Chapter 6:
"Well, thank ya fer yer hostility, mate. Pardon me, I actually meant te say hospitality. Tend to confuse the words some times. But what's a slight mistake among friends?," Jack flashed a toothy grin at his guard.
The other man was ill-humored and not at all in the mood for jokes. He would have wanted to see some blood, instead this nerve racking pirate was now in his custody and was not to be harmed until the Captain decided otherwise. The man gritted his teeth. He shoved Jack into the cell and slammed the massive metal door shut behind him. At least this gave him some sort of sadistic satisfaction. He returned to his post on deck with a evil grin on his face.
"....don't know how to treat people......blasted rumrunners," Jack mumbled under his breath, kicking with his foot against the iron bares of the cell. He turned around and came face to face with Valentina who was standing in front of him, her arms crossed over her chest, her foot tapping angrily. Instinctively he made a step back only to be stopped by the metal door behind him.
"That is your brilliant rescue plan?" she hissed at him.
"Well, 'ello to ya to, love," Jack grimaced. Now his chances of taking a brief nap before their guard returned were bordering on zero. Great!
He waited for an angry tirade to wash over him, but he wasn't prepared for what he heard next.
"You see me getting kidnapped and chase after me without a second thought?! You could have been killed," she poked her finger into his chest angrily while she spoke, "They could have skewered you the second you set foot on board!" her voice rose a pitch in her anger.
She was worried about him? He hadn't been hit over the head, had he?
There was an energy charged silence during which they just stared at each other. Valentina, wondering why he had actually come after her and Jack, asking himself if his hearing was playing tricks on him.
After a while Valentina's gaze suddenly softened and wandered off. Actually she was extremely happy to see him. She had been frightened to death. Since the fight on the Black Pearl she had been on an emotional roller coaster ride. Before he arrived she had been only seconds from falling apart completely. Then she had heard his voice approach through the dusky twilight of the brig and relief had washed over.
"Why are you doing this anyway? I'm not worth risking your life over," she asked in a voice that was barely more than a whisper.
There was a brief pause. Deep down Jack knew exactly why he was doing this, instead he simply said, "Because I owe ya."
She grinned a lopsided grin at him that seemed to say 'Yeah, right! Because you are a such an honorable man'. They both knew fully well that this was only a sorry excuse for what he actually meant to say.
"What on earth was it he wanted to say?", she wondered. Somehow these thoughts were extremely disquieting, so she quickly chased them away.
Valentina cleared her throat nervously. "Jack, your arm........," she indicated the huge gash that stretched out over his upper arm.
"Just a tiny scratch," he successful put on a fake grin, though his arm hurt like hell. If only he had some rum to numb the pain. He had! He reached into the pocket of his coat and produced a small flask of rum. His emergency ration.
"Rum?" Valentina asked interestedly. He nodded and opened the bottle, raising it to his lips.....but before he could drink from it, it was ripped out of his hand.
"We will need this. The wound needs to be cleaned," she informed him matter- of-factly.
"As yer Captain I demand ya give it back this second!" he said squinting together his eyes and if she didn't know any better she would say he was pouting like a little boy who had been stolen his toy.
"Oh, please, Sparrow! Shut up and sit down," Valentina said good-humouredly and started inspecting his wound.
"That's mutiny," he said in a sulky voice.
"I know," Valentina answered lightly, "Now take off your coat and stop whining!"
He obeyed her order begrudgingly and winced when the fabric of his coat slightly brushed over his wound as he took it off.
"Just a scratch, eh?" she commented and raised an eyebrow, which earned her an angry side wards glance from Jack.
The sleeve of his shirt was soaked in blood, some of it already dry, leaving red brownish stains on the once white fabric. With a fast movement she ripped it off. Better do it fast then slowly, because some of it already stuck to the wound. Jack breathed in with a sharp hiss. She examined the wound expertly.
"Your *scratch* looks kind of nasty," Valentina cringed her nose in disapproval
"This is going to burn a little bit," she said raising the flask to spill its content over the wound.
"Just make sure there's something left in the bottle," he said between clenched teeth. 'A little'? This was burning like a hot iron poker.
When she was done Valentina wordlessly handed him the bottle which he chugged down in one gigantic draught. She took the ripped off sleeve and shredded it into one long piece, which she carefully wound around his arm. Her fingers soft and hesitant, as she didn't want to cause him any more pain.
"There! All done," she said content with her work, smiling at him reassuringly.
"Thanks," Jack winked at her and as he returned her smile, she noticed for the first time his attractive dimples. Suddenly she became aware of how close they stood, yet she could not muster the willpower to move away. She felt as if her feet were glued to the spot. His intense brown eyes scrutinized her curiously, waiting for her next move, as if watching a shy deer that had accidentally stepped out of the save forest unto a clearing.
There is always a silent fight inside of a person when it comes to what one wants to do and what one will actually do. In Valentina's case it was a tie between kissing Jack or fleeing to the other corner of the cell to get as far away from him as possible. Sometimes the lines between those two options blur, when you think outside of the box that is made of thoughts as 'what will the others think of me', 'I'm afraid', 'Maybe I'll do something wrong'. Her mind was racing a thousand miles and was to confused to be trusted anymore, so she simply decided to do what her heart told her. Suddenly she came a lot calmer.
She stepped around him and came to stand directly in front of him. His eyes followed her every move. Jack rarely knew when to keep his mouth shut, but this time he was simply too stunned to say anything. Valentina took off his hat, smiling at him shyly. Her hand caressed his stubbly, tanned cheek with a feather like touch. He couldn't resist any longer so he pulled her closer with his good arm. To his surprise he didn't hear her protest. Instead she rapped her arms tightly around him. Valentina leaned her head into the crook of his neck, taking in the smell that was only Jack. She sighed contently and that noise seemed to run through his whole body. The hat slipped from her fingers. Neither of them noticed. She leaned her forehead against his, her breath coming quickly.
Jack felt like he was going crazy. He had never in his entire life wanted a woman as much as he wanted her. His heart was racing, the palm of his hands were sweaty. He felt like a school boy meeting his playground love. That was what she did to him! Simply, by standing close to him, by leaning into his embrace.
Then his ability to think left him as she softly kissed him on the lips. It was a tender kiss. Innocent, hesitant at first, but sweet as honey. Electricity currents seemed to run through his body as their lips met and separated, in a teasing game that left them both with the insatiable craving for more. They drank from each others emotions and got lost in the tenderness of the moment.
Then Valentina broke away before the kiss could become any deeper. True - she had opened her heart to him, but she didn't want it broken by moving too fast too soon. Just for once in her life she had to be sensible. Sensible!
"Just, to make it better," she said, her voice a husky whisper.
"Of course, " he said softly kissing the back of her hand. She felt her knees turn to jelly at the feeling of his lips on her skin. Their eyes met and before she could even form a coherent thought, she was swept up in his arms again. They were kissing again. This time more passionately. Her fingers unconsciously massaged the back of his neck and kneaded through his long black hair. When they finally came up for air they were both breathing heavily.
"Jack, I don't know.. if that is....a good idea," she was having trouble speaking, let alone formulating the words in her head, while he kissed her neck.
"Oh, I think it's a very good idea," his hot breath tickled her skin and chased Goosebumps up and down her spine.
"No, we.....," she took in a sharp breath when his teeth teasingly nibbled on her earlobe," we......we have to stop!"
It took all her willpower to extricate herself from under his embrace. He wouldn't let himself be shaken off that easily and tried to approach her again. She stopped him on arm length, at which he pouted and looked at her like a whipped puppy dog.
Valentina giggled in amusement . "Stop it!"
"Why?"
"Because we are locked up in the brig and the guard could come back any second," she gave him a look that clearly said 'isn't it obvious'.
"Are those the only reason or is there something else? 'Cause I somehow have the feeling that there's more to this than yer saying......," he said, picking up his head from the floor with a sigh. When it was your hobby to get under other peoples' skin you got pretty observant with time passing.
"You're right......," she took in a deep breath, this was hard to explain, "I'm not that kind of girl."
"Aye, that I know, darlin', that I know.....," he kissed her on the cheek.
"And what kind of girl do you think I am?" Valentina asked hesitantly, her voice somehow sounded different than usual, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Perhaps softer and more vulnerable.
"I don't know, me darling. That I was trying.....," he looked at her suggestively, "to find out."
"See......I don't know how to say this. Well, what I'm trying to say is......whatever your intentions towards me may be, please be honest with me, okay? Don't promise me the sun, the moon and the stars, when all you want to do is get into my pants," Valentina took a deep breath before she continued. This was the hardest part. "The thing is that underneath the whole bantering, all those silly games - I really like you."
He was stunned by her sincerity and courage. Did Valentina really just say she liked him? And more importantly: did he feel the same about her? She had trusted him to such a degree as to make herself vulnerable, so she deserved to be treated respectfully. It rarely happened that Jack opened up to another person in a way that let his soft side show, but this matter required absolute honesty. Somehow there was something inside of him that compelled him, yes even forced him to act this way.
She was different from the other girls he had known. When he looked back they all had been similar in a certain way, almost interchangeable - a long row of beautiful faces, only distinguished by slight details. None of them had ever touched him in a way she had. (Let alone infuriate him in the way she had, he smirked to himself.)
Valentina was special. He had the feeling that behind her sharp tongue and the tough façade she had built up in order to protect herself, there was a kind and gentle soul afraid to be hurt or disappointed. It was locked up inside of her like a treasure inside of a vault. It is a well known fact that pirates are obsessed with treasure and so was Jack. His curiosity was stirred and his interest in her pushed him beyond his limits, farther than he had ever gone before.
Before he spoke he cleared his throat nervously, bravely setting sails for unknown waters, where there would possibly be monsters. "Love, if you are that kind of woman I just got a glimpse of, then you deserve to be treated with respect. Let me be honest with you....I don't know if I'm the kind of man your looking for..... I don't know if I ever can be....but...," saying those words was harder than anything else he had ever said, "I'm willing to give it a try. For you I will. I can't make any promises though."
She nodded and smiled at him.
"Well, thank ya fer yer hostility, mate. Pardon me, I actually meant te say hospitality. Tend to confuse the words some times. But what's a slight mistake among friends?," Jack flashed a toothy grin at his guard.
The other man was ill-humored and not at all in the mood for jokes. He would have wanted to see some blood, instead this nerve racking pirate was now in his custody and was not to be harmed until the Captain decided otherwise. The man gritted his teeth. He shoved Jack into the cell and slammed the massive metal door shut behind him. At least this gave him some sort of sadistic satisfaction. He returned to his post on deck with a evil grin on his face.
"....don't know how to treat people......blasted rumrunners," Jack mumbled under his breath, kicking with his foot against the iron bares of the cell. He turned around and came face to face with Valentina who was standing in front of him, her arms crossed over her chest, her foot tapping angrily. Instinctively he made a step back only to be stopped by the metal door behind him.
"That is your brilliant rescue plan?" she hissed at him.
"Well, 'ello to ya to, love," Jack grimaced. Now his chances of taking a brief nap before their guard returned were bordering on zero. Great!
He waited for an angry tirade to wash over him, but he wasn't prepared for what he heard next.
"You see me getting kidnapped and chase after me without a second thought?! You could have been killed," she poked her finger into his chest angrily while she spoke, "They could have skewered you the second you set foot on board!" her voice rose a pitch in her anger.
She was worried about him? He hadn't been hit over the head, had he?
There was an energy charged silence during which they just stared at each other. Valentina, wondering why he had actually come after her and Jack, asking himself if his hearing was playing tricks on him.
After a while Valentina's gaze suddenly softened and wandered off. Actually she was extremely happy to see him. She had been frightened to death. Since the fight on the Black Pearl she had been on an emotional roller coaster ride. Before he arrived she had been only seconds from falling apart completely. Then she had heard his voice approach through the dusky twilight of the brig and relief had washed over.
"Why are you doing this anyway? I'm not worth risking your life over," she asked in a voice that was barely more than a whisper.
There was a brief pause. Deep down Jack knew exactly why he was doing this, instead he simply said, "Because I owe ya."
She grinned a lopsided grin at him that seemed to say 'Yeah, right! Because you are a such an honorable man'. They both knew fully well that this was only a sorry excuse for what he actually meant to say.
"What on earth was it he wanted to say?", she wondered. Somehow these thoughts were extremely disquieting, so she quickly chased them away.
Valentina cleared her throat nervously. "Jack, your arm........," she indicated the huge gash that stretched out over his upper arm.
"Just a tiny scratch," he successful put on a fake grin, though his arm hurt like hell. If only he had some rum to numb the pain. He had! He reached into the pocket of his coat and produced a small flask of rum. His emergency ration.
"Rum?" Valentina asked interestedly. He nodded and opened the bottle, raising it to his lips.....but before he could drink from it, it was ripped out of his hand.
"We will need this. The wound needs to be cleaned," she informed him matter- of-factly.
"As yer Captain I demand ya give it back this second!" he said squinting together his eyes and if she didn't know any better she would say he was pouting like a little boy who had been stolen his toy.
"Oh, please, Sparrow! Shut up and sit down," Valentina said good-humouredly and started inspecting his wound.
"That's mutiny," he said in a sulky voice.
"I know," Valentina answered lightly, "Now take off your coat and stop whining!"
He obeyed her order begrudgingly and winced when the fabric of his coat slightly brushed over his wound as he took it off.
"Just a scratch, eh?" she commented and raised an eyebrow, which earned her an angry side wards glance from Jack.
The sleeve of his shirt was soaked in blood, some of it already dry, leaving red brownish stains on the once white fabric. With a fast movement she ripped it off. Better do it fast then slowly, because some of it already stuck to the wound. Jack breathed in with a sharp hiss. She examined the wound expertly.
"Your *scratch* looks kind of nasty," Valentina cringed her nose in disapproval
"This is going to burn a little bit," she said raising the flask to spill its content over the wound.
"Just make sure there's something left in the bottle," he said between clenched teeth. 'A little'? This was burning like a hot iron poker.
When she was done Valentina wordlessly handed him the bottle which he chugged down in one gigantic draught. She took the ripped off sleeve and shredded it into one long piece, which she carefully wound around his arm. Her fingers soft and hesitant, as she didn't want to cause him any more pain.
"There! All done," she said content with her work, smiling at him reassuringly.
"Thanks," Jack winked at her and as he returned her smile, she noticed for the first time his attractive dimples. Suddenly she became aware of how close they stood, yet she could not muster the willpower to move away. She felt as if her feet were glued to the spot. His intense brown eyes scrutinized her curiously, waiting for her next move, as if watching a shy deer that had accidentally stepped out of the save forest unto a clearing.
There is always a silent fight inside of a person when it comes to what one wants to do and what one will actually do. In Valentina's case it was a tie between kissing Jack or fleeing to the other corner of the cell to get as far away from him as possible. Sometimes the lines between those two options blur, when you think outside of the box that is made of thoughts as 'what will the others think of me', 'I'm afraid', 'Maybe I'll do something wrong'. Her mind was racing a thousand miles and was to confused to be trusted anymore, so she simply decided to do what her heart told her. Suddenly she came a lot calmer.
She stepped around him and came to stand directly in front of him. His eyes followed her every move. Jack rarely knew when to keep his mouth shut, but this time he was simply too stunned to say anything. Valentina took off his hat, smiling at him shyly. Her hand caressed his stubbly, tanned cheek with a feather like touch. He couldn't resist any longer so he pulled her closer with his good arm. To his surprise he didn't hear her protest. Instead she rapped her arms tightly around him. Valentina leaned her head into the crook of his neck, taking in the smell that was only Jack. She sighed contently and that noise seemed to run through his whole body. The hat slipped from her fingers. Neither of them noticed. She leaned her forehead against his, her breath coming quickly.
Jack felt like he was going crazy. He had never in his entire life wanted a woman as much as he wanted her. His heart was racing, the palm of his hands were sweaty. He felt like a school boy meeting his playground love. That was what she did to him! Simply, by standing close to him, by leaning into his embrace.
Then his ability to think left him as she softly kissed him on the lips. It was a tender kiss. Innocent, hesitant at first, but sweet as honey. Electricity currents seemed to run through his body as their lips met and separated, in a teasing game that left them both with the insatiable craving for more. They drank from each others emotions and got lost in the tenderness of the moment.
Then Valentina broke away before the kiss could become any deeper. True - she had opened her heart to him, but she didn't want it broken by moving too fast too soon. Just for once in her life she had to be sensible. Sensible!
"Just, to make it better," she said, her voice a husky whisper.
"Of course, " he said softly kissing the back of her hand. She felt her knees turn to jelly at the feeling of his lips on her skin. Their eyes met and before she could even form a coherent thought, she was swept up in his arms again. They were kissing again. This time more passionately. Her fingers unconsciously massaged the back of his neck and kneaded through his long black hair. When they finally came up for air they were both breathing heavily.
"Jack, I don't know.. if that is....a good idea," she was having trouble speaking, let alone formulating the words in her head, while he kissed her neck.
"Oh, I think it's a very good idea," his hot breath tickled her skin and chased Goosebumps up and down her spine.
"No, we.....," she took in a sharp breath when his teeth teasingly nibbled on her earlobe," we......we have to stop!"
It took all her willpower to extricate herself from under his embrace. He wouldn't let himself be shaken off that easily and tried to approach her again. She stopped him on arm length, at which he pouted and looked at her like a whipped puppy dog.
Valentina giggled in amusement . "Stop it!"
"Why?"
"Because we are locked up in the brig and the guard could come back any second," she gave him a look that clearly said 'isn't it obvious'.
"Are those the only reason or is there something else? 'Cause I somehow have the feeling that there's more to this than yer saying......," he said, picking up his head from the floor with a sigh. When it was your hobby to get under other peoples' skin you got pretty observant with time passing.
"You're right......," she took in a deep breath, this was hard to explain, "I'm not that kind of girl."
"Aye, that I know, darlin', that I know.....," he kissed her on the cheek.
"And what kind of girl do you think I am?" Valentina asked hesitantly, her voice somehow sounded different than usual, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Perhaps softer and more vulnerable.
"I don't know, me darling. That I was trying.....," he looked at her suggestively, "to find out."
"See......I don't know how to say this. Well, what I'm trying to say is......whatever your intentions towards me may be, please be honest with me, okay? Don't promise me the sun, the moon and the stars, when all you want to do is get into my pants," Valentina took a deep breath before she continued. This was the hardest part. "The thing is that underneath the whole bantering, all those silly games - I really like you."
He was stunned by her sincerity and courage. Did Valentina really just say she liked him? And more importantly: did he feel the same about her? She had trusted him to such a degree as to make herself vulnerable, so she deserved to be treated respectfully. It rarely happened that Jack opened up to another person in a way that let his soft side show, but this matter required absolute honesty. Somehow there was something inside of him that compelled him, yes even forced him to act this way.
She was different from the other girls he had known. When he looked back they all had been similar in a certain way, almost interchangeable - a long row of beautiful faces, only distinguished by slight details. None of them had ever touched him in a way she had. (Let alone infuriate him in the way she had, he smirked to himself.)
Valentina was special. He had the feeling that behind her sharp tongue and the tough façade she had built up in order to protect herself, there was a kind and gentle soul afraid to be hurt or disappointed. It was locked up inside of her like a treasure inside of a vault. It is a well known fact that pirates are obsessed with treasure and so was Jack. His curiosity was stirred and his interest in her pushed him beyond his limits, farther than he had ever gone before.
Before he spoke he cleared his throat nervously, bravely setting sails for unknown waters, where there would possibly be monsters. "Love, if you are that kind of woman I just got a glimpse of, then you deserve to be treated with respect. Let me be honest with you....I don't know if I'm the kind of man your looking for..... I don't know if I ever can be....but...," saying those words was harder than anything else he had ever said, "I'm willing to give it a try. For you I will. I can't make any promises though."
She nodded and smiled at him.