Archive of Our Own ^beta

— Why are you hiding here? — Wee John asked as he entered the Revenge's pantry intending to drunk himself to sleep, finding in his usual spot young Lucius Spriggs huddled under some old unstuck sailcloth. 

— Sh. I don't want him to find me — Lucius hissed back and quickly covered himself with the cloth, carelessly leaving only his shoes in view. 

— Who? — he asked confused, looking around as if he expected to find someone else in the place. 

— Iggy — answered equally angry as silent. — He hasn't stopped yelling at me. Every time the captain disappears with Blackbeard he comes to take it out on me. I hate it. 

— Why? — He asked, startling a bit when the boy yanked the cloth off of himself. 

— Seriously Wee John? I just said it — he hissed with a wrinkled face of annoyance and a funny pout. 

— No, no — he tried to calm him down with a movement of his hands before continuing. — I say why does he take it out on you? 

— How the fuck do you want me to know? The guy is insane. 

— Maybe he likes you — said Black Pete just entering the warehouse with a heavy box full of unpeeled potatoes in his arms 

Wee John gave a little jump on himself and put a hand to his chest in an attempt to calm the shock he had gotten; Seeing that he was Pete, he deflated and leaned back in his usual spot on top of the rice barrels, while a completely offended Lucius jumped up on his own feet to face him. 

— What! — He screamed in horror. 

— Sh — Wee John made him, now also worried about Lucius's incognito status, who reacted with an amused sneer. 

— Don't be stupid, Pete — he spoke again to the shorter pirate, moving closer to him as he poured the potatoes from the box in his hands into a larger container. 

— I'm just saying that, well, you know, everyone knows that you are, that you, no, not you, it's not you, forget that, there's nothing wrong with you, I mean, that, that it is, it is, uh…—he started to say, stumbling over his own words in that faint-hearted way Pete had of saying things, clearly regretful and undecided about continuing the conversation. Finishing the potatoes, he turned to look at Lucius who, just a few steps away, was staring at him, hands on hips, more irritated than he had ever seen him, who after their silent combat with the looking for just a few seconds, he finished losing patience urging him with a quick gesture of his hand to continue. — I'm saying he's... uh, notorious, that he has, you know, uh, a strange fixation, an obsession with you, for you, I mean." 

Both Lucius's arms and jaw fallen instantly and his eyes were so wide in surprise at this new revelation that Pete felt self-conscious and strangely embarrassed to continue looking at him, preferring instead to look back at the box he still held in his hands; he remembered then, as if he had been sent a life preserver, that he was in the middle of a job. He lifted the box a little and shook it with a gesture towards Lucius who seemed to be still frozen in his surprise, taking advantage of this to turn around and start to leave. Only then did the boy return from his stupefaction and quickly went after him in search of answers. 

— Wa-wait. Pete, wait. What do you mean… Pete? Pete! — But despite the calls and Lucius no longer hiding his voice from him, Pete didn't stop, leaving Lucius in a dramatic embrace on the doorstep. — Is that true Wee John? — He demanded, peering into the warehouse still hugging the doorway. 

Wee John didn't reply, just shrugged his shoulders like it was no big deal before bringing a bottle of rum to his lips. 

— Oh my god, it can't be, it can't be— he said shaking his hands in a mixture of nervousness and disgust as he went back to his hiding place among the barrels— I have a stalker, I'm being sexually harassed. Oh— and after this last exclamation, he sat down practically collapsing offended on a makeshift seat of ropes and fabrics, in the style of Stede Bonnet himself. 

The silence that followed was strange, uncomfortable in a different way, he wasn't uncomfortable with his partner or his lackadaisical company, but rather with the ideas that were running through his head, the memories of every little interaction he had had with Izzy in just eight days, since Blackbeard's crew had arrived; he replayed in his mind every expression of disgust, every push, punch and insult directed at him, every time he yanked his arm to spit some order inches from his face. Only eight days had passed, he wondered with horror what it would be like in two weeks or in a month, and if Blackbeard decided to keep the ship, what would happen next, being directly under his command if now that he had no right over them things were already bad enough horrible. And if Pete was right, it was possible that the progression of the attacks would end sooner or later revealing a sexual psychopathy of which he would be a victim; just thinking about it terrified him, it was even hard to stop trembling now that he still didn't have enough reasons to do so. 

For his part Wee John, who had not asked to be involved in this, noticed how a storm was beginning to form in the boy's head. He had seen this story many times, with a harasser and a harassed on bad terms, how those with more power on the ship abused the weaker, almost always leading to terrible outcomes. He felt sorry for the boy who, accustomed to an understandable and open crew, would not understand if he told him that this was actually a constant and not an exception. He supposed that in favor of keeping poor Lucius away from the descent he's embarking on, a drink would be better than the poor comfort he could offer him. The boy took the bottle of rum and gave him a smile that immediately faded into that ugly scowl of indigestion that hadn't left him since Pete's words. He took a long drink, took a deep breath, and took a second, longer drink than the last before handing her the bottle and daring to speak again. 

— You know, novels definitely don't prepare you for this. It's funny because I always thought that being in a situation like that would be something more charming or exciting or you know, incredibly hot, but…it's just…off-putting and…scary. Iggy is terrifying. — he concluded with a wrinkled face. A chill followed him with a new set of disturbed thoughts. 

— Maybe it's not that, Lucius, maybe it has nothing to do with it, the bastard is nasty to everyone, Pete gets beat up every chance they get for no reason. Maybe he's just mad about being on our ship and having to deal with Captain Stede and all of us, we have to admit, we're often irritating. 

— I guess it's also our fault that he's an unbalanced lover of psychological torture — he said with his characteristic sarcastic tone. — Let me tell you this Wee John, I am very perceptive, I notice all kinds of things, everything that happens around me, the fact that I do not reveal it is something else. But of course, I should calm down and continue drinking quietly, right? After all Pete can be wrong, right, what am I saying, surely he is wrong, because we are talking about Pete. 

— I heard that — Pete said in a calm tone, sneaking in again. 

Wee John jumped up once more spilling some rum on his shirt and exclaiming a deflated “stop that, man” before downing the bottle again. 

Lucius who had had his back to the entrance turned to face him once more, determined to get every last detail of what Pete knew and find a way to…he still didn't know what for. However, seeing that Pete this time had come carrying two boxes full of potatoes that covered his face, he quickly stood up and went to his aid. 

— Well Pete, you have to admit you're not the most trustworthy man on the crew and so far your fantastic stories with Blackbeard haven't done your reputation any good — he intentionally scoffed just for the fun of teasing him and because he was slightly drunk. At the same time, he took the box that was on top, lifting it with considerable difficulty; in the midst of the action he wondered how Pete had managed to grab those two extremely heavy boxes and lower them down there by himself. 

— He didn't recognize me because I've changed a lot over the years, if that's what you mean — he answered quickly as always before anyone who questioned the veracity of his stories, and noticing the effort the boy was making to help him, he quickly left his weight on the floor to take the one in Lucius's hands. Lucius protested at first and actually resisted very little him help. 

— I could handle it, Pete — he said sarcastically, a little more grateful than disgusted that he didn't have to carry that weight. 

— I know, but you'll hurt your back — Pete concluded lightly, beginning to dump the contents of the box into the larger container as he had before, completely missing the shocked look and grateful smile Lucius gave him momentarily earlier of scratching his nose nervously and recapturing the confrontational energy this conversation required. 

— I say, after thinking about it for a moment, I'd rather be inclined to think you're wrong…— and I intentionally leave the sentence hanging so that Pete will join the game. 

— Yeah, whatever — he said instead, wanting to end the matter at once. 

It wasn't at all the answer Lucius expected, or rather, it was disappointing in the name of drama. He turned then, just a little to the shelves next to him, where he pulled out a new bottle of rum, tried to uncork it with his hands as his mouth, but this particular one was harder than expected. He was about to find another, but Pete, seemingly always attentive to his needs, snatched the bottle from his hands, popped the cork with his mouth, and handed it back. Once again, Lucius winced, pleasantly surprised but much more amused than before, taking a large sip before handing it back to the shorter pirate.  

— Pete — he said patiently, hinting that this was going to be a long conversation. — I need us to figure this out, you know? We need to get this out of my system and out into the open so it can roast to death in the sun and stay dead forever, that's why we need to talk...  

— As a crew — the other two chorused, raising their bottles in a silent toast before drinking. Stede would be really proud of them.  

— If you want, I could stab him in the heart a couple of times while he's sleeping…to make sure he's still dead, then we can wrap him up in his own sheets and…— Pete suggested thoughtfully. 

— And we burned it — Wee John said, taking a long sip. 

— But everyone would notice the bonfire — Lucius said beginning to enjoy this game. 

— That would be a problem — Pete seconded, also looking quite amused. — How about we tie it to something heavy and then throw it into the water?  

— We have to pee on it before we put it in the water, friend, otherwise we won't be satisfied. After that, we can forget about him — seconded Wee John  

— Exact! — Pete gave the big man a cheer before turning to face Lucius, who seemed incredibly amused and equally charming. — We can work it out tonight if that makes you happy. —  

And in many ways Lucius was genuinely happy with the offer, after all, two men offering to murder another for his happiness was ridiculously flattering, not to mention the detail of stabbing him in the heart, multiple times, this was certainly the drama who was talking. His smile spread wide and he couldn't miss the way Pete rubbed off on him, pulling the corner of his mouth into a gawking half smile. "There's something there" he thought to himself without breaking eye contact with Pete. 

— Although I appreciate the offer, very nice indeed, I'll save it for another time. 

Pete nodded in agreement and returned to his work, he still had another box of potatoes to empty and he had a pending card game with the boys that he had to win for his honor, however, before he could continue with his work, the hand of Lucius stopped him by landing gently on his forearm, forcing him back to him.  

— And to close the matter, maybe it would be great if you explain to me why you think he likes me — he said and couldn't help but grimace at the last word. — It's not that I'm vain, but, I guess I'm a little curious.  

Pete was silent for a moment, just watching, then casually glanced over to where Lucius's hand still rested on his arm, he seemed hesitant, fighting the urge to pull away from his touch It took him a moment to decide to finish his work, though it meant giving up that warm touch. 

— Well, um… I guess, if he has a pair of eyes, sooner or later he'd notice that you're… so cute.  

Once again Lucius had been taken by surprise. 

— Cute? — he repeated in almost the same hesitant tone in which Pete said it, and his face was splashed with shades of pink.  

His eyes were wide again, but the expression on his face was vastly different from the previous revelation, a mixture of nervousness, happiness, doubt, as if he had never expected Pete of all people to think that of him. "Cute" he repeated again, lower, self-conscious, just to himself. Only then did he realize that he had cringed nervously, and that his gaze was nowhere, inward, at his thoughts, and when he looked up again, Pete had done the same, and their gazes met in a strange way, different, with a certain diffuse longing hidden in the background. 

— Yes, you're also intelligent, um, very, extremely interesting and although you don't get the voices like the captain when you read us, your voice is, um... it's, it's a good voice — he admitted trailing off at the end.

Lucius's smile was thin, barely distinguishable, but his small cheekbones gave him away, they had risen in a lovely curve under his eyes that shone with a new light, fixed on Pete's and the way he refused to give up. That exchange, despite how nervous he looked, because in his entire life as a pirate, Black Pete had never, ever hoped that he could be seen the way Lucius looked at him at that moment. That such an intensity was directed at him was terrifying, that of all the people who lived in the world it was for him the colors that shone in this boy's eyes scared him so much that he couldn't stop looking; it was like standing in front of an abyss, completely lost, torn between wanting to go back and go home or be brave, adventurous and jump. He tried to speak, but the words wouldn't come out of his throat, he wasn't even sure what to say now or after that and the doubt finally shut him up. 

— Someone's coming — Wee John hissed. 

The spell had been broken. 

Lucius hid by throwing himself under his unstitched sailcloth and Pete who had held his spot, frozen to nothing, woke from his reverie a second later and continued to put the potatoes that had fallen out of the container into the container. Izzy Hands passed shortly after with his characteristic smug gait, stopped at the door of the warehouse, seeing Pete picking up the potatoes, gave a quick look in the warehouse without saying anything and continued on his way satisfied to find at least someone doing his job. 

— It's gone, I think — said Wee John, also coming out of his own hiding place, drinking animatedly from his bottle. 

Lucius peeked out just a little bit still with the sail cloth over his head, staring at the door, still skeptical, wary of revealing himself so soon and listening for any noise that suggested Izzy had decided to retrace her steps to search better or just to annoy Pete, whom his eyes had decided to search for three seconds later and who absentmindedly continued with the work he had set himself, unnecessarily searching for each loose or lost tuber to put it in the container with the others. Lucius looked at him still hidden behind the barrels, he got up slowly still with the uncooked candle on his head, absorbed in Pete's movements, observing every last detail, and without realizing it he had completely forgotten about Izzy. 

After throwing the last potato into the container, Pete wiped his hands on his vest insistently, his gaze traveled from the floor to the shelves, returned to his hands, from there to the corridor, to the barrels on the far side of the warehouse, to the shelves again, he looked at Wee John, and his hands again, resisting looking at Lucius, but unable to leave. 

— Hey Pete — he called, but Pete didn't look up, not right away at least, he lingered as long as he could before focusing on him and the way he was casually resting his elbows on the barrels, his shoulders forward, his head tilted a little while one of her hands played with the fabric adornment he always wore around his neck, his gaze and his smile were openly flirtatious. He swallowed hard, wringing his hands in disbelief what was happening in front of him, Lucius Spriggs was flirting with him or maybe just playing, he wasn't sure, but he felt dizzy, terribly insecure. He looked back down at his hands that had started to sweat, rubbed them again on his vest and remembered the card game the boys were having on the deck. 

— Did you hear that? — Pete asked to no one in specific, Lucius denied stretching his lips a little in a mischievous way. — I think, um, they are looking for me… the boys 

— I didn't hear a thing — he said, stretching his arms up to rest on his hands in a way that Pete could only describe as seductive. 

— There is! You see, I think, they really need me, so, I... 

And dragged by his own lie, he left the warehouse with a burning face and a hurried step that a little further on became a race to get away as soon as possible. Lucios followed him with his eyes all the way to the exit and approached the corridor, hugging the door frame to watch him flee. Holding the threshold he gave an exaggerated laugh back and continued laughing until he reached Wee John's side, sitting like him on the rice barrels. 

— That was so… interesting—he said unable to erase that huge smile from his face, he was ecstatic, happy, his whole body felt electric from this new sensation. 

— What thing? — he asked before undoing his words in a silent burp. Apparently he had managed to get drunk too quickly to notice what had happened in front of his 

— I think I have an admirer — he said biting her lip with emotion and a little dance of his shoulders.  

Wee John raised his eyebrows with interest and adjusted himself by turning his body to listen to the boy face to face. Lucius crossed his legs, leaned back and blinked at him with a smile that suggested gossip. For a long time they drank more rum as they talked about each other, their tastes, their feelings, what they thought of the rest of the crew sexually, how sexy Jim seemed to them before they knew he was a girl and how that impression hadn't changed much; but mostly they talked about Pete. Wee John did not hide his general impression, he considered him a fool, but a good-hearted and useful fool, that was a good start for Lucius who asked many more questions about him, and during all that time, although the conversation will deviate, from somehow they ended up talking about him over and over again. Even when the captain called him to make some notes and passed Izzy on the way, he kept thinking about Pete, his nervous hands, his charming babble, the way his kind eyes were, his crooked smile, and that offer of murder that stole his heart.