A Pirate's Kiss | Prompt Chapters

These are some 'prompt word' chapters that I have been working on for you guys. Writing stuff like this helps me to get through writers block – all of these chapters are written from a 3rd person POV and are loosely related to the main plot line. You can think of them as 'fillers' if you like :* They will all eventually lead back to the main story!
I hope you enjoy,
Love Daisy xx

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1. Paper Planes

Obsidian's eye twitched.

He was snoozing on the deck of the ship, his arms folded across his chest, a small frown settled on his face. Their giggling reached his ears again and the frown deepened in annoyance.

What was his brother up to?

One golden eye opened slightly as he peered in their direction. Cobalt was gathered with the girls on the deck, not five meters away from where he sat. Lacy and Circe were clustered in a small circle around him and seemed to be busy with something. As to what that something was, Obsidian couldn't quite see and his lip curled with mild irritation.

Circe laughed again, shook her head and took something from Lacy's hands. The younger girl uttered a retort and pouted at Cobalt, her reaction causing his broad grin to stretch wider. Obsidian thought that he could hear the rustling of paper.

He closed his eyes again and tried to let sleep take him. His injuries were still not fully healed from his recent battle and although he would never admit it, he was constantly finding himself short of breath. Circe had ventured out of his arms earlier than usual that morning and although she had tried to persuade him to rest inside, he had doggedly followed her out onto the main deck, preferring instead, to have her within an arm's reach.

The ships had begun to move again, the restocking at Port Savannah complete. Saying goodbye to Jack had been hard for everyone, there had even been an invitation to join them, but he had stoutly declared himself too old to go on such voyages. "Tempting an old man out of retirement never ended well for anyone," he had said.
And so they had said their farewells and set out to the open ocean.

Cobalt had asked him what their heading was to which Obsidian had replied rather abruptly that he didn't give a shit, and why was Cobalt asking when it was he who was Captain?

Good natured as always, Cobalt had announced to the crew that they were going on an adventure and after much consultation with Nathaniel and Hobbson, the three had decided on a heading. Curiosity rising as to how they had chosen a destination, Obsidian been unable to resist asking about their process, only to be told by his idiotic brother that he had closed his eyes and pointed to a random place on the map.

The explanation had earned him a cuff across the head, a gesture that had been protested with much enthusiasm. Obsidian had been deaf to his complaining however and had hosted himself up into the rigging, muttering insults under his breath as he climbed and cursing himself for asking and expecting an intelligent answer.

And now they were sailing to god knows where, although Obsidian had come to the conclusion that actually, the destination didn't really matter. After all, what else was there to do?
He wasn't used to the absence of urgency; this was what was making him skittish. The idea of just going somewhere because they felt like it was a foreign notion to him. He was used to hunting people down, visiting a town as a means to an end, evading pursuers or silencing those that were a little too persistent.

Hushed whispering cut through his train of thought and one eye popped open again. Caught in the act of staring, Circe whirled back around, her head meeting Lacy's as their shoulders shook with silent laughter. His infernal brother was murmuring something to the girls as he drew on the ground. Obsidian watched as Circe snuck a look at him from under her blonde hair. He eyeballed her and she blushed, quickly hiding her face.
He studied the delicate pinkness on her cheeks and wondered what kind of expression she would have made if he had looked at her in a different way. He decided to try it out next time he caught her eye.

Just then Nathaniel appeared. The two ships were travelling in convoy, but even so, Obsidian had no idea how he had managed to get himself over here while they were still moving. The boy's smile was jovial as he crouched down beside Circe, tugging the ends of her hair to get her attention.
She greeted him with an exclamation of surprise and gestured to whatever was sitting in the centre of their circle, shuffling back a little so that he had room to see. He rocked back on his heels before sitting down and moving forward, effectively blocking any and all view that Obsidian had of what they were doing.

He grunted, his handsome features twisted with distain, and shut his eye again. He didn't like the feeling he had – that somehow whatever they were doing involved him. His pride outweighed his curiosity however, and if they were waiting for him to come over, well they would be sorely disappointed.

Although such a thing proved easier said than done and ten minutes later he still had not found any peace. He was all but ready to stand up and demand they quiet their childish giggling when he felt a soft breeze brush his face and something landed in his lap.

He cracked an eye open and peered down at the small paper plane that had come to rest in the folds of his shirt and coat. His other eye opened and he glanced warily at the little group gathered a few meters away. They seemed to be feigning nonchalance, but he could pick out Cobalt's hidden smirk and the laughter that was threatening to burst from between Lacy's lips. Nathaniel was facing away, but his shoulders seemed to be shaking. Circe's face was pink again, the tantalizing colour at its deepest in her cheeks and around her ears.

To his horror she sent a coy glance in his direction, the look causing his embarrassment to rise up out of no-where. Wasn't that what he had planned to do to her? What were they even doing?! At his flustered expression, Cobalt burst into laughter, quickly trying to supress it although he didn't do a very good job.

Having had enough, Obsidian rose to his feet, paper plane clutched in his fist, (because despite it all, he wanted the damn thing,) and with a scowl set in place to hide the growing redness that was seeping across his face, he stomped into his room and slammed the door shut behind him. No-one made a fool of Obsidian Bones.

*

Later on, when paper planes littered the deck and Cobalt chased Lacy back up to the quarter deck in order to fly their latest creations, his keen eye spotted the figure that slipped out of the Captains quarters and up into the rigging, the dusk concealing his form from those on the deck below.
Cobalt watched as Circe laughed, waving up at him and Lacy to indicate they should begin. Lacy called back in reply and both pirate and girl let their planes fly. The little white planes floated through the air, Lacy's completing a small loop and sliding to a stop just ahead of Cobalt's.

As the younger girl raced down to the deck to collect the winning plane, Nathaniel sidled up to Cobalt, money in hand. Both of the boys had noticed as a third plane had come floating down out of nowhere and with perfect precision, landed in Circe's outstretched hands.

"You win," Nathaniel said unwillingly, "I thought I had him pinned though, when he stormed off earlier."

Cobalt snickered. "That was just for show, I told you he would come back."

They watched as Circe unfolded the plane to read the message inside which was no doubt a reply to her earlier one. Her cheeks coloured and a smile crept across her face.

"He's smooth, I'll give him that," Nathaniel's tone was one of reluctant admiration, "that was a good shot too, landed right in her hands."

Cobalt watched as Lacy ran up to Circe, causing the other girl to quickly conceal the unfolded plane in her bodice before turning back around, a slightly bashful grin on her face.

He laughed. "But of course! Who do you think taught me how to make them in the first place?"

*

2. Green Eyes

Leo stretched the thread between his teeth, biting it off and swiftly tying the knot. He smoothed out the fabric and studied his handy work. The sail had taken quite a beating, but the patch he had fixed was sturdy and the material would hold. He tugged it from a few different angles before leaning back, satisfied with his work.

Leonardo's day was a busy one, as was almost every day he spent aboard ship. He was due above deck next for his routinely inspection of the ship's hull, masts and yards. The survey took him some time – he didn't like to rush things, and after he had declared them sound he went back below deck to perform a weapons check.

It was there he found Samson and Jacob. The two gunners were currently polishing the cannons, the smell of polish tart to the nostrils. They greeted Leonardo amiably, pausing in their work for a moment to talk with him. The weapons had last been restocked and serviced in Port Savannah and had not been used since. Leonardo did a stocktake against the one he had taken when they had reloaded and found them to match up perfectly.
He quickly checked through the gun powder to make sure none of it had gotten wet and with his keen eyes he looked about the area to see if any of the walls needed repair. It wouldn't do to have any leakages in this area of the ship. Although the weapons had barely seen any use since he had joined the crew, it wouldn't do to become lazy with maintenance. He would make sure that everything was ready to go within a moment's notice.

He was about to bid the two men good day when Samson laughed.

Leo was surprised. "What is it?"

The big man chuckled jovially. "It seems you've gained a shadow Master Leo, perhaps she has something she wants to talk to you about?"

Leonardo felt his face relax as he realised what Samson was referring to, a small smile slipping through in return. "She's been following me since this morning, I am sure if she has something she wishes to say, she will say it."

Leo left the two to their cleaning and Samson watched him go, grinning as he shook his head. Jacob laughed behind him and slapped the cannon. "You know what they say brother! Love is blind."

Samson snorted. "I'm starting to think that maybe it's just the boy that is blind, love be damned."

Next Leo was inspecting the sails. He climbed up in the rigging to do this, checking the ropes as he went. A few of them were in need of repair and the job saw him into the late afternoon. Finally satisfied he swung himself down, landing gracefully on the deck.

He logged a few other details into his book and made his way into the Captain's quarters to give his report. Upon being told to enter, he found Cobalt pouring over the navigator's charts, instruments scattered across the large desk.
Obsidian was seated over by the table in his favourite high backed chair, his feet crossed up on the table top, his hat pulled down to cover his face. He appeared to be asleep but Leonardo knew better.
In the background, a piano was playing, the light whimsical sound coming from the mermaid door that stood slightly ajar on the other side of the room.

"Captain, I have the details from today's inspection ready for you to look over."

Cobalt looked up from what he was doing to take the book that Leonardo had extended out towards him. He paced back and forth as he read through it, muttering occasionally as he read aloud, pausing every so often to question Leonardo about something in particular.

"Good," Cobalt concluded, snapping the book shut. "Bones, do you want to read over it?"

Obsidian grunted and held out his hand. Leonardo waited patiently as the other man read through his notes quickly but diligently. Although he had named his brother Captain in his absence, a title that was now unofficially shared between them since his return, Leonardo still very much viewed Obsidian Bones as the Captain of the ship.
It wasn't anything in disrespect to Cobalt, but it was just the kind of person that Obsidian was. Leo could never imagine him serving as someone else's subordinate and although he knew Cobalt had given up on trying to get him to officially accept his Captaincy back, Leo could tell that Cobalt still saw him as the Captain as well.

"This is good." Obsidian sent a cursory glance in Leonardo's direction. "I wasn't sure about the two of you when we picked you up in Savannah, but you have proven your worth, you and Lacy. With her medical knowledge, she has become a great asset to the crew, as have you. Continue your good work."

Leonardo felt his pride swell as he accepted the praise. Approval from Bones was a hard thing to come by and it did not surprise him at all when the Pirate abruptly dropped his hat back over his face, threw him his log book and flicked a hand to dismiss him from the room.

Trying not to smile, Leonardo thanked him before taking his leave. The door clicked shut behind him, effectively cutting off the lingering notes from the piano although if Leonardo listened hard, he thought he could hear the tune sounded out from the door he knew to be at the rear of the ship.

Back in the Captains quarters Cobalt was pestering his brother with questions as to why he never praised him like that. Obsidian was quickly regretting his most recent slip of the tongue and feeling a little flustered he told his brother that if he did not shut up, then Obsidian would make sure he became an asset to the crew by being thrown off it.
Cobalt took this as an opportunity to point out that Obsidian's threats were slightly less threatening than usual to which Obsidian answered by punching his brother square in the face.

By this time Leonardo was in search of food. He was about to make his way to the galley when out of the corner of his eye he spotted a mop of curly black hair.

"Not with Circe this morning?"

Lacy stepped out of her hiding spot under the staircase and shook her head. "I've been waiting for you to finish. Do you want to get lunch with me?"

Leonardo peered up into the sky, studying the sun. "It's a little past lunch time isn't it?"

She huffed as she followed him below deck to the galley. "You know what I meant."

They were able to scavenge some cold leftovers which didn't prove to be too bad and chose to eat them up on the deck in the sun. It was a hot day but below deck was cool enough that goose bumps rose on Lacy's fair skin and Leo pointed out that it seemed a shame to waste the sunshine.

"After all," He said as they ate, "where we are headed, the weather may not be so fine. I had a quick glance at the charts that Cobalt was studying and it looks as though our heading may take us through a rather drastic change in temperature."

"You think so?"

He heard the excitement in her tone that always came hand in hand with the possibility of adventure. He looked at her thoughtfully as she swung her legs over the railing of the ship. The sun kissed her skin and made her black hair shine, the wild curls tumbling about her shoulders in the breeze from the ocean. He caught one of them and pulled it straight before letting it go. It bounced about like a spring and she laughed, throwing a carefree smile in his direction, her green eyes sparkling with something he couldn't identify.

Leonardo felt his stomach flip and immediately pushed the feeling away. This girl was like a sister to him. He had watched her grow up aboard her Father's vessel, a wild little monkey swinging about a Pirate ship with a knife clutched between her teeth. And when her Father had died he had taken it upon himself to protect her, like a brother would. She was precious to him and he was always watching her. Securing her safety and her happiness was what was most important to him.

So as he studied her now he tried to remember at what point in time he had missed her changing from a girl into a woman. He had been with her every single day and somehow the slight alterations had happened without his noticing. And then one day he had woken up to find that there was some more in her gaze than what had been there before. And what was worse was that he found that he didn't particularly mind her attention. In fact, when he thought about her giving it to someone else, Nathaniel for example, who Lacy had grown close to, the very idea made him grit his teeth with jealousy.
Leonardo was not a petty person and he could never truly resent Nathaniel, or anyone else for that matter. In fact, he considered the other man a good friend now, it was just when it came to Lacy, he found himself feeling ... possessive.

"Leo?"

He sighed and turned to face her. Keeping himself occupied this morning had done nothing after all, he had ended up with his thoughts swimming around in circles as they always seemed to do at the moment.

"Sorry, I wasn't listening. What did you say?"

"I asked if you were okay. You seem to be caught up about something."

He always noticed how green her eyes were when she looked at him with the level of intensity that she was looking at him with now. That was the other thing about her that had caught him off guard recently. He had always been used to her erratic behaviour and her short attention span.
The Lacy that sat opposite him now, holding his gaze in a way that made him feel a little hot under the collar, was foreign to him and try as he might, he just couldn't get used to it.
It wasn't a bad thing, but ... it didn't help his concentration when she looked at him like that.

He stood up abruptly, tossing the rest of his scraps over board. "I'm fine." His answer was a little shorter than it might have been if his thoughts had been on something else. "I need to get back to work." He smiled at her and ruffled her hair, partially because he knew she didn't like it, but mostly because it was a gesture he had always done, ever since she was a child. She didn't need to know the reason behind why his hand lingered a little too long; turning the action into something more like a caress.
He refused to acknowledge the look of disappointment that glanced over her face or the way he felt her gaze linger on him long after he had turned his back. He gritted his teeth and pushed the confusing feelings away, maybe he was just over thinking things. Surely some space would give him the time he needed to screw his head back on straight.

Basically he had a bad case of denial and much to Lacy's disappointment; he planned to keep it that way for as long as possible.

*

3. Smile

Lacy liked watching Obsidian with Circe.
She had missed them both terribly and in the weeks that followed their reunion, her gentle scrutiny of the two had picked up a few differences that had not been there before.

There were the darker aspects she had observed, unobtrusively and from a respectful distance, like the sadness that entered Circe's eyes when she thought no one was looking her way, and the quietness that seemed to envelope Obsidian every so often, a kind of eerie calm that gave Lacy the feeling that his mind and thoughts were turned so far inward that even if she were to touch him, he would not respond.

And then there was this.
Lacy was used to Obsidian's dark, intimidating personality. In fact she almost could have believed that he only came equipped with two levels of emotion when it came to Circe, possessively intense or intensely possessive. At least that was the way he was in front of other people. Or had been.

It was early in the afternoon and the ships were reasonably busy with activity. There had been a change of wind that required everyone's attention and Lacy was currently sitting up near the wheel, beside Hobbson who was busy shouting orders to the crew mates below.

Circe seemed to be in a good mood today. Lacy watched her converse with Cobalt, her face lighting up in a smile every now and then. The two were doing circuits around the deck as they talked and on each lap, they passed below a certain pirate, lounging on a hammock high enough above them that they had failed to notice he was there.

Obsidian had also neglected to realise he was being observed, as Lacy had been languidly doing for the past twenty minutes or so and this was purely because his attention was wholly captivated by the blonde woman below.

Lacy smiled as they passed below him again, unsuspecting. Each time they did this, Obsidian seemed to battle with two different emotions – both feelings clear on his face. The first was jealousy. He wanted her away from Cobalt. The second was ... Lacy was leaning towards 'admiration.' He couldn't hide the appreciation that appeared on his face when he looked at her, especially since he didn't realise he was being watched.

Lacy had come to the conclusion that he didn't want to disturb Circe's conversation, but nevertheless she was betting on his envy to win out, she could practically see it growing with each passing moment.

Sure enough, on the next round Obsidian swung down, hanging upside down by his legs from the hammock. The bed dipped down at the sudden change of weight distribution, putting the stealthy pirate within range of Circe for just a moment.
The unsuspecting pair had not noticed him and, with the casual air of someone picking something that belonged to them up off the floor, Obsidian's arms wrapped around Circe and pulled her to him.

Lacy had to laugh at the shocked expression on Cobalt's face as he stared around, trying to figure out where she had gone. Circe seemed equally surprised to find herself several meters off the ground with her body limbs wrapped around six foot of jealous pirate.
Cobalt, finally spying his brother, who was now clutching the rigging with one hand and holding Circe with the other, shouted expletives up at him – his rage clearly incensed by Obsidians interruption. Obsidian's answer was to pull down the corner of his eye and stick out his tongue as his brother danced a furious jig on the deck below. The action made Lacy laugh again, her smile spreading unconsciously across her face as she watched her comrades.

*

It was much later that she found herself watching them again. They were both in the hammock this time and Obsidian was lounging in Circe's lap, the petite girl sitting upright with her fingers tangled in his long, dark hair. Lacy rested her hand on her chin and observed the relaxed expression on her Captains face. Away from the commotion of the crew, it was as though they both existed in their own little world, a perfect bubble of serenity that Lacy couldn't help but be drawn to.

Circe combed her elegant hands through Obsidian's hair, fanning the strands out across her lap. Her lips moved silently and Lacy knew she was speaking to him, murmuring words Lacy couldn't, and didn't need to hear. Her gaze was fixed on his face, a soft smile warming her features.

Obsidian's eyes were closed but Lacy could tell that he listened. His head rested on her lap, his face tilted slightly upwards towards her. Her hair swung forward as she bent over him and his eyes opened lazily, one hand reaching up to tangle in the golden strands that scattered across his face. He murmured something back to her and closed his eyes again, the hand falling away.

Lacy thought it might have almost been the most picturesque thing she had ever seen, the two of them, sitting together, so beautiful and entrancing in their awe for one another. It wasn't meant to last though and almost as if he sensed they were being watched, Obsidian's head turned minutely to the side, one golden eye cracking open to stare in Lacy's direction.

She could feel as the atmosphere of his emotions shifted the space between them and unknowingly, the hairs on the back of her neck prickled. Obsidian looked away from her, his face blank, and stretched his arms above his head slowly. He sat up in the hammock and turned to gather Circe against him.

The other girl did not resist and draped her arms around his neck, folding into his one handed embrace. Obsidian sent Lacy another glance and she unashamedly stared back at him. She could tell from his expression that he wasn't angry, only mildly irritated by the disruption, the way a cat might be when interrupted mid meal.

She envisioned him as a cat now, but not a house cat – no, he was more like a panther and Circe was the prey he had picked in his jaws, with the intention of shifting her to a more private location. Lacy could almost see his ears flicking back and forth as he checked the coast was clear before scaling the rigging, (his favourite means of escape,) with Circe clinging to his front, still ignorant to the reason behind their sudden departure.

The pair of them became harder to make out as Obsidian carried them higher and Lacy's gaze followed them up to the crow's nest where she was just able to make out their forms as they climbed into the little cubby.
There was stillness for a moment and then a figure appeared over the side of the crow's nest, held aloft by a single hand. The hand released its hold and the dismissed lookout let out a muffled yell as he fell before catching himself on the rigging. The poor man looked a bit ruffled and he cast a wary glance up back the way he had come before hastening in his decent down to the deck.

Lacy smiled and stretched her arms above her head. Well, she supposed that was that.

*

4. Darling, I Want to Destroy You

He had come to find her to call her for dinner but the sight of her had caused him to pause, her name dying on his lips. Now he was leaning against the door frame that led out to the back deck, eating her up with his hooded gaze, unable to find the will to move and wake her but desperately wanting to anyway.

She had been reading on the day bed, the end of day light warm on her skin and inevitably she had been lulled into sleep. Her book lay splayed across her chest, one delicate hand holding the spine, her thumb tucked underneath, a page marker. Obsidian observed the way her golden hair captured the rich light of the dying sun, her skin glowing as well, as though lit from beneath.

He felt a stir of desire twist in the pit of his stomach and he raised his hand to cover his mouth, his mind wandering as he stared openly at her.

That hair, oh how he wanted to twist his hands in it and pull until her head fell back, exposing her neck to him. Those eyes, although currently closed, he knew all of the emotions that he could tempt from those eyes. Her skin, so smooth and supple beneath his exploring fingers, also held the most delicious scent. He licked his lips unconsciously. He wanted to taste her.

He wanted to make her speak to him in the voice that was only reserved for his ears, the voice she didn't show to anyone else. He wanted to take her, in all of her beautiful, angelic glory and drag her down from the pedestal he had placed her on. He wanted to sully her innocence with his hands, his lips and his tongue. He wanted to torment her until the fiery passion left her eyes and she yielded to him, body and soul.

He wanted to destroy her in the most delectable of ways.

She stirred on her day bed, a hand coming up to brush the sleep from her eyes. She shook her head a little, noticed him standing there in the doorway, and met his gaze.

One eyebrow arched delicately at the look on his face and then ever so casually she folded her page and placed the book down on the deck. An invitation.

He wasted no time in shutting the door, the lock clicking satisfyingly behind him.

*

5. Monster

"Bring in the sails! All hands on deck!"

The storm had blasted out of no-where. Black clouds filled with rain and lightning had been blown in by a malicious wind that whipped around Cobalt's feet, worrying his clothes like a savage beast. People rushed about the deck, trying to get the situation under control and he lent a hand with pulling down the sails, the thick rope slick with water under his fingers.

A huge wave tossed the ship to the side and Cobalt flung out an arm to catch a man who had lost his balance. He gritted his teeth, fighting to keep hold of him before the ship righted itself again and they tumbled to the ground, the rope still clutched in Cobalt's other hand.

"Hurry with those sails or we will be in danger of capsizing!"

Over his shoulder Cobalt could see Nathaniel's vessel, but just barely. Her mast stood tall and proud, a black silhouette against the rising waves of the ocean. Her sails were down and every now and then she dipped out of sight before reappearing. There would be no hope of staying together in a storm such as this one, they would only have to hope that they didn't drift too far apart.

And then the frightened cries of his crew caught his attention and he turned back around to stare incomprehensibly at shape that was rising from the ocean to portside. The sea serpent bore down on them, head at least twice the size of the ship itself, body long, coiling and seemingly never ending as it rose up higher and higher into the storm filled sky.

Cobalt's mouth hung agape, his eyes widening in disbelief. "Holy shit-"

The creature roared an earth juddering sound that forced Cobalt to clap his free hand over one ear in pain. Gritting his teeth he made one final effort with the sail and finally secured it, his fingers fumbling with the knot as he tied it.
All around him people were fleeing with nowhere to go. It was useless, he realised suddenly, the monster was too big. One attack would splinter the solid wood beneath his feet as though it was made from matchsticks. There was no-where to run, no-where to hide. They were as good as sunk.

He saw Anthemin take off from the deck of the ship, the young dragon obviously feeling that it was time to step in. He watched as the white speck of a dragon disappeared against the vast blackness of the sea monster, too small. He was far too small.

"No, you can't!"

Her voice rung out over the rain, the wind, the frantic commotion of the crew, the crash of thunder and the drawn out howl from the beast that swayed high above them. There was a flash of lightning and the world was momentarily preserved on the inside of Cobalt's eyelids.

He blinked and the remaining image slowly dissipated to reveal the scene still unfolding in front of him.

His brother, standing tall and steady despite the lurching ship beneath his feet, his face was dark as he looked out towards their foe, his clothes drenched and sticking to his skin.

Circe, struggling to find her balance, her fingers clutched to Obsidian's cloak, face white with desperation. Her blonde hair was plastered against her scalp, her small body drenched by the rain.

"I will fight it, I have Anthemin – you are still injured, you can't-"

"You will stay here. I will go."

"No! Obsidian please, I can protect-

Cobalt watched as his brother turned suddenly to face her, golden eyes flashing as he grabbed her chin and kissed her forcefully, effectively cutting off her sentence. When he pulled away he spoke quietly enough that his words were almost eaten by the wind.

"I will never allow myself to be protected by you again."

Cobalt had only seen the suggestion of it and he had hoped and wished and defied his better judgement to believe anything apart from the truth. Now his heart clenched as the very thing he had feared occurred in front of him.

Not identical anymore. It was the only thought running through his mind and he couldn't seem to think of anything else as he dropped to his knees.

Circe tried to hang onto him but he pried her off, her fingers stretching out after him as though she could pluck him back out of the sky.

Yellow reptilian eyes met silver ones, just for a second, but it was enough for Cobalt to know. It wasn't an illusion, it wasn't a dream - this was real. This was really happening.

His own words echoed back to him, 'Just how far have you risen brother?' Cobalt knew the answer to that now.

Too far for him to ever catch up, out of reach forever.

As the two monsters battled in the sky with ferocious intensity, the rain battered down. Movement was happening all around him but Cobalt felt like he was frozen in time.
He dragged his gaze over to where Circe sat, crumpled on her knees with her hands folded neatly on her lap, white, pinched, face turned to the sky,
her eyes unreadable.

*

6. Rumpled Sheets

Circe woke in the deep of night as she often did when Obsidian had just left the bed. Sure enough, upon stretching an arm over to his side, she felt the fading warmth that he had left behind in the rumpled sheets.

She rolled onto her back and rested an arm over her eyes, her breath leaving a little cloud of mist in the air. The air was growing cooler as they sailed forwards and last night she had added another blanket to the steadily growing pile on her bed. She snuggled back under that pile now, burrowing down until the top of her head was only just visible. She scrunched up a little hole so that she could breathe and drifted back into a restless sleep.

When she opened her eyes again, the empty half of the bed was stone cold. She blinked blearily and wondered what was taking him so long. She tried to go back to sleep but she had begun to fidget, her brain choosing that moment to start worrying about unnecessary things. Gathering a blanket around her, she slid out of bed and tiptoed to the door. The moon slid along the floor in a thin strip and it widened as she pulled the door open quietly, peering out onto the deck.

She found him perched on the railing an identical form seated beside him. Their dark heads were drawn in close together as they conversed quietly, the moonlight shining down and silhouetting their figures against the glistening ocean.

She watched them secretly for a moment, unable to help herself. In the darkness, each was undistinguishable from the other and she wondered what they were talking about as one shadow extended an arm, pulling the other closer – the conversation obviously intensifying.

Curiosity sated, she slipped back inside, deciding to leave them to it. Unbeknown to her, two dark heads turned at the same time to glimpse the door clicking shut behind her. They both listened with keen hearing, to the sound of a rustling blanket and a gentle sigh as sleep found her once again. Satisfied, they turned back to each other, Obsidian's gaze lingering only a little longer on the closed door. Their discussion continued long into the night.

*

7. Snapped

"You're coming with me."

"I don't feel like it," she griped, brushing his hand away, "I don't feel very well."

"It's because you've been a sea for too long. Walking on land would be good for you."

Her pout remained firmly in place, her arms folded across her chest in defiance.

"I don't know why you need me to come along, Lacy only asked for you."

He stared at her. "Are you jealous?"

She rolled her eyes and glared at him. "Why is it so hard to believe that I don't feel well?"

He held her gaze and didn't look away, eyes penetrating, reading her, searching for an answer. She looked defiantly back at him. Whatever he was looking for, he wouldn't find it.

Lacy chose that moment to burst through the door, her green eyes assessing the situation immediately.

"If Circe isn't feeling well then that's all the more reason to go into town," she pointed out reasonably, "this island isn't our end destination, so we need to use the opportunity now to stock up on the things we are low on, including medical supplies. I heard from Leonardo that the weather will be a lot colder than what we are used to, we would be silly to ignore that fact. I'm sure a lot of people will get sick."

"I'll look after her while you're gone," Cobalt interrupted cheerfully, sticking his head around the edge of the door with a grin like a Cheshire cat.

Obsidian growled. "That's what I'm afraid of."

"Obsidian, don't be a child," Circe snapped suddenly. Everyone's eyes immediately flickered to her in surprise. It was almost completely unheard of for Circe to get irate with anyone, least of all Obsidian.

Lacy suddenly felt very awkward. She knew the reason why Circe was feeling under the weather, but it was nothing that she could disclose to anyone without embarrassing Circe and herself. This was specifically a 'woman problem,' and was something that would pass on its own without the help of medicine.

"Fine," Obsidian was angry now; Lacy could see it in his eyes and the tight set of his mouth, even as the rest of his face remained blank. "Stay here then." He stormed from the room and Cobalt quietly slipped out after him, sensing that now was not an appropriate time for him to linger behind.

Circe sighed and dragged a hand down over her face. "Gahh," she moaned. "Why did I have to go and say something like that?"

"It'll be okay," Lacy sympathized. "I'm sure he will calm down while we are out. You need to go back to bed anyway, you look terrible."

"I feel terrible," the older girl mumbled. "Normally it isn't this bad."

"It's probably from the other medicine I've been giving you. Those herbs will stop you from conceiving but I sometimes wonder-"

"Okay Lacy, that's enough," Circe whispered, feeling mortified. It was bad enough that she had had to disclose to the other girl information about her sex life, without her bringing it up in casual conversation.

Lacy laughed. "There isn't anything to be embarrassed out Circe, it's only natural."

Circe's face was bright red as she shooed the other girl from her room and, laughing, Lacy obliged, calling back over her shoulder that she would see her friend later.

When Lacy had lived with Jack and Cherry in Savannah, she had been welcome in the ladies dressing rooms as a chore girl. She had helped with the dressing and undressing, the ladies hair and make-up, keeping the room tidy, fetching drinks and any other odd jobs they could think of.

Lacy hadn't minded the work; she had found some of the adult conversations rather worth overhearing. One such conversation had particularly interested Lacy and that was the medicine the women would take to ensure they would never fall pregnant. She had picked up a few pieces of medical knowledge here and there and noticing this, Cherry had sent Lacy to collect a specific bundle of herbs one night under the full moon. Upon her return, she had been shown how to make the medicine, the simple recipe firmly tucked away in her mind.

The reason she wanted Obsidian to accompany her into the town was because she knew that she was going to have to haggle for a few of the items on her list. Some things were harder to come by than others and because of this shopkeepers would take any opportunity to lift the price to anyone they thought looked ignorant of the true value of the item.

With Obsidian beside her, she was hoping that her chances of being taken advantage of would be discouraged. He was rather intimidating after all.

*

Lacy had decided that the word 'intimidating,' might have been too light a description to give Obsidian. Forget intimidation, with the mood he was currently in felt like anyone he looked at was in danger of suddenly bursting into flames.

People seemed to sense this, Lacy mused as they made their way through the town centre. It was quite a pleasant little town and the stores were busy with shopkeepers calling out their wares. The streets were packed with people and yet wherever they walked a path seemed to open up in front and around them, the surrounding crowd repelled by the dark aura that was currently emitting from her Captains body. He walked in front of her, although she was sure he had no clue where they were going, and she trotted behind him, having to run every few steps to make pace with him.

Her first purchase went exceedingly well, Lacy had placed all of her items on the counter and was preparing to haggle with the store owner when he suddenly began to ring things up automatically, the price for all of it coming to a very reasonable total. She thanked the man, but he only nodded his head, his eyes fixed on something over her shoulder.

She turned to find Obsidian standing a few paces behind her in a rather menacing fashion. He looked away as she turned to him but she had no doubt that he had been staring right at the store owner.

It was the same with the second,
and the third.

Lacy felt a little sorry for them, but her day was going too well for her to dwell too much on the morality of their actions. She left the fourth store keeper behind her in a trembling puddle on the floor, her smile wide with satisfaction. She had just begun to bargin with him when he had quickly agreed to her starting price, (the amount considerably lower than what she knew the items to be worth,) and when she had thanked him, he told her she could thank him by removing herself and her guard from his store.

"Did you get what you needed?" Obsidian's golden gaze followed her diligently as he peered down at the packages in her arms.

"So far yes," Lacy said, pushing the door open for them. She was too slow though, he was already holding it open for her.

"Was the price reasonable?"

"Very," she said with just a hint of smugness, walking through the door with a nod of thanks. "If it keeps going this well, I'll have more money left over than I thought."

"Good."

Lacy thought she heard the store owner let out a sigh of relief as the door swung shut behind them.

The next man was more difficult. Lacy was buying pain relief though and she had known such an item would be tricky to get a hold of. However she hadn't expected this man to be so stubborn and she stared at him now with growing frustration. She knew he was asking for too much but no matter which way she twisted it, she couldn't get him to lower the price.

Obviously deciding it was time to cut in, she felt rather than saw, Obsidian appear beside her. She felt his weight on the counter as he leant against it, silently staring down at them. Her eyes flickered to him as he raised a hand to tilt his hat back ever so slightly, allowing the other man to glimpse his face. She heard the store owner give an audible gulp, a flicker of recognition in his eyes.

"B-Bones. It's been a while."

Obsidian didn't speak, he only looked. The silence was unnerving and Lacy rolled her weight from one foot to the other. The man was sweating visibly now.

"Is this girl with you? I'm sorry Bones, but like I already said to her, the price is not negotiable, my suppliers are running low and stock is hard to come by. I have a business to run here, I can't be haggling over goods like this."

Lacy had to give the man some credit. It would take some guts to say something like that to her Captain.

"I understand completely," Obsidian's voice was like velvet, his tone light and yet so, so, threatening. "As long as you understand that I am in a foul mood today." He let his hat fall back down over his eyes as he leaned back on the counter.

There was a pause as the man struggled internally. And then-

"I suppose I could give you a discount for the amount you wanted. This is all I have in stock at the moment though-"

Obsidian cut across him smoothly. "It would be in your best interest to not lie to me."

Lacy heard the dark intent behind his words. His verbal attack was forceful and filled with promises that she knew her Captain would have no trouble keeping. This was the Obsidian she had first met, the Pirate King, the demon of the sea, his reputation preceding him wherever he went. She was suddenly fervently glad that she wasn't the one behind the counter.

Not five minutes later Lacy left the store with a hefty box of pain relief clutched in hands, along with a few other medicines that the store owner just happened to have 'lying around', some bandages, compresses and a bottle of cough medicine that Lacy had insisted she didn't need, but had been forced upon her anyway.

Obsidian had produced a sack at some point during their journey, (he probably stole it,) and he took the items from her, placing them carefully in the bag.

"How much money do we have left over?"

She showed him her nearly full purse and he nodded in satisfaction.

"Is that everything?"

She nodded, smiling despite herself. "Yup!"

"Then we will head back to the ship."

As she followed her Captain, Lacy couldn't help but be a little disappointed that they weren't going to spend longer in the town. After all, it really did seem to be a lovely place and she was sure that if she had come with alone or with someone less terrifying than her Captain, she would have blended into the crowds as easily as anyone else.

The store fronts weren't limited to selling items and Lacy's nose twitched as the tantalizing smell of market food wafted through the air. Her keen eyes spotted a stall that was selling spun sugar and she couldn't help but look a little longingly at the pink fluffy clouds perched delicately on sticks. Such a treat was something she had only ever fantasied about.
Lacy was so caught up in her observations she failed to realise that Obsidian stopped in front of her. She crashed into his back and would have fallen over if he had not caught her by the arm. Half expecting him to be angry she looked up to thank him, but his face was hidden by the shadow of his hat, his head turned away from her.

Abruptly he walked towards the stall she had been staring at and pointed at the spun sugar. The store owner looked terrified and handed over three of the pink clouds, his hands waving as he refused payment. She watched as Obsidian shrugged his shoulders, took the candy and walked back to Lacy.

The little pink clouds of sugar looked so out of place in his hands that Lacy was trying desperately not to smile as he thrusted all three towards her awkwardly.

"This is what you wanted isn't it? Take it. Hurry up." His voice was gruff, his mouth turned down in displeasure. His eyes were still shadowed by his hat but she thought he was looking away from her.

Silently she reached out to take the sticks from him, her eyes glossing over with excitement. "Thank-you," She said.

He huffed. "Don't mention it. Ever."

She grinned as they walked, tearing the spun sugar piece by piece and popping it in her mouth, delighted by the way it dissolved instantly on her tongue. She held out a piece to Obsidian cheerfully. "Don't you want to try some?"

His sneer of disgust made his answer clear but Lacy wasn't fazed. Her mind thought words that she knew better than to speak aloud.

If it was Circe asking you would have tried it.

*

"Lacy you're back, how did it go?"

Lacy smiled as she sat down on the edge of Circe's bed. The older girl still looked a bit pale, despite Cobalt's insistence that she had stayed in bed the whole time they were gone.

"Good! I got everything I wanted, Obsidian was a big help."

Circe laughed. "I'm not sure whether to be pleased or worried by that. You have something in your hair by the way." She reached out to pluck a piece of spun sugar from Lacy's curls. "What is this?"

"It's candy," Lacy replied, unable to hid her grin of delight. "Obsidian brought it for me and look, I saved one for you!" She produced the last pink cloud from behind her back, waving it teasingly in front of Circe's face.

Circe took the little stick with a look of incredulity on her face. "Obsidian brought this?"

Lacy laughed. "I know right?"

*

Her otherwise pale face was flushed as she tried to meet his gaze. She twisted the stick nervously in her hands, some of the candy was left but he could see evidence of it on her lips. He wanted to lick it away.

"I'm sorry for snapping at you before," She mumbled, blushing fiercely as she finally met his eyes. "Will you forgive me?" She was sulking about the fact that he had yet to say anything to her and he found it adorable. He crouched down beside the bed so that they were eye level and pulled her forehead gently forwards to meet his. Her skin was hot compared to his own.

"How are you feeling?"

"Fine," she pouted, unhappy with the change of subject. Her delicate fingers picked off a piece of candy, the fluffy sugar unravelling from the rest like finely spun wool, little threads struggling to stay attached to the whole.

She studied it, opened her mouth and gasped when he leaned forward and ate the candy straight from her hands, his tongue lingering to wipe the sweetness of her fingertips.

The pink fluff dissolved almost instantly on his tongue, the pleasant taste of sugar curling around his mouth. Even more satisfactory was the look she gave him, one that he returned teasingly.

"There is nothing to forgive."

Just outside in the hallway Lacy clapped a hand over her mouth, her shoulders shaking with mirth. She had been right after all. She hurried silently from the room before she was discovered.

*

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There you have it guys! Hopefully you enjoyed these! Let me know which one was your favorite and even if you have some ideas yourself of prompt words you would like me to base a short chapter around! 
I had a lot of fun writing these and hopefully you had fun reading them :)

Love Daisy xx

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