But From Thine Eyes

or, Between Love and Hate

Chapter 8

by

Teardrop69

James was halfway across the deck, when he could see by the moonlight that there was someone else standing at the railing. His heart skipped a beat when he recognized the silhouette. Wondering why Jack had stayed aboard when his own ship was mere yards away, James slowed. His thoughts turned back to the conversation he'd so blatantly eavesdropped on earlier in the evening; Jack had hoped that James would disregard the physician's orders and insist on talking to Jack. Is that what he wants now? James was uncertain, but he wasn't about to pass up this opportunity.

Continuing towards the pirate, James cleared his throat as he reached the railing; he wasn't surprised when Jack didn't acknowledge his arrival. James rightly assumed that Jack had been aware of his presence since he'd come up on deck. James stood there quietly for a while; he wasn't certain where to start.

"'Ello, Commodore."

James was disappointed at Jack's use of his title, but not surprised. "Hello, Jack."

Neither said anything else for a while.

"I'm sorry." James was startled; he hadn't planned on saying it out loud. In fact, he still didn't have any idea what to say beyond that.

"Alright." Jack didn't turn to look at him.

Now James turned his head to look at Jack. "Alright? Just like that?"

Jack still didn't so much as glance his way. "Aye, alright. That be it, then?"

James ran his hand through his hair. "Not really, no." He turned towards Jack, and leaned against the rail.

James's breath stuttered when Jack finally turned to look at him. James noticed that Jack had lost some weight. Jack's high cheekbones were more prominent, and his eyes, which James had never seen completely free of the black lining before, seemed overly large in a face that now appeared to belong to some darkly fey creature. The bruises had healed, and but for a small scar below Jack's lower lip, there were no lingering signs of the injuries inflicted upon that face. James let his eyes slide down Jack's body, and he could see the evidence there as well; Jack's perpetually lithe body was now even slimmer. James resisted the urge to immediately go looking for the galley; if he left the deck, he knew Jack wouldn't be there when he returned.

Instead, James went on the offensive. "You squandered all that treasure already? You obviously can't feed yourself or your crew."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "There's plenty o' swag left."

"Ahh. Just too lazy to go get it, then?" James nodded in mock sympathy.

"Very amusing, Commodore. It would appear that to prove ye wrong, I'll 'ave to invite ye for a meal. Tomorrow evening, aboard the Pearl." Jack turned and walked away without another word.

James watched him go; he wasn't really certain what to make of this encounter, and had to content himself with the thought of seeing Jack again tomorrow. And then he remembered AnaMaria and the rest of the Pearl's crew. Hopefully he'd live long enough to enjoy the meal. He sighed, and retired to One-Eyed Pete's cabin.

The next day dragged on forever for James. He spent a good portion of the day up on deck; Elizabeth had told him that Jack had gone back to the Pearl at sunrise, and had ordered that no one was to harm James. James was fairly sure they'd obey him, and if they didn't, he'd rather see it coming during the day than be caught unaware at night.

James noticed that there seemed to be a fair amount of activity back in the trees off of the beach off starboard. This was the same beach that he'd spent time on with the crew of the Pearl while waiting for the Turners to conclude their business, but he knew that there were a few paths into the trees that hadn't been there before. He searched out Elizabeth, to see if she could explain.

"They're building houses." Elizabeth revealed.

"Houses? Who is building houses? For whom?" James hadn't anticipated that answer.

Elizabeth smiled a sunny smile. "Well, Jack, for one. Will and I, for another. I think a few others of the crew are ready to put down roots, as well, but I don't remember off hand how many. The Sparrow's Song is freedom, of course. But there's something to be said for security, as well."

"You're settling down?" James was surprised.

Elizabeth laughed. "Perish the thought, love. I said security, not insanity." She mocked him gently. "It's just nice to have a home port."

"There's Port Royal," James said stiffly.

"Of course, there's Port Royal, where I'm expected to wear clothing that nearly kills a woman, and serve tea to gossipy old hens who look down their noses at my husband. Why didn't I ever think of that?" Her smile took some of the sting out of her sarcastic words.

"And Jack's building a house here?" James tried to sound casual.

Elizabeth wasn't fooled, but she took pity on James and didn't mention it. "He is. I think I had mentioned before that he wanted to be near Port Royal. Of course, that was before. I'm not sure of his reasons now. I suppose that's something you'll have to ask him tonight."

James nodded thoughtfully. From there, the conversation turned to more general things, random news from Port Royal, and the political climate back in England. James was relieved to make small talk; he was still wavering between anticipation and dread of the evening ahead.

Finally, it was time to go. James accepted Will's offer to take him over to the Pearl, and a short time later, stepped onto the deck of Jack's ship. There were very few people aboard; James assumed that most of the crew was ashore. Jack appeared from his cabin and casually leaned against the doorframe; James stood stalwart under Jack's appraising look.

Jack was dressed in a pair of tan breeches tucked into his brown calf-high boots. A white tunic, unlaced at the neck, was tucked into the sash Jack always wore at his narrow waist. He'd added a fresh application of kohl around his eyes, and his tangled hair framed the angles of his face. James took in every detail of Jack's slim body, and when the urge to remove those clothes and lick every inch of Jack's body, starting with the hipbone of the hip that was jutted out at an angle, caused a rush of lust to surge through his body, James had to shift his stance to relieve the pressure from his suddenly too-tight breeches.

"Ye made it, then? Amazing, really. Ye Navy men are always gettin' lost in your own harbors. Come along, then, let's partake." Jack bowed with a flourish, and let James lead the way into the cabin.

James wasn't really sure what to make of this side of Jack. It was much closer to the old Jack, and on one hand James was glad. But it also was worrying, because the old Jack always had something up his sleeve, and this was classic: distract and dissimulate.

When James entered the cabin and saw the table, he was amazed. There seemed to be enough food to feed the entire crew of the Pearl, and then some. He was pleased to note that he'd pricked Jack's pride the previous evening, and now Jack was going to show him the true wealth available to Captain Jack Sparrow. James also recognized that all of this had to have been on hand, and he was suddenly curious as to exactly what this island had available in the way of supplies.

"Very nice, Jack." James offered him a smile. "You do know how to entertain a guest. Perhaps I was mistaken when I questioned your ability to provide."

Jack smirked. "'Ave a seat, Commodore."

"One moment. I brought you something." James immediately felt a little ridiculous, but felt better when Jack didn't instantly laugh in his face. James pulled the envelope from his pocket, and handed it to Jack.

Jack tilted his head, causing the baubles in his hair to shift. James's eyes caught the movement of one in particular, and he felt a thrill of wonder when he recognized his shell. He kept it. That's got to be a good sign? But then James understood the fallacy of that thought. Jack had many tokens of memories, not all of them were good. It just meant that Jack had strong feelings about James.

Jack reached for the envelope, and then waited for James to sit, before sitting himself. James held his breath while Jack opened the envelope and read the letter. James waited for Jack to do something, say anything.

"It's quite pretty, ain't it? But I don' want or need it." Jack put the letter back in the envelope and put it on the table.

James's stomach sank. Well, there was always the pearl... but that would have to wait. He hadn't brought it with him; he hadn't wanted it to seem like he was trying to buy Jack's affection.

They talked rather haltingly through the meal; it wasn't until after they'd finished and Jack had offered James a glass of brandy that any subject that could be considered touchy was broached. James declined the brandy, and asked instead whether Jack had any rum handy.

Jack's eyes darkened, and James thought for a moment that Jack would withdraw. Instead, Jack returned the brandy to the chest he'd pulled it from, and retrieved a bottle of rum, instead. He offered it to James, and James accepted.

"Are you going to join me?" James asked. When Jack didn't reply, James's memory flashed to the empty rum bottle in the cell in Port Royal, and he faltered in bringing the bottle to his lips. "Jack? What happened with the rum?"

Jack tilted his head again. "The rum ye sent me? I thought it would be obvious, Commodore. I drank it."

James swallowed hard and set the bottle down untasted. "I swear to you, Jack, I didn't send that bottle."

Jack shrugged. "It all ends the same, Commodore. It don' matter that ye didn't give the orders, either."

"I didn't give the orders." James knew this was important, but it wasn't where the true battle lay. But they had to get beyond this, to get to the other.

"Says you. Don' matter, says I." Jack's dark eyes held James's and wouldn't let go.

"It does matter. I know I made a mistake. A big mistake. But that wasn't one of them." James knew he was on the edge of begging Jack to believe him, and he was ready to swallow his pride to do so.

Jack's eyes suddenly glittered. "Why don' ye tell me about your mistake then, Commodore?"

James took a deep breath. "I heard you talking to Elizabeth. Misheard, more accurately. I mistakenly believed that you were merely using me to your advantage, for your amusement. I acted like a fool, because I was too proud to just ask for an explanation."

Something in Jack's eyes flickered for a moment before he turned away, and reached for the bottle of rum. "Ye gonna drink this, or not?" Jack took a swig, and handed it to James.

When James departed a few hours later, he never retrieved the Letter of Marque, and when Jack saw it on the table upon his return to his cabin, he picked up the envelope and tapped it thoughtfully against his fingers. He crossed to the bookcase, and pulling out his book of Marlowe poetry, he carefully slid the envelope between the pages, and returned the book to the shelf.

*****

Elizabeth was happy to see that Jack was slowly healing emotionally now, as well as physically. She was very aware, though, that things still weren't right between the two men; James seemed to be at a complete loss as to what Jack expected of him, and Elizabeth knew that in this, she absolutely couldn't interfere. She just wished that they'd hurry up and figure this out; she wanted things settled, and she was not in a frame of mind to be reasonable lately.

James was aboard the Pearl again, as he nearly always was every other evening for supper; but he always ended up back on the Sparrow's Song before the mid-watch was called. As always, James hoped that this would be the evening that he wasn't lying awake alone, listening to the watch change. Even though they were theoretically completely safe in this cove, there was still always a watch posted, although one watch sufficed for both ships. James could have written an entire dissertation on the watch change, and the people posted for the last week.

James and Jack had just finished their supper, and Jack was inevitably retrieving a bottle of rum, when James got up to follow him. When he was next to Jack, he pulled from his pocket the small box he'd brought with him every visit. Jack had turned at James's approach, and was now eyeing the box curiously. James offered him the box, and then stood quietly when Jack accepted it.

But Jack's reaction when he opened it was so completely not what James expected, that he was caught completely off guard. Jack snapped the box shut and charged James, pinning him against the wall, one arm across James's throat. James gasped for breath, his eyes staring into Jack's angry brown ones.

"Stop it," Jack growled. "Ye won't be wooin' me like some strumpet. I don' need your Letter of Marque, your trinkets, your pity or your charity. There be only three things I want from you, Commodore, and that be your personal honor, your personal loyalty and most of all, your trust. I won't be settlin' for anything less. So when ye 'ave those to give, we'll 'ave something to talk about. Savvy?"

In that moment, James realized that for the first time he was truly seeing the Pirate Captain. He was ruthless, merciless and proud, and James was wildly aroused by this vision of Jack. He drank in the sight of Jack's dark eyes, glittering deeply behind the shadowed lids; his own eyes flicked to Jack's lips curled into a sneer. James did the only thing he could do at that point: he nodded.

When Jack released him, though, James was ready, and his hand snaked behind Jack's head and pulled him in for a hungry kiss. Jack didn't hesitate, his lips savaged James's, and when James heard a low groan rumble through the silence, he couldn't honestly say whether it came from himself or from Jack. James parted his lips, and Jack's tongue instantly invaded, plundering and caressing, and this time James was certain that the moan that was heard was his own.

Once Jack slipped a hand behind James's head, James slipped his own hand in his pocket; Jack's other hand slid to James's hip, and James let himself be pulled sharply against Jack, gasping as Jack thrust his already-hard cock against James's groin. James shuddered at the answering rush of desire that darted straight to his own organ; but he was helpless in the face of the wildness that was Jack.

Jack's mouth traveled down James's neck, stopping to nip sharply when James twitched; the sting being laved away with the wetness of Jack's tongue just a mere instant later. Jack's hands were already at the buttons on James's shirt, and James was unsurprised when after a moment or two of fumbling, there was a sharp jerk, and buttons popped in different directions. Jack didn't falter, and already his heated mouth was upon James's shoulder, dipping down to suck at the inside of James's elbow, then back up to nip at a collarbone.

James slid his hand up Jack's body, and then reached for his hand; when Jack's fingers loosened on James's shirt, James slid his hand into Jack's, and when he removed his hand, he left behind the silver flask he'd given up hope of having a need for. Jack glanced down at his hand, and then raised his eyes to meet James's green gaze. James caught his breath when he saw what was there; he saw a spark of the love that he had thought was gone, the love he thought he'd killed.

Jack grabbed James by the front of his open shirt, and nearly dragged him towards the bed; James wondered if he should point out that he was hardly going to up and leave, but when Jack pushed him onto the bed, and continued his aggressive, sensual attack, there was nothing in the world that could have made James point out that fact, or any other.

Jack wasn't taking any chances, however, it seemed. Jack quickly attacked the laces on James's breeches, and with a few deft tugs, had James out of boots, breeches and buttonless shirt. James watched as Jack quickly divested himself of his own clothing, and as Jack's heated gaze traveled up James's body, he let out a growl. Jack crawled up his commodore's body until he reached James's lips, capturing them again for another devouring kiss.

When Jack broke from the kiss, James nearly cursed with regret, but Jack's mouth was already trailing down James's body; Jack brought James's hand to his lips, and after placing a kiss in his palm, drew one and then two of James's fingers into his mouth, sucking and laving. James felt a jealous pull in his cock, and it leapt against Jack's thigh. Jack slid lower, and as James caught his lower lip between his teeth, Jack released James's fingers, only to hungrily lap at the weeping head of James's member. James groaned in heartfelt disappointment when Jack continued on, leaning to suck on the inside of James's thigh hard enough to raise a red welt. Jack growled in satisfaction at his mark, soothing it just a bit with another lick of his tongue.

James couldn't help himself; he wrapped his own hand around his cock, but Jack was having none of it. He let out a silent snarl and slapped away the hand invading the territory he'd claimed as his. James grabbed at the bed, his hands fisting in the linen as Jack went down on him; how could he have forgotten the paradise that was Jack's mouth?

Jack was offering no quarter; he swallowed James with exquisite skill, and James arched as that sinfully beautiful mouth worked upon him. With each sucking pull, and each swirling tongue stroke, James spiraled closer to bliss. And then Jack's hands were on James's thighs, urging his legs apart; James felt Jack's questing fingers stroke his balls, and with another descent of Jack's heated mouth, James came. Jack brought his hand to James's organ, eager to coax every last drop as Jack swallowed greedily. James released the sheet to tangle his fingers in Jack's hair; finally, with a last lick at James's spent cock, Jack continued his journey of licking and sucking and biting over James's body.

Jack was nowhere near finished, and while James was still quivering with the aftershocks of his orgasm, Jack insistently rolled James over, propping a pillow beneath his hips. James rested himself on his arms, although carefully. Jack crawled up James's body once more, and this time he very definitely had a path in mind. He nipped the nape of James's neck, and when James moaned in response, Jack finally smiled, a wicked smile that would have given James pause had he seen it.

But James hadn't seen, and when Jack's tongue soothed the love bite at his nape, and then began to trail down his spine, James moaned again. And still that tongue continued lower; James's half-erect cock instantly regaining interest when Jack's tongue slipped between the firm mounds of his arse, to swipe across the rosebud opening there. James very nearly began to babble incoherently at this point. Jack turned and nipped at one of those firm cheeks, and then opened the flask. He coated two fingers, and then slid the slippery digits across that puckered hole.

"Yer sure, then?" Jack spoke for the first time.

"Jack!" James groaned.

"Jus' checkin, luv," Jack gave a throaty, sinful chuckle.

With delicious slowness, Jack slid a finger barely inside that warm, waiting passage. He paused when he heard James gasp, only proceeding when he felt the bracing tightness relax a bit. With another gentle push, he continued his tender assault, twisting his finger as he carefully thrust.

James lowered his forehead to his arms, every part of his body focused on the sensation Jack was producing. He whimpered as Jack stopped again, and then it occurred to him that Jack was only going as fast as he thought James would be able to handle. All James wanted was to have Jack inside him.

"More, Jack," James insisted breathlessly.

Again Jack smiled, thrusting deftly with that finger before carefully adding another. Jack twisted those fingers inside James, probing, seeking. He knew when he found what he was looking for, for James suddenly began a low keening moan. Carefully Jack scissored those fingers inside of James, and brushed against that magical spot with each thrust. James was nearly panting when Jack removed his fingers and used the flask to prepare his own eager cock. Jack clenched his jaw, but when he pressed the flared crown of his organ to James's stretched entrance, he used all the control he possessed not to penetrate as deeply as he could in the first thrust.

As he began to slip inside, Jack reached beneath James and took his renewed erection in his slick hand, and slowly fisted the length of it. Twin gasps were uttered when James pushed back, causing Jack to slip deeper.

"Jack, please." James begged.

The sound of James beneath him, begging, caused something to break inside Jack, at the same time that it healed. With a smooth thrust, he sheathed himself completely inside of his commodore. Jack paused, savoring the hot, velvet heaven that was James. But it wasn't nearly enough; in a moment, Jack withdrew, only to sink home once more. James gasped, and the sound only spurred Jack on, until he was stabbing with a steady rhythm.

"Yes, yes, yes," James was uttering a heartfelt chant, as he was both impaled and stroked, Jack's slick hand still pumping his cock.

Jack heard these low cries, and he leaned forward, his hand speeding up as he growled in James's ear, "Mine, James; you're mine, mine."

And then James was coming again, Jack's possessiveness and skillful fingers propelling him to heaven. Jack groaned at the rhythmic contractions around his cock, and began to thrust with abandon. He felt the world contract to a pinpoint, and then the ecstasy expanded, and he was pouring his essence into James.

Jack collapsed forward to catch himself on one arm, and he whispered one more time to James, "You're mine, only mine."

*****

*****

Jack turned towards the door of his cabin, but his eyes lit on a piece of parchment and a small box on the table instead. Curious, he crossed to the table, and picked up the box. Just as he started to open it, he recognized it, and so the sight of the black pearl nestled there was no surprise. He gently nudged the pearl with one finger, then set the box down and unfolded the parchment. It was in James's hand:

Not from the stars do I my judgment pluck
And yet methinks I have astronomy,
But not to tell of good or evil luck,
Of plagues, of dearths, or seasons' quality;
Nor can I fortune to brief minutes tell,
Pointing to each his thunder, rain, and wind,
Or say with princes if it shall go well,
By oft predict that I in heaven find:
But from thine eyes my knowledge I derive,
And, constant stars, in them I read such art
As 'Truth and beauty shall together thrive,
If from thyself to store thou wouldst convert;'
Or else of thee this I prognosticate:
'Thy end is truth's and beauty's doom and date.'

***
Not all treasure is silver and gold.

J.

Jack smiled. Oh yes, his commodore would be seeing him sooner than he expected.

~Fin~

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