Oranges. Fucking oranges. When Wilhelmina had been given the remnants of that orange cake for her birthday she'd known they'd run out of oranges sooner rather than later because of it. Frankly the girl was astounded that Roach had managed to stretch them out for as long as he had; pat on the head for their knife-happy Roach. Now though they'd run dry on the juicy delights, Stede had found himself a treasure map and Jim had done their best to talk them out of going ashore to St Augustine.

It was a weird fucking day for all. Izzy though? Izzy remained uncertain about his role as first mate again being real, so he'd flashed repeatedly back and forth between barking orders at everyone and just straight-up avoiding the entire crew. He and Edward had hardly spoken; neither of them seemed to know how and Willa wasn't all that sure how to help the two idiots. While the teen would have liked to stretch her legs in St Augustine, she'd decided to remain with Izzy aboard the Revenge until he'd calmed down mentally.

With most of the crew ashore leaving them with a basic skeleton the ship had taken on an almost eery quiet; a ghost ship. The silence hadn't been helped by Ivan and Fang being given a laundry list of shit to do and a glare strong enough that they'd not dared to question Izzy's orders. The auburn-haired beauty had always been cheered up by Fang's and Ivan's presence.

The wind danced across the upper deck like a tease while golden sun warmed the Brazilian wood, a soothing warmth which heated the skin but didn't cause one to sweat uncomfortably under their leathers. Fluffy clouds littered the sky with a gentle softness rather than those depressing gray ones that just waited for their chance to downpour.

Izzy leaned back against the taffrail with a map grasped tightly in his hands. Izzy always kept a very close eye on the map, but Willa supposed a good map was both expensive and hard to come by, so keeping a firm grip seemed logical.

The ship being so empty meant Willa had seen an opportunity to wash her clothes; blissfully, thanks to the sun, her things had dried out quickly and allowed her to dress again. She'd not been so clean and tidy since she'd had daily access to servants at home. Fresh as a daisy. Willa made her way to the stairs so she could steal a cuddle from Izzy, but stepped on something hard and round. With a hiss of pain and curiosity she bent down to pick up the tiny attacker, A surprisingly pearly tooth. A tooth? It had to be one of the Swede's since he'd been practically shedding the things for the last day and a half. Unsure of where to put the morbid thing, she set it down on the stair rail for him to put in his little baggy later.

Unimpeded by any more teeth, the auburn-haired teenager made her way up to the quarterdeck and right to her gruff Englishman so she could rest her head on his shoulder. Izzy's blue eyes didn't so much as glance away from the map. Willa counted that he'd not simply shrugged her head off of him as a win.

"Something wrong, lass?"

"Nein, it's just unusually quiet is all." She said as she took Izzy's apparent good mood as her invitation to loop her arm with his and squeeze her chest into him. "Never heard it this quiet."

"Fucking peaceful without those absolute twats aboard."

"You don't have to call them that."

Izzy lifted an eyebrow though still didn't bother looking at her. "They are fucking twats."

The map was rolled up only to slip out of his hands and flutter to the ground. Izzy ripped out of her hold as he dipped to catch it before a breeze came.

"Bugger!"

Willa smirked to herself, a light chuckle only Izzy got to heard.

"Puppy, coming from you I can't tell if that's an irritated cry or an invitation."

"Oh shut it." He grumbled but there wasn't any of the normal savageness that usually accompanied his words. "Go do something useful."

Wilhelmina rolled her eyes. "I've done my chores and washed my clothes."

"So your next course of action is to bother the fuck out of me?"

Willa rested against the taffrail so she could flash him a coy grin. Izzy knew that look, she offered it to him frequently in the dead of night when there was only a candle to light her sweet face.

"I missed you."

The first mate's expression grew confused. "You saw me an hour ago."

She let out a little hum. "And for an hour I've missed you."

"The fuck you have." Snorted Izzy. "Little lass, what do you really want."

Willa sighed. "Okay, fine. A while back Wee John said he'd help think of a tattoo for me, but I've not really liked any of his suggestions. The mermaid was kind of cool but Frenchie threw a fit about it."

"Should noble girls really have one?" Everybody kept asking her that. "They're not as common as you seem to think, even among pirates."

Her head fell to one side. "Do I look like your usual noble girl?"

"Touché."

It wasn't lost on Willa that Izzy didn't seem overly interested in her desire for a tattoo, but with chores done and hardly any crew to scream at, Izzy couldn't simply wander off; not that Willa would have let him.

"I've come up with something though." Izzy quirked an eyebrow as he waited for her big reveal. "I want at paw print."

"Why the actual fuck would you want – oh right."

That got a little giggle out of his beautiful girl. "I thought about a ship as well, but for the moment I just want the paw. When he comes back I'm going to ask Wee John to do it for me."

"Why you asking him?!" Izzy demanded a little too quickly and finally tucked the map away inside his leather waistcoat.

"I know he's done some for the others and even did a few of his own. Why?" She asked innocently to add to her subtle manipulations. "Do you think I should ask Ed instead? He did yours, right?"

Izzy nodded. "Yeah, he did, but who the fuck do you think did his?"

"Well, you, but I didn't think you'd want to. You're usually busy and didn't seem keen on the idea."

Of course she'd known that Izzy wouldn't simply come out and offer to tattoo her, and while Willa was certain that Wee John wouldn't refuse her request, she felt something as significant as her first tattoo should have been done by somebody important to her; Izzy was certainly that person for her. Seemed she'd done her manipulation well because, with a little flutter of her eyes, Izzy strutted forward to her and leaned in to whisper in her ear.

"I know you're trying to manipulate me, lass." Maybe she'd not been quite as subtle as she'd thought. "I'll forgive you though since it's you."

Twinkling green eyes kept him captivated as she tugged him to her by his neckerchief to steal a kiss.

"So you'll do it for me?"

Izzy rose back up to his full height, which wasn't that impressive, and made a rather dramatic display of thinking the whole thing over.

"Aye, I suppose." Izzy finally agreed. "Just to get you to shut up about it all."

Willa clapped excitedly, let out a cheer of glee then pressed a kiss to his cheek. Izzy wouldn't admit to it but he always loved the way she beamed at him when he'd made her happy.

"I've done a couple of rough sketches but I'm not a very good artist, so I'm not a hundred percent happy." She really had been planning the entire thing. "I'm going to do some more."

With that Willa bounced away having gotten exactly what she wanted yet again. With Izzy left stood there with the sun at his back, all he could do was role his eyes. Even with him fully aware of what she was doing he'd let her sway him easily.

"Evil little lass." He whispered to himself.

~X~

An hour after Willa had talked Izzy into tattooing her, the pair sat quietly in the hold atop barrels while Izzy prepared ink and made certain there was a nice, sharp point on his needle; if Izzy was to do this he'd damn well do it properly.

The sight of something so sharp gave Willa a moment of pause, especially when the sharp point glistened in the sun which slipped in through the grate above their heads. She swallowed. Logically speaking the noble girl knew she shouldn't have had anything to feel nervous about, it would be nothing compared to the carved letter Izzy had already given her … even if pleasure had been surging through her at the time. However, the little girl who'd stabbed herself in the fingers way too many times during her needlepoint lessons feared slightly.

"Alright," began Izzy. "Let me see this sketch of yours or whatever the fuck you did."

He made a 'hurry up' motion when Willa didn't fish her drawing out quite quick enough for her liking, then pretty much yanked it out of her hand when she finally offered it to him. Green eyes watched intently as Izzy looked over the sketch with a critical eye. For a moment she expected him to spit out some reason the tattoo couldn't go ahead, but then he shrugged.

"Looks simple enough, won't take long. Where d'you want it?" That comment got a large smirk from the teen and an eye roll from him. "The tattoo."

Having had a while to think about this lovely piece of artwork, Wilhelmina didn't need to ponder that question even for a second. Her left arm was stretched out forearm up, all beautiful porcelain skin.

"How about here?" She questioned softly as she pointed to the spot just below her inner elbow. "That seems a good spot, ja?"

"Fine." He huffed as he always did. "It'll hurt so don't pull your arm away or the paw will turn into a fucking octopus."

Then he'd hunched himself over her arm with the freshly-sharpened needle in his gloved hands and the sketch rested on his knee.

She'd been the one to push for this tattoo so there really was no backing out now. Willa had faith in her grumpy lover, knew he'd make it perfect. Her head tilted backward and her eyes fall shut as Izzy set to work; Willa had been through her fair share of pain and agony, the man she loved giving her a peace of meaningful artwork would be treasured rather than hated pain. Quite frankly pain had started to become liked rather than totally eschewed.

Time passed with neither speaking, Izzy was too focused on his work while Willa didn't feel as though words were needed. The comfortable silence punctuated only by the occasional squawking seagull and waves crashing against the hull. Soon Willa came to find Izzy's constant stabbing of her arm rather therapeutic, a soothing comfort Willa hadn't known she needed. Izzy worked diligently but swiftly and, honestly, Willa started to think about taking a little nap.

When slumber didn't take over Willa found herself thinking of her brother. The emerald-eyed teenager knew she'd see Friedrich again eventually, Stede had promised, and when she did Willa would show him her tattoo and regale him with tales of pirates and adventures, of burning her pale feet on hot sand and seeing the Republic of Pirates for herself. It would be unseemly and practically shameful for a Freiin to have a tattoo, but it would be easily covered by any dress she wore and even if it wasn't Willa would wear it with pride. Fuck being Freiin Wilhelmina von Krieger, right now she was Izzy Hands' little lass.

"You're not making as much fuss about this as I thought you would." Izzy chimed in suddenly breaking their peaceful quiet and forcing Willa to open her eyes once more.

"Should I be crying and begging you to stop?"

He shrugged at her teasing. "Probably not, you're not that weak."

A gentle smile pulled itself up onto her lips, a sweet upturn too innocent for a pirate ship. She took notice of his body then, Izzy's muscles had greatly relaxed since first thing that morning, his shoulders didn't carry quite as much tension and the semi-permanent scowl had softened.

"You're less tense than you were this morning." Willa remarked. "When Stede started talking about a treasure map I thought you were going to pop a blood vessel."

Izzy grumbled internally. "I'm first mate, my place is on the ship, not looking for non-existent treasure. Fucking x marks the spot my ass."

"How do you know it doesn't exist?"

The older man finally peered up from his work with an incredulous expression. "Don't be stupid, lass. No fucker ever hides riches and then makes an easily readable map with a lovely big X saying exactly where they buried it. I've met fucking idiots but nobody that dumb."

The fingers of her right hand gestured to the tattoo on his face. "You're a treasure and you've got an X."

"Don't go getting all poetic. Let me finish this."

She regarded him once more. The soft hair on the back of his head exposed to her as he turned back to his task; part of Willa wanted to mess it up.

"You're taking the idea of them being co-captains rather well. I'm proud of you."

"They're not fucking co-captains." He growled, a grumble deep in the back of his throat. The needle dug in a little more violently causing Willa to yelp. "Edward is still doing everything useful and fucking Bonnet is just posing like always."

Willa could have rolled her eyes but fortunately she'd become rather good at keeping them locked away inside.

"The way I see it they – and you – all have your own parts and you're doing them. Ed acts like he couldn't care less but he's always got a plan when it's needed." She told her lover. "Then there's you, the loyal first mate, who plans raids, keeps the ship in working order and keeps Ed from going too far when his ideas become too dangerous. Lastly is Stede, sure he may not be a very good pirate but he is a people person. He keeps morale up and keeps the crew unified. That's a very good skill for a captain to have. They're two sides of a coin and you're the coin purse keeping everything together all neat and tidy."

The man with salt and pepper hair sighed. "What did I say about getting poetic?"

Willa shrugged as best she could what with Izzy keeping a firm grip on her arm so it didn't move and destroy his work.

"Thought I was being more philosophical than poetic."

"Smart ass."

That had the young girl breathing out a laugh. "Mein Schatz." (My darling)

The pirate basically ignored her endearment; if that was due to him not understanding what she'd said or because he didn't know how to react, Willa wasn't certain.

"Bonnet is just a novelty." Izzy continued with his grumbling. "Edward will be done with him soon enough."

"That's not true and you know it. Please stop lying to yourself." A quietude lingered between the oddly-matched pair a few seconds as he continued her tattoo, then, finally, the silence was once more broken by Willa musing aloud. "Must be nice now that storm has started to settle for you."

As always Izzy continued to grumble. Izzy without grumbling was like the ocean without fish.

"Or maybe it's the eye of the hurricane."

"Now who's being poetic?" Willa teased.

Her time with the first mate had taught Willa how to gauge Izzy's temper and flee from a topic. To be perfectly frank, Willa prided herself on her skill at judging Izzy's moods. So, before the water in his teapot heated up a little too much, Willa changed the subject.

"I have a question." She said in that lightly accented voice of hers.

Izzy dipped the needle back into the ink he'd made. "Don't you always?"

"What is 'doggy heaven'? I understand the imagery but I get the feeling there is something more. I've heard you, Fang and Ivan say it."

His movements ground to a halt for a second but Izzy soon got himself moving again; like nothing had happened.

"Don't worry your pretty little head about it, lass."

"You saying things like that make me worry."

The ship suddenly jolted to the side a little more violently than usual then and Izzy was forced to stick on leg out to steady himself. It regretfully dug the sharp needle a little too deeply into her skin and forced a pained hiss from the beauty. No tattoo was ever perfect when performed on a pirate vessel by a gruff first mate.

"I said to keep still. It's almost done. Full-fledged pirate in no time."

"If I were on the von Krieger estate," she started with a smile, "I'd have to sit for a portrait endlessly. Tattoos are better. I can take the art with me, it has more meaning and your hands are so nimble that it is almost done. Have you ever tried painting?"

Izzy didn't look convinced in the slightest. "Do I look like I've tried painting? I'm not a fucking artist, I'm a swordsman, a strategist-"

Wilhelmina cut in. "A damn fine pirate."

"Exactly."

She smirked as he shuffled in his seat. The sketch tumbled down from his knee to the ground when Izzy announced the tattoo was complete, a feather-like tumble neither of them attempted to prevent. Willa quickly pulled her arm back so she could see the paw she'd carry with her for the rest of her life. A delighted little squeal escaped her throat and her eyes glittered just a bit brighter.

The edge of her thumb pressed slightly too hard. "Ouch!"

"It's obviously going to be tender for a while."

Neither of them could miss the expression of happiness and delight which had plastered itself across her stunning face. The lines weren't perfectly straight, a touch crooked here and there, but that didn't detract from the image at all. Truthfully the slight imperfections were something Willa quickly came to adore.

"This is fantastic, puppy! I love it." In an instant Willa had launched from the barrel she'd been using as a seat and into Izzy's lap, she grabbed him by his scruffy chin for a kiss. "I love you."

First Mate Hands looked away. "I know."

She wasn't deterred, just grabbed his chin again for another kiss. "I mean it, Izzy. Danke. I know you probably had better things to do."

The pirate wasn't exactly used to people genuinely being grateful to him so he simply shrugged it all off. Yet, of course, Willa actually was thankful and really did love him.

She rose to her feet again then bent down to grab the sketch. Green eyes peered at it a moment to compare it with her new ink, the two were almost indistinguishable from one another which she supposed was the point and the mark of a good tattooist. Willa took a moment to carefully fold the page back up and tucked it into her stays out the way.

While Willa admired her new tattoo, Izzy had returned to the things she'd said about Stede and Ed. So, when he suddenly shot up and kicked the barrel he'd been sitting on over, Willa jumped. He'd attacked the large barrel as though it had personally gone out of its way to offend him. For a moment Willa had little choice but to stand there and watch as he continued to attack the barrel with a snarl. If he kicked much longer he'd break his damn foot.

"Izzy?"

His salt and pepper hair bounced around wildly, had he not been attacking random objects she'd have found it all quite adorable. Izzy didn't respond though so she called out his name again and again with little success.

"Fucking Bonnet with his fucking face and his fucking fancy clothes and his fucking Brazilian mast!" Izzy barked as his internal screaming became audible.

"Izzy, you'll hurt yourself." She pointed out but it was plain to see he wasn't listening.

How he'd gone from calm to boiling over so quickly she wasn't entirely sure, but it would most likely be best if Willa defused the situation as best she could.

"The fucking ponce won't be happy until Blackbeard is a stuttering weakling! Bonnet won't be happy until we're all that way."

Next thing the teenager knew Izzy had grabbed a small sack, which had been left beside the abused barrel, and angrily threw it randomly; unfortunately that just so happened to be at Willa's face though it was easily dodged.

"Was zur Hölle?!" (What the hell?!)

That seemed to startle Izzy, like he'd totally forgotten she'd been there the whole time; he had the decency to appear guilty. The ability to blow quite so hot and cold with such vehement speed sometimes astonished even the leather-clad pirate.

"… Sorry."

Willa hid just how much she wanted to beam, Izzy never said sorry to anyone; they'd had to force him to say it to Stede. The older man sighed and went to stand the barrel back up.

Wilhelmina had thought Izzy had been doing well but he that had been a mistake, he wasn't doing well at all, instead he'd just been hiding his continued rage.

Slowly, so as not to trigger another outburst, she approached him pretty certain there wouldn't be any more throwing of random things. Didn't take a genius to figure out one little speech from their captains wouldn't cure all of Izzy's worries and shattered pieces.

Willa took a gentle breath before speaking as calmly as she was able. "Izzy, I know you don't like Stede – everyone knows you don't like Stede – but we've talked about this, remember?" She stepped toward him. "Blackbeard is just a legend and you can't kill legends, can't make them weak. Stede is no threat to Blackbeard because everyone already knows the legend. He's helping Ed though."

Izzy let out a deep huff. "Lass, I know you're trying to help but don't."

"Okay." She said as she tried changing tact. "How about we go do something fun?"

He wanted to say no and she saw that easily enough, but somehow the leather-clad man found himself with his hands rested on his hips gazing at her.

"Like what?"

With a few more steps she was pressed against his chest and brushed his messy hair back into place. Willa had always loved his hair, the way the gray dusted through so perfectly and brought out the blue of his eyes.

"Anything you want. What makes my puppy happy, hmm?"

His face scrunched in that way of his, they all knew which one, the expression that said he was angry in general. All of a sudden an old length of rope caught Willa's eye, it had been coiled up and tossed into a corner, and a wonderful idea blossomed inside her mind. Yes, Wilhelmina had just the thing to calm her puppy down.

"Kneel." She ordered.

"The fuck-?" Izzy found himself cut off abruptly as a harsh slap stung his face; not a vicious pang of pain but it certainly dazed Izzy momentarily with delight.

"I told you to kneel like a good dog."

Before his mind had even made a decision Izzy's legs gave out and he sank down to his knees. A slight shockwave of pain worked its way up into his hips like lightning in the sky. The sun shone through the grate leaving a criss-cross of shadows on his face.

"Take your shirt off."

"Why?"

Willa lifted a single auburn eyebrow. "Don't make me tell you again."

Her voice remained stern as she casually strolled to the coiled rope and lifted it into her hands. It was old and not exactly fit for binding cargo down any longer, frayed at both ends, but for what she had in mind it would more than do.

"Lass-?"

She cut him off once more. "You'll sit up straight until I tell you otherwise, Herr." (Mister)

Thankfully Izzy chose not to argue or question further because he quickly tossed away his baldric and slipped off both his waistcoat and his black shirt to reveal that hairy chest of his.

Just as casually she returned to stand behind Izzy's kneeling form with the length of rope. He'd probably be able to escape it if he really wanted. She bent down to steal away his knife; something he allowed with a hint of puzzlement.

"What are you going to do to me?" His voice wobbled ever so slightly though not with fear, if Willa had to select a word for it she'd have gone with anticipation.

The teenager who'd come to love him crouched down behind Izzy as she used his knife to quickly cut away the excess section of rope. The knife found itself tossed away with the scrap and she grabbed his wrists to tie them behind his back. Sure she only knew a single nautical knot courtesy of Wee John, and yes Izzy would have been very capable of breaking free at any time, but that wasn't the point and they both knew Izzy had no want to free himself there and then.

With a small smirk she leaned to whisper in his ear. "Nothing you don't want."

Then she pulled the old rope nice and tight. Izzy let out a breathy sigh, so needy and she'd hardly even started.

"There, perfect." She said to commend her own work. "All puppies should be kept on a leash, ja." Willa kissed his scruffy cheek. "How do you spell 'absolution'?"

The first mate lifted an eyebrow. "What sort of question is that?"

This little game had been played before but Izzy hadn't expected her to whip it back out now.

"The one I want you to answer." Izzy's eye twitched at her words, his natural instinct to be a brat flared up but he managed to pack it away. "I'm waiting."

"A. B. S. O. L. U. T. I. O.N."

All fun and games aside, Izzy's literacy had excelled astoundingly in just a short time. Where once he'd only been able to recognize certain words on cargo or a place name, Izzy now had little difficulty with reading. Spelling still gave him some trouble – probably why Willa liked this game - but Izzy Hands was intelligent and learned fast.

"Good." Willa said with genuine praise. "And what does it mean?"

"… Forgiveness."

It it's simplest form that was exactly right.

"Ja." Willa stood and rounded him so they faced one another, her small frame managed to tower over him since he was on his knees. "That word is going to be your word for the day, Izzy. Will you keep it in mind?"

Blue orbs peered up at her to see her sweetly flutter her eyes at him and Izzy was powerless to refuse, simply nodded in response. Suddenly a slap struck him and that oddly pleasurable sting returned to heat his cheek. The spark worked its way down his neck, through his chest until it found his length and caused it to begin to harden.

"Use your words, puppy."

"I'll remember."

"Better."

Willa looked him over, all tied up and shirtless. A little sun through the hold hatch somehow managed to frame his eyes and brighten them. Numerous scars and tattoos littered his upper body, some partially hidden by his chest hair while others stood out proudly.

"You truly are a shambles of a human being. Most of the crew might be on land but there's still a couple of guys wandering about. We've been gone a while, they could come looking for us at any second. What would they find?" She let out a hum, a tiny vibration of her voice which seemed to echo inside his ears. "Their fearsome first mate on his knees, tied up at the mercy of a teenage girl. Already half hard like the little pervert you are."

His cock had already started to strain inside his leathers but that hadn't earned any of her attention just yet. Instead, Willa grabbed Izzy by his hair, the hair she adored so very much, and yanked his head backward to display his stubbled neck. Truly Willa couldn't explain why she'd grown so attached to Izzy's graying hair; possibly due to it's surprising softness. However, for Izzy she supposed it was simply nice to let someone else be in charge for a while; to just submit.

"Go on, admit it." She encouraged in an overly innocent tone. "Tell me you're a filthy pervert. Say 'Fräulein von Krieger, I'm a debauched degenerate' like a good boy." Izzy swallowed and when he didn't answer quickly enough for her liking Willa tugged sharply on his hair to cause a hiss of pain. "Come on, you want to be my good boy, don't you?"

Izzy Hands couldn't quite bring himself to say it, but Christ yes! Fuck, did he want to be a good boy for her. People like him were servants and scum to those of Willa's station.

When words finally managed to leave his dry lips they were a little breathless. "Fräulein von Krieger, I'm – I'm a debauched degenerate."

The Prussian straightened back up and finally released her grasp on his soft locks in favor of slowly circling him like a vulture looking for it's next meal.

"There, wasn't so hard. My precious puppy doing as he's told."

Without warning she came to a stop behind him again and, in a single smooth and powerful motion, kicked him square in the back just above where his hands were bound. He stumbled forward then crashed down smacking his face into the floor of the hold since he had no way to prevent it. Willa rested her boot between his shoulder blades, just enough pressure to keep him in place without actually hurting him; not that Izzy would have stopped her.

"Fuck!" The word escaped him in a sharp bark.

Wilhelmina remembered a time when Kommodore Hohenstaufen had done something similar to her. With him it had hurt, he'd wanted to leave his bootprint on her back, but Otto Hohenstaufen had died long ago now and Willa wasn't looking to torture her sweet Izzy. No, Willa never wanted to actually hurt him, hurting him to please and comfort him though was a different story. If her grumpy pirate for one second looked as though he couldn't take much more Willa would have stopped without question or argument from Izzy.

The girl smiled to herself when Izzy unintentionally let out a cute little mew. The sight of him start to rub his needy cock against the floor for some relief amused her. Her dirty little doggy couldn't cum yet though so she sat on him, straddled his back so her core was right over his bound hands; leather pants being the only thing to separate the two. The added weight to his arms had him moaning and groaning in seconds. Slowly she leaned down to breathe him in and press almost all of her upper body to his back. Willa loved the way Izzy smelled; always the sea and soap.

"My beautiful Israel."

"Fucking not!" Izzy protested, but ultimately he was too focused on the feeling of her breasts against his back; the embroidery on her stays tickled.

"Oh? You think you're not a handsome man?" Willa shook her head slightly. "I assure you that you are, puppy. I'm a lucky girl."

"Don't be fucking stupid, you're not lucky."

He grunted when his lass snatched his head back using his hair again, a harshness which loosened a few strands certainly. His hips thrust without his consent at the new extreme angle he'd been forced into.

"Why would I not be lucky?" Her accent was thicker now, a clear indication of her own arousal. "Do you believe you are below me?"

"Course- course I am." He gasped; cock desperate for some friction. "You're a fucking noble."

Anything more the first mate had to say stuttered away when she pulled once more on his hair; Willa truly did adore it. Her hips were forced down pushing Izzy's dick into the floor and giving him a taste of that friction he'd been looking for.

"Is that it? I am noble so I'm too good for the conniving pirate? Tell me, if you'd been born to a Freiherr and I'd been the poor pirate, would you be too good for me?"

Izzy's eyes snapped open as his painful bliss fractured momentarily. Willa would never not be good enough for anyone or anything.

"Not what I fucking meant."

"Then your conclusions must be faulty, my farcical puppy dog." Feather-soft lips brushed the back of his neck to gift him a kiss there. "Silly boy making mistakes."

The pain in her forearm had almost entirely faded now, numbed but the rising pleasure both of them felt. With just a pull of the green ribbon Willa kept in her hair the braid came loose. Auburn locks fell free and cascaded down around Izzy's head like a shroud. Soft locks caressed his heated skin and surrounded him with her heavenly scent. But then it was all gone as she brushed her hair all over one shoulder out of the way. Izzy wanted it back but with his hands bound and her atop him he'd got no choice but to stay there pretty much flat on the ground with a sixteen-year-old girl seated on him.

Suddenly and slowly all at the same time her ribbon was looped around his neck and tied in a small but neat bow before a kiss was pressed to the pulse point of his neck.

"Such a pretty puppy needs a collar."

So soft, so surprisingly comforting and oddly blissful was the silk at his neck. Izzy hadn't ever worn silk, just linen, leather and the rare bit of wool, he'd never known how arousing such a fabric could be. When she pushed her hips down again forcing him into the floor his neck strained and pulled the silk tight. Such restriction which momentarily constricted his breathing while Willa sought out a little of her own pleasure by rubbing her wet sexa gainst his bound hands. He'd released a fair few grunts and moans of his own so hearing Willa's vibrate through his back had him practical purring. The fingers of her left hand trailed down his back, nails occasionally scratching, while those of her right snared his salt and pepper locks. The strain on his scabbed W ripped and cracked just enough to pleasure him with little bursts of searing pain which paired delightfully with the tugs of his hair.

"Think you could cum just by me pulling on your hair, Izzy? Hmm? I do." Her hips continued to rock with growing need as she chased after her own orgasm. "Good boy with a strong back. Maybe I should – ah!- call you a horse instead."

Willa chuckled ever so slightly as she neared her climax. Polished emeralds slipped closed and her head fell back. Almost. So very close. Just a little more and – Willa let out a cry as her orgasm rushed through her, a roaring euphoria which wanted to drown her. Her lips trembled, her heart raced and fingers unintentionally snared the ribbon at Izzy's neck forcing him to arch backward and pant for air. Then, just as suddenly as he'd been grabbed, Izzy was released and his face again smashed into the floor with a dense thud.

Through the last of her high Willa could feel Izzy wriggle underneath her, but grinding himself against the ground certainly wasn't enough for him any longer. Having been satisfied she fell off of the dogmatic first mate to one side and just watched him a second frantically thrust into the floor. Willa couldn't prevent the chuckle that escaped her parted lips.

"That looks good on you, Izzy." She said with a loose gesture to the ribbon around his neck. "Green suits you."

With shaky arms she pushed herself to her feet and went to the barrel she'd been sat on for her tattoo; partly for something stable to sit on but mostly to continue her teasing. Her leather-coated legs parted.

"Come here." Willa commanded and Izzy didn't hesitate.

The first mate awkwardly shoved himself up onto his knees then shuffled to her parted legs like the needy dog he was. Poor thing's knees probably hurt but neither of them cared. As soon as Izzy was close enough Willa's nimble fingers grabbed him by the neckerchief he always wore and pulled him up for a heated kiss; a violent meeting of teeth and tongue.

"You've been such a good puppy for me, I'm very proud and I think you've earned a treat."

Willa cupped him through his leathers and Izzy let out a desperate sound others might have referred to as pathetic.

"Fucking hell!"

She grinned. "Aww, is that big cock of yours all uncomfortable in there? Since you've been so well behaved you can show me just how much of a dog you are and hump my leg. I'll be nice and even let you choose which one." Izzy's eyebrow shot up but Willa didn't notice, too busy playing with the ribbon around his neck. "What do you say to your lass' kindness?"

"… Thank you." He told her breathlessly.

He tried to shuffle closer but Willa hauled him backward with an expectant expression on her beautiful face.

"Try again."

"Thank you, Fräulein von Krieger."

"Better." She praised. "Be the dirty doggy you are then."

That was all the encouragement he needed to press his desperate, leaking cock into her left leg and start thrusting with all the desperation he felt. Faster and faster as she petted him. His breath came in hard and heavy pants as he chased his own ecstasy. Willa's green eyes watched him lovingly while sweet words he didn't take notice of were whispered to him. Her soft touches drove him until finally, finally, the first mate let out a groan of wanton abandon into her stomach as he came filling his leather pants with the salty evidence of his want.

She let him rest against her a few moments while the first mate got his breath back; her thumb softly brushed against his heated cheek.

"Thank you, mistress."

Willa raised an auburn eyebrow. "Mistress huh? I think I like that more than fräulein."

After a loving kiss to the top of his head, Willa untied the silk ribbon.

"Mein Bärchen." (My little bear) She muttered sweetly only to kiss his temple.

Though his knees wanted to give out Izzy forced himself to stretch up and capture her lips for another kiss. Soon the ribbon tumbled to the floor in favor of her arms wrapping around his neck to deepen their kisses. Eventually her hand slipped down his arm to the rope to find his hands cold so she quickly extracted herself from their kissing to untie him.

"Izzy, why didn't you say the rope was cutting off blood?"

" … Liked it." He mumbled in a tone somewhere between embarrassment and shame.

Willa wouldn't let shame overtake him. She grabbed him by the chin after dumping the rope and forced him to meet her eye.

"You still should have told me."

Light kisses were pressed to his cold wrists, arms stiff and unused to movement. Her soft lips against his inner wrists were a sliver of delight he'd not seen coming, but all too soon he was wrapped up in her arms with his face pressed into her stomach again. Willa went right back to petting his hair and Izzy just took a moment to soak up the happiness. He deserved some happiness.

When their embrace came to a natural end, Izzy spied the ribbon on the ground and snatched it up. Before he knew exactly what he was doing the first mate had braided her hair and tied the ribbon back in its rightful place; an act which only made her smile all the more. Nobody but Willa ever got to see Izzy's tender side.

Their eyes met then for a moment and a flash of something practically indescribable flickered between them. Then, without warning, Izzy launched upward lifting Willa from the barrel and surprising his unsteady legs as he took the weight of both of them. She innately wrapped her legs around his waist and stole another kiss.

"Du has wunerschöne Augen." (You have wonderful eyes) Willa mumbled into their kiss. It was rather clear that Izzy didn't believe her, or maybe he just didn't fully understand her words; probably both. He certainly knew exactly what her next words meant though. "Küss mich." (Kiss me)

So he did, he kissed her deeply and madly. The pair fought a battle for dominance as he stood there with her in his strong arms, and Willa quickly let him win. Kissing Izzy Hands was always better when he took the lead, always showed off how good with his tongue he was.

Then it was all over. A rogue wave called Fang came and destroyed their peace and lovemaking as he appeared in the hold doorway.

"Oh, sorry. I – I didn't mean to interrupt."

The unlikely couple broke apart so Izzy could launch a scowl at the bearded man.

"What? Spit it the fuck out!"

"Em, the Captains and everyone are coming back. We can see them. I though you'd want to know."

"Fine, I know. Piss off."

Fang certainly didn't need telling a second time. He scurried away with only his footfalls singling he'd ever been there to begin with.

"I'm proud of you, Izzy." Willa smiled still in his arms.

"And why is that, lass?"

"You told him to 'piss off' instead of 'fuck off'. For you that is pretty friendly." She teased.

"I should chuck the fucker overboard. I see the way he looks at you, same way that so-called surgeon does."

Willa grinned at his possessive comment. "Oh Izzy, no he doesn't, but you always say the most wonderful things when you're seething with envy." He opened his mouth to snap some quip but Willa just kept on talking. "We don't want you getting al uncomfortable in those leather pants of yours though. You should go clean up before the others get back."

Finally he set her down on her feet. "I could say the same for you, lass."

"Or I could stay all warm and wet for you."

"Christ!" Izzy groaned.

Despite their teasing, cleaning up did sound like a very good idea. With another kiss he started to make his way to the hold door but Willa stayed and picked up the rope she'd used to bind him.

"Puppy?" He paused and look at her over his shoulder. "Shall I take the rope to our cabin?"

Izzy smirked. "Yeah, you do that."

Then he was gone and Willa rolled her eyes; Izzy Hands truly was her silly puppy.

XXXX

A/N

Yes, I know many find the term 'fräulein' to be offensive and I get why. However, I'd like to point out the era this fic is set in.