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cryptidofthekeys · 2 years

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Tiny Stowaway - Captain Magnum x Tiny!Eric Derekson

Sooo Imma be honest, I kinda fell for this ship hard n heavy after reading some fanfics about these two, this uh isn’t inspired by anything in particular but I think Magnum n Eric are p cute together ngl! So uh yeah!

Trigger Warnings: Mentions of Death but also it does have actual Death in it, Anxiety/Anxiety Attacks, Panic Attacks, Guns, mentions technically of abuse (I mean, we all do kinda know Eric’s story soo yeye)

Captain Magnum was walking along the docks, his crew already way ahead of him and preparing the ship, loading certain items onto it, plenty of things to eat and drink, etc… Speaking of, the Captain glanced up at his ship, beaming with pride, he had a large grin on his face as he looked her up and down… T’was a beaut she was… The most beautiful ship to sail the seven seas or at least to him she was! He was prideful to own one of the biggest ships around, he was definitely one to brag but he wasn’t trying to be an asshole about anything, he wasn’t the type to go ‘Aye, look at me! I’m rich, yer not, I own SUCH a big ship, much bigger than any of ye!’ Nah, quite the contrast actually, he was a prideful man, and he took pride in his ship and his crew, he took pride in his accomplishments, and there was nothing truly wrong with that or at least he didn’t believe so anyways! Either way, Captain Magnum sucked in a deep breath, lifting up his belt, making sure his sword and other things didn’t accidentally slip off.

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And with that, he headed toward his pride and joy, one of his crew saluting, telling him that everything was accounted for and ready to go, the Captain grinned and patted them across the back “Aye! Good! Hoist the anchor and let us be settin’ sail!” The crew all nodded, as the captain boarded and looked around at his crew, he felt a smile on his face… The crew worked so hard, so hard to make sure everything was a-okay, nothing was broken, etc… He trusted them immensely so, he doesn’t know what he’d ever do without them actually, after all… What is a pirate without a crew? Captain Magnum shook his head, not wanting to think about that or dwell too much as the crew then hoisted the anchor and then The Captain walked up to the wheel, taking hold of it and deeply inhaling, he always loved roaming the seven seas… It was one of the best parts of being a pirate, the ocean held many mysteries, many things The Captain doesn’t think he’d ever truly understand, but he held an air of respect for the ocean nonetheless, disrespect out here will get you nowhere.

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The only place you’ll wind up going is sinking down to the bottoms, even those who give their respect to the sea can still fall victim to it�� The sea had a mind of its own, it was absolutely unpredictable, nobody could ever predict its next move, the ocean… ‘Tis beautiful but dangerous, but Magnum, he liked that, he loved the thrill of setting sail on the ocean, the thrill of finding treasure, the a d v e n t u r e itself, that was the biggest thrill of all! Hell, Magnum could say he LIVES for it! He glanced out at the ocean, looking as his ship sailed so gracefully through it, and then he glanced back at his own crew, they were helping each other clean the ship, others were going to check the cannons and clean them if needed, then you had the one up top the ship, keeping an eye out for any rival pirate ships, things in the way, and or more importantly shore… Magnum also heard some chatter amongst the crew, nothing bad or anything like that, the crew all got along fairly well actually, they were all like a big family pretty much, they loved and cared about one another very much and Magnum wouldn’t have it any other way.

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In a strange sort of way, he almost felt like he was their father… Which he also certainly didn’t mind, in fact he’d be delighted if the crew saw him that way! The thought made him grin like an idiot as he turned the wheel around, making sure to keep going the direction he wanted, he had studied the map long and hard enough to know where his next target was, it was a fairly large island, there were claims to be some kind of very unique and strange treasures that had been buried there long ago and well where there was treasure to be found…

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You’d find the Captain himself there already claiming the spoils, he had quite the reputation actually, not many didn’t know of Captain Magnum, especially the other pirates out there… Magnum was infamous and of course he took pride in that, knowing that not many would dare challenge him, he didn’t have to worry about his crew that much then… Magnum was always soft, gentle, and kind… A gentle giant if you will to the crew and of course likewise to anyone who showed him and the crew the respect they all deserved, but to enemies? Magnum could be very fierce, he could be aggressive and intimidating when he truly needed to be… He didn’t get where he was today without that sort of thing, and then he snapped his attention toward two crew members in particular, he called out to them and they immediately rushed over, saluting “Cap’n?” Magnum smiled at them, the crew were definitely attentive, it was good to be attentive out here in the ocean “Me dear ol’ mateys… I need ye to steer th’ ship fer me fer a bit, I got some business ‘t take care of” The two crew members saluted once more “Aye aye Cap’n!” Magnum grinned and patted them on the shoulders as he then stepped away.

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Magnum headed to the back, down the stairs, he was going to his own little cabin at the bottom… Meanwhile… Down in the Captain’s Cabin… Unbeknownst to the crew and even the Captain himself, lay hidden a stowaway… However, this stowaway was MUCH different than any normal kind you’d see sneaking onto a ship, no… This one in particular was much smaller than any normal stowaway was, in fact he was tiny to be more specific, far too small to ever be noticed unless someone was trying to look for him specifically that it but that’s the thing, nobody knew he was even on this ship, in fact this stowaway had no idea he’d be boarding either, see it was never his intention to get mixed up in all this, he had been running from some others trying to chase him down, they honestly looked like pirates, he had little to no knowledge on pirates at all and one other thing… Little did this tiny stowaway know, he had just accidentally boarded a ship FULL of them…

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The tiny man looked around, he had found himself on top of what appeared to be a desk, he saw some maps, books, a feather pen and some ink, and then he turned toward the pile of gold that had been stacked so neatly on the desk, he was in awe of this, his jaw dropped even more upon seeing gold and gems all piled up in a corner of the cabin, w o a h… Whoever owned this ship had it made! So many treasures, it was so cool… And just then the tiny gave a yelp when he heard loud booming footsteps coming down, shit… Someone was coming! He needed to hide and fast, he looked around and quickly dove behind the gold, clutching his chest and covering his mouth, sure there was no way whoever it was would hear him, what with the creaking of the cabin itself and then the sounds of the ocean right outside he didn’t hold a candle to making any notable noises… He flinched when he heard the door slam open and then shut, hearing the footsteps walking closer, he heard a man sigh “Aye… Me treasure’s still intact…” As it always was, but it never hurt to check on it just in case, now he never suspected his crew to be thieves, don’t get him wrong, he’d never accuse them like that.

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But anyone could easily sneak aboard and try stealing his treasure, and he couldn’t have that… The Captain sighed as he walked over, his log legs always did make the loudest noises, he could never truly be sneaking with those and his height thanks to them sadly… He then sat down at his desk and got to work, pulling out a piece of paper and then the trusty feather pen.

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The tiny stowaway slowly peered from behind the gold, his eyes widening at what he saw… S-Shit…! It’s another pirate! That made his heart start beating much faster than it already was, he could feel his anxiety starting to weigh down heavily upon him, o-okay… This wasn’t good b-but! It… It wasn’t the end of the world! …S-So long as he didn’t get caught! …But then again, he had never been lucky, in fact he was convinced he was cursed, after all… So many bad things have happened to him, his family, even animals aren’t safe when he’s around… He’s a walking disaster just waiting to happen to everyone or so he feels, in fact he hadn’t always been this small, he couldn’t remember what or how it happened but suddenly he had just shrank… And of course, the pirates didn’t care, they figured he was some kinda magical creature or something, anything that’d fetch them a high price so he had become a target.

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He sighed, knowing that it didn’t matter since the other couldn’t hear him, he had always felt like such a burden to everyone around him, especially to his dad… …He hates to think about what would happen if his dad found him right now, found him like this . . . N-No… No no …He couldn’t focus on that right now, he-he needed to be alert and present, if he started thinking about all those horrible things, about his d-dad… He’d surely go into a panic attack, he watched cautiously as the black-bearded pirate scrawled something down onto the paper, he couldn’t make out what it was however. He heard the pirate hum a tune, it sounded like some kind of sea shanty, it was actually really pleasant and made the tiny feel a bit more relaxed.. He continued to watch as the pirate scrawled out, the sounds of the creaking cabin, the ocean’s waves roaring just outside, then the sounds of the pen scribbling down on paper, and finally the Captain’s gently humming, it was a very peaceful blend… Even if this was a pirate ship, full of pirates and… And… …Okay, yeah, no… The tiny man needed to stay focused, he needed to find a way out.

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It’d be hard given he had two prosthetic feet, in fact he wasn’t even sure how he managed to get up on this desk without falling or worse… But somehow, he managed… He wasn’t going to question it too much right now, he’s just thankful to even still be alive… He continued to watch the captain write for a bit before he suddenly finished, placing the pen back into the ink, he carefully rolled up the paper and then he grabbed some small rope, tying a careful knot around the center, once that was finished he stood up and grabbed a bottle, popping the cork off and then placing the message inside, he then sealed it up again with the cork and sighed deeply “...I hope this be reachin’ ye… Wherever ye are me matey…” With that he walked over to one of the windows, opening it real quick and casting the bottle out into the ocean before quickly shutting it, he smiled, albeit a saddened one, he even whispered a prayer under his breath that the message would reach the right person and then he turned back and headed back toward the desk, as he did so, he grunted as he accidentally bumped it which caused the gold to shake momentarily, the tiny man’s eyes widened in fear as he looked up to the golden tower shaking.

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And then, much to his dismay the gold had begun to fall, it was going to come right down on top of him if he didn’t move! The tiny man quickly dove out of the way but some of the gold pieces had caught his prosthetics and pinned them down, he let out a startled yelp when this happened, suddenly falling flat on his stomach, he began to struggle, trying to pry himself free but the golden coins were not budging in the slightest… He then heard a surprised gasp…

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His eyes widened slightly, knowing exactly what he was about to see, but he didn’t want to even turn around. For a moment the whole world had frozen, he could feel eyes on him, he knew he had been caught, he knew the pirate had seen him, and the worst part? This time… He couldn’t get away, he wasn’t strong enough to push himself free from the gold… A large shadow then loomed over him all of a sudden, tears began pricking his eyes as he slowly glanced up, and just like he knew… It was the pirate, he was looking down, staring directly at the tiny being in pure shock… The tiny stowaway could feel his entire body tense up, he felt his breathing start to become heavy and ragged, his heart was pounding in his chest, he was struggling even more now, even despite knowing it was useless, there was no way he could free himself, he began to think of all the horrible things that was going to happen to him, he began to think about the worst possible scenarios for this situation, this was it… He was going to be sold off as some mythical creature or something, or worse he was going to die, he didn’t like either outcome, in fact he dreaded it.

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Meanwhile… Captain Magnum was at a complete loss for words, he had no idea what he was really staring at… There was a tiny… Human…? Er, something like that, laying on his desk, trapped under some of the gold coins, to make matters worse he could see the other beginning to cry, he could hear the sobbing and the worst of all? He could hear the panic attack that was brewing, Magnum was still at a loss for words but nonetheless, the lad was in trouble… He gently reached a gloved hand down, he could see the other staring up at him in horror before letting out a terrified wail, the tiny squeezing his eyes shut and waiting for the inevitable… The inevitable that was not coming that is, as Magnum gently swept the coins off and away, he then gently scooped the other up into his hands, making sure to cup them together so he didn’t accidentally drop the other, that’s when the Captain noticed… The lad had prosthetics just like himself, oh goodness… The tiny being’s lucky them gold pieces didn’t crush those entirely! He could feel the other shaking in his hands, the tiny’s eyes shot open the moment he was scooped up, eyes darting around in fear, always landing back on Magnum in the end.

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“Aye lad-” Captain Magnum noticed the other’s hands shoot up to cover his ears, that’s when he cleared his throat, lowering his voice as best he could “Ye alright, lad? Yer prosthetics ain’t be damaged now are they?” The tiny man didn’t speak, he was still breathing heavily and ragged, he had uncovered his ears though which was good, Magnum wasn’t being too loud now, but the other could still see so many bad things happening, he felt like his fate was still sealed, he at the very least pulled out his comfort blankie and began to fidget wildly, he didn’t care if the other laughed at him, he needed to… He-He just couldn’t… Magnum sighed “Hey, hey… P-Please lad… Calm yer breathin’, I promise I’m not gonna hurt ya…” However the tiny man just wasn’t listening, he was still crying and sobbing, fidgeting wildly with his blanket… Shit, Magnum was NEVER the best at proper comfort but he had to rack his brain and FAST… He then got an idea, he didn’t know if it’d work, in fact it was a long shot but he had no choice, he needed to calm the other down SOMEWAY!

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Magnum then began to hum softly, he was humming that one sea shanty he knew by heart, he even began to sing in some parts. Now normally The Captain didn’t like to sing in front of others but this was a special case, the other desperately needed something to calm him down.

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He could hear the other struggling to breathe at this point, shit… He hoped this worked as he held the man closer to his chest, humming the sea shanty and gently swaying a bit, for a moment he had thought it was doing nothing but then… The tiny man’s sobs and cries were slowly dying down… His breathing was still a bit heavy and ragged but at least his cries were stopping, Magnum continued to hum, not staring down at the other in fear he’d make the other panic again… The tiny man could feel the vibrations, being this close to the other’s chest, the soft gentle humming and swaying, and then he could also hear the other’s heartbeat, it was… Oddly soothing despite being in the hands of a giant pirate, he went from spiraling down with so many thoughts into an anxiety attack only to start being lifted up from that spiral before he could faint… He felt himself calming down ever so slightly so that was a good start.

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Magnum noticed immediately that the other’s cries and sobs had died down first and foremost. Secondly he could also feel the other’s body begin to stop shaking so this WAS working, he continued to hum and sway as gently as he possibly could… Still not looking at the other, this continued on for a long while until Magnum felt the other stop shaking entirely and when his breathing became normal again, after that The Captain slowly stopped his humming and swaying and looked down at the other, he felt the other tense up slightly but that was it, his expression was soft “Aye… Ye alright now laddie? Ye seemed to be in lotsa distress there…” The tiny being looked down for a second, looking at his hands that weren’t shaking so badly, he sucked in a deep breath before looking back up at the other one “...I-I… I’m um.. I uh, I’m go… Good…” He had a pretty bad stutter it seemed, fumbling over his words which only seemed to cause him more distress “Good… Yer alright, I promise yer safe here lad… ‘M not gonna hurt ye” This made the other blink in surprise, looking up to the other, he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly before speaking.

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“B-But… A-Aren’t you a uh, a um… o-oh god… a uh, a pi… pir… a uh, a p-pi-pirate…?!” He finally got there, taking a deep breath. He wishes he didn’t struggle with talking so much, it’s another thing his dad hated about him… Magnum however brought no attention to the stutter which was surprising, he did raise a brow however “Aye, that I am… I don’t uh, see what that’s got ‘ta do with me hurtin’ ya though and- . . . Wait just a moment… Yer tellin’ me ye don’t recognize me? Like, look at me face, it don’t look even the slightest bit familiar to ya?” The tiny blinked in confusion at this before looking up at the other, he took a moment before shaking his head “N-No… No I-I… I uhhh, er… I don’t r-recognize you… s-s-so… sorry…!” Magnum looked shocked by this before shaking his head “No reason ‘t apologize laddie, while I do admit ye got me shocked by that, after all, not many ‘round these here parts that don’t know of th’ infamous Captain Magnum…!” He beamed with pride, still being mindful of his voice surprisingly enough, this made the other blink “Captain… M-Mag… Magnum…?” He repeated, the other nodding “Aye, that be me name…! Ye, er, may just call me Magnum if ye’d like… What do they call ye, lad?”

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The tiny one blinked and looked around “...T-They…? Wh-What? I… I uh, I do-don’t um… I don’t understand…” Magnum chuckled at that “I mean yer name lad, what be yer name?” The other’s face turned slightly red in embarrassment at not getting what the other meant sooner “So…Sorry… I um… I’m Eric… E-Eric…” He paused, he was struggling again…

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He was struggling to say his own name, he kept stuttering over himself and then he made a distressed sound before apologizing to Magnum who merely shook his head “Yer alright… Take all the time ye be needin’ okay? No rush…!” That made the other look up, wow… Usually, people would have already gotten frustrated with his stuttering and attempts to speak, his dad always did, his dad would always scream at him for the stutter, even though he couldn’t control it, he remembers the awful things his dad said to him but here Magnum was, being so kind, patient, and polite as could be and he was a PIRATE no less… Even a pirate, one who supposedly pillages, takes what they want, etc… Even a literal pirate was more kind than his father could ever hope to be… This made the other pause, taking a deep breath “...M-My name is… Eric… E-Eric Derekson b-but uh… P-Please just, um, uh, oh jeez… J-Just call me Eric…” Magnum hummed and gave a nod to that “Eric, aye?” The tiny one nodded and then Magnum grinned “Well then, tis nice ‘ta meet ye, Eric…! Glad ‘t have ye on board me ship! Me pride and joy she is… Although, I do got some questions fer ye… How exactly d i d ye board me ship? An’ w h e n did ye board it exactly?”

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Eric looked down, fidgeting with his blanket a little, that could usually help him out a lot, it helped to have his comfort item with him even if people, much like his dad usually made fun of him for it… Magnum however wasn't, which was another thing to throw Eric off guard “I-I’m sorry… I-I don’t um.. I don’t mean to in-intru… intrude… I-I just… I um, w-well…” Eric began to explain how he boarded the ship, what happened and when it happened, by the end of that he took a deep breath, gently clutching at his yellow blankie “...S-So um… y-yep… That uh, that’s what happened…” Magnum’s brows were furrowed, he looked pretty upset by that and it made Eric worry before his gaze quickly softened “Ay, no no… ‘M not mad at ye, Eric… Th’ thoughts of them bilge rats doin’ that… Yer a livin’ being, ye breathe the same air as us, now, look… I may be a Pirate meself but I’ll tell ye right now lad, yer ‘t have no fears of being sold here, because so long as I’m with ye… I won’t allow it” Eric looked surprised by this statement “W-Wait… You… You aren’t going to, u-uh, sell me for gold or wh-what uh, um… Whatever it… it is?” Magnum shook his head, a gentle smile gracing his lips.

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“Nah, if I want me some more gold, I’ll steal it, th’ ol’ fashioned way, ain’t about ‘t start sellin’ anything…! Ye’ll be protected like one of me own crew, usually I don’t take too kindly to er… Stowaways BUT, I don’t think I’ll have to worry ‘bout ye causin’ any trouble… An’ if them scurvy dogs even THINK ‘bout showin’ their faces again, I’ll have ‘em keelhauled…!” Magnum exclaimed, this made Eric blink and then look down at his blanket for a moment, he was still fidgeting with the blanket… …Maybe not ALL pirates are supposedly bad, while he still didn’t fully trust Magnum just yet, and understanding all that pirate lingo was like trying to find a needle in a haystack, he wasn’t AS scared as he was a few moments ago, he gasped when he felt movement, it was The Captain walking over and sitting back at his desk, he gently placed Eric back on the desk “Now back to me question from earlier, lad… Can ye stand? I mean… Is yer prosthetics broken or anythin’?” Eric blinked and looked down, he was always embarrassed about his prosthetics, lots of people and of course his dad would make fun of them… He tried standing and luckily for him they weren’t damaged, maybe a little scratched but nothing that would make it hard to walk.

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“Y…You uh… Your… Um, er… Y-You aren’t… Going to make, uhh, make fun of them or-or- anything like th-that?” Magnum shook his head “I am ‘ta assume ye’ve been made fun of before, arr?” Eric sadly nodded and this made The Captain sigh, he stood up and stood back, he made sure when he lifted his leg up for the other to see he didn’t bump the desk… Eric gasped at this “Yo…You… You have p-prosthetics… t-too…?” The Captain nodded, looking at his log legs, gently patting at the log “Arr, that I do laddie, that I do…” He then lowered his leg back down “And aye, I’ve been made fun of by others… Even now, I can still hear them whispers from people, they think I ain’t be hearin’ em but… I do” Magnum cleared his throat, looking a bit disheartened “...Sometimes ye just gotta tune ‘th filthy dogs out… I know it ain’t easy, but if ye’ll stop listening to all those whispers, if ye learn to start ignoring ‘em, ye’ll get more confident over time, I tuned ‘em all out, I’d just like ‘t remind ye of one thing, Eric…” Magnum sat back down in his seat and gently reached a gloved finger out, the other was confused before taking a gentle hold of it, albeit shakily and nervously, it seemed to be what Magnum wanted though.

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“Don’t let ANY scurvy dog, don’t ye EVER let anyone, and I mean ANYONE… Tell ye that ye can’t do somethin’ just because of yer prosthetics… Ye can do so many things in life, even with how small ye be, size, disabilities, none’o that matters… Ye can do whatever ye set yer mind to…” Eric blinked, glancing up into The Captain’s eyes despite tears pricking his and making it hard to see at the moment, he took one hand and wiped them away, he then smiled, the other understood exactly… The Captain understood him, he had rarely e v e r been around someone like him, someone with prosthetics that is… It was refreshing, to be around someone who understood the struggles, another thing Eric noticed is that the other’s legs were made out of huge logs, jeez… He must’ve been v e r y strong to be able to walk around with those… That strength should probably worry Eric, because that means he could e a s i l y get hurt but then he thought about how gentle Magnum had been with him so far, it was… Such an interesting contrast “...Th-Thank you… I-I’ll remember that, al… Always…” The Captain smiled brightly, slowly taking his finger away from Eric’s grasp and then gently patting the other on the head.

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“Aye… No problem, lad…” Magnum’s heart swooned upon seeing the other smile, that smile was so gentle, so genuine… And seeing the other begin relaxing around him also made him feel much better, it was strange though now that Captain Magnum thought about it, he was curious… “Speakin’ of, if ye don’t mind me askin’ o’course… Have ye always been this small?” Eric shook his head “...I-I… N-No… I um, er, I uh, wa-wasn’t… I don’t…” He paused for a moment to collect himself and gather his words before continuing “I do-don’t remember… What uh, what hap-happened… I-I was normal size o-one moment and uh, then like, I uh, I…” He trailed off and just gestured to himself, The Captain blinked in surprise, stroking at his beard for a moment before shrugging “I be Bum-squabbled on this one…” He glanced down, noticing Eric’s completely dumbfounded expression, he couldn’t help but chuckle “Oh laddie… I mean I’m confused just like ye be by that word” Eric then realized “O-Ohh…” He looked away in embarrassment but it only made Magnum laugh “Don’t be embarrassed, lad…! Ye’ll learn me Pirate-speak, in due course me lad, in due course…” Eric nodded, he could KINDA understand that last one.

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“Although ye sayin’ ye were normal sized before…” Magnum paused, clearing his throat.

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“I don’t know how much me crew and I can do… But, if ye want, we’ll try ‘t help ye, just give th’ word and we’ll be on th’ lookout fer some kinda… Cure? Or, whatever ye may need to get ye back to normal size” Eric blinked, wow… The Captain was so willing to go out of his way, so willing to already help him out, and for nothing it seemed, he wasn’t asking for gold or anything like that… But Eric had to make sure “Yo…You uh, w-what uh, um… I-I don’t have… any er… a-any gold or-” Magnum held up a hand “That’s alright laddie, ye don’t gotta worry about payment, I want to help ye, might not seem like much like a Pirate, ‘t offer help without some form of payment but… Fer once, I’m insistin’ this… Will ye let me crew and I help?” Eric looked down in thought, wow… He really WAS just wanting to help… This was so strange to Eric, he expected when he had first been caught this was all over, this was where he was going to be captured or worse but here he was, on a desk with a Pirate looking down at him with the softest expression, it’s an expression Eric hadn’t seen from someone in a long time… It warmed his heart.

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“...I… Y-Yeah… Um, I would uh, uhhh…” He paused again “...I’d love help, yeah… W-With um, with this…” He gestured to himself “...W-Wi-With the tiny… problem…” Magnum nodded “Well then ye have me word, we’ll try ‘t help ye in any way we can! Speakin’ of… Ye really should be gettin’ acquainted with me crew… Since yer gonna be stickin’ ‘round fer a while… Ye want me to introduce ye right now, or would ye prefer waitin’ awhile?” Eric thought about it for a moment before shrugging “I-I guess… I-I might as well.. J-Just uh, um… C-Can we… l-like, take it… Take it slow…? I-I mean…” Eric felt a little embarrassed by the way he phrased that but The Captain merely laughed and gently patted him on the head “Aye lad, I get yer meanin’ no worries…! I’ll introduce ye one at a time, just don’t be scared, me hearties are all lovely once ye get ‘t know ‘em! We might can be fearsome at times but only when we need ‘t be”

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Eric nodded at this and then Magnum held out his hand, flat on the desk so Eric could easily climb up onto it. The tiny man stared for a moment, looking at the giant gloved hand before him, it felt so strange, not being scared anymore… It felt like he was supposed to be but considering how Magnum has helped him so far? …He’s just not sure yet, besides nothing good much e v e r happens to Eric, why would this be any different? For all he knows The Captain could be luring him into a false sense of security …But even then, did Eric REALLY have that much of a choice at this point? There is CERTAINLY no way he could EVER hope to return to normal on his own, there’s no way he could find any sort of cure or whatever needed to fix this situation on his own so in reality he didn’t have much of a choice here, either way he walked over and gently began to climb up and onto The Captain’s hand.

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Eric could properly feel the leather beneath him now since he wasn’t panicking, this felt so… Weird… Being palm sized was something Eric didn’t think he could ever get used to in all honesty, he just hoped it wouldn’t take too long to get back to normality… He wanted to get this all over with and he didn’t want to get chased by any more pirates! With that, Captain Magnum stood up, being careful and holding Eric toward his chest for more support. “Let’s get th’ lil meet n greet over with, because I’m sure ye don’t wanna be surrounded by others fer too long, aye?” Eric shook his head “N-Not really…” And with that Magnum began to walk off, he was walking back up the stairs and then out of the cabin’s doors, he stood tall, watching the others salute.

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“Listen up, me hearties! We gots us a new crew member on me ship!” The Captain was mostly covering Eric in his hands right now, and while Magnum was being louder, being cradled in his hands like this, it kinda muffled the noise in a way… Eric could hear the crew making some questioning sounds and this caused him to fidget with his blanket more, he was taking some deep breaths, oh… He hated meeting new people… It’s not that he hated people! No no, it’s just all the anxiety begins to swell up and it just… It was a disaster… And then he could see much more light, he was being held up ever so slightly and then his breath hitched in his throat when he saw the crew members all turn to stare at him, all eyes were on him and that made him e x t r a nervous, especially when they all came closer to get a better look at him, he was shaking as he waved a hand “U-Um… Uh… O-Oh god… H…Hiiii…?” The others seemed shocked to hear him speak like that, and then they all began asking questions and being way too loud it made Eric whimper and cover his ears.

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Magnum’s expression turned into a scowl which immediately silenced the crew, just one look alone from The Captain was always enough “Me hearties… Ye need ‘t be understandin’ somethin’ here… Th’ lad be tiny, his ears be much more sensitive than ours, and ye don’t need ‘ta all be crowdin’ ‘round him…! He be an anxious feller… O n e at a time now, ye hear?” The crew nodded in understanding, now quieting down much more, they lined up and then Eric was slowly uncovering his ears, they all made sure to not get too close and give him the space he needed, first introduction was Eric himself… He was trying so hard but somehow his stutter seemed to worsen, and then Captain Magnum whispered to him “It’s okay lad, take yer time… There be no rush here…” Eric glanced back toward The Captain who was smiling so softly down at him, he nodded and took a deep breath, eventually he introduced himself, he made sure he was loud enough to be heard as well.

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The crew seemed to hear him loud and clear as they then began introducing themselves, one at a time, in a single file line, likewise none stood too close or asked any questions, it was a matter of simple introductions, as Magnum had warned them not to overwhelm the boy with any questions, it eventually went from Eric saying hi to changing it up to merely waving, he didn’t want to sound like a broken record over and over again nor wear his voice out… Eventually the crew finished their introductions and stood, waiting for Magnum’s orders presumably “Now, I trust ye all with all me heart… But, there is to be some rules set… I know we ain’t be the most careful out there, I mean what pirate i s careful?” The Captain chuckled along with the rest of the crew but then his tone suddenly got serious “But fer now, ‘til we can get Eric’s situation here handled, ye are all ‘t be much more mindful, be more careful ‘round him”

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“And ye are ‘t defend him like one of ye own if he were ‘t get into any danger, remember, Eric is an honorary member of me crew now, he’s just like ye all…! Ye must treat him equally, now I’m sure that be no trouble with ye all, now is it?” The crew shook their heads, and vowed to protect Eric as they would one another, repeating that he is now an honorary member of the crew, they vowed to help with the situation as well in any way The Captain or Eric needed them too… This made Eric tear up a little bit, so many people… Showing him so much care, it just… It just wasn’t something he was used to… The Captain noticed Eric tearing up and brought him up to his face “...L-Lad…? Ar… Are ye alright…? This too much fer ye?”

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“If this be too much fer ye… I can take ye back down to me Captain’s Quarters…” Eric shook his head “N-No I… I s-swe… swear.. I… I uh, I’m fine… J-Just… Th…Thank you for uh, for um.. For helping…” Captain Magnum smiled “Tis no problem lad, ‘m sure we’ll have ye back ‘t normal in no time~!” Magnum beamed to which Eric smiled at, he then flinched upon hearing one of the crew yell out “Land Ahoy!” Captain Magnum’s eyes widened at this, he suddenly had a big grin on his face, he walked over a bit more quickly than Eric could handle and now the little one was dizzy “Shiver me timbers! Land already?” He then looked down and apologized to Eric upon noticing the other looked dizzy, Captain Magnum then looked over and sure enough he saw it… The shore… Beautiful land that held many beautiful treasures, all for the taking “Yo ho ho!” He exclaimed, absolutely delighted by this, this made Eric smile slightly, he liked hearing the other sound so happy, there was something about it… The tiny yelped slightly when Magnum held him up “Look lad… Thar she is… Land-ho… And ‘tis a beauty, because where there be land, there be treasure, all fer our taking…~!”

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Captain Magnum then glanced down “And who knows… Maybe we might find somethin’ ‘t help ye with yer situation, I can’t say fer certain but ye never truly know what ye’ll find with these things” Eric nodded, he would’ve been hopeful but he’s accepted that bad things usually happen to him, he doesn’t figure he’ll ever get lucky enough… Captain Magnum held Eric closely to his chest “Hold on tight lad, we’re about ‘t hit th’ shore…” Eric nodded and held on close to the other’s chest, he could hear the other’s heartbeat, it was quicker now, presumably due to the excitement… After a few minutes, Eric felt the ship rumble and vibrate, the crew had somewhat stumbled but Captain Magnum stood perfectly still, there was hardly any movement Eric could truly feel, jeez… He truly wondered just how strong and sturdy this man was…? Captain Magnum then looked back down at Eric “...Do ye want ‘t go with us, or would ye prefer ‘t stay on me ship? Cause I’ll warn ye right now… Th’ land be full of dangerous and we’ll be out there diggin’ I don’t want ‘t lose ye lad…”

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Eric thought about this for a moment, it would be a HUGE risk for him to go out onto land like that, if he were to fall off somewhere he could well, for one could get injured super easily or worse, he could die… …It was too big of a risk, he shook his head “...I… I want to stay on… On th-the… the um… y-your… your uh, your sh-ship” Magnum nodded “Alright, I’ll leave ye right here” Magnum placed the tiny one onto the podium-esque part of the wheel, it was the safest and most stable area that he was close to right now “Usually I don’t believe in leavin’ me crew behind, but fer once this is a risk I just don’t wanna be takin’... I’ll leave ye with another member however, ye won’t be alone…” Captain Magnum looked around and then pointed, gesturing for one of the crew members to come over “Ye are ‘t stay behind an’ watch Eric, ye have yer weapons ready just in case, ye never know when any other pirates be comin’ up…” The crew member nodded and saluted “Aye aye Cap’n…! Ya have me word, swear on me life, nobody will harm the little crewmate…! I’ll protect ‘im with me life, sir” Captain Magnum smiled, patting the other on the shoulder “Good lad’ And with that Magnum was off, getting off the ship along with several other crew members, and just like that Eric and the one crew member were left behind.

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If Eric remembers correctly their name was… Bailey…? …Gods he hoped he was remembering their name right, he’d feel very guilty if he wasn’t, he fidgeted with his blanket, it was silent…

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‘Bailey’ patrolled around the ship for a bit, keeping their weapons close and making sure no enemies were enclosing, they took what Magnum said very seriously, it was interesting to Eric… …He doesn’t think he would be cut out for a pirate in all honesty, even if he were to get back to normal size, he just didn’t have the guts for something like that, after all… Magnum seemed so confident in himself, in his crew, just confident in general and man… Eric wishes he could be like Magnum in a way, he wished he had the confidence the other did… After a bit, Bailey came over and knelt down, Eric was looking at them and for a bit it was silent, he was worried, did he do something wrong…? Were they mad at him? But before his thoughts could spiral too much they grinned at him “Can I talk to ye fer a moment, Eric?” …Okay that made his breath hitch in his throat, he never liked the ‘can we talk’ with no explanation beforehand, he ALWAYS assumed and feared he was in some kind of trouble.

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Bailey seemed to recognize this and they shook their head “Oi, relax lad… Yer not in any sort’o trouble, I wanna talk about the cap’n fer a moment” Eric blinked in surprise, Magnum…? … “Wh-What… uh, wha…what about him…?” The sailor grinned widely “The Cap’ns sweet on ye” Eric choked on his own saliva momentarily, he was coughing and spluttering and that made Bailey panic a moment, they gently brought their hand up and used a finger to pat him on the back “Easy boy, easy…!” Eric continued to splutter for a moment before finally regaining some composure, his face was flushed entirely as he looked back to the sailor “...W-Wh-What?!” He panicked-ly shouted, he hadn’t meant to but it came out that way, meanwhile Bailey nodded “Aye, it be the truth lad…! The Cap’ns sweet on ye, I can tell… I’ve been workin’ with me Cap’n fer y e a r s now laddie, I know when me Cap’n gets sweet on someone, it ain’t happened in a long time but I can see it~ The way he looks at ye, the way he talks to ye, the way he a c t s around ye… It’s obvious” Eric shook his head “I-I-I… bu.. But… U-Uh, wh… Why... Why me though? W-What could h…he u-um, see in so-some.. Some-uh, someone like m-me?”

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Bailey gave him a gentle smile “...Oi lad, don’t be like that… Yer a sweet one…! It ain’t often we pirates see someone as sweet as yerself, and I can’t speak fer the Cap’n on this one, there’s just somethin’ about ye he seems to like… I do have a question fer ye though” Eric blinked in confusion as he looked up at Bailey “...Do ye feel th’ same?” Eric made an absolutely distressed sound at that, Bailey put their hands up in defense “Woah woah.. Easy there me bucko…! Ye don’t gotta answer if ye don’t want to, in fact if ye really want we can drop th’ subject…!” Bailey felt like maybe they were pushing it a bit too far and were prepared to back off but Eric shook his head “...I…I… U-um, uh, w-well… Uh, I, kinda, I… I…” There was a pause, Eric trying desperately to get his words together, fumbling over most of them before he sighed “...I…I don’t… I don’t know…” Bailey nodded “Aye, I respect that lad, listen, don’t get me wrong, I ain’t tryna pressure ye into fallin’ fer our beloved Cap’n… That ain’t what this is about, just call me curious if ye’d like” They chuckled before continuing on.

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“But, I will say… Cap’n… He can be a bit rough ‘round the edges… He can seem downright intimidatin’ even but I assure ye, he’s a sweet man underneath all that rough n toughness, once ye get to know him, again, not gonna force ye, I ain’t about that… So the choice is yers in the end, there’ll be no consequences either way… But, all I’m askin’ is that maybe… Just maybe, try givin’ him a chance…?” There was a long pause, Eric seemingly thinking about this.

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Well if anyone would know, he was sure one of Magnum’s own crew would… After all, they said they have worked with the man for y e a r s now, even said he was sweet on someone at one point, he wondered about that, and then he got to thinking… Eric thought about the way Magnum had been so gentle with him so far, so kind, caring, and considerate… It seemed like such a contrast for him to be that way, he seemed like the strong stoic type in all honesty, another thing Eric wishes he could be… Strong and stoic, he wishes he could be confident like Magnum was, he almost envies that about the other… Eric kept thinking about The Captain for a bit before he remembered Bailey was sitting there, waiting for an answer, he quickly cleared his throat and spoke up “I-I… u-Um… uh, er… w-well… …O-Okay… Y-Yeah I uh, I’ll try…” Bailey smiled at this “So long as yer comfortable lad, I don’t wanna pressure ye inta anything” Eric nodded at this and then Bailey stood up.

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“I best be gettin’ back ‘t patrollin’ the deck, lest the Cap’n comes back an’ catches me slack… ing…” Bailey began trailing off, their eyes widened as they looked out past the ship, this made Eric confused “B-Bai…Bailey…?” …God he hoped that was their name, oh jeez… “Wh-What’s… Wr-Wrong…?” Eric suddenly yelped as he heard what sounded like a gunshot, he quickly covered his ears after that, his breath had hitched in his throat, he was prepared for the worst… And sure enough, as he looked behind his eyes widened when he saw pirates, e n e m y pirates began to overtake the ship… And that’s when he realized… Those weren’t just any pirates, those were the exact same ones that tried to capture him earlier! And now he began to feel his heart pound in his chest, now there weren’t many of them, not NEARLY as many as Magnum had, he had a much bigger crew but the problem with that right now is that they weren’t here! They were gone! In search of treasures and there was no telling when they’d be back! He could see Bailey try their best to fight them off, however unfortunately their gun had jammed, they had tried to fight off with their trusty sword, even if the others had guns.

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Bailey had made a promise to their Captain, they had promised him they’d defend Eric with their very LIFE… And by the gods and goddesses they would fight to the death, sure enough, Eric watched in absolute horror as Bailey was struck down, he heard them cry out in pain, he quickly looked away, he… He couldn’t, he couldn’t look at them… He couldn’t watch… The tiny one was already thinking back to that one day… Thinking back to… To the bus… To his family, his brothers… O-Oh god, they all died in horrible ways, the only one to survive was Eric, and then he was thinking about his mom… He could feel his breath get caught in his throat, he couldn’t… The one thing to snap him out of the spiraling thoughts was a really rough hand gripping him f a r too tightly, he gasped out and practically screamed when he was face-to-face with that one from earlier, they blinked but then suddenly grinned, it wasn’t a friendly or nice grin, it was one that held a sinister undertone to it “Well well well boys… Look’a what we gots here~!” He spoke far too loudly, but Eric couldn’t reach up to cover his ears, he merely whimpered, tears pooling down his face.

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“Aww, th’ lil thing’s cryin…” He and his crew busted out laughing at Eric which just made him feel worse, he could barely breathe and it wasn’t just because the other was holding him far too tightly, his brain was going haywire, pulled between the thoughts of his brothers and his mom, then pulled to the thoughts of whatever horrible thing is about to happen to him…

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It was all too much, it was w a y too much… Eric couldn’t, he couldn’t handle it… He was in pain and his mind was spiraling, tears practically pouring out of his now trembling body, meanwhile the others only poked fun at him, laughing at him and even flicking at him, or just dangling him upside down, they were merely playing around with him before their presumed Captain spoke up “Ah.. Ye thought ye could get away from me? Nah, nothin’ e v e r escapes me~ I’ll track it down ta the ends’o the earth, and ye could fetch a pretty penny, whatever ye may be~!” He laughed along with his crew again “Now then… Yer comin’ back with me, and this time yer NOT gonna escape us, and hell… Since we be here, we’re even gonna commandeer this here ship, after all, nobody’s here ‘t stop us now are they, must not be very good’o pirates ta leave their ship unattended like this, not too bright~” Eric hated that they were making fun of Magnum but like he could really say anything, he spoke not a word, he was too far into the impending anxiety attack, in fact he was tuning them out now.

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Meanwhile that crew’s Captain kept poking and prodding, making fun of the pirates of this ship, even making fun of the ship itself, this continued for a few moments until his crew’s eyes widened, they looked absolutely petrified… They were even beginning to tremble, their Captain finally noticing, raising a brow “Aye, what’s wrong with ye?!” And then, he had noticed, there was a fairly large shadow looming over him, he had been so enraptured in his speech, in mocking and poking fun at this, and playing around with his tiny prisoner that he had failed to notice anyone that could’ve crept up… And that’s when his eyes widened as he looked back and saw just who owned this ship… That’s when he realized, he had completely fucked up… Captain Magnum was standing over him, a scowl in his expression before he grinned maliciously “...Aye lads, how it be goin’...? Ye havin’ f u n…? Ye filthy d o g s!” He howled, the other Captain’s crew immediately shook their heads and were about to run off before some of the crew shot at them and hit them, meanwhile Magnum had gripped the other by the throat as he tried to pull out his gun.

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Captain Magnum gently took Eric from the other’s grasp, looking down at the lad who was looking up at him through blurry tears “It’s alright now me lad… I’m here, Magnum’s here fer ye…” He softly spoke, Eric hearing that voice, while he was still shaking horribly and breathing heavily, he tried to focus on that mostly, and he tried to steady his own breathing, Magnum was here… E-Eric wasn’t going to die… He was here, and he was protecting him… Meanwhile Magnum was snarling at the other, still holding him by the throat with one hand “As fer y e… Ye filthy bilge-rat… I presume ye are th’ one who was chasin’ after me mate, he told me somethin’ like that… And ye know, I don’t take too kindly ta anyone botherin’ me friends, botherin’ th’ people I care about” And then Magnum roughly tossed him, the other Captain hollering out in pain as he collided with the large pole of the ship, his back felt like it was on fire and then Magnum approached, kneeling down and taking hold and wrenching the other’s chin to look him dead in the eyes… Eric was fidgeting with his blanket now as he watched the scene before him unfold, the blanket had always helped with calming him down.

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Magnum’s voice lowered this time when he spoke, not looking away from the other’s eyes “...I’ll see ye measured fer chains, ye filthy dog~” He grinned and laughed as he saw the other’s eyes widen in pure fear, Magnum told some of the crew to tie him up and get him prepared for later.

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Meanwhile Magnum looked at the others who had been shot, he gently cradled Eric to his chest first and foremost, making sure the other couldn’t see this as he walked over and began nudging at them with his log leg, they didn’t move at all so Magnum spoke up “Aye, go ahead an’ feed the fish me hearties, m’ sure they could use some food” The other members of the crew picked up the two other pirates and began casting them overboard… And that’s when Captain Magnum noticed, his eyes widened as some of the others were hovering over Bailey who was down, covered in some blood, he handed Eric to one of the others for a moment “Hang tight lad, just stick with them…” He didn’t want to run over with Eric in hand, that could be too jarring for him, after handing him off Magnum quickly sped over, kneeling down as best he could, a hand over his mouth as he looked over Bailey’s body… They were unconscious but the crew around had tried their best, attending the wound, making sure they covered it so the bleeding would stop.

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Once finished, Captain Magnum gently scooped Bailey up into his arms and placed his ear against their chest, all was silent as he listened for a few minutes, the only sounds that were made were from the ocean itself, nobody dared speak a word as Magnum listened, meanwhile Eric was fearing the absolute worst, this was what happened… Every time he was around someone, every single time he was around anything… If it could die, it did… Everything always died around him, animals, plants, and people alike… It was part of whatever curse he had, he swore it, he was already sure that there was no way Bailey survived, they had died just like everyone else in his life, that made him wonder if staying with Magnum was truly a good idea… What if Magnum met the same fate? What if- Before his thoughts could continue on, Magnum perked up, a smile on his face even though his eyes were teary “They be alive, mateys! They're alive!” Eric’s mouth fell agape in shock, the rest of the crew cheered, all Eric did was cover his ears but after hearing that, after hearing they were still alive, that made tears prick at his eyes, someone finally didn’t die with him around…

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“Here, here, get them down to their quarters, get them in bed an’ keep an eye on ‘em, we gots ‘t make sure th’ wound don’t be gettin’ infected…” The crew members who had been attending the wound nodded, gently scooping up Bailey and taking them away, Magnum felt an instantaneous relief wash over him, had they got here a second later… He knew it would’ve been too late for both Bailey and Eric alike, speaking of…Captain Magnum stood up and walked over, the crew member already holding Eric out for Magnum who gently scooped him back up into his hands… The Captain sighed, nuzzling Eric slightly who couldn’t help but giggle a bit at the beard tickling his face, after a few seconds Magnum pulled his face away and looked down at Eric “...Ye alright lad? Did he hurt ye anywhere? Did he break yer prosthetics or anythin’ because I s w e a r if he did I’ll-”

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Eric shook his head “N-No… I-I um, he… He just… He-He uh, s-scared me… I… I um, uh, I thought…” Eric took a moment, taking some deep breaths and gently brushing at the blanket in his hands “...I thought… I-I… M-Me and Bailey… W-We were g-gonna um, I…” Magnum gently cradled Eric into his chest as the other began to sob a little “Shhh shshsh… It be alright, laddie… I got ye… Yer safe now, yer safe with me, I promise ‘t always protect ye, whether ye be big or small… Ye’ll always be safe with me, ye have me word, a pirate’s promise…”

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And Eric could honestly say, while earlier he hadn’t trusted Magnum, he definitely trusted him now, and Eric would be lying if he said he didn’t feel safe for once, he felt completely safe in Captain Magnum’s hands, and it had been so v e r y very long since he had felt safe, in fact he can’t remember the last time he felt such a thing… …And then he thought back to Bailey’s words, he thought about what they had said, and as he thought about that, he couldn’t help but smile… …At this point, Eric would also be lying if he hadn’t been thinking about Magnum himself a good bit but, he was too exhausted to dwell on that right now, it seemed The Captain noticed the other’s exhaustion and smiled, it was a gentle one compared to the sinister grin he just gave that other pirate.

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He heard Magnum hum that same sea shanty from earlier and felt him begin to gently sway, this made Eric gently lay down in the palm of the other’s hands and close his eyes, he felt comfortable enough around the other to fall asleep, he… He trusted The Captain, he trusted him so wholeheartedly, eventually Eric fell asleep to the sounds of humming and the gentle swaying motion he felt, Magnum noticed this and paused but only for a moment “Goodnight, laddie… May yer dreams be as sweet as ye are…~” And then he continued on with his humming and swaying, keeping Eric softly cradled in his hands.

#captain magnum #ahwm captain magnum #eric derekson #markiplier egos #captain magnum x eric derekson #tw mentions of abuse #tw mentions of death #tw death #tw guns #tw anxiety attacks #tw panic attacks #gonna tag it as both to be extra safe ya know?#giant #tiny #gt #fluff and angst

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