Author's Note : Blah blah, please review blah blah. The full version is on any of the other four chapters ^_^

This A/N gets to be different because I've edited the chapter a bit and reposted it. I know some of the characters might look a bit OOC right now, but let me get through the next chapter before worrying about it too much. The wisdom-tooth drugs weren't really helping the creative process, so I've gone through and changed some stuff … not too much. But enough to make me like it more. And you too, hopefully.

Disclaimer : own nothing but my own imagination. and some leftover pizza. mmm ...

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Over the course of the next few weeks, Will spent every waking hour learning things from whatever pirate would put up with him. Mostly, he tried to keep pretty near to Jack. The Captain stayed at the helm for most of the day, so Will offered to do his share of menial work by scrubbing the deck up there. Every second morning, before most of the crew were up, he'd have already finished most of the job. It was boring, but he figured that it was work that was likely to please Jack, being able to stand on gleaming floorboards day after day. And when Jack was pleased, he sauntered around the ship wearing a contagious smile that made everybody a bit more relaxed.

Will was getting more and more anxious to see what it would be like to actually pillage and pilfer, but the Black Pearl had recently restocked, and Jack thought it best to lay low and let their reputation precede them wherever they chose to go. Will had to content himself with learning the trade winds and ocean currents, and other things which were useful, but couldn't satisfy his wish to be … to be a real pirate.

For the most part, Will slept and ate with the crew in the lower level of the ship. He didn't get to talk to Jack very often, and when he did, the Captain seemed wary. Will wondered if he'd done something wrong, broken some unknown rule, but no one else had mentioned it, so he chalked it up to the Captain's quirkiness. It was starting to bother him, though, that Jack was practically avoiding him wherever he went.

He decided that, if he were to get Jack to notice him, he'd have to make more of an effort. One night, after they'd been at sea for just over a month, Will offered to take Jack's dinner to him in his cabin, rather than having the cook do it. The cook happily agreed, since it let him eat his own dinner even sooner.

That evening, Will carried the tray of food to Jack's door with sure, even steps. He'd unbuttoned his shirt halfway, hoping to attract Jack's attention the way he had when he'd first woken up on the Black Pearl. His hair was free of its customary leather tie, making him look older and, as he knew, just a touch more dashing. Perfect. He knocked lightly on the door before him.

"'S open," came the muffled reply.

Will edged into the Captain's quarters, careful not to tip the food off the tray. "I've brought you your dinner, Cap'n." he said.

Jack was sitting at his desk, with his back to the door. He seemed to twitch at the sound of Will's voice, but didn't get up or turn around. He hunched his shoulders a little further forward, and Will couldn't see what he was writing.

"Tha's fine, lad. Jus' put it on the bed," Jack waved behind his back, "and you can be on your merry way, savvy?" The last words were pronounced with enough edge to give Will the impression that it really would be in his best interest to leave Jack alone. Now.

Unfortunately, that wasn't part of the plan.

"Actually, Captain, I have some things I'd like to speak with you about, if you have a moment ... ?"

Jack sighed and turned around. "Alright, alright, I'm listenin'. What's on yehr mind, then?" He gazed at Will with guarded eyes, as if he were expecting a conversation he didn't want to hear.

Will sat down on the bed, the tray beside him, and faced Jack. "Well, for starters, I'd like to go back to Tortuga sometime and collect my things. I was staying at a tavern there, and I had a sword and a dagger I was especially attached to."

Jack smiled, with something that looked suspiciously like relief. "Why didn' you mention it sooner, lad? I'll talk to the pilot in the morning. See if we can't get us a change o' course." He stood. "Well, if tha's it then," he walked over to the door and opened it for Will, "you can run along back to the crew an' 'ave your supper and leave me 'ere all by me onesies, eh?" He grinned encouragingly.

Will wasn't sure why Jack was acting so oddly, but he knew he had to talk to the Captain. His feelings for Jack were more than friendly; he'd admitted as much to himself, so the next step was to see what Jack felt for him. And he couldn't very well do that from the other side of a closed door. It was a delicate situation, but he was frustrated enough to get down on one damned knee and present Jack with flowers, if that was what it took. He bit his lip to stop from smiling at the thought. That would certainly be a strange sight.

"Um, I had something else to discuss with you as well."

Jack's grin disappeared and his shoulders slumped. Looking defeated, he shut the door, walked back to his chair, and sat down again. His eyes met Will's. He nodded once to show that he was still listening.

"Well, Captain, what's my position on this ship?"

Jack blinked once and raised his eyebrows. "... Position?"

Will smirked slightly at Jack's reaction to the double entendre he'd made. He continued, clearing his throat before elaborating. "My position, captain. I'd like to know my official purpose on the ship. We both know I'm one of the best fighters on board. I noticed there wasn't a Master at Arms yet …" He ducked his head slightly in embarrassment. "Of course, if you think I need more training -"

"So you've decided you're goin' to stay on, then?" Jack interrupted him. Will raised his eyes and found his captain looking at him intently.

"I ... What?" He frowned. "Of course I'm staying, Jack." He leaned forward slightly and put a hand on Jack's knee. He thought he saw a small shiver run up the older man's frame at the contact, but it could have been his imagination.

Jack moved forward too, until their faces were close. There was that glint in his eye again, as if he were daring Will to flinch or move away, to break contact. Will refused to give in. This was his moment to show what he was capable of, and he wasn't going to lose it.

Jack's voice was little more than a whisper when he spoke, soft breath tickling Will's face. Will was completely prepared to lose himself in the sensation, until he registered what Jack had actually said.

"What about Elizabeth?"

Will was stunned. Dear God, he'd completely forgotten about Elizabeth! Learning on the Black Pearl and being so near to Jack all the time had kept him completely focused. He hadn't left himself a spare moment to think about her, or the life he'd left behind in Port Royal.

He jerked back on the bed abruptly, and pulled his hand away from Jack's knee. He suddenly felt ashamed, like he'd betrayed his bride-to-be in the worst way. Which, he supposed, he had. A nagging voice in the back of his mind reminded him that Elizabeth had not promised her fidelity, so why should he feel guilty? For all he knew, she'd already started an affair he didn't know about, and hadn't had the heart to tell him yet.

Jack was still watching him, a small smile playing across his mouth. Will wasn't sure what to make of it. All he knew was that he needed to get out of there, fast. He was more confused about his feelings now than he'd ever been before. Nothing would be solved by sitting here, staring at Jack's pretty mouth … Will frowned and licked his lips.

"I … I have to go." He murmured. He stood up, his leg brushing the tray of food, which jangled in protest. He looked down at it, eyes unseeing, then tried to focus on Jack's face again. Except every time he looked at Jack all he could see was an image of himself, walking down the aisle with his fiancée, who most definitely wasn't Jack.

He turned and fled from the room, not stopping to say goodnight. In fact, he didn't slow down until he reached his bunk, which he promptly crawled into. He was lucky; the rest of the crew were either eating or on duty, so he was alone in the large sleeping quarters. By the time anyone else arrived, he was already deep in a fitful sleep.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

There was someone poking him in the shoulder. Will rolled over to avoid the abuse, but the poking continued.

"Will." He heard faintly, "Will?".

He opened his eyes a crack, and realized he could see daylight filtering through small cracks in the ship's hull. Damn. He'd overslept. He sat up quickly, fumbling to button his shirt up and pull his boots on. He probably looked like a terrible mess, but it couldn't be helped, and there was work to do.

"Will! Would you just slow down and listen to me?"

Will froze, and glanced at the person who'd previously been assaulting his shoulder. It was Crimp, the one who'd taught him everything he'd wanted to know about rigging. His friend. He sighed, and smiled softly.

"Sorry Tom, what were you saying?"

"Ahem - I was saying we'll reach Tortuga in a couple o' hours. Cap'n wanted me t' tell you to get ready to go ashore."

"Oh, right. Thank-you." He nodded, then went about trying to dress again. As soon as Crimp was gone, Will stopped moving. He just sat heavily on the bed, one hand covering his eyes, and tried to think of what to do. He had no idea how to face Jack after last night. He'd run out on him, abandoned him, and not for the first time.

He reached down, finished pulling his boots on, and headed up on deck. He looked around, and sure enough, Jack was up at the helm, steering as usual. The captain was studying his compass closely. In fact, his face was virtually pressed against the small glass clover, but Will thought he saw the older man's eyes flick up towards him for a few moments. Well, they hadn't spoken yet, but at least Jack wasn't ignoring him completely.

Will decided it wasn't the best time to talk to Jack, in front of the whole crew like this. He'd wait until they got to Tortuga. He could already see the line of land on the horizon, steadily growing closer. Wouldn't be too long now. One way or another, he was going to sort out his future, and decide once and for all whether he wanted to go back to Port Royal, or stay here on the Pearl. Strangely, he was pretty sure he already knew the answer.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Jack and Will walked silently through the bustling streets of Tortuga. Both men appeared to be lost in their own thoughts, but each was intensely aware of every move the other made. The tension was palpable, but Will wasn't ready to talk just yet. Not yet.

They soon reached Sean's tavern, and both were relieved to have someone else to talk to. He greeted them at the door with a warm smile, and quickly got a mug of rum for each of them.

" 'S good to see you two back 'ere," he said with a grin. "I was more'n a little surprised when Will 'ere left withou' takin' his things, but then I heard the Black Pearl had stopped by … I figured you," he nodded Jack, "had somethin' to do with tha'."

Jack nodded. "I found 'im in a back alley. Damn near food for the wolves, 'e was." He closed his eyes and sighed. "If I hadn' been there …"

Will glanced sharply at him. "But you were there, Jack. You saved my life. There's no point thinking about what might have happened."

The two men stared steadily at each other. Sean, sensing the tension, cleared this throat.

"Uh … Will? Yeh'r stuff's still upstairs in the room I was rentin' you. Oh, you got a letter, too! Not three days ago, it came. Paid courier. Never seen 'im before. But he asked for you by name, and the letter looked pretty official. 'S up in your room, too."

Will was surprised by the news, and wandered up the stairs to the small room he'd been renting while in Tortuga. All his things were there, untouched, except for a small white envelope on the bed. His name was written on the front, in an elegant gold script. It had to be from Port Royal. From Elizabeth.

He tore it open, impatiently. A small stiff card fell out, followed by a folded note, both covered with more of the same flowing writing. He dropped the envelope on the bed and looked at the note first.

"Dearest Will -

I'm sorry it had to come to this. I told you that I could promise you nothing, except that I'd try to believe you'd come back to me. I have heard nothing from you for a month now, and it's too much. I'm sorry, Will, but only the faintest hope that you're still alive guided my hand to write you this letter. I pray every night that you are well. I hope you have found what you were looking for.

Elizabeth."

Fighting back tears, Will looked at the card.

"You are cordially invited to the wedding of the Lady Elizabeth Swann and the Commodore Edward Norrington …"

It was enough. Will couldn't stand to read any more. He hardly noticed when his knees buckled and he fell back onto the bed. Tears were flowing freely now, and he shut his eyes, rolling over to face the wall.

He had no idea how long he'd been lying like that when he heard the door open. Cautious footsteps entered the room.

"Whelp? Hey, lad, are yeh goin' to be ready soon?" It was Jack. He sounded worried.

"The letter was from Elizabeth," Will said, his voice low and hoarse from crying. "She's … oh God, she and Norrington …" He choked, and couldn't continue. He tried to control himself. It wasn't right for a sailor to behave like this in front of his captain, but he couldn't help it. He was sure when he'd come to Tortuga that he'd made his decision, that he'd stay with Jack. But now the choice had been taken from him. He'd been rejected by the woman he'd loved since he was a small boy. It shouldn't hurt this much, but it did. And after last night, he wasn't too sure anymore of how much of a chance he had with Jack.

He felt the bed sag under the weight of a second person, and realized that Jack had sat down beside him. A gentle hand found its way to his shoulder.

"Are you alright, Will?" Jack's voice was soft, his concern evident.

Will couldn't help but move into the touch. It was comforting in a way that Elizabeth's had never been. They weren't allowed to touch each other very much, of course, since they weren't married yet. On those few occasions when they were intimate, though, Will always felt like something was missing. He'd never understood just what it was until now.

A small moan escaped his throat, and he slowly shifted around in the small bed until he was facing Jack. The pirate captain was gazing at him softly, with a flicker in his eyes that Will thought looked almost like … uncertainty? Will put his own hand over Jack's, and held it on his shoulder as he sat up. They were now much closer than they'd been a moment ago. For the second time in as many days, Will could feel Jack's delicate breath on his face and neck, and shut his eyes briefly, revelling in the fact that it was probably the most sensual thing he had ever felt.

Suddenly Jack was moving closer, and it was all Will could do not to jump at the flash of heat that ran through his veins at the contact of the other man's lips on his. The kiss was sweet, tentative, and Jack pulled back after a moment to search the younger man's eyes. When Will could offer no resistance, Jack resumed his ministrations, nipping Will lightly on the cheek and moving further down his neck to nuzzle at his shoulder. All the while, one hand was moving in circle over the small of his back, soothing his feelings and relaxing him more than he would have thought possible, given the circumstances. The circumstances. He'd just been informed that his future bride had left him for another, and here he was, kissing his pirate Captain. His male pirate Captain.

He pulled back, waiting for Jack to raise his head so he could look him in the eyes once more.

"Jack?"

A grunted reply came from somewhere near his shoulder. "Yes, love?"

"Jack, I think we need to talk …" Will said quietly.

At this, Jack finally did raise his eyes to meet Will's. The older man was all seriousness now, and his voice carried an undertone of sobriety that surprised Will.

"You know what, mate? I think you're right."