The Love of the sea (Pirate! 2p EnglandXinsert reader)

when two paths cross

The wind blew wildly as a young woman packed items into a small rowboat. She planned to flee the small Virginia colony for a life of adventure, something she wouldn't find there. If she stayed she would be married off to someone she didn't love, be forced to have children till she either died or her husband did and the cycle would continue. So instead of letting fate happen she decided to take fate into her own hands. She had cut her long (h/c) hair short, bound her chest, and wore men's clothing in the hopes of passing as a man. As she set off into the open water of the sea she knew either way she would have an adventure, be it joining Davey Jones' locker or being taken up onto a ship to work.

A week passed, her water was low as was her food, she started to accept her fate of perishing at sea when she spotted a beautiful ship sailing towards her. she squinted at it wondering if it was a hallucination caused by the heat. It wasn't till the ship stopped beside her small boat that she realized it was real. She heard men yelling and running about as ropes were sent down to her to tie to her boat so they could lift it up. She scrambled and did the best knot she could despite not knowing any specific knots sailors would use. within minutes the rowboat was lifted up and she was helped onto the ship, looking around she stared in awe at what was going on.

An old sailor chuckled at the sight of the exhausted, weather worn, scrawny adventurer. He walked over and held out his hand "Welcome to the Raven's nest lad! Looks like ye made off with quite the goods, ye must be a fellow pirate aye?" his eyes sparked with amusement at the sight of the girl smiling awkwardly "a-actually sir I ran from home... I wanted adventure so what better adventure is there than the sea?"

The man barked with laughter and patted the young one's shoulder "well if ye want adventure then join the crew what better adventure than to live on a pirate ship! Follow me lad the captain will want to speak with ye. Don't underestimate him, he may seem young and naïve but he is a tactical genius who uses the underestimation to his advantage..." the man said as he led her to the captain's cabin and knocked in the door before opening it to reveal a young man with his feet up on his desk reading a letter. His strawberry blond bangs framed his ace to make his ocean blue eyes stick out from his freckled face. A light blue captain's jacket hung on his shoulders loosely. The older man cleared his throat causing the young man to look up. "Capt'n we found this lad floating in a rowboat in the middle of the ocean... he said he was looking for adventure... is it alright to allow him to be part of the crew?" the older man asked bowing his head respectively, and winced when the young man pushed back his chair, stood up and slowly walked over. A hint of amusement in his eyes as he walked around the two like a wolf sizing up two sheep. He stopped in front of the young woman and dismissed the elder man, a coy smile played on his lips, only speaking when the man had left and was heard walking down the hall.

"you know they claim women are bad luck on a ship... but I'm not one to believe that hocus pocus." He spoke cheerfully causing the woman's (e/c) eyes to widen in shock "h-ho-how d-di-did you?" she sputtered causing the young man to chuckle "come now poppet, despite you seemingly being flat as a bored your hips don't lie~" he spoke in a sing song tone as he went back to circling her but it was far more playful in nature. "I'm Captain Oliver Kirkland, may I ask what your name is madam?" the young man smiled politely.

"I-I'm (name) sir... (full name)" the young woman replied with a poker face despite wanting to blush at the playful antics of the young man. It wasn't flirtatious in nature but more childish banter. He was nothing like the Captain Kirkland that visited the colony often, for one that captain had sandy blond hair and deep green eyes, he wore a red jacket and was rude. But this Captain Kirkland was playful and polite, absolutely endearing in her mind. She wondered if the two were related somehow, her puzzled expression was caught by the young man who simply smiled

"If you are wondering Arthur Kirkland is my brother... he is rude and crude toying with women and sees them as trophies more than people... sadly many mistake me for him despite our appearances and personalities being completely different... though I have to be harsh on my crew so there is no mutiny... I found out the hard way that being too kind can end up getting you hurt... now I lack a first mate... hmm speaking of that, because the first mate gets their own cabin and you seem to want your identity secret why not become my first mate? It's safer for you to not be sleeping alongside a bunch of horny men who would jump a woman if they got the chance... you seem bright plus you seem like someone I would enjoy chatting with the others are too afraid of me to have proper conversation..." Oliver shrugged "the crew won't like that fresh meat is the first mate but I can bluff and say it's a test of your loyalty~ though warning if it seems I am being cruel it is simply an act, I honestly harbor no ill will against you."