( under the night sky )

[absurdities]

ＳＴＡＲＧＡＺＩＮＧ - whether you're on a picnic blanket in a field, laying on the beach, or in the bed of a truck, you're with someone you care about and you're looking at the stars.

ＣＡＭＰＦＩＲＥ - camping is the most fun when you're with someone else. roasting marshmallows, telling stories. nature's got it goin' on.

ＰＡＲＫＩＮＧ - you're at the lover's lane, parked at the peak overlooking the city, it's just you and someone else in the car. maybe it's time to steam up the glass or hey, you guys can just talk if you want.

ＦＩＲＥＷＯＲＫＳ - may it is the fourth of july, the new year, or just because, but there's fireworks shooting off and they're magical. or scary. it depends on what floats your boat.

ＬＡＴＥ ＮＩＧＨＴ ＳＷＩＭ - maybe you're at the beach or in the backyard pool or at the lake, maybe you're going to skinny dip or maybe you'll 'fall' in with all your clothes. either way, swimming at night is pretty much always fun.

ＳＫＹ ＬＡＮＴＥＲＮＳ - perhaps you've lost someone dear and you want to do something to remember them by, maybe you're making a wish for the future.

Comments

[mywillisthine]

Cyrus wasn't blind. Ever since they had boarded the Jolly Roger, and even before in the tavern where the Knave had negotiated their travel, he had seen the Captain's fascination with his master. He'd thought the fascination was one-sided, especially after the kiss they'd shared in the crow's nest, no matter how ill-advised it was.

But he was apparently wrong as he watched the Captain lure the Knave into his cabin...and when the Knave emerged hours later, his appearance made clear what had happened with the door closed. The Captain's smug smile in his direction was more then a clear sign.

Cyrus was a fool. He really should know better then to allow himself to feel for his master. He'd been burned before but this time...this time he'd been lead in just the same and he hated himself for falling for it again. Ignoring every thing around him, the genie climbed to the crow's nest where he could hide in his own self misery.

[heartlessknave]

Ever since the kiss he and Cyrus had shared, the Knave's mind had been in a whirl and he had desperately tried to avoid thinking about it. Hook had provided the perfect distraction. He had something to focus on and more than that, it was a thing. There were no feelings or declarations of love involved, just a nice roll in the cabin as it were.

That kind of thing was safe. With no feelings involved, things couldn't go sideways.

This was what he had thought and he hadn't realized how badly he'd miscalculated until he stumbled out of Hook's cabin and gotten a look at Cyrus's face.

"Wait!" he called out, ignoring the smirks and catcalls from the crew. Cyrus kept going and so he followed him, up the mast to the crow's nest.

"Cyrus. Hey."

[mywillisthine]

That was one of Cyrus' problems. He was used to having far to much time to think in his bottle so he over thought many things. The kiss with the Knave being the recent in a very long line of over thought ideas and he had been feeling rather good about it, despite the Captain's looks and the crew's mutterings.

Now, now he was trying not to think of anything, anything at all as he gazed up at the stars. He couldn't even closed his eyes because if he did, all he would see was the Captain's satisfied smirk. The pirate had won, as of course he would. A genie was a thing to be used and tossed aside when the wishes were gone. Why would he think this time would be any different?

He ignored the Knave as he climbed and grit his teeth when he realized he was being followed. He decided not even to acknowledge the Knave's presence, in hope that maybe if he got the hint, he'd leave him alone. Not to mention, he was afraid of what he would say if he allowed himself to speak.

[heartlessknave]

"Cyrus," the Knave said insistently once he had reached the top and stepped in the crow's nest. Every instinct was screaming for him to just let him go but he had the terrible feeling that if he and Cyrus didn't work this out now, what they had - whatever it was - would be lost.

"Cyrus. Look. You gotta listen to me. Please."

[mywillisthine]

Cyrus' eyes didn't leave the stars. "My will is thine, Master." The formality in his voice was thick, despite his technical disobedience of not looking at him. "I am listening to whatever you have to say."

Besides not looking at him, his posture was straight and formal, hands clasped behind his back. The perfect air of genie waiting to serve it's master. It was this or completely fall apart.

[heartlessknave]

It was the posture that hurt the most - that straight, stiff posture. He had caused Cyrus to do that by his own stupidity and the Knave didn't know how he could ever fix it. He was going to try, though. He had to try.

He was quiet for a few minutes, trying to figure out how to start. "I ain't never meant to hurt you. I didn't even think, I just went with him because... because it don't mean anything. It's just sex.

With you? I... I ain't never felt like this for someone in a long time. I didn't know I could. It's terrifying. It's bloody terrifying."

[mywillisthine]

The more the Knave spoke, the bigger the lump in Cyrus' throat got. Nice words...he was always drawn in by nice words and burned.

"Of course, master. You have things you don't feel I can give you. You want human comfort." His voice broke as spoke and he closed his eyes for a moment.

"I understand. I do. Go be with the Captain. He wants you. I...shouldn't." Again, he gave into weakness. He shouldn't admit how much he wanted the Knave to...to what. What was the point of even hoping when it would just end for heart break for both of them. Wishes were always made eventually. "It's better this way."

[heartlessknave]

"But I ain't supposed to feel anything at all! You know that," the Knave protested. "And I liked that just fine. It was why I didn't put me heart back. It was better that way. Then I met you and... and I started to think that maybe I been wrong all this time."

He sighed and took a shaky breath, trying to keep himself together. "You mean something to me, okay? I shouldn't want anyone. But I do."

"You."

[mywillisthine]

"Then why? Why go to him?!" Cyrus turned finally, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. "It's been a few hundred years but perhaps but I can provide for those urges. I..I could have done that." He deflated and looked back up at the stars. It was easier.

[heartlessknave]

"Because I don't mean nothing to him," the Knave answered slowly. "So it don't mean nothing if we sleep together. Since it don't mean nothing, I can't screw anything up."

That had been his plan, anyway, and it had backfired spectacularly as his they almost always did. Distracting himself with Hook was supposed to keep him from wanting more than a kiss from Cyrus and thus destroying what they had and now it seemed that he'd done that anyway.

[mywillisthine]

Cyrus was so confused and he knew the Knave was as well, which wasn't helping. But he couldn't hide the fact that he was hurt or confused that the Knave seemed so blind to the pirate's advances.

"To put in words you will understand, you are a bloody fool if you think you don't mean anything to the captain. He is always looking for your attention and that wasn't the first time he's tried to tempt you into his cabin." Cyrus sighed heavily and transferred his look down to the ocean. "It's just the first time he's succeeded."

He licked his lips and turned to look at the Knave again out of the corner of his eye. "If I mean something to you, then why couldn't you come to me? Why not let me satisfy the urge for you? I want too. I shouldn't...you are my master after all, but I want too. Wouldn't it be better with someone you cared for and who cared for you back?"

[heartlessknave]

The Knave heard Cyrus's words but he couldn't bring himself to believe them. Who would want him? The one person who had changed her mind and let him wait by the wagon, alone. Love was something he wasn't going to get, didn't deserve to get.

Hook didn't want him for anything other than a good romp in the cabin. Cyrus... it was easier to think that it was the master/genie bond (that technically they didn't even have) than to think that Cyrus felt something real for him.

That way led to nothing good. He had lost Ana and he just knew he was on the verge of losing Cyrus too.

He closed his eyes for a moment and bit his lip. He was shivering a little but it wasn't from the cold. "Because... because the last time I was with someone I loved, she left and it hurt so bad I asked the bloody Queen of Hearts to take out me own heart so I couldn't feel nothing no more."

[mywillisthine]

If he lost Cyrus, it was because he was too blind to see what was plan to everyone else. The genie who pathetically pined for his master. This had happened before, Cyrus was far to passionate for him not to fallen even a little for one of his masters in hundreds of years. But he'd never wanted to act on it as much as he did right now.

Then the Knave spoke, causing Cyrus to clench his eyes shut and pound his fists against the railing, his heart hurting enough for the both of them. He knew the Knave didn't have his heart but to hear why...

It was a long time before the pain eased enough for Cyrus to turn to look at the Knave, meeting his eyes. "Then, if you feel nothing, why did you kiss me all those nights ago?" There had obviously been something. "And I don't want to go anywhere. Not unless you push me away! Then you might as well just put me back in my bottle and be done with it, Will Scarlett. Because being this close to you and knowing he's gotten to touch you more then I have is killing me."

Cyrus quickly swallowed back the words that almost came after. I want to love you but you make it difficult.

[heartlessknave]

In retrospect, asking Cora to take his heart had been the dumbest thing he had ever done - or at least right up there with coming to Wonderland in the first place. He had just wanted to stop hurting so much and he had thought he could live with not being able to fall in love again. He hadn't realized that giving up his heart meant that Cora could control him until it was far too late.

"I don't know," he answered, reaching out for Cyrus then pulling back. "And it scares me, okay? This scares me. I ain't supposed to feel nothing and I liked it, I got used to it and now... now I don't want to feel nothing no more."