Chemistry

This is sort of original story, but sort of a fan-fic. It's a fanfic that I wrote of a friends story, which she decided really happens in her story. Some of the characters are borrowed from her, and some of the characters she borrowed from me. The characters that I borrowed from her she helped me with so that I wouldn't sway to far from their personalities. Sakura Sayo, Iromi Tonbo, I, and Issac Fukuda are borrowed characters. So the credit of their existance goes to my bestie Mysticalfairymagic.

Alright, so here's the first chapter. I had an issue with the flow, so let me know what you think.


Chapter One: Pirating

Curses and promises of death were the only sounds coming from the brig on an old decrepit ship, she was many years overdue for her retirement. She was Captain Nobles’ heart and soul though, and he would not be rid of her for anything. He had cause to prove it a time or two. Upon his father’s death, the Seabird had been left in his possession, along with a member of his old crew, a female pirate that had been greatly indebted to his father. She had ten years left of service before she had worked off a debt that Noble had never really understood, he assumed it was best he knew the least about his father and the little she-pirate as possible. For years, Noble had done his father’s bidding by having the girl, Leora, work off her debt. He worked her harder than the rest of his crew, wanting her to complain, wanting her to demand her freedom, but not even the smallest utterance of defeat reached his ears. She would simply nod her head at his demands no matter how crass. As Noble thought back on it, he had not heard her speak much to anybody for quite some time. Not that he minded at all, when he met her he suffered a brutal tongue-lashing.

With a frustrated sigh, Noble called his first mate. “Cade I need you to go down to the brig and fetch the girl.” He needed to get this over with. To clean her up and send her on her way.

The first mate shuffled his feet and adverted his eyes awkwardly, “But Captn’ Miz Leora is our bez mate you can’…” the first mate trailed off feeling Nobles’ cold eyes on him.

“I am the Captain of this ship, that means what I say is law, so don’t tell me what I can’t do.” Noble snapped, and Cade did not have the courage to say anything else. Cade left to get Leora out of the brig.

Some time later, Cade reentered with a gagged and bound female pirate. Cade bore several new bruises upon his face, and a bloody right hand with teeth marks; it seemed to Noble that it was safe to assume that Leora had not come willingly. “Let loose her hands, and remove her gag. Have you so soon forgotten that she is one of us? My father made it so when he picked her up off some road. Miss his touch much?” the last comment had been directed at Leora; referring to the fact he had assumed that she had been his father’s whore.

By then Cade had removed the gag, and even with her hands still bound, it took all of his strength to keep her from his captain at that comment. Seeing she could not physically lash out at Noble, Leora spat, swearing, “You bastard! I was a child, and your father was a good man. It shames his very name that you are his son, to inherit his title, you’ll never measure up to the captain.”

Noble laughed sardonically, “Yes, indeed he was a fine man. What a fine decent man he was to have murdered your friends and family in cold blood. Then to take you in and care for you as though that could redeem him of all the wickedness he’s done in his life.” Noble’s gaze traveled over Leora. Only a pair of men’s breeches, and a laced top that had long ago been torn falling now only to just above her rib cage, covered her body, well toned from hard labor. That wouldn’t do if Captain Brashear expected her to be decent. Leora was a far cry from that at the moment.

Cade had unbound Leora’s hands, and he had to keep a grip on her to keep her from trying to kill Noble, though Noble might deserve a cruel death at her hands, bad as he’s treated her since he became captain. Nobles piercing green eyes bore into Cade as though he knew what he was thinking.

“Out.” Noble shouted to Cade, and Cade complied immediately, pushing Leora to the ground. Noble laughed as Leora struggled back to her feet. “There, now we can have our discussion privately, and if you wish to dig your pretty little claws into my flesh you may.”
Leora narrowed her violet eyes, “What do you want from me Noble? I have done everything you have asked of me, but then you had me bound and gagged.”

Noble shook his head laughing to a silent joke he had made to himself, “My dear pirate girl, what makes you think I want anything from you? In actuality I wish to be rid of you.” Noble saw the hope that surfaced in her eyes. He could not wait to squelch that hope. She did not have the right to hope, to dream, she ruined his, and now it was time to return the favor. “You’ve been sold.” He stated staring at her features, hoping for the worst. He could tell at first what he had said did not register, and then with dawning horror her eyes widened and trembling from head to toe she tried to form words.

“I… but… I… I have earned my freedom you cannot just sell me. I’ve worked hard.”

Noble nodded, “Yes, you have. I thank you, and I’m sure my crew is very thankful in my fathers’ choice for ship whore.”

Frightened and distraught Leora may have been, but that comment was not going to be tolerable. Just seconds later red marks stood out against Noble’s pale face, after Leora’s hand struck his cheek. “I am not a whore Noble, and you damn well know it.”

Noble frowned; he disliked his crew talking back to him. Anger gripped at his insides, and he let it guide the back of his rough callused hand to greet Leora’s cheek with so much force he knocked her to the ground, her head slamming against the planks. “Damn you.” he spat, as she reached up to wipe the blood from the corner of her mouth. The immediate swelling and redness of her tanned cheek spoke to Noble as clearly as a healer would, Leora would have a black eye, bruised cheek, and swollen bloody lip for weeks.

Sprawled on the floor, Leora almost cursed back at him. She had the words right on the tip of her tongue, but she bit them back. She was not what she was for nothing after all, she knew when not saying anything at all would better benefit her, and so she stayed silent, simply staring at him. Noble was not what Leora would have considered a traditional pirate. For one he was quiet young to be a captain. He had excellent teeth, unscarred features, and clean hair. Leora’s violet eyes swept over Noble’s dark hair, unyielding lips, broad shoulders, and heavily muscled chest clearly visible from the half-laced cotton shirt with flared sleeves. Lastly, her gaze took in the black leather breeches tucked into knee-high work boots, the only part of his attire that was not impeccably clean.

Noble shook his head frowning, “I was supposed to present young maiden Leora to Captain Brashear, but what I have is a little girl playing pirate.”

Leora rose to her feet. Glancing down at her figure, she chuckled, “Little? Hardly. I’m two and twenty if I’m a day.”

“You don’t look it, nor do you act it.”

“Thank you.”

“Well, young, old, homely, pretty, short, or tall you’re in need of a good washing and a nice, clean, conservative dress. There’s a small room connected to this one, and it should have the things you require to bathe and dress appropriately.” Noble gestured to the back of his cabin, to a small door in the wall beside his large mahogany desk.

“No.” she said, shaking her head vigorously. She refused to be some man’s strumpet, to be pampered and petted until nightfall when the man would want the favor returned.

Noble laughed as though he were reading her thoughts, “Well, my dear pirate girl, either you go and make yourself presentable, or I’ll bathe you myself.” Noble’s threat was rewarded with Leora rushing into the small room, and slamming the door shut behind her.
Inside the small room, Leora found a large basin of heated water. She knew she was dirty, pirates were always dirty. She did not usually care, but the steam rising from the hot water called to the female in her, and without thinking, she stripped herself of her clothes. Sliding into the scalding water, she sighed with a feeling of ecstasy, as she scrubbed the grime from her overworked limbs. It seemed worlds away where women enjoyed such pleasures everyday. To her that’s exactly where other woman were, worlds away, enjoying what life had given them with their beautiful dresses and soft skin. Her gaze was drawn to her hands, rough and calloused from too much abuse. She shook the thoughts of imperfection from her mind and tried to enjoy the rest of her luxury of a warm bath. Soon when her skin was flushed from scrubbing she climbed from the basin, shaking her waist length, raven colored hair in attempt to rid it of water. She then searched for a towel and fresh linens. She had dried herself completely, and had slipped into fresh small clothes before she even looked at his “conservative dress”. It was a lovely red and pink kimono, and immediately she was angry. Several people mistook her heritage at first due to her dark hair and deeply tanned skin, but usually her wide violet eyes, high cheekbones, straight nose, heart shaped face, and full red lips, would diminish those illusions, but not this time. Noble was more a fool than she thought. Not having anything else to wear Leora donned on the Kimono, angrily pulling here tugging there until it fit properly. She did not bother putting her hair up, she let it cascade down her back in a veil of darkness. Leora stormed out of the room, and into Noble’s cabin. When Noble saw her enter the room, he had been sitting in a chair before the fire. He immediately stood, but he was pushed back into the chair by Leora’s rough, lavender scented hands upon his chest.

“You bastard, I am not a whore.” Leora exclaimed with the ferociousness of a lioness.

Noble was taken aback, confused to say the least, she had sounded as though she was enjoying her hot bath, if the sighs of pleasure he heard escape the washroom were any implication, but now, here she was angry, again. “I didn’t say you were.” He stated, unable to keep the confusion out of his voice, but at that moment with her so close that he could smell he sweet scent of her, pressing her palms against his chest, the world could have caught fire and he would not have cared.

“You gave me that geisha’s kimono, like hell you aren’t calling me a whore.” Leora snapped angrily, remembering the Japanese woman that Noble had bedded several years previous. Leora was not like that girl, she would not give herself away to some man with coins in one pocket and an itch in the other.

Noble could not help but get angry, “That isn’t a geishas’ kimono it is a Japanese yukata. I know your heritage is different from Japanese, but with the yukata you will fit in better.” Noble’s next words came out far more harshly than he had meant, “Besides, Geishas are not whores, and never in my presence should you say so again, or…” Noble could not continue, Leora looked so much like her, like Sakura.

“Or what?” Leora demanded, apply more force to his muscled chest.

“Or you’ll have more to fear than being sold.” He replied, reaching forward, twisting her wrists until she was forced to her knees, and gritted her teeth against the pain.

“I don’t fear you,” she hissed between clenched teeth.

“You should,” Nobles voice dropped to a low baritone as he pulled her to him, whispering against her ear, “I’m not as kind as my father was, I wouldn’t be gentle like he was. He was older than I; passion didn’t grip him as it does me.”

As the implication of his words became clearer, a hot flush shaded Leora’s cheeks, and in anger, she twisted her head around, and sank her teeth into the delicate flesh at the base of his neck.

Noble let out a groan, and tried to pull away, but Leora would not relinquish her hold. His grip slacked on her wrists and with full force, his fisted hand came across, hitting the left side of her skull.

Leora fell to the floor, her head feeling as though she had fallen from the crow’s-nest head first onto the deck.

“Damn you.” they both hissed at the same time. Leora holding her head as a large bump formed, and Noble was clutching his neck where her tiny sharp teeth had made gashes in his flesh.

“Why did you do that?” Noble demanded.

“Is there really any question? I couldn’t very well allow you to… to follow through with your threats.”

“My threats to treat you as my father had?” he questioned wondering what his father had done to earn the respect and admiration of the little pirate girl, when it seemed she could not bear Noble’s touch, but he was far younger than his father was. Surely, she did not find his father more appealing when he had been so old. What had he done to make her jump to his defense as she had done so often… no, on second thoughts, he did not want to know.

“No, your threats to do with me as you think your father had.” Leora snapped, her head clearing up, as the injury diminished. “Your father wasn’t nearly as cruel as you believe him to be. He was an honorable man, and he never did what you accuse of him. I was a child when he took me aboard this ship, and I was still a child when you took over.”

Noble’s eyes narrowed, “What about now?”

“Now I am two and twenty,” she muttered knowing well that was not what he meant. She started towards the door, but Noble stepped quickly, blocking her way.

“Before you head back to your labors, I must ask you not to speak of the girl whom you’ve developed in your mind, the one whose eyes change colors.”

“I didn’t imagine her, she’s real. I saw her.” Leora insisted with a new light in her eyes, the light of a child whom believed in fairies and mermaids. It was a light that could touch a soul and make them for a moment want very much to believe that such magic existed; it was the light of innocence.

“You mustn’t speak of her once you are with Captain Brashear, he’ll think you addled of the mind.” Noble responded.

“My mind is not addled. I saw her that night many moons ago, the night when the little geisha girl left you this yukata. She was there, and her eyes changed from gray to pink then to the stormiest of dark blues. I did not imagine the girl with the color changing eyes. She’s real, why don’t you believe me, Noble?”

The light, the innocence, in Leora’s violet eyes guarded Noble’s answer, “I don’t wish to believe in her, for if such a girl does exist, she would be quite dangerous, almost fey like.”

Shock was plain upon Leora’s face, “I haven’t the faintest idea how someone so beautiful could be dangerous.”
Noble laughed lightly, “You’re dangerous.”

“That may be, but I’m not beautiful, or fey like.” Leora murmured, wishing Noble had just told her the truth, that he didn’t believe the girl with the color changing eyes was real because he knew nothing of ‘magic’ and he cared not for mysteries, but Leora knew that the girl was real, and more like Leora than she could ever say.

“Leora, beautiful or not you must promise me you will not speak of her again.”

“What good is the word of a pirate?” Leora asked her voice unsteady with the thought of keeping secret the one thing that kept her sane throughout the years.

The light in Leora’s eyes had been extinguished, and though he despised Leora greatly, he felt guilty for causing her to lose that. “A pirate’s word? Tis no good at all. Your word? You wouldn’t go back on your word; you’re too proud, far too proud to be a pirate.”
Leora’s eyes narrowed, “And you are far too stubborn to be human. You are more akin to a mule. You’d be of better use if someone saddled and shoed you.” Leora snapped, pushing past Noble, and exiting his cabin.

An arrogant comment had been riding upon the tip of his tongue, but he could not say it, not when she had reminded him so much of Sakura. “Stay clean.” He called after her.