Cresting Waves

Open Waters

Zayn can't stop throwing up. He doesn't know how long it's been since they've left the island, but it must be long enough. Liam keeps bringing him cups of cider and little bits of dry bread, as well as thin slices of ginger root that Zayn furiously chews like a cow on her cud. It all only helps a little.

"You alright?" Liam's deep voice sounds from outside the cell bars.

"No," Zayn answers miserably, on his knees over the bucket that's been his constant companion recently. At least he's not kneeling in saltwater anymore. It seems to have mysteriously dried up during one of his brief bouts of sleep.

Liam makes a kind of sympathetic sound that Zayn wants to roll his eyes at, but just that second he has to wretch over the bucket again. "I brought you more cider. And bread." There's a jingle of keys and the screech of the door on its hinges, and then Liam is in the room with him. He doesn't shut the door behind him.

Zayn glances at it, then up at where Liam's taken a seat on his wooden board bed. At least he's got a blanket on it now. "Aren't you worried I might escape?"

The sound of Liam's high laugh makes Zayn's stomach feel weird. "Where would you go?"

He keeps his eyes on the door. "Anywhere but here."

"We can't just let you out. You're our prisoner. Here." Liam offers Zayn his hand, helping him up to sit beside him. He passes the cup of cider and hunk of bread to Zayn.

Zayn eats pitifully, knowing full well it's probably going to come right back up later. "What do you think I'm going to do, Mr. Payne? Jump overboard? I can't swim, and I don't even know where we are."

"Well, there is the possibility that you'll kill us all in our sleep."

"All of you?" Zayn snorts. "And then what, sail the ship all the way back home by myself? You truly have some imagination."

Liam shrugs. They fall into a silence while Zayn tries to calm his churning stomach. The pirate doesn't watch him, so much as keep him company while he eats. The cider does help a bit, but he wishes he had more ginger root.

After a while, Zayn can't stand the silence anymore. "The night you took me...once they started firing, why couldn't one of the men just row me to shore?"

Liam gives him a look that makes Zayn want to collapse in on himself, a blush staining his cheeks darkly. "They hang pirates, Mr. Malik. Would you really expect Tommo to send one of his own straight to the gallows?"

"Of course, yes, you're right. Sorry, I didn't even think." He wishes the hull of the ship would crack open and swallow him up in the depths of the sea. Quick, think of something else to say. "Why...why does Mr. Styles call Captain Tomlinson sir, but no one else is allowed to?"

Now it's Liam's turn to blush, his cheeks turning a brilliant bright pink, gleaming in the light of the lantern. "Harry and Tommo are-well, they are romantically attached and-

Zayn cuts him off with a gasp, hands flying up to his ears. "Don't tell me any more!"

"I see I've offended your sensibilities and I apologize. However, you may want to grow accustomed to it." Liam rubs at the back of his neck, then coughs into his fist. The movement draws Zayn's eyes to the pirates naked chest peeking through his low-necked shirt before he quickly looks away.

"Why? How long are you intending on keeping me on board? Will you try to ransom me again? Where are we going?"

Liam chuckles. "You ask a lot of questions."

"You don't give a lot of answers."

A small frown crosses Liam's face before he stands. "I'm sorry, I should get back on deck." He moves to the door. Zayn stands in a hurry, heart racing.