Polished emerald eyes fluttered open with the sort of sleepiness only an adolescent was capable of, a hand came up to rub at them as a groggy sound vibrated within Willa's throat. Once able to keep her eyes open properly the Prussian pushed herself up on her elbows only for the book of fairy tales to slip from her chest and onto the bed beside her. She'd been taking up the entire bed in an unladylike starfish position.
"Izzy?" She called out quietly as she peered around the tiny room despite it being clearly empty and rubbed at her sleepy eyes.
No, the first mate wasn't there and he'd obviously not been for a while. She remembered reading the previous night and must have fallen asleep while doing so, which meant Izzy had still been fiddling with his gun. Did that man ever actually sleep or just catnap here and there? Her eyes widened in momentary panic then, what if she'd been dominating the bed and he'd just decided napping in the chair would be easier?!
Slowly she rose from the bed to indulge in a practically obscene stretch which made her spine pop in a place or two. With that satisfaction over she untied her braid to comb her fingers through her long auburn locks only to re-braid it neatly. The less she looked like a bird's nest the better. Willa glanced down to her bare feet, shoes would be for the better as well. Curse her dainty feet on a ship of big-footed, sweaty men.
After she'd righted her clothes as best she could Willa slipped out of the cabin with the china cup that she quietly returned to the galley, since she assumed that was where it had originated. Then, craving fresh air, she made her way up to the main deck where she quickly spotted Blackbeard peering through a spyglass. She couldn't prevent the tingle of worry inside her as everything flooded back. Izzy knew the truth about her which meant there wasn't any doubt that Blackbeard did as well. Izzy had told her they'd not planned anything bad for her but this was the dangerous Blackbeard.
"There you are, little lass." Willa practically jumped out of her skin. "We don't sleep in on this ship."
He appeared beside her like some kind of mystic ninja of poof. He had his gloveless hand rested atop the hilt of his sword; a classic Izzy Hands stance. By the looks of him he'd not sought her out, he'd just been walking in her general direction, so Willa wasn't overly surprised when he strutted passed her.
"Did you tell Blackbeard about me?"
Oh that question got him to stop. He swivelled on the spot and flashed her a look that suggested he thought her stupid.
"Course I did."
"What- what did he say?" Willa asked with worry clear in her voice.
Izzy smirked that cocky smirk which lit his eyes up. When he next spoke it was loud enough that everybody, everybody, heard it.
"What did Captain Blackbeard say about you blowing a ship to fucking kingdom come with her whole crew?"
Even Buttons who'd been off in his own world shifted to look at Willa. A plethora of confused eyes on her, Willa mentally curled in on herself.
"You wanna tell her, Captain?" Izzy called out to his beloved superior.
Willa had no choice but to watch Blackbeard condense his spyglass agonizingly slowly before he turned to tread towards the girl and first mate.
"Sure." Willa swallowed; good things didn't happen to her so why the hell would this moment be any different? "You killed an entire crew, a commodore and sank a Prussian ship all on your lonesome." Somehow the crew slipped closer with questioning eyebrows without actually moving at all. The bearded captain chuckled. "Plus you lived to tell the tale. You're a fucking badass, baby girl! I don't think even I could have pulled that shit off."
Wilhelmina spoke four languages but what Blackbeard had said didn't make sense in any of them. She forced herself to take a breath as he turned to address the entire crew in a bold, clear tone.
"Listen up! Willa-" He paused to look at her questioningly. "You're name is Willa right?" She nodded and he went back to his speech. "Willa is one of us now. Doesn't matter how tiny she is or how young, she's the sort of fighter we need. Fuck with her and you answer to me."
A whole lot of mumbled affirmatives sounded from around her then … and that was it. That was it? Blackbeard made a decree and his word was beyond reproach, but really was that it? No one cared how many she'd killed? No one viewed her as a threat or felt uncomfortable around her? Had she just worried for nothing?
~X~
Over the next week and a bit Willa found that being part of the crew was actually rather easy. She quickly got used to the Revenge, to the strange dynamic of multiple captains and even started to become friendly with those around her. Jim perpetually bordered on forgiving and forgetting or going one a full-blown revenge mission until nothing remained. Blackbeard was obviously broken on a level even Willa found hard to understand despite him trying to hide it. Then there was Izzy. Poor Izzy tried so hard to cling to the normal pirate ideals, to keep the legend of Captain Blackbeard alive, but clearly he knew it was a losing battle with Stede Bonnet around. The real question became did their first mate truly love his captain with all his stony heart or was it just a fantasized obsession masquerading as love and loyalty.
Roughly three weeks after her absorption into the crew was when land was spotted again, a smallish mound of tree-coated sand that sat peacefully in the water minding its own business. Willa had been listening to Wee John's lesson about the ship's rigging – a lesson she'd flashed him the pleading eyes to get – when Buttons had screamed 'land' at the top of his voice. Willa had started to understand more of what he said but the bulk of it still seemed totally indistinguishable. Regardless, solid ground sounded blissful; excitement bubbled within her.
Down from the quarterdeck marched Izzy, his boots left heavy steps, and over to the port side so he could take a better look. Before the auburn-haired Prussian knew it she'd rushed to the first mate's side with glee.
"Land? Actual land." She grabbed hold of Izzy by his right arm and shook him a little. "Can we go? Please, please, please?"
Izzy just stared at her with his mouth slightly open. "You done?"
Willa cleared her throat and released her grasp on him. "Verzeihung. (Sorry) I haven't been on land in a long time. I got a little carried away."
Izzy made a nondescript sound in the back of his throat before he turned to Roach. "Oi, Roach or whatever your name is. What is our ration situation?"
Roach scratched his head. "Em, we have a good supply but we could always do with more water and fruit … sir."
The first mate nodded to himself before he shouted so everyone could hear him. Willa liked Izzy in first mate mode, it seemed like the only time he was truly comfortable.
"Alright, we're going ashore!"
"Yay!" Willa clapped happily only to be shut down by another of Izzy's unimpressed expressions.
"Don't do that again."
Thankfully Stede and Blackbeard came toward them then which had Izzy shift his irritation from Wilhelmina to the blond. Perhaps it was wrong to chuck him under the carriage but Willa didn't think it would lead to too much harm for the time being. Stede either didn't notice Izzy's targeted indignation or – no, he probably just hadn't noticed it.
"An island, lovely." Began the blond captain. "It'll be nice to stretch our legs, have a little vacation."
Blackbeard shrugged. "Sounds like a plan. Make sure we're stocked up on water, Iz."
"Aye, Captain. Take the opportunity while it's there and all."
Stede nodded with a polite smile. "Very wise, Iggy."
The first mate grumbled deep inside his throat which drew Willa's green eyes to him before he trudged off while muttering under his breath. She'd not been around very long but Izzy's dislike of Stede had already started to bother her; seemed all it did was make things worse between the two men.
Lucius tapped her on the shoulder suddenly which pulled her away from her thoughts and the conversation the rest of the crew had started about going ashore. He rested his chin where he'd just tapped and gave her a huge grin; normally only her brother ever got that close to Willa.
"Dizzy Izzy must have a soft spot for you." Jested the tall man.
"I don't think that's true, Lucius. He doesn't seem like the sort to have a soft spot for anyone." The 'except for Blackbeard' part went unsaid.
The scribe just snorted out a high-pitched laugh of disbelief. "Are you kidding me? If literally anybody else had started shaking him like a needy girlfriend shouting 'please, please, please' they'd have been told to fuck off and punched in a heartbeat."
She internally debated a split second before she responded. "I don't think Izzy not telling me to fuck off means he likes me."
"Oh silly girl." He straightened back up. "You're still sleeping in his cabin, aren't you? His bed."
"Blackbeard told him to watch me."
"Come off it, my winsome Willa. If he didn't want you around he'd have tossed you out regardless of what his precious Eddie said." Lucius booped her nose. "Time to face facts, sweetness, you're his favorite, you know, after the obvious."
With that Lucius wandered off back to Black Pete and left Willa stood there blinking almost comically. There wasn't any way in hell Izzy had warmed up to her that much. Sure, he didn't seem to hate her but she'd not really given him reason to. Best not to read too far into it.
~X~
It didn't take long for the group going ashore to move to the boats; first time she'd seen the crew look eager to follow one of Izzy's barked out orders. Blackbeard had even been kind enough to help Willa down the ladder into one of the boats. She couldn't stop the wave of trepidation she felt as they approached the small island. It had been almost a full year since she'd been taken by the Kommodore and almost as long since she'd had the pleasure of solid earth beneath her feet. To just walk along ground that didn't wobble side to side constantly would be practically euphoric. Willa didn't hate the Revenge she just wanted something solid underneath her bare feet.
Unbeknownst to the Prussian girl Izzy watched her face for the entire trip to shore. The way her mouth lifted up into an excited smile and her emerald eyes glistened with apprehension. Never seen someone so excited to be on a piece of shit island, muttered Izzy's mind. However, there was something endearing about her expression. Bonnet went on the entire way there about how nice it was sometimes to take a break from the ship but Izzy paid no attention and he could tell Willa didn't either. There was pain behind her soft smile but she kept on smiling anyway, Izzy respected that.
When the boat finally reached the island, Blackbeard hopped out followed by Izzy then Stede, one looked out to survey the area while the other seemed more focused on the view. Willa launched out to the sandy shore only to instantly rush back into the boat.
"Heiß! Heiß! Es ist heiß!" (Hot! Hot! It's hot!)
A trio of chuckles escaped Lucius, Frenchie and Black Pete as they all let the boat. It was Stede who took pity on Willa though because he came to her aid by lifting her out of the boat bridal style. A sudden waft of lavender soap caressed her senses; refreshing.
"We really should find you some shoes, shouldn't we, my dear." He spoke more to himself than Willa but she kindly responded anyway.
"It is all right. My feet will get used to the temperature quick enough."
It felt weird for him to cradle her after she'd spent so long afraid of men's touch but it wasn't like Stede Bonnet of all people could hurt her. Frankly it seemed like a father holding his child since she was on the petite side.
"No, no, I wouldn't be a gentleman if I didn't insist upon carrying you to the shade." So that was exactly what he did, he carefully carried her up the beech to the shade of a palm tree – which wasn't that far away – then carefully set her down. "There, much cooler."
"Danke, Captain."
First Mate Hands just rolled his eyes. Damn Bonnet and his over the top acts of gentlemanly kindness. The next boat containing Olu, Jim, Buttons and the Swede arrived then and Izzy took that as his cue to bark yet more orders.
"Alright, listen up." No one seemed overly concerned but at least they had the common curiosity to look over at him. "Black Pete, Jim, Oluwande, fuck off and find water. The rest of you gather up any fruit you find. May as well take it."
Lucius groaned, he'd had such a nice mental image of him and Black Pete spending a romantic morning on the sand, maybe some sketches.
"And what are you going to do?" The scribe demanded with mild irritation.
Izzy wasn't impressed in the slightest. "Punch you in the fucking face if you don't get to work."
Jim muttered something under their breath but managed to keep their mouth shut in favor of just going off in search of water since it was of actual importance. Willa's manipulations had come to an end but she did need to still be useful, as part of a crew, that was how she ended up stood between Frenchie and Lucius underneath surprisingly plentiful trees.
Meanwhile Izzy stared at Blackbeard as the man wandered off with Stede fucking Bonnet. Blue orbs watched them yank off their shoes and bare their feet.
Izzy's eyebrows shot up. "Are they fucking paddling?! Christ, what the fuck is the damn ponce doing to him?"
In a desperate attempt to expel some of his seething anger, Izzy grabbed a palm-sized rock from the sandy ground beside his right foot and launched it out into the ocean. The splash caused a tidal wave of ripples and probably scared the ever-loving shit out of any fish roaming the area; not that Izzy could have cared less. His rage bubbled deep inside him. Blackbeard, Izzy had known him for decades, he trusted in Blackbeard, was loyal to Blackbeard, but then Bonnet just waltzed on in to take the powerful legend that was his captain and dismantle the man piece by agonizing piece. A travesty was unfolding before him and Izzy had started to wonder if it was a lost cause. No! No, he'd not give up that easily. He'd think of something to set things right, he couldn't let the entire world they'd built just fall apart because of one exasperating cretin.
Regretfully there wasn't anything he could do in that moment though, he'd have to play the slow game. He couldn't get away with just rushing over to drown Bonnet in the drink no matter how much he'd like to. So Izzy sulked. Of course he'd not for a single second admit to that even with a blade at his throat, but sulking was the only word for it. He glared out at the sea like it had personally offended him for longer than he knew. When Izzy couldn't start punching or stabbing watching the horizon became his only method of easing his rage; a trick he'd learned as a child. Actually, the only time he drew his attention away from the soothing horizon was when he noticed Wilhelmina grumpily storm away from the treeline. She'd been just as in her own head as he'd been until she spotted the first mate and made a bee-line for him.
"If you're not going to help the others at least make yourself useful."
"Don't worry, I will." She assured. "However, you said next time we were on land you'd teach me to use a pistol."
Sure Izzy remembered that but didn't have the mental acuity to actually teach in that moment; probably not in the next or the one after that either. So much rage still rattled around inside him, that and he'd not brought anywhere near enough shot for practice.
"Didn't say which next time." He huffed.
Willa's head tilted to the side a little in question. "I know English is my third language but doesn't 'next time' usually imply the time which comes next?"
Izzy sighed. "I preferred you when you were playing little girl. Go on, fuck off and be useful."
She muttered something humorous under her breath but it was in German so he didn't have a single clue what it meant. Scowling at the ocean called so Izzy turned his attention back to it while Willa wandered away. The island was far too small for her to hurt herself and looked like she'd stopped moaning about the sand's heat so Izzy just let her be. Wilhelmina von Krieger was one weird girl but he supposed she fitted in well with the rest of the oddballs.
~X~
Two hours later Blackbeard realized their new Prussian had vanished thanks to many a concerned comment from his fellow captain, so he went in search of her. The girl didn't take long to track down having sequestered herself at the shore just on the other side of a thicket. He lifted an eyebrow seeing her stood ankle-deep in the water with some sort of little, damaged crate rested on the rocks close by. Years as a pirate meant many an unusual sight had presented itself to Blackbeard but this girl continued to surprise him, she really was a badass.
The bearded captain smiled to himself as he approached her and came to rest a booted foot on the rocks. Willa didn't move, just remained solid as a statue with her feet slightly apart and her eyes staring straight down between them.
"Stede is getting worried about you." Began Blackbeard, voice deep as always. "The others said you just walked off. Didn't feel like helping?"
The auburn-haired beauty sighed. "I'm not tall enough to reach the fruit."
"Could have climbed the tree." He offered.
"I tried, I kept falling."
Blackbeard laughed at that, a genuine long laugh that had his shoulders shake and his head tilt back with glee. The thought of Willa flat on her ass with a disgruntled expression on her face somehow managed to lift some of the ingrained darkness from his soul.
"Oh," he rested a hand on his chest, "I needed that. So what are you doing?"
Still the teen hadn't bothered to look up from the water between her feet.
"Izzy told me to make myself useful-"
"Sounds like him."
"- and then I found that crate washed up. I was going to take it back to stack coconuts in but my feet are still burnt so I stood in the sea. Turns out I'm good at catching fish with my hands."
The tall man cocked an eyebrow as he shuffled closer to the dog-tired crate to peer inside. There he found a rather decent haul of fish for a total novice.
"Shit, think you've got a natural talent here, baby girl. Bit shallow though, aren't you?"
Suddenly the Prussian shot downward creating a splash before she stood back up victorious with a crab in her right hand; its little legs and pincers waggled about to pointlessly retaliate. She walked her prize to his side then paused unsure what to do with it.
"Em, should this be dead before it goes in the crate? Will it eat the fish?"
Blackbeard shrugged. "No idea, I don't hang around with crabs. Try bashing it against a rock."
She guessed it as a good a plan as any though, in hindsight, Roach would have been a better person to ask about this kind of thing. Worried she'd get pinched Willa lifted the crab high above her head then smashed it down into the rock with all her might. For a moment she'd expected the damn thing to toddle off back into the sea but much to her pleasure it just lay there unmoving. Mission accomplished! She threw the crab into her crate.
"That damn crab has been giving me the run around, Captain, I was worried about getting something snipped."
Blackbeard didn't appear overly bothered. "Fucker is dead now."
A pause lingered between them for a second before Willa's green eyes peered upward at the tall man she'd started to grow accustom to.
"Do you think Izzy will be pleased?"
People wanting to please Israel Hands was rare, teenagers and women wanting to please Izzy was totally unheard of; well, unless he'd bought the woman's time.
"I'm pleased so he certainly will be." He offered her as kind a smile as he was able. "Time to go back to the ship now. Stede thought we'd lost you."
"Entschuldigung bitte." (I'm sorry) She said politely, this was Blackbeard after all. "I didn't mean to worry anybody, I just wanted to be useful like Izzy told me to."
"And you were." The bearded man lifted the crate into his arms. "Come on."
Together the pirate captain and Prussian teenager made their way back along the beach to where the boats had been left waiting to return them to the Revenge. The sun had started to think about setting and the heat had died down to a more comfortable temperature.
Willa took a moment to take in the sight of the crew. A voice which sounded surprisingly like her brother's kept telling her to keep her guard up but for some reason she'd quickly grown acclimatized to these strange people. Most of them were armed and could kill if they needed to, they could have inflicted so much violence on her but instead they'd seemingly embraced her. Willa wasn't under any misconceptions, she knew she actually managed to help with very little on ship, being five-foot-two with little upper body strength wasn't exactly optimal for a sailor.
"Ah, Miss von Krieger." Stede happily surged toward her. "There you are, I was worried you'd gotten hurt."
"I'm fine, really." She gave him a smile. "Captain?"
The blond flashed her a kind smile. Genuinely kind people didn't last long in her experience so Stede Bonnet was an outlier for sure.
"Yes, my dear?"
"Could you – would you please not call me 'Miss von Krieger'?"
That 'miss' wasn't her correct form of address didn't bother her, not in the slightest, it was that it felt so formal for a ship where the only titles should have been reserved for captains and the first mate. Everybody just went by their name or a nickname and Willa rather liked that relaxed feeling. She didn't need reminding of her family's nobility even remotely. Fortunately for Willa, Stede seemed to realize her reasoning behind the request and didn't push.
"Of course, if that's what you prefer then Willa it is."
The sound of Blackbeard shoving the crate into the boat drew everyone's attention then and Frenchie was instantly over it to discover its contents.
"That's a lot of fish, mate."
Blackbeard clapped Willa on the back so hard it hurt. "We're eating good tonight, boys, and it's all thanks to Willa."
Olu meandered on over to have a look for himself, when he peered up he had a bold smile on his face and a twinkle in his eyes.
"That's really cool, Willa. You did great."
With that they returned to the ship where Roach delighted in cooking up the fresh fish and crab for supper. He even went so far as to teach her how to gut and prepare a fish which was a skill Willa hadn't ever thought she'd need until she'd found herself in Roach's galley holding a knife. If it wasn't piano or embroidery Willa had very little to take pride in, so helping to cook gave her a warm feeling inside that she decided to treasure.
~X~
Later that night, after everyone had gorged themselves on the crab and fish Willa had somehow managed to catch, most of the crew had gathered up on deck for their bedtime story, and this time Willa had opted to listen in as well. The ship rocked gently with the sea's ebb and flow almost as though it were a mother rocking the crew to sleep for the night. Willa had nestled herself against the mast to listen. Stede truly did put in the effort when it came to his reading; he clearly enjoyed doing the voices and his crew enjoyed hearing it. She couldn't help being reminded of when she'd been small and her mother would gather Willa and herself in Friedrich's bed to just read to them for hours. Odd how pirates reminded her of happy times yet living with her father had only made her sorrowful. She needed to shove that aside, it only upset her and Willa wanted to think of better things. Stede for example, Stede was one of the few good people in the world as far as Willa was concerned, he gave off an infectious sort of happiness that he should have been proud of.
When the tale came to an end for the night Wee John and the Swede were already asleep snoring slightly, so Willa very carefully stood and started to stretch until her back informed her that going any further wouldn't be a wise choice. Sleep sounded delightful in that moment so she pulled her shirt back up over her shoulder – she'd need to do something about that – then headed for the ladder. Before she could get there though Captain Bonnet slipped into step beside her; book cradled in his arm.
"Willa, I just wanted to say thank you for your extemporary fishing today. It was really rather impressive! I had no idea you could fish."
The emerald-eyed teenager flashed him a smile. "Dafür nicht." (You don't have to thank me for that) She told him before realizing she'd slipped into German, her off-handed comments did that a lot. "Didn't know I could fish. I was trying to cool my feet off and sort of realized I could grab them if I was patient. I – I wanted to be helpful."
"My dear, you honestly have been. Also, I'm very pleased you're with us." The pair turned a corner in the passageway. "You are a lovely young woman and you're a wonderful addition to the crew."
Wilhelmina beamed. "That's very kind of you to say, Captain."
Stede waved off her concern only to scramble not to drop his book. Willa may have labelled Izzy as 'adorable' but Stede had found himself with the tag of 'tender-hearted scatterbrain'.
"Nonsense. I doubt you desired to be a pirate, am I right?" Of course he knew he was.
"My brother and I actually spoke about it once."
"You have a brother?" He asked with true interest. "What is his name?"
"Friedrich, but I call him Fiete." A smile appeared on her face.
Some had said the siblings were too close but that was from people who hadn't suffered under a father like Gerhard von Krieger. Her brother could be her best friend, wasn't anything wrong with that.
"Good, strong name." He nodded. "Is he older or younger?"
"Two years older."
Willa got it again, that fatherly and concerned expression. She'd longed to see that look on her own father's face as a child. Christ, the pirates had taken more care of her than her own fucking sire!
"You must miss him very much." Their strides halted at that and for a second Stede seemed to honestly ponder hugging her.
"I do. He's the only member of my family still alive who cares."
Something hardened inside the blond at that, something which made him determined. His chest puffed up and his head found itself held just a little higher.
"Then I vow you will see him again, Willa. We are pirates so we can't just sail into a Prussian port to drop you off but I will think of something."
Willa mentally stopped dead. "You would do that for me?"
Stede nodded without hesitation. "But of course, my dear. I hired the crew. Ed, Izzy, Fang and Ivan all chose to be pirates just as I did." He gestured to the girl. "You didn't choose to be aboard the Revenge and while I am very happy to have you with us, I shan't force you to remain here. We're pirates with better standards."
"Danke schön, Captain."
"You're very welcome, Willa." That fatherly countenance just grew. "I did want to ask you something else as well if I'm honest. I know we've spoken of this briefly before, but are you certain you wouldn't rather have your own space to sleep? I can't offer you your own room but I can surely find a quiet spot for you to sleep in. I remember you said you felt … safe with Izzy – which is rather amazing to me – but you shouldn't have to be so cramped."
Willa chuckled. "I'm kind of small so I don't take up much space. I'd really rather remain with Izzy though … unless he doesn't want me."
Stede's brow furrowed. "I haven't heard any complaints from him, and that man is very loud when he complains. But you've made your choice and I won't try to change your mind. Just know that you can come to me if you need to. Good night, Willa."
"Good night, Captain." She said as she watched him wander away out of sight.
Since the gentle rocking of the ship would rock her to sleep just as it had with Wee John and the others, Willa continued the short distance to Izzy's cabin and let herself in. He wasn't there, not that she'd really expected him to be. He was first mate after all, had things to do, people to yell at regardless of the hour.
Quietly she lit a candle and hung the lantern up on the hook driven into the ceiling. With the ability to see more than a millimetre in front of her face returned to her, Willa retrieved the book of fairy tales Stede had loaned her and settled down on the bed. She'd consumed hardly a full page when her mind wandered away to what the blond captain had told her. He'd truly meant it when he'd promised to return her to her brother, Willa believed that. Truly the thought of seeing him again made her heart soar. To see Friedrich would make everything all right again.
She took a calming breath, the ones she'd trained herself to take shortly after her mother's departure from her mortal coil. Almost a year Kommodore Otto Hohenstaufen had kept her as his fucking plaything, his Butterblume and in all that time she'd not cried once, refused to, frankly she'd forgotten she could cry until meeting Izzy. She couldn't keep falling to pieces now she'd found light at the end of the tunnel.
Attention returned to the fairy tales, green eyes caressed the black print as Willa let the story guide her away from her thoughts and problems.
~X~
When Willa next awoke it was to being violently shaken as she hyperventilated; the sight of Hohenstaufen hauling her across the cabin floor so he could bind her to his bed lingered behind her eyes.
"For fuck's sake, lass, you're having another goddamn nightmare."
Izzy. That was Izzy Hands' gruff voice, a voice she'd become very accustom to. Willa blinked rapidly before she launched upward to wrap her arms around him in search of comfort, she pressed her face into his waistcoat-clad chest where the scent of leather could sooth her. She gripped him tightly leaving Izzy to freeze in place with one knee on the bed and a teenage girl clinging to him. Willa didn't cry – which struck him as odd – but she did shiver to the point Izzy actually worried about her; another thing which struck him as odd. How had he found himself in the position of trying to deal with an almost convulsing teenager.
"Lass, I'm not good at this." He sighed. "I don't know how to deal with shivering and crying, especially when it comes from a sixteen-year-old."
She didn't release him though and Izzy found himself remembering the last time she'd clung to him desperately; holding her had helped. So, internally praying she'd release him soon, Israel started to pet her auburn hair as he shuffled them so he could sit on the bed with Willa in his lap. She continued to cling to him like a lifeline.
"You letting go soon?" He questioned after a few moments.
Wilhelmina didn't respond, just buried her face more deeply into his practically trademark waistcoat. Izzy continued to pet her hair since he had no idea what else to do. Uncomfortable, Izzy was uncomfortable with the entire situation, but somehow didn't have the heart to just shove her away. Christ, was he going soft?
"Done?"
Finally, finally, Willa nodded and those polished emeralds tilted up to his icy blue ones.
"Ja, I think so. I don't mean to keep clinging to you like a child, really."
"Doubt it's the sort of thing you plan." Izzy vacillated.
Willa breathed out a small laugh. He finally met her gaze properly. Izzy had grown used to eyes staring at him with rage, hatred and the occasional glint of jest when he was with Blackbeard. Wilhelmina though, he wasn't sure quite what was in them but it certainly wasn't rage, hate or jest. And whose eyes had any right to be that green?! Better than any rich woman's emeralds, that was for sure. First Mate Hands internally grumbled to himself; no wonder Lucius and the other shitheads didn't obey him if he'd started thinking like this. Bonnet had turned Blackbeard weak and Izzy could be stopped dead by a pair of beautiful eyes.
However, Wilhelmina had ended her shivering which was a boon. Surely that meant his task had been completed, go find something else to do but then something happened that he'd have never expected in a million years. Frankly him becoming England's next king would have occurred to him first. Izzy went ridged as the young girl stretched up in his lap to kiss his bearded cheek.
"Danke."
"Fo-for what?" He stuttered out; his entire body had turned to stone.
"For being kind to me. I know being the first mate isn't easy yet you took care of me anyway."
An audible gulp escaped the man with salt and pepper hair. "I'm not kind."
"Ja, you are." His cheek was caressed with another press of her wonderfully soft lips.
"What was that one for?"
"For letting me stay with you." She smiled.
Israel shrugged. "Captain's orders, and I obey Blackbeard."
"Nein." She began with a shake of her head. "I think if you really hadn't wanted me here you'd have tossed me out or strung up a hammock in a corner to keep me away from you."
Lucius had been correct, chucking her out would have been Izzy's go-to; didn't matter there and then though.
Willa's hand reached up to cup his stubbled cheek, her pinky finger almost touched his swallow tattoo, as she angled his face down to meet hers fully. Then, with her fully in his lap, Willa stretched up to kiss his lips. It certainly wasn't a passionate kiss full of fire and desire but it certainly wasn't chaste either.
Later, Izzy would curse himself for how quickly his eyes had slipped shut, curse himself for how much he liked it. When they separated their lips hovered fractionally apart while silence danced between them. He struggled to form words for a few seconds, but when he did they tumbled out of him.
"What was that for?"
Is that all I'm capable of saying now? Had he truly been reduced to only a single sentence by this sixteen-year-old? Later he'd have a long debate about what had happened to him, probably while an eye twitched.
She smiled softly up at him. "That one is because I like you, Izzy." Willa hadn't ever used his name before, not with him at least, but he strangely liked it. Her Prussian accent, though strong, wrapped around his name like a comfortingly warm blanket, like the heat of a roaring fire in the harshest snowstorm. "I like your eyes and the way they twinkle at the thought of a bath. I like that you hold me even though you're convinced you have no idea how to comfort a girl." She shifted closer to his chest. "And I like that you call me your little lass." She kissed him again, less hesitant this time. "You're handsome, Izzy. I like you."
Yep Izzy's brain had just committed suicide. He couldn't form a sentence again. He couldn't – fuck, he couldn't think. No one ever called him handsome, even when he got so pent up he found a brothel whore for a night they didn't call him handsome. People didn't see him beside the glorious Blackbeard and decide they'd take the little, grumpy one.
Willa kissed him again deeper than last time and before he knew it Izzy found himself moving forward with her until he was half over the girl with her on her back. Willa was kissing him! Women, men, nobody ever desired to kiss Israel Hands. Calloused hands rested flat on either side of Willa while she continued to cup his cheek; so beautiful splayed out beneath the elder man and soon he'd moved himself almost entirely over her.
Then, suddenly, he ground to a halt when something dawned on him and he pulled away.
"No, no, no. This isn't real." He shook his head. "This is just another of your manipulations."
The auburn-haired beauty's brow furrowed with confusion. "Why would I be manipulating you?"
"What you did is all out in the open now. Everybody knows." He insisted. "This is just you trying to get me to keep you safe again."
She sighed. "… Blackbeard's word is law, right?"
"Undoubtedly so." He responded with a speed she'd expected.
"Then I am safe." Willa reasoned. "Blackbeard said anyone who messed with me had to answer to him, so he is keeping me safe. I have no reason nor desire to manipulate you now, Izzy. I just like you."
Izzy continued to appear doubtful while a sort of 'huh' expression coated his tattooed face. Her hair had come loose during her nightmare leaving bits of it fanned out around her head in an auburn cloud. She'd been shivering only a short time ago but now lay beneath him with a level of interest a girl her age shouldn't have known of.
"Why?" He asked. "I'm more than twice your age, a pirate and you've just spent almost a year as that fucking commodore's pet."
She paused a moment as if attempting to figure out exactly what she wanted to say.
"That is true but in all the time he didn't break me." Willa told him, her voice soft and almost lyrical. "Do you know why? Most of the time he couldn't get it up. He'd hit me and bite me, try to get himself hard that way but most of the time it wouldn't work." Her hand finally slipped away from his cheek to rest with the other one on her stomach. "He'd slap and kick me until he got bored then throw me to the floor and go to sleep. A man can't break you if you know he's pathetic." Willa's dazzling eyes twinkled up at him through the lantern light. "In regards to you being a pirate, I've found that, when it comes to the sea, pirates are the kindest people I've met. As for you being so much older, the em – the gray hair and the crow's feet … I sort of like it. I … want you." Another kiss caressed his lips. "You're very kissable and I can feel you hard against my thigh. I know you want me too, Izzy."
They shared another kiss that Izzy didn't respond to because he was much too focused on Willa's words. Confusion had taken over the first mate's body; perhaps one of Bonnet's crew had finally grown some balls, thwacked him and this was all some kind of nonsensical delusion until he finally dropped down dead. She'd been abused by some degenerate of a Prussian, Willa should have cowered away from him not lay beneath him like a needy harlot. Okay, maybe harlot is a step too far, he mumbled internally.
"Will this help?"
With a surprisingly sweet smile Willa shifted and managed to free herself of her too-large shirt. Almost the instant she released it from her grasp the fabric slipped off the bed forgotten.
Izzy stared at her breasts. Didn't blink, didn't think, just stared.
"You've got really good tits for a teenager." He'd not meant to say that aloud!
"Must be a miracle." She teased; it wasn't lost on her that she'd been forced to grow up a little too quickly.
Izzy's eye twitched, it had been so long since he'd let off steam.
"Fuck it." On that note the older man caved, by God had it been too long.
With an urge he'd not let himself acknowledge until that moment Izzy peeled the girl out of her brown leather pants while she unbuttoned his waistcoat and tossed aside his baldric. Their kissing stopped long enough for Izzy to pull his shirt over his head and cast it away. His chest had a thick spattering of graying hair which was totally different to the Kommodore's own infraclavicular mane. Something deep within her mind cursed that the Prussian man was the only thing she had to compare her current situation to, but she'd been a maiden until her father had traded her, just a girl with no other sexual experiences. All of that would change though, Izzy wasn't the Kommodore and she actually wanted this.
Izzy kissed her, the sort of kiss that left no question as to what he wanted. She tried to hold her own in this foreign land of locked lips but the way Izzy kissed was unforgiving and ruthless, though, somehow, also laced with need and a softness literally nobody would expect from the first mate. His goatee tickled her face and was a totally new experience, one not born of pain and misery. Willa prided herself on being a fast learner so she picked up on this kissing idea rather quickly, however, just when she'd started to think she could keep up, Izzy grabbed her by the back of her knees and pulled her to him. A breathy gasp escaped her. There she lay splayed out beneath him, her legs parted widely to give him all the access to her body he could ever desire. The fingers of his right quickly found the prize that was her sex and, though out of practice, Izzy could still skilfully please a woman. Also, if anyone could pinpoint the exact moment Izzy had shed his leather glove, Willa would personally prepare their meals for a week.
"Ah! Izzy." His name tumbled wantonly from her lips which actually made him smirk; he was good and he fucking knew it.
Willa managed to glance up at him with those polished emeralds of hers only to see an arrogant glint in his own eyes as a finger finally slipped into her core. She moaned, a needy sound which echoed through the cabin; so wanton and he'd hardly done anything to her. The Kommodore was gone, banished, now Izzy would be the only one she'd think of Willa decided. Another finger entered her while Izzy continued to dominate her mouth with a tongue as devilish as his fingers. Bliss was so new to her, a revelation bestowed upon her by a standoffish pirate. The Revenge rocked on the ocean and Willa along with it. Izzy pushed her forward toward whatever built up inside her and when the calloused fingers of his other hand caressed her nipple Willa plunged into the waters. Her body arched begging him for more of his touch without her permission as an unknown euphoria coursed through her veins and whited-out her vision.
"Ach du Scheiße!" (Holy shit!) She cried out.
Willa's fingers scrabbled for whatever bit of him they could grab which turned out to be the thick chest hair she'd admired earlier. He hissed as she accidentally yanked some of them out but it only worked to make his desire for her stronger, a spark of pain which spurred him on.
The teenager lay beneath him, her body trembled with her climax but Izzy Hands wasn't the sort of man to give without taking something in return. He shoved himself backward onto his haunches to practically rip away his laces until he freed himself from the harsh confines of his pants.
Willa's vision returned as she gazed at him, open-mouthed and debauched. She'd never seen him look so self-assured and alluring. Her face flushed when he grabbed the leather tie she kept in her hair, ripped it free and tossed it aside so he could yank on her hair forcing her head back. With her neck exposed to him Izzy coated it in little nibbles and sucks. Willa couldn't quite tell but Izzy held back, the animalistic side of him wanted to bite down, draw blood and leave bruises to claim her, but he'd seen the bite marks the Kommodore had left in his wake; he'd be kind for a change.
He couldn't resist the intoxicating pull of her glistening sex any longer. With a surge of masculine desire he forced her legs even further apart and filled her. Willa cried out at the sudden elysian intrusion, her hands scrambled for him and resulted in her nails clawing at his back. Little scratches of pain that fluttered up Izzy's spine.
Israel's hands gripped her hips so tightly she was certain they'd bruise. That should have bothered her, should have caused her to flinch away away, but for some reason Willa liked it. These bruises would be worn with pride, they'd not been forced on her but gifted by a man she actually wanted.
That tingling started to grow deep within her again as Izzy's thrusts grew erratic and demanding. His lips tumbled downward from her neck while he continued to tug on her hair, until finally he took a nipple into his mouth.
"Izzy." She moaned, accent thicker than it ever had been before. "Izzy, please."
"Beautiful little harlot, aren't you." He purred, his breath hot on her breast.
His erratic tempo grew to match his need. All Willa could do was babble out his name among broken, breathy sentences in her native tongue and moaned obscenities. Izzy grinned at how far gone the teenager was, how far she'd sunk into the effervescent waters of delight.
"Going to cum for me, little lass, like a good girl?" The first mate cooed with a smirk.
"I wont break." Her nails clawed deeper into his back where they left crescent-shaped welts.
"Oh you won't, huh? Well then."
Before she knew it he'd pulled out of her and forced the Prussian girl down on her stomach – an awkward task in such a little bed. The sudden wave of emptiness almost hurt her soul. She didn't fight, craved this just as much as Izzy did. Gruff hands pulled her hips up to expose her to his hungry eyes once more and then, with a groan, he filled her again.
"Like a bitch in heat." He muttered to himself.
Willa moaned into the sheets, her voice muffled by them. Izzy caught the next words to flow from her lips though.
"Harder. Please, puppy, harder."
Something he couldn't explain coursed through Izzy at that, his thrusts turned desperate as he pushed them closer and closer to orgasm. Forced her body to accommodate his girth as he droved deeper and deeper thanks to the new angle.
So close, so very, perfectly close!
"Fuck!" Izzy cried when he spilled inside her with a few final hard thrusts that forced her over the gunwales and into the water as well.
Izzy somehow managed to push her just far enough toward the wall that he could roll onto his back while Willa was left to just collapse. She stayed like that for almost a full minute before she pushed herself onto her side so she could slot against Izzy; all but forced him to snake his right arm around her as well. The Prussian rested her head atop his chest while a finger drew nugatory patterns through his chest hair.
"That was nice."
Izzy snorted. "Just nice, huh?"
"Maybe I can add points for how well behaved of a puppy you are." The girl teased.
"Why are you calling me a fucking puppy?"
It had sparked something in him before but now Izzy just had questions. He wasn't one for cuddling either, normally just fucked and left, yet there he was with an arm full of little noble girl.
"Your hair hangs over your face when you sleep." She said softly. "Makes you look like a cute puppy dog. All bark and no bite."
"I can bite you if you want, lass." He told her offhandedly.
"Nein." She shook her head. "I've had enough of that."
The memory of seeing the purple-yellow bite marks over her skin when they'd first met flooded back. Perhaps it had been a good thing that he'd not given in to his wants and sunk his teeth in. A light kiss was pressed to his hairy chest just above and to the right of his nipple. Izzy felt her smile against his heated skin. People didn't do this with him, he wasn't the sort that got sweet nothings and cuddles. It felt so out of place, so weird and … so very, very enjoyable. Normal was a rough fuck in a brothel or his reliable hand while he pretended it was a certain someone else's hand. No, Izzy wasn't used to laying in bed with a lover. So bizarre, but Izzy found he didn't hate it entirely. Not bad just different. No! He didn't need snuggles from a partner, didn't want them, as soon as he had his breath back he'd go to sleep and they'd forget the entire thing. She was just something to use as stress relief.
His hand slipped down to cup her ass. "You really aren't that timid girl, are you."
"Only when it benefits me." She replied honestly.
Izzy paused a moment before finally speaking through the sex scented air.
"Those nightmares of yours are violent, you're not as unaffected as you like to pretend, little lass."
She shrugged a little. "Nobody on this ship is free of dark memories, Izzy. It's sweet that you care though."
The older man bristled as his hand released her buttock and fell to the bed. "I'm just sick of getting slapped in the face."
"I don't mean to." Wilhelmina muttered. "I chose to fight but he was so much bigger than me, so strong."
Izzy sighed, he didn't want to talk about the dead Prussian. "Fucker is dead now. He can do fuck all."
The auburn-haired beauty breathed out a laugh as she snuggled herself in closer to him, Izzy might not have wanted to cuddle but she did and she'd clearly gotten her way.
A silence lingered between them, and for a few moments of it Izzy debated just leaving until she'd fallen asleep. It would have been better, after all the idea of her getting comfort from him was just comical and he totally didn't enjoy holding her.
Willa must have felt the growing awkwardness of their silence though because eventually she changed the subject to something entirely different.
"Where were you? When I didn't see you on deck at story time I thought you'd be here but you weren't."
"With the Captain." He deadpanned.
"Oh? Anything interesting." As a noble she'd found herself versed in keeping pointless conversations going despite her poor social interaction skills.
The older man sighed; did that a lot. "Lass, I'm the first mate and he is the fucking captain, we don't owe you an explanation."
"Fine." She said quietly. "Sorry for asking."
Great, now she's sulking. This shit was why he didn't chit-chat.
"Go to sleep, it's late." As if the lantern mirrored his sentiments it chose that moment to dim with the tell tale signs of not being long for the world. "Sleep."
With her orders from the first mate firmly given she shut her eyes. Izzy tried to roll onto his side toward the door away from her but she refused to let him. Weeks she'd spent plastered against the cabin wall uncomfortably, but not any longer, no she'd lay there with her head on his chest regardless of what he wanted. Willa deserved a fucking pillow.
That was how she fell asleep, with her head cradled on the bare chest of a hostile man and the scent of candle smoke dancing around the smell of sex.