Summary: "'Listen 'ere, mate, I don't intend on harmin' the lass.'" James Norrington becomes suspicious of Jack's feelings for Elizabeth. One-shot. Set during DMC.
A/N: Wow, it's been a hot minute since I've written for POTC. The Loki series has been beyond distracting! (It's amazing, you should check it out).
Prompt: "Dear God. You love her, don't you?"
Love Is For Children
The gentle Caribbean waves parted as the Black Pearl drifted along, her sails limp with the lack of wind. The sound of the waves lapping against the hull would have been soothing if they weren't so pressed for time.
They had already lost more than enough precious time, having stopped by Tortuga following the meeting with Davy Jones, captain of the infamous Flying Dutchman. He'd given them three days- one and a half remained and they were nowhere near Isla Cruces. Jack Sparrow wished that the sea understood his urgency.
The Pearl's captain was lucky enough to find entertainment in watching the curious creature that was Elizabeth Swann. Ever since joining his crew, the young woman had seemed rather frustrated, to say the least. He caught glimpses of her rattling his compass around with her teeth clenched tightly in impatience. He suspected that the cause of her anger had to do with the bloody trinket pointing in the wrong direction.
Jack took notice of the other newest crewmember, former Commodore James Norrington, watching him with distrustful eyes. Though the man had fallen from grace roughly, he was still painfully observant of the goings about the ship. And painfully spiteful of its captain. It wasn't long before he approached him about the matter of his watching Elizabeth.
"If you so much as lay a hand on her..."
"Listen 'ere, mate, I don't intend on harmin' the lass."
"I don't understand." The former Commodore's brow furrowed.
"I don't expect a man like ye would." Jack assured him, unoffended, as he adjusted the angle of the helm ever so slightly. "But jus' know that she's safe 'ere with us. No man aboard this vessel would dare pull a hair from her pretty little head."
"Oh, dear. You don't love her, do you?" Norrington asked, without warning, from beside him, seeming a tad dismayed.
"What? What gave ye that idea?" Jack raised an incredulous eyebrow. Then he snorted, walking away from the man. "Love is for children, Commodore, an' I am most certainly not a child."
The other man's shone in doubt at the last remark. "So you say, Sparrow."
"...Do I need to have ye locked in the brig?" He wondered as he paused in his tracks, frowning at the man's snarky attitude.
"That won't be necessary." Norrington replied tersely. "But, I swear, Captain, that if you hurt her, you will regret ever sailing into Port Royal."
He shrugged, trying to pretend that the man's lack of faith in him didn't sting. "Wouldn't dream o' it, mate. Now, run along an' make yourself useful. The sooner we get to that bloody island, the better."
"Yes, sir." The man responded through gritted teeth, his shoulders stiff as he turned and climbed down to the main deck to find something to occupy himself with.
Jack sighed, silently praying the man would keep to himself about their conversation. Elizabeth needn't know anything. Not yet, anyway. She still had her part to play. Until then...