#also poor Grian he tried so hard to save him he was kept going over his inventory to make sure theres nothing else he would have done | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

melon-wing · 4 years

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Dread Part 2

[Pirate AU Masterlist] There are trigger warnings in the tags, but they might be a little spoiler-y. Just be warned. Pirates ain’t the nicest people. ~~

Doc sat in his cabin on board behind a massive wooden desk covered in countless maps. He needed to plan their next route, calculate in all of the navy’s and other pirate’s routes and be prepared in case anything went wrong. He loved this part of his pirate life just as much as the fighting and plundering. Nothing was better than seeing one of his well thought out plans come to fruition.

He made a thoughtful noise as he picked up the document one of his spies had leaked to him, containing the planned routes of the navy’s ships, staring at one line in particular on the map. He knew he shouldn’t… But maybe he could plan a course that would accidentally pass their route. He would probably be able to arrange a stop to refill their resources in the same port as they did. And then Doc would be able to see him again.

Rushed steps ran up to his cabin and the door was flung open, hitting the wall behind it hard. Doc didn’t even need to look up to know who it was. There was only one person on board daring enough to make an entrance like that into the Captain’s cabin.

“Ren. I hope you have a good explanation this time. And no, Etho being mean to you doesn’t count.”

When there was no answer Doc finally looked up. He froze at the expression on Ren’s face. It looked pained. He obviously was the bearer of bad news and a face like that couldn’t mean a lot of things.

“Ren? Did something happen to one of our crew?”

Ren shook his head, walking up to the desk, a piece of paper clenched in his hands.

“We got a message from one of our allies. He says word’s going around that Bdubs has Captain Doc’s little pet in his possession.”

Doc frowned at that, turning his head to look at the basket in the corner of his cabin, where two small foxes were resting, both peacefully asleep.

“Well as you can see that is nonsense. Hans and-”

“Doc…” Ren sounded exasperated, like Doc was making this hard for him on purpose. “Not your foxes. Bdubs has captured Lieutenant Grian.”

Doc felt like he couldn’t breathe for a second, his blood running cold, emotions welling up inside him he wasn’t ready to feel yet. So he did the only thing that seemed right at the moment and pushed those thoughts aside, closing his heart off. His gaze darkened as he glared at Ren, eyes practically glowing.

“And why would I care? It’s the navy’s problem. Not mine. They formed him into their little star to look good on posters. They painted a target onto his back, not me. If they can’t take care of their own, good riddance. One dog less to worry about.”

“But it’s Grian…”

Doc stood up, slamming his hands onto the table. Maps went flying everywhere and his foxes awoke, running up to him while making worried sounds.

“He isn’t different from all the others. He is our enemy.”

“Doc… I don’t think Bdubs captured him to get back at the navy. He is boasting about owning your pet. He knows there’s something going on between the two of you. He knows you enough to tell.”

Doc balled his hands into fists, throwing a deadly glare at Ren, who at least had the decency to flinch a little.

“There is nothing going on between me and that Lieutenant. I asked him to join because he is an amazing fighter and we could use him in our crew. And as far as I remember he declined and called me and the whole crew a few choice words. So no, there are no feelings involved and I’m not going to endanger all of your lives for that one idiot.”

Ren looked like he wanted to protest, but when Doc kept glaring at him he nodded, giving him a lazy salute and turning around. When the door was almost closed, Doc could hear his voice drifting over.

“You should know the crew would be willing to fight for him…”

Doc took a few calming breaths. He wouldn’t act out. He was fine. Everything was alright. Why would he care about Grian? Why should he?

Sure he was intrigued by Grian. He had been the first person to beat him in a fight after all. But that was all there was. The crew was his family. He couldn’t risk their lives, no matter what Ren might think wise. The navy would already be on their way with an armada. They didn’t take kindly to stunts like that. Even Bdubs couldn’t keep a Lieutenant captive for too long. He just hoped that Bdubs wouldn’t decide Grian was more trouble than he was worth.

An image flashed through Doc’s mind, of Grian’s dead body, bloody and broken being thrown over the side of a ship to sink into the depth of the ocean, getting lost in the endless depth…

Doc groaned, letting his head fall onto the desk. What was he supposed to do?

Grian didn’t know how much time had passed since they had thrown him into a cell below deck. The only light was coming from a small lantern hanging outside of his cell next to the guard’s post. It must have been five days at least, going by the times they had given him something to eat and how often the person guarding him had changed.

It was annoying to be under surveillance at all times. What did they think he could do? He might be a good soldier, but he couldn’t perform wonders. They were in the middle of the ocean on course god knows were. By the way the boat rocked they were going pretty fast. Jumping over board to flee would be a death sentence for him. His hands and legs were chained together and on top of that his shoulder wound felt like it had become infected. Fleeing would be suicide.

Maybe it would be better, to just jump and swart Bdubs plans. Without any hostage there would be no trap. That way Grian could at least save one last life before he died. Even if it was the life of a stinking pirate. Well… If he died to save a pirate, Doc might not be his worst option. But he’d rather not die at all. Damn! That’s what he got for almost changing his opinion on pirates. He got thrown into their mess.

The door to the cell area opened and the guard sitting in front of his cell jumped up. That could mean only one thing: The captain was honouring them with his presence. Grian slowly stood up from his rack, chains rattling as he did. He tried to stand as straight and proud as he could considering his circumstances.

Bdubs walked up to the cell, sending the guard away with a wave of his hand, looking Grian up and down, a grin appearing on his face.

“You know… I get it. Doc does have a pretty good taste. Pretty being the key word. You really are nice on the eyes, Lieutenant”, Bdubs drawled out the last word mockingly and Grian just glared at him.

“You’d make a fine pirate. If you weren’t his lover, I’d recruit you.”

“I’d rather die than become a damn pirate. You are all animals.”

Bdubs laughed at his angered reply. “Oh poor Doc.” Bdubs eyes lost all trace of humour and he looked coldly at Grian. “He doesn’t know how to properly train a pet, I see. But I don’t like rebellious little kids, navy boy.”

“Yeah I noticed. Your type are little slimy ass-kissers. How’s that snake Keralis?”

A shot rang out. Grian could feel the bullet flying past his face, leaving a tiny bleeding scratch on his cheek. But he didn’t flinch. He just stayed there, trying to look as unimpressed as possible, even though his heart was beating like crazy. Bdubs wouldn’t kill him. He needed him after all.

“Don’t you ever dare to talk about Keralis like that or you’ll regret the day you decided to join the navy.”

Grian shrugged, eyes darkening, holding his chin up high. “There’s not a moment I’m not regretting that day, so don’t worry, you can’t really make it any worse.”

He knew his dismissive attitude was angering Bdubs and that it was possibly the worst idea he could have. But it made him feel like he had at least a sliver of control left in this situation. If he would just bow down and let everything happen to him… He couldn’t bare that thought.

“So tell me, high and mighty Captain Bdubs. What makes you think the navy will let you get away with this? They must be on your trail by now. They’ll sink your ship for what you’ve done. Before this week is over they’ll have you hanging.”

He thought reminding Bdubs of the navy would make him even angrier and maybe in his anger he’d give Grian some information. But no, the anger faded from Bdubs’ face and he chuckled a little.

“Oh. You still think the navy will save you? That is cute, boy. You really trust them. But they won’t. You see… They are just as easily controlled as everybody else. If enough money passes from one hand to another they’ll look for you everywhere but here. And they want Doc’s head just as badly as I do. So if they have to sacrifice you for it, so be it.”

“You are lying!”

“Nobody will come for you, Grian. Nobody will save you. We are just waiting for the main character of this tragedy to arrive and then your life will end.”

Grian balled his hands into fists. He shouldn’t believe anything coming out of Bdubs mouth right now, but he couldn’t help the uncertainty rising inside him. What if it was really true? What if the navy wasn’t coming to save him? Should he really hope on Doc trying to save him? But if Doc came, he would surely die…

“He won’t come. Whatever you heard about me and him? It’s wrong. We are fighting constantly.”

Bdubs just shrugged, still smiling. “Oh, but Grian… Did you forget? That is not what you told Keralis. From what he told me both of you sound like you have one fucking huge crush and are to scared to admit it. I also heard about the two of you sharing a dance in the neutral zone. Really cute. Like in some cheesy romance novel, isn’t it? He might not come running as fast as I hoped, but we can wait a little.”

Bdubs took out a key, opening the door to Grian’s cell. Grian threw a calculating glance towards it. His hands and legs were still chained together, so running probably was a bad idea. And he had no clue where they were at the moment. Could he overpower Bdubs and get his crew to drop him off somewhere? Probably not. And Bdubs wouldn’t make a very cooperative hostage. Damn. He hated being so helpless.

The only thing he could do was stand his ground. He stayed were he was, looking up at Bdubs out of defiant eyes as the Pirate Captain walked up to him. A hand grabbed his chin, forcing his head back.

“So Grian, what do you say about making this a little more… interesting?” Bdubs voice was dark and Grian didn’t like where this was going. No matter what would happen, nothing that guy deemed interesting would mean anything remotely good for Grian.

“You are going to kill me anyway. Don’t think I’m going to play your games just to make this more entertaining.”

Bdubs chuckled and his fingers dug painfully into Grian’s skin, sure to leave marks later. "That wasn't a question, dear. You are in no position to refuse any offer, because depending on your behaviour your death might be more or less painful. So you'd better do what I tell you to. If I tell you to jump, you do. So now-" Grian spat into Bdubs face, silencing him abruptly. For a second Grian got the satisfaction of seeing Bdubs’ surprised face. That guy probably wasn't used to defiance. But after that second of shock was over, Grian almost regretted doing it. Bdubs hand left his chin, to grab him by the neck, slamming him painfully against the wooden wall behind him. The hand was pressing down hard and Grian gasped for breath. He tried to pull the hand off, his fingers uselessly scratching at the arm holding him. Tears were starting to fill his eyes as he kept gasping and struggling. "You really shouldn't make me angry", Bdubs whispered, but Grian could barely hear over the sound of his own heartbeat ringing in his ears. His vision started fading, his legs buckling below him. Just when he thought he was about to pass out, the pressure was gone. Grian fell to the floor, gasping for air and coughing harshly. A boot was pressed under his chin, the threat clear and so Grian slowly raised his head, to look up at Bdubs, staring at him out of teary eyes. The angry face on Bdubs turned into one of pure delight. "Well, well, Grian, who would have thought, you could look even more pretty? So can we talk like civilized people now... pet?" Grian felt disgusted at that title. Nobody, not even Doc, ever talked that degrading to him. He took a deep breath and then smiled. "Kiss my ass, pirate." His head snapped back hard, as Bdubs kicked his chin. All he could hear was a ringing sound in his ears and his whole skull seemed to hurt. Before he could recover, a boot already pressed down painfully on his chest, forcing him to stay on the floor. "You’re really starting to piss me of, navy boy. And you are going to regret it. You only make me want to break you even more, leave nothing but an empty shell for Doc to find. He'll be devastated, knowing that I broke his little toy."

"He won't come...", Grian spat back, glaring at Bdubs, "He isn't dumb enough to fall for the trap of a second rate pirate. You'll never manage to beat him."

Bdubs glared at him and then the foot left as Bdubs walked back to the cell door. Grian dared to heave a sigh of relieve, slowly raising himself into a sitting position. That relief only lasted for a few seconds when Bdubs left the cell and shouted an order through the hallway.

"Prepare the prisoner for a whipping. Make sure everyone can watch."

Grian's heart sank, but he had known that resistance would end in pain for him. He had made his decision and he wouldn't back down now. He was a proud member of the navy.

When two pirates came to get him, he struggled and fought with renewed vigour. He managed to land a few hits and scratches, but a blow to the head left him feeling dizzy and gave them an opportunity to grab him. He was pulled up onto the deck, blinking as the sunlight hit his eyes. He only had a few seconds to take in their surroundings. They were in the middle of the ocean. Not even a bit of land in sight. Fleeing was out of the question then. He was manhandled towards the mast, his face being pressed against the wood. They unchained his hands, but the body holding him against the mast was unrelenting, not letting him get away. And only a few seconds later he was chained to the mast, his arms seemingly hugging the wood, with no room to move. There was the sound of hollering and amused whistles. Grian turned his head to the side, glaring at them. Pirates. They were all the same after all, vile and evil.

Someone was walking up to him, gently caressing his back and then a body was pressing up against him, making him tense in anticipation of what might happen next.

"I hope this makes you change your mind on how to behave while you are our guest, Lieutenant... Oh and please. Do scream. It makes this far more entertaining", Bdubs’ voice growled into his ear, before letting go of him.

Grian tried to brace himself for what was about to come, grinding his teeth together, not ready to give his captors the pleasure of hearing him scream. The first hit still seemed to come out of nowhere, stinging like hell even through the fabric of the shirt Grian was wearing – why they let him keep it on, letting it soften the blows, he didn't understand. Another hit followed, just as strong as the last one, making Grian flinch, his hands trying to grasp something to hold onto, but unable to find anything. He could bear this. This wasn't the first time he had been whipped and it probably wouldn't be the last time.

"I might stop if you beg, boy."

Grian just huffed at that. "My captain hits harder than you."

There was a pause between the hits, as if Bdubs hadn't expected those words, but he didn't say anything about it, only making a thoughtful sound and then continuing. Hit after hit rained upon his back and Grian was almost relieved when he noticed that the strength of the hits seemed to decrease. Bdubs had to be getting tired. Grian had managed to hold in his screams until now, but he was already breathing hard. His whole back felt like it was on fire and he was pretty sure his shirt must have been ruined by now. Finally, the hits stopped and Grian took in a deep breath.

"Your turn, darling."

Grian could hear a delighted giggle and his blood froze as he could hear shuffling.

"Make him beg. Do it for me."

The whip came cracking down again, with so much more strength than all of the hits before. The strength was so unexpected that Grian didn't manage to hold back, a scream tearing itself from his throat.

"Well... You already made our little navy boy sing after one hit. I know why I love you, darling."

Grian was gasping for air, trying to calm down, but Keralis didn’t give him the time. Two more hits followed in quick succession and he whimpered, his legs beginning to shake. “Oh, I’m gonna make you drop down and beg, Lieutenant”, Keralis delighted voice accompanied another hit. There was no real break in between hits. Sure, Bdubs had been unrelenting and hitting hard, just like all the other whippings Grian had been used too. But this? This was on another level.

He could feel tears running down his face and after another few hits his legs finally gave in as he sank to his knees. He could hear laughter all around him, voices cheering Keralis on.

He was pretty sure, there was blood running down his back now. His wrists were also burning from him tugging so much on the bindings.

It just went on and on, hit after hit. It felt like hours passed and the hits still didn’t stop or become softer. Suddenly through the haze of tears a face appeared in front of him. Someone grabbed his chin as another hit struck him.

“That look suits you, Grian. So what do you say. You want more?”

Another hit. Grian shook his head.

“You know. You can make this stop.”

The whip cracked against his back again, he could feel his skin splitting apart.

“Sto… se...”

Bdubs chuckled darkly, caressing the side off his face in mock gentleness as another hit made Grian scream. “What was that, pet?”

“Please… No more. Please stop”, his voice was barely above a whisper, but it seemed to be enough. There was a pause in the whipping, but Grian couldn’t focus properly to listen to Keralis’ movement and didn’t know whether he had stepped away completely or not.

“That is a good pet. It really isn’t that hard to behave.”

Grian averted his eyes in shame, but apparently that was the wrong move, the fingers digging painfully into his skin.

"Look at me, pet. Or we'll need to start all over again."

The whip was back at his back, not hitting, but tracing down his skin, underlining the threat. Grian's eyes practically snapped back to Bdubs, who was grinning in satisfaction, his touch becoming gentle once more.

"I wonder why Doc had so many problems controlling you. It isn't that hard... I guess he was always too soft. If I wouldn't kill him anyways, he should thank me for training you to become so obedient."

Grian was shaking. His heart was beating frantically as Bdubs got closer and suddenly there were lips on his. His shaking only grew stronger. He didn't want this. Images of Doc flashed in front of his mind. Doc laughing at him, Doc teasing him and flirting playfully with him. Determination struck Grian once more and without hesitation he bit down on the tongue entering his mouth. Hard. Bdubs Screamed and pulled back, blood running down the corner of his mouth. Grian grinned weakly at the hateful glare.

"Seems like I might have underestimated you. But we still have a few days together, pet. And believe me after that stunt, I only want to break you even more", Bdubs growled in a threatening voice, wiping the blood from his face. He turned away to his crew. "Leave him tied to the mast. We’ll continue later. Oh, and get rid of his shirt. Make sure it reaches Captain Doc. I bet he'll be happy about such a nice present."

#🍉 stories #pirate au #I am so sorry my dear readers #It's getting a little dark #tw: violence #tw: blood #tw: whipping #tw: non-consensual kissing

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melon-wing · 4 years

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Frustration

This is another story set in the Pirate AU. It takes place somewhere between Trauma and Dread :) Grian and Doc already met a few times, but there is nothing really going on between them. Check out the Pirate AU tag for the other stories!

The Oneshot was inspired by the dance scene in She-Ra, because me and @gridoc had a long geek out conversation about it :D No worries, there are no spoilers and you also don’t need to know the show.

~*~

Grian was looking around in annoyance. Why was he the one to be picked for this job? He hated coming to this place. There was only one upside to being here. This was a neutral zone, so he wouldn’t be in any danger. Pirates, navy and everyone else was welcome in this kingdom and they were pretty harsh with whoever broke the no fighting rule. Both navy and pirates had accepted it a long time ago. Even the ocean around the island was a fighting free zone. Nobody dared to lose the valuable access to this island. It was the one place where you got information about your enemies without being in danger. It also helped that this kingdom had a booming economy and it was always helpful to have good standing with the rich and famous here.

Today Grian was sent alongside his captain as a representative of the navy for the prince's birthday. He hated these kinds of events. It was the one disadvantage that came with rising up in the ranks. All those stiff gatherings he had to visit, pretending that the nobles were all delightful people. And ignoring it when they made fun of his poor upbringing and teasing him for growing up in such a rural place. He just bared it all with a smile. This time it wouldn’t be any different. He was already counting the minutes until all of this was over and he could return to the ship.

Grian fiddled with the blazer of his suit for probably the tenth time and took a deep breath before entering the huge ball room. A loud booming voice announced his and his captain's name as they walked in. A lot of eyes followed them. They probably knew that both of them were part of the navy. Thanks to being on so many stupid navy recruiting posters, Grian’s face had become too recognizable for his own liking.

It unnerved Grian, that with the formal wear he was unable to tell who was a pirate and who wasn't. And he hated it. He didn't want to make small talk with pirates. He didn’t trust them at all, not even in the neutral zone and it put them on edge.

He slowly walked along a red carpet up to the throne with his captain, both of them bowing respectfully before the prince. The moment Grian looked up and saw the prince's eyes raking over his body, he regretted coming here. He hated nobility and how they behaved while thinking they were better than anyone else.

As fast as the royal protocol allowed Grian hurried off to the side, getting himself a drink and a disapproving glare from his captain.

"Remember what we are here for, Grian. This is not just a celebration or some time off. We are trying to make friendly with those nobles, get better deals around here for the navy and see if we can get some information about pirate movements out of it. Use whatever means necessary, you got me? Do anything needed. Anything."

Grian resisted the urge to pull a grimace and only nodded stiffly. He already hated this event. It couldn't get any worse.

Half an hour later Grian had already moved to his third drink, but nothing could change his bad mood. There was barely any alcohol in it, far too little to take the edge off him. His captain was deeply into a discussion about politics with some of the older generals of the kingdom, while Grian had to fend of young star-struck boys and girls left and right. And some of those nobles really couldn't take no as an answer, coming back again and again, to try and pull him onto the dance floor. He always declined earning disgruntled looks and complaints.

He saw the glares his captain was throwing him now and then, but he hadn't ordered Grian to go and dance with those people. They were too young to have any valuable information anyways. It would be a waste of time and he couldn’t let his guard down to dance.

Still his Captain came stomping over after a few more of his refusals, pulling him aside. "Listen here, brat. You might be my first mate, because someone decided you looked good in that position and you have more luck than brains, but you are nothing special. Stop being so high and mighty. If I see you declining one more dance I will make you scrub the whole ship with a fucking toothbrush. You got that? No matter who approaches you next, you will fucking accept the dance with a smile."

Grian swallowed, balling his hands to fists. He hated being ordered around like this. He wished he could finally rise in the ranks to become captain... But then the admirals would probably piss him off... He would never be able to escape people ordering him around on a whim. "Understood, sir", he finally ground out, glaring at his glass.

"And smile, Grian, honey."

Grian took a deep breath and then put on his best fake smile, finally satisfying his captain enough to go back to those stuff old politicians. Grian just hoped that after all those refusals noone else would dare to approach him...

"Announcing: Captain Doc and his First Mate Ren" A voice echoed through the room and Grian froze, his glass slipping from his hand and clattering to the floor. Luckily it didn't break and one of the maids hurried along to clean up the mess pretty fast.

Grian's eyes were fixed on the entrance where he saw Doc and Ren walk through the crowd, up to the throne. Doc did a rather elegant bow with that dumb smirk of his. He said something, making the prince blush and chuckle. That stupid pirate was truly flirting with everyone he met. Grian couldn't help but get irritated by it. If that guy was already sweet talking the prince he must have been planning something. This was a neutral zone, but Doc was a pirate. He wouldn't care about those rules. He never seemed to care about anything. Grian probably should keep an eye on him, but at the same time he wanted to be as far away as possible. He didn't want Doc to notice him.

Grian got himself another drink, leaning against one of the pillars and looking through the crowd at Doc, who was talking with some young noblemen, who were all looking at him as if he was a piece of meat in that suit of his. Grian didn't want to know which poor guy they stole that suit from... It fit Doc rather well and... No. Fuck. No! It didn't look good on him at all.

"You keep staring at my captain like this and I might think you were trying to either murder or fuck him."

Grian jumped at the voice and turned around so fast he lost his balance. He was lucky enough when an arm wound around his waist, catching him before he could fall. He looked up into the smiling face of a man he knew all to well. They had met on the battle field a few times by now.

"Ren! Stop talking such nonsense!"

Ren just shrugged and looked over Grian's shoulder with a grin. "Oh damn. I think I made the Captain angry, putting my hands all over his prey", he joked and Grian turned around again to see Doc walking through the crowd towards them. Oh fuck! He had to get away. He didn’t want to interact with Doc at all if possible. He needed to hurry. But when he moved to take a step, Ren’s grip on his hip tightened. "Oh, I don't think so, Lieutenant Grian. We are all here to have a little fun. Don't just run away."

Grian would have struggled, but starting a fight now would probably get him thrown out and piss his Captain off so much. He still tried to gently push Ren's hands off of him. He didn't make it in time. Doc stepped up to them and he found himself trapped between two tall pirates. It shouldn't have made him feel so nervous. He had fought both of them before and came out victorious. But he was unarmed at the moment and he didn't trust them to be as well.

"Captain Doc... What a displeasure to meet you here."

Doc chuckled, looking Grian up and down slowly. "You look good, Grian. You should wear a suit more often. It is very nice. Far better than that dumb uniform and all it stands for."

Grian huffed and turned to look to the side, glaring at the tables on the wall, not even answering that. Maybe if he ignored them long enough, they'd go away. Or maybe he was lucky enough and his captain would notice the predicament he was in. They both knew Ren and Doc after all. His Captain wouldn't want Grian to be in any danger now, would he?

"Oh, playing hard to get now? I just want a little chat, that's all."

"Fuck you...", Grian muttered in annoyance, letting his gaze wander over to where his captain was standing. That stupid old man still hadn't noticed Grian getting cornered.

"Well then...", Doc bowed a little before him, holding out his hand. "How about a little dance?"

Grian's mouth fell open in shock. That guy couldn't be serious! Why in the world would Grian want to dance with him? There was no way. The only way they danced was with their swords.

Finally his Captain seemed to notice what was going on, watching Grian like a hawk. Hope bloomed in Grian's chest. He would be saved from this hell now. A few seconds passed, nothing happened. His Captain just kept staring. Well, Grian would handle himself then. He turned to glare at Doc. "I'll dance with you once the ocean dries out", he spat, making Ren behind him laugh and loosen his grip. He used the opportunity to swiftly step out between them and hurry off towards his captain. Surely not even Doc would dare to follow him there.

"Grian, what was that?" His Captain's voice was filled with disapproval. "I thought I ordered you not to refuse anyone again.”

"Well... You can’t honestly expect me to dance with that fucking pirate! He is evil! He killed some of our people. We fought him before!”

Grian not only got glared at by his Captain, but the other people around them seemed to look at him in disapproval as well. That's why he hated the neutral zone. Everyone seemed to pretend that pirates were fine people here. Pretending they never did anything wrong. His Captain noticed their glares as well and grabbed Grian's arm so hard it would probably leave marks later. Funny how gentle Ren's grip had been compared to it, Grian thought to himself.

The Captain pulled him close, before hissing into his ear. "You'll go back there now and dance with him. Otherwise we’ll have a problem, you got me? You do remember the last time you didn’t follow my orders, do you?"

Grian wanted to defy him so badly. He wanted to say fuck it all and just storm out the ballroom. But that would probably offend royal protocol and he didn't want to imagine the punishment he'd get for that. His back already ached at the memory alone of the last time. His Captain might be a good soldier, but when it came to punishments he would be pretty harsh and when he threatened something, he'd sure as hell pull through.

"I... Yes."

"Yes, what?"

"Yes, sir..." Finally the pressure on Grian's arm faded, as he was given a little shove into Doc's direction. Grian hung his head and walked back to where Doc was still standing, watching his every move.

Grian stopped in front of the pirate, who had an unreadable expression on his face. Ren behind him looked furious, probably still mad about the refusal Grian had given Doc.

"Grian, are you being a-"

Grian interrupted him before he could finish, still feeling his Captain's eyes on his back.

"Would you still like to dance with me, Captain Doc?", he asked or more like spat out, holding out his hand and glaring at Doc. He wanted it to be perfectly clear, that this wasn’t really his idea of a good time.

Doc didn't seem to mind the hostile way it had been said, a huge smile forming on his face. He took Grian's hand and pulled him in suddenly so Grian smashed against his chest. "I'd be delighted, Lieutenant Grian. Who knew the ocean would dry out this fast."

Grian growled low in his throat, but he still let Doc pull him onto the dancefloor, where a new song was about to start. They got into position and while Grian tried to put as much distance as possible in between them, Doc would have none of it and pulled him close again.

"Don't be so shy, Grian. It's just a dance. Enjoy yourself a little. I promise I won’t harm you. I’m pretty good at this."

The first notes of the melody played as Doc took the lead, a hand on Grian's hip gently guiding him through the steps. Doc smiled softly at him, as if they had never fought before, as if there was no bad blood between them, as if this was perfectly normal. Grian couldn't believe it.

"Why are you even here, pirate?", he growled out as Doc twirled him below his arm. Doc laughed a little at that question.

"Always so suspicious. Can't we just be here to have some fun? It is the neutral zone after all. We do frequent business here, so we were invited. We are just here to have some fun and get some free food."

Grian looked at him in doubt. As if a pirate would just come to some stupid stuck up dance to enjoy himself. That was impossible. They must have been planning something. Grian looked around the room as they moved in circles on the dancefloor, searching for Doc's first mate. Maybe they were planning something while Doc distracted Grian. But no, Ren still stood where they had left him, watching both of them with a fond smile.

"I'd rather you'd look at me now, my dear. You always treat Ren so much nicer than me. Falling into his arms like that earlier, one could think you guys were flirting without me."

Grian's eyes snapped back to Doc, his body shaking in fury. "I would never!"

Doc's smirk only widened, showing his sharp teeth. "Good to hear, that you wouldn't flirt without me."

Grian fumed, a jumbled mess of words leaving his mouth, making Doc chuckle. His hand left Grian's hips and he twirled him away with the other, only to twirl him back a second later, pulling Grian flush against his chest.

"Listen, Grian... You could join my crew. That old guy would never be able to order you around like that ever again", Doc whispered into his ear, the hot breath sending a shiver through Grian's body. "I would never treat you like that. I'm an amazing Captain."

Grian pushed away a little, still not daring to let Doc go to stop the dance. He knew the way his Captain treated him wasn't alright. He knew that. He’d known that since the first time he had been punished. But to hear it from the mouth of a fucking pirate was a slap in the face. "You might think you are perfect, but you kill people. I might be... He might..." Grian broke off, casting one nervous glance to the side where his Captain was watching them. "He isn't perfect, but I'd never betray him or the navy for scum like you."

Doc stared at him for a while and then sighed, before his smile returned. "Well can't blame me for trying. But you bet your cute ass I'm going to enjoy this as long as it lasts."

They moved elegantly through the crowd to the melody of the song and even if he hated it, Grian had to admit, that Doc was a pretty good dancer. If he just pretended it was anyone else but the pirate Captain this would be pretty nice. As Doc pulled him close again, Grian just sighed in defeat and closed his eyes, letting his body be moved through the steps by the other. It wasn't half bad. The song was nice, Doc's hands were gentle, his body was warm. It was weird how in that moment he felt so good… so safe. And then Doc suddenly dipped Grian, his eyes snapping open again. Doc was looming over him with that lopsided smirk of his.

"I wish I could take you to my bed tonight, to be the one who takes that suit off of you."

The warm feeling left Grian's chest in a heartbeat and he glared again. "Your jokes have been better, asshole." Doc laughed at him and pulled him up again, staring into his eyes so intensely, Grian almost had to avert his gaze. But he couldn't even let the pirate win this battle. "So why don't you tell me why you guys are really here? I know you are planning something. I’ve known you for a while now. You would never come to an event like this otherwise."

Doc hummed, still looking highly amused. "Well I could tell you if you really want to know."

"Yeah?"

"You'd have to give me something in return, of course", Doc replied, pushing Grian away again, spinning him around before pulling him back. He didn't put his hands on Grian's hip this time but rested it gently under Grian's chin, tilting his head back even further. "Just a little something..."

Grian's breath hitched. They were so close now. The last notes of the song faded. They stayed there, their warm breath mingling in between them. Grian's eyes flickered down to Doc's lips and then back to his eyes again. Was it his imagination or were they getting closer and closer with each second that passed?

And then someone tapped onto Grian’s shoulder, making him jump away as if he had been burned by Doc. Turning around, he saw the prince behind him, smiling brightly.

"A dance, my dear soldier", he asked in a thick accent, taking Grian's hand and planting a soft kiss onto it. Grian's eyes widened, a blush appearing on his cheeks as he nodded. If he were to refuse this dance he'd be demoted for sure. It might also help him forget the dance he had just shared with Doc… And to forget what he had almost done for some piece of information.

As the next song started and the prince pulled him uncomfortably close, Grian swore he could hear Doc mumble: "I'm so going to enjoy robbing that asshole later." Grian looked over his shoulders at Doc's retreating form. He was about to alarm the prince, but when he felt a rather unwelcome hand on his ass, Grian decided to pretend he never heard about the planned crime.

#🍉 stories #pirate au #hermitship #hermitshipping #gridoc #a first glimpse into grian's unhappy life in the navy #not all sunshine and rainbows there #also jealous doc #And Ren the ultimate wingman :D

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