[⚓🪶]
Captain Hook paced back and forth in his cabin, irritated. His men watched him from the deck, murmuring among themselves, knowing that when the captain was like this, it was best not to cross his path.
“Bah!” — Hook growled, slamming the table with his metal hook. “What kind of insolent adviser dares to stand up to me and then disappear as if nothing happened?”
— Smee cautiously peeked his head in.
“Captain… are you talking about that Indian?”
“Do not speak his name!” — Hook snapped theatrically, bringing a hand to his forehead as if it were all a great drama.
“That… Takoda. With his stone eyes and his know-it-all air.”
— Smee, somewhat confused, cleared his throat.
“Eh… well, captain, you yourself said he was useful against Pan. Perhaps… you should look for him again.”
— Hook froze. His lips curled into a crooked smile.
“Look for him, me? By all seven seas, never! Let him come, let him crawl to me if he wants alliances.”
— But that very night, the Jolly Roger anchored much closer to the shore of the Indian village than usual.
⏜︵⊹︵⏜︵୨୧︵⏜︵⊹︵⏜
— In the forest, Takoda was sitting by the campfire when he felt someone’s presence nearby.
“I knew you would come back” — he said, without lifting his gaze.
“Come back, me?” — Hook emerged from among the trees, his silhouette cut against the moon.
“I was only… inspecting the area. Nothing to do with you, of course”
— Takoda smiled slightly, just a bit.
“Of course. I suppose the captain of the Jolly Roger has nothing better to do than walk alone in the forest, at midnight”
— Hook frowned, offended, though deep down that reply drew an internal laugh from him.
“You are insolent”
— Takoda looked him straight in the eyes.
“And then, why are you here?”
— The pirate opened his mouth to answer, but no words came out. Only a heavy silence, charged with tension, in which for the first time Hook wondered whether he was getting himself into a dangerous game he might not be able to escape.
⏜︵⊹︵⏜︵୨୧︵⏜︵⊹︵⏜
— The moon was high, bathing the forest clearing in silvery light. The trees whispered with every night breeze, and for an instant everything seemed quieter than usual.
— Takoda had lit a small campfire, just enough to give warmth and make the shadows dance around. Hook sat a short distance away, his back against an old log, eyes fixed on the crackling flame.
— For a long moment they said nothing. The tension of the previous days hung suspended in the air, as if both of them had been slowly letting it fall away into the silence.
— Takoda was the first to speak, in a low, almost thoughtful voice:
“I never imagined that such a quiet night could feel… significant”
— Hook glanced at him over his shoulder, curious. His usual biting words were absent, replaced by something softer, more… introspective.
“Mhm, this isn’t exactly my environment…” — Hook murmured, though he didn’t sound as confident as he meant to.
— Takoda let out a small, calm laugh, as if he found something charming in that awkwardness.
“Maybe it isn’t… but… you don’t seem uncomfortable or anything like that”
— For a second, their gazes met, and both felt the murmur of the forest around them fade away.
⏜︵⊹︵⏜︵୨୧︵⏜︵⊹︵⏜
— A little later, they walked in silence toward the edge of the lake, where the water reflected the starry sky like a calm mirror. Hook stopped for a moment, watching the dark surface that was only disturbed by the gentle ripples of the breeze.
— Takoda stood beside him, the moonlight outlining his strong, serene features.
Hook couldn’t help but stare at him, as if in those eyes he were reading something he couldn’t quite describe.
— With a slow gesture, almost as if he wasn’t aware of what he was doing, Hook raised his hand and gently placed it against Takoda’s cheek. His palm rested there, near his ear, tangling slightly with the long strand of hair.
— Takoda watched him with an amused and slightly confused expression. He didn’t pull away. His eyes traced Hook’s face with that mix of curiosity and disbelief that says, “is this really happening?”
— Hook, for his part, didn’t look away. His eyes spoke without words. A strange mixture of challenge, vulnerability, and something deeper, barely contained.
— They didn’t need words in that moment.
— The night, the lake, the moonlight, and that almost imperceptible touch were enough to say what neither dared to speak.
⏝︶⊹︶⏝︶୨୧︶⏝︶⊹︶⏝
