There was nothing to do and it was maddening. His ship was in absolute disarray and that bothered Armando above everything else. The Silent Mary had once been so pristine and orderly, but since the accident, she was in shambles. He'd taken so much pride in the clean look of his crew and ship. Most of them had been blown to bits and their uniforms were in rags. He felt worst for Marcela as she was stuck wearing his duvet cover as a makeshift dress. It had faded from a brilliant vermilion to a dark blood red due to the blood, grime and age. The gaping hole in her stomach was almost constantly dripping blood just as his mouth had been.
Time was all that Armando had anymore and it gave him more opportunity to think and dwell on things than he would have liked. Those words he'd said to Marcela kept replaying in his mind over and over. Did he mean them? In all honesty, Armando wasn't quite sure. He'd said them in a moment of desperation and in any other circumstance, he wouldn't have said them at all. Perhaps it was the fact that he had too much time on his hands with nothing to do. He let out a sigh and leaned on his cane.
Walking had become another difficulty for him. He'd had a cane before but now more than ever, he required it to walk. His body was falling apart, but held together by some supernatural force. By all rights, they should all be dead. It was something that he had been trying to figure out since they'd been stuck there. He understood that it was the Triangle to blame for their curse, but what would set them free? Surely there was some way to give them life again.
He'd seen the Sparrow with that compass. The more he thought about it, the more it seemed to be the key to everything. But then again, it could just be a simple compass. He tapped his cane absentmindedly and turned to watch the rest of his crew and Marcela. All of this downtime seemed to make them antsy, but Marcela didn't seem to be bothered much by the idea of being confined again. He supposed it was only natural as she'd spent much of her life confined to an even smaller space.
She was chatting absently with Moss. Antonio had been getting rather close with Marcela. Armando wasn't quite sure how he felt about that, though he supposed that she did need friends. She seemed distracted, however, and she was.
Marcela knew that Armando had been avoiding her again and the thought kept running through her mind. It seemed to her that he'd been having misgivings about what he'd said to her the day of the accident when he'd picked her up off that rock. He'd told her he loved her. And then he hadn't spoken to her since. And Marcela wasn't even sure that she wanted him to. One minute, he would act like he cared for her and then he would withdraw. It made no sense to her.
She looked over her shoulder at where Armando was standing to see him staring back at her. It was as though they were back at square one. Where did that put her? She felt as though she were trapped in the worst way. The way Armando seemed to change his mind so frequently made her feel like she was drowning. At least with Hector, there had been a clean break and she was able to have time to herself to get over this. But there was no getting away from him. She balled her hands into fists at the thought of all of this.
There was such a confusing whirlwind of emotions that Marcela had been feeling and frankly it was exhausting. She turned her gaze away from the captain and back to Antonio. He frowned a little, disliking the rift between her and the captain. It was making things very tense around what was left of the ship.
"You should speak with him," Antonio suggested to her. This woman had grown to be something of a younger sister to him. The heartbreak was evident on her face- and the captain's face as well.
"What would I say, Antonio?" Marcela sighed, clasping her hands in her lap, "One moment he acts as though he cares for me. And then he changes his mind and avoids me."
"The capitán is afraid, I think..."
At this, Marcela stood up almost angrily. She scowled at Antonio though she wasn't angry with him in the least.
"Afraid? What could he possibly fear? We are dead. All of us. And the only way out is so far out of our grasp that we may as well sit here for eternity!"
"Well... if I were the capitán, I think I would fear losing you. I think I would fear showing weakness. He is a strong man. You have seen that. Sometimes people hide their feelings because it is safer than to take the chance," Antonio fidgeted slightly.
Marcela's features softened and she worried her bottom lip between her teeth. Could this have been true? Did Armando really feel that way? And if he did, was that a valid excuse to string her along the way that he had been? She didn't think it was. Marcela gave Antonio a scrutinizing look before she turned her back on him. He was hiding something as well. She could tell with the way he'd been fidgeting. So she made a mental note to speak with him later.
Her strides were long and confident as she approached Armando, who had his back to her again. He made no indication as to whether or not he'd heard her. She grabbed his shoulder with all of her might and spun the hulking man to face her.
"No more of this... this going back and forth and avoiding me. I will have all of you or I will have none of you at all," Marcela spoke decisively. The look on her face was determined. She was done with the games. It didn't matter to her if Armando was afraid. There were things much stronger than the fear that may have been holding him back.
Armando wasn't quite sure what to say to her. But this ultimatum stuck a chord within him. He was normally such a decisive man and for him to be so unsure was very unlike him. He realized that if he didn't commit, he was going to lose her. Was he prepared for that? The more he thought about it, the more he was certain that he wasn't.
"Come," was all he said as he took her frail hand in his and lead her limping to what remained of his cabin. The dark room was in disarray, but provided the privacy from the crew he'd sought.
"Do you have any idea how you have hurt me?! I-" Marcela was cut off by his lips against hers. For a moment, she'd wanted to melt against him and forget all of the trials and tribulations that she'd been put through whether directly or inadvertently resulting from him. She pushed him away and scowled.
"I was talking! As... as much as I enjoyed that, we need to talk," Marcela sighed, "I... I will not be hurt again. You confuse me... you act like you want me and then you push me away and pretend nothing ever changed. I cannot live this way."
Armando listened to her and thought for a moment. Feelings weren't something that the Spaniard had much experience with as far as a serious relationship with a woman. He understood duty and he understood hunting pirates, but that was about it. However, he didn't want to lose her.
In response to Marcela, he wrapped his arms around her lithe body and kissed the top of her head, leaving a bit of blood behind. Though, Marcela didn't mind. She had come to accept that at a fact of being dead or rather undead for that matter. Her eyes fluttered closed for the moment. She knew he wasn't a man of many words and not one to be overly affectionate in public. That was alright as long as she knew where she stood with him.
He ran his fingers through her dark curly hair. It was still as soft as ever. Armando couldn't help but marvel again at how perfectly she fit in his arms. Her head tucked right under his chin and her hands splayed over the rags which remained of his coat.
"You will not have to worry about where your place is with me again," He murmured.
Marcela craned her head to peer up at him. That was all that she ever wanted to hear from the man. She smiled slightly and closed the gap between the two of them. His lips moved perfectly in sync with hers and though he was cold and dead, Armando felt warm to Marcela in that moment. She could taste his blood in her mouth again. It was coppery and cool though she didn't mind.
Armando's fingers fumbled to untie the duvet which served as a dress for the young siren. It fell to the floor in a pool of fabric. Marcela was bared before him and even with that gaping hole in her stomach that consistently dribbled scarlet blood, she was still perfect in his eyes. His rough hands found their way down to her hips where they rested. She slid his overcoat off and let it fall unceremoniously to the floor. Normally Armando would have folded it neatly and set it aside, but he was too captivated by the goddess before him.
Next came the vest beneath the coat. The amount of buttons frustrated Marcela. They looked dashing when they were all done up and he was wearing it, but taking the damn thing off was another story. She pursed her lips and furrowed her brow as she feverishly undid the last few buttons and threw that item of clothing to the floor as well. His shirt and pants were easy enough to get off.
They stood there appraising each other for a moment before Armando drew her in for another kiss. She could feel his hard length pressing up against her stomach. This was so exciting and nerve wracking at the same time. It felt surreal from each touch of his lips to the fire that burned between her legs.
Armando lifted her up easily and gently laid her down on the bed. Thankfully, it was left for them. He wanted to make this perfect for her... well as perfect as it could be with them both being dead in a wrecked ship. Still, it was a nice thought.
He slid his hands up her sides to cup her supple breasts which caused Marcela to take a sharp inhale. With his thumb and forefinger, his rolled the sensitive nipple between his fingers. In response, Marcela arched her back into him. Her reactions were making him incredibly impatient, but Armando reminded himself that good things come to those who wait... and that he wanted to make this as memorable as possible for her.
Armando's other hand slid between her wet folds. He almost couldn't believe that such a beautiful creature was so wet with want for him. He slid a finger inside of her, eliciting another sharp gasp from the woman beneath him.
Marcela had never felt anything like this before and had no idea that such passion could be held between two beings. This was definitely something she planned to do again. She reached up to wrap her delicate hand around his throbbing member. Armando let out a little hiss as the feeling overcame him. Marcela blinked and then smirked a tiny bit. Taking his little noise as encouragement, she slid her hand up and down his length which seemed to be exactly the right thing to do.
There was a small amount of pain when Armando added another finger inside of her. She winced slightly at the feeling of being stretched. If his fingers barely fit, how would he? She asked herself. But soon the discomfort gave way to pleasure again and Armando had her panting beneath him.
"Please Armando... I can't take it anymore," Marcela moaned, bucking her hips up as he curled his two fingers inside of her. Truth be told, he was getting to the end of his patience as well. he slid his fingers out of her and positioned himself between her legs before giving her one last look. Was she certain she wanted to do this? Marcela responded by hooking her leg around him and drawing him closer.
There was a ripping within her as Armando sheathed himself deep inside. Marcela let out a whimper and bit back any more noises that threatened to spill from her lips. Her hands gripped the sheets of the bed beneath her in an attempt to assuage some of the pain.
Armando waited until her face began to relax before he gripped her hips and began to slowly move. The pace he set was near torturous for both of them. Marcela bucked her hips into him, urging him to go faster for which Armando was only too happy to comply.
Her head fell back again to the bed with a soft thud as the feeling of pleasure overtook her again and a strange pressure began to build within her. She opened her eyes to watch him. Even then, he was handsome with his face contorted in ecstasy and his hair floating about his head.
Steadily, his thrusts began to get more sloppy and less rhythmic. He could feel himself getting close to the edge. But he wouldn't allow himself to fall over until she did. Armando reached down to her most sensitive intimate part and slowly rubbed the little nub which earned a loud moan from his lover.
Marcela could feel the pressure building until she thought she was going to explode. And she could have sword that she had as his ministrations pushed her over the edge. The world went dark for a second as the waves of ecstasy rolled over her. Armando followed soon after, sheathing himself inside of her as he spilled his seed.
The two were left panting in the aftermath. Armando pulled out of her and laid down on the bed next to her. His arm wrapped around her to bring her closer to him. He kissed the top of her head as Marcela snuggled into the captain. Though sleep was the furthest thing from either of their minds at the moment, he wanted to bask in this for as long as he could before the feeling of being suffocated by the Triangle's curse set back in. In that moment, everything was perfect.