maintaining his soft voice in order to avoid hostility. "To maintain order in your kingdom? Well, Princess," the pirate gestured to the woodwork all around him, and smiled. "this is my kingdom! It is all I know. I do what I must to survive, just as you do, and that will never change. I was simply not birthed from a Queen."

Blaze sighed, taking her time to internalize the pirate's words. "You're very bright, Silver. Truly, it is why I love you."

"Aye, but how can I be expected to believe you, my dear?" Silver asked, allowing a devilish grin to creep across his muzzle.

The pirate puckered his lips, and Blaze rolled her eyes, feeling as if she had been ensnared. However, she took Silver's recently opened soul as a sign of the contrary. She slammed her hands on Silver's shoulder pads, and lunged at him for a passionate kiss. Perhaps one longer than she expected, in fact. They had barely parted when Silver threw the dress over his shoulder, and picked the princess up bridal-style.

"Beautiful Blaze the Cat, Princess of Sol," Silver offered through his smile, "do I hold your trust?"

The princess placed a gentle hand on the pirate's muzzle. "As long as I hold yours."

Silver brushed his lips against Blaze's forehead, and whispered a sweet affirmation in her ear. With great haste, he twirled her down the hallway, laughing and singing as if no altercation had occurred at all. The door to Silver's chamber was flung open, and shut just as quickly. Once the couple was inside, no past dialogue mattered anyway - for such is life, for better or worse.

what can i say fam. i love pirate au. i actually started on this mooooonths ago, i just kinda lost motivation for a while before i came back to it. and i'm glad i did! i love filling in some backstory abt pirate au during these oneshots