Captain Jack Sparrow had never really thought of anyone as being truly beautiful before. Sure, there were a lot of pretty ladies to be found in the Caribbean, and he had lain with many of them-but none of them were pretty enough to be called "beautiful". Jack had never expected to find anyone deserving of that label. He certainly did not expect the person who deserved that label to be another man.
But "beautiful" was the only word that could adequately describe Bill Turner, the newest crewmember to board the Black Pearl. No, beautiful was not even good enough, but maybe there was no word in the English language that could quite do justice to Bill's big brown eyes, so full of soul and emotion, that soft pale skin, or that silky brown hair.
That Jack was thinking such things about a man came as more than a bit of a shock to the captain, who had always fancied women. Jack had certainly heard of such things, had even suspected some members of his crew of engaging in illicit acts, but he could not understand why a man with no breasts to speak of had so captured his mind.
Still, although Jack could not deny that he felt such surprising things, he was not entirely comfortable with the feeling. Besides, it was not proper for him to act on such feelings with a member of his crew-not that Jack cared much about what was proper outside of The Code in any other situation. So, Jack pushed those feelings down, even going so far as to avoid Bill Turner whenever he could, and going out of his way to bed even more wenches than he was already used to bedding.
It took Bill coming to see him alone in his quarters, and large quantities of rum, to get the Captain to admit what he was feeling.
Jack could remember that night with surprising clarity, given the fact that by daybreak he was falling-down drunk. Turner's eyes had looked even larger than usual by the firelight of his cabin, and even though his drunken haze, Jack found himself wondering how so gentle a person had decided that becoming a scallywag was a good idea. "Bill," he said, his words slurred from the rum. "What are you doing here?"
"Sir?" Bill asked, blinking his alcohol-clouded eyes.
"Whatever possessed you to become a pirate?"
Bill was silent for long moments, so long that Jack was starting to think that maybe the boy had fainted. "My son," Bill said finally, so softly that Jack could barely hear him speak.
"You have a son?"
Bill's eyes seemed to be looking far away. "Yes. My wife gave birth to him 4 years ago. I left when he was only a babe. He probably does not remember me."
Wife? Jack didn't much like the thought of that, though he still wasn't drunk enough to explore why the thought bothered him. So instead, he asked the obvious question. "And you decided being a pirate would be better for your son?"
"I know it sounds foolish," Bill said. "But, I wanted him to have everything, even if he was not born a gentleman. I tried to be a merchant sailor, but they paid me so little... It could not compare with pirate treasure."
"And yet you never see him."
Bill stared sadly into the fire. "Yes. My son is a stranger to me, and has a criminal for a father."
Almost before he knew what he was doing, Jack found himself touching Bill's face, turning his crewman's head gently so he could stare into those sad brown eyes. "That's the most noble reason for becoming a pirate I've ever heard. Me, I'm just in it for freedom and swag. Your heart was in the right place, Bill."
The smile that lit up Bill's eyes made Jack's heart constrict painfully. "Thank you, Sir."
"When we're in private, just call me Jack, Bill."
Bill's smile grew impossibly wide. "Then when we're in private, you must call me William."
"Very well...William," Jack said, his voice husky. Before he realized what he was doing, Jack leaned in and pressed his lips to Turner's in a gentle kiss. As if that were not shocking enough, rather than pull away, William leaned into the kiss, wrapping his arms around his captain's chest, almost seeming to cling onto him. Jack wrapped his arms tightly around the younger pirate in return, drawing William down in a tight embrace next to the fire.
"You are so beautiful, William," Jack said, twining his fingers in Turner's hair. It was amazing how soft and silky the hair felt, considering that most pirates in Jack's acquaintance seemed to be covered in perpetual filth.
"As are you, Sir."
"Jack. Right now, I'm just Jack to you."
Turner smiled. "Yes...Jack. That will take some getting used to."
"So, do you really find me beautiful, William?" Jack asked playfully.
William stared directly into his captain's eyes. "Yes, Sir. I always have."
The captain slid his hands under his crewman's tunic, and when Turner did not pull away, Jack ran his hands along the smooth skin, over William's back and up his chest. William returned the caresses, timidly at first, but with more enthusiasm as their kisses continued and they swallowed more rum. It was William who first pushed his tongue into Jack's mouth, though Jack surely did not mind. The captain's own tongue pushed into William's mouth in return, and he explored it hungrily. None of the many kisses Jack had experienced in his lifetime of wenching could compare with the passion he felt kissing William Turner, a man and a crewman besides. Jack's whole body seemed to ache with need. His hands wandered from William's hair down to his chest, sliding off first the vest, then the tunic, leaving Turner naked from the waist up. Jack had always thought a woman's breasts were her best feature, so he was surprised to find William's smooth, flat chest to be just as appealing. William sat on his knees, gazing at him with those soulful eyes, and Jack had to get the young pirate in his arms again, had to touch that skin. Jack was no stranger to lust, but this was different. The lust was there, but there was something more as well-something deeper. William removed Jack's vest and tunic as well, and they twined themselves together again, holding each other tight, exploring each other's bodies with their lips and fingers until the rum and the hour finally took hold and they drifted off to sleep.
That was as far as it ever got-caresses and kisses. Jack awoke the next morning to find the younger man still wrapped in his arms, both of them fully clothed except for their tunics and vests. He lay mesmerized by the beauty of the sleeping man in his arms until William woke up. For a few moments, the two gazed silently into each other's eyes with unspoken longing, until William, blushing heavily, pulled away, mumbling apologies. Jack watched as Turner hurried out of the cabin. There were so many things he wanted to say, but no words would come to his lips. They never spoke of that night again.
And then, the mutiny came. Barbossa, a man who should have guarded Jack's life with his own, convinced the crew to turn on him. As he walked the plant at the point of Barbossa's sword, with nothing more than a pistol with a single shot and the clothes on his back to call his own, Jack saw Turner, standing farther back from the rest. The other members of the crew were cheering, but William stood alone and silent. William's eyes met Jack's, and for a moment, they locked. It felt to Jack as though his very soul were being sucked into Turner's eyes in that moment, and the feelings that he had been repressing washed over him. Turner, his own eyes filled with anguish, turned away, clearly disturbed, looking close to tears. Barbossa's blade came too close, and Jack dove into the water.
As he stood on the shore of the deserted island, watching the Black Pearl disappear into the horizon, only one thought took hold of Jack's mind. Later, the abandoned captain would find time to curse Barbossa to every horrid fate he could imagine, but right then, his thoughts were only for William Turner, and the things that Jack would almost certainly never get to say to him. Please, William. Please. Don't do anything stupid.
But "beautiful" was the only word that could adequately describe Bill Turner, the newest crewmember to board the Black Pearl. No, beautiful was not even good enough, but maybe there was no word in the English language that could quite do justice to Bill's big brown eyes, so full of soul and emotion, that soft pale skin, or that silky brown hair.
That Jack was thinking such things about a man came as more than a bit of a shock to the captain, who had always fancied women. Jack had certainly heard of such things, had even suspected some members of his crew of engaging in illicit acts, but he could not understand why a man with no breasts to speak of had so captured his mind.
Still, although Jack could not deny that he felt such surprising things, he was not entirely comfortable with the feeling. Besides, it was not proper for him to act on such feelings with a member of his crew-not that Jack cared much about what was proper outside of The Code in any other situation. So, Jack pushed those feelings down, even going so far as to avoid Bill Turner whenever he could, and going out of his way to bed even more wenches than he was already used to bedding.
It took Bill coming to see him alone in his quarters, and large quantities of rum, to get the Captain to admit what he was feeling.
Jack could remember that night with surprising clarity, given the fact that by daybreak he was falling-down drunk. Turner's eyes had looked even larger than usual by the firelight of his cabin, and even though his drunken haze, Jack found himself wondering how so gentle a person had decided that becoming a scallywag was a good idea. "Bill," he said, his words slurred from the rum. "What are you doing here?"
"Sir?" Bill asked, blinking his alcohol-clouded eyes.
"Whatever possessed you to become a pirate?"
Bill was silent for long moments, so long that Jack was starting to think that maybe the boy had fainted. "My son," Bill said finally, so softly that Jack could barely hear him speak.
"You have a son?"
Bill's eyes seemed to be looking far away. "Yes. My wife gave birth to him 4 years ago. I left when he was only a babe. He probably does not remember me."
Wife? Jack didn't much like the thought of that, though he still wasn't drunk enough to explore why the thought bothered him. So instead, he asked the obvious question. "And you decided being a pirate would be better for your son?"
"I know it sounds foolish," Bill said. "But, I wanted him to have everything, even if he was not born a gentleman. I tried to be a merchant sailor, but they paid me so little... It could not compare with pirate treasure."
"And yet you never see him."
Bill stared sadly into the fire. "Yes. My son is a stranger to me, and has a criminal for a father."
Almost before he knew what he was doing, Jack found himself touching Bill's face, turning his crewman's head gently so he could stare into those sad brown eyes. "That's the most noble reason for becoming a pirate I've ever heard. Me, I'm just in it for freedom and swag. Your heart was in the right place, Bill."
The smile that lit up Bill's eyes made Jack's heart constrict painfully. "Thank you, Sir."
"When we're in private, just call me Jack, Bill."
Bill's smile grew impossibly wide. "Then when we're in private, you must call me William."
"Very well...William," Jack said, his voice husky. Before he realized what he was doing, Jack leaned in and pressed his lips to Turner's in a gentle kiss. As if that were not shocking enough, rather than pull away, William leaned into the kiss, wrapping his arms around his captain's chest, almost seeming to cling onto him. Jack wrapped his arms tightly around the younger pirate in return, drawing William down in a tight embrace next to the fire.
"You are so beautiful, William," Jack said, twining his fingers in Turner's hair. It was amazing how soft and silky the hair felt, considering that most pirates in Jack's acquaintance seemed to be covered in perpetual filth.
"As are you, Sir."
"Jack. Right now, I'm just Jack to you."
Turner smiled. "Yes...Jack. That will take some getting used to."
"So, do you really find me beautiful, William?" Jack asked playfully.
William stared directly into his captain's eyes. "Yes, Sir. I always have."
The captain slid his hands under his crewman's tunic, and when Turner did not pull away, Jack ran his hands along the smooth skin, over William's back and up his chest. William returned the caresses, timidly at first, but with more enthusiasm as their kisses continued and they swallowed more rum. It was William who first pushed his tongue into Jack's mouth, though Jack surely did not mind. The captain's own tongue pushed into William's mouth in return, and he explored it hungrily. None of the many kisses Jack had experienced in his lifetime of wenching could compare with the passion he felt kissing William Turner, a man and a crewman besides. Jack's whole body seemed to ache with need. His hands wandered from William's hair down to his chest, sliding off first the vest, then the tunic, leaving Turner naked from the waist up. Jack had always thought a woman's breasts were her best feature, so he was surprised to find William's smooth, flat chest to be just as appealing. William sat on his knees, gazing at him with those soulful eyes, and Jack had to get the young pirate in his arms again, had to touch that skin. Jack was no stranger to lust, but this was different. The lust was there, but there was something more as well-something deeper. William removed Jack's vest and tunic as well, and they twined themselves together again, holding each other tight, exploring each other's bodies with their lips and fingers until the rum and the hour finally took hold and they drifted off to sleep.
That was as far as it ever got-caresses and kisses. Jack awoke the next morning to find the younger man still wrapped in his arms, both of them fully clothed except for their tunics and vests. He lay mesmerized by the beauty of the sleeping man in his arms until William woke up. For a few moments, the two gazed silently into each other's eyes with unspoken longing, until William, blushing heavily, pulled away, mumbling apologies. Jack watched as Turner hurried out of the cabin. There were so many things he wanted to say, but no words would come to his lips. They never spoke of that night again.
And then, the mutiny came. Barbossa, a man who should have guarded Jack's life with his own, convinced the crew to turn on him. As he walked the plant at the point of Barbossa's sword, with nothing more than a pistol with a single shot and the clothes on his back to call his own, Jack saw Turner, standing farther back from the rest. The other members of the crew were cheering, but William stood alone and silent. William's eyes met Jack's, and for a moment, they locked. It felt to Jack as though his very soul were being sucked into Turner's eyes in that moment, and the feelings that he had been repressing washed over him. Turner, his own eyes filled with anguish, turned away, clearly disturbed, looking close to tears. Barbossa's blade came too close, and Jack dove into the water.
As he stood on the shore of the deserted island, watching the Black Pearl disappear into the horizon, only one thought took hold of Jack's mind. Later, the abandoned captain would find time to curse Barbossa to every horrid fate he could imagine, but right then, his thoughts were only for William Turner, and the things that Jack would almost certainly never get to say to him. Please, William. Please. Don't do anything stupid.