Ahoy

"You are Captain Lark, aren't you?"

He breathed deeply trying to calm down and not clam up. He was sitting at the kitchen table after the awkward experience of seeing Aurora in her sleeping garments. He held a high respect for her already, and felt terrible for even being aroused by the scene. He tried to distract himself by looking at the picture drawings on the kitchen wall.

Obvious picture drawings of her relatives, even the cousin from Seven Pleasures last night was in them. He stopped short coming to a drawing in a frame, this picture drawing was of a tall blond haired man with a trimmed beard. This man was throwing woman who looked a bit like Aurora, not quite though.  They looked incredibly happy, peaceful, and very much in love.  He looked closer at the tall man in the picture... he looked familiar.  Where had he seen him before?

He shifted in his seat awkwardly, and he was fully aware he was being gawked at from the kitchen.  Two boys had opened the front door for him and literally dragged him into the house.  Once they had dragged him in though, they froze unsure of what to do or say.  One said, "You are Captain Lark aren't you?" His eyes were wide, full of awe and wonder.  The other said, "Shh... no fainting or excitement.  It irks famous people."

To say the least, these boys were a hoot.  They sat at the table peeling potatoes while clumsily stealing glances towards Xavier's direction.  Xavier stifled a grin looking at the well worn floor boards of the floor beneath his feet.  Suddenly, he heard her coming down the stairs.

He knew it was her before he saw her.  He could smell the same scent she had on yesterday when he rescued her from The Seven Pleasures.  They made eye contact as she descended the stairs.  Both of their faces flushed and they looked away from each other, remembering the last thing that had happened between them.   Her blue dress complimented her figure, as she finishing tying a ribbon in her braid coming down the stairs.  He smiled seeing the pep in her step, was she perhaps as excited to see him as he was to see her?

"Good morning Captain," she stated. "Would you like some eggs?  Toast? Milk?"

"Xavier," He answered staring up at her from his chair at the head of the table.  "What do you usually eat for breakfast?  I'll have the same."

"Xavier...," she whispered to herself as if to remind herself and then added, "I usually just have boring old oatmeal.  What do you like?"

You, he thought smiling to himself but said, "I like what you like. Oatmeal sounds like it will hit the spot.  Thank you."

The boys stared at him as Aurora walked past them into the kitchen to scoop two bowls of oatmeal for herself and Xavier.  They knew they were postponing their trek for hunting that day, but they wanted to see how this visit was to play out.  Although, their big sister had other plans.

"Boys, I believe you had a hunting trip planned today.  Why are you still here?" She practically hissed at them as she stood on her tippy toes to reach the bowls in the cupboard.  

"There is literally a pirate captain sitting at our kitchen table, Ra," Johnathan answered his sister with a condescending tone, as if to say how could she not notice the rather large man whose size dwarfed the chair he was sitting in.  

"Yes.  He is our guest.  We need meat for dinner tonight, let's go!" Aurora waved them away still struggling to grab the bowls.  Why did her male relatives have to put these up so high?  Johnathan and Joseph groaned but moved out of the kitchen grabbing their bows and quivers leaning up against the kitchen wall.  They were out the back kitchen door before she could say goodbye.

A hand brushed against Aurora's while quietly grabbing the bowls she was reaching for.  The arm was long, buff, hairy, and tanned.  She turned to see Xavier smiling down at her in his quiet way as he held out the bowls to her and stepped back to give her personal space.  

"Well thanks," She answered back smiling as she moved to scoop a few spoonfuls of oatmeal into their bowls from her well worn black pot.  "Would you like something to drink?  I have water, tea, or coffee." She said handing a bowl to him and opening a cupboard to get the kettle for the stove.  

"Tea sounds amazing," He smiled, feeling like a schoolboy with his obvious crush on her.  

They both sat down at the table letting the kettle heat up passively eyeing one another as they dug into their oatmeal.  She could get a closer look at his face today.  She eyed the scar on his forehead and wondered how it got there.  He admired her hair, wishing he could not just run his hands through it but even just touch it.  

"So... Xavier...," She paused mulling over saying his name this way, but continued, "What's your story?"

He paused, and looked over at her.  Her eyes sparkling the way the did in the light, a sudden realization came to him.  He knew that man in the picture drawing up on the wall.  The man whose picture was now just behind Aurora so perfectly placed.  He had seen those sparkling green eyes somewhere else many years before this.  

"Aurora, do you know who that man in that drawing is?" He asked.  

She turned towards the picture with a puzzled expression and with a confused tone said, "That man my mother drew.  She said that the man was my father... why do you ask?"

He placed his spoon down, processing what he just heard from Aurora, and discovered, "I am not deferring to answering your earlier question.  I just had something come to my mind, and I think I should address it now.  I know him.  He taught me everything I know, his name is Captain Lance Kurt, most infamous pirate on the ocean."