ᜪ ⱮߊƝ∪ꚌⴹՏ in ⲎⴹАⴸⴹΝ [Multifandom Oneshots]

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Your fingers pluck out a small, engraved brass pin. Lieutenant Theodore Groves looks surprised, but also pleased. Norrington smirks at him and pushes him along.

"That's mine," he says quietly. You nod and join the lieutenant in Beckett's office, examining the pin as you do.

The engraving is one of a ship cutting through the ocean, a few birds overhead. The detail is surprisingly intricate, each crest of each wave raised and spitting spray, each wing curved just right, wood texture on the boards and masts of the ship both visible to the eye and apparent to the touch.

"Your pin," you say abruptly to Groves. "It's gorgeous."

He blushes. "Thank you... It's the Groves family emblem. Everyone in my family has a form of it. The male heads of the house have this pin—it's been passed down for centuries—and the women have a necklace with the same engraving." He digs around in his pocket. "It's right here. I...I would offer it to you to show you, but that would mean I'm proposing to you."

You flush. "Oh..."

Groves is a darker red than you are. "Er, anyway... I'm Theodore Groves."

"Isabella Jensson," you say, but your mind is already turning over the sound of Isabella Groves...

"So, ah..." He clears his throat. "I take it you saw Commodore Norrington's little smirk?"

"I did."

"He thinks this is hilarious. The thing is, I've been looking for a girl for a while... I didn't think I had a chance with you and I sure didn't think you would take out my pin, so I thought it would be safe... But the thing is, a girl handling the pin is basically the guy asking for permission to court her."

You blink, but you don't hand back the pin or drop it. "You know, that's actually kind of sweet..." You clear your throat and change the subject. "How did you come by the pin?"

"My father gave it to me," Theodore begins, "when I left for Port Royal. I suppose that's good. He died half a year ago."

"Oh, Theodore...," you whisper. You step closer and envelop the lieutenant who is nearly in tears in a hug he gladly falls into. "I'm so sorry."

Theodore sniffled into your shoulder. "Th-thank you, Miss Jensson."

"Oh, just call me Isabella. I'm calling you Theodore, you can call me Isabella."

"Thank you, Isabella." He sniffles. "I've wanted to talk to you since James came back, talking about the new girl from London, the daughter of one the most esteemed admiral in the British Royal Navy. I just never had the courage."

"I guess this game is useful, then, after all!" you laugh.

Your eyes meet with Theo's and sparks fly in your heart. The air between you is charged with electricity. Theo quickly crosses the space and closes your fingers around the pin.

"May I?" he asks.

"Please do," you whisper.

His mouth connects with yours and you're instantly in heaven. Theodore's kiss leaves nothing to desire. You quickly discover upon opening your mouth to Theodore's asking he is skilled with his tongue. He has to support you by the hips with his hands as your knees start to buckle.

"Theodore...," you whisper.

"Isabella?"

"Can I...?"

"Oh, please," he whispers. You start to push off his coat, not really sure where this is going but ready for almost anything.

And then the door opens.

Norrington grins at the two of you. "Ah, Theo! Am I keeping you from getting—"

"Shut up, James," Theodore grumbles. He swoops you up in his arms. "Now if you'll excuse us, Commodore..."

Norrington raises an eyebrow. "Not a good idea, Theo. Beckett's convinced you two are doing more than what you are doing."

Theodore puts you back on your feet. He shrugs his coat back on and glances at you. He hesitates before saying, "Keep the pin. Think it over, okay?"

You suck in a breath. "You mean—?!"

Theodore nods and a smile spreads across your face. "Oh, Theodore!" You fling your arms around his neck.

"Hurry up!" Norrington hisses suddenly. "Beckett's coming!"

You unlatch your arms from Theo in an instant and the three of you walk out just in time as Beckett appears by the door.

"What took you so long?" he grumbles. 

"Oh, we just lost the lieutenant's pin," you say, waving your hand around vaguely. "We've found it, don't worry."

"Ah," Beckett says, but he doesn't sound convinced.

"You do have your pin, Theodore?" you ask Theodore, knowing perfectly well you still have his pin.

"Ah, I believe you have it, Isabella...," he says quietly, once again the lieutenant nervous to be near the girl he has loved by both name and face.

"Oh, right! Yes," you say, opening your hand and holding out the pin on your palm. "Here you are, Theodore." He takes the pin from your palm, looking crestfallen, but you are already working out a way to solve that problem.

"Thank you," he mumbles.

"Your collar is folded," you say suddenly. You step closer to him and stand on your tiptoes to reach his collar. As you fix it, you murmur in his ear, "Yes." It takes him a minute, but then he realizes—you're saying you will let him court you. A smile spreads across his face.

"Thank you, Isabella."

"My pleasure, Theodore."

Norrington and Beckett both stare at the two of you as if they're wondering what just passed between the two of you. Norrington shrugs and Beckett just shakes his head and disappears into his office.

"Lieutenant Groves? If you don't mind, we have a ship to sail and Miss Jensson is in need of getting to Port Royal to start her new life," Norrington says, a smile twitching at his lips.

"Yes, Commodore," Theodore says quickly. "Um, if you don't mind—?" He gestures toward you.

"Not at all," Norrington says with a smile. "Ten minutes, Groves."

"Thank you, Commodore," Theodore says with a grin of relief. Norrington nods and walks off. Theodore turns back to you. He envelops you in a hug. Your lips find his and the kiss is just as sweet as the first. He presses an object into your hand and your fingers curl around it. Eventually, he pulls away.

"Theo—" you start.

He kisses your cheek. "I'll see you tonight." He hurries in the direction the commodore disappeared in.

You make your way up on deck. Your eyes cast around for Theodore and find him quickly. You smile at him and he smiles back before returning to his conversation with Norrington. You glance down at your still-closed hand and walk slowly to the side of the ship, where you'll be out of the way. You unfurl your fingers and gasp. You look up at Theodore and Norrington, both of whom are watching you. Eyes shining with tears of joy, you nod to Theodore.

And in your hand lays the very same engraving, but this time on a brass chain.