Chapter Text
CW: Implied/Referenced Homophobia. References to rough sex.
“Simone! SIMONE!”
Smoke. Thick, overbearing…suffocating. Blistering heat. Creaking and cracking and snapping wood.
Scrabbling about in the dark, choking and teary-eyed and disoriented. Too many sounds to find the voice’s direction.
Louder creaking now. More snapping wood. Chunks falling in a shower of sparks, sending me in different directions every few moments.
“Simone! SIMONE! Si-“
I’m sweating when I wake up, the crackling flames still fresh in my mind. Someone is beating at my cabin door, making me groan as I get out of bed and yank my pants on. I’m partially grateful for the distraction, though I can’t very well show that. That would be pathetic.
“What?!”
“We have to leave,” Sally says bluntly.
“Why?”
“There are guards patrolling this town. Goddess knows why. Better if we left. Murphy gave us orders to leave port.”
“Murphy isn’t in charge of the ship anymore. I am. Are they coming near the dock? Are they canvassing the town? I hadn’t planned on leaving today and you know how I feel about changing plans on a whim.”
Sally shrugs. “Take it up with Murphy. Go and see for yourself…Captain.” She continues walking past my cabin, boots making loud taps on the wood.
I sigh and pull on a dark shirt I’d stolen ages ago before I head up onto the deck, joining Murphy at the side as he stares off at the town with a scowl. “There are guards, Simone.”
“They aren’t kingdom guards,” I murmur. “They seem to be private guards. Probably for some wealthy prick that lives in this shit town. We don’t have to leave. We’ll leave tomorrow, as planned originally.”
“Simone,” Murphy hisses, glowering at me. “It doesn’t matter if they’re kingdom guards or not. They’re guards.”
“And they aren’t even canvassing. They’re just shopping. Look, just don’t raise the flag. Put up the trade ship flag instead of ours. It’s fine. I’m heading out to purchase more rope and food.”
Murphy rolls his eyes at me, arms crossed. “Take one of the twins with you.”
“I’m fine going alone, Murphy. I’m not a child anymore. Besides…I’d rather leave everyone here with you so they can finish preparations for our departure tomorrow. You can keep them in line and on task while I’m out.” I walk away before he can protest, though I can feel him glaring at my back. But that’s fine. He can glare all he likes. I pull on the simplest of my coats and buckle my belt, making sure my coin purse is fastened to it, as well as my sword. I tuck a spare knife into my boot, then set off into the town.
It’s not a very busy town; even the market only has four or five people wandering about it’s worn-down stalls and shops. I pass a small alleyway on my way to the small shop with rope displayed in its filthy windows. There’s a small group of people huddling together against the wall, talking softly amongst themselves.
There’s a child in between them, quite clearly ill.
I frown, pausing in my tracks as I shed my coat-after checking that there’s a few silver and copper coins in the pockets. “Here. For the child.”
The person closest to me looks up at me, hesitant, eyes wary. “Are…you sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure.” I lay the coat over her arm and continue on my way into the shop. As I’m perusing different types of rope, I can’t help but overhear the shopkeep conversing with someone.
“The Marano’s stableboy was not with the horses this morning. All of his belongings that were kept at the stables? Gone.”
“Fleeing the consequences of his actions, huh? Bloody coward.”
“…Those were accusations, never confirmed.”
“Are you defending him?”
“No, no…I didn’t know him. I just know they were unconfirmed.”
“Then why would he flee?” There’s several uncomfortable beats of quiet before the deep voice speaks once more, “Exactly. If he had nothing to hide, why run? Why run out on the man who graciously employed him for so many years if he wasn’t a vile-“
I drop my selected ropes in front of him rather obnoxiously, interrupting the conversation.
“Is that it?”
“Yes.”
“Five silver pieces.”
I let the coins scatter a bit as I grab up my rope and walk out, letting the door slam shut behind me. Wander the market stalls as I collect food is much the same experience; overhearing bits and pieces of rumors or gossip, a lot of it centered on ‘the stableboy.’ So that’s what the private guards are for. They’re hunting down a stableboy for…something. I’m slowly gathering bits and pieces of information, but I’m not going to chase down gossip. It’s much too infuriating.
But the slurs I catch at the tail-end of my trip…Those paint a fairly obvious picture. I’ve gained a headache along with the food prepped for sailing by the time I return to the ship. The false trade flag has been raised as I had requested, and Ciden is scurrying about on the deck, cleaning up.
“Ciden, go put all of this away. Put the unsalted meat and fresh fruit in the galley, and the rest in storage. Understood?”
“Yes, Captain.” Ciden takes everything I’ve passed him, struggling a bit at the weight, but he gets his footing under control and walks away.
I begin putting the ropes away, humming tunelessly to myself until Sally sidles up next to me.
“Murphy is in a mood today.”
“Murphy is always in a mood.” I shrug. “He is an angry old man., after all. The guards are private guards. After some stableboy that’s assumed to love men.”
“Should we join in the search…?”
“From the sound of it, he’s fled on his own and left no trace as to where he’s gone. We simply have too much to do at the moment. Hopefully he’s run far and fast.”
Sally nods wordlessly, helping me replace some frayed rope with the new one. “Sunny says there will be severe storms in a few week’s time. Very severe.”
“I’ll keep note of it. Are you going to join me in the pub this evening?”
“And be left alone once you pick up a guy? No. That’s not very fun for me, Simone.”
“I didn’t plan on taking someone to bed, but I suppose that makes sense on your part,” I pause a moment, thinking over what she had said, “Maybe I will bed someone tonight. It’s been awhile, and I’m a bit frustrated.”
“Simone, I don’t need to know that,” Sally says half-heartedly, smiling. “Aiden beat Murphy at cards again while you were sleeping the day away like a lazy arse.”
“It’s my day off, Sally,” I remind her. “Did he get pissed again?”
“Of course he did. You should see if Ciden wants to join you at the pub. He’s been complaining about being single again. I think someone needs to take him to bed so he’ll stop whining about it.”
“I’ll ask him, then.” I leave Sally to her own devices while I head down to storage in search of Ciden. He’s where I expected him to be, sorting out supplies. “Care to join me at the pub tonight?” I ask as I stop next to him.
Ciden side-eyes me, confusion clear on his face. “Uh…Captain…Thank you for the invite, but I don’t know. I’m still not…fully on board with my preferences. I’m working on it, and your encouragement is very helpful, but it’s still…Not something I’m fully accepting of just yet.”
“Understandable. I figured I would ask, as I heard from Sally that you’ve been pining for a lover recently.”
Ciden turns his gaze away, face pink. “She overheard that, huh? I’m not going to deny that I have been feeling rather lonely lately, but I just don’t think I could simply go to a pub to pick up a random man. I wish to have a connection.”
“I suppose that makes sense, though I would say you would certainly be making a connection.”
Ciden’s face goes scarlet. “Simone! I can’t believe you would…Gods above…”
“Ciden, you and I both know I go to pubs simply to take someone to bed. I suppose, though, it’s wrong to assume others have the same reason in mind. Regardless, would you like to join me and have a round of drinks?”
“I would, but…Aiden wouldn’t want to, and I’d prefer to have him with me in that sort of situation. I would need the support.”
“Fair.” I pat him somewhat roughly on the shoulder as I turn to go. “The offer stands if you change your mind. I’m heading out just before dusk.”
“I’ll keep it in mind,” Ciden says, a hint of a chuckle in his voice.
I find myself returning to the upper deck, joining Murphy as he stares out at the ocean. “Anything on your mind, old man?”
Murphy doesn’t say anything for several seconds, then he sighs and leans more heavily on the railing. “I looked at our planned route. We really shouldn’t keep going to that old bat’s house.”
“Murphy, Ionia isn’t much older than you. And you know why I visit. I get it, you never see your children-“
Murphy straightens up a bit, glowering at me. “They’re better off if I don’t. I send them money.”
“Be that as it may…You don’t go see them. I enjoy visiting Hoco.”
“He’s not even yours.”
“He is mine, in every way but blood. And you know my stance on blood relations.”
Murphy sighs again. “It’s risky, Simone. For us and the brat.” I don’t interrupt this time, so he continues, “You know it’s risky. I admire the woman, I truly do. She’s done a lot. But that makes her dangerous to be around.”
“I know. But I can’t just…not go see my baby. I need him to know that I’m here and I care.”
Murphy shrugs but doesn’t comment on the topic further. “You going drinking tonight?”
“Of course. There are lots of lovely young men in this town. Perhaps I can find one or two to take to bed.”
“You can’t simply go to enjoy drinks?”
“Says the man with three biological children.”
Murphy cracks the smallest of smiles, but I can see the hint of sadness behind it. “I suppose you’re right. Just be careful, Simone. Don’t get yourself hurt because you’re thinking with your penis.”
“I would never. Not happy that you went in my office without me, though.”
“I may have made you captain of the ship, but I’m still your superior. Don’t get too big for your britches. That’s how you make mistakes and suffer the consequences.”
“Is that a threat?” I ask jokingly.
“If you take it as such, sure.” I smile at him as he pats my shoulder. “Don’t get too drunk to walk up the gangplank, Simone. I am not dragging you back onto the ship.”
“You wound me, Murphy. Truly.”
“You’ve had worse.” But he’s smiling as well. “I’m going to harass Aiden until he finishes dinner or chases me out with a knife, whichever happens first.” I watch him walk away, enjoying the cool breeze coming off the water.
I’m in the pub for only a handful of minutes before the first guy approaches me. Dirty blonde hair, dark blue eyes. His shirt has been roughly cut to show off his midriff, his pants similarly slashed partway down his thigh. There’s shiny pigment crudely dusted along his cheeks and eyelids.
I order him a drink, along with a second for myself, gesturing for him to join me at my place by the bar. “So what brings you here?”
“I’m offering my services to the patrons,” he says lowly.
“Ah. And your rates?”
“1 silver for grinding on your lap. 4 silver for sucking you. Anything more costs 1 gold and 3 silver for three hours.”
“That’s…quite cheap. I’ll pay you double to come to bed with me.”
His eyes widen ever so slightly as he sips his drink. “I…Alright. Yeah. Sure. At the inn?”
“Yes, at the inn. I’ll get us a room.” I get us each one more shot to go, and then sling an arm around his shoulders to lead him out of the pub to the shady inn around the corner.
Reserving a room is quick and easy with the innkeeper seemingly drunker than we are, just blindly accepting the gold I give him. I don’t ask for the guy’s name on the way to the room, and he doesn’t volunteer the information. It doesn’t matter, really. I let him guide me around a bit, letting him push me onto the bed and straddle my hips after we’ve stripped.
But then I sit up and pin him down instead. “I’m in charge. Is that a problem?”
“No. No problem here.”
I grin down at him. “Before this continues…I’m rather rough in bed. If that is a problem, I will pay you for your time and you may leave.”
“…How rough?”
“I bite. And scratch. And hit sometimes.”
He shrugs as best as he can while laying down like this. “…that’ll be extra.”
“I’ve got extra,” I assure him, leaning down to bite lightly at his neck. He squirms under me, and my smile widens at the sweet noise that he makes. “Oh…tonight is going to be wonderful,” I murmur. "If it gets too much, tell me. Understood?"
"Understood."
A/N: GAY PIRATE BOOK BEGINS! Also, I drew the cover for it, and I actually really like how it came out. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, thank you so so much for reading, and comments are always much appreciated! Have a wonderful evening/day/afternoon!