When Ava awoke the arms that had been wrapped around her all night were absent and as she rolled over and felt around the bed she realized she was alone. Ava gave herself a few more minutes of shut-eye before rolling out of bed. She pulled on one of the coats they had packed for her and stepped outside. It was earlier than it had been when she woke up the day before, the sun had just risen. Theo was standing by the fire, her back to Ava. Theo had on some loose black pants, flowing in the wind and a tight band of fabric across her chest, the rest of her torso exposed. Ava could see Theo's tattoos in the morning light and they never ceased to amaze her, the intricate patterns must have held so much meaning.

Theo heard the crunching of the sand behind her and turned around, flashing a large smile, "My day has just become brighter."

Ava felt her cheeks flush and her chest warm and she gave a small, sleepy wave as she stopped next to Theo, "Morning."

"Breakfast will be ready started soon," Theo commented and Ava just nodded then leaned over a bit and rested her head against Theo's arm.

She felt the arm move from under her and wrap around her shoulders. Ava was pulled in by Theo and she responded by wrapping her arms around Theo's midsection. They were quiet, basking in each other's warmth as they stared at the steadily rising sun. Ava could hear Theo's heartbeat, a calming rhythm. They stayed in their embrace for a while before Theo pressed her lips to Ava's head and removed her arm. Ava let Theo go and Theo took the opportunity to walk back towards the house to start preparing breakfast. The mood already felt lighter, Theo seemed better. Whatever thoughts had been plaguing her the sun before had dissipated and Ava felt the same way. Her worries from the night before were mostly gone and she felt free. Free to enjoy Theo, free to enjoy nature, free to enjoy the time off.

Theo returned with wooden bowls of fruit, larger than the morning before and with more variety. She handed it to Ava and then sat down by the fire.

"Sorry I didn't make anything to go with it. I figured we could have a large dinner?" Theo suggested and Ava agreed silently.

Ava ate her own fruit at a slower pace than Theo did, who was just popping whole chunks of fruit in her mouth, barely chewing and then swallowing. Ava laughed to herself a bit and Theo raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"You eat like someone that was raised around pirates," Ava commented and it earned her a small shove from Theo.

In response to Ava's comment, aside from a push, Theo stuffed four large pieces of fruit in her mouth and began to chew. It was difficult for Theo but entertaining for Ava and as Theo tried to chew on the fruit crowding her mouth, juice began to spill down her chin. Ava laughed which caused Theo to laugh and almost choke on the fruit. Theo had to spit it out on the sand with a cough as Ava's laughs grew more uncontrolled. Theo began to sweep sand over the fruit that was now on the floor and she looked over at Ava with a shrug.

"I'll clean it up later," Theo laughed and wiped the juice from her chin.

"I hope you forget so you have to step on it later," Ava said.

"I hope I forget so you have to step on it later," Theo challenged and this time it was Ava's turn to shove Theo.

Theo barely moved at being pushed by Ava and picked up her fruit bowl again, unfazed. Ava picked at her fruit but there was a lot and she was already getting full. She pushed around the fruit for a bit and her mind wandered to what Theo had been doing the night before. How long had she been out? Where did she go? Whatever it had been, she looked, sounded, and acted a lot more relieved about whatever was on her mind.

"You look less burdened today," Ava pointed out.

Theo looked somewhat shocked by the comment at first like she hadn't expected Ava to be able to pick up on the mood change so quickly. Her shock was replaced by a smile and she gave a quick nod, "I am. I had a lot on my mind that I had to work through. "

"And you did?"

"Aye."

"How?"

Theo chuckled, the way she did when Ava drilled Theo with a line of questioning, "I thought a lot about what was going on in my head. Realized there were a lot of things I was worried about that were not my fault and out of my control. Also realized there were a lot of things I did that could have been done better but are out of my control now too. It didn't solve everything but I sought out Riva last night and..."

"And?"

"And she brought me peace," Theo said with a soft smile, her eyes distant, remembering what had happened the night before.

"So your head is clear?" Ava asked, she wanted to ask more about Riva and the gods and religion but it was far too early for that.

"I suppose so," Theo nodded and took a deep breath, "it is."

"Then I should inform you, we are allowed to go back. Xyra's exact words were to not bring you back until your head was clear. So we are free to go whenever," Ava informed Theo of what she had been instructed.

"In that case, my head is very cloudy and so, so muddled. There is no clarity and I need more time," Theo said quickly, her smile dropping as she feigned being serious.

Ava laughed, "I suppose we will have to stay longer."

"Indefinitely, if I might add," Theo put the back of her hand to her forehead and said in an airy voice, "I don't know when I might be well enough to travel back to town."

"You can just say you want to spend time with me," Ava teased with a wink.

"I want to spend time with you," Theo said without hesitation, dropping her act. She looked at Ava and set down her fruit bowl and leaned in slightly.

Ava followed her lead and also leaned in, closing the gap between them, "Well then, we have no choice but to stay."

Ava leaned in for a kiss but Theo pulled back, leaving Ava hanging. Ava's mouth dropped open in shock as she saw Theo smirk and shrug her shoulder. It was payback for a few nights before when Ava had done the same thing. Ava got up and began to back away.

"I think I will be going after all," Ava huffed.

"You can't leave me," Theo chuckled, "you just said we have to stay."

Theo stood up and began to walk after Ava. Ava took a step back, Theo took one forward. Ava picked up her pace to not get caught by Theo but Theo was at an advantage and quickly began to catch up.

"I can do whatever I want," Ava laughed as Theo got closer and she turned around before sprinting forward.

She heard Theo laugh and begin to give chase. Ava didn't get very far before someone crashed into her back as arms wrapped around her waist and lifted her up. Ava squealed and kicked her legs and Theo let her down but didn't let go. Instead, she placed a kiss on Ava's shoulder.

"What do I need to do to get you to stay?" Theo asked, her tone dropping an octave and Ava felt her skin raise.

Ava rested her head against Theo, "My demands are plenty but let's start with a kiss."

Ava felt the arms let her go and Theo stepped in front of her. Ava felt butterflies fly wildly in her stomach. They hadn't kissed since the morning of the meeting and Ava was going through withdrawals. Theo took initiative and brought a hand up to the back of Ava's neck and brought their lips together. Theo's face was cold but her lips were warm. The lightning bolt-like energy between them was there, just like their first kiss. Ava's hands came up behind Theo's head and tangled themselves in her thick, soft hair. Theo brought her hands down to Ava's waist and then they moved to the small of her back and then started to creep downwards.

Ava had no intentions of ending their kiss and neither did Theo. She wanted more, she needed more. Again, Theo seemed to be on the same wavelength and her hands that had moved downward were now at the base of Ava's thighs and Theo lifted her up. Ava wrapped her legs around Theo and Theo held her tight. Ava attempted to break the kiss but Theo chased her when she pulled away. Ava tugged at Theo's hair slightly to pull their lips apart and Ava could have sworn Theo groaned when she did that.

"Take me to bed," Ava said, it was said as more of a question. Ava didn't know if Theo wanted that.

"If that is your demand in order to stay, I have no choice but to comply," Theo said with a smirk that made Ava fuzzy inside.

Ava, without much finesse, smashed their lips back together and Theo began to walk them backward. Not a bad start to her morning.

---------

They had been stuck to the bed all morning and aftermoning and didn't emerge until after the sun had set. The only time one of them had gotten out of bed was Theo and it was to go refill their water from the spring. Because they sure needed to stay hydrated. They engaged in lots of, for lack of a better term, fun adult activities, and Ava was absolutely exhausted by the end of the sun. Theo was too if the nap they took was any indication. They had engaged, cuddled, talked, engaged some more, and then fell asleep. When Ava awoke, the sun had set and Theo was still asleep. Ava woke her up gently, careful to not have an upset Theo on her hands. She trailed light kisses up Theo's back until she shifted awake. Theo had flipped them over and began kissing Ava, and Ava melted into the kiss without any hesitation. The moment was ruined when Ava's stomach growled loudly and Theo laughed, pulling away to rest her forehead against Ava's.

"Looks like we have to do deal with that," Theo commented and flung the covers off of her.

Theo got right to work on dinner, neither of them having eaten anything since the morning. Ava took the time to look through the bags for a comfortable coat. The people who had packed her bag had refused to pack anything warm and soft, just warm. Ava found a wool shawl-like garment in Theo's bag and politely asked if she could steal it. She was granted permission to wear it and as she unfurled it to put it on, something fell out. Ava bent down and picked up a large leather bag with a note attached to the drawstrings. She unfurled the note and it was in a different language, definitely not for her; which she should have gathered given it wasn't her shawl or her bag. Ava took it outside to Theo and upon opening it, Theo found an assortment of drugs. Theo read the note and laughed but didn't tell Ava what it said.

Ava had instructions to pick something out to enjoy that night while Theo finished the food and Ava took her job seriously. She picked ravci, very predictable but she wasn't in the mood for anything too extreme. Ava even made the ravci cigarettes for them, having learned from Cooker how to do it. Dinner, as always, was great and Ava wondered how many talents Theo had, would Ava ever stop being surprised by her? After the food, they enjoyed their cigarettes and Theo found herself with her head in Ava's lap, looking up at the stars.

Ava ran her hands through Theo's hair, mindlessly twirling some pieces between her fingers. Theo had one hand over her stomach and the other up behind her, resting across Ava's lap as well. They had been talking about the blankets they had eventually dragged out by the fire, Theo had regaled her with a story about it being a gift from some high priest of a well-known underground church. They were the warmest blankets she had ever used and the story made them that much more impressive.

It had grown quiet and Theo looked pensive as Ava combed her fingers through Theo's hair, lightly rubbing her scalp as Theo leaned into her touch.

"What's on your mind?" Ava asked, usually being the one asked.

Theo didn't immediately answer, like she was weighing if she should say something, "I want to know more about you."

"I think you know everything about me," Ava responded in a cool tone but a knot had formed in her stomach.

"I mean like, you never have any details about your life. You'll tell me a story here and there but it's like you're afraid about talking about home," Theo said and looked up at Ava.

Ava had asked for a lot from Theo and Theo had willingly obliged, giving up a lot of information about herself. The least Ava could do was answer any questions she had to the capacity she could without revealing her secret. Theo was partially right but also there wasn't much to her before running away.

"I spent a lot of time retreating from public life. My family has power and that comes with a lot of political engagements and I never fancied them much. Once I was old enough to figure out I could act up to get out of things, I started to do that. I always just thought it was because I hated being told what to do and parading around but I think I always knew what my family was doing wrong."

"What did your family do that's wrong?"

"What every rich person in Baethos does," Ava shrugged, it wasn't far off from the truth, "take advantage of people, lie, care not for the problems of others, agree with Eloxian superordination."

"Tell me about them, your family?"

"I've told you about them," Ava said and massaged at Theo's scalp, "you've already asked this before.

"Aye, I did but I'm still curious. You've told me stories of them, anecdotes, brief details but not enough to get a good picture," Theo closed her eyes, "you don't have to share more with me but I was wondering what the people you were raised with were like."

Ava felt no pressure to divulge anything which made her want to. She decided to tell Theo about them, even if it was hard to remember those she no longer considered family. She would steer clear of any major details that would give her away but Theo deserved to be let in.

"I was one of the youngest of my family so I didn't spend a lot of time with my oldest siblings. They never really seemed to like me or any of the younger ones, most of them had moved on to other things by the time I was old enough to remember anything. Two brothers and a sister," Ava avoided giving any of their names.

"My brothers have been with the army ever since leaving home. My sister was married off to a man in Dove Island and she left shortly after I was born. I have only seen her a few times in my life and I do not know much about her," Ava shared and she could see Theo smile a bit at the sound of Ava sharing about herself.

"I had three other older sisters at home and I also had two older brothers that I lived with for a large portion of my life. I only had two younger siblings, a set of twins, two boysl. Not much to say about them really. The boys were all rascals who couldn't stop getting in trouble. They found it funny to poke fun of me and my sisters and their bullying often turned too malicious," Ava remembered how callous they could be, how hurtful.

"And your sisters?"

"We never really got along," Ava chuckled a bit, "I was a bit of an annoying kid I will admit but they weren't patient in the slightest. As kids, if we didn't end up pulling each other's hair and tumbling on the ground during playtime then it was a gift from the gods. As we got older, we drifted. Boys seemed to be all they could talk about, all anyone talked about, and I wasn't interested. They also bought into the whole lifestyle more than I ever did, it was hard to connect with them so I just didn't. I retreated and they let me. It was easier."

Theo sat up and faced Ava, then crossed her legs. She motioned to her lap and Ava layed down, switching places with Theo as Theo ran her hands through Ava's hair and traced light touches over her face.

"I can't blame my siblings though, for anything they did to me or made me feel. My parents bear the load of that resentment. They raised insatiable little monsters," Ava laughed a little, "that is what my tutor used to call them."

"Your parents, you never talk about them. I don't think I've ever really heard you talk about your mother," Theo observed.

Ava felt a pang in her chest. There was a reason she never spoke about her. She was Ava's torment, the reason she lost sleep at night. The worry about others' perceptions of her could be traced to her mother. All of the self-doubt and self-loathing, her mother. There was a lot of resentment there and Ava had never really handled it, just pushed it out of mind.

"She wasn't my mother as much as she was my keeper, my trainer. Making sure I didn't say the wrong thing or give the wrong impression. Making sure I minded my manners and wore my dresses just right. Even then, others did that for her. She was detached," Ava said and she surprised herself with the bitterness that was in her voice, "I wasn't as easy as my other sisters. I didn't take after her in looks, or personality, or charm, or inherent social savvy. My sisters did and she never let me forget it."

Theo placed her hand on Ava's shoulder, rubbing her thumb soothingly across her skin, "I'm sorry, Red."

Ava cleared her throat and smiled but it didn't reach her ears, it was a sad smile, "I've got family now. I am okay."

Theo leaned forward and kissed Ava on her forehead, "Thank you for sharing with me. For trusting me."

Ava smiled and put her hand over the hand placed on her shoulder, "Theo?"

"Hm?"

"Not tonight, but eventually, will you tell you more about your life at sea?"

"Thought you had several books for those," Theo reminded her with a short laugh.

Ava sat up and turned around enough to see Theo, "I don't want to learn about you from a book."

"Aye," Theo reached forward and swiped her thumb across Ava's cheek to brush off some stray sand, "I would be delighted to share that with you."

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

The next night, after another successful attempt at teaching Ava how to swim and another fantastic dinner, Ava's words, Theo found herself back in Ava's lap. They each had a blanket around them and Ava was taking turns smoking a dragon's breath pipe and holding it to Theo's lips.

"Remember how earlier when you were trying to get me to do that underwater thing you bribed me by saying I could ask any question I wanted," Ava asked.

Theo laughed, it was a pretty good bribe and it worked. Theo had been trying to get her to learn to hold her breath, dive, and open her eyes underwater all at the same time and it took some convincing.

"You said you would think about it," Theo recalled, "I'm assuming you have landed on one?"

"I have," Ava said and when Theo looked up at her, there was a hint of mischief in her eyes.

"I guess it is time to deal with the consequences of making shady deals," Theo sighed.

"Were you in love with Xyra?" Ava giggled.

Theo groaned and covered her face with her hand, "We're not going there."

Ava pried Theo's hands away and laughed, "I'm afraid we've already arrived."

Theo's wrists were held away from her, unable to give her the cover she needed. Theo looked up at the redhead whose eyes were gleaming in anticipation. Theo wrestled her wrists free and pulled her blanket up over her head.

"When I was a kid, I had a small crush on Xyra, aye," Theo confirmed from the safety of her cocoon and she heard Ava almost cackle.

The blanket was almost yanked off of her but Theo kept it in place. Ava whined, "Don't hide."

They struggled over control of the blanket before Ava won out and once again took away Theo's shield.

"How old were you?" Ava pressed on, ignoring Theo's pleas to move on.

Theo let out a loud and dramatic sigh, one that came from deep in her chest, "It started when I was like 10."

Ava gasped, a large smile on her face, "Meaning it lasted a while?"

Theo hated how much Ava was enjoying her discomfort. Talking about her old feelings for Xyra was embarrassing. Theo was young, learning to navigate romantic feelings, and jealous of Xyra and Cooker spending more time alone together.

"Aye, longer than a length. More like two," Theo chuckled but it was a mortified one, "I was a kid and I thought that I knew what romantic feelings were like and I thought that I was in love with Xyra."

"When did you stop liking her?"

"On my 12th commencement anniversary, she kissed me," Theo recalled.

"And?"

"And I realized that I had never had any intention of moving forward with her, romantically or physically. I was enamored by the idea of love, by the idea of someone to be with, by the possibility that someone could like me like that and the closest thing to someone taking care of me like that and being with me unconditionally was Xyra. Cook always took care of me but she never tickled my fancy," Theo explained, it was embarrassing but as she talked about it, she smiled.

"Did she like you back?"

"Fuck no," Theo laughed remembering all the times that Xyra had made it very clear that she had no intention of pursuing anything with Theo.

"Then why'd she kiss you?" Ava asked and brought her hands down to cup Theo's face in her hands, warming Theo's cheeks with her hands.

"To prove her point that I didn't actually like her, just the idea of her," Theo shook her head and shuddered a bit, "First and only time we have willingly exchanged saliva, thinking about it now I get nauseous."

Ava laughed, "Why?"

"Xyra? Really?" Theo poked fun at herself, "plus, she's got that over me for the rest of my fucking life."

"I think it's cute," Ava leaned forward and placed an upside-down kiss on Theo's lips, "little Theo all doe-eyed and pining over a girl. I'll never stop bothering you about it."

Theo narrowed her eyes and closed her lips tightly so when Ava came down for another kiss, there wasn't much cooperation. Ava gave up on that plan and Theo laughed at the pout on her face.

"If I give you something even juicer, something not a lot of people know, will you get off my back about Xyra, for good?" Theo sat up and turned around to face Ava, "you cannot bring it up again."

Ava squinted, examining Theo's face for any clues, "What is it?"

Theo tutted and shook her head, "No information until I get your word."

"What if I agree and it's information I already know?" Ava countered.

"I guarantee you it is not. I wouldn't steer you wrong," Theo held out her hand for a handshake.

"Fine," Ava took the bait and reached out to shake. Theo shook Ava's hand then pulled in her close.

"Cooker used to be in love with Xyra too and they used to fuck," Theo wiggled her eyebrows as she whispered, "and they were each other's firsts."

Ava's mouth dropped and Theo laughed. Ava pulled her hand away from the shake and used it to shove Theo's shoulder.

"You're lying," Ava gasped out, still reeling from the sudden information.

"I was there, I am the sole witness to this," Theo confirmed what she had told Ava. Had she sacrificed the personal information of two people very close to her in order to save herself from further questions about herself? Aye, and she would do it again. It was the pirate's life.

"I have so many questions," Ava said and Theo shook her head indicating she was not at liberty to disclose anything else, "please, Theo. Three questions. Just three."

Theo rolled her eyes and pretended to contemplate but she already knew she was going to give in to Ava. There was rarely a thing that Ava asked for that Theo didn't do and Theo was a sucker for her and her stupid, large, cute, inviting green eyes. Theo motioned for Ava to continue.

"Was Xyra into Cooker?" Ava asked and honestly, she always made her questions worth it.

"No," Theo shrugged, "at least not evidently. Cooker's feelings only lasted for maybe a length at most. One day, she and Xyra had a conversation, and shortly after Cooker was over it. I never found out what was said and I don't think I ever will."

"The drama," Ava put her elbows on her crossed legs and stayed leaning forward, face close to Theo. Theo didn't know if it was her new job or her extended time with Oceane but Ava had gotten the bug for gossip, arguably it was always there but now she had become an expert at it, "Do they still do it?"

"They know each other and what they like and in times of stress we all have been known to enjoy some physical touch so I wouldn't be surprised if they've sought each other since then. I mean, besides the brief time where Cooker was romantically interested, it was always friendly between them. No pressure is how Xyra described it," Theo shrugged, she didn't know if it had or hadn't happened since they agreed to stop but Theo was leaning more towards yes.

Theo knew both of them and they both reacted to stress and solitude the same way, seeking each other out. Xyra spoke Cooker's language and it wasn't a surprise that both Cooker and Theo were infatuated with her at some point in time. Xyra and Cooker were no strangers to long nights at sea with no one to scratch the itch but each other, Theo doubted it ever fully stopped.

"One night, I went to go see Cooker, and her and Xyra were together. Like in the bed, sleeping with each other," Ava's eyes went wide as she remembered but then her expression fell, "Nevermind, I forgot that was normal for your group. They had clothes on. It probably wasn't anything."

Theo laughed a bit, "Aye. It probably wasn't, I'm sorry to disappoint."

"How long did it go on?" Ava asked, still not satisfied with the information given. Theo loved how invested she was, not only for the gossip but because she genuinely wanted to know about the people in her life. But also because of the gossip.

"They were casually sleeping with each other for quite some time, about three or four lengths I reckon," Theo looked up at the sky as she calculated her estimate, "It stopped right after I became a captain and right before Navi."

"Speaking of Navi..." Ava started and Theo reached out to place a hand over Ava's mouth.

"You got your questions," Theo said and Ava tried licking Theo's palm to get her to remove it, but it didn't work, "I get some now. Were you ever courted by your groom-to-be?"

Theo slowly removed her hand from Ava's mouth and wiped it on her pants.

"No. I was simply told that I would be wed to him and when the ceremony was set for," Ava answered quickly, "next question."

"Did you have a childhood crush?" Theo asked and Ava wasn't as quick with her response.

Ava looked down at the sand and dug her toes in. She bit her lip, suddenly immersed in thought. Ava blinked a few times and her eyes looked glassy, like there were tears forming but by the time Ava looked back up, there was no sign of anything.

"I think I was in love with my chambermaid," Ava said as she quickly looked back down, "like, it wasn't actually love but I was definitely in love with her. I don't know, it's hard to explain."

"I understand," Theo reached out and put a hand on Ava's knee. She did understand, it was what she had with Viv. Theo loved her but it wasn't true love, real love. One-sided even.

"I didn't realize it until..." Ava laughed softly to herself, "right now, I suppose."

"What was her name?" Theo asked, Ava had never mentioned it before.

"Eliandris," Ava smiled and looked up at Theo, "I called her Eli."

"That's a beautiful name," Theo said and then crawled around Ava and behind her, opening her legs and pulling Ava between them. Ava leaned back and rested her head on Theo's chest. Theo ran her fingers through Ava's scalp and Ava relaxed against her, melting into her lap, "I've gotten my three questions."

What Ava had realized was a lot, Theo thought it best to take it easy with pushing further with Ava for the night. Theo knew how much she missed her chambermaid and the amount of guilt that Ava felt for leaving her behind so the realization she had come to that night was probably all the more difficult. Ava was going through heartbreak, even if it was minor and short-lasting. Theo heard Ava sniffle a bit but she didn't mention it.

"You gonna ask your questions now?" Theo jostled her legs which caused Ava to shake around.

She felt Ava's laugh against her chest which caused Theo to laugh. A silly smile was on Theo's face at the fact that she had made Ava laugh.

"You and Navi-" Ava said and Theo interrupted what she was going to say with a whistle.

"You really know how to interrogate a fucker, Red, fuck's sake," Theo laughed.

"As I was saying," Ava said pointedly and bumped her head back against Theo's chest, "we've talked about it before but now I know a whole lot more and I have more questions."

"Fine," Theo conceded, "since you did hear us having sex and that is something I am still sorry about it, I will grant you the answers you seek."

"You would have granted them to me anyway," Ava smirked and Theo caught a glimpse of it.

"Oi, watch it," Theo threatened, "I might shut right up, like a clam."

Ava laughed and patted Theo's leg as a peace offering, "Okay, okay, explain. It's just, knowing now the extent of Xyra and Navi's history I just don't understand why you would ever do that. No judgment, I'm just a bit baffled. It just seemed so... out of character."

Theo sighed, there wasn't an answer as to why she had done it.

"Navi and I go back farther than any of the current crew besides Cook and Xy. I met her at a tavern one night when we were both drunk, in Niveal of all places and we became friends," Theo shrugged, "I learned she was a navigator, charged a lot for her time, and was quickly becoming the best on the Baethan seas. I kept tabs on her because I knew if I were to ever get my own crew, I needed her on it. Sometimes we would end up at the same port and just meet up and have a good time together. Sometimes- most times- it ended in sex but it's Navi so what do you expect? She's known for having someone in every port," Theo chuckled a bit.

"By the time I formed my own crew she was familiar enough with me and trusted me enough to join," Theo shrugged, if she was going to be less villainized for her decision she needed to explain the backstory so Ava had more context. Theo and Navi had a history before Navi and Xyra did.

"And then? There is still a lot missing," Ava nudged the conversation forward.

"Patience, I'm getting there," Theo said and bent forward to kiss Ava's head, a bit aggressively, which Ava laughed at, "we slept together here or there until I found out Xyra was interested, and then I backed off. That time you heard with Navi was our first time since we had stopped. It had just been so long since she and Xyra had been broken up and I wasn't really thinking and I was being really stupid and impulsive. It was a shit decision."

"I agree with you on that," Ava nodded and Theo had no choice but to roll her eyes and smile, not that Ava could see.

"Anyway," Theo made an attempt to change the subject, "anything else you care to know about, preferably not about this?"

"Do you have a lot of sex?" Ava asked and peeked her head back at Theo.

Theo opened her mouth to respond but she laughed and hung her head back instead, "Red, the tact in which you approach things never ceases to surprise me."

"Do you?" Ava laughed at the sound of Theo's and pulled the blanket over them, "I just want to know."

"I am currently only having sex with you so by your standards, how would you answer that?"

"I mean, before me."

"Did I have lots of sex?" Theo corrected, "When I first discovered the magic of it, aye, but after a while it gets exhausting. I started only partaking occasionally and with people I already knew. Less chance to get caught in a trap or murdered by a lady assassin."

"Rumor has it that you were quite the philanderer," Ava said.

"Aye, I've gotten quite the reputation but it isn't really true. I get a lot of attention, that is true. I flirt quite a bit, that is also true" Theo smiled a bit. She wasn't ashamed of it per se, her past was her past, it's that she would be forever known in history as sex-crazed and lewd when that only reflected a small portion of her life.

Theo took a deep breath and exhaled, "Like I said, when I was younger I was insatiable. New port, new girl. I was just having fun, making the most of my life. Right around the time I got promoted to first mate on my old crew, I stopped. Most nights I ended up alone, by my own choosing. Every once in a while I had an urge or a need but the busier I became with pirate stuff the less anything else mattered. I had suddenly found myself with a ship to run."

"Do the lies bother you? The perception of you that others have?" Ava knew how to dig deep into Theo's soul and pull out her most hidden insecurities, mostly by accident.

"They used to," Theo took a deep breath remembering the nights she would stay up worrying about her reputation that had been made for her before she was even ten, "I figured out that their image of me was an advantage. Everything I did was hyperbolized in tale tales, stories that schoolchildren spread around. So if I leaned into it, the tales would get taller and my name would bring fear to anyone that heard it and I barely had to do more than what I already did."

"That's why you put on a show," Ava deduced and Theo felt a pang in her gut at the mention of her 'shows'. It was a character that Theo put on but it wasn't far off from reality. Sometimes, she couldn't separate herself from the character in combat at times.

"Comes with the territory of being a pirate," Theo shrugged, "I learned that early in life, most of them are more bark than bite."

"I have so many questions about you," Ava said, a bit of wonder in her voice.

"Any tips on how to get out those questions for the night?" Theo didn't know how much she could handle.

"I have something in mind," Ava raised her eyebrows suggestively.

"I think we are on the same page," Theo said and stood up, helping Ava up too, "a late-night swim."

Theo bent down and picked Ava up, throwing the girl over her shoulder and running towards the water. Ava screamed and tried to slap at Theo's back in an effort to get put back down but Theo was headed straight towards the water with no intentions of stopping.