You, Me, and the Seven Seas.

Chapter 2 - Of Sparks and Seas

Though Elizabeth kept giving me mischievous looks from across the dining table, Dinner went surprisingly well. All of the young men made a point to introduce themselves to me. I was overwhelmed by bows and fake smiles. It wasn't long before I realized this was an attempt by my father to find me a suitor, but I paid no mind to the thought. The only sailors who were not constantly trying for my attention were the Captain, the Commodore, and the Admiral, all of whom were already married.  The only man who didn't need to try for my attention was Lieutenant Norrington. Conversation between us was effortless, we could talk about nearly anything. He told me about his family, his life in London, and how he ended up in the Royal Navy. He was a middle child, with two brothers and two sisters, one younger and older of both. His father was a former Admiral who served in the Royal Navy until his grandfather passed. His older brother was an army Colonel, yet to marry, but he has two beloved nieces from his older sister, who was married to the Captain.  His younger sister was engaged to an Army Sergeant, and his little brother was yet a teenager, still in school. 

It turned out that he went to the all-boys boarding school adjacent to mine. He was forced to take piano lessons throughout his entire childhood but eventually learned to love music. He spent all of his free time reading in the library just as I had in school. After dinner, we continued our conversation on the front deck. "I'm surprised you still don't recognize me, Miss Swann." He laughs quietly as we look out over the sea. "Whatever do you mean?" I say, completely baffled. But as I take a closer look at him, our eyes meet. A smile slowly creeps across my face, "Norrington...as in James Norrington?" He laughs and shrugs, "That would be me, Miss Swann." I can't help but laugh as I pull him into an embrace. "It's only been three years, how have you changed so much?" He's warm, and I feel at home as he holds me. "The military does that my lady." I pull away and smile, "Don't tell me they made you forget how to dance, I'd hate for all of those classes to go to waste." He takes my hand, twirling me before pulling me back, even closer this time. "How could I possibly forget when I had the greatest dance partner there ever was?"

I laugh as I remember how he would step on my toes when we first started learning. "I was the luckiest man in the world, I spent an entire night dancing with the beautiful belle of the ball." My cheeks grow pink, as images of that night flash in my head. It was the one time a year that the two schools would interact, and it was by far the best. All of my friends were jealous that I had gotten to dance with an older boy, not to mention an admiral's son. "You would always make the cutest faces and dumbest jokes when we would dance." He smiled, "I did anything I could to hear you laugh." He bows dramatically, holding out his hand. "May I have this dance?" I giggle, placing my hand in his, "Yes you may, lieutenant." I place my left hand on his shoulder, and I feel a shiver run down my spine as he places his right hand on my waist. Dancing with him feels the same as it did when we were kids, yet somehow completely different. Even though he's taller and stronger, we move the same. But now there is a new tension in the air between us, one that could be cut with a knife as we waltz under the stars.

"I hate to interrupt," one of the officers clears his throat behind us, "but the lieutenant is needed in the captain's quarters." The lieutenant sighs, "Yes, tell the captain I will be there momentarily." The officer nods before scurrying off, and James turns back to me with a look of disappointment.  I bring my hand to cup his face stroking his cheek with my thumb. "Thank you, Lieutenant, your dancing is as graceful as ever." He chuckled, "I'm so glad they put you on my ship, you're without a doubt the best passenger this crew has seen." I giggled, "Well I couldn't have picked a better crew." I gently kiss his cheek, "Now go, I'll still be on the boat in the morning." He lifts my hands, bringing his lips to my knuckles. "Until tomorrow, Miss Swann." I smile, "I shall be waiting, Lieutenant Norrington." He saunters off to the captain's quarters, looking back at me with one last smile before walking in.