James knelt by Carlos' side and Kendall worriedly glanced over the captain's shoulder down at the wounded latino. "You look like shit, Carlos." James said softly and shook his head while gently prying his friend's hands away from the wound and inspecting it.
"I've had it worse, Captain." Carlos mumbled and winced a bit.
"Ay." James said and nodded. "But never with a poisoned blade." He said and frowned a bit, nodding at the purplish goo edging the latino's wound. James nudged the wounded skin just a little too get a better look and Carlos winced. "There's an antidote for this." He continued.
"On the other side of the sea, yeah." Carlos filled in and frowned.
"Then we go there." James said sternly and got up. "You're gonna get back on your damn legs. Don't you dare die on me, you bastard." He hissed and got up. He turned to the prince that gulped a bit, uncertain of what was going to happen next. "Your majesty, if you would be so kind and help my wounded friend down to the sickbay I'd appreciate it." He said.
"Y-Yes, captain." Kendall said and quickly helped the latino pirate up and lead him downstairs to the ship's infirmary and made sure he was alright before he hurried back up to the deck. "Captain Diamond." he called.
James was busy digging through a chest in his cabin and ignored the call and grabbed what he was looking for. A five foot long round wood pipe with a wooden triangular shaped end on one side and a flat bottom with a fuse on the other.
He strode back out on the deck and placed it securely by the railing. "You might want to cover your ears, your majesty." He said before lighting the small fuse and quickly backing away. Kendall didn't know what to do besides doing what he was told and keeping at least the same amount of distance from the pipe as the captain.
The pipe suddenly lit up and shot straight up in the air while emitting a loud howling sound and bursting into a big red explosion once it was far up among the clouds. "Whoa..." Kendall got out and let his hands drop from his ears to his side. He stared up into the sky that had turned red and blinked a few times, as fiery stars seemed to be raining down upon them. "What is that?" He asked and gawked at the colorful wonder.
"That, your majesty." James said and looked down from the sky and grinned at the blond. "That is fireworks." He said and turned his face back up towards the sky. "You better get yourself back into my cabin." He added. "The crew will be back any minute now." He mumbled.
Kendall gulped a bit and nodded – not so keen on still being on deck when the drunk and loud pirates would be back – and scurried into the captain's cabin just as the first crew members boarded the ship.
The young prince could hear the captain of the ship explain the situation to the confused crew and gulped a bit and fiddled with his hands to keep himself busy. When the captain of the ship joined him in the cab he gulped nervously.
"A-Are we leaving?" He asked. James nodded.
"In just a moment." He said. "I got the men gathering the supplies we need and we set sail before dawn." he mumbled and sank into a chair and took his hat off his head and threw it on the table before bringing his rough hands to smother his face.
The prince nodded slowly and sat down on the bed. "A-... Are you close? Y-You and Carlos?" he asked. The captain nodded slowly and sighed while rubbing his temples and closing his eyes. "He cares terribly about you." The prince said. "He was far beyond worried when you fell off the ship whilst fighting that monster." He explained silently.
"Ay, we are close." James mumbled. "I remember recruiting him back when he was just a young boy." he mumbled. "He was starving to death, the poor little bastard." He sighed. "Fed him and got him a hammock on the ship and since then he's been one of my most loyal crew members." he explained and turned away and hesitated a bit before continuing. "I too care a great deal about him... and I'll do what I can to get him back up on his scrawny legs."
"I understand." Kendall mumbled. "We really should hurry, Captain." he said. James nodded.
"Stay in here and get some rest." He ordered softly. "We have a sea to cross." James said and put his hat back on and nudged it before leaving Kendall in the cabin and preparing to set sail.
Linelineline
Kendall timidly peeked out of the cabin and gulped a bit. The deck was nearly empty but there was still one or two sailors out there in the darkness. He took a deep breath before opening the doors and stepping out of the cabin. The two sailors out on the deck turned their heads to look at him but further ignored him.
The young prince looked around and spotted the captain up on the rudder deck, determinately looking out ahead of them while steering the ship. The blond walked up to him and stood by him while following the brunet's eyes to the horizon.
"You should be asleep." James said without taking his eyes off the glittering stripe far in the distance.
"So should you." Kendall replied calmly. "You haven't slept for days." He pointed out. "Are you not tired?" he asked and turned to look at the brunet.
"No." James said bluntly and shook his head. The prince arched an eyebrow. "I rarely ever get tired." James confessed. "I can sleep when I'm dead and until then I'll just care for my ship." he sighed and lowered his eyes and ran his hand over the soft wood of the rudder wheel.
"Well 'tis a beautiful sight." Kendall murmured. "Uh... t-the ship, that is." he quickly added and turned away, trying to hide his blushing cheeks. The prince mentally scolded himself and shut his eyes tight hoping the captain of the ship wouldn't notice.
James chuckled softly and let go of the wheel and turned to the blond who stood his his back against him and shoulders pulled up while clenching his hands into fists. "It is." James said silently and strode over to the prince. "One out of two sights I enjoy right now." He said and snaked his muscular arms around the young prince and pulled him flush against his chest and sighed into his soft hair.
Kendall relaxed in the touch and tilted his head upwards and a little to the side and the pirate behind him nuzzled his nose against his neck and inhaled the prince's scent.
"Captain..." Kendall sighed and reached down and grabbed a hold of the brunet's arms and hugged them closer to his body.
James smirked and slowly turned to flustered blond around and looked down at him. The prince's pale skin was nearly glowing in the moonlight and his eyelashes fluttered like restless butterflies over his emerald green eyes. James brought a hand up and ran it over the blond's cheek and chin and then over his pink lips.
Kendall blushed and turned his head away with a shy smile ghosting over his lips. The tall pirate grabbed a firm yet gentle hold of the prince's chin and turned his head back to face him. "God help the bastard that interrupts me now." James murmured before finally, finally, closing the last few millimeters of space between their lips and kissed the blond.
The prince yelped in surprise and struggled for a moment, trying to get free before he stopped and felt instead of thought. He felt James' warm tongue lap at his bottom lip before teasing past it and gently greeting his.
Kendall wanted to say something but it all just came out in a weird muffled noise. James grinned and moved his hand from Kendall's chin to wrap around his neck and tug at the hair in back of the prince's neck. "Moaning already?" He murmured and smirked. "Who would have known?"
"C-Captain..." Kendall sighed and struggled halfheartedly to create some space between himself and the pirate. James chuckled lowly and grabbed a hold of the blond's wrists and pulled Kendall closer and kissed him once more.
"Ye should try and get some sleep." James murmured and pulled away. "Wouldn't want you to be tired when I get back to the cabin." He said with a wink. The young prince blinked confusedly and his face turned red.
"T-This is not..." He mumbled and shook his head. "I just-..." He whined and James chuckled and shook his head. He let go of the blond and gently shoved him in the general direction of the stairs. "C-Captain!" Kendall got out and turned back to face the pirate.
The brunet shook his head with a smirk and went back over to the rudder wheel. "Get back to the cabin, Blondie." He said and sighed. Kendall pouted a bit and went down the stairs. The few crew members left on deck grinned at him and shared meaning looks between one another and the prince glared at them before going into the captain's cabin and then flopping down on the bed.
His fingertips wandered up to his lips slowly. They were still warm and damp from the kiss and it bothered the blond, who ran his tongue over his own lips. Then he quickly pulled his fingers away and scolded himself and shook his head to clear it.
"C-Come on, Kendall." He hissed silently. "Do not do this. Be strong." He told himself and sighed quietly and slumped on the bed while looking around. The room was lit up by small lanterns and the various treasures and furniture in the room threw shadows everywhere.
Kendall shook his head once more and got up form the bed and shrugged the coat he wore off and let it drop to the floor with a thud before he kicked his brown boots off and crawled into bed and wrapped himself in the silky sheets and stared up at the ceiling of the cabin.
He could hear the captain of the ship slowly pace around up there on the rudder deck. He could hear him hum to himself and mumble silent orders to the few crew members who were still awake.
Kendall sighed once more and turned over to lie on his side and closed his eyes and tried to go to sleep.
Linelineline
"Heard from Jenkins that you were getting friendly with the prince last night." Carlos said and grinned up at James from the bed he laid in. Despite loosing a lot of blood, dealing with the poison running through his veins and being on the very edge of dying everyday he kept his spirit up and pulled joke after joke to try and lighten up.
"Just a tad." James said and shrugged but the smirk on his lips was too big to miss. "Sweet little things like him you gotta have in small doses." He said.
"Getting squeamish for the blue blood?" Carlos mocked weakly and wiggled his dark eyebrows.
The captain of the ship rolled his hazel eyes and sighed. "Watch your tongue or I'll rip it straight out of your big mouth." He threatened but his friend just chuckled lowly. A chuckle that turned into violent coughs pretty quickly before he allowed his head to loll back onto the pillow. "Rest up and we'll make sure to get you that antidote." James said with a sigh. "We're just stopping for water."
"A-Ay, Captain." Carlos said and smiled weakly. "Now, don't do this just because of me." He said and winked, still joking despite his condition.
"Wouldn't dream about it, lad." James said and ruffled the latino's hair before exiting the sickbay and going back up on deck. The young prince had somehow dared himself out on the deck during the day, cautiously walking around in his gray coat seemingly on his guard while watching the crew get ready to gather supplies from the small island they'd stopped by.
"Are we here to gather supplies?" Kendall asked when he spotted the captain.
"Ar." James replied and nodded. "Sending the men out to gather water from a nearby water well." He explained and the blond nodded slowly before turning to look out over the sandy beach and nibbled on his lip.
The young prince hesitated a bit before turning back to the tall pirate. "Can I leave the ship?" he asked and James cocked an eyebrow. "I would like to have a look around." Kendall said and looked back out over the beach. "I won't escape. I've got nowhere to go anyways." He continued and gave the captain a pleading look. James sighed and blinked once slowly.
"Ty!" He called and moments later the called sailor was by his side. "I'd like you to escort the prince around." James said and placed his hands behind his back and looked down at the crew member with a stern expression. "Keep him out of trouble and keep your hands to yourself." He warned.
"Ay, ay, Captain." Ty said and smiled sheepishly before turning his attention to the prince. "Your majesty." He grinned and Kendall glanced at the captain before nodding.
"Let's go." He mumbled and walked off the ship with the young pirate trailing after him.
Captain Diamond eyed them both closely and couldn't help but chuckle when the blond sat his foot down on the soft sand and gasped slightly, face lighting up in awe as he proceeded forwards with a curious glint in his eyes and head up high while looking around. The brunet sighed a little and decided to trust his crew with both the water and the prince and walking up to the rudder deck and checking the maps once more.
Kames moments! Fireworks! Carlos' backstory! (Which there will be more of eventually.)
I'm really enjoying this story and I really hope that you are too. I think you might :)
Thank you all for reading and reviewing and being lovely readers! Thank you so much!
oxox Hannah