Content warning: There is sex in this chapter. It fades out, definitely not explicit, but it is there, at the very end of the chapter.
There were roughly thirty men, but they seemed to just keep coming and coming, a never ending stream of men who were loyal to the Captain, or, more likely, loyal to the money the man provided them. Harry planted his feet and blocked the first attack that came his way. He didn't even have a chance to look at Echo, to see how she was faring. All around he heard the clank of metal against metal. Harry ducked to avoid one of the pirates, sending him tumbling over. Harry jumped back up, kicking another one out of his way.
He heard a scream of pain and turned to see a pirate pulling his sword out of Echo's leg.
"Shit." Harry ran over to her, stopping one of the pirates from sneaking up behind her. Echo gasped at the pain and adjusted her weight to the other leg. Harry made sure she was okay then went back to fighting.
He was pretty impressed, there were only two of them but easily they'd taken down about seven of Hook's men. Harry headed for the dock, figuring he could get free if he just got past them. He glanced up just in time to see Echo jump over the side of the ship. He took the hint from her and did the same, just throwing himself over the side of the boat.
The water was icy cold. It hit Harry like a brick wall as he plunged into the dark sea. He kicked his feet, making his way to the side, getting to the shore, away from where the pirates were waiting. Harry was freezing, but he ran up to the street, keeping to the shadows as he made his way back to his ship. As soon as he got on board, he started undressing, getting out of his wet clothes.
"Hey Harry!" Gil grinned, waiting inside. Harry didn't say anything, grabbing dry clothes, pulling them on. His teeth were still chattering.
"Echo?" He finally managed to say it, expecting her to appear.
"She's not here yet." Gil shrugged.
"Where the hell were you?" Harry asked. "When the fighting started, why weren't you up there to help?"
"Echo told me to light the fireworks." Gil answered, looking confused.
"And then what?"
"Then I went and got us all hot wings!" Gil brightened, gesturing to the spread on the table.
"You got hot wings?" Harry stared at the boy, who nodded.
"They're your favorite… right? Echo will be here soon. And they're warm, so they'll warm you both up." Gil reasoned. Harry sighed and sat, running a hand through his still sopping wet hair. He tossed his hook off to the side and picked up a wing. She would be there soon, everything would be okay. Between the two boys they managed to finish off about twenty of the wings but there was still no sign of Echo.
"I think-" Gil cut off with a burp, "I'm gonna go home." He got up, rubbing his stomach. "Let me know when Echo shows up." He stopped and looked back at Harry, who seemed distressed. "She will show up." Gil promised, walking out the door. Harry growled and followed him, slamming the door behind Gil, as if it were his fault.
Harry gathered all the bones and tossed them overboard, he wasn't sure what would happen to them but he didn't care. They still had a small pile of wings that were uneaten and cold. He left those. Harry grabbed the bottle that Echo had left there earlier and popped it open, tilting his head back and drinking a few good chugs.
"I can't leave you boys alone for five minutes, can I?" Harry nearly choked, whipping around to look at the door. Echo stood there, looking like hell. She limped over to the table and sat, holding out her hand, Harry gave her the alcohol and she took a long drink. When she put it down she went for the wings.
"Echo… You're bleeding on my ship." Echo paused and looked down at the blood dripping down from the wound in her leg.
"Shit." She sighed and put down her food. She wiped her hands and stood.
"Here." Harry found the first aid kit, Echo had brought it after he started storing her stuff on the ship. She hesitated, but tugged down her leggings, revealing that she'd already bandaged it once, but not very well. "This is too loose." He informed her, unwrapping her work. The cut was clean through, slicing through the skin. He cleaned it up as best he could, seeing as they were on a filthy ship, and went to wrap it back up, this time it was a lot tighter.
"It's going to cut off my circulation."
"No it won't. Eat your wings." Harry ordered. Echo shook her head and went back to eating. "So, you got out of the water, bleeding profusely and instead of coming here where Gil and I could help you, you went… somewhere and did it yourself."
"Yes." Echo confirmed.
"Why?"
"I don't like showing weakness."
"A hole in your damn leg isn't weakness, Echo."
"Isn't it?" She stopped eating and stared at him.
"No, no it's not." He looked up at her, finishing his work. He stepped back so she could have a little bit of space. "Especially when it comes to Gil and I."
"It isn't about you and Gil it's about… everyone." She shrugged.
"Everyone?"
"No one can know when I have a weakness. If anyone finds out about this," She gestured to her leg. "Then they know where to hit me to really make it count." She pointed out.
"You really think about all this?"
"Of course. If I had someone I was fighting and I knew they had been stabbed in the leg, that's the first thing I would go for." She shrugged. "Honor among thieves is a stupid saying. If you can take advantage of a weakness, always go for it."
"I'll take note." Harry stood up, grabbing the mess and tossed it into the water where he'd tossed out the bones. Littering in this ocean was commonplace. When he walked back in, she had finished eating, cleaning her hands with a napkin.
"Thank you Harry." She said, looking to the bandages, running her fingers over the tight wrap. Despite it all, the fighting, the leg wound, the two of them falling into the water, the mask was still there, holding tight to her face. He sat down and watched her.
"So what do we do now?" He asked. "Our stock is in ashes in the street, you're wounded."
"We regroup." She answered, toying with a chicken bone. "I'll find another warehouse, we start stocking up again and we make sure Govenor Ratcliffe know what will happen to him next time he fucks with us."
"With us."
"Did I stutter?" She looked up at him.
"Not you, but us." He gave her a half smile.
"Lose the smile, Hook, or I will hurt you." He shook his head and picked up the bottle, taking another drink.
"Are you going to disappear now?"
"I should." She replied, taking the bottle from him.
"You don't have to rush, no one is going to come looking for you. They're probably trying to find my dad and see if he's alive or not."
"Any regrets?"
"That I didn't make sure he was dead before we threw him overboard." He answered. "I don't owe him anything." Echo got up and walked over to him, looking down at the man.
"Good, I'm glad you recognize that." She commented. Harry hesitated, but reached up, placing a hand on her hip. "You don't owe anyone anything."
"Not even you?"
"No. You don't do anything for free for me and I don't do anything for you that I don't get paid back for." She shrugged. "I'd say I'm sorry about Ginny and her being with the Ratcliffe boy but… I'm not."
"Why not?" He asked.
"She and her sugar addiction would be a distraction to you." She replied. He quirked an eyebrow and shrugged.
"I'm not really that sorry either." He admitted, standing up and looked down at her.
"Yeah?" She questioned.
"Yeah." He confirmed, leaning in, he kissed her. Harry was half expecting her to punch him, or murder him. Send him over the edge of his ship like she had for his father hours ago. But instead, she kissed him back, her hands coming up to the front of his shirt, gripping the thin material.
Harry knew that any moment he could make a wrong move and piss her off and it would all be over but he didn't stop. His hands moved down to her shirt, unbuttoning the top few buttons, Echo reached to stop him and Harry felt his disappointment, until she just ripped the shirt ope, dropping it to the floor next to her pants. Harry smirked into the kiss and picked her up, carrying her over to his mattress on the floor, He dropped her onto it, ripping off his own shirt.
They made quick work of removing all their clothes and then she stopped, looking up at him, she reached her hands up into her hair, untying the honey brown ribbons of her mask. The mask still clung to her face and she reached up, removing it.
Harry watched, his heart pounding as she put it to the side. Her pale skin still had the indentions of the mask but she did actually have a face under there. He felt a tinge of recognition but he couldn't place where he'd seen her. He hand came up to her cheek, his thumb running over the slightly red skin. Then, the moment over, his hand moved to the back of her neck, pulling her in for a kiss. Echo raked her nails down his back and they spent the night together, falling asleep hours later, wrapped in each other's arms.
A/N - I'll try to remember to put warnings like that at the top of a chapter that mentions sex, and since it's rated T, not M, it won't ever be super explicit. Anyway, Hope you all enjoyed the chapter. The next one is the start of Part 2!
