Drabble: 'There Was A Time'

[dwgm]

hereswith wanted something with Norrington and Elizabeth, and I'm not sure she wanted angsty James, but that's what I came up with. 200 words, unbetaed, but hopefully OK, set mid-DMC. This is also for the 'Liberty' drabble challenge at Black Pearl Library, and for the 'Distance' challenge at potc100.



~ There Was A Time ~

There's some food for thought, eh, Miss Swann?

Unable to avoid the two on deck, James distanced himself by going below, and as he left the sun behind he found that he was angrier with Elizabeth than with Sparrow. The pirate was no better than he should be, after all, but that she would allow the blackguard to take such liberties, and then smile in their wake. But home truths were wasted on her, determined as she was to trust the man. What an absurdity. No discrimination at all. And why he expected more, when she had tossed his own heart aside like so much...

He stopped, alone in the dim. Swallowed hard.

Apparently he was not as well rid of her as he had liked to believe. And speaking of home truths...

There was a time when I would've given anything for you to look like that while thinking about me.

There was a time...

James leaned back against a shadowed bulkhead and sank down.

Revealed. Exposed. Indecent as she was herself, in those boy’s clothes.

Damnation.

He needed his life back.

He needed to forget her.

And he needed a drink.

~.~