"How've ya been, kid?" Sweets asked me after I got dressed. I looked down at my hands.
"I'm not hurt, if that's what you mean." I replied. I looked over at Sinbad who was busily looking over the damages of the ship. I looked down, hiding a blush. He'd never bothered to put a shirt back on after his had been confiscated for me.
"I don't think he's too willing to be stopping along the way. We'll have to convince him somehow to let us off." I bit my lip looking back up at him. He caught my gaze and did a double take. I looked down at what I was wearing, a white shirt that was so big I didn't need pants, not that there was another pair on the ship that would fit me. The dog ran towards me. I grinned, jumping down from wear I sat and greeted the dog half way.
"Ah, you've got a pal." I looked up at the man who had given me the first set of clothing. I grinned.
"Does he have a name?" I asked with a smile. He nodded.
"He's Spike." He said crossing his arms. I grinned at the dog as he all but tackled me. I laughed.
"Spike's such a good boy! Oh, I love you!" I laughed as he drooled and wagged his tail in excitement. I looked up at Sinbad who was now towering over me.
"You're saying in my quarters." He mumbled in irritation. I stood up straight and didn't move. He grunted and rolled his eyes, gripping my upper arm and dragging me after him. I looked over my shoulder at Sweets, who looked as if he was already planning something.
I had to get Audrey off the deck. The crew was beginning to get distracted. I glanced over at her curiously wondering what could possibly be so distracting about that little girl? I stopped dead when my eyes locked onto her. She wasn't a little girl. Audrey's dark legs were uncovered and she was squatting down to pet Spike. The shirt she was wearing was way too big for her tiny body and the buttons stopped in the middle of her chest, leaving little to the imagination. I knew if I left her to sleep with the crew like I'd done with the past women that crossed the ship, she'd end up dead. I huffed, walking towards her.
"You're staying in my quarters." I mumbled when she looked up. Audrey stood erect and glared at me. I shook my head and took hold of her upper arm, stomping towards my room. "Always me. Why always me? Why can't the wanted girls be ugly? Or physically unattractive? Or even experienced with men? Why is it that I always get the little innocent ones who have no idea what men are really like?" I ranted under my breath. I could feel Audrey's eyes on me as we went into my cabin.
"What are you complaining about, Psycho?" She snapped crossing her arms. One of the old buttons on her shirt popped open when she did the motion. She didn't realize. I gritted my teeth and clenched my fists.
"You... are basically an infant! I've never met such an innocent girl in my entire life!" I replied, speaking almost fully with my hands. I pointed at the button.
"Fix it! You're a distraction to my crew when you walk around like that!" I yelled. Audrey looked down and fixed the button as I stalked towards the bed.
"Hey this isn't a cake walk for me either, Sweetheart!" She yipped back, leaning around one of the supporting posts. I threw myself down on the bed.
"Please, if you were at home, you'd probably be fighting your Pops against marriage. That sounds like you. Just think of this as a quick vacation to avoid having that man marry ya off." Audrey frowned. I smirked satisfied with her reaction. I looked up at her. She was looking at the floor and biting her lip. "Hey, what's your problem?" She looked up.
"Why did you kidnap me?" She asked sliding to the floor and looking at me curiously. I glanced over at her. Her big brown eyes boring holes into mine. I sighed.
"You are a woman with a high monetary value." I watched it dawn on her. She swallowed and frowned.
"You're going to sell me?" She looked like she didn't believe it. I pushed my hat down over my eyes.
"That's right." I let out a surprised shout as I was knocked off the pillows onto the floor. Audrey towered over me.
"Quick vacation, huh?" I blinked in shock seeing tears formed in her eyes. "I can't believe you! Maybe I should just go sleep with the rest of the crew? Do you have a brig for slaves?" She shouted. I got to my feet.
"I want you in here so they don't hurt you." I snapped, loosing my patience.
"What does it matter to you? I'm just another stupid pay check!" She shouted back. She raised her fists and I grunted plucking both out of the air. She backed away from me and we both collapsed on the bed. I pulled my head up and stared into her eyes. The scent of hazel once again disoriented and confused me. She didn't move.
"You really are stupid aren't you?" Audrey gritted her teeth. She didn't respond. "Do you know why you're staying in my cabin?" She didn't respond. I leaned down and let my lips brush her ear.
"Watch it, Psycho." She growled. I huffed in amusement wondering how far I could push my luck. I lowered my head and planted a kiss just under her ear. Audrey sucked in a deep breath.
"If you scream, you'll regret it." I whispered into her ear. I jerked away then. "I'm considered one of the nicer gentlemen on this ship." Audrey sat up and I smirked at the deep purple on her face. My smirk dropped when she shifted and her shirt fell of her tiny dark skinned shoulder, showing she wasn't as childlike as she looked. She caught my stare and laughed.
"You're not the gentleman you pride yourself in being." She crossed her legs and the shirt fell high on her thighs.
"Ladies don't go for the gentleman." I said trying not to stare. She shook her head. She turned over and crawled across the bed and laid out in the center of the bed.
"What are you doing?" I asked in irritation.
"I'm going to bed?" I shook my head.
"You better get used to sharing, Princess." I shoved both arms into her back pushing her over. I laid next to her. She stared at me for a long moment.
"I used to share with Sweets all the time." She whispered. A twinge of irritation hit me again.
"What is you relationship with him? Isn't he a little old for you?" I demanded sitting up. Audrey's thoughtful expression flipped to confusion.
"Does he really bother you that bad? My relationships shouldn't matter to you. I'm just 'a woman of monetarily high value', remember?" I gritted my teeth tasting my own words against me. I opened my eyes to Audrey's back to me. I sighed rolling the other way and trying not to fall off the bed.
I opened my eyes and Audrey was laying across my chest, grinning up at me.
"Good morning, handsome." She murmured. I loved the way the words rolled sleepily and accented off her tongue. I smiled and gasped when she pulled my face to hers, kissing me. "Hey..." She shifted, slightly and it was then I noticed neither one of us were wearing clothing, but a thin blanket cloaked the both of us.
"You know you're not wearing clothes?" Audrey laughed out loud and walked her fingers up my chest to my nose.
"Do you remember what we did last night?" No way. I thought rubbing my face.
"What did you do to me last night?"
"I did anything you wanted."
"Anything?" She bit her lip and slowly nodded.
"I'll never tell a soul." She vowed crossing her fingers. Now I wanted to know. How could I have completely forgotten that?
"Sinbad..." She called with a soothing sound.
"Yes?" I asked smiling down at her.
"Sinbad..." She called again, harsher this time.
It was next to impossible to wake this man up. I rolled my eyes, shaking him again.
"Dammit, Psycho! Wake up!" He finally came to and grabbed me by the shoulder's rolling me under him.
"Audrey!" He shouted.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!" I exclaimed holding his elbows.
"You're a fucking beautiful woman." My jaw dropped. He wasn't making any sense at all. I tried to break free. Sinbad wasn't having it. He held me still and refused to move.
"Let me up!" The door opened. I looked over at the new comer. "Sweets!" I continued to struggle. I jerked my knee into Sinbad's stomach and rolled from the bed onto the floor.
"Is there a problem here?" Sweets asked pushing me behind him. Sinbad slowly got to his feet and sighed.
"Just a dream." I furrowed my brow.
"Have you completely lost it, Psycho?"
"I was told to inform you that we have arrived to a place where we can land and repair the ship." He said turning and putting an arm on the small of my back and pushing me out the door.
I watched that man touch her again. I clenched my fists and watched them leave. Getting to my feet, I stomped to the door and slammed it. I let out a frustrated growl. The girl from my dream wasn't the real Audrey. Where did that even come from? The room went dark. The twisted laugh of Eries filled the room.
"What's the matter, Sinbad? Is my little girl giving you trouble? You don't like her little friend?" I glared up at her as she came into being.
"Why are you here?" I demanded. She flashed me an innocent look.
"You missed me, didn't you?" She giggled again appearing shifting so that she was behind me. "You're so easy, Sinbad. I should've sent Audrey sooner. Finally, someone who can make that black heart of yours melt." I sighed.
"I thought we established that I don't have a black heart." She rolled her eyes.
"You're such a liar, Sinbad. If you're heart wasn't as black as mine, you wouldn't have left that woman with the man's hair cut alone on that island." My shoulder's dropped.
"I didn't leave her. She chose to stay with Petronius." I grimaced, racking my brain trying to remember what her name even was.
"You're going to bring her to me, Sinbad. Then you're going to leave her the same way you did that other woman. And I will hold up my end of the bargain. You'll get what you desire, more wealth than you can imagine." Eries stated like it was part of the past.
"What if I don't?" I asked thinking of that dream again.
"Please... I can see straight through you. Riches are more important to you than my little innocent Audrey will ever be." I furrowed my brow, wondering how someone like Audrey could be the spawn of this crazy woman. "But we'll see..." She smoothly whispered running her fingers along my jaw. "You were clearly affected by that little dream I sent you, weren't you?" She laughed again. "You truly are just a man. It's so easy to distract you."
It had been almost twenty minutes we were waiting for Sinbad. I crossed my arms and leaned against the banister and let out a shocked scream as it broke away from me. I lurched forward and hit the deck on my hands and knees. I was sure glad Sweets had managed to find me a pair of overalls. I sighed getting off the floor and brushing myself off. Finally Sinbad emerged from his cabin.
"Kale..." His eyes swept the deck and locked onto Sweets. "And you, stay with the ship, we'll get the supplies to fix the damages." He motioned for the rest of the crew to follow and then took hold of my arm once again, dragging me behind him.
Audrey's feet hit the sand. She wobbled a few steps before slumping to the ground. I looked back at her. She slowly got to her feet.
"I hate ships." She complained under her breath. "I hate sailing. I hate the stupid fucking sailors..." I turned and grinned at her.
"We'll be splitting into teams. Find a buddy and go. I'll be taking Audrey." Her jaw dropped.
"He-" She began. I grabbed her wrist and dragged her into the trees behind me. Once we were out of hearing range of the rest of the crew, I spun around and let go of her. She pulled back and glared at me suspiciously. "What?" She finally asked. I pulled out my knife. Audrey raised an eyebrow and didn't move. I turned and stabbed the nearest tree. I ripped the bucket from her hands and held it under the sap. Turning back around, I shoved it back into her hands.
"Don't drop it." I ordered turning and chopping the tree down. We did this three more times in silence. I pulled them up over my shoulders and motioned her to follow with the last bucket of sap for finishing touches. "Glad to know there's something you're good at." I mumbled. She'd been real quiet up until that point.
"This isn't my element, Psycho! I'm an engineer. I'm the best damn engineer in the world right now. I don't work with caveman materials like wood! I work with engines and modern technology! If you had a normal ship like everyone else on the sea, I'd be a lot more useful!" She shouted.
"I could tell you didn't work with much wood when I met you, Princess." Everyone was once again staring at us. Audrey puffed up her chest in irritation.
"Is that all you think about?" She yelled back. I scoffed in amusement, turning back to the tasked at hand. Something hard hit me in the back of the head and I was instantly sticky. That's twice I've had tree sap dumped over my head by an angry woman. I threw down the trees in my hands and turned around. Audrey's face was fierce, but amusement glinted in her eyes.
"Why?" Was all I could say.
"That's for your little head games last night and making me wait this morning." She grinned pointing at the bucket then up at me, smugly. Even though I desperately wanted to be, fury wouldn't find me. She turned and started towards where we had other supplies stocked.
"You're going to pay for that." I muttered stalking towards her. She looked back and a single laugh ripped through her teeth as she started running from me. I picked up my pace and easily caught her around the waist, throwing her against the nearest tree.
"How am I going to pay?" She demanded. I swallowed, seeing a hint of Eries spark in her eyes. I let a mischievous grin spread across my lips. Audrey's eyes widened as I wiped sap off my face and smeared it across hers. She pressed her lips together and froze while I continued. I shook my head out, drops splattering her. A hysteric giggle burst through her teeth. I stopped, listening to the amazing sound. She took her hands and wiped them under my eyes and flicked it onto to the ground. I laughed.
"Oh, now you're playing sweet." Audrey giggled. We both stopped and stared at each other for a long moment. Her expression changed and she pushed me away. "We should get back to the ship." I pulled back and slowly nodded.
"Yeah." She started back, leaving me there staring at the tree in front of me. I pushed off the tree and forced my head up following her. "You're gonna be rich, Sinbad. She's just the daughter of chaos." I laughed, shaking my head. Just get the daughter of chaos... I watched her walking ahead of me. Though she wore the ugliest coveralls, she wasn't wearing anything underneath. Her dark skin teased from the open sides, though nothing was visible. I swallowed and shook my head again. "You're gonna be rich, Sinbad."
Her tall bald buddy was waiting for her when we reached the ship. He raised an eyebrow when he saw both of our appearances. Audrey leaned down to the water and rinsed her hands and face.
"You okay?" He asked leaning down to her and I gritted my teeth. Audrey lost her balance and fell back, getting completely soaked from the waist down. She stood up and growled in frustration.
"Dammit! Little vacation my ass." She mumbled under her breath and shook herself off. I watched her finish getting tree sap off her face then turn to see the entire crew watching her. "What are you looking at, ah?" She stomped past them and stopped.
"That ship's ready to go, captain." Kale said, making me jump.
"Good. Let's ship out." I looked back at Audrey. She was staring loathingly out at the ocean.
I glared out at the water. I hated it. I couldn't wait to get away from this ship. I was starting to like it and I didn't like that. Sweets touched my elbow and I flinched.
"Something's wrong, kid. What is it?" He asked with a concerned look. I crossed my arms up at him.
"I'm being sold like a fucking automobile. But other than that..." I stopped. I wasn't about to tell him that I was starting to like my captor. I bit my lip and forced myself back under control.
"We're shipping out. Let's go." The first mate cut in. I held my head up and clenched my fists walking back to the ship.
Days passed before I could get Audrey to talk to me again. Even then, we were fighting.
"I keep telling you! I'm an engineer! I don't work with this old timey shit!" She yelled pointing at the deck beside her. I crossed my arms.
"You still haven't shown me that you can do it." She pressed her lips together and clenched her fists.
"I'm going to drown you!" She shouted in exasperation. I let a smirk slip. Her eyes widened incredulously. "I KNEW you were doing this just to piss me off!" She barely sounded like she was speaking English anymore. She threw her hands in the air and spun around angrily, sending the smell of hazelnut and sea water into my face. She stopped seeing every set of eyes on the ship on her. "Don't you have anything better to do?" She growled stomping into the cabin we were currently sharing. I followed her, laughing openly now.
"I was joking. Audrey..." She turned around. I stopped.
"You think I was angry about that?" She demanded. I crossed my arms.
"I'm not selling you." Audrey froze. She blinked like she didn't understand.
"What?" She said, obviously taken aback. I shook my head and grinned smugly.
"I am not going to sell you." She narrowed her eyes.
"Then what are you going to do?"
"Don't know yet. I'm still weighing my options. You're not being returned home if that's what you were hoping for." I walked closer to her. She warily took steps backwards. "You still owe me for saving your life. I think you're worth more than money..." I dropped my voice down to a whisper. Audrey swallowed. I continued to move closer to her. She held a hand up, stopping me by putting it to my chest.
"I don't trust you." She whispered back, fiercely knitting her brows. I raised mine, once again pushing the line and enjoying it. I pressed closer, despite her hand in the middle of my chest.
"Who said you needed to?" I asked getting a hair length away from her and flashing a mischievous grin. I victoriously pulled away, watching a blush paint itself onto Audrey's terrified face. I laid back onto my bed kicking off my boots.
"You're insane." She mumbled. I smirked.
"Maybe I like that I'm crazy." I pushed my hat down over my eyes, leaving the smile visible. I gasped sitting up when I felt something against my cheek. I looked behind me. Audrey had a devious look on her face and a unusual seductive spark in her eyes. Shock took over my face.
"What's the matter?" She asked crawling to her side of the bed. "You're acting like I did something strange." She giggled. "It was just a kiss." She pouted. It was obvious now whose daughter she was. I shook my head and laid back. "Goodnight, Sinbad." She whispered. I gritted my teeth and ignored her, rolling away from her.
Eries smiled. "Well, well, well, Sinbad... Looks like your heart could be melted with a little smirk. I'm going to have fun with this..." She laughed caressing the celestial monster in her hands. "I wonder how you'll react to a little more heat..."
I finished Chapter 2. I'm not sure if I like it. Your thoughts?