Sea Bound

Pleasure Paid in Full

[Seventeen Years Ago.]

The boy lowered his head as the men around him muttered and chattered amongst themselves. He felt the hand around his arm tighten as something caught his eye. He looked up, finally taking in the scene around him. 

They were on some kind of ship, full of ragged, dirty strangers. The boy felt tears welling in his eyes for the hundredth time since he was dragged from his bed and passed from pillar to post.

“He’s small. Nine, you said he was?”

The man standing in front of him is tall, wearing a bright red shirt and a grand hat. His eyes widened as he realised who he was standing in front of him. Pirates. 

“Nine or ten, yeah.”

His captor shook his arm before shoving him forward. The boy yelped and stumbled, holding out his arms to catch himself as he fell. But the pirate man grabbed him by the collar and hauled him roughly to his feet. 

The boy whimpered, his lower lip trembling in fear. 

The pirate man smelled like smoke and stale drink. The boy had smelled it enough on the breath of Miss Green back in the orphanage. 

“We’ll take him, but you didn’t tell me how small he was. I’ll give you one gold piece.”

“He’s worth five, at least!” raged his captor, but the pirate man only chucked the boy behind him. The boy was caught by someone, but he was too terrified to open his eyes. 

“He won’t last one winter, the size he is. I’m not wasting five coins on that little runt,” argued the pirate man. 

“Hey,” whispered a small voice above him. The boy slowly opened his eyes and looked up into the smiling face of another boy. He was older, but not by much, and he had a playful smile. The boy found himself smiling weakly back. 

“I’m Julian,” said the older boy, helping him onto his feet. “What’s your name?”

“Hamish.”

Julian smiled brightly at him, offering a hand. 

“Nice to meet you. Welcome to the crew. You’re a pirate now, you know.”

“Am I?” said Hamish, a little wonder creeping into his voice. Julian nodded his head fiercely. 

“Yep. And I’ll show you how to be the best pirate ever.”

Hamish smiled. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. Julian seemed happy. It must be good to be a pirate.

I take a long breath. 

Sometimes I wish I could go back to that moment, when I first met Julian. I wish I never had that little flicker of hope, born from the young boy’s smile. If only I knew then what I know now. 

Julian’s eyes furrow as he watches me. He tilts my head before he speaks softly. 

“Mish? Everything alright?”

I smile faintly, swallowing down my own self-pity. It’ll do no good living in the past and wishing it was different. It is what it is. I did what I did. 

“You were going to tell me what you wanted to do…?”

His smile flashes even though worry is still clear in his eyes. I roll my eyes before grabbing the front of his shirt and yanking him against me. His scent envelops me, wraps me in a blanket of familiarity, and the illusion of safety that comes with it. 

Julian relaxes into my embrace, his mouth working over my collarbone and up the side of my neck. I sigh, letting my head loll back to give him access. 

“You owe me two gold coins, you know.”

Julian chuckles, the sound sending shivers down my spine. 

“Do I now?”

I smirk. 

“Yep. I paid that lad for the night.”

Julian pulls back, flashing me a wicked grin. 

“Shame. Guess you’ll have to have me instead.”

I let out a long-suffering sigh. 

“I suppose you’ll do.”

Julian scoffs before he grabs me tight, pressing me against the desk. I smile until his lips claim mine again. The kiss is languid and lazy, our tongues mingling as we reacquaint ourselves. 

I could sit and kiss him for hours. 

But there’s a hunger edging into our kiss, one that pulls on me and draws me in. I wrap my arms around his neck and he picks me up effortlessly. He’s not the biggest built man I’ve ever met, but he’s got some strength. 

He slides me onto the desk and for some strange reason, I’m reminded of another man who had recently done the same thing.

I frown, pushing the Imperial captain to the back of my mind. No sense thinking of a different f**k while I’m getting a new one. 

Julian’s hands roam over my bare chest, still on show from when the lad in the brothel popped the buttons. I arch into his touch, his roughened hands exquisite against my heated skin. His lips are dancing over my neck, moving expertly, like he’s done this a thousand times. 

Well, maybe not quite a thousand, but enough. 

He sucks on my pulse point and I moan, my hands flying up to his back. I grab two fistfuls of his shirt as he leans down, forcing my legs apart at the knees. 

I’m already hard from his mouth alone, and I buck my hips impatiently. 

He leans back, smirking at me. 

“I think you owe me something, don’t you?”

I frown, confused. He chuckles before he leans back, pulling me with him. I let him move me, or essentially I let him force me off the desk. He scoots himself around until he’s sitting on the desk in front of me. 

My eyes widen as I realise what he wants. 

“Oh - I owe you, do I?”

Julian shrugged, lifting his hands up. 

“Well you did rob me, and just before that you left me with blue balls because you came first. So yeah, I reckon you do.”

I put my hands on my hips, but he does have a point. 

Deciding that Jules did deserve some pampering, I shove his legs open and stand between them. Making sure his hands are firmly on the desk, I decide that I’m going to have him an absolute babbling mess. 

My hands move over his vest, pulling at the buckles before I shove it off his shoulders. 

“You know, I charged seven gold coins for this service.”

Julian hisses.

“You’re quite expensive.”

I chuckle, grabbing his shirt in both hands before I yank hard enough for the material to rip and the shirt to burst open. I hum in the back of my throat as his skin is revealed, and dear Lord it’s beautiful. 

Even more toned than before, his muscles are rippling under his skin. There’s new scars, and one long gash over his stomach that’s still raw. I trace my fingers around it gently, annoyed that he had been so careless. 

“Aren’t I worth it?” I whisper distractedly.

I look at him from under my lashes to see his features soften. His hand reaches up and cups my cheek. His lips purse and I know there’s things he wants to say. But I can’t hear them right now. I just… can’t. 

So I start on his belt, undoing the buckle before I yank it hard. It slides out from the hoops effortlessly, and I drop it on the floor. My deft fingers work the buttons on his breeches. 

He sucks in a sharp breath as I free his hard c**k from his pants. My mouth waters at the sight of it, and now all I can think of is tasting him. 

Julian’s breath is ragged as I take him in hand, stroking the length of him and admiring his endowment. He isn’t the biggest I’ve ever seen, but he definitely knows how to use it. 

I lean down and let my tongue flicker over the tip, tasting the salty tang of his pre-come. He hisses, his hands embedding themselves into my hair. I falter and he gasps, immediately letting go. I don’t look at him, because he hadn’t meant it. I’m not sure how I feel about the fact that he remembers my particular quirk. 

My tongue traces over the tip again, moving down to dip around the edges of the head, before coming back up again and running through the slit. 

Julian gasps, his hands digging into the desk. I smirk, before getting to my knees so that I’m more supported. He moans and I glance up. He’s looking at me like I’m something wonderful and I quickly look away. 

Holding the base of his c**k with my hand, I start a lazy rhythm with my tongue. I trace his entire length, using the tip of my tongue and then the flat. I coat him with spit until it’s pooling in my palm, before using it to stroke him. His head is falling back and he’s making tiny little whimpering sounds. It’s f*****g adorable. 

Finally I give him what he wants, taking his c**k into my mouth and clamping my lips around him. I see his hands lift, ball into fists, before they slam back down. 

It must have been a while since he’s had good head. 

I let my mouth move down his c**k, until my lips bump my hand. He shudders against me and if I could, I would laugh. He’s always been an expressive lover. 

I start another rhythm with my mouth, letting my head bob up and down. With my mouth doing the work, I use my spit-soaked hand to cup his balls, tugging at them teasingly. He chokes out a noise and I know I’ve got him. 

Finally, I suck. My cheeks hollow as I create pressure with my mouth. 

Julian gasps, arching his back. I continue to suck my way down, letting my breath out through my nose before I push him past the threshold of my throat. He slips inside and I fight to control my gag reflex.

He makes a strangled sound, his body jerking. 

“Mish! I’m close, don’t stop!”

I oblige, moving my head up and down, gaining speed. The sounds he’s making, the tensing of his body… its beautiful, and it’s making my own c**k ache. 

But I focus on Julian. 

He gasps, his hands grabbing onto my shoulders as he lets out one more gasping moan, and then he’s spilling into my mouth. 

I go still, letting him pump again and again, flooding my tongue with the sharp tang of his release. Finally, he slumps backwards, his chest heaving up and down. 

I suck every last bit from his c**k before I let him go. I get to my feet and move to the window, spitting as gracefully as I can master. I feel like it fails, but Julian is too busy in his afterglow. I wipe the corners of my mouth with my sleeve as I move back around to him. 

He smiles languidly, reaching out and pulling me flush against him. He sighs as he brushes a few strands of hair from my eyes before luring me in for a kiss. 

I smirk against his lips, letting my tongue brush against his and putting the remnants of his release into his own mouth. I hear him scoff before he chuckles, forcing his tongue into my mouth harder. 

I snuffle out a giggle, but he doesn’t let me go. Instead he winds his hands around my back, slipping them under my shirt and onto the skin. 

I jerk a little at the feel of his hands on my bare skin. I know he’s feeling the rise and bumps of my scars, but he’s seen them before. It’s still sensitive though, and leaves me feeling a little vulnerable. He seems to notice the shift, and moves his hands downwards. I moan lightly as he works on my belt and breeches. 

“Poor little Misha. Can’t leave you all unfinished now, can we?”

I run my tongue over his lower lip as he works my breeches down. I hiss as they fall to the floor, and I’m left exposed. 

His hand is quick to grab my c**k, squeezing a little before he strokes me. I kiss him harder, forcing his mouth to follow mine. He moves his hand expertly, twisting the wrist a little as he gets to the tip. I moan into his mouth and I feel him smile against my lips. 

Suddenly his hand is gone and so are his lips. I lean forward, searching for the warmth, but I’m stopped as something yanks me off my feet. 

I yelp a little before I feel the desk bumping against my knees. Julian pulls me onto the desk and I feel it wobble dangerously. It’s not as strong as the last desk I had s*x on.

Julian shifts the two of us until he’s lying on his back and I’m straddling him. 

I frown at him before he gives me a bright, cheeky grin. Then he’s putting two fingers against my lips and I blink before I realise what he wants. His other hand strokes my c**k idly. I fill my mouth with saliva before I take his two fingers into my mouth. I suck them whilst running my tongue over them, coating them in my spit. 

He hums as my tongue makes random patterns. Finally he pulls his hand away, and uses his hips to push me up and onto my knees. 

I brace my hands on his chest, my breath trembling as I feel the slick fingers pressing against my arse. I bite on my lower lip as he circles my entrance, knowing just what to do to have me a quivering mess. 

He teases me for another few moments, before he presses one finger inside me. 

My muscles tense and I suck in a ragged breath, but my eyes flutter closed and I urge my body to relax. He pushes his finger into me slowly, pressing past the tightening muscles until they relax around him. 

It’s nothing compared to a c**k, so it’s only seconds before my body gives and accepts the intrusion. I let my eyes flutter open to see him watching me intensely. The hand wrapped around my d**k has stilled, so I roll my hips to remind him that he’s supposed to be pleasuring me. 

He gives me a smirk before the hand starts to stroke me again, and I let out a long moan as his finger starts to move in tandem. 

Julian works me experly, until I’m panting. That’s when he slips in another finger, and my mouth hangs open. I rock myself against his chest, forcing his fingers deeper. 

“Faster.”

He obliges. 

The fingers inside me press further as the hand holding me strokes down. He gets the rhythm in no time, and I’m feeling pleasure from both ends. His hand strokes me faster, his grip tightening. I’m making little mewling sounds now, but he’s working me to the edge. 

Then he crooks the fingers inside, pressing down hard on that wonderful spot, and my orgasm hits me like a f*****g cannon blast. 

I cry out, my hips jerking forward as I come hard onto his stomach. His hand keeps stroking me despite the mess, milking every last drop from me.

Finally, I’m spent, and I collapse against his body. 

I lie there, breathing heavily, until I feel his big arms wrap themselves around me. 

I love moments like this. Spent, exhausted, and feeling particularly affectionate. He nuzzles into my hair and I smile faintly. My eyes are already drooping, and I’m sure he can feel my body relaxing against his. 

I must be half-asleep by the time he moves. But it’s careful, and I only stir a little as he hoists me into his arms. He sets me down on something fluffy and warm. I reach out, because his body isn’t next to me any more. But it’s only a moment until he’s back. 

I sigh happily as his bare body leans against mine, his skin burning against my own. Our limbs entwine and sleep comes to me easily in the strength of his embrace. 

---

The first thing I notice as I wake is the soft breath tickling my face. I don’t dare move until I understand the who and what. 

But his scent fills my senses and I immediately relax against him. I lift my head slightly to see his gorgeous face in front of me. We are wrapped around each other, my leg tucked between his. His arm is under my neck and mine is thrown over his side. The only way we could be closer is if he was inside me.

Lying like this brings back a flood of memories, all eerily similar to this moment. My eyes search his face, following every curve of his features. Sometimes I miss this. I miss lying in his arms. And the more it happens, the harder it is to leave. 

But I can’t stay. He’s still a Morgan, despite what I feel for him. We have history, and we basically grew up together. But he’s got his father’s eyes, and sometimes I can’t look at them. 

My heart is filling with regret as I slowly untangle myself from him. I’m rolling off the cot before his eyes flutter open and he looks around blearily. 

I turn my back to him, searching around the cabin for my clothes as I hear him groan and stretch. I can’t look at him, because I know what he’s going to say. It’s what he says every time. Every morning that I wake in his arms. 

“Stay.”

It doesn’t matter how much I mentally prepare myself, his words are still blades twisting in my gut. 

But I don’t turn to him, instead I busy myself with pulling on my breeches. 

“I can’t.”

“Yes you can. Stay with me. Come be my First Mate. We can rob and raid and take over the seas. Fight against the world, together.”

My heart constricts and my movements are a little jerky, but I continue to pull on my boots and shove my arms into my shirt. It’s easier not to see his face. I can’t handle the sincerity in his eyes. 

But suddenly he’s in front of me, all mussed and sleepy. His eyes are shining, bright and beautiful like a stormy sea. He grabs my biceps and forces me to keep our eyes locked. 

“Why? Why won’t you stay with me?”

His voice is desperate and I fight the urge to shake him off.

“You know why.” My voice is empty, emotionless.

His eyes search mine before his expression darkens. 

“I told you, he’s let it go,” says Julian, but his tone is edged with the bluff.

I let out a bark of bitter laughter. 

“No he hasn’t.”

Julian scowls as I call out his lie. He purses his lips, the hands on my arms tightening. It seems to be getting worse every time I leave. And even though my heart aches, he knows I can’t stay. 

His brows furrow as he speaks. “I can talk sense into him. He won’t come after you.”

I scoff. “Yes. Yes he will. You really think he’ll let me go? Let me sail under his banner? Don’t be so f*****g naive, Jules.”

Julian’s face contorts before he lets me go with a little shrug. I keep my face stoic as I reach down and grab my long coat and pull it on like armour. 

“Then why do you keep doing this to me?”

His voice is soft, betrayed and my eyes widen in surprise before they narrow. 

“Don’t you dare blame me for this! You’re the one that came looking for me. You kidnapped me and brought me here.”

Julian throws his arms in the air before he turns, clearly sulking. I feel my heart hanging heavy in my chest. I pick up my belt and my gear before I turn to leave. 

“Don’t forget this. You earned it.”

I turn, watching as Julian throws a small coinpurse on the floor by my feet. I hear the c***k of the money inside. I feel the force of it  right in my gut, and the pain knocks the wind out of me. 

The hurt must be evident on my face because Julian’s petulant pout drops, and his eyes widen. But I don’t speak. I clench my jaw before I turn and storm from the cabin. 

The crew watch me as I leave the ship. No one dares to try and stop me, and for that I’m glad. Anger and pain are ebbing from my chest and about me, covering me like a mist. One word from them and I’ll blow someone’s f*****g head off. 

I keep walking until I’m lost, swallowed whole by the chaos of the town.

I stop only when my throat is aching, when I can’t inhale without it burning. I turn into a small alley, glad of the shadows the buildings cast. I brace my hands on the wall and lean down, fighting the anger and the pain. My heart hurts. My head pounds. 

I never thought… I know he can be cruel. I’ve seen it. He’s a pirate, after all. But it’s never been aimed at me like that. He’s never been so cruel to me. 

Taking deep breaths through my trembling lips and breathing out through my nose, I battle with my emotions. 

Well. That’s the last time I ever f**k him. Hopefully the last time I ever see him. 

It’s not the first time I’ve ever thought that. But it’s the first time I’ve meant it. 

---

Julian

His body fits mine perfectly. I’ve always known it. And when he sleeps, he looks so young. There’s no haunting memories or fiery determination in his brows. His features are soft and pliant, so lovely in the gentle moonlight. 

I could sit here and watch him for hours. Sometimes I have. 

I see the young boy, bought by my father and shoved mercilessly into our world. I see his eyes as they’re filled with wonder. That’s until he learns the reality of living aboard a pirate vessel. With evil men and back-breaking work. 

I know what he’s been through. I’ve seen it. I may not have had it as bad, being the captain’s son. But I wasn’t always protected from their wrath. And on those days, despite him being battered and broken, he would sit with me in my cot. He would put my head on his lap, gently wiping the weeping lashes on my back. 

It’s like he always thought he could take it, whereas I couldn't. I suppose he was right. 

All I’ve ever wanted to do is protect him. I wanted to take him away so badly, away from the dirty stinking bastards that put their hands on him. I wanted to find us a house, where no one would bother us. We could grow our own crops, and fish for our own food. It would be quite, serene. Just me and him. 

But the world is rarely that kind. He took justice into his own hands, and I couldn't do anything to protect him. And it had been my fault. 

I was the one who begged him to stay with me, just for an hour. I was the one that engulfed him and held him in my embrace until he fell asleep. I was the one that screamed when he was ripped from my arms. 

I was the one that cried and begged my father to take me instead. 

I was the one who was laughed at, who was forced to take the whip from my father’s hands. I was the one who lashed him, because if I didn’t, they would kill him. 

Because men under my father’s command didn’t feel love. They weren’t allowed it. A pirate should be out for only himself. Anyone else is a dead weight. 

It was all my fault. It is my fault, and I can never make it up to him. 

Even as he leaves, I see it in his eyes. The betrayal. I know I’ve f****d up, because I’m so f*****g selfish. 

I sigh, sinking further into my chair so that I can reach the bottom of the bottle faster.

Sometimes, my father’s lesson seems so right. Better to never love or care, than to have that feeling walk away.