Lost in Translation

A/N: There was a recent manipulation done by someone on LJ that is exactly how I pictured Jack to look like in this with his hair cut off. It's [http://community.livejournal.com/pirategasm/2015176.html] and I think you all should take a look because it's gorgeous. :)

Part Thirteen

****
The candles and moonlight illuminated the area and the two figures near the bed. Jack let out a frail, breathy sound and opened his eyes. He rubbed his face, looked beside him, and gawked at Will suspiciously. Their fingers were still entwined, making him undo them carefully to free his hand. Will stirred and gazed up at him with a kind smile. It was unable to soothe Sparrow; his expression was as fretful and frightened as ever. The instant Will started to get up, Jack inched backward until he met the wall. The pirate drew his legs close to him and recoiled against the hard surface. Such a reaction made Will stare at him tragically. Sparrow’s once playful, charismatic eyes were now utterly lifeless and consumed with extreme despondency. The man Will had known was nowhere to be found.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” he said tenderly. “I only want to help you.”
Jack observed him blankly. “Why?” His voice was raspy and exceptionally quiet.
The simple word stabbed Will like a dagger. “You’re….I care about you. I want to help you. You must trust me.”
“Why?”
“Because if you don’t trust me, how are you ever going to get better?”
“Who said I wanted to?” Sparrow’s eyes betrayed his words. They gazed imploringly at the young man for relief. For solace. For a friend.
Will looked at the floor for a minute before speaking again. “If you don’t want to get well, I can’t force you. I won’t try to change your mind. Just let me know either way.”

Jack was flabbergasted. He could not comprehend that someone was giving him a choice, letting him decide instead of being coerced. He glanced around apprehensively as if something would come to smash his flicker of hope.

“I….” He emitted a quivering sigh, preparing himself for what he had to do. “I suppose I should thank you for rescuin’ me, eh? Repay you, as it were.”

He crept toward Will, lied on his back, and unbuttoned his breeches to lower them to his ankles. Will was quite shocked by the action and was entirely speechless as he looked at Jack confoundedly.

“Wh-What are you doing?” he questioned uncomfortably when he at last regained his voice.
“Everything comes at a price,” Sparrow stated with a shrug. “I have to pay you for your generosity.”
Will shook his head, the words catching in his throat for a moment before he could speak. “N-No. No. There’s no need for this, Jack. You don’t have to ‘pay’ someone because they do something for you.”

Sparrow merely gazed at him as if he were daft. His expression quickly changed to one of incredible alarm when Will took hold of his breeches. The young man raised the garment back up Jack’s frame to his waist and buttoned them. Jack’s eyes were wide and clouded with fear; he breathed rapidly from his tremendous anxiety.

“It’s all right, Jack,” Will whispered. “It’s all right. I won’t hurt you. I don’t understand why you feel you need to….to offer yourself to someone like that. You don’t.”
“Then what do I do?”
“You don’t have to do anything.”
“Why would someone do somethin’ for me if they didn’t….didn’t get to fuck me?” A couple of tears slid from the corners of his eyes to his hair. “I don’t….I don’t understand, Will. I can’t believe you haven’t….” He had to pause as his breath hitched in his throat and the tears began to stream from his chocolate orbs. “I can’t believe you haven’t tied me up and shagged me brains out yet.”

He sat up and backed away to the wall once again. The sobs shook his whole body and pained him. Will climbed onto the bed and moved to be next to him. He did not touch the pirate, nor did he say a word; he waited to discover if Jack was comfortable enough to embrace him on his own.

After a few minutes, Sparrow wrapped his arms around Will.

The young man enveloped him affectionately and rocked him gently. Jack wept against Will’s chest and clutched the male’s shirt as if he would be ripped away from him at any second. Graceful fingers buried themselves in the pirate’s black mane and massaged the back of his head delicately.

As Will cradled Jack to him protectively, his heart broke and a crystal droplet escaped his eye.

****
James knocked lightly on the door before entering the small bedroom. It was early in the morning; the sun had just begun to peek over the horizon. It did not surprise him that Jack was not awake yet, but he had not expected Will to have stayed. The young man was lying on his back with Jack resting on top of him. His hands were splayed out just below the pirate’s waist on his back. The two were sleeping together serenely with their heads at the foot of the bed.

James gave a pleasant smile and moved to the full length mirror near a little table on the opposite side of the area. He removed his baldric and set it on the surface, retrieved a cloth from the cabinet next to the table, and unsheathed his sword. With great care, he began cleaning the blood from the blade. His eyes occasionally glanced at the mirror as he did his task to view the occupants behind him. When he was done, he placed the sword into its scabbard and situated the diagonal strap of leather on his chest so that the hilt of the weapon was exactly where he wanted it to be at his side. As he studied his appearance, a pair of dark eyes watching him showed in the reflection. He turned on his heels and met the man’s stare.

Jack’s brown orbs were impassive, and his expression exhibited a lack of vitality as well. The eyes also conveyed that he did not know who James was. The second James’ fingers began twiddling at his sides, Jack’s gaze was averted to observe them for a moment. His interest returned to the man’s countenance after a few seconds, and he appeared slightly frightened. The former Commodore took note of this and became motionless. He inferred that any movement would make Sparrow unbelievably scared.

“Hello, Jack,” he said softly with a kind smile. He saw the pirate’s fingers grasp the sleeve of Will’s shirt and begin to tremble. “No, no. You need not be afraid of me. I wish to help you, just as Will does.”

He was not sure if Sparrow was listening; there were no signs to confirm that the man even understood.

Knowing there would be no response judging from Jack’s silence, James gave a nod and left the room quietly.

Jack let out a tiny sigh and cautiously crawled off of Will. He shuffled to the area’s farthest corner from the bed and lay down on the floor.

The security of familiarity permitted him to drift to sleep in mere minutes.

****
Will rolled onto his side and blindly felt the area beside him. It puzzled him to find that Jack was not there. He opened his eyes and moved to sit on the edge of the bed.

“Oh, Jack,” he whispered sadly as he stared at the pirate on the ground.

He strolled to the corner where Jack was sprawled out and sat down before him. Delicately, he brushed away the black locks that shrouded Sparrow’s visage and shook his arm gently.

“Jack,” he said quietly. “I need you to wake up. Jack.”

Sparrow mumbled incoherently before his eyelids fluttered open. The feeling of someone touching him and from seeing a person in front of him made his eyes dilate in horror. A strangled yell came from him as he scampered away. Will was quick to follow, and he grabbed the pirate’s shoulders and held him against the wall. Jack quaked incessantly and started to cry from the terror he had.

“Shh….Shh….Calm down,” Will spoke tenderly. “Jack, it’s all right. I won’t hurt you.”
Sparrow’s eyes darted about the room wildly. “Where am I?” he whispered, utterly unnerved. “This isn’t the Pearl. I’m not supposed to be here. I’m not supposed to leave without permission. I don’t want to be punished.”
“Jack, Jack, calm down. No one is going to punish you. Do you not remember what happened? You were taken away from the Pearl. You’re safe now.”
“That was just a dream. Oh my god!” he shouted and covered his countenance with his hands. “You have to take me back!”
“Shh….You aren’t going back. You don’t have to. He’s dead, Jack. He’s dead. I killed him.”
Sparrow swayed from side to side and shook his head. “No, no. He’s goin’ to find me. And it’ll be another flogging. Another night to satiate his needs. Or a night below deck. Oh god! I can’t! Please! You must take me back before he knows I’m gone!”

Will grasped Jack’s wrists and pulled his hands away from his face. Jack gazed at him entreatingly with reddened, swollen eyes.

“You must trust me, Jack. He will never come after you again. You’re no longer his captive, nor will you ever be his captive again. You are aboard a ship that is filled with people who want to protect you like I do. And I will stay with you for as long as you need me to.”
“I….I trust you, Will,” Jack voiced slowly with uncertainty.
“You’re going to be all right.”
“I trust you.”
“I’m very glad to hear that. Now, we need to take care of your hands.”
“What’s wrong with them?”
“Well, four fingers on your right are out of place and two on your left are just as bad.”
Sparrow clutched his shirt together to conceal his chest and stated sternly, “They’re fine.”
“They must be taken care of.”
“They’re fine.”
“Do you trust me, Jack?”
“Yes,” was the muttered reply.
Will took the pirate’s right hand and stroked it. “Then let me do this.”

A stiff nod signaled that he had consent. He held Sparrow’s wrist and grasped the man’s forefinger. Jack turned his head to the side and shut his eyes.

“Are you ready?”
“Just get it done with.”
“Do you want me to warn you?”
“No. Just do it.”

Jack clenched his teeth as a sound of extreme distress came from his throat. The next one made him wail in torment. He grabbed Will’s knee and squeezed it as the third finger was corrected. The final cracking noise for his right hand made Jack shriek. No time was wasted before Will took the left and rectified the pirate’s middle digit. Sparrow cried out loudly and began to fidget in hopes of getting away. His mouth opened as if he were going to scream when his ring finger was adjusted, though nothing came from him.

“There,” Will spoke softly. “All done.” He hugged Jack to him and kissed the top of his head. “You did great. It’s done.”
“It hurts so much, Will,” Jack gasped. “Christ, it hurts.”
“I know. I know. But it’ll pass. I’ve got you. You’ll be all right.”
“Don’t leave me. Don’t let me go.”
“I won’t. I promise. I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere.”

Ten minutes passed before they broke apart. Will picked Sparrow up and carried him to the bed. As he set Jack on the piece of furniture, the door opened, making them each look to see who it was. Tia Dalma sashayed into the room with a bottle in her hand and walked toward them. Her expression was somber, though she grinned once she could examine Jack up close.

“’Tis a joy to have you back, Jack Sparrow,” she stated warmly.
Jack gave a small smile in return. “As it is a pleasure for me to see you.”
“Mm, it may not seem so for ‘de time being. I have come to begin healing your wounds.”
“With your own special concoction, I imagine.”
“Aye. It be ‘de best.”

She motioned for him to remove his shirt. Nervously, he glanced at her and Will, hoping that they would turn around; he was embarrassed at what they would see. With tremendous reluctance, he took off the garment. He bowed his head, not wishing to witness their reactions. Will stifled a sound of repulsion. The gauntness of the pirate’s face had not been unnoticed, yet Will had not expected the man’s body to be as drastically thin as it was. Jack appeared as if he had not eaten in months; his abdomen was sunken and his ribs visibly pressed against his skin. The left shoulder had healed for the most part, though it was incredibly bruised at the spot of the break. Something that caught Will’s eyes apart from the awful thinness was the grotesque flesh that had been scorched. He could hardly bear to look at Sparrow at all unless he focused on the pirate’s countenance.

Tia Dalma did not seem phased by the heartbreaking sight whatsoever. She surveyed Jack for a short period before striding to the other side of the room to fetch a cloth.

“Lie on your side, Jack,” she said as she returned to the bed.

Sparrow complied and settled down on his left side. The revulsion that welled within Will from viewing the appallingly maimed back almost made him vomit. In various places there were missing pieces of flesh, having been torn off of the man’s body entirely. There was no unharmed skin left on Sparrow’s back; it was covered completely with gaping lashes.

“Comfort him,” the enchantress voiced quietly to Will.

The young man nodded and moved onto the bed to sit near Jack’s head. He held the pirate’s hand and massaged it gently. Jack exhaled an uneasy breath and stared unblinkingly ahead. The mystic took a seat next to Sparrow and ran a delicate finger down his arm.

“Be strong, my dear,” she spoke sincerely.

She poured a decent amount of the liquid from the bottle onto the cloth, met Will’s gaze as if to prepare him, and pressed the fabric against the mutilated flesh. Jack cried out in unbearable pain. Soothing caresses graced the side of his visage as a smooth voice reached his ears.

“You’re all right,” Will said in an attempt to relax the pirate. “You’re fine. It’ll be over soon. You’re doing great.”
The cloth shifted to the middle portion of his back, causing Jack to yell from the agonizing stinging sensation. “Make it stop, Will! Please! God, please!”
Will thought his heart could not shatter in sorrow again, but the pleas sliced it apart once more. “It’s all right. Just a little longer, Jack. You can do it.”

The fabric rested against the lower part of his dorsal side; Sparrow moaned noisily and wept freely. His lungs felt as if they were being crushed; he could not breathe. He gasped for breath and quivered intensely.

“Almost done, Jack. Almost there.”

At last, Tia Dalma withdrew the cloth from Sparrow’s frame. Choked whimpers leaked from Jack’s mouth, and he panted heavily. His face was contorted in sheer anguish. He did not even realize his arm was being moved to be behind him, giving unhindered access to his side.

“He will need your sweet words more now,” the enchantress stated grimly.

Will nodded and stretched out next to Jack. He gazed directly into Sparrow’s wounded eyes and smiled reassuringly.

“I’m right here for you,” he whispered. “I won’t leave you.”
“Please, help me,” Jack said in a trembling voice.
“Just a little bit more and then you can rest, I promise. You’re doing great.”

A devastating scream ripped itself from Jack’s throat as Tia Dalma poured the medicinal liquid onto his burns. His breath began to come in rapid, uneven increments as he sobbed. He could not comprehend what Will was saying, for the severe pain wholly engulfed him and was the only thing he could focus on. The cloth rubbed against the excessively tender skin to wipe away the excess that had not soaked into the flesh.

Tia Dalma kissed Sparrow’s singed cheek before placing the fabric against it and then to his neck. Jack continuously emitted sounds of extraordinary pain.

“Come wid me, William,” she spoke softly after a moment and treaded to the door.
“I’ll be right back. I promise,” the young man whispered to Jack.

He carefully made his way to the foot of the bed to get up. When he stood before the mystic, she gave him the bottle and cloth.

“He has two more areas affected by ‘de torture,” she stated gravely. “I do not t’ink he would desire for me to tend to ‘dem.”
“Why?”
“’Dey be near his body’s most private region, and he be very discomfited to undress in another’s company. I believe he would at least be more at ease wid you.”

She closed the door behind her after exiting, leaving Will to stare tentatively at the items he held. As if in a daze, he crossed to the bed to stand by Jack’s shaking frame, debating on whether or not to finish the treatment. After a couple of minutes, he came to a decision.

“Jack, there are more, aren’t there?”
Sparrow could not answer; he was overwhelmed by his tears.
“I need to take care of them. Can you lie on your back for me?”
Jack did so and gazed up at the young man desolately.
“Can you point to where they are?”
“Please don’t, Will. I can’t endure anymore. Please. Leave me alone.”
“I swear to you this is the last time we have to do this before you can rest.”

Sparrow closed his eyes and unbuttoned his breeches. There was mortification that shadowed his features as Will took them off. The young man sighed and winced at the scorched tissue of the inside of Jack’s thighs. He lifted the pirate’s left leg and held it up as he imitated what Tia Dalma had done. Jack shrieked and began to kick, making Will strengthen his grip. The substance washed over the injury, and Will lightly patted the area with the fabric. He gradually lowered Sparrow’s leg and repeated the process with the man’s other one.

When he was finished, Jack lay still from exhaustion. His eyes were barely open, water droplets escaping from them, and he breathed weightily. He felt Will climb onto the bed and lie beside him, causing him to be filled with disgrace from being completely naked in front of the former blacksmith.

“It’s all done,” Will said gently. “You did excellent.”
“How can you bear to be near me?” Sparrow asked in a strangled voice. “No one will ever look at me. They can’t. I’m hideous.”
“Don’t talk like that. It’s not true. Just close your eyes and try to sleep now. I’ll be right here; nothing can harm you.”

Jack drew in a deep breath and shut his eyes. The pain was slowly dying away, taking his tears with it.

Fifteen minutes went by before he slipped into a dreamy abyss while holding Will’s hand tightly.


Part Fourteen

****
“Come on. The other leg. You can do it.”

Jack hissed and grimaced as Will guided his left leg into the breeches. The young man buttoned the article of clothing for him and took up the man’s shirt. He inspected the filthy, unkempt garment with a disgusted face and tossed it aside.

“Maybe Norrington has one you can have,” he muttered as he strode to the wardrobe.

Sparrow hugged himself as if cold and looked around the area aimlessly. A sharp pang abruptly went through his stomach, making him gasp and curse under his breath. Will turned around to view him, and the worried expression he had made Jack wave his hand.

“It’s nothin’,” he said coarsely. “But if it’s not too much to ask, can I have some water?”
“Of course. I’ll get you something to eat as well.” He strolled to Jack with a shirt in his hands and said, “Let’s get this on you and then I’ll go get it.”

Sparrow lifted his arms above his head, wincing from the stiffness and soreness of his back and side. As Will slipped it on to him, he inquired faintly, “How long was it, William?”
Will pulled the garment down, letting Jack lower his limbs, and stared at him quizzically. “What are you talking about?”
“How long was I gone? With him? Prisoner?”
The young man’s features grew solemn, and his voice was soft. “Four months. Almost four and a half.”
Jack gazed at him, dumbfounded. “Four months? That’s it?”
Will’s brow furrowed. “That’s it? Four months, Jack.”
Jack looked down at his bare, dirty feet that had various scratches on the tops of them and blisters on the bottoms. “It felt so much longer, Will,” he spoke distantly. “Incredibly longer. It was just a repeat. Every day. Always the same. Christ, four months.”

Will paused for a short period before questioning, “Do you want to talk about any of it?”
“No,” was the brisk reply. “No. You certainly don’t need to hear about what happened. I don’t want to….to-”
“Have me change my opinion of you?”
“I was goin’ to say corrupt your precious mind. But that’ll do nicely as well.”
“Jack….Whatever you tell me, it will not make me think any less of you.”
Sparrow smirked. “How much did ya think of me before?”

Will fell silent and bowed his head. They each studied the floorboards and occasionally one another’s feet. At length, Will spoke.

“I’ll be back with something for you to eat in a couple of minutes,” he stated quietly.
“Thanks.”

Will gave a nod and left the room. Jack closed his eyes, inhaled deeply, and let it out gradually. He could see the men’s faces above him as they waited impatiently to dominate him. The sound of his own quick breaths and pitiful whimpers rang in his ears.

“Shut him up!” someone yelled.

Jack wept and constantly whined in pain as a crewman pounded into his body. Without warning, a great deal of fabric was stuffed into his mouth, suffocating him for a moment. He gagged from it and begged with his tear-filled eyes for it to be removed. Instead of plucking it from his oral cavity, however, his head was held strongly and water was continuously poured onto the cloth and his face. The expansion of the material and the water that seeped down his throat made breathing an immense challenge. It muffled his scream when he felt a blade slice the bottom of his left foot. His right garnered a long laceration as well before the dagger cut his hands and forearms. The entertained laughs that his cries of pain caused made him hate himself.

“Jack?”

Jack’s eyes shot open and he fell off of the bed from the jolt that went through his anatomy. Will bent down and tried to help him up, but Sparrow smacked his hands away.

“Don’t touch me!” he shouted hysterically. “Don’t come near me!”
“Jack, it’s Will-”
“Leave me alone! Stay away from me!”

Jack held his knees to his chest and bowed his head to where he could just peek over the tops of them. He glared at Will menacingly, and the young man did not dare attempt to bring Jack to his senses at that time. He backed away slowly as if Sparrow was a wild animal. The pirate’s eyes never strayed from his until the door was shut after he exited.

Jack stayed where he was for a long while before he crawled to the tray of food Will had set on the floor near the bed.

In minutes, the meal was entirely devoured with no trace left to indicate that there had ever been food or water in the glass.

****
Elizabeth waited outside the captain’s quarters for Will to emerge. When the young man came out, she moved to walk beside him as he made for the starboard side railing.

“How is he?” she asked worriedly.
“He’s….Well, he’s alive.” He sighed and said wearily, “I don’t know what to do, Elizabeth. He’ll ask me to stay with him, but then minutes later he’ll be yelling at me to get out. He can’t stand to be touched, and the remedy Tia Dalma will be using on his wounds has got to be almost as painful as when he actually acquired them.”

Elizabeth studied his troubled features, noting the discouragement in his eyes that he attempted to hide. Without a word, she placed her arms about his neck and brought him close. The fact that they had not been talking to each other did not dissuade him from embracing her this time.

For a lengthy period, they remained silent within the comfort of one another’s arms.

****
Groves stepped into the darkened room and gazed contently at the lone figure standing near the window, bathing in the moonlight. Leisurely, he walked nearer, though stopped to permit a safe distance between them. Jack was immobile and showed no acknowledgement to the person that had entered. After a minute, he finally spoke.

“Come for a fuck?” he inquired, defeated.
“Jack.”

The pirate turned to look at his company, and the urge to break down and cry took over him. Theodore could see the sorrow, happiness, and intense depression that were conveyed in Jack’s chocolate eyes. He closed the gap between them to stand inches in front of the man. Jack exhaled a shaky breath; he was intensely apprehensive from having Theodore so near, yet he also felt rather relaxed at the same time.

“What are you doin’ here?” he asked with disbelief.
“I joined in their search to find you. They picked us up at Tortuga.”
“I didn’t think I’d ever see you again.”
“I know. I was so frightened that we wouldn’t find you, let alone find you alive.”
Jack gave a tiny smile. “I thought I told ya not to come for me.”
“You didn’t really expect me not to try, did you?” Groves countered with a grin.
“I guess I was just hopin’ you wouldn’t.”

Sparrow shut his eyes and surrendered to his tears. Groves enveloped him sympathetically, holding the pirate’s head to his chest. Jack snaked his arms around the Lieutenant’s torso and hugged him snugly as he wept onto Theodore’s clothing.

“I don’t even deserve to touch you,” he breathed, his voice stifled.
“Don’t say such a thing,” Groves whispered into Jack’s black mane.
“Why do you let yourself waste your time with me? I’m nothin’ but a vile whore.”
“Stop that kind of talk. You’re a beautiful man.”

The compliment made Sparrow’s eyes produce a greater number of tears.

“Beautiful man,” Theodore repeated softly.
“Is that because I’m cryin’ like an idiot?”
“Why would you say that?”
“I’m only beautiful when I cry.”
“Yes, you are beautiful when you cry. But you’re also beautiful whenever you aren’t shedding tears.”
“How can you say that?!” Jack exclaimed and broke away from Theodore. “Why must everyone lie to me?! Is it amusing? Arousing? Punishment?”
“No-”
“Then why?! Why would you say somethin’ like that?! Look at me!”

Frantically, Jack slithered out of his shirt and threw it on the ground. His eyes never wavered from Groves’ visage; it was how he saw the expression of repugnance that unmistakably flickered across Theodore’s visage. He turned about in a circle for the man to view his back, and when he faced Theodore once more, the Lieutenant’s gaze was fixed on the floor. Groves hurriedly looked up.

Jack’s smile was fraught with indignity as he shrugged and motioned to Groves. “You can’t,” he forced out.
Theodore stared at him apologetically. “Jack, I-”
“Just….Go away.”
“Jack-”
“Go.”
“I didn’t-”
“Go! Now!” Sparrow screamed.

He collapsed to the floor, bended his knees, and rested his elbows on them. His fingers buried themselves in his hair as he wept.

Groves forced himself to tread to the door. He spared one more glance at the fallen man before he quietly shut the door behind him.

****
There was a light tap on the door before Will peered into the room. He spotted Jack on the ground, head down, and utterly still.

“Jack? Can I come in?” he inquired kindly.
“Why ask me?” the pirate answered dolefully. “I don’t care. I don’t care about anything.”

The young man shuffled across the space and sat down beside Sparrow.

“Did you not like that shirt?” he questioned with a small grin from seeing the rumpled garment on the floor.
“It’s fine,” Jack responded blandly.
“Are you, um….Are you all right?”
“I’m fine. Just fine.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. I’m sure.”
“I didn’t know if something happened after I left. Did anything happen?”
“No.”
“Jack, I….I do hope you know if you need to talk abou-”
“Don’t even finish that sentence, William,” Sparrow said with a little more enthusiasm than his past responses.
“But you do know-”
“Yes. I do.”

There was an odd silence that came between them for several minutes before Will spoke again.

“I brought something for you.”
Jack raised his head and looked confusedly at the bottle Will was offering. “What is it?”
“It’s rum. I thought you could maybe use a drink.”
The pirate took the item and uncorked it. “You’re right as hell about that.”

He put the rim to his lips and downed a relatively large amount of it. Will had his own and joined him in the indulgence of alcohol. He closed his eyes and winced somewhat as he swallowed, still not used to the potency. Once he gulped a small bit, he opened his eyes to discover Jack watching him with a queer smile. It was the first one Will had seen him give, and it surprisingly brightened the pirate’s melancholy features.

“I’m not a professional yet,” the young male said with a grin.
“I could tell.”
“Do you want me to stay with you tonight? Make sure you don’t get wholly drunk and all that.”
“If ya like. Listen, Will, I’m….I’m sorry. For the outburst earlier.”
“Don’t worry about it. I understand.”
Jack took a swig from his bottle. “Fuck,” he whispered exasperatedly once he swallowed. “I hate bein’ like this. I can’t….It feels as if I’m still on the Pearl and he’s goin’ to walk through that door any second. And you will have been nothin’ but my imagination. I’m afraid of everything. Everyone. Stupid, isn’t it?”
“No. No, it’s not stupid. You went through Hell, Jack. You have a right to be afraid.”
“But will it ever go away?”
“In time. Just give yourself time.”

Jack nodded and sighed before he rested his head on Will’s shoulder. The gesture made Will grin delightedly, and he put his arm across the pirate’s shoulders.

“So how are things between you and Lizzy?” Sparrow questioned and took another drink from his bottle.
“I don’t know. I haven’t spoken to her much at all since you….when the Kraken got you.”
“Why’s that?”
“I saw you two kiss as we abandoned ship. I thought-”
“That her and I were together? Secretly?”
“Yes. I did.”
“Do you still think that?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Talk to her. It’d be a shame if ya lost her because of a misunderstanding, aye?” He was quiet for a brief time before continuing. “Look, Will. I know ye didn’t want to come rescue me. From the Locker or the Pearl. I don’t blame you. I’ve done ya wrong in the past. And I know we’re not….” He swallowed the building knot in his throat. “We’re not friends, but I do appreciate that ya did come and that you are pretendin’ to care about me now.”

Will pushed him away gently and inspected the crestfallen eyes bewilderedly.

“What made you think like that?” he asked softly, sounding hurt. “The only reason I didn’t want to come after you was because I was angry with you. But the urgency and fear that everyone had for you made me wish to find you just as well. I’m not pretending, Jack. And I had hoped that you considered me a friend. I guess not. But you can believe me when I say that I care about you. I don’t like seeing you like this either. It saddens me that you’re in so much pain and I can’t seem to help. But I will be here for you….As a friend would be.”

Jack’s jaw clenched as he hurriedly smothered his tears. He sniffed and glanced away from Will’s loveable eyes. The words would not come; they got caught in his throat before he could speak them. Will noticed the struggled and embraced him tenderly.

“I….I do consider you a friend,” Jack whispered with difficulty. “I just thought you didn’t. I didn’t want to offend.”
Will gave a small laugh. “You wouldn’t offend.”
“You’re the only one I trust, Will. Completely, I feel.”
“Why don’t we drink to that then, eh?”

He pulled back and lifted his bottle. Jack smiled and picked his up. They tapped the glasses together and chugged what was left in their containers. When finished, they slammed them onto the ground.

“God,” Will gasped, his expression still somewhat contorted from the rush of alcohol. “Remind me never to do that again.”
“That’s the fun of it, though.”

They each burst into a fit of laughter and slumped against one another.

Will treasured the moment of his friend’s happiness, for he knew such cheerfulness would most likely not be returning to the pirate for quite a long time.

****
“Jack?”
“Yeah?”
“Nothing. I was just wondering if you were asleep or not.”
“Well, I was gettin’ there.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
Sparrow rolled onto his right side to face Will. He flinched from the soreness, though it soon dissipated. “I was lyin’,” he said with a minute smile. “How come you’re not?”
“I don’t sleep much when I’m worried.”
“What are you worried about, love?”
“You.”
“There’s no need for that.”
“How did you get that mark near your wrist?”

Jack glanced at where Will had pointed. The wound in question was the nasty scar left by the rat he had tried to eat. He cleared his throat and shook his head.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” he muttered.
“That’s why I worry. I’m afraid that if you keep this all to yourself, you’ll be worse off. If you don’t even give me a little, how am I going to understand why you react the way you do and help you through it?”
“It’s not like I’m forcing you to help me. If you don’t want to, don’t.”
“I didn’t mean that I don’t want to keep trying to help you. I just believe it would do you better to talk. A little at a time.”
“Maybe it would. But I don’t care to re-live it all just because I decide to re-tell what happened to someone. Why don’t we change the subject, ay?”
“Alright.”
“What do you plan to do now that everything’s done with? Are ye goin’ to go back to the smithy? Marry your dearly beloved finally?”
“It makes the most sense. Return to Port Royal and regain a bit of my past, normal life. I do believe Elizabeth and I will marry, though I don’t know how soon that would be.”

There was a slight pause as both elapsed into their own thoughts. Jack traced patterns onto the bed sheets with a finger, and Will observed absentmindedly.

“Why did you cut your hair?” the young man at length inquired.
Sparrow took a strand of his black mane and held it in front of his face. “You don’t like it?” he asked with a smile. “I was just startin’ to like it meself.”

He let it fall across his countenance, making Will chuckle. Strong fingers delicately brushed it behind Jack’s ear and smoothed it down. A small giggle came from the pirate as he stared at Will’s visage just inches away from his own.

“Do you really want to know?” he questioned.
“Yes.”
Jack sighed and hesitated before speaking again. “Hector, he….He always had a fancy for it. When he and I were….Years ago when we were lovers, he would always be the one to tend to it. He’d comb it, braid it, even beaded a strand every now and then. Apparently, the fondness he had for it never left him. And he used it to his advantage against me. He and his mates would pet it, pull it – their grimy fingers touchin’ it became more of a violation than anythin’ else they did. So I decided I needed to gain a bit of control back. Do somethin’ to myself that I chose to do – without havin’ permission. Early one morning, while he was asleep, I took a knife to it. I worked away on ridding myself of another one of their playthings.” He smirked and said with slight humor, “Needless to say, he was none to happy when he woke up.”
Will’s expression had changed into one of grief and astonishment as he listened. After Jack finished he asked, “What did he do to you?”
“Well….You don’t need to know about that. But the mark you wondered about earlier was one of the results.”
“I’m sorry, Jack.”
“What for? It was my choice; I knew I’d have to endure some sort of consequence. It was so hard though, Will, to say goodbye to it all. There were a number of memories that are now gone.”

Sparrow was unaware that he had begun to cry until he felt Will’s thumb caress his cheek to erase the tears.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, embarrassed.
“Don’t be.”

There was yet another tiny smile that came to Jack’s lips before he shifted onto his other side to put his back to Will. He welcomed the young man’s body pressed against his and the arm that draped over him to rest on his chest. He held Will’s hand to him and nestled into the embrace.

“We should probably sleep now. Or at least attempt to,” Will whispered close to the pirate’s ear.
“You won’t….You’re not goin’ to hurt me, are you?” The voice quivered and sounded fearful.
“No. I won’t hurt you. I won’t let anyone hurt you. You’re safe to sleep.”
“I trust you, but….I can’t help being afraid of you, Will.”
“Like I said before, it’s alright to be afraid. I understand. But I swear to you, I will not let any harm come to you.”

Jack let out a trembling breath and nodded. He closed his eyes and heard Will murmur, “Good night,” before the young man faded quickly into sleep.

Sparrow flew away with him minutes later.