Title: Dead Man's Chest
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Captain Jack Sparrow, Will Turner, James Norrington and various permutations thereof
Warnings: character death, violence, non-con, spoilers
Summary: 15 men on a dead man's chest, yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!
Disclaimer: At no point do I claim any form of ownership of any of the characters depicted in this piece. My representations of them are not necessarily indicative of the intentions of their original creators. The plot in which I place these characters holds no relationship to their original context. I make no profit from borrowed characters. Don't sue me.
Word Count: 2376
Notes: Don't overlook the warnings. I implore you, for the love of all that is holy, do NOT overlook the warnings. If you have an inkling that this sort of thing will rub you the wrong way, now would be the time to stop, before you're reading this like one watches a train wreck. And then you'll be mad at me. But I warned you.

VIII. Final Skirmish

Norrington choked a few breaths in and out before he unstuck himself from Jack's sweat-coated skin. He climbed out of the bed and tossed Jack's clothes at him.

"Cover your indecency," Norrington commanded, pulling on his own breeches.

He stood and watched Jack clothe himself and when he was done, he hauled him out of the room. Norrington pulled a chair outside the door of the captain's cabin and closed it behind him. He shoved Jack into the chair and lashed him to it, hand and foot. He put a gag into Jack's mouth and tested all the bonds, tightening them until Jack couldn't budge more than enough to breathe.

He instructed Jack not to attempt to move and to keep quiet, again threatening to punish Will for any of Jack's mistakes. Jack nodded his agreement and began to struggle as soon as the Commodore went back into the cabin. If Jack could get free before Norrington returned, he could arm himself, rescue Will, have his revenge after all, and escape. As Jack worked silently at his bonds, Norrington stared Will down inside the cabin. He removed the gag and waited for Will to speak.

"What do you want?" Will asked after a few moments of silence.

"To show you where you belong," came the answer, a cold, strange tone ringing in the Commodore's voice.

"And then?" Will whispered.

"And then, when you see, you will do as you should."

"You have not the capacity to force me. As soon as you release me, I will do as I please."

"Stubborn," Norrington retorted, "I do not intend to force you. When you see where you belong, you will simply comply of your own accord."

Will grunted. There was no sense in arguing. He made up his mind to remain quiet, the previous scene still spinning through his mind and making serious discussion even more difficult than usual. He could wait Norrington out, beat him at his own game. Will would permit him to gain no ground. Norrington was quiet for several minutes, allowing himself a few moments to recover and to watch Will's reactions. The Commodore might have seemed dull, but in spite of his reputations, he considered himself a good judge of character, mood, intent and so on.

"What of what you saw?" Norrington questioned.

Will's face contorted. He blushed, clenched his jaw, and was unable to answer the question posed, out loud or in his own mind.

"You are angry that he has betrayed you. Angry for what he is capable of."

Will nodded. The statement was part question, part assertion.

"And you are happy to have all your fingers."
Will clenched his fists, nodded again.

"And you are jealous," the Commodore declared, "that the body of a man, a pirate no less, is not possessing of loyalty. That truism applies also to you."

Will swallowed.

"If you tell me that it does not, that you felt nothing beyond jealousy and confusion, I will find it hard to believe," Norrington continued, "nay, I will not believe you if you say that you felt no familiar stirring, no excitement whatever."

Will frowned. Was he aroused merely by Jack impassioned? Or by Jack impassioned specifically with another lover? Was he aroused by Norrington? Was the thing he felt truly an arousal or was it something altogether foreign? Whatever it was he felt, Will made up his mind to say nothing.

"Let me show you, Will, the love of a good man," the Commodore invited. "Let me show you what he cannot give to you. When you have truly known me, you will change your unlawful ways. When you have the knowledge, you will do as you should by your own will."

Will turned his face away and tried to ignore the predicament facing him.

Norrington bent low to kiss Will and caressed the tiny nick on his face. He touched Will's ample bottom lip with his thumb, feeling the texture and fullness. Then, with a sudden motion, he took Will's lips against his own and kissed him fully. Will exhaled sharply into Norrington's mouth. He did not strain as the Commodore's hands pressed against him. Will was confused and vaguely aroused. He couldn't process how to behave, the meaning of the situation, the way he felt.

Overwhelmed by confusion and frustration and arousal, Will allowed Norrington to manipulate him. They kissed warmly and Will could not help but notice how much more gentle Norrington was than he had been when they were last together. He was more gentle even than Jack, whom Will loved and whom he thought, at least before, loved him in return.

The Commodore stood and untied Will from the chair, raising him to his feet. He tugged Will against him by the shirt and ran his hands over Will's back. Norrington pulled off Will's shirt and their bodies pressed together. Will welcomed the soothing touch of his hands and skin. He stumbled backward toward the bed at Norrington's advance. He let himself be lowered onto the bed Jack had only just vacated and tried to empty his mind.

Jack did not care for anyone, Will rationalized. Jack saw him as a possession, not a lover. Jack was not even trying to rescue him. He was sitting outside the door relaxing after his climax, waiting for the next game. Jack cared only for himself. Otherwise, he would have fought Norrington when he had the chance, not made love to him, moaning like a cheap whore. Jack was a liar, Will was a fool, and Norrington had perhaps gone mad. At least, however, Will could have loyalty with him, and security. Will could assure a place for himself and return home. With Jack, life would always be tumultuous. Will would run for the rest of his life like a criminal.

And Norrington clearly loved him, as evidenced by his willingness to show Jack for what he was, to come and bring Will home, to risk himself to attract Will's attention. While Will was distracted in thought, Norrington edged him toward the headboard and shackled his wrist securely. Will's eyes widened and he pulled away from the kiss.

"In case you change your mind," Norrington murmured, "and in case he manages to attempt to take you back."

"I will not have you if you intend to force me," Will said. "You may take what you can take, but you cannot force my inclinations."

"I will not have you if I must force you," Norrington stated with conviction, "but that does not prevent me from taking precautions. Whether you have me or no, I will return you to your proper place."

"What do you want of me?" Will asked with a wince.

"You," the Commodore paused… "Your affections, your company, the passions you share with no other."

Will sighed and his eyes lulled shut as their lips met. With his free hand, he pulled Norrington's face closer and stroked the smooth skin on the back of his neck. The Commodore's hand wriggled under Will's clothes and ran over his skin. Will breathed deeply as the hand extended lower, and Norrington unfastened Will's breeches.

Will moaned sensually and welcomed the solicitous touch. He arched his back into the embrace, letting his thoughts drift away from the painful past and into the soothing present. He listened to the soft words that spilled from Norrington's mouth and readily comforted himself with the supplied affection. Will maneuvered his free hand between their bodies and pulled down his breeches. Norrington assisted him and then raised himself, to remove the remainder of his own clothing.

The Commodore let out a throaty moan when he lowered himself and felt Will's skin pressed against his own. He uncapped a bottle of oil and dipped his finger into it before pressing it behind Will. Will gave way slowly to the soft touch. After what seemed like an exorbitantly long time, especially by Norrington's previously crude standards, Norrington positioned himself above Will, face searching questioningly. Will yielded readily to his weight and accepted him into his body with a shudder.

Will concentrated on relaxing and before he knew it, Norrington had managed to slap another set of shackles onto his free wrist. With a quickness, he locked Will to the heavy-framed headboard with both arms above his head. This time Will was quite perturbed. The situation was tense and he could tolerate the first cuffing, since he wanted to move on and to rebound from Jack's… Whatever it was that Jack had done. The second cuffing, however, was another thing altogether.

"What is this?" Will said, twisting under the Commodore's weight. Suddenly he wanted out.

"The two of you, both behaving like common harlots. You will know what it is to be something so common, a possession. Until you show yourself to deserve better, this will be the treatment you receive," Norrington huffed in spite of his state of arousal.

"Unhand me!" Will shouted as Norrington shoved himself forward.

"You belong to me and you will know your place."

"You have gone mad!" Will yelled.

Will continued to shout and toss his shoulders to and fro, using his legs to try to push the Commodore off him, but his efforts were to no avail. He only succeeded in rousing Norrington's wrath and contorting himself such that the angle of their bodies meeting was even more unpleasant. Will began to shout for Jack. He begged Jack to escape and help him, pleaded his apologies, and declared his forgiveness until he had nearly exhausted himself. Finally, finding no response, he laid motionless under his captor and breathed heavily from the exertion of calling out.

"Have you quite finished, Mr. Turner?" Norrington asked.

Will turned his face away indignantly.

"Good," Norrington said stoutly.

With that, he resumed a more normal pace, letting Will adjust and trying to provoke a positive reaction in him. He might have succeeded, as Will found the motion of Norrington's thrust quite stimulating in spite of himself, but just at that moment, Jack burst through the door. Jack was haggard and angry and panting. His face was redder than the hottest grog blossoms and sweat soaked through his clothes from the effort of breaking through the Commodore's knots.

Norrington turned about as Jack stood dramatically in the doorway and reached quickly for the pistol on the table next to the bed. Jack was yet unarmed as he had heard Will's shouts and thus not had the foresight to search for a weapon. Yet again facing Norrington's pistol, Jack was obliged to remain still.

"What a fascinating turn of events," Norrington hissed, never moving his eyes from Jack's.

Jack didn't reply, but instead took in the scene he was intruding upon, Will splayed out by the wrists with the Commodore cruelly topping him. Tears stained Will's face and he was red with frustration. He breathed heavily and the look on his face was that of the utmost displeasure. Jack seethed.

"Will," Norrington said, disrupting the momentary silence.

"Commodore," Will whispered. His tone was surprisingly neutral.

"Will, you have a choice to make. Show Jack where your loyalty lies, and I will release him at the next port. Fail to reach completion and I will kill him, right here before your eyes," Norrington threatened.

Jack's eyes widened and Will's scrunched shut. Will tried to take himself away from the bad noise at hand. He turned his face from Norrington's chest and held his breath.

"Is that your choice?" The Commodore questioned forebodingly.

"No!" Will shouted, "no, I will do as you ask!"

Will arched his back and scrunched his face, trying urgently to become aroused. He whispered for Norrington to move, but Norrington pretended not to hear until Will voiced himself loudly enough that Jack could hear also. Jack frowned and clenched his teeth, but did not move as Norrington never wavered his pistol.

In the meanwhile, Will writhed with desperate intent and Norrington held himself up with a single hand to thrust. All of this Jack watched with silent ire, until Will must have been approaching his peak. Norrington wavered the pistol in a brief moment of pleasure and Jack made a swift move to tear him from Will's body. He lunged forward suddenly and caught Norrington by surprise, but not so quickly that Norrington could not react. He raised the pistol as Jack began to run and pulled the trigger.

The shot landed squarely in Jack's soft belly and the blood spilled through his fingers where he clutched at the wound. Jack doubled over and fell onto his knees, coughing and gasping. Jack's elegant features contorted into a visage of deathly pain. He crawled forward, his last desperate efforts trying to take Norrington's pistol and pry him off Will's body.

Will, at first, was silent. His breath held and his eyes widened, but as Jack fell to the floor, Will let loose a flurry of gut-wrenching screams. Thrust to action, he kicked furiously and twisted his body, doing everything he could to get out from the grasp that held him. Norrington, however, would not relent. He held Will fast in spite of his convulsing and continued to assault him with vulgar sentiments, urging him to climax. Norrington whispered the blame of Jack's death into Will's ear and said things to shame him, but Will ignored the onslaught. Will continued to struggle, cutting his slender wrists on the metal that bound him and screaming for Jack until he could no longer breathe.

Jack reached for Will's skin, anything that he could touch, but the Commodore grabbed Jack's wrist and tossed him away. Jack collapsed on the floor with the blood pooling around him, soaking his clothes and the wooden deck of the cabin, and he went still as Will wept his protest. Norrington grabbed Will's tear-streaked face and forced their eyes to meet. Without his expression softening, Will witnessed the final, violent trembling of Norrington's completion. Will let his eyes fall closed and his limbs go lax. It was all over now. Everything was over. Jack was gone, and Will felt he had himself to blame as much as Norrington. Will did not even begin to contemplate what else Norrington had in mind.