On to Spain, On to Italy

[Titus Cortez]

"Oh?" he asked, putting a hand on the rail on either side of her as he became his brave self again, blocking her in. He was smiling. "And what's your evaluation?" he asked, curiously. Was he like the 'other people'? He didn't think so. He was his own person, and he would prove to her how unlike all those other drunkards he was. He would prove it in Spain. "What do you think of me?" He was playing with her, but he really was curious. What did she think of him?

[Alaya Seawitch]

Alaya smiled up at Titus. He blocked the sun's light from hitting her face and it felt nice to have some shade. What did she think of him? Alaya was still trying to figure out that question. "Well at first I thought you were just like any other man. Typical human male of no real worth" Alaya moved closer to him. She could feel the heat from his body on hers. Her eyes met his and she just stood there for a moment.

[Titus Cortez]

Titus was surprised as she stepped closer, but welcomed it. He hadn't expected that. She was so different from other girls. He wanted to kiss her again, but he contained himself. Her gaze held him for a while, the ocean behind her eyes, the stars within that sea. Before he even knew what he was doing, his hand caressed her cheek with delicate tenderness. "But now," he started her off, encouraging her to go on with what she might have said.

[Alaya Seawitch]

The answer was simple but she wouldn't say it right away. She leaned her head into his hand as he touched her face. Her heart was beating quickly as she leaned in closer to him. She pressed her lips against his quickly before whispering in his ear her answer, "You cam on the ship" Alaya leaned back with a grin on her face. "That one little stunt made me rethink what you really were like" She looked over her shoulder to see the sea behind her. The calm soothing waves hit the sides of the ship rhythmically in a lovely tone.

[Titus Cortez]

He hummed softly when she kissed him. Her lips were so soft and red, it would be truth, not romance, to say that they reminded him of rose petals. Her skin was fair, and none could deny how beautiful she was, except maybe to the other pirates, whom were blind to it by whatever spell that didn't seem to effect Titus. It was only when he tried to speak that he realized that he wasn't breathing. His breath was caught in his throat, trapped by the words he was trying to manage. But his lips were left fumbling, still tingling from her kiss. "I came after you." he whispered back to her. "I wasn't about to let you go off forever without me." His hand was still on her face, but he couldn't bring himself to remove it. With a quick glance that scanned the entire ship, finding them alone, he tugged the bandanna out of her hair carefully. For a moment her hair fluttered in the breeze, and he made to kiss her lips, but kissed her forehead instead before tying the cloth back over her hair. "You know, I despise this thing." he laughed softly, regarding the bandanna. But if it kept her from death, he would have to learn to get used to it. And gently, he kissed her cheek. His breath was gone again.

[Alaya Seawitch]

Alaya was about to protest when he took off her bandanna but she would have to agree with him that she hated the thing. His lips where soft against her cheek, making her smile slightly. She really had fallen for him and it confused her but she was alright with it. She looked up at the sky wishing that the sun would set soon. "I really should get bellow deck and you might want too as well. It is one of the few ways to stay cool in this heat" Alaya said wondering if he was about to let her go.

[Titus Cortez]

"You cool me." he told her sweetly, only after realizing that she was trying to tell him that she was hot. But he didn't want to go down below deck. Not with all those other guys down there. He liked his time with her. Alone.

"Just as second." he said, and his hands worked quickly, tying a rope to a bucket. It dropped over the edge of the great vessel with a faint splash so far below them, and he hauled it back up, one hand working over the other. He carried it over to Alaya, and tipped it up behind her, letting some of the water trickle down her neck. Her clothes got a little wet, but it was just pirates clothes. And it was a hot day.

[Alaya Seawitch]

The beads of salt water ran down her back. The cool water felt good but it would not be enough. "Thanks, that's a sweet jester but unfortunately it is too for that to even work. I really should go bellow deck and you might want to do the same. You know you are apart of the crew now and you might want to start acting like such" Alaya said with a wink before walking over to the door that lead bellow deck. She knew it wouldn't be much cooler but at least the sun would not be directly on her. She stopped at the door wanting to say something to Titus but the words would not come. She sighed softly with her hand resting on the door handle.

[Titus Cortez]

He followed after her towards the entrance to the hull, unwilling, but willing all the same. The hull was not his favorite place. Not with the deck so empty and abundant in space. It was hot, yes, but the hull would not be much better. And the smell was terrible. Rum and rotting wood, and rats. And the heat would be nearly equal to the deck, with all the extra bodies in there gambling a hand of poker. His favorite place, though, was the crows nest. High above the rest of their tiny, floating world, the crows nest was cooler by its altitude, and rich in solitude. But it would not do to go there on this hot day. To climb the rigging would be too laborious a chore. And so he went to the place where he would always feel more at ease. He followed Alaya.

Titus listened to her sigh, her delicate fingers resting on the door handle, her eyes holding words that her tongue wouldn't speak. "What is it, pretty girl?" He asked her. Suddenly, his head filled with an idea. But he wouldn't speak it until after she had spoken.

[Alaya Seawitch]

Alaya's hand rested on the door handle and her head was down slightly. She did not really know what she wanted to tell him, what would it matter anyway. Her heart started to race and she tensed up slightly. "Nothing, nothing at all" She whispered. "We should go" She said the words but her hand would not react. She could not understand why she was being so emotional at such a time. It didn't really matter. She took a deep breath and calmed down slightly wondering what next. She never felt such strong emotions towards anyone before so why now and why Titus?

[Titus Cortez]

He walked beside her and reached out for her hand, slowly removing it from the door, forgetting how to breathe again. When he spoke, it was so quiet from lack of air, he had to remind his lungs to function again. And with oxygen again in his body, Titus spoke. "You don't really want to go down there with all those guys, do you?" He was trying to talk her out of going into the hull. He didn't want to go down there. "The heat will be just as bad. All those men. And the stench. I've got a better plan. Wait right here." He guided her gently to the side of the door so that she wouldn't be seen when he opened it, and he slipped down into the belly of the ship.

It wasn't long before he returned again, two bottles of rum in his right hand, his foot closing the door behind him. Titus looked up at her, and gave her a little wink. "Come on, pretty girl." he whispered, and made his way toward the emergency boat. He placed the rum in first, and then climbed in himself. Standing, he reached his hand down to Alaya, "We won't go anywhere." he promised. "Just to cool off." And that was the end of his talking. His voice was gone again, caught in her eyes. Oh, she was so beautiful. Titus despised that bandanna. It hid her pretty hair from him. It made her look like a boy. And maybe, it even hid Alaya from herself. She could act and work and talk like a man when she wore that damn thing. He hated it. She was a woman, and no one here treated her like one, except for him. Titus decided that when they docked in Spain, he was buying her a dress. Even if she could only wear it on those nights when the men were tucked away in their drunken slumber, like babes on warm milk. Just so that she could be herself again. It would be well worth the purchase.

[Alaya Seawitch]

Alaya watched as Titus went bellow deck not sure if she really understood what he was doing. She waited wondering why she couldn't say anything. Well more like what did she want to say, it was as if for one moment, for the first time she felt something for a human beyond which words could speak. Her thoughts were interrupted when Titus came back with two bottle of rum.

She was a little skeptical when he said to get into one of the lifeboats but followed not knowing what else to do. She trusted him for some odd reason yet part of her still felt like there was no way she could be with him. Maybe that was what she wanted to say but couldn't. Alaya wasn't sure if she would ever know. She looked out at the sea still deep in thought, drifting further away from the present.

[Titus Cortez]

Slowly, he lowered them down to the water, the boat suddenly swaying on the waves. Titus lost his balance a bit, and his legs went out from under him so that he plopped down onto the bench. Maybe he hadn't quite obtained his sea-legs just yet, as he had hoped. But he was close.

Now on the side of the ship, the long shadow of the vessel covered them and some distance of sea beyond their little boat. He hung his legs over the edge, letting the water wash up over his skin. It felt wonderful to be cool again and out of the sun. He pulled the corks from the rum bottles, and gave one to Alaya. "If this ain't Heaven," he smiled, "it sure is close. Cheers." Titus clinked his glass against hers and took a sip from his drink. He didn't swig his alcohol, like the other pirates did. He was still a civil farm man, not a pirate. Though becoming more and more like them every day. To an extent.

[Alaya Seawitch]

Alaya could feel the water beneath the boat and it soothed her to hear the sea lap at the side of the small boat. It was like the sea was calling back to her and she had every urge in the world to dive under the waves and never come back. Then if she did that what would happen on land? Could she really go on and live in the sea with no thought of the world of man? It was apart of her world for over half of her life so far and the sea still hadn't truly made her one of its own.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Titus hit his rum against her own. She looked down at the bottle. That was one thing she still couldn't do. Rum was nasty and it burned. It never felt right to drink it but for some reason humans, especially pirates, enjoyed the drink. "Sure" she said, replying to what Titus said. She didn't believe what he said and her voice didn't hide it either.

[Titus Cortez]

"Sorry." he said, though he wasn't really sure what for. He took her rum and corked it, setting it down on the floor of the little boat. He had forgotten she didn't like rum. "Something wrong?" Titus asked, drawing his legs back from the sea and into the boat, turning his body to face her respectively. You always looked at someone when they were speaking. Or, at least that's what he was taught. He thought that she might like being down here. But, maybe not. Though he couldn't see why. "I can take us back up, if you like." he offered.