Title: Love

Rating: T

Pairing: Eleanor/Max

Disclaimer: Character's don't belong to me.

Author's note: My answer to a prompt. It's full of fluff. It doesn't follow any specific time line I suppose, some time pre-show.

Summary: Prompt fic. The moment Eleanor realizes she is in love with Max. Part 1 of 2.

It was the middle of the night. One of the few nights Eleanor found that she was sleeping alone since she and Max had begun their arrangement. Max had to work for Noonan, she had been putting it off for as long as she could but he was growing more insistent. And it seemed that no matter how much pull Eleanor may have had he would not relent. It had taken Eleanor quite a while to even fall asleep, having grown so accustomed to having Max beside her. So when a loud, concussive banging echoed through her bedroom she was not pleased. If it had been Mr. Scott he would have announced through the door what he wanted. It was someone else.

Pulling open her door Eleanor saw that it was Noonan. And he looked pissed. Before she could even ask what the fuck he was doing at her door in the middle of the night he was mumbling something about Max and sick and Eleanor was following him. Despite the lateness of the hour Noonan's was still alive with activity. Moans and screams of pleasure echoed through the halls but Noonan led Eleanor along the familiar path towards Max's room.

"What exactly is going on Noonan?" Eleanor finally asked. Her head still clouded with sleep.

"Max, she's been sick all night."

"What kind of sick?" Eleanor asked concerned.

"Mrs. Mapleton says common cold. Been going around." Noonan explained. Eleanor felt relief wash over her, her mind had jumped to the worst possible things. Pirates were not the cleanest of men.

"Alright, then why the fuck am I here?" Eleanor asked wondering even why Noonan had opened the brothel if his girls were sick. But then remembering that it was all profit for Noonan and most of the pirates wouldn't care if the whores they were fucking were sick or not.

"She asked for you. Raised a damn fuss." Noonan said. He had never seen Max seem so unusually childish. When Mrs. Mapleton had come in to tend to Max, Max had thrown her shoe at the door announcing that she would only see Eleanor. Out of mild concern for Max and more concern for the profit that they might lose should Max be seriously ill Noonan had been compelled to go to Eleanor. At the very least she might have some sort of medicine that she would give.

"Thank you." Eleanor should have left. Mr. Scott would lecture her to no end on putting herself at unnecessary risk of illness. But she opened the door anyway, looking inside. Max's room almost felt more like home than her own bedroom. She saw Max laying on the bed, under the covers yet shivering.

Eleanor grabbed the basin full of water and a few cloths and carried them over to the side of the bed. Max shifted, having heard someone come in and expected it to be Noonan or Mrs. Mapleton. When she saw that it was Eleanor her eyes and features lit up.

"You came." Max said, her voice sounding hoarse and congested.

"Mr. Noonan said you threw a shoe at Mrs. Mapleton." Eleanor said lightly, a proud smile pulling at her lips.

"Not my proudest moment, but I did not want 'er to come in an examine me. She does not 'ave a gentle bone in 'er body." Max said sitting up before beginning to cough. Eleanor's brow furrowed in concern as she gently rubbed circles on Max's back until the coughing subsided. Grabbing the glass of water that rested on the night table Eleanor handed it to Max and watched the brunette drink from it.

"My poor Max. You were not ill when you left me this morning." Eleanor commented remembering vividly just how well Max had been when she'd been awoken to amorous kisses that had lit her body aflame.

"It came quickly." Max replied. "I am sorry to have woken you. I did not want to be alone." Max said sitting up before coughing lightly. Eleanor watched helplessly, she did not know how to care for someone who was ill. Nor had she ever had a particular inclination to. Yet here she was simply because max didn't want to be alone.

"Lie down, try and rest." Eleanor said her voice taking on a soft note that she hadn't even known she was capable of.

"Will you 'old me?" Max requested waiting for Eleanor to nod before she did as instructed. Eleanor sat against the headboard of the bed and Max curled around her, head and arm resting over Eleanor's stomach. Eleanor could feel the heat from Max's skin through her shirt. It was the fever burning through Max's body.

Max hadn't been able to sleep, her entire body ache. But as Eleanor began to slowly run her fingers through Max's damp hair, soaked with sweat she began to relax and feel sleep begin to overtake her. Strangely, the thought did not repulse Eleanor as she thought it would. Holding someone very clearly suffering from illness, perhaps not life threatening but still, it went against what had been the foundation of their entire relationship. They had both been gripped with a passion that neither could fight, there were times Max would be across the tavern and with just one look, and a small flash of a smile and Eleanor would be ready for her. It was an arrangement that worked well for both of them. Satisfaction without emotional entanglements.

That had of course over time changed, and grown into a fondness and affection. But things were kept separate. In this room only pleasure was found. Not sickness. When Eleanor had still been with Vane, he had come back from one of his excursions at sea wounded. Eleanor hadn't wanted to see him. She didn't want the image she had of him tarnished by the new memories of injury. The same she supposed was true of Max. Except that was changing now, now this was where Eleanor wanted to be. To comfort Max, make her feel even the slightest bit better.

"Go to sleep." Eleanor cooed gently, hugging Max closer to her. It took a while but soon Eleanor felt Max's breathing even out and knew that the dark haired woman had fallen asleep. Eleanor knew this was dangerous, allowing herself to develop feelings for Max. As if she had any control over that. The more she thought of it the more Eleanor realized she had been in love with Max from the first moment they met.

Part 2 will be when Max realizes she is in love with Eleanor. It's only fair to see her side right? As always, let me know what you think.