Mark caressed Sean's neck, keeping him in the kiss. Kissing Sean was nothing like he had expected. Sean was timid and so hesitant. He tasted sweet, like the rum he had been drinking.  The longer they kissed, the more he started to smell something. It was coming from Sean's skin. The scent was like that of grass after a fresh rainfall. Light and inviting. Sean adjusted on his lap, his hands grasping his shoulders and pushing him down across the bed. Mark let him do it without resistance. Even when he broke the kiss. Mark relaxed against the bed, watching Sean closely. His body felt so calm, but he was internally terrified. He couldn't resist Sean. Sean hiccupped removing his sword belt and shirt. While he was a bit distracted, Mark touched the amulet around his neck. Tapping the amulet with his finger, he asked Sean curiously. "Sean? Can you remove my curse with this?" Sean glanced down at it, then shook his head. Mark sighed heavily, letting his hands fall back over the pillow above him. 

Sean touched his cheek to draw his attention back up to him, leaning over him to ask him in a voice that was anything but a whisper. "Shhh, You wanna know a secret?" Mark nodded a bit disinterested. He was sure this was something a crew member told him. Which meant that it wasn't a secret. Sean grabbed his amulet and told Mark seriously. "This amulet can't break your curse. It's too small..." Mark rolled his eyes as Sean continued on a little softer. "However, The Sea Crown can." That drew Mark's full attention and in his excitement, he asked him hopefully. "I thought the Sea Crown was a vault of treasure? Are you telling me it's just a magical rock?" Sean's eyes widened and he smacked Mark hard across the face. Mark grabbed Sean's waist about to toss him off the bed for that, when Sean told him bluntly. "It's NOT a magical rock! Well... It is... but... It's complicated! No one knows what else is in there." Mark propped himself up onto his elbows, questioning him farther. "Do you know what this Sea Crown looks like?"

Sean thought for a long moment, then shook his head. Mark gritted his teeth, listening as Sean added in smugly. "I do know, that I'm the only one that can get it though." Mark's eyes locked on Sean, asking him in a cold voice. "What?!" Sean giggled and booped his nose, telling him in a charming voice. "That's right... I didn't tell you. Only a royal can find and open the vault. Kind of funny, right? You caught me and tried to throw me back for a common Mermaid. You would have been mean to her and she would have told you nothing. Cause she's not born with the gift to find it." Mark narrowed his eyes on Sean, growling out. "When were you going to tell me this?" Sean crossed his arms over his chest, stating flatly. "I just did, silly..." Mark grumbled out under his breath. "Then why does the boo-... The lore say that a mermaid is needed?" Sean's eyes narrowed on him a moment, than he lightened up to answer. "You can use a mermaid. She just has to be a royal." Mark nodded to himself.

Mark was going to question him farther. He needed to know more. He had so many questions still left. When he looked at Sean though... Sean kissed him again.  Pulling out Mark's propped arms, Sean laid him back again. This kiss was more wanting and Mark found himself matching his desire. Mark wanted to flip him over and take him, if that was what he desired, but every time his hand slid up Sean's side... Sean would cringe and shy away. It wasn't until he managed to coax Sean into undressing with him that he realize how much of a virgin Sean was. Sean couldn't bare to look at him below the waist and barely touched him now without shaking. Mark tried to coax him back onto his lap, but Sean only huddled himself up on the corner of the bed. Mark tenderly touched Sean's foot, asking him lightly. "Isn't this what you wanted?" Sean nodded, then shook his head shortly after. Laying out across the bed, Mark draped an arm over his eyes, mumbling out dryly. "Well, make up your mind. Cause I don't have all night."

Mark waited for a few minutes, feeling himself starting to drift off. It wasn't until he felt a hand slid up his leg that his awareness came back. He didn't move though. Staying as still as he had been. Slowly, he felt Sean move over him and get comfortable without touching him. Sean took his arm, moving it off his face as he nervously mumbled out. "Mark... I don't know what to do." Mark kept his neutral expression. He had guessed from Sean's reaction that he didn't know hardly anything about sex. Keeping his every moment slow and cautious, he got Sean to finally sit on his thighs. He didn't doubt that teaching him how to do this would take up a whole night by itself. Mark didn't say anything. He just took Sean's hands and started with basics. Getting him to touch his chest and getting him familiar with how his breathing changed. Mark tried to guide Sean's hands lower, but Sean jerked away. Hopping off his lap to grab the rum off his desk as an excuse to stall.

He waited patiently for Sean to come back. Taking the rum from Sean to drink a few swigs himself. This was going to be more work, than he had ever put into sex before. Lowering the bottle from his lips, Sean took the bottle back.  Sean brought it to his lips to drink from it like Mark had. Mark quickly placed his hand over the end of the bottle, telling him seriously. "Easy! That's strong stuff. It's nothing like the stuff they drink below deck." Sean stared at him with fragile eyes, causing Mark to remove his hand as he told him gently. "Sip it first. You may not like it." Sean slowly raised the bottle to his lips and tilted it just a little to get the taste. Sean's eyes started to water after, but he swallowed it with a slight cough. Mark took the bottle back with a smirk. Slipping the cork back in, he told him softly. "It goes down smoother, but has a sharper burn to it." Mark set the bottle aside on the bed, turning to look back up at Sean. Instantly, he lost his breath.

Sean's cheeks were sparkling in the candle light. Reaching up, he pulled Sean down over him by the back of his neck to get a better look. Where his tears had run over his cheeks, there were tiny glittering scales. Mark slid his hand to his cheek, brushing his thumb over the tiny scales. They were so small and soft. The second his thumb took the moister off his cheekbone, the scales vanished back to soft pale skin. Mark smiled to himself. It was fascinating to watch. If he hadn't seen it for himself, he never would have believed it. Sean pressed his forehead to his, whispering low and kind of sleepily. "You should smile more... You look beautiful when you smile." Mark scoffed, rolling his eyes. He couldn't imagine that his 'beauty' could compare to what he just saw. Mark dried Sean's eyes, telling him a bit reluctantly. "Sean, don't say that. Don't get hooked on me. You'll kill us both." Sean cupped his face, telling him with a dazzling smile. "You already hooked me. I have the scar on my hip to prove it! Don't be afraid of me, Mark... I won't hurt you."

Mark's breath caught in his throat as Sean's hands drifted down his chest. Each of his fingers touching a different scar as his hands moved down his stomach. Scars he kept hidden for a lot of his life. Most were light and barely anything, but a few were almost life threatening. Sean traced one that ran down his chest to his belly button, asking in a soft curious voice. "You have so many... Is life on land that dangerous?" Mark swallowed back his shaken up emotions, telling him in a deep gruff voice. "Sometimes. Freedom isn't free. Sometimes to be the person you want to be... you have to fight for it." Sean looked up at him, whispering back. "Is that why you don't like land?" Mark moved his hands over his head to grip the headboard tightly with a heavy sigh. Distracting himself a bit, he answered dryly. "On land, my life is just a number. People like me... We don't matter. We're losers and lost causes. Failures. If we don't fit their vision of perfection, we get beat down into our place. They tell us that the world has no place for us."

Lowering his eyes to look at Sean again, Mark told him seriously. "I was found in a rotten ship yard. Bethany's father took me in and tried to raise me right. To survive on land, you need money. Bethany's father didn't have much of that. So, I turned to a life of crime to keep us alive. He didn't approve... I eventually got caught at fifteen. The judge didn't care why I did it. He simply saw me as a waste of life. Since Bethany's father hadn't 'bought' me. The judge had me sold into a life of servitude on a naval ship. I started as a cabin boy. Cleaning decks, helping with food. I got whipped, raped, and abused. Turns out I'm not very good at much of anything. Got in trouble a lot. Eventually, our ship was attacked by pirates. I waited for the pirates to kill me... but the Captain took me in. Turns out I'm a better pirate. The Captain didn't command my respect. He earned it. But even pirates have codes and laws... I watched my Captain die to the previous Pirate King for not paying dues. I was lashed for supporting the Captain and left in a rotting ship yard. Where Bethany found me and her dad helped me get a ship. What remained of the crew sought me out. I planned to kill the Pirate King. Now that he's dead... I plan to rule the sea in his place."

Sean nodded slowly, but Mark wasn't sure any of this was sinking in for him. Shifting uncomfortably, he lightened up the mood by saying. "You get all that?" Sean nodded again, adjusting to lay over him as he purred out. "You can't rule the sea, Mark. It's always changing. Besides... Is that what you really want? To rule? Cause I'm telling you, Mark... Ruling will take you away from the sea, won't it? So... In a way... You want my life and I want yours." Sean giggled against Mark's throat and Mark had to think about that. Wrapping his arms around Sean's back, he answered with a small chuckle. "Ya... I guess." Sean kissed his neck and Mark eased him over to finish what they had started. Making love to him slow and tenderly enough that Sean didn't moan too loudly. Although, Mark was sure that it wouldn't matter. Most of the crew were probably wrapped up in their own nocturnal activities.

Sean opened his eyes and hissed loudly at the bright light streaming in through the window. It was too bright! Sean tried to grab the covers to cover his head, but realized he wasn't covered with one. Glancing down, his dizzy eyes struggled to focus. When his eyes cleared up to reveal Mark's arm around his chest and his bare leg over his hip. Sean opened his mouth in shock, taking in the fact that they were both naked and the sheets were wet. Sean tried to move, only to have Mark's hand around him tighten.  A loud 'clank' drawing his attention to the headboard. Mark's wrist was shackled to the bars of the headboard. Beside him, a bottle of rum was empty and his head was pounding like a drum! Turning over onto his back, he groaned as the ship appeared to be spinning. He couldn't sense a whirlpool... but his senses were almost making him sick. Raising his hands to hold his temples and cover his eyes, he groaned loudly. What had happened last night?

He remembered playing strip poker and dancing... Then everything just went blank. Next to him, Mark started to jerk and gasp in pain. Sean thought he had been hurting Mark in his current position. Turning his head, he gasped. Mark was awake now, grabbing the headboard bars with his hands and starting to yell into a pillow. Sean placed a hand on his back in time to see Mark's shoulder tattoo light up with a weird purple light. Watching it closely, Sean saw the red heart get squeezed by what appeared to be heavy chains. The chains tightened as an anchor slowly lowered away from the heart.  The tight chains pinched the heart until it started to bleed.  Sean saw the color of the heart change at the top... like the color was draining away. As the purple light faded, the anchor rose back into place and the chains loosened.  Leaving the heart looking like the top had been dipped in black ink. Mark's body relaxed as he panted into his pillow. Sean had never seen anything like this. He tried to ask if Mark was alright, when someone began to bang on the door loudly.

Mark lifted head, shouting out angrily. "WHAT?!" On the other side of the door, Robin yelled through the door. "CAPTAIN! Please, tell me that Jac- I mean, Sean, is with you!" Mark glanced over his shoulder to see Sean and then called out. "Ya! Why?!" Robin's voice sounded a bit rattled as he told Mark. "We have a crisis below deck and we need him to fix it!" Mark glanced over his shoulder again to stare at him with wide eyes, stating out really worried. "What did you do below deck?" Sean tried to think, but ended up just shrugging. He couldn't remember. To Be Continued...