#you cannot just hand me a soft eyed navy man and call him Edward and expect me not to like him

[vastwinterskies]

have been roped into watching Hornblower ⛵ I love these two

[skiesoftwilight]

An Offer (Edward Kenway)

Word Count: 3815

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The gentle breeze from the Atlantic ran its wispy fingers through your (H/L) (H/C) locks, making the tiny tangles bigger with each pass through. The bright Caribbean sun shined down on the ocean waters and made it glisten with such beauty and grace, reminding you of why you loved to set sail. Off in the distance, fish jumped up from the sea and gracefully splashed back into the water, alerting you of their location. The sound of seagulls ringed in your ears as your (E/C) eyes squinted up at the sky to see the grey and white birds fly overhead. Your bright smile tugged at your lips as you turned your attention back to the little island of the Great Iguana.

The mountains of rock that surrounded the island made the entrance and exit very exclusive and very difficult to maneuver in when the winds were favorable. Lucky for you, your brig, the Navi, was gliding smoothly on the waters and would have no problem entering the island. You made a visor out of your calloused hand as the other steered the ship, making sure that you knew where you were going to anchor. Your small crew of twenty-five stood near the edges, watching the waters below; they longed to finally dock.

“Lose the sails!” You ordered your crew to tie the sails up and let the waters do their job as you drifted slowly into the docking area. You waited a few minutes before calling for the anchor to be dropped. Your men cheered and you flashed them your smile. They stood near exit of the ship and they eyed you as you walked towards them. You made yourself the center of their little group and waited to you had all their attention.

“Al’ight men. I want to thank you for your help sailin’. I am relievin’ you all until the mornin’. Go have a mug of ale and get piss drunk for me, I say you all earned it!” Your smile was wide as all your crew laughed and cheered, “But I only ask one thing from ya… respect the women! Treat em’ as you would me. They might appear nice and dandy, but you offend ‘em and they’ll have yer head!” You were stern on the last part, but the men still cheered as if it were a celebration. You knew you could trust your crew, but you still had your doubts about some. With your last few glances at your crew, you moved out of the way and let them get off.

You were the last to exit as you looked over at the old brig next to yours. The Jackdaw. You smiled and your heart fluttered at the thought of Edward being here. Your leather boots clicked on the dried out wooden dock, making a skidding sound every other minute that you walked. You soon felt the soft sand cushion your feet and you were starting to walk on an incline. The many trees shaded parts of the well-developed town at the base of the island. Your mind wandered off to remember not long ago that you had helped establish the Great Iguana with Edward, Mary Read, and the rest of the crew you used to hang around with.

Many of the townspeople recognized your face and sent you a wave as you passed their little homes or businesses; some handed you fruits that were delicacies to them. You had eaten them and chatted with some of your old friends, seeing how they were doing and how their life was going for them. You cut most of the conversations short as you were actually here on important matters, involving Edward Kenway, himself.

You headed up to the large mansion on top of the hill. It overlooked the town and the entrance of the docks. Your heartbeat was a bit fast for its usual calm state. Your eyes were drifting back and forth from one thing to another as you reached the cobblestone layout in front of the mansion. You paused for a moment and took in its glory.

The white exterior was unusual for such a caribbean home, but the navy blue shutters complimented it so nicely. The foliage that surrounded the place was nice and it made the place feel so comforting and relaxing that you wished that Edward would one day just give you the place or that you could live here with him instead. He was living in luxury and you were a bit jealous, but nothing could beat a life out at sea.

“Is that who I think that is? (Y/N)!”

Your head quickly turned in the direction of the voice and your smile grew even bigger. Coming from around the mansion was your best friend Anne Bonney. Her bright red hair was noticeable with all the green that surrounded her. Her dark clothing was a total contrast to your beige pants and navy blue and lilac sailors apparel. She quickly approached you and engulfed you in her arms. The smell of ale was heavy on her, yet her breath never smelt like it. She hummed as you were in her arms; she was just trying to take in your appearance.

“Oh how good it is to see ya again!” She released you and stepped back. Her eyes scanned you and you couldn’t help but laugh. “Oh (Y/N), what brings you here? Are you here because of Edwards requests also? He must’ve wrote to you and me both if we are here at the same time, cause you are one hard lady to get a hold of.” Anne was all smiles as she talked to you. It made you sad that she made moved on from those tragic events that took place only a couple months ago.

“Indeed I did. I did not know he wrote to you also; it must be important if he has us both here.” You asked the question aloud, but you were mostly asking yourself. Anne answered it for you, being the girl who knows just about everyone.

“I have met him already, he told me to keep you company for a while until he is ready to meet with you. He is inside with Jenny… such a sweet girl…” She spoke the last part quietly as she started walking up the stone steps to a table placed on the balcony. There waited two mugs of ale for you two. She took her seat and you took yours right across from hers. You took hold of your mug and looked at the contents inside.

“Oh (Y/N), how I have missed ya… How has life been treating you? Fair? I hope.” Anne sipped her ale as she waited patiently to hear from you. You didn’t know where to start: from your departure from the island a couple months ago or now.

“As of right now, my life is good, I might even dare say great.” You told her with a small smile plastered to your lips, “I am still tryin’ to cope with events that were months ago, but other than that, I have been seein’ the world and meetin’ new people. It is a good life I am leadin’. I recommend it to you.”

“Oh you know me, sailing is in my blood, but I prefer the land and stayin’ in one place. I like to stay an easy contact for my friends… It is good to know you are doin’ just. I wish you would consider stayin’ in one place like me, but I guess you cannot be tamed my friend.” she laughed to herself and continued to sip her ale.

“How are you doin’? Am I right, that you stayed around these parts after I left? I know it was a hard time, so I did not know if you were goin’ to be like me and run from your problems…” You decided that you needed to just kick back the ale in your mouth and that it what you did.  Anne stayed silent and just watched you; she seemed to be processing your thoughts and trying to figure out what you were trying to get at.

“Oh, well you are right, Edward offered me to stay here. After Mary’s passing, he thought that I could not be left alone, but let us not dance around the subject, he just needed a feminine figure around to help with Jenny, that's all; the poor man does not truly know women and he has proven that many times over.” She laughed as her gaze drifted off to the area of the docks. You followed her gaze and had noticed that more ships were arriving with goods for the townspeople.

Footsteps echoed behind you two and your head quickly turned around to meet the icy blue gaze of the one and only Edward Kenway. You quickly rose from your seat and turned to face him. His walk slowed and your breath was caught in your throat. You weren’t ready to face him yet, you thought you were never going to be, but here he was, walking towards you with a shy smile on his lips.

“Anne, (Y/N).”

He hugged Anne and then when it came to you, he just froze up. You both stared each other down and Anne felt a bit uncomfortable so she interjected to dismiss herself.

“Um, I am going to join Jenny, Edward where is she?”

“In the gardens.” He never broke eye contact and it made you feel a little uneasy. You could see all the emotion in his eyes and it made you want to crumble inside. Anne had walked in the direction of the gardens and when she rounded the corner of the mansion, Edward’s smile grew and he held open his arms for you to walk into. You quickly hugged him and lightly swayed in his grasp.

“Edward, it has been too long…”

“Indeed it has... “

The both of you were silent for a couple of moments; you took in his smell and it shocked you. He no longer smelt of ale and fish, but flowers and rich scents that only came from candles imported from the mainland. You buried your face into his jacket and you had just realised that he no longer donned his assassin’s uniform, it was just plain commoners clothes and it was really surprising to you.

You pulled away from his chest, but you were still in his arms. He looked down at you, but all you could think about is kissing him. You quickly stepped out if his grasp and fixed your clothes. He just stared at you with compassion and it made your heart flutter, but you knew that it was only for his lust or him being kind to you as a friend.

“Look at you… You have changed so much since we have seen each other last.” He gestured to your outfit and you just nodded. “You look older, wiser, not to make you offended or anything.” He sounded a bit nervous to you and that was not normal, since he was always confident with his witty and charming words.

“No offense taken. I can say the same to you too. Your robes, they ‘ave changed.” You eyed him more and the years of the creed were taking its toll on him. “To be honest with you, I liked your robes, they made you look like you knew what the hell you were doin’ with your life.” You chuckled as you pointed it out to him, which he laughed along with you.

“I know, but I had to make some big changes over the past couple of months. Some I can see reason in, but others I was forced to for the greater good.” He admitted as you just shook your head. You were starting to feel comfortable in your own skin around Edward once again and it was nice to feel that way.

“You had written to me and I am sorry that I did not respond sooner. I was busy travelin’ the world. I feel like you have been waiting for me for many years,” You chuckled while he did the same, rubbing the back of his neck in the process. “I was not late, was I?”

“You were, by a month or two, but what matters is that you are now here.” He flashed you his killer smile before leading you into the mansion foyer. He had you take a seat on one of the lavish couches he had imported from England, mostly basing your guess on the type of fabric and design.

The silence that filled the foyer was deafening, but the open windows let the vibrant sound of Jennifer’s giggles out in the gardens be heard. Your (E/C) eyes drifted to the window and then back at Edward, who was fiddling with his calloused hands. His eyes were trying to stay focused on you but once Jennifer’s giggles reached his ears, he couldn’t help but turn around and look out the window at his child.

“How have you been, Edward? I can see that good ol’ Jenny is ‘avin’ a wonderful time, I hope?” You asked him as his attention came back to you. His smile was so radiant that you couldn’t help but smile back.

“It has been one hell of a time, I have to say.” Edward’s hands slowly came to rest on his knees as he listened to his daughter’s sweet laughter just outside the window. “But I do not regret a single day after what took place all those months ago…” He turned his head to look out the window once more at Jenny in a loving way, “I’m a changed man for good and I owe it all to her.”

A faint smile came across your chapped lips as you met looked over at his young daughter in the gardens. She looked just like her father, but some of her features were foreign to you memory, only linking them to what her mother must’ve looked like. She was a great beauty and you could feel the calm yet shocking aura that she had. Just from observing her, you could tell by the way she walked, talked, and moved, was just like her father.

“I am glad to hear that some girl ‘as changed you for the better,” a soft laugh escaped your lips as did one with Edward as he brought his attention back to you, “I know a whole lot of women tried their ‘and at changin’ you, count me as one of ‘em, and you ‘ever budged. I guess you just needed someone similar to you.”

Edward’s blue eyes drifted away from your gaze for a brief moment to eye a couple of letters that were stacked messily on the coffee table between the two of you; his fingers fiddled with each other once more and it only raised concern within your own self to find out the source of what was making your partner so anxious.

“Jenny is a good girl, her mother brought her up nicely and I must continue what she had started.” A sigh came from his lips as he reached out to grab one of the letters from the stack and held it gently in his hand. “I want her to grow up being proud of where she came from and never be ashamed of being herself… It’s a lot of changes for the both of us right now….”

“Edward, something is wrong, is there not?” You spoke bluntly; something must’ve been troubling him at the moment as he never stalled on what he had to say, he was always blunt and straight to the point. You were a bit disappointed that he was losing one of his main qualities that made him unique, at least in the world of pirates and outlaws.

“No, not at all. I called you here on important matters and we should address that as soon as possible. I already talked over what I needed to saw with Anne and she had agreed to the offer I proposed, all need is your response to really get the plans into motion.” You eyed him suspiciously for brief moment before reclining back into the cushiony sofa and gesturing for him to continue.

“Jenny is a young girl with a bright future ahead her, thanks to her mother’s care, and I want to make sure I can secure that future for her, but I cannot do it here, not on this island or any of these islands around here. I wish to move her back to mainland, specifically Britain, and let her live a normal life as a child.” He paused as he saw you appear confused for a brief moment, You know that the life I used to lead was never meant for a child, especially a young girl.”

“I get it, you don’t want ‘er to end up like the rest of the lot ‘ere. Why did you not leave all those months ago when she came here off of that ship? You could’ve given her what you wanted right from the start.”

“I was waiting on you and Anne, specifically you.” Edward spoke softly as he stared directly at you, letting his cool gaze slowly dig deeper into you soul, “ Anne is a small piece of my plans but you were the bigger part, I hope you understand why.”

A gentle sigh escaped your lips while you fidded with the fringe on the end of your frayed sleeves. You knew that yours and Edward’s relationship from the past would come to haunt you in the present, you just didn’t know when.

“I do, but I cannot possibly see ‘ow you would want me involved in your live, especially since your daughter has taken a spot in your ‘eart.”

“My life is changing for the better and I want it to continue… I speak with all honestly to you that what we had in the past was one of the many moments of peace and happiness that I have ever experienced in that chapter of my old life and I would like that to come again, hopefully sometime soon.” He flipped the letter in his calloused fingertips slowly, as if he was still thinking on something but was holding back.

“Edward, I enjoyed that chapter too, but in order to keep movin’ through life, you ‘ave to keep flippin’ the pages. Some things aren’t meant to come back and that is a good thing.” You spoke your mind while you sat up straight, looking at him with soft eyes as your heart was now fighting with your mind. “I would love to go back, but--”

“Then go back, with me.”

“But I am scared that we will destroy somethin’ we worked so hard to maintain.”

He stood silent for a moment as he soaked in your words. You hated to see him so broken down and lost, but that was part of your fault; if you would’ve stayed with him after Jenny’s arrival, he would’ve had a better guidance system than making his way alone in the dark.

“Alright, I--I guess I understand. I won’t push the matter no more with you if that is where you choose to stand. I should’ve known that you would’ve responded like this, you were always the one to be so strict with your decisions and never look back, Anne even reminded me.” He laughed a bit but you could tell that he was hurt by your final choice.

“What will you do now that I have answered your call?”

“Me and Jenny will be departing this island in the next couple of days, hopefully never to return to a place that is fueled by misery and death. We should arrive in Britain within eight weeks or so, if the weather is right. Anne will take over this place, it is stable enough for her.”

“And for me?”

“All I have left is to give you this letter. You can do whatever you wish with it, you don’t even have to read it, you can throw it to the sea or burn it, all I want to know is that you’ll take right here and don’t read it until you get to your ship.” Edward stood up from his seat and walked over to the open window and called in Jenny and Anne, calling them in to wish you farewell for your next journey. Their goodbyes were soft and simple; it warmed your heart to know that you still had people in the world that were going to be there for you.

After they said their goodbyes, they left the room, leaving you alone with Edward once more. You were standing by the front door of the mansion and gripped the letter in your hand as you thought about your next move with Edward.

“Well, if this is what you have decided, I can imagine that this will most likely be the last time we see each other.”

“It might be, indeed...I wish you and good ‘ol Jenn safe travels and that you only have happiness in your lives once you get there.”

Out of nowhere, your whole body betrayed your mind as it listened to your heart and slowly stepped in closer to Edward, your calloused hand taking his in your firmly, giving it a light squeeze before leaning upwards to plant a soft kiss on the corner of his mouth like you used to in the past. It was short, but it had a huge impact on your departure.

Edward didn’t say a single word but farewell before seeing you out of the mansion and at least down the hill. You walked alone to your ship and decided that you would depart from the island before Edward did, just so there wasn’t a mixed single thrown in with the sudden kiss.

After a couple days of sailing with your crew, you pulled out the letter and slowly read ever single word on the papers and it warmed your heart to see that the contents contained a plea to reconsider his offer and remember the times you had and how you could recreate them in another life. So many emotions ran through your head as you were beginning to listen to your heart more than your head.  

“Men, loosen the sails and turn this ship around, were ’eadin’ towards Britain.” A small smile graced your lips as you knew that your heart had one and that Edward was cheeky enough to put in his new address on the mainland, just for this specific purpose. You only hoped that the new life you were choosing was going to benefit all who were involved, especially yours and Edward's relationship.