WAKI 26

The room was tiny. Somehow, he had thought the captain's quarters would be bigger than that. But then again, anything was better than that cramped hell hole the rest of the crew called home.

There was an actual bed. And a desk. And a chair, of all things. Chairs were very rare on a skiff the size of the one his pirate crew had decided to inhabit. There were better things to cart around than chairs. Things like rum.

Speaking of which…Jack had drunk rum before, of course. He was already twelve, practically a man. Bill had been against it, but he had taken some from Sully anyways. It had, quite frankly, tasted like donkey piss.

But this stuff the Captain had given him…This was good. It was smooth and cool, and didn't so much burn as it did smoulder. And it was sweet too, for some odd reason. It was rare that Jack ever had the privilege of eating something not drowned in salt and spice. And so… He drank more than was probably wise for an inexperienced boy of his age.

A lot more.

"So, Jack…"Captain Sam sat down on the edge of his bed, having let Jack settle in the chair. "It's been what, four years since ye got on the ship? That's a long time for a boy yer age. Ye've grown a lot."

"Tha's not wha' Bill says." Jack grinned lopsidedly, not even realizing his words had already begun to slur. "He says I'm jus' as much of a brat as I was when I came on board."

"What?" The captain looked at him, his bloodshot blue eyes going wider then any normal reaction would have made them. "If that's what 'e thinks, well, 'e must just ignore ye. It's obvious to anyone who looks that ye're already a strappin' young man. And there 'e is, still treating ye like a lil' boy."

"Well, I am a lil' boy, compar'd ta him." Jack sighed, taking another swig of the rum. "I mean, he's already twenny. He's practically OLD!"

The captain chuckled. His big, stocky hand came out to run his stubby fingers through Jack's hair, in an oddly disquieting parody of what Bill did on a daily basis.

"Nah. He might be old'r but yer more grown up, ain't ye, Jack?" The captain's fingers slid down his dark cheek. "Yer a regular adult, ain't ye?"

Jack didn't say anything. Something about the glitter in the captain's eyes was scaring him. He didn't like the other man touching him at all.

"Now Jack, as one man ta another…" The captain dropped his voice, leaning in conspiratorially. "I've got a bit o' a problem. Would ye like ta help me wit it, Jack? Would ye like to help me wit my problem?"

Jack continued to say absolutely nothing. He had a feeling that responding, either positively or negatively, would result in something he really didn't want to happen. But maybe, if he didn't respond at all, Captain Sam would get bored and decide to go harass some other boy.

"I knew I could depend on ye…"Captain Sam whispered, apparently interpreting his silence as a 'yes'. "Would ye mind takin' off yer shirt, Jack? I would dearly appreciate ye takin' off yer shirt."