The first time she realized just how easy it would be to share her interests with him, was also the same day that she understood he truly wasn´t going to deny her the things she wanted to do, or have, or learn...

That afternoon, Elizabeth stepped into his office to the unusual sight of James resting on one of the plushie chaise lounge she had brought into his office. Mostly for her sake, if she was honest.

The bustle and activity around the docks had significantly decreased by now, so the port was quiet. And although the sun was barely starting to disappear in the horizon, the sky was already painted with soft shades of pink and orange.

Thanks to soft glow of the candelabra lit all around, the atmosphere was warm inviting. Everything looked a little different from what she was accustomed, making her feel like she was discovering a new place.

She usually didn't come to the fort this late into the evening, even if it was to visit James, her father still insisted it was dangerous for her to stroll around Port Royal by herself. But today she had spent all day being poked and prodded by the seamstress and the maids as the final arrangements for her wedding dress were being completed.

Annoyed and tired as she was, she had stubbornly wanted to see him, so when she had informed her father of her plans, she had been prepared for the discussion that would ensue. Unexpectedly, her father had presented less opposition than what she would have expected.

Another benefit of getting married, she marvelled. It really shouldn´t have surprised her that much, she supposed. In a sense, it was to be expected, he couldn't keep lecturing her or restraining her like she was a girl when she was about to become a married woman. And as the date of the wedding drew near and the more time she spent with James instead of at home, the more evident that fact became for the both of them.

Nonetheless, she knew James would not allow her to go back to the Mansion on her own, so the time she decided to visit him really shouldn´t matter much anyway.

As soon as he heard the door open, his head turned around to look at the intruder. But when he saw it was her, his face brightened up as he greeted her with a smile "Elizabeth"

Before he stood up, she walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck from behind the head rest. "Hello" she greeted with her lips against his cheek while taking a peek over his shoulder, curious to see what he had been doing. There was a glass of wine in one of his hands and a navigational chart extended over his lap.

"You're working still?" she tried chiding him, but it came out as a question, "Don't you know how to rest?" there really wasn´t much credibility to her words when she was struggling not to laugh.

"Hello" he greeted her back as his free hand reached over his shoulder to weave on her hair, holding her in place so he could kiss the side of her head. "And I am resting" he argued, calmly lifting his glass as if to prove a point.

Her throat made a sound of obvious doubt, detangling one of her arms from around him and reaching over to take the glass from his hand, taking a sip for herself. "It is good wine" she admitted, still staring attentively at the complicated chart he was studying.

Placing the glass on the center table next to the sofa, she asked with curiosity "How do you read these?" while curiously tracing the map with a finger, she was fascinated by all the lines running along and intercepting on the parchment.

His eyes turned in an effort to get a good look at her face, staring at her profile for a moment before turning back to the map and grabbing her hand in his "That first number is used to indicate the fathoms and the other one the number of feet of depth on that particular zone." he explained expertly, guiding her around the marks written on the map.

"Hmm" she answered absentmindedly without taking her eyes away from the chart, avidly memorizing his explanation.

"Are you interested in nautical charts now?" he asked with some confusion, shifting his head slightly to give her more room to see.

"Well, of course. You need them to be able to sail safely, don´t you know?" she teased him, making him snort softly. "But I never learned how to read them" she confided, her discontent was evident even as she tried to hide it.

Not a moment after she told him, he offered affably "If you´re that interested I can teach you" though at her silence he added with some uncertainly "If you'd like?"

Finally snapping out of her shock, Elizabeth let go of his neck and hastily moved to sit at the edge of the sofa. Looking him in the eye, she asked him in earnest "Are you serious?"

Her reaction seemed to surprise him. "Why wouldn't I be? Do you not want me to teach you?" he was looking at her with nothing but confusion now, no hint of a joke in his face.

She wasn´t going to let this opportunity pass. James wasn't any marine, he was a Naval captain, it was certain that his expertise in navigation and seamanship ought to be vastly superior to most others sailors.

Her excitement was such, that she ended up exclaiming "Yes!" right in his face. But he only appeared to be entertained by her response, so it emboldened her to ask insistently "Now!?"

"If you want to"

Even before he had finished talking, Elizabeth had already started climbing over him in order to lay down as well. Chuckling at her eagerness, he let his hands slid to her waist, helping her settle herself at his side. Laying down she rested her head next to his and curled up curled up against his body, taking the chart from him and extending it in front of them.

While she listened with rapt attention to every piece of information he offered, James casually pointed at the various symbols, lines and abbreviation marked on the map. He spent hours teaching her what every tiny mark, line and number were meant to signal: latitude, longitude, depth of the water, rock formation.

And she had been correct: his explanations were so clear and precise that his mastery of the subject couldn´t be doubted, but not once did he show her any indication he was trying to flaunt his vast knowledge at her. Whenever she asked a question, he would simply look at her with a small smile, stroke her hair and explain it to her in a different way.

Her eyes tracked his slender fingers as they moved over the parchment while also attempting to memorize everything he was saying; all the while envisioning what that journey would be like on board his ship.

As a child, she had always wanted to learn how to navigate and sail the waters. But being a woman and a Lady, her father had never allowed her any knowledge beyond what she had access to inside the Mansion´s library.

James was different though, he wasn't showing any qualms or reservations about her having this kind of knowledge in spite of her being a woman and his future wife. When she asked him why, his response showed so much of his character that it made her laugh.

"It's an important life skill" he said unconcerned with a barely concealed smirk.

She hadn´t even asked him for it, but he had just given her something she truly wanted in the most nonchalant way possible... it was unbelievable, he wasn´t even aware of just how important it was for her.

He taught her seriously but he was also patient and thorough. And as she listened to him answer her latest question while offering meticulous details with a caring expression, a new thought invaded her head: He was going to be a wonderful father.

The thought was startling and unexpected but... not unwanted.

Thankfully he had not been looking at her when the notion crossed her mind; she wasn´t sure what her expression might have looked like but by the unbearable heat that assaulted her entire being, she did not want to know, and she did not wanted him to know either... yet.

That night she could barely sleep, as she could not stop thinking about him. About all the things he had taught her, all the things he could teach her... and all she would have to do was ask.

A life spent this way, with him by her side, was something she was desiring more and more everyday.

...

Finding herself voluntarily sequestered inside the mansion all morning, she had been laying face down on the chaise lounge of the drawing room for the better part of the last hour, and for once she had absolutely nothing better to do.

Her father was out with friends, and James had been at sea for the last four days.

The wedding was only a couple of days away and because of that, she was in no mood to go visit any of her noisy acquaintances, who would no doubt pester her with unending questions that she did not want to answer.

So her last resort had been to distract herself with studying charts of the Caribbean for the last couple of hours, but even that had lost its charm a while ago and the pile of documents laid forgotten on the floor next to her. Now she was simply bored.

Just as she contemplated what to do for the rest of the day, there was knocking at the main door.

Probably someone looking for Father, she guessed grumpily, not even attempting to move from the niche she had made for herself, not even when Estrella walked in a moment later.

Her head remained buried on a cushion, right until the moment she announced "The Commodore is here to see you, Miss"

"He's back!?" she asked, rising her body so fast that she almost fell from her perch on the chaise, but was up and out of the room before Estrella even had a chance to answer.

Hurrying to the parlour's entrance she found that, indeed, there was James Norrington standing near the entrance. Waiting with a stoic expression, feet shoulder width apart and hands behind his back. A perfect sentinel.

But when he saw her, and their eyes met, his stance relaxed and his face grew into a delighted smile "Elizabeth, how…" before he could finish his greeting, she already had her arms wrapped around his torso and her mouth pressed against his. Her kiss was returned with as much enthusiasm as she had given it, until he abruptly pulled back after only a couple of seconds.

Opening her eyes she looked at him in confusion "What..?"

But James wasn't looking at her, instead his eyes were focused behind her, darting in every direction with mild concern.

When she understood his reaction, she chose to bury her face on his chest instead. "My father is not in the Mansion at the moment" she soothed him, chuckling a little when she felt his body relax and his arms wrap around her waist.

Dropping his face into her hair, he finished his earlier question while stroking her back slowly "How have you been?"

"I'm terribly bored" she grouched immediately, her voice muffled by his uniform. "Take me out of here before I go mad, please?" she implored, finally moving away from the comfort of his body to look up at him with a plea in her eyes.

This time it was his turn to chuckle, but his reply was kind and prompt "Whatever you wish for"

So she hastily dragged him into town, although she was quick to realize that might not have been her best idea.

As they walked arm in arm down the cobblestones streets of Port Royal and past the bustling marketplace, she did her best to ignore the blatant stares of the people in town who were clearly gossiping about them. It was evident that, as their wedding date was so near, they were the most interesting subject to talk about at the moment.

She did not want to have to entertain any person they might be acquainted with that they could encounter by staying around, so instead she steered him towards the beach.

When she determined they had walked far enough -that they would have privacy and avoid being eavesdropped while she interrogated him about the reason of his sudden, unplanned departure- she asked him expectantly "So? What was so urgent that you departed in such a hurry? and without even saying goodbye to me properly"

James' face contorted with displeasure as he informed her "The merchant ship that made port last week reported sighting an unidentified, somber looking ship lurking east of Jamaica´s waters… although there was no flag on the topmast, by the description the captain reported, it´s possible that it might have been a pirate ship"

Her fingers flinched around his arm when she heard the word pirate. And he noticed.

Letting out a short sigh, he placed his hand over hers as they clung to his elbow, making her stop walking. "The ship he described was not The Black Pearl, I assure you that. Even they would not be stupid enough to come near Port Royal after I chased them like that"

She felt herself become completely rigid at his words, feeling reluctant to look at his face. But when she finally did, there was no recrimination on his expression. The relief was such, she let her forehead lean against his shoulder, nodding once. Still, she didn't want to say or ask anything else about the ship.

But James chose to continue "We searched around the area, but could not catch any trace of such a vessel hiding nearby, it was probably not even pirates. There was no attack reported, most likely it was simply a privateer passing by. "

Now she knew he was merely trying to reassure her.

"What have you been doing while I was away?" He asked, obviously trying to take her mind away from the unknown ship, and she was grateful for it.

"I spent some time worrying about you not coming back in time for our wedding" she quipped lightly, forcing herself to stop thinking about that ship "But mostly I´ve been properly bored"

"Why didn't you go out and visit some of your friends then?" His suggestion made her grimace. "I know you are not enthusiastic about those sorts of gatherings, but surely it's a better alternative to being locked up inside the Mansion?"

Maybe he was right but…

"I do not have the patience to deal with any of them at the moment, they have been accosting me about the wedding for months now, wanting to know every little detail," He let out a hum of sympathy as she continued, adding with annoyance "and fawning over you"

But as his face contorted in slight displeasure, she felt her mood shift.

"You are quite the notorious man Commodore Norrington, the other ladies are all jealous of me" she continued teasingly.

He raised a sceptical eyebrow at her "I'm sure that must be the case" he answered, in a way that made it clear he did not mean it at all.

She became slightly confused by his reaction and tilted her head, trying once again "Well, you are the most desired bachelor of Port Royal, it's not surprising"

This time, he let out a small snort at her words, adding with a tone of approval "Flattery is always a good strategy"

"I'm not lying" she insisted, feeling amused now "You are young, attractive, and the man in charge of the Port Royal´s Navy. Although I´ve heard that sadly, you´re spoken for already" she lamented playfully.

Instead of responding with a remark of his own, his eyes lowered to look at her face "Attractive?"

The note of uncertainty in his voice, made her eyebrows raise in surprise "Surely you know that"

A ghost of a smile played at his lips when he said "Well, this being my first time hearing that sort of compliment, makes it a little hard to believe"

She narrowed her eyes with scepticism "Has a girl never told you that before?" That sounded unlikely to her.

"I do not interact with women often enough that one would have the occasion to, Elizabeth" he told her with apathy.

Turning her body so that she was standing in front of him, her hands took a firm hold of his upper arms "I'm telling you then, you are dashing" she assured him matter of fact.

"I appreciate your words, my Lady" he thanked her with a smirk, still looking unconvinced.

"I would not marry an unappealing man, you know? my standards are quite high" she joked, and even if it sounded a little snobbish, it was true that she liked handsome man.

His smirk grew bigger, his right eyebrow raised almost imperceptibly "I don´t doubt that"

Even if he was making fun of her, the mirth in his voice pleased her, so she nodded in approval.

They had stopped walking by now and giving a cursory look around her, she realized they had walked some considerable distance away from the port, the Fort was still very much in sight though.

Turning her eyes to look at the calm waves of the sea, she wilfully decided "I want to rest here" pulling him towards a shadowy spot under the palm trees and bringing him along with her as she sat down on the sand. Immediately ripping of her shoes with a pleased sigh and digging her toes into the cool sand.

As the smell of the ocean swirled around the air, she let herself close her eyes and relax. When she opened them again and turned to look at James -who was leaning his back against a tree and looking at the sand distractedly- she noticed he was still fully dressed in his uniform.

"Why don´t you take some of that off? Surely you must be suffocating under all those layers" she reasoned, staring down at his clothes.

His eyes followed her gaze down to his body, before giving her a short shrug "Not particularly"

She frowned a little letting a small sigh escape. "Well, you are making me sweat" she told him with disapproval as she moved to kneel in front of him. Then she reached up to his head and took off his tricorn and wig, tossing them carelessly on top of a nearby rock.

"See? Isn't that much better?" she asked right in his face with a smile, looking once more at his uniform with expectant eyes.

James squinted his in response, looking like he was ready to argue back, but then he relented with a defeated smile and took off his coat, undid the knot of his cravat and rolled the sleeves of his shirt to his elbows, before looking back at her wating for her approval.

"Isn´t it much more comfortable this way?" she asked with some arrogance.

Instead of admitting she was right, he let his body slump back against the palm tree behind him and closed his eyes.

How juvenile.

She was still facing him, and seeing his expression so relaxed gave her the urge to reach up and grab his face in her hands, studying his features with interest.

"Quite handsome indeed" she complimented him again, as one of her fingers caressed his temple.

Suddenly opening his eyes, he let his hands slide around her waist, pulling her so close their noses bumped softly while an unusually roguish expression adorned his face, making her heart pick up speed with a flutter.

She let her the tip of her nose trace down the bridge of his with affection before finally seeking out his mouth for a kiss, wanting to reclaim the one he had denied her at the Mansion. Her hands trailed down his face, to his shoulders and then his back letting them hold the back of his neck, while her arms rested comfortably on his shoulders.

As they kissed, she could feel his hands slowly move away from her waist to her back, enveloping her completely and bringing her closer still; their chests were pressing together now and somehow she was sitting on his lap.

His kiss was becoming more urgent by the second, making it difficult to remember how to breath. But she let herself respond just as eagerly, clutching the fabric of his shirt as hard as she could.

Her body was starting to feel pleasantly warm all over and she was thoroughly enjoying herself. That is, until he decided to rudely interrupt by attempting to call her attention with a mumbled "Elizabeth" against her lips.

She sought to ignore him, continuing the insistent brush of her lips against his instead. Then, when his mouth opened once again in a new attempt to speak, his warm breath tickled her lips and she couldn't resist the opportunity to satiate her curiosity anymore. With a surge of boldness, she captured his lips again and gently probed the inside of his mouth with her tongue.

All his movements halted for a second, but when she didn´t stop and instead pushed even further inside, his hold tightened around her even more as he kissed her back with renewed energy.

This was the furthest they had ever gone and as their movements transformed into something newer, something more intense and passionate, a wave of excitement washed over her as her heart gained speed so quickly that her ears started ringing, leaving her head spinning and her thoughts in a haze. The sensation was exhilarating.

"Wait" he pleaded, finally prying his mouth away from hers, trying to catch his breath.

They were both panting heavily now but she wasn't about to relent, simply transferring her ministrations to his jaw. Continuing to go lower and lower, until her mouth brushed his neck. The low noise he made at the contact was one she had never heard before, it almost sounded pained but also warning.

She took a quick glance at his face, mildly concerned, but he didn´t look angry nor in pain. He mostly looked confused.

His neck is sensitive, she realized wickedly. Feeling the irresistible need to test her theory further, the hand she had been idly resting on his shoulder blade moved up to hold the side of his head, pulling on the collar of his shirt firmly before giving his neck an open mouthed kiss. He grunted at that.

And when her thumb brushed against the spot where his neck and jaw met, her innocuous gesture was rewarded with a groan as his head dropped back against the tree, making a small thump.

She retreated a little in order to get a good look at his face, his eyes were closed and his breath was laboured, but he hadn´t moved at all since she started tending to his neck and she could tell it was deliberate on his part.

His inaction was making her impatient.

The small lick she gave his bottom lip provoked a new noise at the back of his throat… it was truly enjoyable to figure out different ways to keep making him do that.

But at her gesture his eyes finally opened back, staring at her for a moment before his hand tangled on the back of her hair, pulling her back to his mouth. This time he was the one to use his tongue to open up her lips for him, which she allowed with a hum of pleasure.

James stopped any sort of protest after that and they continued their venture uninterrupted.

When her hands started wandering around his body, he allow it, his focus still on her mouth. Until the moment her fingers very purposely moved to the buttons of his shirt. She managed to undo three before he realized what she was doing, and when he did, his hands darted up to stop her.

Opening his eyes to look at her and then gulping down in an attempt to clear his throat, he rasped out lowly "What do you think you're doing exactly, Elizabeth?"

The way his voice had gotten raspier and his eyes had darkened with arousal so that only a thin ring of green remained, was much too appealing. It made her stomach flip with excitement.

"Exploring" she drawled out, trying to sound as tempting as possible, but the lack of air made it come out as more of a pant. Attempting to save her act, she freed her hands from his loose grip, bringing them inside his shirt. His chest was warm and firm, his skin was soft and his heart beated strongly. She revealed in the sensation of it underneath her palms.

As her mouth went back to trace a path down to the column of his throat, she could feel the thump of his heart becoming erratic underneath, she gave a lick to the skin of his clavicle in anticipation... and that's when she felt his body go completely rigid.

He moved back enough so her lips wouldn't be able to reach him anymore as he looked at her sternly, or at least that was what she thought he was trying to do.

"You can't keep provoking me like this" he tried to scold her, but the low crack of his voice made his words anything but warning.

"I am not doing such a thing" she assured him with a barely there smirk of satisfaction and then shrugged "It's not like we are doing anything wrong, we are to be wed in a couple of days. Nobody will care"

"I will" he insisted.

Of course you would, she barely stopped herself from rolling her eyes at him. Instead, she challenged him with "Why? Are you planning to leave me waiting at the altar?"

He stared at her, stunned for a second, before he realized she was joking. "That really is not funny" he told her, shooting her a small glare, but couldn't hide the smile that tugged at the corners of his lips.

"Well, you can't blame me for worrying. When I proposed, you reacted like I was asking you to walk in front of a firing squad instead of marrying me."

He ignored the last part of her comment and instead asked in bafflement "You proposed?"

"I proposed" she repeated, making him raise both eyebrows in disbelief "Don't act so surprised"

"Well, I remember asking you"

"You almost made me beg you to" she complained, feeling slightly displeased as she remembered how difficult it had been to convince him she was sincere.

His eyes filled with remorse at her words "I... no, you´re right. I´m sorry" he offered gently, giving her cheek a light kiss.

His apology appeased her at once and her attention returned to the important matter at hand "Anyway, now is not the time to behave like a dumb gentleman" she argued, moving forward, trying to get back to their previous activities.

But he had already regained his bearings.

Taking hold of her waist, he pulled her back enough to separate their chests completely while shaking his head at her with mild amusement "It appears to me that now is exactly the time to"

She could feel the scowl arising on her face as he said that.

In a more serious tone he added "I don't want to do something dishonourable to you, days before our wedding at that" he explained, stroking her back affectionately.

"I believe I was the one doing the dishonouring here," she countered "and I was having fun with it" she added, a smile coming back to her face as the tips of her nails ran lightly along his collarbone.

He laughed at that before lightly bumping her forehead with his "Either way I think your father would have me hanged if he found out, or at least banished from Port Royal.

"That would be a problem indeed" She answered, playing along. Then she leaned closer to his face, adding "But you know he would never, he adores you… and he knows that it would make me terribly sad" she told him sincerely, kissing him again. But this time his response was very light.

"You need to learn how to relax" she whispered against his lips, tracing a hand along his jawline and down his throat.

Sensing her intentions, James pulled away from her again "I'll have you know that I am perfectly capable of enjoying myself"

"The facts beg to differ" She complained haughtily "but" she added "what I have in mind would definitely be most enjoyable for the both of us" she promised him with a sly smile peeking at him.

He was looking at her with interest but his propriety won in the end. Patting her head, he brought her close enough so he could whisper in her ear "You're not going to trick me into it" pulling back and smiling at her. "Please forgive me this time" he begged unrepentantly, locking her in his arms so that she couldn´t move much anymore.

She had no choice but to give up any hope of continuing after that. He is right, and the ceremony is really close anyway. So she just let her lids fall as her head nestled comfortably on his shoulder, listening to the break of the waves and the beat of his heart. Forcing herself to abate her excitement.

"You will have to compensate me handsomely for this slight" she added in warning as an afterthought.

"You have my word" he promised her, the odd note on his voice let her know he was serious.