Black Hearted

Part 15

Sean let Robin drag him down the steps, leading him below deck. To his added unease, the majority of the crew were all crowded around the tables, or swaying to the lively music that was playing. The minute they saw him, the crew quieted down and shifted to look at him with neutral expressions. Sean's breath caught in his throat. He suddenly felt like he shouldn't be here. Turning on his heel, he tried to race back up the steps, but Robin snagged his arm. Yanking him back as he dragged him farther into the warm cluster of men, stating excitedly aloud. "Evening boys! Started the party already have ya?" Sean tried to hide behind Robin as a burly man broke the silence with a bold laugh, answering loudly. "Well, we couldn't spend all night waiting on you, now could we?" A few of the men chuckled, turning to focus back on their tables as another man piped out from somewhere. "I'm surprised the Cap 'n let you bring him down here. See that, Finley? Pay up!" 

More men laughed as a men stood up enough from his table to toss a gold coin to a man leaning on the wall by the musicians. One of the men staggered up to him and Sean pressed his shoulder against Robin's back. The man eyed his face closely, then straightened up to say to a few other men that were standing behind him. "Hey lads, you ever seen a man with eyes like this one has? No wonder the Captain keeps him all to himself." A larger man stepped in, leaning over the first to get a better look at him. Sean clenched a handful of Robin's shirt in a panic. He wasn't comfortable being around these men. The larger man's dark eyes narrowed on him, before he uttered out. "Oh, ya... A bit scrawny for my liking, but he does have some pretty eyes. Sean was afraid to look away from them, when Robin butted in. Pushing them back a bit, he told them with a chuckle. "Now stand back, ya Sea Urchins! Give him room to breathe! You're scaring him!"

The men raised their hands in surrender stepping back as the first man mumbled out. "Alright. Alright. I meant no offence." A man that Sean recognized as Bob, shifted slightly on his bench to tell Robin lightly. "Go easy on them, Robin. They've never seen the likes of him before. That's all." Robin turned away from the standing crew and started pushing Sean toward the table as he answered. "I know that. But crowding him isn't going to help." Bob pushed Wade farther down the bench to make room for Sean, chiming out excitedly. "Wade, make room. Let Sean sit." Wade shifted to stay on the edge of the bench seat, meekly answering with a smirk. "Ya, sure. Glad I could help." The crew laughed as Robin nudged Sean to sit. Sean cleared his throat quietly, trying to shrink into the background. He didn't understand what was going on. The men at this table were all looking at weird colorful flat things in their hands.

Wade pushed a short round bottle toward him, saying nicely. "Here. Drink that until we can deal you in next round." Sean took the bottle and turned in over in his hands to see the liquid inside. It appeared to be water, but when he sniffed it, he gagged. If it was water, than it was the foulest stuff he had ever seen. Wade chuckled at him, informing him warmly. "It's rum. Go ahead take a swig." Behind him, Robin told Wade in a worried voice. "Wade, Don't tell him to drink that-" It was too late though. Sean held his breath, bringing the bottle to his lips to take a large swig like he had seen another man at the table do. Lowering the bottle, he put the back of his hand to his mouth. The liquid was burning his tongue and making his eyes water. He swallowed some if it, but the burning continued down his throat and a second later, he sprayed the rest of it at the men across from him. Sean banged a hand against his chest, gasping and coughing.

The men across from him yelped, rising from their seat as they found the driest parts of their shirts to wipe their dripping faces. Robin placed his hands on Sean's shoulders, asking him in an even more worried voice. "You alright?" Sean nodded, but continued to cough. Bob swatted his back roughly, asking him with a small chuckle. "I guess, they don't have fire water where you come from?" The wet crewmen laughed, taking their seats again as Finley joked out playfully. "Normally they get me dinner first, before getting me all wet." Sean blushed a bright red as the men around the table fell into fits of laughter. Felix leaned over the table then to shoot back at Finley, just as playfully. "Oh? Is that why we're down to half rations then?" Finley flicked off Felix, trying not to laugh with the rest. From across the room, a burly man raised a cracker into the air, shouting out to Finley in a joking manner. "Hey, Fin! What will this get me?!"