Note: This is a story I'm writing together with Marvel, who was so kind and let me play in her pirate universe. We actually wrote most of this for my fic Honor Bright, but now found it is deserving of an own tale. The first two chapters I have online as part of Honor Bright at the moment, but I will remove them from the story because they just don't fit there. But they're good, which is why I'm creating this story. It is about the relationship of Hal Sparrow, Jack's younger brother, to the girl Pearl, whom all people know as Jack's daughter.
More about Pearl can be found under the nickname of Marvel in the stories "Pearl", "Braving the Flames" and "The Oldest Story in the Book".
Unless otherwise indicated I am the author of the chapter. We are writing together, though, inspiring each other, correcting our character's actions in what the other is writing. Basically I'm writing Hal, and Marvel writes the characters of Pearl and her mother Diamond.
Now this is two or three years before the flogging that is the theme of Honor Bright and A Little Sparrow, Jack and Hal are Captain and respectively First Mate on the Black Pearl, and they just dropped anchor off Tortuga.
Chapter 1
The Brightest Jewel in Tortuga"To the Pearl." Barbossa toasts.
"To the Black Pearl, and the sea."
I smile. I always drink to the sea. I owe her. Barbossa clinks his cup against mine.
"Now let's see how this peculiar green stuff tastes!"
He knocks back his shot of absinthe, and almost chokes on it. I laugh.
"The trick is to soak some sugar in it, and light the sugar. If you then set the drink aflame, it burns some of the alcohol. But you get used to it eventually."
I take a sip. Feel it heat up on my tongue.
"Look here, Barbossa."
I bring forth a little bag, containing a spoon and pieces of sugar. I soak one of the pieces in absinthe, and set it on fire. After a little while, melting sugar drips into the green alcohol. I stir, and thereby light up the absinthe, but only for a moment, then I extinguish the dark blue flame with a quick blow.
"Try it now."
He takes a sip, and chokes again.
"Maybe I'll just stick with the rum." He spits.
I laugh, and take the drink back from him. He just embraces a bottle of rum and leans closer to me to go on with his story.
After some time, hours maybe, I lost my sense of time with all that green liquor in my blood, I look over to Jack, who has fallen asleep on the table. Oh well. He will not need a girl to keep him company tonight. Overestimated the effectiveness of the absinthe just the slightest little bit, did you, dear brother. God knows I would be dead had I drunk so much of it has he just did. I will take him back to the ship so he can get some sleep.
"Alright. I will take our dear Captain back to the Pearl. I'll see you tomorrow, Barbossa. Thanks for the drink, and thanks for the good talk."
"Wait, Hal.", he says, his words heavy with rum, "Just one more thing. Tell me, if you leave, will I become first mate on the Black Pearl?"
I'm laughing. He has to be really drunk to ask me a question like this. Who would actually want to be Jack's first mate? He is not mad enough, certainly.
"You're drunk, Barbossa, and I'm not leaving. So don't get your hopes up. You'll have to kill me to take my place, and if you kill me, Jack will kill you and somebody else will be first mate. Which is not the most desirable position in the world, if I may add."
Barbossa laughs, and I leave, with Jack's arm around my shoulders.
In the cabin, I help him to lay down on the bed. He opens shiny eyes on me and presents me with the glassiest look in the history of mankind. Then he cups my face in his hands.
"Hal?"
Jack sighs, and I grimace at the strong odor of alcohol rushing out of his mouth to meet me.
"Aye, Jack?"
He plants a kiss right on my lips.
"I luv ya. This much … ." And he indicates a size of almost a katana length with his hands.
I smile and wipe saliva from my mouth. Tuck the blanket tightly around Jack's shoulders.
"I know, Captain Sparrow."
Then I take his coat from the floor and blow out the candle.
"Sweet dreams, brother." At least as sweet as the absinthe will allow.
And I am off, to get back to shore, to town, to finally meet Diamond. God I missed her.
-
When I enter the Dancing Maiden, I let my hair fall into my face. No fuss this time. I don't want to be Captain Sparrow's brother for once, let me just be a paying customer today. I wonder how long it will take her this time, to figure out who it is, Jack, or me. The game we have been playing for years.
And there she is, Diamond. Wiping a table. And I admire her perfect shape in the fabric tight around her. And I have to concentrate hard not to just grab her. And drag her into a dark corner right now.
Okay. Take it easy. This is still a long night. Go for the game first.
So I approach Diamond quietly from behind. Watch her for a while. Now what is wrong with her? She doesn't notice me at all. That's not like Diamond. I tilt my head a bit. I hope it's just weariness. Maybe I can cheer her up a little. And in case she really is that exhausted, I'll present her with a free night, if she will just allow me to be tired with her. In her arms. I really need to sleep. And it just is so much easier when the arms wrapped around me are not Jack's. Not to mention his snoring.
Whoa. Now there is a considerable amount of absinthe in me. My mind is wandering through the room. Focus now.
And I wrap my arms around her waist tightly. Her movement ceases immediately and I feel her resisting for a moment. I know she wouldn't allow this sort of treatment, save when it is for gaming with Jack. And I know that after a split second she already knows this is the invitation to the old game. Let's see how quick she figures one sparrow from the other today. I smile, and lick my lips.
"Hello Diamond." I say, and I almost laugh at myself for failing so bravely to mimic Jack's speech.
God, it has been too long. Say farewell to my countenance with this beautiful wench, her body firmly against mine. I suppress a moan. How many months on sea?
Deep breath.
Too many months. Too many dreams. Too many lonely nights. Too many fantasies. Too many dirty stories told amongst the crew.
I want you.
Now.
I lean even closer, forward, to feel her soft skin with my lips. Just a little bit of my tongue on her neck.
God, your taste couldn't be better. Your smell is perfect. You are. Perfect.
I feel her hair on my ear, on my cheekbones. Her hands place themselves over mine, her fingers folded, intermingling with my own. She leans backwards, against me.
"Hello Hal."
I have to smile on that. Didn't take you a long time. Well, I didn't make it extremely difficult. I search my way down her shoulder with my lips.
Can we please go upstairs now?
She turns around to me now, and I back up a little, to marvel at her beauty. Her clear gaze meets mine, and I realize she sizes me up with just the same affection.
Now she looks over my shoulder. No, Jack isn't here. He's sleeping it off in our cabin.
"Where's your brother? Surely he hasn't gotten his neck into the noose already?"
She smiles at me brightly. The joke about pirate necks in nooses makes the hair on my arms stand up. I don't like the thought of Jack in combination with a noose. But I know she doesn't mean any harm by it. Diamond's mind isn't surrounded by the dark clouds that always hang about me. Although she has as much reasons to be gloomy. I envy her for her light spirits. And for once, I want to be lighthearted, too, today. So I smile at her, as brightly as I am able.
"No, he's not dead just yet. He just said he was in a blond mood tonight."
He would prefer her to think he was enjoying himself, rather than preparing for the most terrible hangover tomorrow. And in fact he said he was in a blond mood, some time before he passed out. She wouldn't be jealous, was he with another gal. But she would tease him about spending his first night on shore in months – all alone in his cabin, with naught but the liquor in his blood.
"And what mood might the present Mr. Sparrow be in tonight?"
While she asks, her smile swinging with her tone as she speaks, she moves forward and her hips meet mine.
God. I do want you.
Hal, breathe.
"Nothing less than the brightest jewel in Tortuga will do for me tonight," I say and thank whoever is watching over me and prevents me from babbling complete nonsense in this moment when I actually just want to tear her clothes from her.
"I want nothing less than Diamonds."
And I want them right here.
She smiles at me and I know she sees clearly how much I am working to keep up my calm façade. And she loves to make it difficult for me, for she moves to embrace me tightly, pressing her sweet lips to mine. I feel her tongue slipping into my mouth, slowly. Delicate and soft. I pull her closer. Wrapping my arms around her tight, I bury my fingers in her hair while my other hand travels down her back. Diamond pushes against me even more.
Love to tease me, do you. Evil woman. One more second and I'll do you here on the table and I don't care about the whole tavern watching and cheering.
All of a sudden she pulls back and slaps me across the cheek. Stuns me for a second, but I realize that if she really had wanted to hit me, it would hurt more. At least the pain has brought the heat inside me down a little.
Yes, now you are teasing me, nasty wench.
Diamond turns her back on me and folds her arms in front of her. Now what are we playing, Lady Diamond. I put one hand on my cheek and try to mimic the hurt lover, but I can't help smiling at her.
"Diamonds indeed," she scolds me over her shoulder. "You stopped for a drink before coming for me, Master Sparrow." And she turns up her nose on me.
Oh, so that is it. Not used to me spending my nights out in Tortuga drinking, and without you, are you. Too much like Jack maybe.
But I'll join in your game anyway.
So I move to meet her gaze and drop to a knee whilst taking one of her hands in mine.
"Sincerest apologies, Lady Diamond. Barbossa owed me a drink. I had to take the opportunity, else that scoundrel might have taken the chance to cheat me of it."
She still refuses to look at me. I grin all the more and begin to softly caress her hand for her to open it.
"Please allow me to make it up to you." I bring Diamond's hand to my mouth and kiss the palm softly.
"I hope you intend to do better than that."
She tosses her hair back over her shoulder. You are an actress, Lady Diamond. I get up from the tavern floor again. Well, I still have an ace in my pocket. Or rather, Jack's coat's pocket.
"Indeed I do, Milady."
I reach into the pocket and bring forth the ring with the huge ruby on it. Ah, now she moves to give me her undivided attention again. Not that I had lost it, in all the playing.
"Will this buy your forgiveness?"
And while I slip the ring onto her fingers, I give her the sweetest puppy face I am able to bring forth.
And now let's go upstairs, please. I put my arms back around her waist and move close again, smelling her, feeling her. God, I am losing control. Please, Diamond. Now.
"You shouldn't have."
She gasps, and she really seems to like the ring.
"I can't keep it, you know. I truly wish I could, it is beautiful, but the coin I could get ... ."
"I know."
I don't need to hear it, because I know, and I understand, so I put one finger to her lips. Let's just pretend we were in some other situation and you could simply accept a present like this from an honest man. I clasp her hand tightly, to feel her soft skin and the cool metal of the ring on her finger. Some other place, some other life.
I move the finger from her lips under her chin, bringing her beautiful face full into the candlelight. Her eyes sparkle at me, but I see some gloom in them. Poor woman. Life hasn't been easy on you lately. I hold her gaze.
"But it's worth it, to see it on your finger, even once."
So much is true, Milady. It is worth it.
When I say this, I behold strong Diamond melting suddenly, very unlike her, very unprofessionally, but ever so heartwarmingly on me. I lean closer to kiss her.
She is different. She is more to me than the other girls I've met allover the world, in the harbors of the seven seas. If it wasn't for my urgent need to bury my face in her neckline, to seal her lips with mine, to rip her dress open, I would say she is almost a sister to me.
She pushes me away slightly, and I see she is blushing. Oh my, what an evil spirit must I be for this woman, struggling so hard to keep up a professional attitude and I spoil it all. I'm sorry, I didn't want to be as greedy as that, but … God, it has really been this very long time.
"You are, Lady Diamond, far more deserving of praise or pretty words than any blushing bride."