Disclaimer: Same old, same old. Not mine, so don't sue.
Warning: Slash interaction. That's all, really.
~*~*~*~
Jack wakes up with the suspicious feeling he's alone. Sure enough, when he looks over, there's no one there, and nothing but the rumpled sheets and scent of another give proof that anyone had been. Yet he knows James can't have gone far, seeing as he was on a ship in the middle of the Caribbean sea. Jack stretches before getting up, searching out his pants and finding them under the bed. He pulls them on and loosely laces them before leaving the cabin.
He finds James leaning against the starboard railing, supposedly gazing out over the moonlit sea. James doesn't turn when he approaches, but he speaks softly, idly running a gentle hand over the wood of the ship. "She's a fine vessel, Jack. She responds to the lightest of touches. I came out here a while ago to think, and I could swear she was talking to me." He trails off, finally turning to Jack, admiratoin shining in his eyes.
Only Jack isn't looking at James anymore, but looking proudly about his ship, stroking the wood himself. "She doesn't do that with most," he murmurs, almost as if to himself. He gets a sudden glint in his eyes and grabs James's hand, pulling him up to the helm. "Gibbs." Jack nods at the man steering the ship, and Gibbs nods back, stepping away. Jack tugs on James and places him in front of the wheel, pressing up close behind him, taking his hands and carefully settling them on the spokes of the wheel, keeping his own hands there.
There seems a constant thrum coming from the wheel, as if there was actual life throbbing beneath the surface of the wood, waiting to be let loose. James stares at the wood in front of him with amazement. Jack chuckles and sets his chin on James's shoulder, trailing his hands teasingly up James's arms before wrapping them around his waist. "She's fond of you; she doesn't usually like it when other people steer her."
James turns his head to look at Jack disbelievingly, their noses lightly brushing. The ship tilts slightly, and James is tipped towards Jack, their lips touching for a moment before Jack pulls away a little, snickering. "She must really like you, to be throwing you at me." Jack grins happily and covers one of James's hands with his own, the fingers of his other hand splayed on a pale, muscled stomach.
James rolls his eyes. "There's probably a very good, reasonable explanation." He trails off when the wooden planks of the Pearl groan ominously. James looks around the ship in a suspicious sort of way, as if expecting some unseen enemy to just jump out. He shifts his hands nervously on the wheel, then yanks them back with a hiss when there's a sharp pain in them. Looking down, he finds a few large splinters embedded in his skin and he scowls.
Jack clicks his tongue at him and gently takes his hands, carefully pulling out the pieces of wood. "She didn't like that very much. She does apologize, though. There, good as new. Or.well, almost." Jack grins at him and sets his hands on the wheel, but James keeps his hands tucked against his sides, pressing back against Jack's chest like a scared puppy, eyeing the wheel warily. Jack looks at him and chuckles again, but doesn't say anything, just hums softly to himself, turning his eyes back to the sea.
James continues to stand against Jack's chest for a few moments more, watching the wheel and contemplating his next move. Finally deciding, he reaches out a tentative hand, and when he does so, he remembers something like this happening a while ago, when he was 11. It was when he'd gotten his first horse, and James feels like a fool to be comparing a horse to a ship, but the feeling was the same.
Both the stallion and the Pearl had a few things in common. Pride, for one, and a wild and free spirit. Nothing but old age could stop them from doing anything, which is what had taken the stallion from this world. When James had first seen the horse, tethered to a fence and fighting to be freed, he'd felt compelled to calm the creature. To lay a hand on that twisting side and still the frantic pawing at the ground. And he'd done just that, and had a couple scars to prove it.
So, in a way, he felt the same as he touched his fingers to the black wood, the same wariness and excitement welling up from deep within him, though this wasn't the first time of touching the Pearl. He feels like dancing around in triumph, and it takes a good deal of self-control not to. The ship sways with the movements of the sea, seeming more calm than he's ever seen her as he strokes his hand along the wheel with the same sort of reverence as he'd done to Jack a few hours before.
Jack watches this display with a thoughtful air about him, wondering slightly at the thrilled look on James's face when he touched the Pearl again. "Think the Pearl'd like you on her crew," he murmurs, and just like that, the spell is broken, the boy in James retreating back into faraway memories.
"What do you mean?" James asks warily; he doesn't want to talk about this.
"Well, no one else has ever touched her close to the same way as I do. Think she'd like it if there were another to treat her kindly." He grins at James entreatingly, his eyebrows rising.
"Jack, I.I can't. I have obligations in Port Royal. I have to-"
"What is it you have to do, exactly? They can replace you, find someone else to be the Commodore. Come away with me, James."
James is almost nearly desperate to get away, to think, his heart pounding to the rapid pace of his thoughts as he looks at Jack. "No, Jack. I'm not.I'm not made to be a pirate." He says it quietly, looking down, feeling the little boy in him start to come forward again, but he holds it back. He pushes at Jack's shoulders, making the smaller man step back, and he turns away and goes back to the Captain's cabin.
Jack watches his retreating back disappointedly, absent-mindedly stroking the Pearl where James had just moments before. "Anyone could be a pirate, James." He says softly, but James has already closed the doors. ~*~*~*~
~*~*~*~
Jack wakes up with the suspicious feeling he's alone. Sure enough, when he looks over, there's no one there, and nothing but the rumpled sheets and scent of another give proof that anyone had been. Yet he knows James can't have gone far, seeing as he was on a ship in the middle of the Caribbean sea. Jack stretches before getting up, searching out his pants and finding them under the bed. He pulls them on and loosely laces them before leaving the cabin.
He finds James leaning against the starboard railing, supposedly gazing out over the moonlit sea. James doesn't turn when he approaches, but he speaks softly, idly running a gentle hand over the wood of the ship. "She's a fine vessel, Jack. She responds to the lightest of touches. I came out here a while ago to think, and I could swear she was talking to me." He trails off, finally turning to Jack, admiratoin shining in his eyes.
Only Jack isn't looking at James anymore, but looking proudly about his ship, stroking the wood himself. "She doesn't do that with most," he murmurs, almost as if to himself. He gets a sudden glint in his eyes and grabs James's hand, pulling him up to the helm. "Gibbs." Jack nods at the man steering the ship, and Gibbs nods back, stepping away. Jack tugs on James and places him in front of the wheel, pressing up close behind him, taking his hands and carefully settling them on the spokes of the wheel, keeping his own hands there.
There seems a constant thrum coming from the wheel, as if there was actual life throbbing beneath the surface of the wood, waiting to be let loose. James stares at the wood in front of him with amazement. Jack chuckles and sets his chin on James's shoulder, trailing his hands teasingly up James's arms before wrapping them around his waist. "She's fond of you; she doesn't usually like it when other people steer her."
James turns his head to look at Jack disbelievingly, their noses lightly brushing. The ship tilts slightly, and James is tipped towards Jack, their lips touching for a moment before Jack pulls away a little, snickering. "She must really like you, to be throwing you at me." Jack grins happily and covers one of James's hands with his own, the fingers of his other hand splayed on a pale, muscled stomach.
James rolls his eyes. "There's probably a very good, reasonable explanation." He trails off when the wooden planks of the Pearl groan ominously. James looks around the ship in a suspicious sort of way, as if expecting some unseen enemy to just jump out. He shifts his hands nervously on the wheel, then yanks them back with a hiss when there's a sharp pain in them. Looking down, he finds a few large splinters embedded in his skin and he scowls.
Jack clicks his tongue at him and gently takes his hands, carefully pulling out the pieces of wood. "She didn't like that very much. She does apologize, though. There, good as new. Or.well, almost." Jack grins at him and sets his hands on the wheel, but James keeps his hands tucked against his sides, pressing back against Jack's chest like a scared puppy, eyeing the wheel warily. Jack looks at him and chuckles again, but doesn't say anything, just hums softly to himself, turning his eyes back to the sea.
James continues to stand against Jack's chest for a few moments more, watching the wheel and contemplating his next move. Finally deciding, he reaches out a tentative hand, and when he does so, he remembers something like this happening a while ago, when he was 11. It was when he'd gotten his first horse, and James feels like a fool to be comparing a horse to a ship, but the feeling was the same.
Both the stallion and the Pearl had a few things in common. Pride, for one, and a wild and free spirit. Nothing but old age could stop them from doing anything, which is what had taken the stallion from this world. When James had first seen the horse, tethered to a fence and fighting to be freed, he'd felt compelled to calm the creature. To lay a hand on that twisting side and still the frantic pawing at the ground. And he'd done just that, and had a couple scars to prove it.
So, in a way, he felt the same as he touched his fingers to the black wood, the same wariness and excitement welling up from deep within him, though this wasn't the first time of touching the Pearl. He feels like dancing around in triumph, and it takes a good deal of self-control not to. The ship sways with the movements of the sea, seeming more calm than he's ever seen her as he strokes his hand along the wheel with the same sort of reverence as he'd done to Jack a few hours before.
Jack watches this display with a thoughtful air about him, wondering slightly at the thrilled look on James's face when he touched the Pearl again. "Think the Pearl'd like you on her crew," he murmurs, and just like that, the spell is broken, the boy in James retreating back into faraway memories.
"What do you mean?" James asks warily; he doesn't want to talk about this.
"Well, no one else has ever touched her close to the same way as I do. Think she'd like it if there were another to treat her kindly." He grins at James entreatingly, his eyebrows rising.
"Jack, I.I can't. I have obligations in Port Royal. I have to-"
"What is it you have to do, exactly? They can replace you, find someone else to be the Commodore. Come away with me, James."
James is almost nearly desperate to get away, to think, his heart pounding to the rapid pace of his thoughts as he looks at Jack. "No, Jack. I'm not.I'm not made to be a pirate." He says it quietly, looking down, feeling the little boy in him start to come forward again, but he holds it back. He pushes at Jack's shoulders, making the smaller man step back, and he turns away and goes back to the Captain's cabin.
Jack watches his retreating back disappointedly, absent-mindedly stroking the Pearl where James had just moments before. "Anyone could be a pirate, James." He says softly, but James has already closed the doors. ~*~*~*~