Rum-Soaked Awakenings (Vincent & Sivan)

Chapter 1 Captain and Crew

Standing on the bow of my father’s ship, I can finally see the Port of Darshley in the distance; after four days of travel, it should be a welcome sight, but it isn’t.

Well, I had been looking forward to this trip, the same as always, until about an hour ago.

I still can’t wrap my mind around what happened.

I’d gone to get ready for the meeting of the crews, only to find Harlow waiting for me in my bedroom.

I tried to push her away, as I always do, but despite my best efforts to resist, we still ended up having sex.

This time was different though, because I was distracted, and not by responsibilities, or a noise or something…

I was distracted by thoughts of him. Thoughts of Sivan—my best friend.

The person I’ll be seeing within the hour for the first time in six months.

The one person I don’t keep secrets from.

The sound of our crimson flag flapping wildly atop the mast draws my attention.

The seas were rough this trip, and the winds still haven’t died down despite us being so close to the port.

Looking up, I attempt to assess the state of the sails, but thanks to said winds, my hair keeps getting in the way.

I flip my head upside down, quickly tying my hair in a messy bun, so I can try and get a better idea of the state of things.

From where I’m standing, it appears more than a few sails may need to be repaired once we reach the port.

“There you are!” Matteo shouts. “What the hell are you standing out here all alone for, Vincent? For heaven’s sake, you’re not even in your meeting attire.

Where is your phone? Your dad’s been screaming for you for twenty minutes!

He’s really pissed off this time. You better move your ass and see what he wants! ”

I shove him backwards just a bit. “You asshole. Why am I out here alone? Are you serious? You plotted with Harlow and set her up in my room, knowing that I needed to get ready. What the hell did you do that for?”

“Did I?” he asks with a smirk, while rubbing his chest. “That kind of hurt, why the hell did you shove me so hard? You’re pissed because you slept with her, or you’re pissed that I didn’t tell you she was in your room?”

“Both,” I answer, running a hand down my face. I can’t stand out here with him. Every minute wasted on this conversation is a minute that brings me closer to facing Sivan, and I’m not ready for that. “Where is the old man?” I ask, while heading toward the lower deck.

“He was down in his office when I saw him, but that was a while ago. Probably slicing his way through your bedroom door with Gwendolyn at this point.”

Gwendolyn is my father’s favorite sword, named after my late mother. When he found a sword he loved after her passing, one that he said spoke to his soul, he named it after her. It was his way of keeping her with him.

It’s gonna take me a few minutes to get to my dad, since his office is on the opposite side of the ship.

My father’s ship, More Booty Than You is the finest pirate ship that sails the seas, and also the largest. The only comparable ship around is It’s All Mine owned by Captain Ray Crawford, Sivan’s father.

Captain Crawford and my father have been friends since they were kids.

Both were raised aboard another pirate ship, The Drunken Dog, captained by the most horrible pirate to ever sail the seas, Captain Stanley Slicer.

Our fathers, along with our mothers, were faithful crew members, pillaging and plundering at the pleasure of their captain.

But twenty-one years ago, our fathers led a mutiny against Captain Slicer, bringing an end to his reign of terror, and the start of a new age of peace for pirates.

These days, the seas are controlled by both Captain Crawford and my father, with each captain having their own territory on opposite sides of the sea. Twice a year, they meet up to trade and share supplies, and today marks the first meeting of the new year.

The door to my father’s office is open, and he’s sitting at his desk. “You wanted me for something?” I ask.

His gaze shifts to me. “Sit,” he says, pointing toward the chair on the opposite side of the desk.

Gwendolyn lies flat across his desk, his eyes flit down to the long slender blade.

He shakes his head softly, as he lightly traces the gold embroidered “G” on the hilt.

He looks disappointed in something, but it’s more likely that he’s just sad that my mom isn’t here.

He so badly wants to make her happy, even though she passed away years ago.

I understand that he’s sad, but that feeling of wanting someone to be proud of you that isn’t here anymore…

I can’t really understand that. I’m not sure if I believe in the afterlife, but I definitely don’t see my mother when I look at his sword.

Yet for him, that’s all he sees when he looks at it.

“Why aren’t you dressed, Vincent? We’re almost there. You should have been ready an hour ago.”

Now, I could say that I went into my room to get dressed, got distracted by Harlow, couldn’t get hard until I thought of Sivan, then needed to get some air on the deck, and ultimately lost track of time, but I probably shouldn’t.

What the hell? Even saying it inside my head doesn’t make any sense.

It’s Sivan…he’s just my best friend, and I’m not—

“I asked you a question. We’ll be there within the hour, so why aren’t you dressed?”

“I didn’t wanna mess my hair up with a stupid hat,” I say, leaning back casually in my chair. “Besides, it takes me five minutes to get dressed. Kind of a dumb reason for you to call me in here.”

I know that’s not why he called me in here.

He wants to remind me of all the responsibilities he’s planning to entrust to me.

He wants to drill them further into my brain.

I’ve known two things my entire life: first is that my name is Vincent, and second is that I’ll get a ship of my own under my father’s command once I turn twenty-one.

My twenty-first birthday is at the end of the year, so I guess he feels the need to go over the same things for the millionth time.

He removes his large crimson captain’s hat from his head and looks at it. “Whose hat is stupid? What don’t you like about it?”

“I don’t like anything about it. I was talking about mine, but yours is worse. Especially that big black feather sticking off it. It’s ridiculous. When you give me my ship, can I have a different kind of captain’s hat?”

“A different hat? You’ll be lucky if I name you captain at this point. You have bigger problems than a hat. How are things going with Harlow? Are you thinking of proposing?”

“Whoa, what? No. We’re not even together, and you already know how I feel. I’m not marrying her.”

He looks down at Gwendolyn and talks to the sword. “You hear that? He says he’s not marrying Harlow. You told me this would happen. He doesn’t know what’s best, though.”

I am not marrying Harlow. There is nothing that could make me do that.

Not duty, not my father, not money, nothing.

She’s not the one for me. I don’t mind the thought of marriage, especially since my parents had such a good relationship, but when I marry, it will be for love.

Not for duty. Why should I be expected to marry someone after I’m named captain?

I want to run the seas one day, but I’d prefer to do that with my best friend, the same as my father and Captain Crawford.

I want Sivan standing beside me, not Harlow.

My father is staring at my forearms. It’s funny, because when I was younger, I saw his tattoos—Captain on the left arm, Crew on the right—and I loved them, couldn’t wait to get my own.

Now that the time for my tattoos draws closer, I don’t really agree with the meaning behind them.

My father says the tattoos will remind me of my obligations.

He believes once I’m tattooed, I’ll become more responsible, and seeing those words will remind me where my duty should lie—with captain and crew.

But don’t I have the right to want things for myself?

As far as he’s concerned, it’s fine if I screw around, as long as I put nothing before him or the crew.

“I don’t think you understand how rare someone like Harlow is,” my father says.

“You and Sivan, you two run through girls, and that’s fine, but you’ll both be named captains this year, and sooner or later you’ll have to settle down.

The sooner you do that, the easier it’s going to be for you.

If you want a woman who’s not going to complain and nag you, that would be Harlow.

She seems to really love you. Love is rare, Vincent… ”

“Two things: First, she doesn’t love me. She only wants to be married to me because of my status. Second: Why should it matter to me if someone is in love with me if I’m not in love with them? Mom wouldn’t have tried to force me to marry someone that I didn’t love.”

“You may be right about that. But she wouldn’t want you to miss out on something good, just because you haven’t considered it, either.”

“What do you want me to consider? Marrying someone because it’s convenient? Or marrying someone because you think they’re a good match for me? Because I won’t consider either of those.”

“Vincent,” he groans. “How the hell am I supposed to entrust a ship and crew to you, if won’t listen to reason?

” He rolls his sleeves up and points at the tattoo on the inside of his right forearm, Crew.

“Once you become a captain, you have a duty to the crew, a duty as captain to do what’s best. A duty to make the smartest possible decisions.

” He exhales, then pokes the tattoo for emphasis. “For. The. Crew.”