Fic: Heal
Title: Heal
Author kayljay
Rating: Teen
Pairing: Elizabeth nursing Jack. Will is her gofer.
Spoilers: DMC and AWE
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Summary: Elizabeth gives Jack a sponge bath.
A/N: Thanks to everyone who read and commented on
'Ache' http://community.livejournal.com/sparrabeth/266767.html
and
'Torment' http://community.livejournal.com/sparrabeth/268551.html
Once Jack was comfortably settled on the bed, I sent Will out for a basin of hot water. I searched the cabin for some drinking water, but as expected there was nothing but rum. I hesitated before uncorking the bottle and sitting down at Jack's side. I lifted his head and put the bottle to his lips.
"Jack, drink." He swallowed twice before I pulled the bottle away and laid his head back onto the pillow.
A little smile curled his lips and his eyes opened a fraction.
"There's my pirate lass," he breathed, and my eyes filled with tears. "Tis a nice dream." He still sounded unbearably parched, but he needed water not rum.
"You're going to be fine, Jack." My voice was thick from choking back tears. " Just rest. I'm going to get you out of these clothes."
"Very nice dream."
Without hesitation, I reached down and pulled his boots off. His coat, stiff and torn, did not come off easily. He tried to help me, but he was just too weak.
Will came in with the basin and saw me struggling. He lifted Jack into a sitting position and I managed to yank the coat down and off. The shirt came next and for a long second I stared at the tattoos and scars that covered Jack's upper body. I wanted to weep for how thin he was, how stark his ribs were against his pale skin. You did this my mind accused but I chased the thought away. Now I would save him.
I reached for the lacings of his breeches and Will caught my wrist. "Elizabeth, it's not proper-"
I fixed him with a glare. "It wasn't very proper what I did to him either."
At the look on his face I softened. "Please, I need to do this for him. Otherwise, I won't be able to forgive myself."
Will sighed and helped me with Jack's pants. I flushed when he was finally naked, then Will was pulling up the sheet to Jack's waist. By then the image of his maleness was imprinted on my mind.
"He needs some water. All that's here is rum."
Will nodded and left reluctantly.
I took the soap and the sponge from the basin and started with his face, gently cleaning away the dirt and sand. He gave a little sigh. Slowly I moved downwards over the long column of his throat and across his chest. I grazed one of his nipples and I heard his breath catch.
"Lizzie," he whispered.
"I'm right here, Jack."
Will returned with the water and pulled him into a sitting position again. I lifted the bottle to his lips. He took one drink and pulled away, making a face and sticking out his tongue.
"Rum," he grumbled.
"Water first, Jack," Will said firmly.
Jack wrinkled his nose, but sighed in defeat.
This time he drank the contents of the bottle.
His head lolled against Will's shoulder. Even the effort of drinking had exhausted him.
"Hold him there, Will. Let me wash his back."
Scars upon scars. I ran the sponge carefully over all of them, afraid to hurt him.
I saw Will wince in sympathy. "Lash marks," he whispered.
"How-"
Will shook his head, his mouth firming into a grim line, his eyes somewhere else.
I tried to keep my eyes on his scars as the sponge dipped toward his waist, but my eyes kept straying down to his buttocks. I was grateful that my hair shielded my eyes.
Gibbs picked this moment to stick his head in. "Barbossa wants one of you on deck now to help with the sails. He's itching to be gone from here."
Will lowered Jack onto his back and climbed out of the bed.
"I'll be right up, Gibbs." He leaned over me pressing his palm to my cheek. "I'll bring you more water for Jack." Sliding his hand around to the back of my head, he kissed me fiercely. His eyes glittered as he pulled away. He left without looking back.
I closed my eyes. How different Will's kiss was from Jack's.
We had spent weeks sailing to Singapore. On many nights I had stood on the deserted deck with Will, trying to recapture the hunger that had torn through me at the taste of Jack's mouth. It wasn't the same. I'd even tried to seduce Will on more than one occasion, hoping to wipe Jack's touch from my memory.
Unlocking Will's emotions was like pounding my fists against the walls of Port Royal's fort. I knew Will to be a passionate man, but the only weapons of seduction I had were the back and forth of flirting and long drugging kisses. Both were useless against Will's determination I remain a virgin until we were married.
A hand touched my shoulder.
"Are you all right?"
I lifted my hand to Will's, opened my eyes, and shook my hair back off my face. "Just tired. I'll be fine."
He lowered the bottles to the floor beside the bed. "I'll make sure someone relieves you in a few hours."
I nodded at Jack. "He'll probably sleep through the night. I'll just sit and read."
"All right. I'll see you in the morning, Elizabeth."
"Good night, Will." I waited a full minute after he was gone before I rose from my chair, crossed the room, and turned the lock on the cabin door.
Author kayljay
Rating: Teen
Pairing: Elizabeth nursing Jack. Will is her gofer.
Spoilers: DMC and AWE
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Summary: Elizabeth gives Jack a sponge bath.
A/N: Thanks to everyone who read and commented on
'Ache' http://community.livejournal.com/sparrabeth/266767.html
and
'Torment' http://community.livejournal.com/sparrabeth/268551.html
Once Jack was comfortably settled on the bed, I sent Will out for a basin of hot water. I searched the cabin for some drinking water, but as expected there was nothing but rum. I hesitated before uncorking the bottle and sitting down at Jack's side. I lifted his head and put the bottle to his lips.
"Jack, drink." He swallowed twice before I pulled the bottle away and laid his head back onto the pillow.
A little smile curled his lips and his eyes opened a fraction.
"There's my pirate lass," he breathed, and my eyes filled with tears. "Tis a nice dream." He still sounded unbearably parched, but he needed water not rum.
"You're going to be fine, Jack." My voice was thick from choking back tears. " Just rest. I'm going to get you out of these clothes."
"Very nice dream."
Without hesitation, I reached down and pulled his boots off. His coat, stiff and torn, did not come off easily. He tried to help me, but he was just too weak.
Will came in with the basin and saw me struggling. He lifted Jack into a sitting position and I managed to yank the coat down and off. The shirt came next and for a long second I stared at the tattoos and scars that covered Jack's upper body. I wanted to weep for how thin he was, how stark his ribs were against his pale skin. You did this my mind accused but I chased the thought away. Now I would save him.
I reached for the lacings of his breeches and Will caught my wrist. "Elizabeth, it's not proper-"
I fixed him with a glare. "It wasn't very proper what I did to him either."
At the look on his face I softened. "Please, I need to do this for him. Otherwise, I won't be able to forgive myself."
Will sighed and helped me with Jack's pants. I flushed when he was finally naked, then Will was pulling up the sheet to Jack's waist. By then the image of his maleness was imprinted on my mind.
"He needs some water. All that's here is rum."
Will nodded and left reluctantly.
I took the soap and the sponge from the basin and started with his face, gently cleaning away the dirt and sand. He gave a little sigh. Slowly I moved downwards over the long column of his throat and across his chest. I grazed one of his nipples and I heard his breath catch.
"Lizzie," he whispered.
"I'm right here, Jack."
Will returned with the water and pulled him into a sitting position again. I lifted the bottle to his lips. He took one drink and pulled away, making a face and sticking out his tongue.
"Rum," he grumbled.
"Water first, Jack," Will said firmly.
Jack wrinkled his nose, but sighed in defeat.
This time he drank the contents of the bottle.
His head lolled against Will's shoulder. Even the effort of drinking had exhausted him.
"Hold him there, Will. Let me wash his back."
Scars upon scars. I ran the sponge carefully over all of them, afraid to hurt him.
I saw Will wince in sympathy. "Lash marks," he whispered.
"How-"
Will shook his head, his mouth firming into a grim line, his eyes somewhere else.
I tried to keep my eyes on his scars as the sponge dipped toward his waist, but my eyes kept straying down to his buttocks. I was grateful that my hair shielded my eyes.
Gibbs picked this moment to stick his head in. "Barbossa wants one of you on deck now to help with the sails. He's itching to be gone from here."
Will lowered Jack onto his back and climbed out of the bed.
"I'll be right up, Gibbs." He leaned over me pressing his palm to my cheek. "I'll bring you more water for Jack." Sliding his hand around to the back of my head, he kissed me fiercely. His eyes glittered as he pulled away. He left without looking back.
I closed my eyes. How different Will's kiss was from Jack's.
We had spent weeks sailing to Singapore. On many nights I had stood on the deserted deck with Will, trying to recapture the hunger that had torn through me at the taste of Jack's mouth. It wasn't the same. I'd even tried to seduce Will on more than one occasion, hoping to wipe Jack's touch from my memory.
Unlocking Will's emotions was like pounding my fists against the walls of Port Royal's fort. I knew Will to be a passionate man, but the only weapons of seduction I had were the back and forth of flirting and long drugging kisses. Both were useless against Will's determination I remain a virgin until we were married.
A hand touched my shoulder.
"Are you all right?"
I lifted my hand to Will's, opened my eyes, and shook my hair back off my face. "Just tired. I'll be fine."
He lowered the bottles to the floor beside the bed. "I'll make sure someone relieves you in a few hours."
I nodded at Jack. "He'll probably sleep through the night. I'll just sit and read."
"All right. I'll see you in the morning, Elizabeth."
"Good night, Will." I waited a full minute after he was gone before I rose from my chair, crossed the room, and turned the lock on the cabin door.