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Captain Jack Sparrow was leaving and nothing could stop him from doing so. “It would never have worked between us darling. I'm sorry." Elisabeth Swann had a bewildered expression on her face. Good. Then, there was nothing between them.
Well. Nothing could stop him from leaving except for one thing. Or rather, one person.
“Will...” He waited a moment, wishing to see that familiar face one last time. The boy looked up, meeting Jack’s gaze expectantly. Jack’s heart clenched in his chest. Those impossibly big eyes. “Nice hat!” He wanted so badly to say that...it’s not just the hat. All of you. And yet, there was something in Jack that made it impossible for him to do so. Perhaps it was the fact that he wished for William Turner to be happy.
Nice hat. Jack shook his head and scoffed. Not even that had come out the way he’d liked, not with an air of humour. No, instead, it had come out like a...breathless whisper. Or something like that. But Will had still looked at him and that was enough. Had to be enough. To have that brilliant boy (yes, he had told Will to "not do anything stupid", as if the budding pirate had been a child. But love was a notorious power. People had a tendency to do rash and foolish things when they were in love, he knew that. And he couldn't possibly let the boy run off only to to get himself killed by someone. Or something) looking at him...well, Jack didn't deserve that. Not really. And, what was worse, it was intoxicating.
Hm.
Alright, he needed to get out of there before he made a complete fool of himself.
He couldn’t admit it, not even to himself, but he’d come to care for the boy in a way that he’d never cared for anyone ever before. He was Captain Jack Sparrow for heaven’s sake! He didn’t bloody care about people. Like that. Of course, he’d flirted with Elizabeth, but that had been nothing more than a game and she knew it too.
Somehow, women had always been easier to flirt with. They knew how to respond. Yes, women were complicated, but men even more so in these...situations.
Try not to do anything...stupid. He’d said that not only to Will, but also...to himself. Stupid things like falling in love.
He needed to be drunk. Those feelings he held for the boy wouldn’t go away. Drinking rum at least took the edge off of...things.
It was easier to pretend when he was drunk. Easier to pretend that he wasn’t in love with William Turner.