Yo Ho, Sebastian!
Summary: A one-shot based off the song 'Gay Pirates' by Cosmo Jarvis. If you haven't heard the song; give it a listen, it's wonderful. If you haven't heard of Cosmo Jarvis; shame on you!
Disclaimer: I own nothing; Ryan Murphy is the genius behind Sebastian Smythe, Hunter Clarington, Nick Duval and Jeff Sterling. Cosmo Jarvis owns the song, and really, a whole lot of this story's plot.
POV: Hunter Clarington
Pairing: Huntbastian, brief Niff, mentions of Klaine.
I cough violently as I take a swig of saltwater from the worn, leather canteen. We ran out of everything else not long ago, and until we find port somewhere, we won't be drinking anything else for a while.
I throw the canteen aside; there is no use drinking it. I know it will only dehydrate me more.
I am sick of this life, but its the only one I've ever known. I've been part of the crew since I was nine. Ten years on this god forsaken ship. Sometimes I just lean over the railing of the ship and stare down at the ocean. I wonder what it would be like if I ever decided to be brave; to throw myself overboard, like I think about so often.
And then I look at him. I take in his chocolate brown hair, faint freckles that adorn his cheeks, and green eyes that only sparkle when he looks at me.
And then I realise that by staying here – staying with him – I am being brave. In death I'd find peace, but I choose to stay because in life I have love.
I have Sebastian – even if I'm not allowed to.
If the captain ever knew about Sebastian and I, we'd be thrown overboard and fed to the sharks. On Captain Karofsky's ship, gay is not okay. Not that it stops the rest of the crew when their hormones take over after spending too much time without stopping at any land with a bar full of wenches.
Every time Captain Karofsky takes Sebastian into his cabin, I can hear him screaming and sobbing. Everyone else hears it, too. They ignore it because when Captain Karofsky is done, he shares my Sebastian with the rest of the crew.
Knowing what the do to him makes me feel sick. Knowing Sebastian puts up with it so we won't have to walk the plank makes me feel worse.
"I hate that they do that to you. Why won't you defend yourself? Why won't you let me defend you?" I ask him once everyone else is asleep and he's snuck into my hammock for the few hours of darkness we have before daylight bursts our bubble.
My arms are wrapped around him softly. He's in pain, and although I can't take it away, I can give him something else to think about.
"Because if Karofsky finds out about us, we're both dead. You know that." he tells me, same as always.
And, same as always, I respond with; "At least we'd go together."
Seb gives me a small smile. "I'd go through a thousand nights like this for a hundred nights with you."
I lean in to kiss him, but he turns his head so my lips catch his cheek.
He never kisses me on these nights. He feels unfaithful, like he doesn't deserve me. No matter how many times I tell him, he doesn't believe that it changes nothing for me. Not about him. It's not his fault they do this to him.
I never force him to kiss me. I won't be like them.
"I love you." I whisper and press my forehead to his. My skin burns where it touches his and no matter what, I have butterflies whenever he's around.
"I love you too, Hunter." he says. His breath ghosts over my lips as he speaks.
"I'll get us out of here, Seb. One day." I tell him and I mean it with all my heart.
Sebastian says nothing, and I know he wants to believe me, but he doesn't. It's okay, though, because I believe me and I won't stop trying to rescue him from this life, even if it kills me in the process.
"We could run away." I say to Sebastian quietly as we are both on all fours, scrubbing the deck.
"And go where, Hunt?" he glances up at me and in that split second, my body warms in the chilly air. "There's no way we could swim; we'd be eaten by sharks before we made it one-hundred metres from the ship. Not to mention it's the middle of winter so we'd probably freeze to death before the sharks even got to us."
"I heard them saying that we're about a month away from the closest port. We could just leave the ship and never come back." I tell him. "Sebastian, I want to love you the way you deserve. I want to kiss you during the daylight. I want to make love to you without being terrified of someone waking up and killing you."
"Don't you mean killing us?" he corrected me. I shook my head softly.
"I've been on this ship too long to care about what happens to me." I say and try to ignore the sad look on his face.
Thad, Karofsky's second in command, walks up behind Sebastian and kicks him hard in the side. I see him grimace in pain. I want to stand up and slug Thad so hard he breaks his neck. Sebastian must know this because his eyes meet mine and he shakes his head. As always, I am at his mercy.
"Get back to work, whore." he sneers at Sebastian before spitting on him. I swear he does it just to piss me off. Then, Thad walks away.
We go back to scrubbing the floor.
"I could kill him, you know. I could kill them all. And for you, I would. Just say the word." I say to Seb, but I continue looking at the floor so not to draw any more attention to us.
"And I love you for that," I barely hear his reply over the sounds of the crew and the water crashing against the side of the ship, "but you're not a murderer, Hunter."
He sounds so sure, but he doesn't know. What I did, who I was, for the six years before Captain Karofsky bought him from his poor, blacksmith father.
I'm too afraid he'll leave me if I tell him, so I stay quiet after that.
"Clarington!" I hear someone hiss before a hand yanks me behind the stairs and into the darkness.
It takes a few seconds for my eyes to adjust to the darkness.
"Puckerman? What is it?" I ask, confused as to why he felt the need to drag me into a dark corner. I would be afraid, if I didn't know from past experience that I could take him.
"You need to stop staring at Smythe." is all he says.
My mouth dried and I was suddenly terrified. Not for me, but for the object of my affections.
"W-What?" I suddenly feel nauseous.
"You heard me; stop staring. You're not as stealthy as you used to be. So far, I think it's only Hudson and I that have noticed but the Captain is bound to find out soon." he glances around to make sure no one is in earshot. "We aren't going to tell Karofsky, only because we need you two so we have enough crew members to make port next month, but consider this your first and only warning. If we catch you looking at him once more, we'll kill you ourselves."
And then he leaves.
I avoid Sebastian for the rest of the day. I could feel his rejected stares burning into my back, but I couldn't risk being caught admiring him. I couldn't risk him getting hurt.
When I went to my hammock after the sun had set, the strong smell of saltwater piss made me cringe. I understood the message; Puckerman and Hudson know about my late-night trysts with Sebastian in my hammock. Left with no other choice, I curl up on the cold, wooden floor of the ship. I close my eyes and roll onto my side.
Once the snoring has begun, I hear a soft, familiar, ruffling sound. Within moments, a tall, slender frame has found it's way into my arms and a pair of velvety lips are pressing themselves firmly against my own.
I hug him closer, tighter. I don't want to let go. Sebastian Smythe saved my life and he doesn't even know it. If I had never met him, I wouldn't be sleeping on the floor right now. I'd be sleeping with the fishes.
I hiss as I pull out the few remaining shards of glass from my feet. One hand is pulling out the glass, the other is gripping Sebastian's tight. I throw the shards into the ocean and press a rag to my feet.
"I still don't see why you insisted on wearing them." Sebastian says and I can hear the leftover tears in his voice.
"I had no choice." I tell him, tugging on his hand so he falls into me.
"Why not? Did they threaten to hurt you?" he snaps sardonically
"No." I look down and meet his eyes. I sight and answer. "They threatened to hurt you."
I see him gulp and I know he feels guilty.
"I can take it." he whispers.
"I can't." I shake my head before I swoop down and capture his lips. We kiss for a little while, but too soon we need to breathe. "You are the love of my life. If it wasn't for you, I would've ended my pathetic life years ago. You are my reason to live, Seb. I won't let them take that away."
He just kisses me again.
I finally get Sebastian to agree to run away with me, two weeks before we're set to make port.
I'm excited that we'll finally be free. He deserves a better life.
We deserve a better life.
One week before our escape plan, I am woken from my hammock. They shove a black hood over my head and tie my wrists together so tight I start to lose feeling in my hands. Its hard to hear anything over the shouting of the crew. I feel people shoving me forward until I feel the wind bite my arms.
When the hood is ripped off my head, I'm met with the sight of Sebastian, bound and bloody-lipped. He breathes a sigh of relief when he sees me, but he's still crying and still terrified.
Someone told Karofsky about us. Judging by the guilty look on Hudson's face, I'd say it was him.
Thad pushed Sebastian to me, and for a few seconds I let myself bask in his presence.
"I love you, Seb." I say one last time, no longer having any reason to be afraid. We both knew what came next.
Before Sebastian could tell me he loves me too, Karofsky shouts an order.
"Walk the plank!"
There is nearly no feeling left in my hands at this point. I hope they didn't tie Sebastian's hands this tight. He has gorgeous hands. They're soft, despite all the torture they go through on a daily basis. His fingers are long and thin. Every time he touches me, I feel his fingerprints embedding themselves into my bones.
I know that there is no getting out of this now. So I take a chance. I lean forward and kiss him one last time.
I'm scared. I know I'll be going to hell, but I take comfort knowing Sebastian won't be. It doesn't change anything, though. In heaven or hell, in life or death, I'll love the man before me.
I scan the horizon, but there's no sign of land. The lord grants us a small mercy, as there is no signs of sharks, either.
The crew urge us on as we walk the narrow plank. I go first and I hear Sebastian let out a loud sob as I hit the water with a splash. It breaks my heart. He follows not long after.
The crew barely wait five seconds before sailing away.
We try our hardest to stay afloat, but before long we're both swallowing saltwater. I try to tell him one last time that I love him, but my words drown as I do.
My body is warm. I frown because I didn't expect my body to feel anything after Sebastian and I were all but thrown to our deaths.
My head throbs, my eyes are closed and my mouth is dryer than ever. I open my eyes and am met with the sight or a roof. I try and sit up, but I'm too dizzy and I fall back onto the bed.
"Whoa, whoa! Easy there!" I hear a male voice call before a pair of arms steady me. Out of the corner or my eye, I see brown hair.
I allow myself to get excited, only resulting in more painful disappointment when I see that it isn't Sebastian.
The man stands up – he's at least a head shorter than me – and walks over to a table in the corner of the room. He returns with a glass of water.
I take it hesitantly.
I try to thank him, but all that comes out is a croak.
"Don't try to talk yet. Drink up." he smiles a friendly smile, but I've been a pirate too long to trust everyone with a friendly smile.
My thirst takes over and I down the water in one large mouthful. It's fresh, not saltwater. It tastes better than anything I've ever tasted.
"Thank you." I manage to form the words this time, but only just. He smiles again and takes the empty cup from my hands.
"My name is Nick Duval." he holds out his hand for me to shake. I take it and introduce myself.
"Hunter Clarington. How long have I been out?"
"We found you three days ago, but I don't know how long you were out at sea for before that." Nick tells me.
I'm too scared to ask the question that's burning my mind, but I try to anyway. "Sebastian?"
"Oh!" he seems to light up. "Is that your friend's name?"
From his answer, I assume Seb hasn't woken up – if he's even still alive. Still, I can't help the way my heart stops in hope.
"Is he okay?"
Nick's face falls again. "He hasn't woken up yet. Jeffy is in the other room with him right now if you would like to see him?"
I jump out of the bed and urge Nick to show me the way.
He leads me through the house, pointing out the rooms as we walk. I'm not paying attention, though.
When we enter the room, there is a tall blonde boy sitting by a bed. Laying in the bed, is Sebastian. He doesn't look like Sebastian. He is thinner and paler than normal. He is so white I can clearly see every one of his freckles. There are dark bags under his eyes. It hurts to see him so lifeless.
The blonde boy stands up and walks over to me.
"Hi, I'm Jeff Sterling." I shake his hand. "I'm glad you're awake, though I'm sorry your friend isn't."
"You've done what you can for him. I can't thank you enough for that."
Jeff gestures for me to sit at the chair he previously occupied. I do so and immediately search out Sebastian's hand. I see bruises on his wrist. They match mine. I guess they did tie him up as tight as they did me.
"Um," Jeff speaks, dragging my gaze away from Sebastian and towards himself. I smile a little when I see his hand intertwined with Nick's. Seeing that small but intimate gesture gives me hope for Sebastian and I. "I'm sorry, but is your name Hunter?"
"Yes, why?"
"A few hours ago, he started talking in his sleep. He said he needs Hunter."
I feel my heart break in two.
Gingerly, I sit on the bed beside Sebastian and lift his head into my lap. I run my hands through his hair and press a small kiss to his forehead.
"So, he's your friend?" Jeff asks, although it must be obvious we're more. "I just wasn't sure. For all I knew, you could've been mortal enemies." he finishes with a lighthearted laugh.
"He's my..." I let out a sigh as a tear rolls down my cheek. "He's my soulmate."
Jeff nodded and he and Nick left the room.
I continued to stroke Sebastian's hair. I will sit here for as long as it takes for him to wake up. This is all my fault. He doesn't deserve this.
The least I can do is make sure he won't wake up alone.
Years flew by and I never heard another word of Karofsky and his band or pirates, although they never really left us. It took Seb and I the better part of a year to get used to sleeping in a bed instead of a hammock, and still to this day Sebastian is terrified of the ocean. Sometimes he wakes up in the middle of the night, screaming that he's drowning. It takes me a good thirty minutes to calm him down, but he won't get back to sleep so I stay awake with him.
Sebastian and I stayed with Nick and Jeff for a while. When the two of them married, Sebastian and I were the best men and another couple like us, Kurt and Blaine, were the groomsmen.
I got a job with Nick working construction, and the two of us built Sebastian's dream house. Three years later, we adopted a daughter. Her name is Delilah Clarington-Smythe and she's the best thing Sebastian and I have ever done.
Sebastian started a rescue house. We were in the town one day and he saved a young girl from being raped. I guess he knows how it feels and wanted to help others. Men and women of all ages reside there, at least until they get their life on track, and many families – heterosexual and homosexual alike – have started there. Kurt and Blaine volunteer there at least once a week.
I'm proud of Sebastian and I. After all we've been through, all we've done, we managed to find our happily ever after.