moon girl, moon lover.

he walks you into the living room, hand on your lower back, guiding you to relax into the couch. spread out over the coffee table in front of you, he has your favorite take out, drinks, candy, and your current read. focusing on your surroundings you can also hear your favorite instrumentals playing softly from the record player.

“I remembered you telling me that today could be a rough day at work, so I wanted to be prepared,” jake looked toward you with a bashful smile on his face.

not quite being able to express your gratitude, you simply reached your hand toward him, holding his face and running your thumb over his cheekbone, and gave him a soft kiss on his lips. his smile widened as you pulled away, taking your actions as a ‘thank you.’

he helped you get comfy on the couch, handed you your food, and sat with you waiting to hear every detail about your work day.

as you both finished your food, jake took the containers and placed them back on the table, offering you some of your favorite candy instead. as you tore into the package of sweets, jake rearranged his position, grabbing an extra pillow and blanket, and scooting to the far corner of the couch.

he motioned for you to join him along with a soft, “c’mere babe,” earning a quick giggle from you. you crawled over to him, laying down in between his legs with your head resting on his chest. he quickly pulled the blanket over the both of you and grabbed your book off of the coffee table.

he held the book in one hand for a moment as he placed his other on your upper back, rubbing softly back and forth. jake knew you loved hearing his voice, so he offered, “would my girl like me to read to her? I can pick up where you left off.”

you gave a contented hum and a nod of your head, adding a, “yes please,” before letting your eyelids slip shut.

jake read for quite some time, asking questions here and there to try and understand the story he’d picked up in the middle of. he only paused once you stopped responding to his questions, knowing you were close to sleep.

he moved slightly to set the book back on the table, causing you to lift your head and peak an eye open to look at him. he grinned and moved the hand that once held the book to the crown of your head, beginning to work his fingers through your hair, hoping to lull you back to sleep.

he bent forward to place a kiss on any part of your head he could reach, whispering, “I’m so glad I get to be the one you come home to. I hope I’m always the one that gets to care for you like this. I love you.”

even in your sleep-like state, you could hear the love and sincerity in his voice. you groggily replied, “I love you jake. thank you… for everything.”

“Okay, good.” He sighed, placing his hand on your shoulder. His touch felt like fireworks against your skin, as if angels had ran through your veins and ascended you to heaven. He was so close, and you wanted him even closer.“I know first days are overwhelming, but I’m here to help you out.” His voice made your head feel all fuzzy, and you just nodded and smiled as he lead you to the back room of the store. “So this is our back store. We basically keep all our orders back here. I’m usually the one who takes care of them- it’s pretty relaxing actually.” He rambled which made you giggle. 

The back store had so many boxes, which mostly contained records and CDs, some electronics to listen to music on. It was actually really organized. You wondered how many hours Jake spent in here, organizing everything. He seemed like someone who enjoyed a clean space, maybe it helped him focus on his work, or helped him keep a steady mind. You were the same. You actually enjoyed cleaning because of how freeing it felt. 

“So” He sighed, grasping your attention. “What do you think? You up for it?” He smiled, extending his arms to express how much work this actually will be. 

“Definitely, Jake.” You responded with a hopeful, nervous yet excited smile. 

“Great!” He clasped his hands together before turning around and going over to the desk in the corner of the room. He looks up on a shelf and grabs something dark green, and a little black square. He walks over to you and hands you the two items. It was a nametag and an apron. You looked down at it and then up at him. 

“Thank you.” You spoke and immediately put the apron on, looking back up at him for approval. 

“Perfect! You look like you fit right in” He chuckled, his eyes scanning your body- maybe a little too long but you liked it. 

You wrote your name down and put on your nametag, following him to the front of the store. You waited for him to give you instructions as to what to do, but he just went to the record section. “I forgot to mention” He paused, his fingers skipping through the records delicately. “You get a record every month for being an employee. May just ended buuuut…” He smiled, raising an eyebrow waiting for your reaction. You gasped excitedly. “If you want to make it fun… Let me pick one for you.” He suggested and you nodded eagerly. He told you he’d meet you at the cash, and so you eagerly waited for him there, ringing up the customers that passed by. Once Jake had picked a record, he walked over to the cash, holding it behind his back to build anticipation. He pulled out an album with a car on the cover. 

“Oooh! The Cars?!” You squealed, clasping your hands together excitedly. 

“Oh yeah. They’re amazing. You’ve probably heard them on the radio.” He said. You wondered what his favorite song was. Why did he pick this record for you? 

“I might have.” He handed you the record and you turned it around, looking at the tracks. You’ve definitely heard Drive, and Magic. They were both really good. You wanted to ask why he chose this specific record, but from the way he looked at you- he made you too nervous. 

Looking down at the record once more, you smiled happily. “I like that song.” You pointed at Drive, and you felt him suck in a breath as he wrote down in the purchase log ‘Employee Record’. 

“It’s amazing. Another song to listen to in the car, yeah?” He smiled, looking up at you. He had little strands of hair covering his eyes which made your heart ache. How could he be so beautiful? Did he know how pretty he really was?

“Don’t tempt me, now.” You smirked and he smiled once more, looking back down at the purchase log. 

The rest of your day went smoothly while working with Jake. The two of you cracked jokes and spent time cleaning up the store which was fun. Occasionally he let you help the customers and observed how you helped, making sure you were doing a good job.

Which you were, resulting in a feeling Jake wasn’t sure he could ever experience again. He found himself feeling like his heart was melting whenever he looked at you, whenever you looked over to him for reassurance, whenever you made him laugh. He didn’t know how to phrase it, but it felt like you ignited a fire in his heart that was put out so long ago. A fire he didn’t think would be able to come back to life ever again. But there you were, and you were so gentle with it- with him. 

The radio played faintly in the background of the store as closing time arrived slowly. And the sun was beginning to set outside, which brought a warm glow to the inside of the record store. Jake was hoping you wouldn’t notice him staring from the record wall, but you felt his eyes on you from the other side of the store.

Mama take this badge off of me

I can't use it anymore

It's getting dark, too dark to see

I feel I'm knockin' on heaven's door

You caught eyes with him and smiled nervously as you began counting the cash register. You hummed to the music playing in the background as you heard him placing the new CDs, closer to the cash. You mouthed the lyrics and danced a little to the song- it being one of your favorites from Guns N’ Roses. 

Knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door

Knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door

Knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door

Knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door

“Everything okay over there?” Jake asked, walking over to the cash register. 

“I think so.. But can you double check?” You spoke nervously, spreading out everything on the desk so it was easier for him to check everything. He stepped closer to you, his arm almost touching yours as he was so close. He checked over everything you wrote, dragging his finger against your writing and checking over the numbers. You looked down with him, your head at the same level as his. 

He turned his head to face you, not raising it. His face was inches away from yours, his brown eyes staring deeply into yours. He was so close, almost close enough for you to just lean in and kiss him. The moment felt frozen in time, and your eyes made their way down to his lips slowly, as you almost leaned in he spoke. 

“Perfect.” He said softly, almost out of breath as he leaned back, his cheeks red as his breathing became deeper and heavier. “Uhm. I’ll just be in the back store.” He spoke rapidly before waking at a fast pace to the back store. Your heart raced in your chest as you realized what almost happened. You were going to kiss him, if he hadn’t moved. You barely knew him, you didn't even know his last name, and you were going to kiss him? What is going on? 

You stayed at the cash and finalized your papers before he came back. When he did, you took a moment to inspect his demeanor. His cheeks were flushed, his lips a dark pink and his hand movements seemed nervous. He looked shy and so cute. He shot you a shy smile as he walked over to the counter, this time facing you and not next to you. The action hurt you a little but it was probably for the best. Jake then explained to you where to place the items and where to store the money. In no time, you were at the front door watching him lock up the building. 

“There we go. First day done” He smiled, standing straight as he pulled the key out of the lock. The sun was still setting which gave him a gorgeous glow, his skin so pretty and tan under the sunlight. “Any plans?” He asked, taking his apron off and rolling it up in his hands. 

“No, not tonight. You?” You asked, biting the inside of your cheek as he searched through his keys for his car key. 

“No. But” He paused, hesitating. “I have a case of beers back at my house, and I could cook us some dinner if you’d like. To celebrate your first day” He stumbled upon his words. Finishing his sentence with a smile. 

“Sure!” You tried to contain your excitement but he could see by the look on your face that his idea really excited you. 

“We can take my car, and I’ll drop you off here after if you want? Or.. I pick you up from your house with my boat?” 

“You have a boat! Definitely that!” You said eagerly. Taking out your keys, you tell them the address of the summer house,loosely explain where it’s positioned on the lake and he nods, getting in his jeep and shooting you a smile with a small wave.

You changed quickly once you got home, putting on some flowy black shorts and a white tank top on top of your bathing suit. Just in case you fell off the boat… Yeah, you tend to stress out a little. You eagerly waited on the dock, waiting for a sign of life, and once you heard the ripple of the waves your eyes scanned the lake for Jake. 

His boat was pretty big, it was a gray-ish color with dark red lines on the sides. It had a big space in the front where you could lay and spend all day tanning on. There was a little area where the driver seat was, and behind it was another nice area where people could sit and enjoy the view. As he got closer, you got a better look of him. Jake had his hair in a low bun, little strands framing his face so perfectly. He wore a bucket hat and a gray shirt with some red shorts. They were pretty short. You tried not staring at his thighs but they were so…

“Hey!” He smiled as he turned the motor off, bringing it closer to the dock so its safe for you to get in. 

“Hey, Jake.” You smiled down at the boat. He looked like he belonged in it- he probably spent countless hours in it. He was so interesting to you. As he brought the boat closer, you bit your bottom lip nervously- afraid you’d fall in the water. He must have caught on to the energy you let out because he held his hand out, making eye contact with you. 

“Don’t worry. I’ve got you.” He spoke gently, standing up and keeping his foot on the dock so there was more stability. You exhaled nervously before reaching out and grabbing his hand. As soon as you made contact, his grasp got tighter which you appreciated. He felt strong under you, holding you tightly. You wobbled as one foot stepped on the boat, almost falling over which made you yelp. He chuckled as he caught you with his other hand- keeping it on your hip. “Told you. I’ve got you.” He smirked, looking down and deep into your eyes. You stared at him for a couple seconds before moving, inspecting the features of his face up close, the way his nose was so perfect and how he had these cute little dips in his cheeks when he smiled. Your heart hurt when he let go of you, letting you settle down on one of the seats behind the drivers’. 

“Your boat is awesome.” You spoke as he sat down in the driver’s seat. He looked back at you with a smile as he turned on the motor. 

“Thanks! It’s entirely mine.” He said proudly, starting to drive back to his house. You leaned over the side, looking down at the water as the boat moved quickly. You reached out and let the cool water touch your fingertips, letting it glide through and caress your skin. Being here, made you want your own boat someday. It was so relaxing and freeing, especially feeling the wind gliding through your hair and ruffling through your clothes. No wonder Jake must spend so much time on it, you completely understood him for that. 

Once he arrived back to his house, he secured the boat to the dock by attaching it to a pole and repeated the process of getting you out- this time being much more steady. 

“Alright. Do you have any dietary restrictions? I was thinking of making us some burgers. If that’s alright.” He said, walking over to the door on his back porch, you followed him nervously. 

“Oh yeah, that’s fine” You responded and watched him unlock the door and let you in first. 

He had a beautiful home. The ceilings were really high and the walls were covered in family pictures. The kitchen was large and accompanied with an island in the middle- three benches placed behind it. The fridge was a dark brown which matched the cupboards, and the counters were a darker brown. The house truly felt like a cottage in the middle of the woods. The hardwood floors creaked just like back at your house, which you enjoyed. It felt familiar. You could tell that this was a family home. And judging by the pictures all over the place, they seemed really close and full of love. 

This one picture really struck you. There he was, playing a red guitar. A Les Paul. You wondered if it was here, if he’d play it for you. Next to him was a guy with curly hair- screaming into a microphone. And lastly, a boy with a bass in his hands, really into the music. They looked like a real band who loved music. You wondered what song they were playing and if it was one of Jake’s songs or a cover. 

“What do you like in your burgers? I’ll get everything ready for you” He said softly as he opened the door to the fridge. His voice dragged you out of your thoughts. You looked back at him and watched him place the ingredients on his counter. 

“I’m fine with anything, really. I’ll have mine exactly how you make yours.” You smiled at him which resulted in him nodding quickly, biting his bottom lip as he prepared to take everything outside to where his barbecue was. As he set down the plates of ingredients he needed, he turned his head to a chair and grabbed the small radio which was on it, turning it on and adjusting it to a good channel. He turned on the barbecue and began laying down the meat on it, the sizzling noise accompanying the music. You sat on one of the lounging chairs which was diagonal to the barbecue, crossing your legs and watching him get to work. The angle to which you were sat gave you a clear view of everything he was doing.

Tongue-tied or short of breath, don't even try

Try a little harder

Something's wrong, you're not naive, you must be strong

Ooh, baby, try

You watched as he focused on cooking. He looked so used to it- like he’d spent hours cooking. You were sure his food was going to taste amazing. He seemed to put a lot of care into the things he’d focus on. He stuck his tongue out as he flipped a patty carefully, making sure it didn’t break apart. 

Hey girl

Move a little closer

“Fuck! I’m so sorry. I completely forgot to offer you something to drink” He turned to you with a regretful smile. A few strands of hair fell out of his bun as he looked at you. 

You're too shy shy, hush-hush, eye to eye

Too shy shy, hush-hush, eye to eye

Too shy shy, hush-hush, eye to eye

Too shy shy, hush-hush

“Don’t worry. We’ll drink while we eat, yeah?” You chuckled with resulted in him sighing with relief. Nodding in an unspoken ‘you’re right’. You watched as he toasted the buns quickly, and then constructed the burgers with all the ingredients he brought out with him. 

“Aaaalright. Here we go. I’ll be right back with a drink for you.” He smiled, quickly pulling out a chair for you at the table on his property which faced the lake. You sat down and waited for him to come back, looking around to catch a glimpse of him. 

He rushed back with two beers in hand, a lime in one of them. He placed it in front of you before sitting down in front of you. He took a second to catch his breath, before looking down at your plate and then back at you. 

“You didn’t have to wait for me, it’s okay” He smiled sympathetically. You shook your head no. 

“I wanted to.” You responded, taking a sip of the beer he brought for you and thanking him quietly. You took the burger into your hands and shot him a quick glance before taking a bite. The burger was amazing, better than you’ve ever had. He really did cook with love and you could feel it. He seasoned his meat so well.

“So? How is it? Not too bad I hope.” He chuckled, taking a bite of his as he waited for an answer. 

“It’s amazing. I’m gonna need the recipe. You really know how to cook.” You smiled and he sighed in relief once more. The two of you ate in silence, listening to the music on the radio and finishing up your food. Once you were done, Jake picked up your plate and brought it inside. When he came out, he had a bag of marshmallows. 

“I was thinking we could do a fire?” He asked hopefully and you rapidly nodded, the idea sounding amazing to you. You followed him to where the fire pit was, and helped him grab some wood to burn. He seemed excited to do the fire, maybe he didn’t do them often, or maybe they were special to him.

Once the fire had started, he made sure that it was going to burn for a little before running inside to grab something else. The fact that he was running around so much made you giggle a little. He was so cute; trying to make sure you were having a good time. And you were because of him. As you waited for him, you grabbed two sticks that could be used for the marshmallows. By the time you sat down, he was jogging back to you.

His hair had fallen out of his bun completely, loose under his bucket hat. In his hand was an acoustic guitar which made your heart flutter. Was he going to play something for you? The action made you feel incredibly special. 

“Everything okay? You cold? Do you want me to get you a blanket?” He asked and you shook your head no with a friendly smile. He smiled back and sat down near you, diagonally from you yet still close enough that you could hear him and see him very well. You passed him a stick with a marshmallow already on it, which made him smile as he put it over the fire. You copied him and placed your marshmallow over the fire- occasionally looking over to him. 

“You ever had a s’more?” You asked him curiously in which he chuckled in response.

“Of course.” He smiled, turning his stick to make sure the entire marshmallow was cooking. 

“Ever tried putting honey in it? Complete game changer.” You giggled, watching your marshmallow catch on fire. You rapidly brought it closer to your face as you blew on it to put the fire out, laughing at the silliness of it all. 

“Honey? Sounds sticky” He replied with a smile, blowing on his marshmallow as well. 

“Hey- Don’t knock it ‘til you try it.” You replied with a smirk, thinking about all those times you made that concoction for yourself. 

“I guess I’ll have to try someday, then.” He chuckled. You nodded happily. You watched as he pulled the guitar over his lap, looking at you with a slight glimmer in his eye. He took in a small breath before playing softly. It was a song you knew; a softer rendition of it. The action made your heart completely melt. 

Oh, my life is changing everyday

In every possible way

And oh, my dreams

It's never quite as it seems

Never quite as it seems

You watched him play, he seemed so used to it- so used to having an instrument in his arms. He looked like he was born with it in his hand; and you loved it. He occasionally looked over at you as he sang, a couple shy giggles slipping in the performance as he went on. 

I know I felt like this before

But now I'm feeling it even more

Because it came from you

Then I open up and see

The person falling here is me

A different way to be

You harmonized with him quietly as he sang, your eyes constantly battling between him and the fire in front of you. He was gorgeous. The light hitting his face so perfectly, and you could feel the flame in your heart start to grow- almost as big as the fire. Your body felt like it was on fire, and you just couldn’t get enough of him. After he finished playing the song, you clapped your hands for him in amazement. 

“That was so beautiful, Jake.” You said proudly. He smiled bashfully as he set the guitar down. 

“Thank you, honey.” He spoke softly, a blush covering his cheeks as the nickname slipped out so naturally. 

“Honey, huh?” You chuckled, taking a sip of your beer. 

“Sorry.. It slipped out..” He smiled, embarrassed. 

You placed your hand on his knee,“It’s okay, I like it. I’ve never had a nickname before”. You reassured him. 

Your touch set fireworks all over his body, completely took his breath away. He wanted to get up, pull you into his arms and never let go. He wanted to hold you, touch you, kiss you. He wanted you all to himself. Flashes of moments shared between the two of you played in his mind all at once. He had found you, his muse, everything he needed. He felt stuck, knowing his past choices. He couldn’t. He could not be like before, he told himself last time would be the last. 

Maybe that was about to change.

{@lek-gvf @anythingforjtk @Suzi107 @jakeygvf21 @blissfulbellss @i-choose-the-road @leftjudgeempathsuitcase @Timeless—classics @ohgodthefeeling-gvf @mackalah @myleftsockisnotmine-blog @gretnavannfleet  @bubblyjake @valvebone @jaketswine @iffypanic @mp0801 @thetroublegetssoloud71 @fakeplastiqtree @hellowgoodbye @lexii-nv-c @rad-space-princess}

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Exposition

Jacob Thomas Kiszka was a pirate aboard The Caravel. A ship that had once belonged to his father.

Captain Thomas Kiszka was his name. He had met a woman on shore and 9 months later, Jake was born on the very ship. Thomas had insisted his son live the life of a pirate. And his mother, having nothing much to offer him, had no choice but to hand over her precious child to become the next captain of the infamous ship. However Jacob Thomas Kiszka would not be the next captain of The Caravel.

The only two things Jake’s father had left him were his sword fighting skills and a little coin necklace from the great Atocha, a ship with immense treasure that Thomas’s crew had pillaged before he was killed in battle.

The crew aboard The Caravel were the only family Jake had ever known. They had taken him in, taught him how to fight, sail, how to handle his women and his rum. They had taught him how to navigate the seas and how to uphold The Caravels legacy.

It was late summer, the time of year when the seas were the angriest. It had been storming for longer than any of the men on board had ever seen. The crew was well equipped for bitter weather but they had never had to endure it for this long. They were running low on everything but more importantly, they needed a doctor.

The current captain of The Caravel was named James Calico. He was Thomas’s first mate and the one who was to lead the crew of fearless men to find the lost treasure at The Gardens Gate before Jake was of age. Captain Calico had heard of a young woman off the coast of the town they were nearing who was a doctor. All they had to do was collect the needed supplies for their voyage, and then collect the girl too.

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Jakes POV

Your mind is fuzzy from the rum you've been drinking all morning but all you have to focus on is your job. Go in, get the liquor and get out. Fast.

You roll your eyes at the thought. They know I can handle more than this, It isn’t fair.

Everyone on board knows who you are. They know who your father was. They respect you and treat you well. They took you in as one of their own and taught you everything you know but they do not give you as much power as the son of Captain Thomas Kiszka deserves.

You had heard parts of the plan from Reed, Captain Calico’s first mate, and a well respected man on board. He had always been the one to tell you more than the captain intended for you to know. You think of him as the closest thing to a real friend.

You know the plan has something to do with kidnapping a doctor but you don’t have time to worry about that. You have your job and you are ready to do it. 

You look down and grab the handle of your sword. You run your hand along the smooth leather (a nervous habit you picked up) keeping it in place and you instantly feel calmer. You’re confident in your ability to fight. I’m ready.

The boat docks and the anchor is lowered. You look to your Captain for instruction and he gives a slight nod. Within seconds, you’re all running off the ship and making your way through the town. You are ready to defend yourself if anyone tries you. However, as usual, no one does. You smile to yourself hearing the familiar shrieks and cries.

“Pirates!”

This is a feeling you’ll never get sick of. The feeling of straight adrenaline coursing through your veins and raw… power. You feel your heart beating out of your chest and you know nothing can hurt you in this moment. You’re invincible. Soon the entire square is clear and you make your way to the pub knocking over boxes and crates in the process.

You don’t have to look around for long. The rows and rows of bottles line the walls and you grab two cases and fill them up, and then one more for good measure.

You make your way back to the square where you see the rest of your crew, taking supplies and one by one returning to the ship. 

You look over and see a man everyone called ‘Brute’ holding a woman by the throat threatening to cut off her head if she didn't give him the rest of the meat at her stand. We don't have time for this. You hear the commanding voice of your captain telling him to let her go. And when he speaks, people listen, that's the rule.

Back on the ship you only take two steps before you hear the anticipated cheering. Time to celebrate. You set down the cases and help pass out the bottles of rum. You feel a small jolt and soon The Caravel is gliding across the water.

When you reach to grab a bottle for yourself, something catches your eye, or rather someone. It's a girl.

Wow.

You’ve heard of sirens in stories but you thought they were make believe. She is unlike anyone you have ever seen. She’s beautiful.

Your eyes travel up and down her body, slowly taking her in. You can't help yourself when you stare at the exposed skin on her stomach through the tear in her dress, or the bit of thigh that was showing. Your eyes meet hers and she quickly looks away.

She’s scared of me. Usually this revelation would please you but it feels like a stab to the chest. You think for a moment. She must be the doctor.

You hadn't expected it to be a girl, let alone someone this beautiful. She looks confused and panicked. Now that you pay closer attention, you see that she's being held roughly by two men, Patrick Lock and Robin Evers. They were good men but they obviously didn’t know how to control themselves in the presence of a lady.

A realization washes over you when you look into her eyes. The storm is gone... strange.

You shake the thought when you see Patrick and Robin wearing identical evil grins that make your hands bawl up into fists. Let go of her. You want to grab your sword and slice through their hands but instead you stay by the liquor cases continuing to study her.

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Her POV

Your mind is racing and your heart is pounding. It’s hard to think clearly when your arms are being held so tightly. Do they have to be cutting off my circulation?

Just moments ago you were sitting at home with your sister reading to her and now you were on a pirate ship. One of the ones you had only heard about in the stories your father used to tell you. 

Your eyes flutter closed hoping to wake up from this nightmare. You can smell the ocean. Of course you always could but it was so much stronger now. The cool breeze on your skin is refreshing in contrast to the sun's harsh rays. You let the sound of the water distract you from the dull pain growing in your arms. 

SWOOSH.

One particularly strong wave crashes against the side of the boat causing your eyes to open again.

Crash against wave upon wave.

The realization hits you once more. This isn’t a dream, this is real. Your eyes search the ship frantically. If they let go of my arm maybe I could jump off the side and swim back to shore. You look around once more.

The ship is like most that you’ve seen around the dock. Perhaps a little bigger. You don’t know much about them but you recognize the familiar ropes and watchtower. Your dad is a sailor but you’ve never gotten to see his boat. Now I never will.

There is something else near the tower, it’s a flag. A black flag. An exposition.

There is a symbol of some kind. What does that mean?

Your thoughts are cut off by the dozen men that surround you beginning to close in. You can hear the sound of their boots hitting the wooden deck.

Creeeeeek.

Each of them looks slightly different than the last. Some of them wear hats and carry swords, some of them wear shirts and some of them don’t. But they all look ragged and their eyes share the same slight yellow tint. Scurvy. They all eye you with dangerous expressions and wild eyes. It makes your stomach turn. 

However, there is one man who stays back. He looks younger than the rest of them. He has long brunette hair and entrancing brown eyes. He has on a white button up shirt with only one button done up just above his belly button. Classy.

You can see his tanned chest and his strong arms from where the sleeves are hiked up. He has on a pair of black breeches and a piece of cream colored fabric wrapped tightly around his waist. He wears a brown hat and a small white knit bracelet on his wrist. The mysterious man wears two silver hoops and has a clean shaven face. A small coin necklace hangs loosely around his neck.

You look back up to find his eyes boring into yours. The sword he carries tightly against his body seems to be staring at you too. The sight of the sun reflecting on the pointed silver makes a shiver run up your spine.

Your gaze is broken by someone walking towards you. You know he's the captain by the way the men part leaving a clear path from him to you, some of them bow slightly. 

He walks slowly and carefully, not breaking eye contact. He doesn’t look anything like what you've heard of in the stories. No peg leg, no eye patch. 

He has a long beard and he wears a hat or a tricorne as your dad taught you. When your eyes travel down you see his sword swinging slightly by his side and the wood shifting beneath him with every step. You struggle against the two strong hands holding you causing them to grab you tighter. That’s gonna leave bruises. 

The captain finally reaches you and towers over you. He looks strong and powerful. He lowers himself so that his face is level with yours and you smell the rum on his breath. 

He speaks with a hint of amusement as if he thinks this whole situation is funny. “Hello young lady.” He smiles showing you his singular golden tooth. 

He looks to the men holding you “Patrick, Robin, is this how we treat our guests? We don’t wanna scare the poor girl.” His eyes widen.

“Aye.”

“Aye.”

They let go of you causing you to stumble forward. The men laugh as the captain catches you and lifts you back on your feet. You recoil at his touch. “Come on matey, I'm not gonna hurt cha.”

You think about running but fear plants your feet firmly to the ground. What does he want?

Unable to meet his gaze, you look back to the young man, he’s… smirking? When he sees you look at him, his face drops and he looks back to his captain.

He speaks again “Welcome aboard The Caravel. What’s yer name?”

You can't seem to form words so you stare at him, lip quivering. The captain laughs at you. The rest of his crew laugh too. The young man laughs slightly but trails off when you look at him once more.

You feel yourself getting dizzy. You can hear a small voice in the distance that you recognize as the captains. He’s explaining to you how they needed a doctor for their ship. He tells you you have no choice but to oblige and there’s no point in trying to run away. He points to something but you can’t see what. You’re trying to absorb his words but your thoughts are still clouded. You turn back and see that you’re already far away from shore. You watch as your town grows smaller and smaller until it's a dot to strange horizons. 

The captain yells something that you can’t quite hear and you watch as the men assume their positions. Some of them go straight for the cases of liquor. Some of them climb the many ropes that stretch to the top of the ship, and some of them laugh at a joke being told.

These men are loud and dirty and not very kind. I need to go back home, I need to find my sister.

The captain keeps his eye trained on you, it was almost as if he was saying, ‘try to escape, try to swim away, I dare you.’

In the next hours, no one speaks to you, no one addresses you, they don't even acknowledge you. As The Caravel got farther and farther away from home, your body felt smaller and smaller. Weaker and weaker.

Oh my god, my sister. I can't imagine what she’s thinking right now, I hope she’s safe. My father won’t be home for another week. I hope he’s okay too. There was a storm that seemed to have fizzled out but he must have survived it… he must have. He's strong. Maybe when he returns home and finds out I've been captured he’ll come to save me. Him and his crew.

You look up again, and there is the young man, just across the deck taking sips of his drink. He doesn’t seem to be doing much of anything. His eyes fall to yours then drop back down again. He then looks out into the vastness of the ocean, seeming to be thinking about something important. 

I want to know his name.

Time doesn’t wait for your thoughts to collect and soon the moon replaces the sun. One by one the men go below deck to sleep for the night. The harshness of your reality is starting to set in. I’m only of use to them when someone is injured, other than that am I just a lost thought?

You are left alone on the deck, it's cold and lonely. It reminds you of your first day of school when you didn’t know anyone. That night you had gone home and cried in your fathers arms but this night, your father was miles away, on the same ocean but still, miles away.

The boat rocks gently to the rhythm of the sea. Your body becomes a part of the ship, swaying with the water. You feel the little droplets splash over the side and trickle down your face.

It's almost calming, almost. Maybe if I wasn’t a prisoner. At least I'm not tied up.

The moon is full tonight. Its light illuminates the deck and the water in its path. It’s breathtaking.

After several minutes of staring, you accept your fate and try to find somewhere to sleep. You decide a sandbag will have to make do. You attempt to find a comfortable position which proves to be difficult.

As the boat moves with the water on the salty sea, your salty tears begin to fall. It’s scary how quiet it is, and you miss your home, and your bed. For miles in every direction, there is nothingness.

Just as you close your eyes preparing yourself for an uncomfortable sleep, you hear a noise. It’s footsteps. You look up to find the young man approaching you. He’s holding something. 

Where is his shirt? 

The little coin necklace bounces on his chest when he walks. He ventures closer and kneels beside you.

“Are you cold?”

This is the first time you’ve heard his voice, it’s low and raspy but comforting. He asks his question with caution and genuine concern. You nod.

“Here.” He holds up the shirt and wraps it around you. You can’t help but smile.

He smiles back but doesn’t leave. He pauses for a moment. He looks lost, as if he doesn’t know if he should stay or go. He offers you a small smile and breaks the silence once more. 

“What’s your name?”

You tell him your name and watch his lips curl into a perfect, addicting smile. You feel your cheeks flush. He was… pretty.

“What’s your name?” You ask.

“Jacob Thomas Kiszka, mates call me Jake.” He pretends to curtsey causing you to giggle.

This warms Jake’s heart, He couldn’t bear seeing you so sad earlier. You had looked… horrified.

You allow yourself to admire his face. The way his lips fall into a perfect heart shape, the way his eyes sparkle underneath the moonlight, the way his cheeks move when he smiles.

What he does next surprises you. He goes to sit behind you and asks if he can help you. What? You turn to face him with a confused look on your face. He smiles at you. He brings one of his hands up to your hair and drags it down the length of it exposing the many tangles that you hadn’t even registered.

“Is this okay?”

You wonder how you could possibly say no to him so you let him carefully comb his fingers through your hair.

You close your eyes and let yourself bathe in the feeling of his calloused fingertips gliding across your scalp. His hands move slowly and carefully so as to not hurt you.

You don’t really understand why you’re letting him do this or why he wanted to do it in the first place. Maybe it was the kindness in his eyes or the way his voice sounded when he asked. But you just sit there and let him continue.

Jake starts working on a particularly large knot and starts humming to himself. You smile at this small act of vulnerability and let out a small chuckle. He stops singing and you turn around to be met with his reddened face, flushed with embarrassment.

A few minutes of comfortable silence pass as you look up at the stars.

“Do you do this to your own hair?” You couldn’t help but ask. You had grown curious about life as a pirate and Jake was the only pirate you’d seen on board with long hair.

“Hmm? Oh.. oh yeah I do. It takes a while with all the salt in the air and everything, and you know I just thought…” He trails off.

He looks up at you smiling again and you decide, I can trust him.

He parts your hair and moves half of it to drape gently over your shoulder. You feel his warm breath on the back of your neck sending you goosebumps. Oh.

He finishes brushing through the second section and it’s over far too soon. His hands leave your hair and quickly run down your shoulders making you shiver.

He did that on purpose. 

He stands up and faces you, he’s wearing a similar smile to the one that paints your face. Now much more relaxed than before, you look into his eyes. How can a person's eyes be so comforting? 

You're sad to see him go. Part of you wishes he would stay, and that he could warm you instead of his shirt. You’re wondering if maybe he had the same idea but then he speaks.

“Goodnight then mate.” He winks at you. There’s that butterfly feeling again.

You watch him slowly descend down the stairs below the deck. His hair blows with the wind. I can still feel his hands in my hair.