The Captain

sixteen

I dropped onto the bed, exhausted. Maverick was, mercifully letting me sleep in his room still, as part of the deal we'd made in exchange for the translation. I was eternally grateful for it. 

The door creaked open. 

"Thank you for speaking up, Florence."

I ignored him, rolling to face the other side. 

"I'm sorry I yelled at you today. I was having a bad day."

I rolled over, more than pissed. 

"A bad day? Wanna talk about bad days? I don't know where my sister is, or if she's alright, I'm putting my faith in a bunch of pirates, I smell like literal piss and you treated me like a dog all day. Forgive me for not feeling sympathetic right now."

He gaped at me. 

"Just because you're a spoiled little rich girl, doesn't mean you can expect us to treat you one out here."

I launched to my feet, heart racing. 

"How dare you? My family worked hard for what we had. You can think I'm spoiled all you want, but at least I'm not an arrogant, self-serving prick!"

He advanced towards me, raising his voice.

"You've had everything you've ever wanted handed to you on a silver platter!"

"And you get to be free! You get to make your own choices! You don't get married off to a random old man because your father is dying because you're just a woman and you need a husband to protect your money! You didn't raise your sister from age nine because your mom died only to have her ripped away by men and stupid. Fucking. Pirates!"

He glared at me. We were toe to toe, me staring up at him, breathing hard. Tears were pricking at the corners of my eyes. 

I'd had money growing up, yes. But that didn't mean he knew me at all, or what kind of stuff I'd endured getting here. 

The silence in the room was overwhelming. Didn't sound like anyone outside the room was moving either. They'd probably heard us yelling. I didn't care. 

Someone knocked very faintly on the door. 

"What?" Maverick said loudly. 

Bonnie poked her head in. 

"Are you guys okay?"

"We're fine."

"Lover's quarrel?"

Maverick threw a shoe at her. 

She ducked out of the door, shutting it. I sat down on the bed, dropping my head into my hands. I cried noiselessly, trying to keep my emotions under control. 

A weight beside me told me Maverick was sitting too.

"I'm sorry about your parents," he said quietly. 

"I'm sorry about yours," I answered, not looking at him. 

"I'm sure your sister is fine. That crew would've died to protect her."

I sighed, wiping my eyes.

"I know. I can't help worrying though."

The silence was awkward, but the tension had gone. We were both like matches, tempers flaring brightly for a moment and then smouldering out.

"Did... did you say you got married off?"

I snorted. 

"You think I wanted to marry Kenneth Thompson of my own accord? I'm seventeen and I've never met the guy. It was a political and financial alliance."