"I swear, Will, you're acting like a maiden about to meet her favorite suitor," Elizabeth sighed, turning back to the mirror as she began to braid a small section of her hair. "Why is this so important to you?" The words hung in the air of the tiny cabin; their cabin was just big enough for their furniture, which consisted of a bed, Elizabeth's vanity, and a large overstuffed chair upholstered in the most garish shade of green Elizabeth had ever seen. She would have heaved the unsightly thing over the side of the ship herself, but Will seemed to like it, and it was a comfortable chair, so she tolerated it with only the occasional suggestion that it should be burned.
The size of the cabin was comfortable and cozy in most situations, but at times like this, Will longed for a larger one, if only to avoid the feeling of caged helplessness his wife's interrogations inspired in him. With a small sigh of defeat, he hung his jackets on the bedpost and sat on the bed, beginning the long process of lacing his boots. "Of course it's important to me! I haven't seen Jack in three years, and I want to make a good impression on a respected friend."
"I haven't seen him in just as long, but you don't see me pulling out my best dresses and fretting over what to wear to dinner."
Will resisted the urge to point out that she wouldn't do that if the Queen herself was coming to dinner. He could see Elizabeth's point, and he wasn't sure what to make of it himself. The pirate looked as if he hadn't bathed in weeks--Will couldn't see any reason why he should be so worried about the impression he was making. "I'm just a little nervous, that's all."
Elizabeth slammed the brush down on the vanity, and the sharp clattering noise made Will jump. "That's not all, and we both know it! Please, Will--I'm not blind, and I'm not a fool. Do you think I could be married to you this long without learning a thing or two about how you act when you're infatuated with someone? I've seen the way you smile around him, and I've heard the way you talk about him. Don't insult my intelligence by claiming you're just a little nervous about meeting a friend."
Staring at his wife, Will let what she had said sink in. Elizabeth had always seemed to know him better than he knew himself, and unlike him, she was direct, preferring to take her problems head-on in situations where Will would just ignore them and hope for the best. That had always been a quality he had admired in her, but he wished it wouldn't leave him feeling like he'd been run over by a carriage quite so often. Yes, when he thought about it, he did find Jack...somewhat attractive. And if Elizabeth had married Commodore Norrington, he would have been glad to run away to the Black Pearl with her captain--in fact, it was what he had been planning on doing the day he rescued the pirate from the gallows. He felt a kinship with Jack, and he had to admit he truly did enjoy the man's company. It was a sobering realization, but he couldn't deny what Elizabeth had said. "Fine, you may be right." Elizabeth let out a shuddering sigh, her gaze falling to the floor. Will stood and crossed the cabin to kneel in front of her. Taking her hand in his, he said, "but please don't doubt that I love you more than anything, and I would never dream of leaving you or breaking your heart." Looking up into her downcast eyes, he kissed the back of her hand softly, and she brought her other hand up to stroke his hair.
Softly, "I know."
"You're my wife, Elizabeth. Nothing could tear me away from you."
"I know."
He turned her hand over and planted tiny kisses all across her palm, and down to the inside of her wrist. He rested his cheek against her palm, and they sat in silence for a moment, Elizabeth smiling down at him while curling a strand of hair around her fingers. "Are you disgusted with me?" he asked quietly.
Her smile twisted into a playful grin. "Of course not--what's so shameful about it? I happen to think he's a very handsome man...for a crude and filthy pirate," she added, with a haughty toss of her hair.
Straightening suddenly, Will looked at her in shock. "Wait a second! You, too?"
She drew her fingertip from the center of his forehead down to the tip of his nose and tweaked it gently, causing him to give her a mock glare. "You leave your feelings written across your face for all to see. As a lady, I have a bit more discretion." This earned her a nip on her wrist as Will brought her hand back to his lips, and she gasped softly.
"Discretion, love?" he asked with amusement in his voice before licking and nibbling his way up to her inner elbow. He couldn't help but note that the sounds she made were quite unladylike.
"Yes, discretion," she replied between whimpers. His hands dropped down to rest on her inner thighs, his fingertips dancing over the fabric of her breeches to tickle the sensitive flesh underneath. "Loads of it," she said, squirming. He laughed, a hearty, joyous sound, and rose up to kiss her deeply. Their tongues competed in a mockery of swordplay for a long moment before they separated, and they looked into each other's eyes as the ship rocked almost imperceptibly on the water. "Are you disgusted with me?"
Leaning in to kiss her again, Will murmured, "I could never be disgusted with you, my love." He leaned closer, nuzzling at her ear while he wrapped his arms tightly around her. He grinned against the soft skin of her neck. "I was just thinking that this is all rather convenient."
"Why, Will," Elizabeth exclaimed, feigning shock, "I do believe you're thinking with a filty pirate's mind!"
"Ah, but you've never minded that before."
"No, I suppose not." And if there was anything else she had intended to say, it was lost when Will pulled her tight against him, his lips covering her neck in nips and kisses while he pressed his hips against her. She moaned low in her throat as he claimed her mouth again, and he lifted her easily from her stool, not breaking the kiss until he was laying on the bed beside her, propped up on one elbow while his other hand stroked the curve of her breast.
Will was reluctant to say anything more, but he felt there was one more thing to settle before moving on to more pleasant activities. "And what if Jack were to feel the same way?" His fingertips trailed up and down her side, producing little ticklish shivers of pleasure.
"I think..." Elizabeth trailed off, reaching around to free his hair from its tidy ponytail. Will's dark hair tumbled loosely around his face, and she pushed it behind his ears thoughtfully. "I think that would also be rather convenient. I'm not in any hurry to share you with the rest of the world, but if it was Jack, I don't think I would mind."
"I feel the same way." With a grin, he moved his hand back to more interesting explorations. "Shall we declare this another successful parley?"
"I think you enjoy our 'parleys' far too much, my love," she said with a smirk before giving in to his ministrations and abandoning any further conversation.