Jack opens his eyes to the Pearl. To the sound of someone rushing into the quarters. He whines, half eyed. Trying to see who it is.
"Hector," he says. Barbossa hurrily takes the compass from the desk and rushes back to the deck, not cutting the eye contact with Jack. "Compass, Mr Gibbs! Set route! Dont mess up this time!" He curses.
Then returns to Jack, who's been trying to sit up, then letting his poor attempts end.
"Awake? Ya good?" Hector asks, standing beside his bed.
Jack smiles. It sends a shocking tremble down Barbossa's spine. Doesnt know why.
Jack reaches a trembling hand over Barbossa. Poorly attempting to hold his coat at least.
Instead, Barbossa reaches out for his hand. Touching his fingers first. Then hearing another whiny voice coming, "Ye'r real? For real?"
Jack moves his fingers on the other men's fingers. Then into his rough hands as Barbossa kneels down beside the bed, unwillingly but curious.
"Its real, ye'r not dreamin' Jack." he says, as he watches the younger men's half opened eyes, still tired but, magical.
"Hmm.." Jack mumbles. "Real?.." again, with a slight tone of surprise. Then he jumps in realization. And the jumps ends up with him screaming in pain.
Hector stands back up as Jack screams, holding Jack as in case he tries to move more. "Stupid. Where ye brain at?! "
Jack hisses as he slowly leans back on the bed. Breathing rougly. Checking in if he bleeds. "I think me wound be bleedin-"
"Nah, is good. We'll be on land soon enough and get you checked." Hector says while undoing his bandages to put on fresh ones. He slightly takes the old ones off.
And Jack still tries to let all these sink in. He remembers what happened back there, but when he woke up, he tought...maybe it was a dream? Somehow. His heart or mind, nothing in him gave a chance for Barbossa to be there. Not for a second.
"Ya good?" Barbossa asks again. This time his tone is stern, cold. As just like Jack remembers. It usually meant he needed a real answer, not a lie. If he lied, he would understand. So Jack didnt dare to.
"Felt a bit, unreal." Jack says, staring at the ceiling again. As Barbossa cuts his old bandages off.
"For you to be back here?" This time, Jack had to lie. It wasnt in their books to be too emotional or close with eachother. He couldnt say about feeling unreal around Barbossa. Seeing him again making him excited. He couldnt. Not, yet.
"Yes" he said, then it followed a hiss. With Barbossa's help, he sat up and lean his back at the wall, leaving a bit of space enough for Barbossa to wrap the bandages around his waist and even his chest.
Hector puts one knee between Jack's feet. Leaning close to work better with bandages. Jack straightens. It isnt real is it? He couldnt be so real. He wouldnt do that.
But so he does. He wraps his hands around his waist, then bandages his wounds, securing it. His cold hands moving around his scarred and wounded, ruined body. And its real.
"Didnt change ye'r hat? Couldnt afford it I suppose." Jack mocks him with a smile.
"I love me hat." He does, he knows very well. That ugly hat. And that ugly monkey!
"When will I be able to go on deck? "
"Whenever ye'r alright. After ya get checked out."
Jack's eyes widen, as Barbossa leans back out and walks to the desk, grabbing the 'breakfast' prepared for Jack and putting the plate on the bed this time.
"Checked out?! Ya- ya mean- doctor?? I never went a doctor!-"
"It's a friend of mine. She owes me a favor and she be quite good at her job."
"Im- im not that bad!-" Jack whines as he reaches out for the plate and takes a big bite.
Barbossa rises an eyebrow.
Jack thinks about life.
"Maybe not. Is it neccesary- i mean ya doin it very very well!-"
"I d'now what am i doin Jack." Barbossa says, taking a seat front of Jack, then his monkey take his place on Captain's laps.
Jack shivers, seeing the monkey 'jack'.
"It'll be fast and good, then you'll be healed, then on deck." Jack sighs.
"It'll take too long. Don't ya have any rotation- any treasure- oh! That Fountain of Youth!. Sure." Barbossa nods his head.
"Then it actually means ye'r be leaving me again, on that- wherever we goin." Jack carries on, taking a sip of water.
Barbossa rises an eyebrow, again.
Jack thinks about life, again.
"Ye'r not?"
"Im not leavin anyone useful."
Jack laughs, then hisses with pain, and giggles quietly "Then ye'r definately leavin me."
Barbossa rolls his eyes, shooing away the monkey and standing up. Jack chews his last bites and leans over the wall even more as he notices Barbossa leaning on him.
His cold and rough hands touch his skin, and his chin. Lifting his head up, forcing an eye contact.
Bloody hell, his eyes are getting a deeper and deeper blue every time I see him.
Jack forces a smile, not understanding about this sudden contact.
"I wont be leavin ye'r ass until ye'r good enough to fly away. Sparrow."
This time, there is no force on his smile. He lets out a giggle swinging his hands slowly as his eyes flicker with pain a bit. "Caring about me Captain?"
He waits. An answer, a spit, a curse. Anything.
But he gets nothing, nothing more than deep blue eyes, staring right into his. Feeling it deep in his heart.
And his heart in case, skips a beat. His smile freezes in his face. Only looking back. He doesnt think of anything. What he could be thinking anyways?
Finally Hector talks. "Just want this ship to be whole and done." A lie, Jack isnt stupid. Its a lie but he must believe it. There is nothing he can do more than that.
Believing in lies and denying the truth.
All he can do.
Hector lets his chin go, leanes back out. Stands still. "Anything ya wanna eat? Or drink, no rom."
Jack mourns in heartbroken. Then sighs "nothin, but maybeeee you could think of gifting me rom sometime- oh. Okay..no then.."
Hector doesnt let his smile hide. Then giggles out loud. Then curses, making Jack giggle too.
"If ya get bored , just call someone to bring somethin, maybe you can go on deck for some fresh air too, later."
Jack nods and lets him know he understood.
Hector leaves the quarters, walking harshly on the deck.
"Where is the compass, is the route set?"
Gibbs runs over with the compass, handing it to his Captain. "Yes Captain, route set, we be on land before the night comes."
Barbossa takes the compass. Gibbs watching him, awaiting another order.
Hector opens the lid of it.
Whetever you want the most.
And of course, it would lead him back to hell, to the fucking quarters.
He just closes it back, pretending never doing it. But remembering the feeling of Jack's breath on his lips, his warm but wounded, rough skin.
"Fuck."
"Im sorry, sir?"
Barbossa realizes. "Go-...go away! Go do smtng- look at Jack or so." He throws the compass back at Gibbs. And leaves, harshly, stepping on front deck sighting the sea. (Angrily)
