Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Pirates of the Caribbean

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Pirates of the Caribbean. I doubt I'd be writing this sucker if I did.

A/N: I was feeling particularly lazy tonight, and somewhat more tired than I usually am, so this is a short one. But, it's a period one—finally. Enjoy.

Oh, and this takes place during the gap between COTBP and DMC.

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Breathe
Every little piece of me
You'll see
Everything is alright
If I just breathe

-- "Breathe" by Michelle Branch

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Period: Breathe

If being with Elizabeth has taught me anything, it's to breathe—to really breathe.

For most of my adolescence, I felt like I was in a corset, slowly winding myself up to fit the standards of society, no matter how constricting it was. I tried to rebel against it at first, letting all propriety slide so I could run around and be free to play with Elizabeth, but, once we hit that age – that damnable age where society deemed it improper for a low class boy to associate with a high class girl – I could no longer deny its presence.

Elizabeth, of course, being the rebellious girl that she was, would have none of it. She was upset with me for giving in, for letting it take a hold of me. And, now that I am with her, I've come to realize that she was right – that she had every right to be upset with me. I deserved it. I know that propriety is important, to an extent, but it was not important enough to lose my one and only friend over.

I've since learned the error of my ways. I no longer feel the corset's tightening hold around me. I have Elizabeth to thank for that. Her love has done more for me than I can humanely imagine.

Now I can breathe. Finally.

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A/N: See—told you it was short. But, drabbles are supposed to be short anyway. So, again, reviews are love. They make me happy. I don't care if you write me a paragraph or one word—all reviews are appreciated.