Birds squawked, hubbub echoed and Willa's emerald orbs couldn't focus on any one thing, just flitted around the port as it crew increasingly closer. In a way her glee was akin to a pirate stumbling across a chest full of diamonds and other precious gems just asking to be pilfered, unrealistic and consuming. The teenager hadn't got anything against being aboard the ship exactly, but land was rather nice for a change; land wouldn't suddenly jostle and knock her on her ass.
Willa sort of followed along behind Izzy, Stede and Blackbeard as they made their way through the hustle and bustle of the Republic of Pirates. They hadn't told her she couldn't accompany them to sell the goods they'd stolen from the French ship, so Willa took that as an invitation. Blackbeard had said he apparently knew 'some people' which had sounded slightly ominous, but adventure was adventure and the von Krieger estate hadn't ever offered it.
Most of the others ha been given the freedom to do as they pleased while in port, even if Izzy hadn't been too pleased. Jim and Olu had vanished off quick enough, they'd not needed to be told twice. Oddly enough Wee John and wandered off as well. Those things didn't linger in Willa's mind for long though, not when there was so much to see and hear.
She hurried along behind the pirates while her eyes continued to flutter about in fascination. Such ports were alien to Willa, well, ports in general were, but this was the Republic of Pirates, few noble born daughters ever got to see such a place. Her books, it reminded Willa of the books she and Friedrich would devour, dozens of unique characters with their own backstories and quirks. She'd often fantasized about escaping her life as a von Krieger into a novel.
Soon enough the small group reached a large warehouse, it was a little worse for wear around the edges and the roof did suggest a desire to give up the ghost, but otherwise it was a perfectly normal warehouse. Blackbeard, his first mate and Stede all slipped inside to speak with a less-than-legal merchant, while Willa remained outside to enjoy the oddly sweet sea air. Willa had heard her father talking business enough times to know how it went, heard her brother wittering about how he could run things better; invent new business ventures.
Birds continued to make their presence known high above and Willa stepped a little further away from the warehouse to gain a better look at them. She couldn't help being reminded of Buttons' daily conversations with his feathery friend; must have been nice to have a pet, she'd never been allowed one and a horse didn't really count.
The Prussian had been stood happily absorbing sunlight for maybe five to seven minutes before the sun slipped away behind cloud cover and three men appeared like shadows. They stalked toward her clearly already drunk despite the early hour if the flush on their faces was anything to go by. She longed for them to just stumble away but Willa hadn't ever been lucky.
"Hello, darlin'." Said the bald ringleader of the trio. His clothing was dishevelled and a thick layer of sweat coated his brow. "You're a pretty one. How much are ya?"
All three of them stank of booze to the point it stung her nose violently, made them burn. Honestly, Willa had to wonder if they'd ever been sober in their lives or just departed the bodies of their mothers with a bottle in hand.
"You can't buy me." She informed them plainly but it only earned a chuckle from the skinny blond, or 'drunk idiot number two' as Willa had mentally dubbed him.
The bald one approached with a series of stumbled steps while the other two moved to surround her. The third of the idiots, also a blond but with a thick beard, even had the audacity to brush a finger down her braided hair.
"Must mean you're free then." Announced the bald one like he'd won a prize.
Wilhelmina had killed the last man who tried to force himself on her, she'd not simply roll over, she was made of sterner things now. So, with one smooth motion, Willa kneed the bald fucker in the balls and as soon as he was on his knees she punched him square in the face sending him to the ground.
The beardless blond snarled with rage. "You fucking bitch!"
Like Willa hadn't heard that word a thousand times before, it wouldn't hurt her. The slap that connected with almost the entire left side of her face did though, left a sharp sting and a harsh redness. She was grabbed by the bearded one then, a tight grip with fingernails dug deep into the flesh of her forearm. She could kick and bite and scratch but there wasn't any way in hell she'd be able to fight off three of then. Should have gone into the dubious warehouse with the others.
However, like a surprisingly demonic looking angel, Blackbeard appeared from nowhere. Later she'd guess that he'd spotted her from one of the windows.
"What the actual fuck is going on here?" The legendary captain demanded.
All three stared up at Blackbeard with fear. As an easily recognizable man what with the leather, tattoos and, of course, the beard.
"Did you just fucking slap her?" Willa rushed to the captain's side, cuddled into him out of pure instinct to find safety. Not one of them was stupid enough, or indeed drunk enough, to mess with a pirate of Blackbeard's fame. The bearded man's whole body pulsed with ire though. "I asked you a fucking question! Did you just slap my baby girl?"
The two blonds shied away, curled in on themselves, while the bald ringleader continued to kneel on the ground with his hands cradling his assaulted groin.
"Wait, she's your daughter?" The braver of the blonds said but the mistake went entirely unnoticed by Blackbeard because he was too focused on asking his questions.
"He hit you?"
Willa nodded up at him. "Ja."
She didn't know quite what she'd been expecting but nothing had prepared her for just how quickly he'd launched out of her grasp. The older man had been there one second and just gone the next, Willa had hardly seen him move. When her brain had finally managed to catch up he was over the bearded blond punching over and over again as though trying to get wine from the man's skull. Seeing their chance those who could made their escape into the streets as far away from Blackbeard and his rage as they could get.
The auburn-haired girl watched a few moments unsure what to do; part of her did want see him bludgeoned, but if it went on much longer her captain would beat this man to death.
"Blackbeard." She called out but he gave no response, just kept rhythmically punching. Willa called out to him again but still she received no answer, that happened two or three more times before she grabbed him by the shoulder and shouted his given name. "Edward! Edward, stop! You'll kill him."
The tall man ground to a halt, seemed to finally notice that the guy's face was heading toward a cave in. Dark eyes trailed to his bloody knuckles as they started to shake. His mouth opened but nothing fell out. Blackbeard slipped back to sit on his knees by the beaten man's waist while Willa ripped a piece of the man's shirt so she could wipe clean Blackbeard's hand. Then, to the pirate's startled amazement, she wrapped her arms around him from behind for a tight hug and pressed a sweet kiss to his cheek.
"… Why?"
"For saving me."
The leather-clad man shook his head. "You should be running screaming. I'm a monster."
"Nein, you're not and I told you before that you're not evil." Her grasp on him tightened. "Those men wanted to beat and rape me. You stopped them and made sure I'm safe."
Silence lingered a second, odd how a void of words could be quite so deafening. Nothingness should have been quiet peace not an unbearable cacophony.
"Why are you so understanding? You're a kid." He finally managed to banish the quietude.
Willa shrugged, an awkward movement when her arms were wrapped around him. "I've not been a kid in a very long time. Some children see things that stop them being children instantly. I think you understand that, Izzy certainly does." She ripped more of the beaten man's shirt and used it to wipe crimson splatter from Blackbeard's face before Willa rose to her full height. "Come on."
She held out her hand to him and the pirate took it without fuss, just stood and stared down at the mess he'd created. The would-be attacker would survive but he'd have a damn good reminder to never anger the legendary Captain Blackbeard.
"Funny, isn't it. He thought I was your daughter."
He cocked an eyebrow. "Why is that funny?"
"Maybe ironic would be a better word." Emerald eyes flicked up without a single hint of fear; few looked at Blackbeard without fear. "You've been more fatherly to me than my real one ever has."
Neither continued that subject, decided it best to shove it aside so they could return to the warehouse where they found Stede trying to negotiate a price for the sugar they'd stolen. Izzy leaned against a barrel in the background to watch over the room like a surveying owl; he didn't bat an eye at Blackbeard all covered in blood, in fact he seemed to enjoy the sight. Stede, however, as soon as he spotted his friend with poorly removed blood on his face, grew concerned.
"Oh God, are you two all right? Whose blood is that? What happened?"
Blackbeard thrust a thumb out toward Willa. "Some fuckers tried to mess with baby girl here.
"And the blood." Stede questioned quickly.
That earned a sigh from an unimpressed Izzy. "Don't be a twat, Bonnet, he's saying they got what they deserved."
"Willa, go to Izzy."
The girl obeyed her captain's order without hesitation or complaint, she feared Blackbeard nor Izzy even remotely any longer.
"Iz, stay with her. Didn't think people would be stupid enough to try messing with her but it seems they are. Make sure it don't happen again."
Izzy nodded, ever the loyal first mate. "Course, Captain."
The auburn-haired teenager felt her roommate's eyes on her then, sure enough when she glanced at him his don't-move-or-you'll-regret-it glare was firmly aimed at her. Wasn't like Willa had anywhere better to go, so she remained by Izzy's side while Stede failed to gain a decent price for their goods. Frankly she'd expected a land-owning man like him to do better, but eventually Blackbeard was forced to step in. All the time Izzy aggressively tapped his foot on the ground. It wasn't hard to figure out Izzy hadn't ever been good at waiting, always wanted to launch into action. He really was a little puppy needing a toy to play with to burn off energy.
As soon as the deal had been struck Willa was basically hauled out of the warehouse by the first mate's rough hands only a step behind the captain and Stede. Willa went willingly, just stumbled along with them back toward the ship. Yet, when they reached the dock a large ship caught her green eyes and she tugged her way out of Izzy's grasp to rush for a better look. Izzy peered down at his hand which until a split second ago had been around the girl's wrist, he tapped all his fingers to his thumb as if checking they still worked because how the hell had she given him the slip with such ease. Maybe I should put a fucking bell on her. Couldn't leave her to get lost or become the focus of more idiots though so he slowly strode over to her side.
"That is a lot of guns." She breathed out which had Izzy spare a glance out into the distance.
"That's the Fancy, she is a good vessel."
Willa's head snapped up, she hadn't expected him to know the ships name. Izzy Hands really had proven himself a wealth of information on all manner of sailing subjects.
"Which pirate does it belong to?"
"She was Henry Every's ship, he took it off the Spanish." Izzy rested a hand atop his sword hilt. "Used it to bribe Nassau's governor when he retired."
The Prussian's eyebrows shot up. "Bribe him to what?"
"I don't fucking know, lass." Izzy shrugged. "I'm Blackbeard's first mate not Every's."
She knew she'd not get much more out of him than what she already had. Frankly Wilhelmina was slightly impressed she'd got as much freely out of him as she had. She liked just standing in the sun beside him though, sun suited Israel Hands, showed off the tan of his skin.
"It's really nice here." She told him to change the subject. "I bet it doesn't ever snow."
"Never seen it snow here, never think I will. Regardless, it's the middle of September so It's not snowing today."
The teenager froze a moment. Was that honestly the month she'd found herself in?
"September? Do you know that date?"
Izzy didn't seem to care all that much but he did take the time to think about it. For Izzy, that was kind.
"… twenty-second."
"Oh." The sound came out with a sorrowful tint, a gentle caress of sadness. "I didn't even realize it was my birthday."
With that Willa left the sight of the Fancy and started towards the Revenge. Izzy had to do a double take, weren't teenagers normally excited about birthdays. Sure the first mate hadn't ever given a shit about his own and after the things Willa had been through he supposed she probably felt the same. Of course Izzy didn't care … or at least that was what he told himself.
He returned to his job, returned to normal where he knew what he was doing and felt calm. The cargo was unloaded and they finally saw some decent coin for their hard work; not that coin really mattered when Bonnet paid a wage regardless. The crew had grumbled about the heavy lifting but Izzy couldn't have cared less. Most useless excuses for pirates I've ever seen.
"Lass, fucking move, you're in the damn way."
For a while Willa had been stood on the dock beside the ship just staring off into space. Izzy had left her to it for the most part since she'd been in his sight line and not doing anything stupid. The teenager stepped back a few feet or so to where Stede and Lucius stood on the gangway. With her out of the way Izzy went right back to work. The sooner everything was finished with the sooner they could get back out on the ocean. In all honesty even the Gentleman Pirate had to admit just how efficient First Mate Hands was at organizing cargo movement.
When Willa didn't show any hints of a smile Lucius and Stede shared a look of concern before the blond let the need to say something overwhelm him.
"My dear, why don't you go for a look around?"
"Maybe not a good idea." She responded. "You know, Blackbeard is still wiping blood out of his beard."
Stede persisted. "There is a bar not far from here that I've been to before, it is nice enough. Just … don't mess with the noses."
The auburn-haired beauty lifted a single eyebrow in question. "Noses? Do I even want to know?"
"Almost certainly not." Lucius shook his head.
"Ah, that's a good idea." Stede clapped his hands together. "Lucius, you should go with Willa."
The scribe wasn't impressed and truly believed it was time to sit Stede Bonnet down and explain to him the difference between a 'good idea' and a 'Stede idea'.
"Shouldn't I stay here and make notes?" He tried while waggling his ever-present notebook.
In that moment Willa made a decision, she needed a distraction and actually did want to see more of the Republic of Pirates, but she also wanted to know just how quickly the scribe would change his tune when faced with the freedom to slack off. With a small smile she shuffled closer to him so she could whisper in his ear; an awkward task when one only stood at five-foot-two.
"If you come with me Izzy can't force you to do any chores." She sing-songed.
"The girl makes a good point. We're outta here." Lucius practically catapulted his notebook to Pete up on deck. "Don't wait up, babe!"
Willa found herself startled at how quickly Lucius managed to loop his arm with her own and guide them away from the vessel. Seemed she'd gotten her answer as to how quickly he'd change course.
Lucius apparently knew where he was going so she just let him bring her along. The streets got narrower and the buildings grew – for lack of a better term – dingy to the point she had to second guess her desire to explore; these people were all pirates.
"You'll like Spanish Jackie's place. It's quaint, stinks, full of murdery people."
"Normal pirate vibes then."
The tall scribe nodded with a chuckle. "Pretty much."
Both were grateful that they went along without anybody seeming overly interested in them, they did sort of stick out. Yet more important thoughts forced Willa to a halt which had Lucius awkwardly jolt backward since their arms were interlocked.
"What's up, Willa?"
"I just realized I have no money."
The scribe smirked while he patted her on the head like one would do with a child; from literally anybody else such an act would have felt belittling.
"Oh you're so tiny and adorable." He started to pull her down the street again. "And not to worry, I do."
Soon enough they reached the hole in the wall owned by Spanish Jackie and Willa saw just how accurate Lucius' description had been. Murdery was a very good way of putting it.
Inside they found a few people dotted about and a middle-aged man wiping down the bar. From the way his brow furrowed it was clear the bartender remembered Lucius.
"You again." Sighed Geraldo. "Take it that means that genital dude is back."
"It's 'gentleman' and you know it." Lucius flashed an overly polite smile. "Give us two glasses of whatever wine you have that isn't swimming in parasites."
"We're a classy place here, nothing has parasites … I think." His face screwed up a moment. "Whatever, just don't break the nose jar again."
He grabbed a bottle and quickly poured two glasses of crimson. Lucius grabbed them before he confidently marched to a vacant table not far from the door. The chairs squeaked as they sat, Willa's to the point that she feared it would give way.
"People are staring at us."
Lucius shook his head. "No, Willa, they're looking at you. You're cute, you're going to draw attention."
"Cute?" Her brow furrowed as she sipped at her wine.
"Oh yeah. You're cute, I'm so-so, my Petey is an acquired taste."
"And Izzy?"
A breathy laugh escaped Lucius' lips putting a puff of air into his glass. It couldn't have been that funny.
"Dizzy Izzy is a pathetic little man overcompensating for a tiny dick." He bit out quickly.
"Izzy's dick isn't tiny." Willa hadn't meant to say that.
"I know you're fucking him and all but you don't have to pretend. Tiny cock is the only thing that explains why he's always so angry."
She took another swig. "Then there's another reason, because his dick is actually kind of impressive."
"Wait, seriously? Are you being real?"
Well she'd gone this far. "Put it this way. You have a lot of penis drawings in your notebook, Izzy is bigger than those."
Lucius suddenly leaned across the table conspiratorially as a devilishly gleeful grin spread across his face. If it got any larger he'd look like a well-fed shark.
"Well now I really want to sketch him. Think you can convince him?"
"I don't exactly 'convince' Izzy Hands to do anything. He's too stubborn to let me manipulate him much."
A tall and alarmingly imposing woman suddenly loomed over them then. Her eyes dark and sharp, her expression apparently angry but Willa had seen Izzy pull the same face and knew there was more going on underneath. Didn't take a genius to realize this woman was Spanish Jackie.
"Izzy Hands? Not a name I hear very often." She leaned down, her fists on the table preventing either of them from even thinking of ignoring the elder woman. "Blackbeard is in town then."
"Sure is." Lucius said happily.
"And how does a little girl and the an aspiring coquette know so much about Izzy Hands? A man more boarded up than a condemned factory."
The scribe jutted a finger out at his teenage friend. "Probably because she's fucking him."
That had Spanish Jackie's brow furrow in an instant. "You're Izzy's girl? Huh, did not see that coming." She stood up straight having snagged the information she'd wanted. "Just keep that idiot fancy pirate out of here."
Then Spanish Jackie was gone just as quickly as she'd appeared, heavy steps the only indications he'd ever been there to begin with. Willa watched her go a second or two before she turned her attention back to Lucius.
"That whole encounter was very, very odd."
"You're telling me." He shrugged. "That happens a lot here, I think. Hey, why don't we go shopping after our little drink?"
"Maybe because we're pirates with next to no money who were sent over here so we'd be out of the way of any real work, and this isn't Paris."
"Yeah, you're right. Let's go find something decent to eat instead." He countered.
The Prussian nodded and sipped a little more of her wine. "That sounds like a much better option."
That was exactly what they did. The pair of unlikely pirates went about their day as though they were just normal people enjoying an afternoon. They shared stupid, nonsensical jokes, ate some surprisingly scrumptious snacks and turned down three men who asked to buy Willa's time.
When they did eventually return to the ship the sun had started to set and Izzy was nowhere to be seen, but then again nor was Blackbeard. Lucius broke off quickly to track down Black Pete while Willa slipped below deck to the cabin she shared with the first mate, yet when she entered the tiny room green eyes found the room void of her lover. That settled it, he was off in some dark corner of the ship doing something and would appear only when he elected to. Willa sighed, oddly she'd missed him.
The bald man known as Black Pete pushed the cabin door open then and poked his head in.
"Coming to dinner? Lucius said you have details on Izzy we all need to hear first hand."
Oh no, mentioning a little to Lucius was one thing but she'd not be giving out all the facts in numerical details.
"Nein, I'm not relaying that story again, Izzy wouldn't like it."
Black Pete didn't seem deterred, he just grabbed her by the hand and tugged her out into the passageway then off to the galley with a grin.
"All the more reason to tell us then!"
Willa smirked, she could understand why Lucius liked Black Pete so much, the man had a good sense of humor and an innate kindness.
The auburn-haired beauty was still kind of full from the lunch she'd had earlier with Lucius, but supposed she could go for some good conversation. Witty banter never hurt anyone.
Everybody had already crowded around the galley table when Willa arrived, well, everybody save for Blackbeard and those who'd come from his crew. Roach stood in his usual spot while he shifted used pots around in an attempt to tidy up. Frankly Willa would have called Roach's version of tidy an organized chaos, everything was arranged in such a way that only Roach could ever find things.
"Willa, perfect." The Prussian girl turned her attention to the scribe. "I saved you a seat right next to me."
She slipped into the spot reserved for her which earned her a happy smile from Lucius, but Willa would back up anything his said about Izzy's nether regions especially if he started to exaggerate.
"Where are the others?" She enquired.
Frenchie shrugged. "Blackbeard said he had something to do. Took Izzy, Fang and Ivan with him."
"Said he'd be back later." Wee John added.
She couldn't help but wonder what sort of business Blackbeard could have, but, at the same time, she might not have actually wanted to know. If he'd taken Izzy and the boys with him it probably involved somebody taking a beating. The pondering didn't go on too long though as Stede soon changed the subject.
"We made a nice little sum today, crew. I'm proud of you all."
Olu grinned a cheery smile. "That's really nice of you to say, Captain."
"As long as we get some coin I don't care what happened today." Muttered Jim as they bit into a chunk of meat.
A port had been nice. Terra firma under her feet was always comforting, even with what had happened with those drunk men.
"I enjoyed being on land for a while, it was a pleasant birthday treat." The teenager told the odd group who had been her friends as she pulled her own bowl closer.
Wilhelmina's words had everybody ground to a hold; Stede comically so since he had a spoon halfway to his mouth. She'd honestly not expected her comment to draw so much curiousness.
The Swede cocked his head. "Birthday? It's your birthday?"
"Ja," she nodded, "I'm sixteen."
Movement started up again then, spoons returned to bowls and mouths chewed. Most mouths did, Stede's lips pulled into a smile as his eyes lit up as though he'd been presented with a puppy.
"Well, happy birthday, Willa." His bold eyes sparkled as they flicked over to Roach. "Roach! Do we have any of that orange cake left?"
"Little bit, Captain." He answered while casually leaned on the surface.
"Then bring it on out, we're celebrating!"
Next thing Willa knew she'd got the remains of an orange cake before her while pirates wished her a happy birthday even though the day was almost over. If any suspicions about her friendship with them remained, their happy smiles and well wishes ended them.
However, the cake wasn't what had had her attention, nor the happy expressions on her friends' faces, no, the ... thing Roach had placed on her head was. Her green eyes tilted upward to see some kind of sandwich paper with pins in it decorating her head.
"Em, Roach? What is this?"
Quickly an excited Roach pulled it away from her head so she could see it properly. He'd somehow managed to pin the sandwich paper well enough to resemble a tricorn hat. In the background Willa registered Stede - and why was he even in the galley in the first place? - praising Roach's ingenuity.
"It's a birthday hat!" Announced the messy-haired man the all called Roach. "And don't try arguing with me, you're wearing it." With that the makeshift tricorn hat was shoved back atop her head so Roach could admire his handy work. "You look very pretty. You're always pretty."
A little party which had been quickly thrown together took over then but she managed to slip out of the galley roughly a half hour later when the makeshift celebrations seemed to have died down; in her hands rested a plate with the remnants of the orange cake on it. Willa had always preferred savory to sweet so she'd made the decision to give Izzy what was left. However he wasn't in their cabin when she checked, that was how Wilhelmina found herself up on the main deck where she'd intended to wait for him to return. Yet, when she glanced at the mast, she spotted him leaned up against it with his legs outstretched before him to stare out at the stars.
"There you are." She bounced happily up to him. "I've been looking for you."
"Had stuff to do and the galley sounded too … happy."
Willa chuckled and moved to straddle him. "They insisted on celebrating my birthday. I even got cake. I'm pretty full though so I brought it for you."
When he hardly even acknowledged the cake she tore a piece off and all but shoved it into his mouth. Izzy grumbled but did chew then swallowed the fruity offering.
Izzy let out a little hum of approval. "Turns out Roach can actually make something flavorful."
The sixteen-year-old kissed him before letting out a hum of her own. "You like a little sweetness, admit it."
"I admit nothing."
That earned a genuine laugh from her, a soul-warming sound which went to dance alongside tumbling waves and the occasional creeks from the vessel. Willa rested against his surprisingly strong chest.
For a great many moments they sat there together in a comfortable silence. Izzy's head rested against the mast while Willa's lay firmly on Izzy's chest to listen to his steady heartbeat. While the first mate wasn't one for public displays of affection, he often found he couldn't refuse his beautiful girl; especially when she had her full weight on him.
Slowly his mind slipped away from Willa and the soft scent of oranges which lingered, and to what the small frame in his lap reminded him of. Of the other girl who'd taken comfort from sitting in his lap, the other girl who'd relied on him and triggered the protective instinct he normally kept locked away. Henrietta. Sweet, kind, lovable Henrietta. Izzy's heart clenched then and he hated it, so he packed all his feelings away into a box like usual then broke the quietude to take his mind as far away as was physically possible.
"Here." He said as he reached into his waistcoat. "Got this for you."
It wasn't hard to spot Willa disliked being jostled from her comfortable spot against his chest, but her eyes sparkled with curious suspicion when he handed over a simple handkerchief which had been folded into a semi-neat square. She'd seen the handkerchief a few times before, her lover normally used it to wipe sweat off his neck on the hottest of sunny days.
Wilhelmina sat back on her haunches over him which provided Izzy a blissful view of her curves as she unfolded the white handkerchief. Inside she found a length of green ribbon. The handkerchief dropped to the deck and Izzy hid it away again while Willa examined her present, it felt silky under her fingers and though dark the shade of green was really rather bold.
"This is beautiful, Izzy." She beamed up at him.
The man with salt and pepper hair shrugged the comment off. "Whatever."
Gratitude wasn't something Izzy was accustom to so the urge to brush the whole situation off wasn't exactly surprising. Normally he'd have stood and wandered off but with Willa on top of him he could do little but turn his head away.
Blue eyes casually watched as nimble fingers twice wrapped the green ribbon around the leather in her hair then tied it in a neat little bow; the perfect finishing touch to her braid. With delight Wilhelmina snared her arms around Izzy's neck so she could kiss him softly with gratitude.
"Is this a birthday present?" She asked like she didn't already know.
"Don't read too much into it."
She bestowed another kiss on him. "I mean it, Izzy, it's beautiful." Willa reached up to cup his cheek and brushed her thumb over his X tattoo. "Vielen Dank für ihren Geschenk." (Thank you for your present)
Content, Willa once more settled against his leather-clad chest uncaring that his baldric dug into her cheek slightly.
Unbeknownst to the first mate and Willa, both captains had gathered over by the port gunwales. Originally they'd only intended to chat about swordsmanship but that had been put on hold when they'd spotted Izzy and the teenager. Izzy was mostly hidden from their view by the mast, mostly just recognizable legs and a hand rested on her hip, but they could see almost all of Willa happily settled against him.
Stede lifted an eyebrow as he leaned closer to the bearded man. "Should we maybe be worried, Ed? I mean Willa is a little young for him."
Blackbeard cocked his head and peered at the blond. "I think we're good. Izzy isn't a good guy but he's not rape-and-abuse-helpless-teen-girls bad. Besides, isn't it a bit late to start worrying about? I think she's good for Iz."
"That may be so but I'm more concerned with if he's good for her."
Blackbeard stole another peek at their resident Prussian from their vantage point as his mind slipped back to the drunks earlier that day. The way she'd just held him and passed no judgement.. remembered their conversation in her quarters.
The taller captain nodded. "Willa will be fine. Now, how about we scrap swordsmanship and I give you a navigation lesson instead?"
Stede smiled. "That sounds good to me."
~X~
Piracy sounded exciting, as though every day was a bloody fight of clashing swords and cannon blasts, yet their days were actually made up mostly of quiet, boring sailing. The Revenge's crew had found themselves in almost a week of these days. Periodically on these days Stede would drag Blackbeard, and by extension the rest of the crew, into something new.
Tuesday's random topic had turned out to be the waltz, which Izzy thought totally fucking pointless. When the fuck would Edward need to know how to waltz? Wouldn't be having a lil' dance with the next victim of keelhauling before they tossed the poor fucker over. Still, Blackbeard stood there with the Swede, Buttons and Black Pete looking practically twinkle-eyed while Bonnet danced slowly around the deck. Instructions were soaked up like everything the blond ponce said was fucking fascinating. Pirates didn't dance! Pirates didn't dance and Buttons should have been up at his damn post, so why the hell had Willa taken over? She'd got no idea!
"Stede, mate," began Blackbeard with his arms folded across his chest. "I get what you're saying about moving your feet but you're just wobblin' about with your hands raised."
Bonnet sighed and came to a halt. "Well, it's hard to dance without a partner." His eyes glanced to Willa as an idea struck him. "Oh! That's an idea! Willa, I assume you were taught to dance."
"Natürlich." (Naturally) She shrugged. "My father is a Freiherr so it was expected."
A pause extended between them then as Stede's eyes widened in surprise. "Wait, really?"
Swede's face screwed up in utter confusion, his head tilted to one side as an eyebrow lifted. "What does Freiherr mean?"
"It would translate to baron in English." Said Willa like it wasn't important in the slightest.
Izzy paused from his I'm-listening-but-not-letting-on-that-I'm-listening spot. Baron? Her asshole of a father was a baron?! He'd known she was noble but assumed her to be just a lord's daughter, wasn't like Willa had been exactly forth coming with the ins and outs of noble ranks; not that Izzy even remotely cared. She'd never hidden her father's title from him but only the Swede had ever bothered to ask for a translation.
Stede cut in. "Means that Willa's social standing is much, much higher than mine." First Mate Hands chuckled internally to himself. The fucking twat who acted like a little lord had gone down a peg or six. "I don't know how I've never registered your rank before. Pretty much only the big titles like count or duke outrank her."
"My grandfather on my mother's side is a Greve actually." She translated before the Swede could ask again. "A count."
"But that means your mother married below her rank."
Willa shrugged. "She begged and begged until Grandfather caved and not long after the wedding came to regret it."
Well that killed the mood Stede had desired so he quickly got them back on track with a polite smile. "Would you mind helping me demonstrate, Freifrau?"
"Actually, I should be referred to as Freiin but please don't." She couldn't take that. "But sure, I'll help."
The auburn-haired beauty abandoned the helm and slipped down the stairs to Stede; none of them seemed to spare a single thought for the wheel or their course but Izzy did, always the only one who actively attempted to keep the ship afloat. Someone had to man the helm and it didn't look like Buttons would return to his post any time soon.
Izzy couldn't take his angry eyes from Wilhelmina as she brushed her braided hair over her shoulder. His nails dug deep into the wood with a strange rage to practically rip out splinters. Bonnet had no right to touch her, no right at all. Willa was his! When did I get this possessive? Oh who cared, Izzy was more focused on Stede fucking Bonnet resting his hands on the teenager. His Willa.
Chuckles escaped Wilhelmina's soft lips while the pair danced around without a care in the world. Interlaced steps more complicated than any duel though just as captivating. Carefully practised movements only the rich got to learn; not that Izzy was jealous in the slightest, of course not, that would be insane. The first mate didn't have any desire to watch this. They were pirates, they shouldn't have been dancing and acting like twats, they should have been hard at work doing their damn jobs ensuring the fucking ship stayed afloat, should be ankle-deep in blood while on a raid. As for Blackbeard getting all happy and full of smiles – no! Blackbeard needed – should have – fuck! Izzy couldn't do this, he needed silence for a few minutes before he blew up and took everything in a five mile radius with him.
"Oi, bird guy." Izzy hissed. "Back to your fucking post!"
Buttons surprisingly didn't argue, just made his way back to the helm with a muttered 'aye' that dripped from his lips. With the helm manned Izzy stormed away. His feet carried him with long strides, a hand rested atop the hilt of his sword. Frankly the man with salt and pepper hair had started to wonder if he was the only real pirate left aboard the Revenge.
As soon as he reached his quarters Izzy slammed the door shut, stripped off his baldric and tossed it aside on the tiny table then launched his gloved fist into the wall by the door frame as a growl escaped him. Why was everybody dancing around like they were having some kind of party?! Pirates! They were meant to be pirates. With a stinging fist he turned only to immediately stumble over one of Willa's damn books. Why she couldn't just shove the things under the bed or get a box he had no idea; no, Izzy had a better thought, she could have just not collected them at all. As another spark of anger ripped through his small frame, Izzy snatched up the book and chucked it over his shoulder like the garbage it may as well be.
"You shouldn't throw books around, you know."
Izzy did his best not to jump as he turned to find Willa half through the door, her dazzling emeralds locked on the discarded tome. With a sigh she bent to retrieve it and rested it beside Izzy's baldric.
"Piss off, lass." He snapped and dragged a gloveless hand down his face over his facial hair.
"Mmm, grumpy puppy." Willa teased as she snared his waist in her little arms and rested her cheek against his leather-clad chest.
So warm, the teenager's skin was so warm and soft, so enticing. It was like a divine spell the way Willa could just drain away so much of his rage, just absorbed it all into herself then dispelled it. Some days Izzy felt as though he'd be consumed by anger, that and its sister, violence, were all he'd ever known, all he understood, his only method of communication. Yet then Willa came along and just took it all away to sooth his soul and the scowl he wore too often. In a darkness he could surely drown in, Willa provided a dinghy.
"Promise you won't be mean to my books again?"
"How 'bout you stop leaving the stupid things on the fucking floor?"
Izzy actually felt her smile against his chest.
"Books aren't stupid." If this girl had ever held any real fear for him it had long ago drained away. "You could borrow one if you like."
The first mate yanked himself free of her touch and made to retrieve his sword. "No."
"Why not?" She questioned quickly. "You might enjoy the story- oh." Realization caressed her face. "I'm sorry, I forgot you can't read."
"I fucking can!" He all but screamed before it all drained away so he could sigh deeply. No, he couldn't. "I – I can recognize some words when they're printed on things or I'm navigating but that's it." Before Izzy knew it he'd fallen into the chair with a somewhat defeated expression on his goateed face. It had hurt to admit his failings. "Can't all be geniuses."
Willa's brow furrowed. "There is a difference between intellect and education, puppy. I was educated, you weren't, doesn't mean you're less intelligent than I am."
She watched him a few moments while her mind asked and answered silent questions, then she turned to rummage underneath the small bed that Izzy had come to enjoy sharing with her. He watched her out the corner of his eye, though he pretended he didn't delight in the sight of her backside in those leather pants.
When she returned it was with a pencil and a selection of parchment that had come from the French ship they'd raided. Frankly just how much she'd managed to scrounge up was impressive. Items were set down atop the tiny table before she took up the pencil to write something in her neat letters.
"Copy that." She ordered lightly once she'd finished.
Izzy blinked up at her. "I'm not playing school with you, I've got shit to do."
He tried to stand up but Willa pinned him in place with a hand to his shoulder.
"Do as you're told, puppy."
"You're not letting me leave until I write that, are you." He said more to himself than her.
"Auch wenn ich daran sterben muss." (Even if I have to die)
"Fuck it, fine."
In classic Izzy style he snatched up the pen and copied the text as best he could while silently hoping she'd not written some kind of joke that would surely just piss him off. Didn't take him long since there were only two words.
"There."
He dropped the pencil tried to again stand but Willa seated herself in his lap, so Izzy had little choice but to stay put as she looked over his work. Why does she fit so fucking perfectly into my fucking lap?!
"Fantastisch! Well done, Izzy." She stretched up to kiss his cheek. "You have no idea what you've written, do you?"
Izzy just looked at her because that should have been glaringly fucking obvious. With a gentle smile she raised the sheet of parchment so she could guide her finger along with each syllable.
"Israel Hands."
That gave him pause. His name. He'd written his name? Willa shifted and turned so she could straddle her lover, her arms snaked around his shoulders.
"Now you can sign your name. No more making your mark for you."
The middle-aged man actually felt a pang of pride bubble up inside himself, but it was nothing to the expression Willa wore, she was genuinely proud of him. And what the hell was the other feeling gaining a foothold inside his chest? Nope, no he wouldn't be doing feelings.
In a display of strength Izzy rose to his full height with Willa supported in his arms, turned around and set her down gently on the chair.
"Are you still jealous that I danced with Stede?"
It was a question that caught him off guard, he'd not realized she'd even paid him any attention while they'd been up on deck.
"I don't get fucking jealous."
She smirked. "Ja, you do and it's cute for the most part."
Not a single word left Izzy's lips. Willa often said things which should aggravate him but somehow, most of the time, he just found it … endearing, though maybe that wasn't quite the right word. With that Izzy yanked open the door to their quarters and spoke over his shoulder.
"Don't forget your chores, little lass."
Willa smirked as she watched him leave, he truly wasn't like anyone else she'd ever met.
"Wouldn't dream of it." She muttered quietly to herself since Izzy would already be halfway to the upper deck.
Lifted was the page on which Izzy had written, Willa felt a sense of pride seeing Izzy's shaky handwriting displaying his name. Something inside the teenager told her that her puppy would pick up reading and writing much faster than first anticipated. Apparently an old dog could be taught new tricks.
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A/N
There isn't an exact translation to English for Freiin. Dame is probably closest but this is still incorrect. Freiin is a term used for the unwed daughters of a Freiherr/Baron.