A Pirate's Love

Metaphor

Elenor's POV:

I smiled and blushed at the thought of being so close to Sam as I walked out of the room. I wandered down the long hallway to reach the kitchen, only to slam into someone coming down the steps from above deck. They grabbed me by the shoulders and pulled me away slowly to face them.

"Elenor," the Captain said, my name beautifully laced on his lips. It took me by surprise. His body was soaked, head to toe, from the rain. His eyes were red and tired, his shoulders dropping and body soft, he held me for a brief moment.

"Captain Blacksmoke," I greeted, looking into his eyes, trying to read his thoughts. He let me go and took a slight step back, the warmth of his fingers still lingering on my skin. "Sam– his fever has broken," I explained as he stood there and stared at me, "he needs something to eat and drink. I was just on my way–"

"I'll send someone to tend to him," he interrupted, expressionless, seemingly emotionless. Confused, I didn't know what to say. We stood in a moment of silence.

"I was thinking– well I was hoping," I continued, "that I would be able to care for him now that he is not contagious."

"That is out of the question," he stated, in a matter of fact way, "You are soaked. Come, let's get you dry clothes," he said as he dragged me to the Captain's quarters. I laughed internally at his comment, considering he was more soaked than I was. Perfectly capable of finding clothes for myself, I was slightly frustrated that he pulled me away from caring for Sam. He pulled me to his room and shut the door behind us, not making a sound or even throwing a glance in my direction. His boots squeaked, full of water, as he walked to the side of his bed. He bent down and reached under it, pulling out a few changes of clothes and setting them on top of the bed. He suddenly peeled his wet shirt from his body and over his head, revealing his bare torso. His skin was tan and toned, still glistening wet from the storm. I could feel my cheeks flush as I turned slightly so he could have privacy. Out of peripheral vision I saw him pick up a shirt and walk towards me. I adverted my eyes to the ground until he was in front of me, catching my attention. He quickly put the shirt over his head and on his body, then met my eyes with his deep brown ones.

"Are you okay?" he asked, but I was still too distracted and embarrassed to process what he said.

"What?" I asked.

"Are you okay?" he repeated, "The storm– I was afraid you had trouble reaching your quarters."

"Oh–" I stammered, surprised he was worried, "Yes, I am alright. I did have trouble getting down, but I made it eventually. The storm– are they always that violent?" I asked, genuinely. He let out a short chuckle and walked towards the bed again.

"Believe it or not, that was a much milder storm than most we have faced." My eyes widened in fear. Surely, he was not serious. "Aye, it's true," he said, as if he read my thoughts. He gestured towards the clothes on the bed, "You may choose whichever you prefer." I walked up to the bed and chose a shirt that laced up the front and pair of trousers similar to the ones I was already wearing, to which he took up the remaining pair. I stared into his eyes until he turned away from me, instantly unbuckling his belt. I quickly turned away as well and did the same, realizing this was the only amount of privacy I was going to get. I stripped the wet pants from my legs and quickly pulled up the dry ones around my waist.

"I always heard stories of raging storms and violent waves; shipwrecks and survival," I said as I removed my sopping shirt and discarded it to the ground, hearing the Captain shuffle from behind me, "but I never knew the extremity of it until I experienced it," I finished as I put the dry shirt on, immediately feeling warmer. "And to think that they can be more powerful than the one I experienced–" I stopped, realizing there was no more shuffling coming from behind me. I turned around to see the Captain staring directly at me, his arms and ankles crossed, bare footed, as he leaned against his desk. Embarrassed, I should have stopped changing as soon as I heard him stop from behind me. "How long have you been watching?"

The Captain moved closer to me, eyes dark and lips parted, until I could feel his breath on my skin. "The sea is a dangerous thing, princess," he whispered. The way he said 'princess' was much softer than he had called me in the past, almost as a term of endearment. All I could do was stare into his eyes, my breath quickening as my heart started beating faster, not knowing his intentions. "Full of passion, yet full of beauty, there's so much to learn from it; from its fierceness and its spiritedness, to the peace and comfort it can bring," he finished, his finger lightly brushing a damp lock of hair from my face.

"You speak as though the ocean is a person," I philosophized. A small smile flickered on his lips as he looked down at mine.

"Maybe I am, in a way, speaking of a person," he said, and I felt his finger brush against mine at my side, as if asking for permission to touch me. Part of me thought he was speaking of himself, violent and passionate as the sea, yet somehow kind and comforting, there was no other person it could have been. Was it a warning? Dangerous, yes, but the sea could be kind and forgiving as well. My finger tingled from the delicate touch of his finger, sending a chill through my body.

He looked up and searched my eyes, switching his gaze from my left one to my right. "I am cold," I whispered, and he instantly pulled me towards him, one hand around my waist, and the other between my shoulder blades. I held onto his shirt at his waist and let his warm hands move across my body. His hand reached across my neck, his thumb across my jawline, tilting my head slightly upwards. He planted feathery kisses along the side of my neck, to the scratches and marks that once were, his lips soft and gentle; a form of apology. My breath hitched as warmth flooded my chest from the feeling.

"I want nothing more... than to be closer to you," he mumbled under breaths as he continued on my neck, then back up to my jawline, suddenly bringing my face centimeters from his. I moved his wet hair to behind his ear, revealing a small, gold hoop, which caused him to move his other hand lower to the small of my back, pulling me completely flush against his body. My body was on fire. I was never touched like this before. His eyes were glossy and intense, waiting for my next move. I brought my lips to his, gentle pecks slowly deepening into more. All tension that was once between us, now unfolding into passionate lust. I moved my hand to the back of his scalp, lightly gripping at his hair, parting our lips, and kissed across his cheek, to his pierced ear. He held his breath, then let out a short, quiet, breathy moan. His hands roamed my body until he grabbed the back of my knee and brought my leg up to his hip. I placed my hands around his neck and he effortlessly hoisted me up to his hips, wrapping my legs around him. His lips crashed against mine again as he brought me over to his desk and sat me down. I tugged at his shirt, wanting even the thinnest barrier separating us to be removed. He swiftly removed his shirt in one fluid motion, then slowly undid the the first few laces on the front of mine. My heart started beating faster as I watched him trail down my chest and graze my skin. I leaned my head back and closed my eyes, soaking in every touch of pleasure, making my senses melt.

"Captain," I unintentionally breathed out, my hands traveling through his hair again. He quickly met my lips and pulled me off of the desk and onto his bed, still kissing, hungrily. He leaned me back, placing his torso flat against mine, his hips making direct contact with my pelvis. He tenderly broke the kiss and pushed my hair out of my face, making my eyelids slowly open to see him looking directly into my eyes.

"You are all I have thought about, these past three days," he confessed, his thumb caressing my chin. His gaze was genuine, his deep brown eyes expressing true emotion. Lust, admiration, apprehension, curiosity, it was all there. I wrapped my leg around his and turned him so he was flat on his back. Pure shock filled his eyes as I positioned myself on top of him. I placed my hands on his chest and kissed his lips gently. I could feel his heart racing in his chest, his hands gripping my thighs. I pulled away for a moment and saw him flutter his eyelids open, his expression showing slight fear, yet utter bliss. In that moment I could see— to him, I was like the sea.