"How long have Oceane and Blue been sleeping with each other?" Ava asked as they trekked through the dark forest, the small bit of moonlight peeking through the canopy providing the only light for their walk.

Theo, who had taken up the front to clear the way for Ava, stopped in her tracks and looked back, "Excuse me?"

"Captain Blue and Oceane. How long has that been a thing?"

"Blue and Oceane are fucking?" Theo's face screwed up in a mix of confusion and disgust.

Ava's eyes widened and she wanted to backtrack everything said. She didn't realize it wasn't common knowledge. Or maybe they weren't sleeping together and Ava had misread things and that is why Theo was shocked. She tried to salvage herself by turning Theo around and giving her a slight push to keep walking. Theo took the hint and kept walking but didn't drop the subject at hand.

"How do you know?" Theo pressed on.

"I don't. I came to the conclusion based on evidence that presented itself," Ava informed her and followed pace, "I've already said too much. I don't want to make Oceane angry."

"Oceane and anger have never been used in the same sentence before," Theo laughed as she led the way, glancing back to make sure Ava was okay every few steps, "you have to tell me because you are my quartermaster and your job is to gossip with me about stuff that goes on."

"That is a gross oversimplification of what I do," Ava laughed, glad to derail the conversation "not to toot my own horn but I probably work longer hours than you do."

"I am the Captain, it is my job to be lazy and watch everyone else run things," Theo joked, "so what evidence presented itself to you, dear investigator?"

Ava sighed reluctantly and gave in. Mostly because she was dying to talk about it with someone and while Theo liked to joke that she was into gossiping, it wasn't a joke. Theo was one of the nosiest people she had ever met but she kept it so subtle no one knew. Ava blamed it on her two right hands for always having her ear about the ongoings of the ship.

"Well," Ava began, "Oceane came to help me get ready and she talked about a boy she had slept with. A returner, as she called him. Said he really liked her and he was cute so she didn't mind sleeping with him again."

Theo followed along with noises to confirm she was listening. Ava knew Theo did not have to explain the significance of Oceane having sex with someone more than once. Theo had known Oceane for longer and it was a fact to anyone who was even somewhat close to Oceane that she did not do long-term partners, emotionally or physically. No repeat customers, as she would say.

"Then when Captain Blue kissed my hand, she rolled her eyes and he seemed to quickly go to her for damage control," Ava continued, connecting the dots, "then I listened in and he was trying to convince her to go out to dinner tomorrow night and mentioned how much fun they had had this aftermoning. Oceane said she had slept with someone this aftermorning so the inference wasn't hard to make."

"Holy fuck," Theo said, her voice again dripping with confusion, and this time incredulousness, "Blue and Oceane. Goddamn, Cooker is going to have a field day with this one."

"Theo," Ava complained, drawing out the name, "you can't tell."

"Fine I won't," Theo finally admitted then she laughed, "plus, no one would believe me. Oceane has been rejecting Blue for lengths."

"Really? Why?"

"Blue is a giant flirt. If it moves, he'll flirt with it. I guess Oceane has just never wanted to give him the satisfaction of giving in to it," Theo shrugged.

"He seemed to really be into her," Ava noted as the trees began to give way to a more sparse jungle brush area.

"He is," Theo laughed, "Oceane comes around and he's like a little puppy. Doesn't stop him from being a charmer though."

"Clearly," Ava laughed, remembering the somewhat dramatic introduction.

"What he did back there was typical Blue, I wouldn't read much into it," Theo chuckled a little.

"If you knew that it was typical of him, why did you get jealous?" Ava decided to be brave and poke a little fun.

Theo stopped in her tracks and Ava heard a light chuckle escape Theo's lips. Theo turned around slowly, a small smirk on her face, "We are here."

Theo avoided the question and instead pulled back some vines and stepped through them, holding them open for Ava. Ava stepped through and her breath was caught in her throat. Whatever she had expected to see, wasn't what was in front of her. As Theo had led Them further and further into a dark jungle, she was racking her brain with what it could be and this was nowhere near what she thought. A cool tree, a sinkhole, ruins of a building, those were her top contenders, but none of them came close to what she saw.

She had stepped into a miniature paradise. The canopy above gave way to the bright moon, allowing the pale light to wash over the scene in front of her. There were rocks and boulders littered throughout the clearing and in the middle of it was a small body of water, maybe 40 feet in diameter. It was being fed by a small waterfall rushing down from a small cliff. The water was crystal clear, the bottom of it could be seen from the light provided by the moon. There were small white flowers in bloom all around the little clearing and Ava saw Theo walk towards the water.

Ava looked up at the sky and then around at the trees lining the clearing. She spun a few times, trying to take in the beauty of it all. Her breath had managed to find her again but her jaw hung open. She heard Theo laugh and snapped her head in that direction.

"I never got to take you to the waterfalls in Nefriti like I promised," Theo held out her arms, "This is the next best thing."

"How'd you find this place?" Ava walked towards Theo and the water.

"I know this island well," Theo said and then pulled Ava in by the waist when she was within reach.

Ava instinctively let her arms slither up and wrap around Theo's neck. Theo reached up a rough-textured hand and cupped Ava's jaw, gliding her thumb gently against her cheek. Ava didn't breathe in an attempt not to break the little bubble they had just formed.

"Can I?" Theo leaned in close and Ava nodded.

Theo pressed her lips gently to Ava's. It was the first kiss they had shared in a while. The soft press of their lips together made Ava feel so giddy inside it was as if they hadn't been doing the same thing for cycles. Theo pulled away before the exchange could go any further and smiled at Ava.

"You taste of ale," Theo stated.

Ava brought their lips together again and then pulled away after a moment and chuckled, "Odd. You don't taste of wine."

"I haven't been drinking."

"If I am not mistaken, you had a large bottle of wine earlier."

"Water. I rarely drink while we are in Corinspe. The wine bottle is to keep appearances and get the boys off my back," Theo informed Ava.

"Should I have not been drinking?" Ava's eyes widened. She wasn't drunk and hadn't been more than a little tipsy all night but the panic began to rise in her chest and her thoughts took on their characteristic spiral, "Shit, Theo. I don't know anything about what to expect for tomorrow's meeting. I didn't even think to ask. Xyra didn't tell me anything about it."

"Oi, oi, the drinking thing is just something I do," Theo said gently, putting her hands on either of Ava's arms and squeezing, "you're fine. Meeting doesn't start until the aftermorning and we usually wake up early enough to have a plan going in. Any questions you have can be answered then, enjoy your first night as a pirate. Xyra will be by your side the whole time too."

Ava nodded and let the advice soak in. Tomorrow seemed good. Ava was sharp, she believed in herself to be able to adapt if things went wrong. But the tightness from the outgoing panic still lingered and she didn't know why. At the mention of Xyra, her heart began to beat faster.

"You alright?" Theo asked.

The concern must have still been etched on Ava's face. Ava wanted to go back to enjoying the moment at the gorgeous waterfall but there was something eating at her. Something she needed to tell Theo. But what was it?

Then she remembered. She was sitting on a piece of information that could shatter whatever they had with just one sentence. Xyra had discovered their secret bedroom adventures and Ava didn't know how Theo would react to that. But Ava couldn't let herself continue to enjoy the night without coming clean. The sun had been so busy that there had been no logical time to tell her and this was the first opportunity that presented itself. Before she even had time to think it through some more, her gut told her to spit it out.

"Xyra knows we are sleeping together!"

Theo's face flashed with shock at the loudness, then confusion, then amusement?

"I mean, I would be surprised if she didn't," Theo laughed a bit, a silly smile on her face.

Ava tilted her head, eyebrows scrunched together, "You told her?"

"No," Theo laughed and dropped her hands from Ava's arms and shrugged, "she's just Xyra. Smart, likes to observe, knows me very well. Figured she was bound to figure it out eventually."

"You're not upset?"

"No?" Theo said but it seemed more like a question; like she was asking if she was supposed to react badly, "Are you?"

"No!" Ava shouted quickly then brought her tone down, "Not at all. It's just, you didn't tell anyone so I assumed we were keeping it a secret."

"You did?" Theo asked.

"You never said anything to anyone and were always skittish when people knocked on the door or came into the room when we were, y'know," Ava explained herself, "so I just assumed you didn't want anyone to know."

"People closest to me are the ones most at risk of getting hurt. I guess my reluctance to be obvious about it was because I know that once people find out about this," Theo motioned between them, "you get a target on your back. I just figured since you didn't want to say anything maybe it was smarter to keep it secret. To keep you safer."

"You think I didn't want to say anything?"

"Aye."

"We are really bad at communicating," Ava laughed.

"I take it you thought I cared about saying something so you didn't and I thought you cared so I didn't," Theo pursed her lips together, rocking back on her heels.

Ava put her finger on her nose.

"For what it is worth," Theo said with an unserious air about her, "I don't care if people know we are invested in each other."

"Invested?" Ava raised an eyebrow, "you are invested in me?"

Theo's eyes widened at what she said before she took a few steps back and recovered her expression. She cooled it into a cocky, semi-neutral expression and pulled off her undershirt with a shrug. She tossed the shirt onto the floor and began to hop towards the water as she pulled her boots off.

"The water looks lovely," Theo said and then pulled off her pants so she was only wearing a thin, long pair of undershorts and she carelessly dove into the shallow looking water. Theo tread water in the middle of the small lake. At second glance, it seemed to be way deeper than Ava had been expecting. Theo splashed water around in an attempt to call Ava's attention, "Come join me. It's a lovely freezing temperature."

Ava laughed at the Captain's childish antics. Familiar by now with the various distraction methods she employed. Ava unbuttoned her coat and slipped it off. The cold air hit her newly exposed chest and she wondered how she was letting herself get convinced to jump into what was probably freezing water without even knowing how to swim. Ava paused for a second and stared at the shit-eating smile that was plastered on Theo's face.

That was how.

-----------------------------

To say they had been cold while they were swimming would be the understatement of the classification. There was nothing that should have been fun or inviting about the melted snow that passed itself off as Theo's favorite lake. But neither of them wanted to get out, each of them having too much fun in each other's company to even suggest it. Theo over the course of an hour managed to coax Ava further and further into the lake and even managed to teach her how to swim, somewhat. No one suggested leaving until Ava's lips were turning blue and even Theo couldn't help but start shivering uncontrollably. They shivered and their teeth chattered together as they bolted out of the water and got dressed as quickly as they could. Ava gave Theo her shirt knowing that Theo had abandoned all but her undershirt during the party and Theo was thankful to have sleeves against the cold night air.

They had managed to warm up as they walked back through the jungle. Their body temperature rose as their legs got the blood flowing. They were laughing about Theo getting beat in an underwater breath-holding competition by Ava and Ava would not let up on the badgering. Bragging how she beat a captain at a water-based activity.

"I won't lie," Theo laughed, "you can hold your breath but at least I know how to swim."

Ava chuckled along, "Who taught you to swim?"

"My mother taught me when I was young. Most of us from Aeliz learn from the time we are babies and our mothers are the ones that teach us," Theo divulged as they walked forward. She could feel her walls rising up at the mention of her mother, knowing that there was bound to be a question about her.

"What was she like?" Ava asked and Theo could tell she was just being curious, no intentions of pushing.

"Beautiful. A strong speaker. Firm in her beliefs," Theo replied, swallowing the lump in her throat and forcing herself to talk about it. Theo regretted that she didn't honor the memories of her parents by speaking about them but it was always too painful, "I was very young when she died but I still remember her clearly."

Ava was silent, not offering anything else. Theo knew that Ava was keeping quiet as to not pressure Theo or make her uncomfortable. Theo had shut Ava down enough times when it came to prying into her past that the redhead rarely tried anymore and Theo felt guilty about it. Theo felt as if she wanted to share her past with Ava, she wanted to let Ava in. It wasn't a feeling she had ever felt. Even with Viv, sharing didn't come easy so it wasn't something she did often. Theo could tell that Ava's brain was still working, even in the silence. It was almost audible, the cogs turning in Ava's head.

"You can ask," Theo prompted her, "I can tell you have a question."

"It's intrusive," Ava deadpanned.

"Ask away. I'll answer anything," Theo said and meant it. She was making a conscious effort to open up. To prove to herself that she could allow herself to be vulnerable, that it was worth it. Ava getting injured and not waking up for suns really shocked Theo and instead of pushing Theo away out of fear of getting close and losing Ava, it spurred her into action.

Ava was a force of nature, a type of person Theo had never encountered before. Theo knew one thing for sure, they were both pirates and their suns were numbered. No sunrise was guaranteed and Theo wanted to spend as much of that time she was alive being happy. Ava made her happy and denying herself of that would be foolish. Opening up about difficult things was the first step in getting Ava to like her. Actually like her and for more than her bedroom skills.

"How did your parents die?" Ava asked.

Theo had been expecting that question, had welcomed it even, but her stomach dropped anyway. No one but a handful of people knew the real and full story, others had pieced together the most obvious pieces, and most had no clue.

"They were leaders of our revolution, my parents," Theo began, feeling her body come to life with an anxious buzzing, "Zaridios was our home but it was also home to the base of the Aelizan revolution. After lengths of fighting, the Center called for a truce and offered a peace treaty. Said they would agree to the demands made by the revolution. A separate Aelizan state, free from the rules of Baethan society."

Theo looked over at Ava who was walking next to her and then continued once she knew there were no questions from her first statement.

"The Center made due on their promise to begin negotiations and sent a whole fleet of ships along with one of the councilmembers, the one they chose to broker the peace. It was the first night of negotiations and the leaders wanted to usher in the new era with a celebration. They wanted to show The Center that Aeliz was a place full of vibrant and generous people. I still remember that celebration as if it had happened just last night."

Theo continued but the pace of her story was slow and her walking slowed down to match it. It wasn't intentional but it was as if recalling that night was physically draining the energy from her body.

"The streets were filled with music and laughter and so much joy. The soldiers and diplomats from The Center were paraded around the street and celebrated to show that, despite all their differences, there was no ill will towards them. The celebrations died down and the negotiations began. They took place in private, with all of the leaders of the revolution, the councilman in charge of negotiations, and the other diplomats. I wanted to be there. I was a stubborn little child so I didn't take no for an answer and I didn't let them leave to negotiate without taking me."

Theo licked her lips and tried to continue but her feet stopped moving. Her brain was making her decide, stick with the story, or keep walking; there wasn't the mental capacity for both. So Theo stopped and took a deep breath and kept pushing through the story, one she hadn't told in close to 10 lengths but often came to her in dreams. Cooker and Xyra usually told the story to anyone that needed to know and Theo was able to avoid it altogether.

"It was a giant hall so my parents let me sneak in on account that I would stay out of sight and in the back. So I did. It was not even an hour into negotiations when the council member gave the word and his soldiers barricaded the room. No one could come in or out. I didn't even realize what was happening, I was too young. People started running but with nowhere to go, the Baethan soldiers began to kill anyone within sight. Some fought back but others hadn't brought any weapons, others were elders and too weak to fight, and in the end, they were all outnumbered."

Hot tears threatened to break and spill down her icy cheeks. Theo gripped her thumb within her fist and squeezed in an attempt to center herself and get through the story without breaking. She felt a hand over her cheek and saw Ava staring straight into her eyes, bringing comfort.

"I saw my father fight. I watched from my corner as he protected who he could but he was not strong enough to take on all the soldiers. He knew it too, I could see it in his eyes that he knew there was no hope. I watched them kill him. My mom found me in the corner and used what time she had left to help me escape. There were small grates all around the building and there was one in the great hall. She pushed me through and told me to run to a special place we used to go to and the last thing I saw before crawling through the grate was them killing her."

Ava was stunned but she didn't let her shock stop her from being as supportive as she could, Theo could tell. Her thumb stroked Theo's cheek and the silence between them was recognition enough that Ava had heard the story, had absorbed the story, had understood the reluctance to relive it again.

"They were always paranoid people. With good reason. So they had an escape plan. I ran to where she told me to and there was a family friend waiting to take me to safety. I didn't even have a chance to stop by my house because by the time I had made it out of the building, they had razed the rest of the city," Theo finished and a single tear dropped from her eye.

"Theo," Ava said softly, trying to come up with the correct words to say, "No one deserves to go through that. That was a nightmare"

"Aye," Theo said through a strained voice and cleared her throat, "tragedy, massacre, depravity. I've heard it be called many things."

"I'm sorry for asking," Ava said, sincerity laced in her voice.

"Nonsense. I told you that you could," Theo raised her hand and put it over Ava's, "I was ready to tell you."

"What changed?"

Theo shrugged, "I trust you. I wanted to let you in, I guess."

"I-" Ava was stumped.

"Red's at a loss for words, a rarity," Theo teased, already feeling the weight from the confession lift. There was still a rawness in her chest, a tenderness from unhealed pain but it was better than she had expected.

Ava pulled her hand from Theo's cheek and swatted at her chest with it, "Uncalled for."

Theo grabbed Ava's hand from her chest but didn't let it go, instead, she gave it a tug and kept walking, "C'mon. We've got a long walk ahead of us."

---------------

Theo led them over to a large three-story building instead of walking them back to the ship. The inside of the building looked a lot nicer than Ava expected any building in Corinspe to look like and it seemed to be an inn. Theo left for a few seconds to inquire with the inn's owner about something and then came back.

"Our rooms should be open. They are on the third floor," Theo said with a smile on her face. The way Theo was able to bounce back from emotional extremes was impressive.

They walked to the third floor together and Theo stopped at the door that was in front of the stairs.

"This one is mine," Theo said and Ava nodded.

"Alright, goodnight," Ava smiled and pointed down the hall, "pretty sure you said I was down that way so I guess this is where we part ways."

Theo reached forward and pulled Ava close, "Guess so."

"Theo," Ava tried to suppress a faint laugh but it was useless. Theo grinned at the noise and leaned in close and placed a kiss on Ava's lips.

Ava kissed back and was about to lean in to keep it going when she remembered they were out in the open, "Theo, people will see."

"I don't really care anymore," Theo shrugged and leaned back in to kiss Ava.

Ava laughed against the kiss and pushed at Theo's chest, pushing her away, "Goodnight, Captain."

"Stay with me?" Theo asked, grabbing Ava's hand to keep her from leaving.

"In the morning, people will see me leave your room and they'll know," Ava insisted but her laugh was giving her lack of resolve away.

"Then they'll know," Theo shrugged.

Ava wanted to give in so badly. Just saying yes and then being able to stay with Theo, being able to potentially not have to hide their complicated relationship with each other. But there were still so many unknowns, including how things would work out when they stopped sleeping together. If the whole crew knew, it would just be awkward.

"Theo, when this ends," Ava motioned between them, "what then? What are people going to say?"

"You were planning on ending things?" Theo chuckled a bit, she was teasing Ava, taking her words out of context on purpose, "Is the date already scheduled in your journal?"

"No-" Ava was flustered, that wasn't what she had meant.

"Because if there is anything I can do to push that date back, let me know," Theo's lips pulled into a smile, "because I don't want this to end."

"What?"

"I don't want what's between us to end," Theo repeated.

"That is a bold statement and it carries a lot of weight," Ava warned.

"Good thing I'm bold and able to carry heavy things," Theo retorted.

Ava couldn't help but laugh in disbelief. Theo had never been this forward and yet had never been so vague.

"What has gotten into you?"

"Clarity."

"What has been made clear, hm?" Ava crossed her arms in front of her chest, putting space between them.

Theo reached forward and undid Ava's arms before pulling her in close once again. Theo put a finger under Ava's chin and tilted it towards herself.

"That I have feelings inside of me that I cannot categorize or make sense of and they are because of you. I thought I experienced it before, falling for someone, but I hadn't. Not like this. My gut aches for you when you are not around, Red, and my heart soars when you are and at times I wonder if it will fly out of my chest. Ending whatever we have, that is not something I want to do," Theo admitted a wild grin on her face as if she had been keeping that in for cycles.

Ava was breath taken by the words Theo was saying. She needed to be pinched. If someone had asked her at the beginning of the sun if she had expected this, she would have laughed,

"You are falling for me?" Ava asked, as if the entire common tongue had slipped from her memory and she could only repeat what had been said.

"And I'm pretty sure I have been since you stepped foot onto my ship, rich girl," Theo teased and gently pressed their foreheads together before whispering, "Does that scare you?"

Ava looked into the deep brown eyes that stared back at her. Theo's pupils were blown wide in anticipation of Ava's response. Ava began with moving her head slightly from left to right, as best as she could from her close position to Theo. Finally, her words caught up to her.

"No. No that doesn't scare me," Ava let a large smile take over her face, "and I know for a fact that I have been falling for you since the moment you saved me from Xyra the first time I met you."

"Woah, this whole communication thing works. Who would have thought putting our emotions into words would have been so effective," Theo laughed.

"Captain, with all due respect, shut the fuck up and kiss me," Ava said, and as soon as the words left her mouth, plush warm lips locked in with her own. Electricity shot through her and reached even the tips of her toes. She was pushed against the door by Theo and Ava reached out a hand scrambled across the wood to try and find the handle. She twisted the knob but pressure from them both against the door caused them to swing forward and stumble backward into the room before falling on top of each other.

Theo was on top of Ava, arms holding herself up. She looked back just long enough to kick the door shut and then returned her lips to hover over Ava's, "Where were we?"