Private Tales No Jackets

[Lucius]

Lucius stood there quietly for a moment. "I'm not...I won't."

He frowned for a moment.

"I love you, Peyt." Perhaps that was what she needed to hear at that moment. He did not want to make her think this was the end, did not want her to think that somehow this was going to mean he would walk away.

Slowly the Captain turned around. His expression was still grim, but he was breathing a bit more calmly than he had before.

"I'll get over it." Lucius said quietly. "But you can't..."

His jaw tightened. "You can't do it again."

Ever.

 

[Peyton]

She did need to hear it. She'd never seen him so angry before, she'd never hurt him and she never wanted to do it again. "I won't.. I won't do anything like that again I swear it. If I could take it back I would, i'd rather throw them to the ocean than suffer another minute of this.." she sobbed quietly, pulling her knees up to wrap her arms around those just to give her something else to hold.

She felt awful. Physically and emotionally. Replaying the scene in her mind and clenching her jaw so hard that it ached.. how much worse it could have been, and how selfish she felt made her want to throw up.

"I'm sorry..." she added quietly and rested her forehead on her knees.

 

[Lucius]

Lucius took a breath. Forgiveness was hard, being the bigger person was hard, but she had managed it. Why wouldn't he?

Another breath filled his lungs, and then slowly he walked back towards the tub. Without a word he knelt besides his, his hand reaching out to softly stroke through her hair. He let his breath fall, eyes close as he tilted his head to lean against hers.

"I know." He could practically feel the regret in the air.

Lucius did not want to be angry with her, never wanted to be, but...it couldn't have been helped this time. Well, it could in a way but...lips thinned. No he would not dwell.

"All that matters is you're okay." Lucius said softly, kissing her cheek. "That's all i care about."

 

[Peyton]

She pulled in a shuddered breath as she felt his hand stroke through her hair, letting it out in a deep sigh. Her cheeks were soaked with tears as she looked up, and her arms opened to wrap around his neck and she held him to her, pressing her lips firmly to his cheek as she whispered another soft apology by his ear.

“I’m alright..” she assured with a sigh as she tried to calm herself and stop her tears.

 

[Lucius]

He knew that she was, this time.

In the back of his head he knew that she had not meant to hurt him, knew that she had just wanted the last piece of her father back. Yet the feeling of betrayal was still there. He knew it must have been how she'd felt, and thus he pushed it down.

"I know." He said softly, running his hand through her hair as he felt her wet arms soak a little bit of his clothes. A breath filled his lungs, and he tried not to think of just what might have happened to her.

"Wash up." Lucius told her softly. "Doctor said you need rest."

He offered her a small smile.

 

[Peyton]

She wasn’t quite ready to let go of him, but she left another soft kiss on his cheek and let herself sink back into the water to wash the tears from her face. “Alright..”

Peyton washed her skin and hair of blood without another word, by the time she was done the water was a deeper shade of pink, and she wrapped a fresh towel around her quickly as she stood, covering her bruised skin and stepping out of the bath to dry off.

Her eyes were heavy and she felt weak, both physically and emotionally, she wanted nothing more than to curl up beside him and for him to soothe her, but she wouldn’t push her luck. He had right to be angry, she’d give him the time and space he needed to get passed it. There was still the matter of the crew, she felt guilty that they’d been subject to their Captain’s wrath because of her... perhaps she’d broach that issue a little later..

 

[Lucius]

His hand reached for the small of her back, softly pressing and urging her towards the bed. "Lay down."

Lucius said softly.

The wound on her neck was a nasty one, and the next day they were due to meet their former first mate. As she walked across the cabin, Peyton would perhaps notice that even with the storm outside the ship was still not moving, a fact that Lucius himself had not yet noticed.

"Get some rest." Lucius told her as they reached the bed, his hand softly guiding her to sit down. "I'll be right here."

The Captain promised quietly.

 

[Peyton]

Peyton crawled into bed and curled herself up into a tight ball of insecurity. "Lay with me please, Luc.." she asked with a gentle frown, and tried once again to reach her hand out toward him.

She hadn't noticed the ship wasn't moving, but as thunder rolled she frowned, the movement of the ship was always more obvious when she was laying in bed, but she felt nothing.. "Why aren't we moving?..." she asked in a whisper.

 

[Lucius]

Lucius laid himself down besides Peyton, deciding that the small smolders of anger weren't worth the hurt that they would have caused her.

He knew that those embers would simmer eventually, in fact he could already feel them quench as he put his head down onto the pillow. His eyes settled on her, hand reaching out to gently come to a rest on her hip with a soft touch. "Huh?"

The Captain asked with furrowed brow.

It was only then that he himself noticed the ship being still, something dawning on his impression.

"Oh." He said softly, his eyes closing as he reached out and...there it was. Another consciousness lurking, another mind brushing against his. Lucius hesitated a moment, paused, and then reached out with a small thank you. It seemed to echo for a moment, and then the ship seemed to fall back into the sea. "Still learning."

Lucius said quietly.

 

[Peyton]

Peyton gripped hold of his arm as she felt the ship start fall back into motion, a wary look in her eyes as she stared at him with concern.. “You had something hold the ship still?...” she asked with a furrowed brow after he spoke. A good way to change the subject, she hoped.

She pulled herself as close against him as she could and buried her face into the crook of his neck as her arm wrapped around his waist, desperate for his forgiveness and comfort.

 

[Lucius]

"I think so." Lucius said quietly as he drew her in close to himself.

His chest slowly rose and fell.

He did his best to let go of the anger that had settled in his chest, knowing that it would do neither of them any good for him to dwell upon it. Fingers slowly drifted over her skin, ensuring they did not touch her wounds before he leaned down and softly kissed the top of her head.

A breath filled his lungs, and then gently she would feel a nudge. The press of his hand would send her sprawling onto her back. Before she could object, Peyton would be silenced by the soft touch of his lips against hers.

 

[Peyton]

Peyton hadn't expected the sudden shift in his mood, though whether or not he was still angry she wasn't sure. She had no wish to protest, and gladly returned the kiss that made her body tremble and her breathing pitch. Pain and fatigue were forgotten entirely as she wrapped her limbs around him with a soft groan against his lips.

She felt as though she might cry with happiness with the welcome contrast, his words of anger and disappointment still playing on her mind, words she never wanted to hear again. He was still hers, and she wanted him to claim her all over again and be assured of it.

 

[Lucius]

Lucius breathed softly as he pulled away from her lips.

In a strange way he knew that the anger was not worth hanging on to. She had made a mistake, she had seized an opportunity, and he had done far worse than her just a few days before. They were two people of passions.

Could he really blame her for that?

His lips grazed softly against hers for just a brief moment, then passed over her cheek, then the line of her jaw, then slowly lower and lower.

They avoided the wound of course, but in slow, planned motions Lucius softly pressed kisses against Peyton's skin.

 

[Peyton]

Peyton couldn't help but grin against his lips, and she bit down on her lower lip as his kisses sailed over her skin. A deep sigh escaped her and her eyes closed as she relaxed, and her fingers ran into his hair..

"I don't deserve you..." she rumbled softly and looked down at him, grateful that he seemed to have accepted her apologies, at least for now.. Her fingers curled into the sheets beneath her as she focused her mind on every kiss, her muscles quivering under his lips as her body rippled in reaction.

 

[Lucius]

Lucius was slow, methodical, loving. It was an odd sort of release, one that he realized that he'd needed just as much as she.

He loved her with every fiber of his being. Every bit of his heart, every little last string that he could clutch. Lucius' anger faded as his lips passed over her body, singing softly into the abyss as it all drifted away and was forgotten.

She had made a mistake, but mistakes could be forgiven. "I love you."

Lucius said as his lips pressed against her thigh.

They were partners, were they not? Sworn to stand by one anothers sides, even through all the dumb decisions either of them could make. That had to be enough, that trust had to mean something in the very end of things.

It did for him.

 

[Peyton]

Those were words that she had to hear, she never doubted that he did, but they soothed her. All of her worries, fears, regrets, pain were washed away with every kiss..

"I love you." she answered, and bit gently on her lip in anticipation as she watched him as he demonstrated just how much he'd forgiven her.

He had her breathless and glistening with sweat despite the lack of exertion, and after some time she unhinged her teeth from the back of the wrist she'd used to muffle the sounds of her enjoyment, sparing the crew and herself the awkwardness.

She panted in a few deep breaths of air and her grin grew as she laughed, running her fingers into her own hair and clutching at it with a huff.. "Damn."

 

[Lucius]

Lucius pressed a few more soft kisses against Peyton's skin before flopping himself into the soft mattress besides her.

His arm slowly looped around her stomach, head spinning slightly as he took in a deep breath and softly pulled her into his embrace. Fingers slowly played over her skin, drawing small circles as he let his mind wander for a few moments. "Probably not what the doctor meant by 'rest'."

Lucius commented quietly.

He had been careful not to let her strain any of her wounds, but when caught within the tides of passion it was difficult to tell what was going on at all times. At least for him. Fingers slowly drifted over her in a soft touch.

The anger he had felt earlier was almost completely Forgotten, having long since drifted away in a hazy cloud of passion and love. Peyton had made a mistake, and Lucius had chosen to forgive it.

As long as it didn't happened again. Though he was willing to bed she'd say the same for him.

 

[Peyton]

Peyton gave a husky laugh under her breath.. "Definitely not.. But I feel relaxed, so let him try and tell me it was wrong.." she whispered against his skin as she curled against him, letting her lips explore his chest, shoulder and neck one slow kiss at a time.

The gentle rocking and creaking of the ship, the heat of his skin, the smell of lavender that stuck to her skin and the dim glow of candlelight all served to soothe her, and she sighed softly as she nuzzled at the crook of his neck and closed her eyes with a small smile..

"I have work to do.." she grumbled.

 

[Lucius]

Lucous let out a quiet grunt.

"Well it will have to wait until tomorrow." His arm was still laced around her, and if she tried to slip away she would find that Lucius' arms weren't just there to keep her comfortable and cozy.

His touch wasn't quite pinning, but it would ensure that she couldn't escape to run off and hurt herself yet again.

"Rest means laying down." Lucius told her firmly. "Not hunching over a desk staring at maps."

Peyton would feel herself slowly dragged back against him, the heat of his skin brushing hers. "Listen to your Captain."

Lucius told her firmly.

 

[Peyton]

Her lips curled into a grin and she gave no protest to staying in bed what-so-ever.. "As you command." she sighed.

"But only if you stay here with me.." she smiled as she was pulled back against him.. Her voice felt broken, a husky whisper that she wasn't sure would ever properly heal, but she was grateful to Mitch for her being able to use it at all..

"Seems you're going to have to do all of the shouting from now on.." she murmured with a husky laugh, but her smile faded quickly as she ran her fingertips over her throat, thinking of how much of a damned idiot she was.

"Oh I bought some sweet breads.. And some new clothes for you.. No jackets though.." she added quickly with a smirk and pressed her lips to his cheek.

 

[Lucius]

"From the way some of them looked at me..." Lucius could flash back now to that moment, seeing their faces as his rage had passed over them.

A part of him felt bad, but he knew apologizing wasn't going to be an option. They were close, near a family, but at the end of the day he was still a Pirate. He would not say sorry...at least not in words, but he would make it up to them.

"Don't think I'll have to ever yell." Lucius commented quietly, before following up. "I'll do something nice for them."

He knew Peyton would want him to. "We'll order them some food from the Oceans Delight."

It was one of the finest eating establishments on Teth.

"That'll settle them." They had the gold after all.

 

[Peyton]

Peyton chewed gently on her lip. She'd heard his anger, seen it and felt it herself, but he'd been far more gentle with her than she imagined he would have been with the rest of the crew and she could only imagine how they'd felt. She supposed it was important for them to know that his wrath shouldn't be tested, it was best to get that out of the way before they'd set sail, they already knew he was a formidable warrior and a fair man, now they knew he was the full package.

She smiled at his suggestion and pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth in approval.. "That would be nice.. I have some apologies to make of my own.." she sighed, if he felt bad, she felt much worse for landing them in the trouble in the first place.. At least, it seemed, that Luc had quickly forgiven them, but she was sure he wouldn't forget.

 

[Lucius]

He nodded his head. "You do."

Lucius loved her, he had forgiven her, but he also wouldn't sugar coat things for her. That was part of this, part of being together. They had to remind each other of the easy things, but also of those that were harder. He knew she would understand that.

"But." Lucius nuzzles his nose against her skin. "I think you're easier to forgive than I am."

She had the prettier face, after all. "I wouldn't worry about it."

The Captain slowly laid himself down with his back against the bed, keeping one arm wrapped around Peyton as he let out a loud contented sigh.

 

[Peyton]

Peyton laughed under her breath at his answer and nodded.. "I think I am.. I'll just buy them a nice jacket.." she smirked, and nuzzled into him with a yawn and a grimace at the pain it caused. She listened to the rolling thunder outside, and as the wind picked up the cold rain lashed against the windows..

Her arm curled around him and squeezed possessively as her eyes closed and she managed a soft "I love you.." in a dying whisper as sleep claimed her and would hold her down until late the following morning.

 

[Lucius]

The three whispered words were returned as Lucius himself passed out.

Dawn came quickly the next day, or at the very least it felt like it came quickly. There was no sunlight though, no, the storm outside was still quietly pattering away on the deck of the ship and beyond. Dark clouds loomed above, and Lucius couldn't help but think the weather matched the days task.

His arm tightened slightly around Peyton as he stirred. Half of me doesn't want to know the truth.

Lucius thought to himself as he considered not just yesterday, but the most horrid time in both his and Peyton's life. The Captain had been...well like family to him too, and today was the day they would find out more about what had really happened.

Fingers tightened on Peyton's skin, and he drew her close.