A/N: Thank you for the wonderful praise! I love it. It makes me so happy to see that someone enjoys reading my fictions and it is what motivates me to upload them instead of keeping them to myself. So THANK YOU.
She's Engaged
Chapter III
Ships are ruined but most are intact.
The enemies' ships have turned and fortunately not too many men were lost. Barely a single one of Jack's, which is bragged victoriously by the Baron. The night has fallen upon them but the torches do lit the otherwise pitch dark night.
Jack received the invitation to join the Baron for dinner, but he really still considers declining. If there is ever a chance of facing Angelica, he somehow wants to avoid that moment. But something in him urged him to do the opposite, so there he stands quite torn in front of a mirror.
He knows she is upset with him. She will probably blame him for her fall and tell him off about how she was doing just fine until he came along. Those are usually the words.
If they would have been on terms, as in her only seeing him - they would have continued that fight. Later on, the fight would dissolve into a heated intimate moment against a nearby wall.
That is how it usually was.
For the first time, he is in fact dressed up as a true commandeer.
As if on cue, Gibbs enters the cabin unannounced and pulls his hand over his eyes to cover the sight.
"My eyes! My eyes!" he lets out and blindly searches for the binocular he in the first place was looking for.
Jack flinches in surprise and examines his friend.
Gibbs finds the binocular with his hand and snatches it.
"Gibbs?"
"Ye be wearin' such a white shirt my eyes burn."
Jack chuckles. He has probably never worn such a white piece of clothing, let alone - owned one. "It appears noble, aye?"
Gibbs scoffs. "Aye," and leaves.
The commandeer remains in front of the mirror. He does look handsome. At least that night.
Maybe the chance of sweeping Angelica off her feet by his charms and clean look will make her less determined to stab his back when turning around.
The image of her in the water, the men reaching out with aim to really hurt her; those pictures sting in his mind.
He feels sick and a sensation of anger arises within. Any bastard laying a hand on her, will not be able to lay that hand elsewhere, no more. Not ever. Nobody touches his precious jewel. She may not belong to him anymore, but she will always be looked after by him. That drip has her now.
His eyes were peering and when noticing his raging expression in the reflection, he softens.
She is unharmed, is she not? And she seems happy.
She is probably already attending the dinner in company of her so-called love.
Jack almost pities her. Or him.
What that man caused to make Angelica wear a diamond ring for him; Jack will never understand. How in the world someone manage to trick his little jewel into putting that ring on for a lifelong promise? - He shall never really understand. And for her to actually prefer another man over Commandeer Sparrow himself, is another thought that he cannot find an answer to.
And surely, just as he predicts, Angelica is sitting in front of the baron.
"Baroness Angelica."
Is that how she will be titled? Baroness?
How fancy.
Jack could never have provided her such a fine title. He was a plain pirate. Then captain. Now commandeer. But a fine and dirty baron, that is something he will never be.
Is that why she jumps right into the arms of such a 'noble' man first chance she gets?
Jack wears dull eyes in his bitterness.
By the way Angelica looks as if she is frozen with spoon in hand, leaning against the plate and how the baron wears a raised eyebrow; Jack realizes he had not thought that silently but actually in fact spoken it.
"Baroness Angelica," he repeats and puts on a fake smile. Angelica sees it, rolls her eyes and returns to moving the spoon in circles. "That'll be yer title."
"Wonderful title, isn't it?" George wonders. "Beautiful combination I must say." He looks at Angelica and now it is Jack who has to roll his eyes when witnessing her wink to George.
He plops down aggressively onto the chair next to Angelica and ends up kind of too close to her in what is appropriate.
She jumps and shoots him a discreet glare but the baron does not notice any of the intentions.
George snatches his fingers and a group of servants appear to remove the metallic tops of the plates to reveal exquisitely well executed meals.
"Feist your eyes, Commandeer."
Jack nods once.
The baron pours three glasses with red wine.
When Angelica reaches her hand out to take her glass, Jack's hand brushes against it and he can feel how it tingles.
Oh, Angelica sweetness.
She glances to him and he meets her eyes, causing her to immediately look away and blush.
In turn, that causes Jack's mouth to twist in his try-out of not grinning widely. So he still have that effect on her, huh?
He smirks and she takes a deep calming breath when noticing it.
"The sight is... lovely," Jack admits and glances to Angelica. She blushes again by how almost... raspy the words come out.
The baron does not take a note of the situation though and naively digs into the food. Jack gestures for Angelica to do so but she awaits, apparently scared of the possibility of touching him again. Firstly after Jack has finished filling his plate, she dares reaching her hands all over the table to fill her own porcelain plate.
She raises her glass to adjoin George's toast when Jack softly places his other hand on her lap. She jumps and knocks her knee into the table but manages to keep her glass with red wine intact. Fortunately.
Both Jack and George turn to her.
She shakes her head.
"Too hot," she shakes her head and gestures to the piece of meat with a missing bite.
Too hot.
Indeed, huh.
Under his touch, he can feel how she tenses. She keeps glancing to him, probably in want of shooting him death glares. Although, she is unable to do so as her fiancée is opposite them.
She keeps drinking wine. More than she usually does. Jack cannot tell if that is a new habit of hers, or if she simply does it to calm her nerves when being in his presence.
Quite an ego he contains, right?
Right.
Throughout the night, the baron jokes about how easy it was so win the battle. What a lunatic, aye? Baron Baines did precisely nothing in combat, yet spoke of it as if it was a piece of cake. Jack has to agree and decides that drinking too much that night will not be the best of decisions. They are still around enemies that can strike whenever and wherever. Baron Baines would not be of much help if it happened.
And he has no intention of letting Angelica get hurt.
He means – him, Commandeer Jack Sparrow not ending up in history books.
Aye. That is why he chose to take this mission. Because he wants to immortalize his name. Not because of a woman. But because of his legend.
Still, his hand somehow moves higher and higher on her thigh and it is not first until George gestures to a servant that Jack takes the opportunity in hand. His hand is touching her inner thigh and he leans in to her to catch her eyes as if he is about to kiss her. She pulls away as she jumps up to stand and his hand falls to her now empty wooden chair. He awakens from the motion and realize what he almost did in front of the baron.
Both him and George stand up to bow politely.
"Goodnight," she speaks softly.
She wanders over, obviously very well aware of Jack's eyes burning on her when she tips her toes to be able to kiss George's cheek. He flushes and grins to her like a lovesick puppy.
"Angelica..."
When she pulls back, her hand caresses his stubble cheek as she intently holds his gaze.
Jack stands still in front of his chair, fuming at the sight. What the bloody hell?
His jaw clenches and he has to look away. Well, again – he could not care less. She is getting married and he is happy for her. Since he himself never married her, even stayed with her for a longer moment, it is only fair to set her free to someone else.
But why... why does it sting him that badly?
Slowly, he moves his gaze back to the duo. She leaves the room, saying goodnight and excusing herself. But Jack barely hears a word. She has made sure her hips move more than usual as she walks, probably very well aware of Jack's staring.
They bare engage in another conversation when the baron also nods his goodnight and leaves as well.
Jack remains on his spot and he tries to convince his mind to just go back to his cabin for a good night's sleep. For once.
Yet, he cannot explain how his legs bring him straight to Angelica's cabin, pushing her doors open and closing them swiftly behind himself.
She is reflecting herself in the mirror while brushing her long hair. She meets his eyes in the mirror and her eyes widen.
Even so, she does not seem surprised. Nor does she turn around.
Jack can feel his hands tremble when he place them on her upper arms, sort of hugging her from behind.
"I know ye always wanted a family," he begins, his face buried in her neck to take in her scent. For that moment her eyes flutter closed. "But is this man really the one?"
She chuckles but lets him hold her. "He's a good man."
"He is a criminal in disguise."
That causes Angelica to spin around. She keeps the closeness though and is dangerously close to his lips. When her gaze falls upon them, Jack smirks. He can see she wants to devour them, but for some obvious reason; she resists.
"Well," she starts. "You are a criminal in disguise."
Jack smiles. "My point exactly."
She looks up to him under her long black lashes and seems to be equally lost in the moment just as he is. There is just so much into it. Too much. Too many things have occurred between them. Everything from pure happiness to pure hatred. Frustration, bittersweet memories and the most ecstatic ones.
When she opens her mouth, she is whispering.
"Let me be happy, Jack," she pleads. "For once, don't ruin this for me. Let me have happiness."
Jack frowns in pain. He does not know if it is the words of always hurting her that pain him, or the fact that he is not her definition of happiness any longer.
Her eyes are teary but she fights to keep her posture.
He cups her face and leans down to brush his lips against hers. Her breath hitches but no kiss.
"I promise."
He presses a kiss on the side of her mouth, kind of aiming to her cheek but leaving it partly on her lips.
He will promise that. He will have to promise that.
He is losing her. And there is not a damn thing he can he do about it.
A/N: Jack...