a closed starter for @scltnsea
It was practically wired into Charlie's bones. His trust in Hook had saved his life once and from there on out, it seemed that it had been well-founded because while some of the crew crumbled into dust and others bled out on the beach, within sight of their home aboard the ship, Charlie had survived despite it all. Perhaps some of it was the natural cowardice born to a boy thrust into a war zone at age five or perhaps it was dumb luck. If anyone asked Charlie, though, he claimed every time that it was because of Hook.
It was that trust, engrained in his blood, bones, and brain, that lead Charlie to stick his head into Hook's quarters that day. "Beloved pirate captain," Charlie called out with a smile, "may I steal a moment of your time?" Not waiting for an answer, Charlie eased his way inside, staying up against the wall and smiling as wide as he could to hide the curling and twisting nausea that had made its home in his stomach. This wasn't going to be a good conversation and Charlie knew it, but who else could he trust to tell him what was and was not something he should do? Hook always had his best interests at heart.
Allowing the smile to drop as Charlie fixed his gaze on the deck below him, he forced out the words he'd been too scared to tell his father captain, despite bringing it up to Cecco weeks ago. "Pan wants me back," he forced out in a rush, not bothering to look up to see if Hook was listening. "I went to watch the Battle from the forest, I didn't get involved, but he wants me back."
