Finally alone in the captain’s cabin, Jude slumped against the wall and took a moment to catch his breath. He hadn’t realised his heart was racing until the captain had finally left with a quiet click of the door shut behind him.

Once Jude was back on stable feet, he rushed over to the door and drew the curtains over it as instructed. In all honesty, he couldn’t comprehend doing something so vulnerable in the captain’s room of all places, but the idea of the first mate walking in and finding him there was a terrifying thought. He doubted she would believe him if he explained Captain Kit’s offer, for he hardly believed it himself. Part of him was sure he’d be waking up at any moment, swinging in his hammock and surrounded by snoring drunks.

But, when he turned around and leaned his back against the curtained doorway, he knew it was no dream. In front of him was indeed the captain’s cabin, silent and empty, and growing increasingly darker as the sun continued its slow path behind the horizon. There he was, alone, both trapped and freed by the four walls and piles of clutter that surrounded him.

It was not an opportunity he planned to waste.

Though it felt odd to pick up the captain’s pipe and poke through the bookshelf as if it were his own, he soon found comfort on a tattered chaise lounge next to the captain’s wine stand. Its cushions were firm and even torn in places, but he sank into it gladly, his legs curled up to his chest with a thick novel propped up on his thighs. His left hand held onto the pipe while his right turned the pages, and though he read slowly, it wasn’t half a page before he’d become totally transfixed.

Jude couldn’t comprehend doing something so vulnerable in the captain’s room, but he could at least make the most of some time to himself.

He only looked up from his book when a creaking came from the french doors some chapters later. He jolted upright and shot a look at the doorway, finding Captain Kit stood there with one hand holding the curtain out of his way. Jude exhaled a relieved breath and set the book down in his lap, closing it on his thumb so he wouldn’t lose his place.

“You’re still here,” the captain noted, his brow raised inquisitively.

Jude paused and glanced down at the stack of pages held down by his thumb, marking his slow progress through the prose. “H-has it been an hour already?”

The captain hummed as he stepped into the room, letting the curtain flutter shut behind him. At his confirmation, Jude scrambled to his feet, suddenly embarrassed to have lounged for so long without even realising the time.

“Have a good evening?” Kit murmured around a devilish smile.

Jude laughed to brush off his bashfulness. “Um, yes. Thank you. I appreciate the chance to sit for a while.”

He placed the book down on the lounge, dusted himself off, then quickly made his way over to the doors. He paid no mind to the captain, who slowly meandered into the room, and passed by him without a second look. It was only when he reached the doors that he heard Kit speak again, giving him pause to make sure he heard correctly.

“Any time,” Kit cooed, before Jude was slipping into the hall and pulling the doors shut behind him.

Jude sighed and rubbed his hands over his eyes as he made his way across the deck. Twilight had faded into darkness around him, and lamps were lit upon the walls to guide his way down below. He gave no thought to dinner, instead running his mind back through the story he’d been reading on the lounge– at the last moment cursing himself for not taking better note of the book’s title. There was no chance he’d be able to find it and return to his place again.

He was busy recounting the characters’ names in his head when he passed by the dining hall, only to be stopped by a familiar face in the doorway.

“Oh my word!” Sebastián exclaimed, his eyes wide as he looked Jude up and down. “I’ve been looking all over for you! Where have you been?”

Jude stepped back and glanced Sebastián over, noticing the bowls of stew in each of his hands. “What’ve you got there?”

Sebastián tutted and thrust one of them forward. “It was supposed to be dinner, but it’s plenty cold now. What have you been doing all evening?”

Jude looked down at his meal and supposed he should be thankful that Sebastián saved him some, but he simply wasn’t hungry. He breathed out a tired sigh and began trudging off to their sleeping quarters, with the bowl held close so he wouldn’t spill any more than Sebastián already had. 

“I was in the captain’s cabin… Cleaning.” 

Jude lowered his head, pretending to inspect his stew as Sebastián paused and gave him an incredulous look. He wasn’t exactly sure why he lied; he told himself he was just too tired to explain, and certainly didn’t want the entirety of the crew to overhear his truth.

“He made you clean his things all evening?” Sebastián muttered. “Bastardo.”

When they came to Sebastián’s bed, the Spaniard stopped and sat down against his pillows, then gestured for Jude to join. Jude hesitated at first, but he had no excuse to leave Sebastián’s side so soon, and dreaded that his lie would fall apart if he scampered off.

So, he carefully sat, leaning against the wall by Sebastián’s side as he slowly began to sip his stew.

“It wasn’t so bad,” he said quietly, speaking against the lip of his bowl. “He was pleasant enough.”

He didn’t miss the way Sebastián seemed to snarl at his words, his demeanour stiffening at the mere mention of the captain. “Pleasant enough,” he repeated venomously. “You say that now, but I would watch your step if I were you.”

Jude opened his mouth to retaliate, but hesitated when he remembered the long dents that carved their way down Sebastián’s back; scratches from the captain’s favourite whip, of a story Jude hadn’t yet heard in full. Perhaps, when it came to the captain, Sebastián did indeed know better than him.

“What makes you say that?” he asked gently instead, hoping to finally gain some insight into the grim reaper and his playful smiles.

Sebastián sighed, set down his near-empty bowl, then ran his fingers through his hair to ground himself. He tilted his head to look upon Jude, his expression soft and sad as he considered him, then gently lay a hand upon Jude’s wrist.

“I’m sure you heard a tale or two from the recruiters, about his cruelty and his bloodlust that shakes our enemies with fear,” he began. “It’s true of course, but whispers on land do him no justice. He’s a threat even to his crew– he expects perfection, then resorts to the whip when we fall short of the impossible.”

Jude shuddered when the crack of the cat o’nine tails echoed in his mind again.

“I worry, if he has you cleaning and tending to his private chambers, that he has his sights set on you. It would be my greatest fear to have you fall under his watch, for one toe out of line would have you on the plank,” Sebastián’s fingers circled around Jude’s wrist as he fretted. “Please, promise me you’ll try to stay clear of that awful man.”

Jude gently pulled his hand from Sebastián’s grip, frowning as he considered this warning against what he’d experienced first hand. He supposed, from the captain’s invitation, that he was indeed in the man’s sights. But there was nothing about their interaction that suggested Jude had anything to slip up.

“I don’t think I have much of a choice if the captain calls on me,” he pointed out, rather than share his doubt. “If he tells me to clean, am I to say no?”

Sebastián eased into a small, sympathetic smile. “No… But, it’s not just that,” he admitted. “He’s also something of a, ah… Puta, come hombres…” 

He dropped his head as he searched for the word, then gently patted Jude’s knee when he found it.

“He can be… Lecherous. I suppose one could consider him handsome, but I would not consider his favouritism a worthy risk. He tears men to pieces, Jude.”

Jude slowly exhaled when the words sunk in, and gradually all of the captain’s lingering looks and sinister smiles drifted through his mind under a new light. He knew it probably wasn’t safe for his stomach to flutter at the thought, just as it wasn’t safe for him to have dreamt about the man in the first place– but his most recent tryst with Sebastián was leaving him more than wanting, and he couldn’t help but perk up at the danger that entwined around the man at the helm.

He was careful to keep all of that buried deep however, and instead raised his eyebrows at Sebastián. “Were you ever the captain’s favourite, then?” 

Sebastián scoffed and shook his head. “Absolutely not, he’s made that very clear to me.” His fingers had somehow laced with Jude’s again, and he gave them a gentle squeeze when he looked up to meet his gaze. 

Jude faltered when he remembered. “Ah. Your lashes. I’m sorry, I–”

“Worry not,” Sebastián quickly whispered. “I only say this to keep you safe. Behave when under the captain’s eye, but avoid it altogether if you can. From what I’ve seen during my time aboard, he’s hardly a man at all. 

“We can only count our blessings that we’re on his crew, and not his enemy… Though he doesn’t always seem to think that way.”