AN: This is a sequel of sorts to my Pre CotBP fic, Longing. It's not necessary to have read it to have an understanding of this story, but I may from time to time refer back to details or events that were mentioned in that story, so you may find it helpful to read Longing if you haven't already.
Courtship
Fourteen days had passed since the almost hanging of Captain Jack Sparrow, when the truth that Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann had kept unspoken for eight years had finally come to light. Of those fourteen days, not a single one had passed without the pair spending at least some time in each other's company.
Governor Swann, for his part, had been forced into a reluctant acceptance of the fact that his headstrong daughter was determined to be near this man as much as possible – without the detraction of interlopers, regardless of the fact that propriety surely demanded their presence. He well knew his daughter was bound to do whatever she thought right; there would be no stopping her, not that he ever wished to try. Though he had done his best to start her on the path to becoming a proper lady, nevertheless, from an early age he had given Elizabeth her every heart's desire, no matter how unorthodox that might be. If nothing else, her longstanding friendship with the young man in question was proof of that.
Still, there were ways of getting around her demands, such as encouraging as much time as possible be spent somewhere upon the manor, thus ensuring that he could always have some maid, cook, groundskeeper, or gardener keeping an eye on them. Not that he expected the young blacksmith to lead his beautiful daughter into indiscretions, for it seemed William was far more apt to adhere to proper behavior than Elizabeth had ever been. Yet his daughter could be extremely willful, and even the most steadfast of men were not immune to all temptations; even they had their breaking point. Furthermore, even if their behavior was exactly as it should be – as his daughter insisted – appearances must be considered. Therefore, he was quite certain that his solution was the proper course of action. It was not unanticipated then, to either father or daughter, when Elizabeth mentioned her plans to surprise Will with a seaside picnic that Weatherby instead suggested that they indulge in high tea in the garden, where it was quite charming this time of year. After some earnest deliberations on the subject, his daughter relented – still harboring, however, the secret intention of straying with Will to their beach before the day was through.
With that plan firmly in mind, Elizabeth – attired in one of the more sensible, less cumbersome dresses she now chose to wear on a daily basis – set out for the smithy to lure her love away from his work; Port Royal would just have to survive one afternoon without the benefits of their skilled blacksmith. She knew though he would decline at first, due to the obligation of his many orders, he would eventually relent. In addition to the profession of their love, many other things had changed since they returned from their pirate adventure. Although certainly far from improper, their ordeal and the discovery of his true heritage had caused Will to discover the value of freedom. He was now more relaxed and uninhibited – both with her and in society – then she had ever known him to be.
The past days had been heaven on earth for the pair of them. Her father had insisted on a formal courtship, despite them having already known one another for nearly a decade; to jump into anything too quickly, he insisted, would make it seem as if something untoward had occurred between them while at sea. Furthermore, there were the usual considerations of position, finance, and property to be reasoned through before making any serious commitments. Elizabeth cared not for the 'usual considerations'. All she could think of, both day and night – especially at night – was Will.
Though less retrained, Will still had more concern for practicality than Elizabeth, perhaps because she had never been required to. He saw the benefit of a formal courtship. It would allow him the opportunity to seek a more lucrative living and begin setting something aside for their future and, if nothing else, it would give him time to convince Governor Swann of his worthiness as a husband to his only daughter.
When Will turned from his hammering to see who had walked into the shop, he was not at all surprised to discover Elizabeth standing there, as she had announced her intention to stop in to see him the evening before. Though there was work to be done, much as she had anticipated, he happily agreed to accompany her back to the Governor's Mansion and join her for tea. He would simply have to complete the unfinished orders in the nighttime hours, not that he would mind the distraction, for his newly increased intimacy with Elizabeth had done nothing to squelch his nocturnal longings for her – if possible, it had only increased them.
Thus, an hour later, Will and Elizabeth found themselves enjoying a pleasant afternoon tea in the privacy of her garden. Though, true to his word, her father stayed far from that particular wing of the mansion, it had not stopped him from seeing to it that some servant or another should keep popping in at the most inopportune of moments, such as when Elizabeth was feeding Will pastries or he was attempting to kiss a stray granule of sugar from her lips.
With a final sigh of frustration, Elizabeth less than gently set down her tea and whispered her escape plan to Will. Though he knew the imprudence of it, as such frequent table service obviously must have been of the Governor's design and suddenly disappearing would no doubt send the poor man into fits of discomfort, Will had never felt particularly at ease at the Governor's Mansion, as it served as a constant reminder of the difference of class and station between himself and Elizabeth. Consequently, he found himself readily taking her hand and slipping away toward the small path which weaved past the servants' entrance, their longstanding means of escape since childhood.
After making their way safely across her property without being detected, the pair walked arm and arm toward their beach, Elizabeth still recovering from the giddy high that always resulted when she had successfully gotten away with something slightly scandalous. Will smiled at her, teasingly suggesting that she enjoyed the forbidden nature of their escape as much as his actual company. This prompted Elizabeth to lovingly stroke his hand and sincerely avow this was not the case; she was merely tired of interruptions and wished to have him all to herself.
"I would not think ill of your father, Elizabeth, if he insisted on a chaperone," Will confessed.
"Ha!" she contemptuously proclaimed. "Father knows better than to set a chaperone after us, in spite of what the gossips may say. He knows it would only provoke my ire and I would manage to evade them anyhow, so his efforts would come to no good. He learned that lesson years ago when he gave up on my having a governess."
Will laughed. "Yes, I recall. He sent the last one away roughly six months after we arrived in Port Royal."
"Well, I wasn't about to let anyone stop me from running on the beach and playing pirates with you," Elizabeth said in her defense. Tenderly, she added, "I would never let anyone or anything keep me from having you."
Reaching out, Will gently rested his hand upon her neck, burying his fingers in her upswept hair. "I love you, Elizabeth."
He softly brought his lips to hers, kissing her slowly, decadently, before lightly pulling away.
Eyes still closed, Elizabeth sighed, savoring the feel, the taste of him on her lips.
"Mmm," she murmured, slowing opening her eyes as a luxurious smile stretched across her face. "Tell me again."
"I love you," Will eagerly complied.
Elizabeth sighed blissfully. "I waited eight years to hear you say those words. Tell me again and again and again."
Will laughed soft and low. "Elizabeth, I love you abundantly, fiercely - in any and all ways."
Elizabeth ardently grabbed his face, bringing his mouth roughly to hers and kissing him intensely. Will was momentarily taken aback by her zeal, but quickly recovered, returning her kiss with equal fervor.
As their impromptu, albeit passionate, kiss came to an end, Elizabeth slid her hands from Will's cheek and neck to rest softly against his chest, fiddling with the open lapel of his shirt. She looked on him in such a way that stirred up all sorts of improper feelings within Will, and though his mind warned him he ought to put some distance between them, his heart and body refused to obey, and his hands remained firmly planted upon her waist.
"It has only been just over a fortnight since we returned and professed our love," Elizabeth keenly whispered, "and yet I already know your lips so well."
"Do you, my love?" Will replied huskily. "Mine are yet eager to memorize yours more thoroughly."
"I would never dream of denying you," she countered, lunging for his lips.
Will evaded her, kissing her chastely on the forehead instead, and gently extracting himself from her arms. "I shall remember that and use your words to my advantage – "
Elizabeth smiled at this, reaching for him once more, but again he eluded her.
"Once we reach a more private venue," he finished.
A quarter hour later, Will and Elizabeth stood on their secret beach locked in a warm embrace as they regarded the ocean.
"To think," Elizabeth softly said, breaking the silence, "this is the very beach we used to play at wooden swords upon, and now I stand here in your arms."
At her words, Will drew her closer to him. "Yes, it is all still a bit surreal. I am yet afraid of waking from this dream, for that is what this seems. After so many years of keeping silent, locking away all the love I felt for you, to at last be able to say it aloud, tell you all that I feel – and have you return those sentiments….It is – I am…I am so happy, Elizabeth. Purely happy."
"As am I," she replied, smiling lovingly into his eyes. "It is tremendously ….freeing to finally lay bare the whole of my heart's wishes and desires. For so long I lived on the hope of one affectionate smile from you, the slightest trace of love or longing but, try as I might, you seemed to have an aversion to any sort of familiarity with me."
Will laughed lightly at this. "If you only knew how very familiar I longed to be," he said, brushing his lips across her cheek. "I never wished to avoid your nearness. You must know by now how very much I welcomed it, dreamed of it, yearned for it. My only fear was that if I did keep close company with you, one day my tongue would slip, my arms would reach for that which they coveted. And if I ever did touch you, I was certain I would never be able to let you go, and I was convinced you would never welcome such attentions."
"And now," Elizabeth asked as she snaked her hands about his neck, weaving her fingers into his hair and loosening the tie which held it back, "do you have any complaints about my reception of your touch? Or perhaps you find my affections too bold?"
Will held her more closely against him in reply. "I love you, my adventurous, daring, bold, enchanting Elizabeth."
She smiled contentedly, greatly pleased. "Tell me again."
"I love you deeply, madly, truly. But what of you?" Will gently teased. "Tell me what your heart feels, for yours were not the only ears which spent years burning to hear words of tender affection from certain lips."
"I love you, Will," Elizabeth softly replied. "I belong to you, only you, always you."
She wiggled from his arms and bounded down the beach, playfully outstretching her arms. "I shall shout it from the rooftops so that all of Port Royal – nay, the entire Caribbean – may know that I'm in love with the most perfect man."
Will laughed. "I am well satisfied if you simply whisper it to me," he told her, his voice low and ardent, "followed by a tender kiss."
Elizabeth heard his tone and immediately transformed from playful to alluring. She began taking slow, measured steps back to his side. "And do you still have difficulty believing this all to be real?"
Something in her eyes and voice held Will spellbound, rooted in place, unable to reply. He wordlessly nodded, engrossed by the fire in her eyes and the answering flame that burned within him.
"Then," she replied, finally standing before him, "perhaps I may find a way to convince you this is not but a dream."
Elizabeth slowly reached out and laid her hand upon his chest, her fingers traversing the fabric to find the open expanse of skin left exposed by the deep v of his shirt. Drawing her bottom lip between her teeth in wonder at the feelings such a touch produced in her, she gently caressed his chest, her fingertips devouring every inch of his flesh that was laid bare to her.
"Elizabeth," Will shakily began, but whatever protest he was about to make was halted by her warm breath on his skin as she bent to place his requested 'tender kiss' just above his wildly pounding heart. The sensation of her soft lips on his bare skin, however, proved to be too great and he abruptly stepped back away from her.
Elizabeth regarded him in silent question.
"I…." Will awkwardly attempted to explain. "Love, I fear you do not realize the effect you have upon me."
Though by no means well versed in the ways of a man and a woman beyond what a fortnight's time spent with Will had taught her thus far, she instantly comprehended his meaning. Far from being put off, she was instead invigorated.
"And I do not think you realize the effect you have upon me," she whispered enticingly, closing the distance between them once more. "But now is the perfect time to school one another."
Will momentarily broke eye contact with Elizabeth, somewhat dazed by her boldness in this aspect of their relationship.
Quickly recovering, he teased, "That is a rather improper statement, Miss Swann." Despite his mock censure, his hands nevertheless found her trim waist. "Or perhaps I mistake your meaning?"
"I believe you comprehend my meaning perfectly, Mr. Turner," she countered, her arms slipping around his shoulders. "And the sentiment should come as no surprise, for it has always been that you incite amorous thoughts in my mind and wicked feelings in my body."
Will's eyes darkened at her words, and Elizabeth could tell in that moment that he wanted her fiercely and was fighting the urge to take her into his arms and live all manner of untoward fantasies with her then and there. Rather than frighten her, the knowledge only further excited her.
"Elizabeth," Will answered at length, his voice an octave lower than usual – a tone she was quickly learning to connect to his physical desire for her, "when you say such things to me, I – "
Any further speech was cut off by her lips greedily taking his.
Will's arms quickly wrapped about her waist and upper back, pulling her against him. As much of a gentleman as he was, her blatant filtrations had been too great a provocation, and he hungrily devoured her lips – to Elizabeth's great enjoyment. Kisses of any sort between them were yet relatively new; kisses of such a passionate nature were still in a stage of discovery, as they each became more emboldened by the other's reception. She felt a low murmur build in her throat as he took her lower lip into his mouth, sucking and lightly nipping at it.
The need for oxygen eventually caused them both to draw back, taking in short, uneven breathes. Will moved to claim her lips again, but Elizabeth pulled back, eyeing him purposefully as she gracefully descending to sit upon the sand, obviously intending for him to join her. Without a second thought, he abruptly sat down beside her, about to reach for her once more when, holding his gaze, she slowly lie fully back against the sand, a clear invitation in her eyes.
Though certainly far from novel in his dreams, something of this nature had never yet occurred in real life. As he watched her lying there before him in the sand, the chivalry in him hesitated but the fierce desire, nursed over the course of many long days and nights of wanting her, won out and he deftly lowered himself to lie alongside her, leaning over her and ardently tracing her features with his fingertips. Still, as this was real life and not a fantasy, Will allowed his torso to press into hers as he eagerly kissed her, but kept his lower body a discreet distance from Elizabeth's.
His tongue fervently played with hers in a game they were beginning to know quite well. Elizabeth was gloriously musing on her utter correctness when long ago she had surmised that Will could show her games far more interesting than playing at pirates when she felt his lips leave hers. Her eyes shot open and she was about to protest when he began placing a string of soft kisses along her jaw line, causing her eyes fall closed again. This was unfamiliar and new, but she found that she liked it – liked it quite a lot, in fact. Loved it, she corrected, as he reached the tender skin just beneath her ear. As his path had reached a dead-end, he nimbly switched direction, trailing warm, moist kisses down her neck, his tongue darting out to taste her skin and discover if her flavor was as he had always imagined. Elizabeth whimpered slightly, finding profound pleasure in his attentions and wondering why he had never done this before, gasping slightly when he began nibbling and suckling at her flesh.
"Will," she sighed, unconsciously clutching at a small fistful of his shirt.
Her voice penetrated his senses, bringing him back to awareness for the first time since they had been reclined on the sand. Feeling her tugging at his shirt, and mistaking her breathless exclamation of his name for fear, he instantly sprang away from her all the way back up to his feet.
Elizabeth's eyes opened in bewilderment, finding her beloved standing some distance away, regarding her with a look of anguished remorse.
"Elizabeth, I'm sorry. I'm sorry," Will adamantly repeated.
Her mind yet undone by his kisses, she scrambled to her feet and to his side, utterly confused as to what he thought he had done.
"I apologize," Will continued earnestly. "I – I forgot myself…."
"Will," Elizabeth attempted to interrupt him, now understanding his imagined error and wholeheartedly amused by it.
"I was carried away," he went out repentantly, evidently not hearing her.
"Will," she tried again, her amusement tempered by his clear devastation.
"I would never attempt to take liberties with you – "
"Will," the urgency in her voice must have broken through, for at last he seemed to hear her. "I don't believe there is a liberty you could possibly take that would offend me."
He absorbed this information. "You are not upset, then?" Will timidly inquired.
Elizabeth could not stifle a smile at his adorably anxious reaction. "Not at all."
"But your protests? You grasped at my shirt, wishing for me to remove myself from you, and I would never want to – "
"Will, believe me, I did not wish you to stop," she said sincerely, though her voice was laced with laughter. "You were not the only one carried away with passion," she explained in a sultry whisper.
Will noticeably reddened at her words, looking away from her, embarrassed at his misconception and spoiling of the moment.
"Come here," Elizabeth tenderly beckoned.
Will dutifully obeyed, both out of respect for Elizabeth and his own desire at the moment to be comforted and reassured by her. She placed his arms about her waist, weaving her own around his neck.
"Will, I am not the unreachable, unattainable Miss Swann. I am your Elizabeth, who engaged in sea battles, who fought pirates at your side. From the moment I first saw you, I willingly belonged to you. You needn't be afraid to hold me, to kiss me, to touch me. I shan't be offended. I love you. I want you. I welcome your every touch, your every kiss, your – "
Whatever else she might have welcomed would never be known, as his lips abruptly descended upon hers, ending any further declarations. At length, Will pulled back, ending the kiss but keeping his lips touching hers.
Elizabeth smiled against them. "That's better." Placing one more light kiss upon his lips, she drew back. "Now, before we were interrupted," she said, delicately fingering the soft skin of her neck that still burned from his attentions, "…..that was….lovely. You must do it again sometime – tomorrow, I think."
Will laughed, taking her hand in his as they walked further down the beach. "Perhaps we will require a chaperone, after all."
AN#2: This is meant as an exploration of the development of Will and Elizabeth's relationship between the first two films. As such, there will not be a continual, interwoven plot. Think of this more as a collection of chronological oneshots that shows intimacy growing between them as the nature of their relationship continues to evolve. For example, it was my intention in this chapter to show that, although they are quite eager to be together, there is still some residual unsure, awkwardness between them, as they are yet a very new couple. In future chapters, they will have new and different issues to deal with. I guess you could say this is the story of the building of their relationship. In other words, you're in for a lot of Willabeth fluff, which is immensely enjoyable to write and hopefully half as fun to read! As always, I live on your reviews, so please let me know what you think.