After dinner, they made their way back to the captain's cabin. Charles knew that he really should assign her a sleeping spot but he had slept so much better with her in his bed. He was not ready to give that up, if ever.
He closed the door behind them and told her, "I have some work to catch up on, but tomorrow we talk." She nodded in answer, "Yes, I suppose we should. If you don't mind I should like to spend the rest of the day reading. I'm still tired." She moved to the alcove and grabbed her book but she did not sit down. Instead, she moved over to the bed. Just like before she removed the dagger from her make-shift belt and placed it on the floor.
What happened next almost made his heart burst out of his chest. She crawled back into his bed, willingly, and came to rest on her stomach. The book propped up on the pillow. "Hhmh, this won't do. It's too dark to read." She looked back at him, "Would you mind terribly to light the lantern? I'm afraid I can't reach it." Wordlessly he complied with her request. Oh, he was so very fucked.
Once he had lit the lantern close to the bed, Abigail turned to him and said, "Thank you, Captain." His only answer was, "Call me, Charles." Oh yes, he was fucked, but he wanted to hear her say it.
Abigail was shocked. Had he really just said that? She briefly looked down and gathered all her courage. She did not know where this would lead but at this moment, but she did not want anything more than find out. She looked back up at the: No, Charles, she reminded herself, "Thank you, Charles." She quickly turned back to her book, too afraid what would come out her bold move. Her heart was beating so fast in her chest.
She actually said it. She said it and something stirred within him. With one last look, he walked over to his chair and set down. He tried to busy himself with the work needing to be done. The winds had changed earlier and they would have to take a different route back to Nassau. He could not help himself and every once in a while, he stole a glance at Abigail in his bed. She looked like she belonged right there. Without realizing it, he stopped moving his pen across the page and stared at his writings, lost in thought.
Up until this moment, he was certain that he loved Eleanor. Looking at Abigail however and the feelings she awoke in him, he was not so sure anymore. He wanted to protect her, make her happy. Just wanted to hear her say, "Thank you, Charles" again. It was never like this with Eleanor. There was always a conflict between them, trying to best each other but not with Abigail. She had impressed him, back in the fort. Her reaction to how he had killed Low and seeing through his questions. In time, she would make a formidable partner. A small part of him knew that he should not pursue this, but if he were one thing it was a pirate. He would take what he wanted. If she let him. Satisfied that he had dealt with this situation, he went back to his work.
As soon as she said it, Abigail knew that things between them had changed. The atmosphere in the cabin shifted slightly but she did not feel afraid or threatened. She was still so very comfortable in his bed, surrounded by his scent. She knew that he kept looking at her, but she was too tired to deal with this entirely foreign situation tonight. So instead, she focused on her book and was soon lost in the story.
After about an hour, she found her eyes closing out of their own volition. She tried to fight against it but knew better. She still needed to catch up on sleep, not just because of the past few days. She had not gotten restful sleep since before she was abducted. She barely managed to close the book, before her head came to rest on the pillow. Her body finally surrendering to sleep.
Charles' concentration was disturbed by small sounds coming from the bed. Abigail was snoring. He looked at her for a moment and could not help but chuckle. He was half way across the cabin before he realized what he was doing. He did not stop himself though. Gingerly he took the book from her and drew the blanket over her sleeping form. The days were getting hotter the closer they got to Nassau but the nights on the ocean were still chilly. He doused the lantern by the bed and noticed that a stray strand of her had fallen across her face. Gently he brushed it out of the way, a small smile on his face.
He walked back to his desk and placed the book on it. He was tired as well but there were still duties to attend to. He doused the rest of the lanterns and quietly made his way out of the cabin. He had to discuss course corrections and other matters with the evening watch.
Several hours later, he made his way back to the cabin. Everything was taken care off and they had planned out their schedule for the next days. They would enjoy two days of shore leave in Nassau and then would careen the ship. It needed extensive work.
He closed the door behind him, careful to not disturb the sleeping figure in his bed. He was momentarily taken aback. She looked so very young but he knew she was more than capable of taking care of herself. He kicked off his boots and settled on the bed. He ended up on his side, looking at her sleeping form. He was so fucked but he didn't really care.
He was almost asleep when she moved. He was fully awake again though when she came to a stop. She was still asleep but had moulded her body against his, her back to his chest, her behind so close to his crotch. He would not take advantage of her without clearing things between them first but it seemed that at least Abigail's body wanted what he did and to be honest, he couldn't wait to fuck her. The only thing to do right now though, was sleep. He wrapped his arm around her and despite his expectations, he fell asleep quickly.