he listened to the bizzare exchange but it made no sense, the blonde seemed to be toying with roy from his pose, all slouches and hidden springs, someone wanting to attack but biding his time. he bit back a warning as the blonde man shifted his stance and swung. noone spoke when the sword hit it's mark though several men flinched, he assumed those who responded were of his crew. roy retaliated nearly as fast but it was blocked. roy spoke 'you're a bastard' damaris desperately wanted to end this but the unnatural reaction of the men and the strange familiarity the two captains seemed to have kept him rooted. he'd have to wait it out until the end

he did not know what came over himself when he saw the man touch roy, it was a dangerous touch, one with the potential for another attack. with no eyes for anything other than the two in front of him he strode to the spot they stood and yanked on the blond man's shoulder. using his height and the blond's surprise to his advantage he pulled the man's sword free from it's sheath. as the other hit the deck, he stabbed the deck with a resounding thunk. he did not know how apt a fighter this blond man was but he did not much care, let the brute try, he had never lost a fight before and now with a reason to fight he was certain his luck would hold. he stared angrily down at the other and dared him to try anything

his stomach dropped out at the words. he looked away ashamed, he did not mean to interfere. he handed back the weapon and took a step towards roy. he refused to look at either man

roy pushed past him and went downstairs.he looked at the other then, his side was wetting from the blood, there was not much but there was enough, he knew how to dress wounds as well as anyone though so he followed several steps behind, he could not help himself in this any more than he could before. if he had a moment to think on it he prolly would find several inconsistencies within himself since the tall pirate captain had woken him just a few days ago. instead he thought nothing and followed

he held up the bag he grabbed from their room as he passed. it had witch hazel and rolls of bandage fabric. saying nothing and still looking away he hurried to the other and pulled him to a nearby chair. he looked for water and rags and set them down on the floor in front of roy. he pulled out the leather bag holding his witch hazel compress and opened it, crouching he then pulled a roll out and ripping two strips, on long and one short. taking up the short he scooped the chunky poultice from the casing and wrapped it in the short bandage, setting it down to soak through he put a rag into the water and pulled roy's shirt lightly to get the fabric off of the wound with his other hand he nimbly undid the lacings and half pulled the shirt off the other. he stopped momentarily noting that that the wound looked to be closing on it's own, as if it was already several days healed, he nodded away the thought and taking the now wet rag he began to wipe away the blood, he ignored the other's squirming and when it was clean he picked up the compress. firmly he pressed the herbs against the wound eliciting a his from the other. he paid that no mind either, no man could do it more gently and still have it heal right. with his other hand he found roys and let it to the compress, softly he held it over his and put them together, then pressing down slid his out making sure the compress was not shifted. when he was satisfied the other would not pull it back off he picked up the long strip and leaned into the man's lap to pull it around his waist he wrapped it twice before taking one end into his mouth, he slid his hand over the compress pushing the captain's away in the process and then with no warning slipped his hand free and pulled with his mouth and other hand, the wrap tightened around roy's torso and in effect the wound. to his credit nothing more than a grunt passed his lips, damaris was somewhat proud of that, most usually cursed or flinched but this man was stronger than that. he finished up with one more wrap around the waist and a knot to tie it. still between the captain's knees he looked up triumphantly. noone save his aunt could do a better job and even she not nearly so fast.

he said nothing, but for once he did not have to, he knew, though he did not know how, what he was expected to do, he took his hands and put them to the face of the man above him, and led him back down, his heart skipped as he did so and he felt faint but he did nothing more close his eyes. he turned away as if denying the other a kiss though that is what he knew he was going to receive, unknown to the other he began to shed tears though he himself knew not why

'no' was all he could manage. he did not know why he was crying, but he knew it was not the other who caused it. he looked at the other, eyes clear through the shed tears. he offered a smile and though it was small it did not waver.

he shuddered at the feeling of the other man pressed against him. he knew the other was trying for a response and he knew he'd have no choice to give it if
the other did not stop soon, he tried to say the other's name but it half came out as a moan. roy leaned in for a kiss but was deterred when demaris found his voice 'no' the other man halted 'no?' he begged the other with his eyes 'please, not yet, not... that'

"it...it, is yours" he sighed as the other atop him.

a small moan rose from him and he shifted under the weight of the other. this was a sweeter hell than before he clutched at the other man's hips for nothing else was within reach of his pinned hands. he felt himself stir but he had faith the other would go back on his word. he was jarred as the other pulled too hard he bit out a small cry

he panted and avoided the other's gaze a blush darkening his face even as he was drawn pale from the other man's exertions. he wanted to say he was fine, that he was able to continue but the words froze in his throat. he felt cool where the other had left him only from the waists down were they still touching, two hips and a tangle of legs. he tried again but still no words came, he felt the other shift as if to leave him. he tightened his grip on the other and did not let go

he let go reluctantly in the face of reason. shivering at the touch he turned his head away this time. he felt the other pull away and was greeted with the cool rush of air left in his absence. he heard the other go around the bed for a replacement shirt and his boots, how the man had lost his boots was a mystery in and of itself for damaris had not noticed them come off and his own were still on his feet. he allowed himself this ramble to keep himself distracted until the other left. his neck throbbed and he was left unsated though the other had offered a release for that too. rolling over he groaned his frustration into the pillow. resigning himself to his current misery as apposed to taking after the insufferable captain he reluctantly tried for sleep

he did not know how he could have slept so deeply or so long for by the time he had woken sunset had passed and dawn had once again broken outside his window. he felt the others' tight embrace, both arms around his chest, a leg gripped over one of his own and a face buried in his neck, and the pain above his shoulder, one was comforting and right the other a strange sore reminder of his stupidity, he felt like a whore. having nearly gave it up for nothing more than a moment of recklessness. ceilia would have been furious, she knew all to well about sailors and the strange sicknesses they brought, ones that rotted your insides and left scars both seen and unseen, he was told in no small detail how it came to pass and what could happen when it was done. it was his promise to her that he'd stay away from women who kept such company keeping him though if she had known it was a sailor not a sailor's whore who nearly undid him he was sure she'd beat him and drag him home regardless of the fact that he resisted. none of this however could make the notable press of roy's body any less urgent to him. he made a move to disentangle himself but the other simply pulled him closer sliding his thigh halfway up damaris' leg. he realized belatedly the other was completely undressed and only his own thin shirt and breeches separated them. he froze and tried to gather himself unsuccessfully. he blushed hard as his body reminded him that their positions were wrong. he squirmed unintentionally at the thought causing a reaction from the other. a hand trailed from his chest to his waist stopping just inside his leggings over the jut of his hip, his breath caught. there was no safe way to escape it, he'd have to wake the other before he was backed into fishing what he had so ignorantly started the day before. '....' he tried again '....roy' a whisper, not enough '..ro-aah' the other lightly racked his fingers back up the boys side, he felt the breath of a whisper in his ear 'yes?'

he was saved an answer by the shout of men shouting above deck. calls of land sightings reached through the wood. damaris pulled himself into a sitting position and pulled the blankets around himself, roy gave a long stretch and slid to the edge of the bed languorously. he looked over at the broad back of the other, scars littered the flesh and the bandage he applied last night had come loose, the man looked over his shoulder and damaris quickly turned away.

it was a while before the other came back down but in that time damaris had gotten himself to rights and had cleaned up the cabin, all the items were in their places dusted and straightened and the bed was made. the cabin shone with the simple beauty of cleanliness. roy found damaris half under the bed with a rag trying to get the last of the dirt and dust wiped away

he jumped and smacked his head on the bottom of the bed-ropes. he pulled himself out from under the bed dirt streaking his face and his hair coming undone from it's tie, he stared wide-eyed at roy '......'

he could say nothing at the offer and blushed scarlet. even he understood what the other implied. '...i..' he lost his nerve, on the one hand he was being given a chance to remain unmolested for at least a little while but on the other as time went on, more and more, he felt a stirring in himself that only the other could touch

'...n-no' he said shyly taking his spare change of clothes with him. 'i...don't mind' he slipped by the other his customary slouch losing him a few inches. he quickly went into the room and slid the door carefully closed. he leaned against it for a few moments before looking around, a large tub, much grander than anything at the inn laid imbedded in the center of the room a pump rested at the far side of it and a hole was placed in the middle, it was an ingenious set-up, pulling seawater from the ocean then letting it back out again. he dropped his clothes and went to the pump, he gave an experimental tug but he did not have the strength to pull from it. he was once again in awe of the captain. his stomach dropped immediately after. the sheer folly of denying roy left him sick, he had known the other was dangerous but wrapped in the warm embrace of his captain's arms he had forgotten that 'safe' was something he had only by way of whim. he shuddered at the thought then discarded it thoroughly. roy had shown him nothing to cause this fear. dwelling on such thin and sickly thoughts would only feed irrationality. he began to strip, the salt water was warm and soothing. he relaxed then noticed a large mirror in the corner, he sloshed over to it in wonder, glass was hard to come by mirrors were doubly so, he peered at his reflection. '.........hells bells' he stared googled-eyed at the refraction, a trail of dark bruises littered down his neck ending in a splotch on his shoulder-joint. he put his face to the floor and shakily laughed. this was a day he'd like to start over please.

the muffled sound of the other through the door brought him back. he sobered up and finished his washing and pulled the plug. he toweled dry and left his hair down, he needed what coverage he could get. he dressed and left the bathroom. when he got out the room was empty but for a single coat on the bed. he went over to it and picked it up, it was too large but it was obviously set out for him. he slid into it and went up deck.


the cool air was a suprize, it was warmer yesterday and wetter too, he shrugged it off though, they were coming on land of course the weather would change, he held the borrowed coat closer and looked for roy

the resistance in him died before it ever made itself known. he shrugged under the weight of the coat and followed behind roy. he felt the weight of everyone looking at him as he left the ship, he shrank as much into his coat as he could his burgeoning shyness returning tenfold