[drabble][PotC, Jack, Will PG-13] Memories Too Painful to Hold

[ajremix]

If wolf_bite beats me, I will not be surprised.

Title: Memories Too Painful to Hold
Fandom: Pirates of the Caribbean
Rating: PG-13 for memories of vague, er, slash^^;;
Word Count: 730
Characters: Mostly Jack with a bit of Will and a pinch of Bill
Summary: After stealing the Royal Navy’s ship. This plagued me through the night XP




He had to hand it to the Royal Navy. As incompetent, yet highly effective as they were, there were still plenty- even in a hastily assembling -that broke the rules because they knew they'd be on ship with really nothing interesting to do for a while. That and they had some pretty good taste in rum.

Besides, open waters, destination beyond the horizon, free wind and sea spray at his face and pints upon endless pint of drink at hand, what man couldn't be happy? And Captain Jack Sparrow was a very happy man.

"Jack."

Scratch that. He was only a slightly happy man.

"Jack."

Lazily, he swung his head around, convincing himself that the ship twisting in his vision was the tossing of the sea and no he was not even the slightest bit buzzed. Besides, he tended to have better sea legs drunk than sober (the swaying of an inebriated person tended, more often than not, to match the sway of the ocean).

Young William Turner, as he was so fondly dubbed, was looking at him again. He really didn't like it whenever Will looked at him. It reminded him of stuff. Stuff like the Black Pearl and Barbosa and Bootstrap and betrayal and that spit of an island....

Where'd he put that rum again...?

Will frowned as Jack turned away, fumbling for something. The empty mug rolled away from clumsy dark fingers and Jack cursed at it. "Trying to run from me, are you?" He vaguely heard the pirate grumble. Rolling his eyes with a sigh, Will tried again, with more force.

"/Jack/."

Oh God, he knew that tone.

"Hello, yes?" He asked, as if noticing the young man for the first time. "Ah, William!" He held out his arms. "What can I do for ye, lad?"

"Tell me about my father."

He raised a critical eyebrow. "What? You actually believe he's a pirate, now?"

It took effort, but Will replied, "Yes."

"And you want to know more?" He slurred.

"Yes."

Pulling himself unimpressively to his feet, Jack stumbled over to the blacksmith and threw and arm across his shoulders. Will tried to pull away from the alcohol reeking pirate, but figured he could cope if it gave him his answer.

"Laddie," Jack spread his hands in front of them, "Bootstrap was a good man. And a good pirate. And now he's good 'n dead. That's all you have to be concerned about. Roight?" Haphazardly, he patted Will's shoulder and shuffled off to sit back at the prow.

Exasperated, Will resisted the urge to stomp his foot. "Tell me! What was my father like? And how could a pirate possibly be a good man?"

He turned back to Will, another lazy quip on his lips when he saw that expression on the young man's face. Large, dark eyes begging, pleading, hiding guilt and fear. And he remembered.

He remembered the first voyage with Bootstrap, before the Pearl. He remembered how he had pleaded with Jack not to take on that cursed ship and her crew and mutinous first mate. And he remembered that same look his son now had, as the same crew and- suddenly /Captain/ Barbosa -forced him on to the plank.

And he remembered, very clearly, very painfully, hearing that voice say to him, just before he stepped off that ship that he pledged his life and love to, "I'm sorry, Jack."

The alcohol rush suddenly seemed like it had never happened. He reached over, vaguely amazed at how close he had suddenly come to Will, and put a heavy hand on those slender shoulders.

"There was no better man than Billy. I could trust him with my life and I will never forget his devotion." Jack swallowed suddenly, unable to meet the honest vulnerability in William's dark eyes. Quietly, unaware, he said, "You're so much like your father, it hurts." He noticed the odd change in Will's eyes, confused, desperately needing more than he was given and Jack realized he said too much. With a more characteristic smile on his face, he patted Will's cheek. "How's 'bout you get us some more rum, love?"

Reluctant, but understanding this conversation as over, Will nodded and wandered below deck, leaving Jack to stare off the port side, trying not to remember the taste of rum on another's lips and callused hands that caressed with infinite care....

Comments

OMG WTF LOL

[wolf-bite.livejournal.com]

Wow, this one was... random. You just ruined that movie for me now, thanks. I can just hear the Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom fangirls moistening their panties already. Good job, though.