Sparrow stared at Reaver, trying to figure out his motive.
"Why are you being nice to me? What's the catch here?" Sparrow confronted him.
"Well...I thought about what you said about me, and I..." Reaver paused, shifting awkwardly.
Why is he acting so strange?
"Just spit it out, Reaver. You've never had trouble with words."
"I guess I realized that I should apologize for our reunion earlier. I may have been a bit insensitive about your...situation." He said, looking at the ground, "You're probably wondering why I showed up here, anyway. I guess I'll be just be honest, which is something I'm not particularly fond of, being a pirate you know an-"
"Reaver, you're rambling." Sparrow said, still shocked by his apology. It was a real one, which was super out of character for the King of Thieves.
"I'm lonely, Sparrow." He blurted out. Looking at Sparrow, he watched her expression move from one of confusion, to rage.
"You disgusting, vile, pig! You came here...to court me? This is just like you, Reaver. My husband hasn't even been dead for a week and you're here...trying to se-" "I don't want to sleep with you." Reaver cut her off, once again surprising her.
"I mean, should the opportunity arise I don't think I would say no, but that's not what I came here for. Look...I realized while we were on all those adventures together that I've spent way too much time by myself. All I ask for right now, is a friend. I haven't had a true one in a very long time."
Sparrow studied his face, waiting for the hidden strings, or trick he was going to pull. The embarrassed flush on his face told her otherwise. He wasn't here to trick her. He was telling the truth.
"If that's the case, then why didn't you go to Garth while you were in Samarkand?" She asked, still suspicious of his motive.
"We both know that he's not too big a fan of me, and I'm not all that into him. He already didn't like me from the start, and the more I tried to converse with him, the more he wanted me to go away. Hammer wouldn't have given me the time of day, either. So I thought about when we met, and how even though the things I did weren't exactly great you still gave me a chance, to some degree. You at least tolerated me. The other two made it clear that they would have tried to dispose of me had I not been imperative to the downfall of Lucien. So, I came here." Reaver explained, outstretching his hand, "So, friends?"
Sparrow stared at Reaver, trying to figure out his thought process. He thought he could show up, act like a jackass, then propose friendship on her?
"So you're telling me that after you tried to sacrifice me to the shadow court, turned me into Lucien, got me AND my dog killed, you thought you could show up in my home unannounced, and ask for my friendship?" She asked him, reminding him of the ways he
"Erm, yes." Reaver replied, hand still outstretched.
"Reaver, you're either very audacious..." Sparrow sighed, "Or a complete idiot. Friends don't betray friends."
His expression fell as his hand fell back to his side. Sparrow studied his expression, and actually felt a little bad for the bastard.
His previous apology did seem genuine, and something tells me he may prove himself worth. Dammit, Sparrow, I guess we're going to give him a chance.
"Look, normally I...wouldn't do this, but I'm willing to make a deal with you." Sparrow began, hoping she wasn't making a mistake, "I don't know about being friends, but I'll agree to start at acquaintances. If you can yourself trustworthy...then we can revisit the idea of friendship. If you ever consider betraying me again, though, we'll be done here."
" I can work with that." Reaver smiled, "You have my word."
The two sat in silence for a few minutes, until Reaver spoke.
"Well this night has been interesting, but I think I'm ready to go to bed."
"Yes, I'm exhausted. I think I'm going to head to my room." She gestured to the inn.
"Actually, I was wondering if you wanted to join me, in old Town. I wasn't sure how long I'd be here, so I acquired a house there. Its a bit small, and the furnishings aren't to my style, but its got a spare room in it." Reaver offered.
Sparrow was shocked at the offer, "Oh, um, sure. Thank you, Reaver. That's very kind of you."
This better not be some convoluted attempt at getting me in his bed.
"Well I figured you could probably use a real bed, as opposed to the lumpy monstrosity they've got here. Besides, I could use some help redecorating the place." He replied, stepping away from the railing, "Shall we?"
"We can fast travel if you want. It'll save us the hour long walk." Sparrow reached out her hand,
"Ah! Perfect." Reaver said, as he placed his hand in hers.
As their surroundings dissolved from the Marketplace, the center of Old Town began fading in. When they arrived, Reaver kept his grip on Sparrow's hand as he lead her to his house. Turning down Lookout way, he lead Sparrow down the road she recognized from her childhood.
"Ah, here we are. We've even got a nice view of that empty castle." Reaver said, as he showed off the house.
"Really, Reaver? You buy one of the biggest houses in Old Town, then have the nerve to call it small?" Sparrow remarked, letting go of his hand.
"Compared to my mansion, it is small." He said, unlocking the door. Sparrow couldn't believe he had the nerve to complain about anything here.
"Reaver, this home is amazing. How could you ever worry about the furniture, or the...the size? I looked at this house everyday when I was a child...wishing the family living here would let us inside." She said, looking around the large living room.
"What do you mean?" Reaver asked.
"When I was a child, I grew up in Old Town. That was when it was still considered the slums of Bowerstone. Rose and I had a shack around the corner from this house, where the beehives are now." She explained, "Right in front of that tree is where we cranked up the music box." She pointed out the window as she reflected on her childhood. Reaver interrupted her thoughts.
"So this is where it all began."
"Yeah...if only Rose could see how much different this town is. You know, the main Sheriff of the town said that because we helped him locate important warrants, we were the reason this town became so prosperous. She never got to see the impact she had here." A tear rolled down her cheek, and she wiped it away composing herself. "Sorry, um, shall we see the rest of the house?"
"Oh, yes! If you follow me up the stairs I'll show you to your room." Reaver replied, walking up the stairs. As the they reached the second floor Reaver lead Sparrow to the first room.
"You can use this room, and I'll be across the hall. I'll leave you here, as I'm sure you're exhausted but let me know if you need anything." He said, and then he left the room.
"Thanks, Reaver." Sparrow called as he left the room.
Sparrow sat on the bed and began getting ready to go to sleep. After changing into pajamas, she laid down. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep.
A/N. Sorry for the delay in updating, I've been working a lot and preparing for my final semester of college. Thanks for reading!