Chapter 2

Barbossa turned away, head down. Jack? Of course. It all made sense to him down. The lingering looks, avoiding each other's gaze, the way they talked about each other. Hector Barbossa, he wasn't daft but in this case he felt like the thickest man on the ship right now. Of course Will was in love with Jack. Of course Jack was in love with Will! He's a man of strength, a man of fury, of courage. I bet he knocks out all the girls, 'im. Honestly mate, you'll be glad to 'ave 'im join your crew, I know I will, It should have hit him the first time Jack spoke of Will! The sparkle in his eyes as he spoke each word, the look of awe, the look of consideration splayed across his weathered features. They were in love.

Barbossa couldn't blame them, they both were good-looking men to say the least. And it's not as if he hadn't been there, finding himself falling for a man before. Being a pirate meant spending years out at sea and, with woman being frightful bad luck aboard the ship, meant years with only men. It had always been hard to not find your eyes straying to the boatswain and how his muscles would ripple as he drew the whip on the ill behaved capin boy, or the first mate and how he would bite his lip nervously whenever trouble came about. Many a night had Barbossa spent thrusting himself deep inside one crew member or another. And, once or twice, it hadn't just been the sex that had him caught, it was hard to not gain feelings for someone you'd spent weeks under the covers with at night.

He turned back to Elizabeth, who was staring absently into the fire again. She looked as though she would be extremely pleased to just jump in, to end all the pain and the torture that were still captured in her eyes. When she noticed Barbossa watching her again she lowered her eyelids and looked at him out of the corner of her eye.

"I knew I should have stayed with Norrington all those years ago. He was what any woman would want to be with... I was so stupid to throw that all away..."

Barbossa took her hand between his once again and carefully brought her knuckles to his lips, kissing them daintily. She turned to face him, lips swollen, pouting slightly in the way she always did when she was full of thought, of concern.

"My lady," He lowered his head as though addressing someone of great power. A forced smile curled over her pouted lips, which made his chest flutter exceedingly.

"You are a beautiful woman. You are everythin' a man would wanna be with. And everythin' a woman would wanna be. You are the woman on this ship that every man stares at when you walk by, you are the one everyone longs to make love to, to be with. I tell ya now missy, Jack? Will? Norrington? None of 'em deserve to be with ya. And honestly? I think I'd find it extremely difficult to find a man on this earth that does..."

Elizabeth could feel herself blushing, her cheeks flushed a shade of pink. No man had ever complimented her like that before. Will had given her the fair share of words, true enough, but never had he given her such a thought out speech as Barbossa's. Her mind flourished, peering at Hector Barbossa from below the clammy fringe that had fallen of of her plait. It was the first time she'd honestly looked at him in such a way, after almost a year of knowing him. His skin was scarred and worn, wrinkles surround these brilliant, kind eyes that glistened while he spoke. His hands, which were stirring around in front of his torso, emphasising the words that came from his mouth, were course yet Elizabeth couldn't help but wonder what they would feel like holding her as more and more compliments leapt from his lips.

"...You could never be unable to find a man who falls in love with ya. Never. You will constantly have someone who longs to hold you, to kiss you, to love you..."

Elizabeth stops him suddenly by holding a single finger to his mouth.

"What if I think I've already found one?..."