30 Day OTP Challenge (Kiddway)

Day One, Holding Hands

Edward Kenway sat on top of the windmill in Kingston playing nervously with the cuff of his sleeve. The sun began to set and he knew Kidd would be there soon. He flicked his wrist blade out, checking his appearance in the reflection of the blade. He licked his fingers and pulled at his hair in an attempt to fix a piece of hair that was sticking up off his forehead. He finches slightly when he hears the soft thump next to him, alerting him of his companion's arrival. "Wouldn't ya prefer meeting in a pub?" She mocks attempting at a welsh accent. What a wisecracker. He rolls his eyes but smiles, remember back on the last time the two met up on this windmill. Edward glances over at the smirking face of James Kidd. Or is it Mary Read now?

He looks his partner up and down, Kidd's smirk growing wider the longer he stares. She crosses her arms over her chest and taps her foot softly against the roof, "Now what was it ya wanted, that ya brought me all the way to bloody Kingston, to talk about?" Edward takes a deep breath trying to steady the quick beat of his heart. "Sit down Kidd." The words come out shaky and he can't help but to curse under his breath. She plops down next to him and pulls out her pipe. "This can't be good..." She trails off and lights her pipe, taking a long drag. He can't help but to watch her lips around the end of the pipe.

He wets his own lips and begns, "Mary-" He's quickly cut off by the sound of her hidden blade, he looks down and her knife is pointed dangerously at his crotch. He rolls his eyes and pushes her hand away, "Your secret is safe with me lass, who's going to hear us all the way up here anyway?" Her blade retracts into its sheath, she takes another drag off the pipe and waves at him to continue. "Mary how long have we known each other?"

She quirks a scarred eyebrow up and blows a cloud of smoke from the corner of her mouth. "Five years or so, why?" Edward scrubs his face with his hands, conflicting feelings thrown around in his head, Jaysus, five years. Everything's about to turn to shite if she doesn't feel the same. He buries his head in his arms and releases a pained groan from the back of his throat. He's obviously gotten her attention now, she's putting out her pipe and turns her body to face towards her friend. "Kenway, what's wrong?"

He props his chin up against his arms, watching as the last bit of sun trickled behind the horizon, bathing his surroundings in darkness. He sighs again and she places a hand to his shoulder, squeezing gently in a means of comfort. He squeezes his eyes shut and squeeks out, "Five years is quite a long time." James replies with a soft, "Aye." And she drops her hand away from his shoulder, he frowns wishing for even the smallest bit of contact. He scoots a bit closer. She obviously noticed but for some odd reason didn't say anything about it. "In those five years I've not heard hide nor hair of any man in your life. Do you prefer women?"

She chuckles but quickly looks away, it was only a fraction of a second but he saw the pain hiding behind her eyes. "Aye, I've been with women but I prefer cock." He can't keep the smile from his face, "But." His grin is quickly replaced with a frown, But what? But is never a good sign. She sighs and runs a hand through the hair sprouting from her bandana. The two grow quiet, listening to the quiet chirping coming from the crickets below.

"I had a husband, Kenway, as you have a wife." His eyes widen and he can't stop his mouth fast enough, "How could anyone leave a beautiful lass as yourself?" Her face contorts into that of pain, tears threaten to spill from her eyes but she bites her lip and they recede. "I don't believe he left intentionally, Edward." His eyes widen upon the use of his first name, she's never called him by his first name. "We met in the Navy and settled down together a few years after he found out my secret." He nods and she pauses, no doubt hoping to steady her quivering voice.

"A year after we retired he was asked to re-enlist. He died at sea not three months later." Edward couldn't help himself from latching onto her shoulder, she tenses and leans away from his touch. His heart feels heavy in his chest as she continues, "I haven't been with a man since he passed and that was nearly seven years ago."

Edward bites at his cheek, knowing all to well what it was like to miss a spouse. James hides her face into her knees, her shoulders shaking a bit as she, as he assumed, began to cry. He feels that tightness in his chest again, heart breaking for being the one to cause Mary to relive those memories. He squeezes her shoulder reassuringly and she sits back up wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. "Kenway, I know you didn't just come up here for me to spill my guts to ya. Now what did ya want?" He straightens himself, was he sure about doing this? He clears his throat again and speaks, "Actually that's exactly what I wanted." She quirks a brow obviously confused.

Edward's hand finds her's and he links their fingers together. She looks down at their hands and tries to pull away. His grip tightens and his other hand finds her cheek and she flicks her eyes up into his hopeful ones, "Mary, I know that we don't always see eye to eye however I know we both enjoy each other's company. Lately I've been finding myself thinking of you as more than a friend. Mary Read, I think I'm in love with you." She pulls her hand away from his and he backs away hurt, "Oh posh Edward, you're only thinking that because ya miss you're wife."

He sighs and rubs the bridge of his nose, "Aye, I miss her. But I don't think she misses me, we're done Mary, there's nothing for me to return to." James stands and Edward's heart drops, "Mary, don't go..." She crouches down in front of him and places a hand to his cheek. "Edward I love ya too, but I can't do this." He grabs her hand that was resting on his cheek and, for the first time, he cries in front of her. She sighs and brushes the tear away with her thumb, "Kenway-"

She's cut off when he places his lips over her's in a hard wanton kiss. His heart races when she begins to respond, he feels her smile into the kiss and she wraps her arms around his neck. He flips their position so her back is being pushed into the roof and he is hovering just above her. He smirks when the softest of noises escapes her lips as her back hits the tiles on the roof. He deepens the kiss breathing in the scent of seasalt and gunpowder on her skin. They break away from each other leaving both breathless and panting. She grabs onto his hands this time, squeezing tightly. She brings them up and places a chaste kiss to the tops of them. He gazes into her eyes searching for something that told him she enjoyed it, she sighs and his heart drops.

She must have seen the look in his face because her grip tightens and she entwines her fingers with his. "Alright Kenway." His head shoots up, eyes twinkling like the stars above. "We can try it, but if it don't work out," she winks at him and stands, nearly knocking him off the roof, "You're joining our creed." His hands tighten around hers tightly and he leans in to seel the words in a kiss. She turns her head and his lips land against her cheek, she winks at him playfully and hops from the roof to land in the haystack just below. He can't stop that ever growing smirk on his face, Well that could have gone a whole lot worse. He pulls his hood up and hops off, chasing after her.