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Vane sits on the edge of the bed and stares at the door, wills it to open even though he knows it won’t. Billy had left a week ago in a rush, eyes wild and scared, lying to Vane’s face like he thought Vane wouldn’t see through him.
He’s trying to give Billy time. Trying to allow him the time he needs to come to terms with the realization of what he’s feeling, but Vane isn’t always the most patient of people.
He knows that what he’d done at the tavern had pushed Billy too far and he’d been afraid Billy wouldn’t return at all. Vane hadn’t seen him in town until he showed up at the fort last week.The relief he’d felt at Billy’s presence had pushed everything else from his mind.
When Billy made to leave, Vane had blurted out the first thing he’d thought of. He knew what it must have looked like. Her exiting his room, him only half dressed. He’d needed Billy to know that nothing had happened.
The possessiveness in Billy’s touch had gone straight to Vane’s cock, the same way it had the week before. Feeling Billy’s teeth in his skin had made Vane hard and eager.
When he’d left after Vane had pleaded with him to stay, Vane had been angry. Looking now at the remnants of two tables and a washing bowl still scattered around the floor, he thinks perhaps angry was a bit of an understatement.
The fact that Billy had felt the need to lie to get away from him had stung more than he’d wanted to admit especially after the way Billy had responded to him.
The way he’d clung to Vane, the way his body gave over under the gentlest of touches told Vane that Billy, at least on a subconscious level, felt the same as he did.
Even now Vane can hear the echos of Billy’s voice all around him. He lays back crossways on the bed, hands rubbing hard at his eyes.
When the door opens his heart stops briefly only to start again slowly at Jack’s presence.
“Has he come to town?”
“No.”
“It’s been a week. He hasn’t stayed away this long in months, not unless they were at sea. Hell I wouldn’t have even known he’d been here the last time except that I’d heard Eleanor talking to him before he’d tried to leave.”
Jack straightens up from the door frame.
“Did you say that he ran into Eleanor? Here?”
When Vane only stares at him, Jack rolls his eyes.
“Tell me that I don't have to explain to you what that would have looked like to him.”
“I told him we didn’t fuck. I told him I hadn’t fucked anyone but him since the first time.”
Jack walks farther into the room to stand directly in front of him.
“It’s not about the fucking, Charles. It’s about what she means to you. You do realize that every man, woman and child on this island is aware of how you feel about her? And you do realize that he is a part of that population? The fact that you didn’t fuck is no consequence to a man who believes his love will never be returned because he thinks you’re still in love with someone else.”
Vane can’t remember a time when Jack had sounded quite so exasperated. But what he’s said can’t possibly be true. Billy must know. The way he knows how Billy feels.
“He has to know how I feel about him.”
“Why? Why does have to know? Have you told him?”
“Not in so many words.”
“Which is to say not at all. And combined with the game you played with him at the tavern it’s no wonder he went scurrying off. He’s not coming back. If you want him, you’re going to have to go after him. They’re leaving in three days. That’s what I came here to tell you. Charles, he needs to hear you say it.”
Vane sits stunned. He can’t believe it’s possible that Billy doesn’t understand that Vane is in love with him. That he has been for rather a long time. His heart starts to beat double at the thought of what he’s now in danger of losing.
Without a word he stands up and pulls a shirt over his head and pulls his boots on.
He nods once to Jack as he practically runs out of the fort and toward the beach. He spends the entire trip out to The Walrus trying to decide exactly what he needs to say.
As he gets closer, he can see Silver and Flint leaning over the side watching him. He knows he probably has an ally in Silver, but Vane is going to need to control his temper to keep from knocking Flint off his own ship.
Before he’s even fully over the side, Flint is in his face. “What the fuck do you want?”
He watches Silver shake his head as he stands behind Flint.
“A word with Billy.” He’ll be damned if he’ll give Flint the satisfaction of hearing it first.
“What do you want with Billy?”
Silver looks him over and before Flint can open his mouth again Silver gently touches Flint’s sleeve and Flint all but snaps his mouth shut and his focus immediately shifts.
“Captain, would you mind getting him? I’m having a hell of a time with the stairs today.”
Vane watches concern flicker briefly across Flint’s face. Had he not been watching he’d have missed it. Flint gives him another once over before turning on his heel and heading down the stairs.
Silver eyes him as he turns his back to the stairwell. Vane tries to steel himself for what’s coming.
“I wondered if you’d come. He’s been in a state for the last week.”
Silver leans against the rail, eyes trained out over the water.
Vane watches him carefully. Even though he’s aware that Silver probably won’t throw him overboard for what he has with Billy, he still refuses to tell anyone before he tells Billy.
“I’ve seen you with him. Once outside the tavern, he had you pinned to the wall and it didn’t seem as if you minded. I imagine that he’s finally figured out what’s going on inside him and he thinks it hopeless, thus his state of being the last few days. But based on the fact that you’re here and the nervous ticks you’re trying desperately to hide, I’d wager it’s not as hopeless as he believes.”
When Silver turns to watch him, Vane can feel his jaw clench. Silver’s not wrong. Silver is much too perceptive for his own fucking good.
“Be aware that Billy is very dear to this crew, to myself and our captain especially. And should any true harm ever come to him, it wouldn’t be taken to kindly.”
Vane can see the shadow of Flint out of the corner of his eye and thank fuck. He turns to watch Billy come up the stairs and Vane has never been more relieved. He feels like he can breathe for the first time in a week. When Billy looks up their eyes meet briefly before Billy jerks his gaze away.
“I can’t imagine what--”
Silver touches the back of Flint’s hand and Flint falls completely silent once again.
“If you need to discuss anything privately, feel free to use the Captain’s cabin. Billy knows the way.”
Silver tugs Flint with him up to the quarterdeck.
Billy’s eyes meet his briefly again as Vane takes a step forward. They stare at one another for long minutes before Vane reaches out.
Billy flinches away and Vane blows out a breath. It’s not the time to mince words.
He takes another step closer and says, “I’m in love with you.”
Billy’s head jerks up and he stares at Vane, mouth hanging open slightly. Vane reaches out again, runs the back of his knuckles down Billy’s arm. Billy shivers slightly.
“I realized too late what it must have looked like to see her there. We’re not reconciling, Billy. That’s long over. She’s my past. I won’t lie and say that I no longer care for her, I always will, but I’m not in love with her.”
Vane brushes his hand against Billy’s check and Billy turns into it slightly. It gives Vane all he needs to continue.
“She is no longer who or what I want. I knew some time ago that she and I never had a future.”
Billy pushes closer. Vane links his pinky finger through Billy’s.
He leans in, his mouth close to Billy’s ear, “You’re the only one I want.”
Billy surges forward, his hands fisting in Vane’s hair as their mouths come together in a desperate kiss that makes Vane weak with relief. He lets Billy pin him to the rail as they melt together. Billy’s body pushes against his and Vane opens for him, arms going around his back to clutch at Billy’s shirt.
Billy’s tongue is slick and warm as it traces his own. He pulls Billy closer and goes up on his toes. As if suddenly remembering where they are Billy pulls back, face flushed but Vane isn’t ready to stop, he pulls Billy back in, one more slow kiss before he lets him go.
“Come home.”
Billy nods. He doesn’t look back as Vane leads him over the side of the boat.
They make it back to the fort in record time. They’re only a foot in the door before Billy hits his knees. Vane is momentarily stunned and it gives Billy enough time to work open the front of his pants. He pushes the pants to Vane’s ankles before licking the underside of Vane’s cock. Billy traces the head with the tip of his tongue and then takes him all the way down.
He’s still soft, but the hot suction of Billy’s eager mouth working him over is making his cock fill quickly. Billy flicks his tongue over the slit and Vane’s hips jerk forward. He runs his fingers through the short hairs at the nape of Billy’s neck.
Billy moans around him and the vibration of it sends a shiver down Vane’s spine. Billy takes him slow, head bobbing up and down as Vane gets harder with each passing second. He feels Billy’s hands slide up his thighs. His blunt nails scratch a trial from the back of his knees to the flesh of his ass.
When he looks down Billy’s eyes are watching him, hot and hungry and filled with so much longing that Vane can’t stand to have him that far away. With his hands hooked under Billy’s arms Vane hauls Billy to his feet.
His arms tighten around Billy’s waist as he turns his face up. Their mouths slant together and they both moan. At first it's gentle, tongues sliding together, lips slick with spit.
They pull back to breathe before coming together again hard and fierce; so much heat and need between them. Vane feels like the air in the room is pressing in on them, pressing them closer. Billy’s teeth sink into his lower lip and he pulls. Vane clutches at his back.
Billy presses him back, tips him over onto the bed and follows him down. He’s clawing at Vane’s clothes, fingers shaking and useless, gasping for breath. Vane takes Billy’s head in his hands and pushes him up.
When their eyes met all Vane can see is desperation. He forces Billy to stand. Billy reaches for him again and Vane shushes him.
Vane kicks off his boots and lets his pants follow suit before bringing his shirt over his head and tossing it across the room. Vane circles Billy until he’s standing behind him. He pulls Billy’s shirt out of his pants, gets his hands on Billy stomach. He trails his fingers softly up and over the flat plane of Billy’s upper body.
He feels the muscles in Billy’s abdomen quiver under his fingers as he pushes up, raising Billy’s shirt inch by inch. Once it's over his head he flings it in the direction of his own. Vane’s hands come down on Billy’s shoulders as he trails his mouth down Billy’s spine.
Billy's breath hitches, a soft moan reaching Vane’s ears. He smiles against Billy’s skin, sinks his teeth in just so and Billy shivers against him, body swaying back into Vane’s space. He quickly unfastens Billy’s pants and pushes them down.
He slides his hands across Billy’s hips, down his thighs until he’s kneeling, fingers circling Billy’s ankles. Billy kicks out of his boots and pants and then Vane is moving him toward the bed. Vane comes down behind him, legs on either side of Billy’s hips.
He runs his hands down Billy’s back to watch the muscles ripple. His fingers dig in at the base of Billy’s spine and Billy arches into it. He rubs upward, tracing muscle and bone with first his hands and then his mouth and tongue.
Billy tastes like salt spray during hide tide. He bites across Billy’s shoulders; traces the knobs of his spine with his tongue. Vane lays on his stomach between Billy’s thighs, and spreads him open with his thumbs.
He licks over Billy’s hole and Billy almost shoots off the bed, a wailing moan bouncing off the walls. Billy shifts his legs further apart and pushes back into the touch. Vane circles his tongue over the puckered skin.
Billy’s hole is fluttering under his tongue. He teases around and around pushing gently until Billy is moving to meet him. Soft little whines huff out each time Vane points his tongue and presses hard at the center of him.
Vane spreads him apart, gets him wet and open, pushes his tongue inside as far as he can. Billy’s spasms around him. Vane licks over him, spit running down his his chin, down Billy’s balls. When Vane slides his middle finger in there’s little resistance.
He pulls his finger free and rolls Billy over to his back. Pushing himself up he crawls up Billy’s body, mouth leaving damp trails over Billy’s torso. He flicks his tongue against Billy’s nipples; waits for Billy to push up into his mouth before biting.
Billy’s hand tangles in his hair, presses Vane’s mouth harder against his skin. Vane sucks harshly before using his teeth to tug. Billy ruts up against him, cock sliding along the crack of Vane’s ass. Billy makes a muffled noise and Vane pulls back to listen.
“I want you in me.”
Billy is breathless, needy and Vane understands. Billy wants to erase the sadness that clings to the last time. Vane moves to kiss him and Billy meets him halfway. Billy licks into his mouth, sucks Vane’s tongue before scraping his teeth over Vane’s bottom lip.
Vane reaches across to the table snagging the small pot of oil. He levers himself back down Billy’s body. He takes Billy’s cock into his mouth. Licks over the head, swirls his tongue down the shaft until Billy’s all the way in, cock head leaking pre come down Vane’s throat.
Billy fits one hand tight in his hair, the other clutches Vane’s shoulder. His hips lift, fucking into Vane’s mouth. Vane slicks two fingers and teases softly around Billy’s hole. Billy moans brokenly, body jerking as Vane’s fingers breach him.
The hand on Vane’s shoulder is squeezing and releasing in time to the slow thrust of his fingers inside Billy’s ass. Billy’s squirming back onto his fingers and then fucking up into his mouth, taking what he wants. Vane hums around him in encouragement and Billy gasps at the sensation.
The hand in Vane’s hair tightens as Billy guides him in a faster rhythm. Billy is cursing, legs twitching, stomach rippling with heaving breaths as he works himself over on Vane’s fingers and into his mouth.
Vane’s never seen anything so fucking beautiful as the way Billy’s giving himself over. He curls his fingers, concentrates pressure just under the head of Billy’s cock and then Billy’s coming down his throat, body seizing as Billy shouts. Vane pushes his hips into the bed to get just the tiniest relief for his aching cock.
He’s so hard, wet at the tip and he wants inside of the tight heat squeezing his fingers. He looks up Billy’s body to his flushed face and bright eyes and then Billy’s flipping him over and sitting on Vane’s thighs.
Billy runs his hands over Vane’s chest, tweaks his nipples before taking Vane’s cock in his hand. He rubs his thumb over the head, smearing the wetness he finds down the shaft. Vane’s breath catches, eyes rolling up briefly when Billy squeezes him tight in his fist.
He wets his palm and then goes back to stroking Vane’s cock. It’s the best torture he’s ever felt. Billy’s strokes are too loose and too slow to make him come but the slide makes him shudder, makes him press his hips up looking for more.
The look in Billy’s eyes is a tease, there’s just the smallest hint of smile tugging his lips and he looks well sated. He leans in and licks over the tip of Vane’s cock. Vane can’t help the gasp, or the Please that escapes him.
Billy just ignores him, goes back to the snail's pace of stroking up and over, twisting his wrist and then rubbing back down. He adds more oil and then shuffles up the bed until Vane’s cock is poised right beneath his ass.
Billy lets gravity take him down. It takes everything Vane has to keep his eyes open and locked with Billy’s. The tight heat surrounding him makes him want to thrust hard and fast. By the time Billy settles fully Vane is barely breathing, afraid to move for fear of coming too fast.
Billy rolls his hips and Vane hears himself moan, eyes dropping closed briefly. His hands go to Billy’s hips to hold him still. When he looks up Billy is smirking at him. Vane can’t be anything but amused.
He pushes up hard while pulling Billy’s hips down. Billy’s lashes flutter down as he breaths out a soft, breathy, oh.
Vane pulls him down by the neck, their mouths meeting as Vane whispers against his lips, “The way you feel makes me weak.”
Billy kisses him fiercely, tongue sliding over his own, slicking the roof of his mouth. When Vane releases him Billy sits up. He lifts himself slowly, just the tip of Vane’s cock still inside before letting himself fall back down.
He rides Vane slow, body moving like the crest of a wave and Vane is mesmerized by the way his body twists and turns. Rising up then down, rolling forward and back, Vane loves the languid pace he sets, his cock being caressed by Billy’s body in a way that takes his breath away.
Billy shivers every time he rubs Vane’s cock inside him at just the right angle. Vane rubs his hands over Billy’s thighs, the muscles there bunching under his fingers as Billy’s pace picks up.
He leans back, one hand going to his cock, the other landing on Vane’s thigh to stabilize himself as he starts to ride Vane faster.
Vane pushes Billy's hand off his cock and takes over. Billy uses both arms to help raise and lower himself, his pace increasing with each second. He pours oil over his fist to give Billy a slick channel to fuck into.
He never takes his eyes off Billy, watching as the pleasure takes over. Vane sees the way his eyes start to go unfocused and hazy, the way his breath starts to hitch. Sees the way Billy’s face starts to go slack, his mouth falling open, tongue licking out to wet his lips before pulling his bottom lip into his mouth, teeth sinking in as his eyes slide closed.
Vane sees the very second Billy starts to come and he catalogs every nuance in a way he never has before. Billy’s head tips back as Vane’s hand works his cock in long strokes. Billy gasps out Vane’s name.
He sits up and gets a hand behind Billy’s head, he pulls him into a gentle kiss. He licks over Billy’s bottom lip. It’s hot and swollen from where his teeth had been sunk in. He pulls it into his mouth, soothes the indents with his tongue before Billy’s tongue touches his.
They chase each other back and forth and Vane thinks he could stay here just like this forever, cock buried deep in Billy’s clenching heat, Billy’s tongue in his mouth and his come all over Vane’s stomach.
Billy breaks the kiss, pushes him back down, plants both hands on Vane’s chest and starts to rock back and forth on Vane’s cock.
He hisses out a breath and Vane watches his hips stutter. Vane wonders just how sensitive he is. He’s come twice and Vane’s had his tongue and his fingers and his cock in Billy in some form or another for what feels like hours.
Billy’s body is undulating over him, hips lifting and sliding back down in a steady rhythm that has Vane’s balls tightening and his stomach fluttering. He runs his fingers over Billy’s nipples just to watch him gasp.
He pulls Billy down into a kiss. It’s wet and open and sloppy. Vane plants his feet and shoves up with his hips as Billy tightens around him. Vane moans into the kiss before his head pushes back into the bed.
Grabbing Billy’s hips he holds him steady as he hammers himself home hard over and over. Fuck, it feels so good, Billy is hot and tight and perfect around his cock, squeezing and releasing at exactly the right time.
Vane can hear himself panting, feels sweat running down his hairline, slicking his chest. Billy leans into him, face jammed between Vane’s shoulder and head, lips biting at his neck.
It's the way he moans Charles, like it’s a prayer and the only thing that can save him that pushes Vane over the edge. He shoves up hard and holds. Shudders wrack his body as his vision goes black and his breath stops. He can feel his whole body going rigid as he shoots pulse after pulse deep in Billy’s ass.
Billy presses him down, kissing his face and his neck, hands stroking over Vane’s shoulders, down his arms until he twines their fingers together. He brings both their hands up over Vane’s head.
Billy whispers, I love you into the skin of Vane’s neck and Vane’s eyes close as he feels himself relax, as he feels everything finally slot into place.
He rolls them to their sides once his cock has gone soft. Billy turns over so that his back is to Vane’s chest.
Vane kisses the back of his neck, across his shoulders. He strokes his left hand across Billy’s chest and stomach until he hears Billy’s breathing start to deepen. He syncs his own pattern to Billy’s before he pulls the blanket over them.
When he wakes up, a number of hours later to sunlight streaming through the window his heart speeds up at the feel of Billy next to him. He reaches out and runs a finger down the center of Billy’s chest. Billy reaches for him in sleep, hands seeking and Vane moves into him, lets Billy pull him in. He buries his nose in Vane’s hair as he settles, arms tugging him closer.
Vane falls back to sleep with Billy pressed behind him. Two days later when Billy leaves, for the first time Vane doesn’t worry about when Billy will be back, if he’ll be back, he just looks forward to when he comes back.