Futuristic Lovers

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/8891077.

Rating: Explicit
Archive Warning: Choose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Category: M/M, Other
Fandom: Treasure Planet (2002), Anastasia (1997), Sinbad: Legend of the
Seven Seas (2003)
Relationship: Dimitri (Anastasia)/Jim Hawkins, Dimitri/Anastasia Nikolaevna
Romanova, Dimitri & Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanova
Character: Jim Hawkins, Dimitri (Anastasia 1997), Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanov
Grand Duchess of Russia, Sinbad (Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas)
Additional Tags: based off a Youtube video series, confused feelings, Fluff, Romance,
horrible butchering of historical characters, and nonhistorical
characters, that sounds worse than it is, Ship Battles, as in physical
boats that carry people and things, light Violence, dear god i need to
rewrite this, The dialogue needs work, Kidnapping, Angst, Pirates,
Space Pirates, Action/Adventure, Hostage Situations, Tension, so much
tension, Frottage, Semi-Public Sex, Semi-Public Frotting, Anal
Fingering, A brief explanation of the color system, Jim likes it rough,
He's an adrenaline junkie, of course he does, Coming Out, Anal Sex,
Oral Sex, Dom/sub, Dom/sub Undertones, Light Dom/sub, Gratuitous
Smut
Series: Part 1 of Ethereal
Stats: Published: 2016-12-18 Completed: 2021-09-29 Chapters: 20/20 Words:
75498

Futuristic Lovers
by 9haharharley1

Summary

Jim's the new cabin boy on the merchant ship, the Duchess, setting sail for the planet
Regalia III where Captain Dimitri Sudayev is getting married to the Empress's
granddaughter. The problem is, the captain and his fiance aren't exactly getting along. Jim
finds himself spending more time with Dimitri as the fighting gets worse, and maybe even
falling a little bit in love.

Based on a YouTube video by theLuth31 by the same title.

Think I might update the summary soon...

Notes

So I started writing this back in 2014. For once, I'm actually close to finishing something so
I thought, "Hey, I should post this!" So here it is. Originally it was going to be five very
long chapters, but I decided to break it all up instead. Hope it's ok....
 Unbeta'd. OCs belong to me, but they're not a very big part of the story.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asMheomRxrY&t=7s

See the end of the work for more notes

 Part 1 Act I

The sight of the spry young man on his ship threw the captain of the Duchess for a loop. He paused
in his conversation with his first mate and just stared. As unprofessional as it was, Captain Dimitri
Sudayev simply stared.

The boy, probably the cabin boy, was young, maybe seventeen or eighteen. That alone made him
feel wholly perverted as Dimitri was almost twenty-six. His clothes were baggy and well-worn,
leather jacket hanging off thin shoulders. His hair was brown, cut short, but long enough to hang in
front of his eyes. Dimitri had the almost irresistible urge to run his hands through the boy’s hair.

As the kid wandered around the deck, looking this way and that in wonder, Dimitri’s first cleared
his throat. Turning to the put-off alien, the auburn-haired captain smiled sheepishly. “Sorry,
Greggo,” he apologized. Greggo simply raised a thin eyebrow and followed his captain’s gaze. His
eyebrow rose higher.

Greggo was a tall, thin feline with a straight back and a regal stance. His green eyes were narrowed
accusingly at his captain and friend. “You’re not really thinking what I think you’re thinking, are
you?”

Dimitri turned from the boy who was now talking with the ship’s cook to flash his first mate with a
wide, innocent smile. “That all depends on what you think I’m thinking.”

Greggo crossed his arms. “I’m thinking that you’re thinking of doing things that are very
inappropriate to a boy years younger than you.”

“Now, why would you think that?” Dimitri chastised with a chuckle. “I’m engaged, remember?”

The feline gave him a flat look.

Dimitri pouted. “Don’t give me that look! I’m not going to do anything with the kid. He probably
doesn’t even know his way around a ship, anyway.” Greggo simply gave him another look. Dimitri
groaned. “Just… go do first mate stuff!”

With another raised eyebrow and a smirk that showed off pointed teeth, Greggo strutted off.
Dimitri glared after him before turning back to the new cabin boy. He tried valiantly to keep the
disappointment off of his face when then young man was nowhere in sight. He sighed, running a
hand over his face.

“Dimitri?” a voice called. Looking up, the captain found the pudgy, bearded face of his closest
friend staring at him with worry. “Is everything all right?”

Dimitri nodded, smiling. “Just fine, Vlad. No worries.” Vlad came over to stand next to him. The
captain had known Vlad since he was a child, the older man playing the older brother for him
growing up in a palace full of stuck up royals. Now that he was a captain, Vlad had made it a point
of coming along on his voyages, though he had no useful knowledge of how to run a ship. Dimitri,
however, enjoyed his company. “How are you, my friend?” he asked politely. Right now, he
wanted to search for one young and attractive cabin boy.

“Waiting for your creaking tub to take off,” the older man admitted. “I must admit, I’m looking
forward to our return to the palace.”

Dimitri smirked. “Missing dear Sophie, are we?”

A faint tinge of red lit the larger man’s chubby cheeks. “She has been on my mind as of late…”

Suppressing a shudder, Dimitri smiled. He put a comforting hand on Vlad’s shoulder. “Don’t
worry, Vlad. We just need to drop off this cargo, and we’re free to return home.”

Vlad smiled back.

It was then that Greggo returned to stand next to the helm. “All crew members are present and
accounted for, and the cargo is secured. We’re ready to depart, Captain.”

Dimitri nodded, clapping his hands. “Excellent! Mr. Greggo, call for all hands to stations and let’s
get this voyage underway.” He turned to his oldest friend and clapped a hand on his shoulder.
“Sorry, Vlad. Have to play the captain, now.” Vlad merely smiled and nodded, taking a step back
to stand against the door to the captain’s cabin so as to stay out of the way. Dimitri motioned to
Greggo. “If you please, Mr. Greggo.”

“Aye, Captain,” the feline nodded. He stepped up to the banister. “All hands! Prepare to cast off!”
There was a round of “Aye, ayes!” as aliens and humans rushed to their stations. Dimitri watched
with bored eyes as his crew deftly prepared the Duchess to leave port. He ran a loving hand over
the balustrade.

The Duchess was a lovely ship with lightly colored wood, polished to a shine with darker wooden
accents. When he’d commissioned the ship to be built, the designers had begged him to paint her,
but as soon as Dimitri saw her, he knew she was perfect as is. He’d refused, the only exception
being the forest green paint on her side proudly proclaiming her name. Honestly, she wasn’t that
impressive of a ship, medium sized with plenty of room for cargo storage as she was a merchant
vessel. For her size, however, she was fast, faster than most ships, and she was the most precious
thing in Dimitri’s life.

He was brought from his musings as he felt his feet leave the deck. He kept calm, always finding it
amusing to watch the more inexperienced crew members struggle with the initial anti-gravity of
space and land rather ungracefully when the gravity was turned back on. He let out a small laugh
as two crewmen landed on their backs when they hit the ground again. Dimitri and Greggo, of
course, kept their footing.

There was still no sign of the cabin boy once they reached a far enough distance from Montressor
Spaceport. Dimitri sighed. Below him, the crew assembled, awaiting their captain’s next orders.
Striding forward, said captain cleared his throat, a seriousness coming to his caramel eyes that
many associated with his ‘Captain mode,’ as Greggo liked to call it. The muttering and gossiping
of the crew died down as he stood before them.

“All right, men!” he called down, strong voice carrying over the assembled crew. “Our agenda is
this: we have crates of spices below to deliver to Regalia III. It should take us about two months to
get there, just in time for the royals to throw their big party in honor of their granddaughter’s
upcoming marriage. We get the spices there in time, we get paid, and then shore leave for a whole
two weeks!” A round of cheering went up. Dimitri had to suppress a smile. I’ve really been
overworking them lately, he thought. He raised his hands in a gesture for quiet. “I know, I know,
you’re all excited. But that’s two months from now. So the sooner we get there, the sooner we take
a break!” More cheering. “Hop to it, then!” The crew scattered, quickly moving to their stations.

“Inspiring, sir,” Greggo droned behind him. Dimitri rolled his eyes at him.

Looking around, he couldn’t spot Vlad anywhere. “Where’d Vlad go?” he asked.

“I believe he went to discuss something with your fiancé,” said the feline.
Dimitri groaned. “Whatever they’re talking about, let’s hope it doesn’t tick her off…”

Greggo smiled wryly. “Trouble in paradise, Captain?”

“You could say that,” Dimitri admitted with a chuckle. He leaned back against the banister with
arms crossed as his first mate manned the helm. “Lately, Anya’s been unsatisfied with just about
everything. She argues over the littlest things and picks fights when there’s no fight to pick!”

“Is she looking to settle down for real now?” Greggo asked curiously.

The captain nodded. “Apparently, a merchant’s ship isn’t enough for her Royal Highness.” He
rubbed his eyes with thumb and forefinger. “I thought stars would be more interesting than palace
life, honestly.”

Greggo nodded sagely, pointed ears lying flat in his seriousness. “Some people would not agree,
sir.” One ear flicked and he looked out. “Others, however…”

Curiosity peaking, Dimitri followed the feline’s gaze. His jaw dropped, if only for a moment.

The cabin boy he was watching earlier was climbing nimbly up the hangings, turning to gaze out at
the Etherium beyond. A look of pure joy lit his features as he stared out at the blackness
surrounding the ship, glancing briefly back at the spaceport behind them. Dimitri was pleasantly
surprised by the younger man’s agility, scurrying up the rope ladder with all the confidence of an
experienced sailor.

Without taking his eyes away from the boy, afraid he would disappear again, the captain addressed
his first mate. “You know how I said he doesn’t know his way around a ship? Scratch that…” He
ignored Greggo’s chuckle and strode down the stairs. He came to a stop below the cabin boy,
crossing his arms. “Having fun up there?” he called with a small smirk. The boy jumped, hurriedly
looking down. Seeing the captain made his face pale and he quickly climbed down. “You should
be careful,” Dimitri continued, ignoring the butterflies that suddenly started fluttering in his
stomach. “One wrong step and you could float off into the Etherium. Wouldn’t want that, now,
would we?” By then, the boy – teenager – reached the bottom, turning to the captain. Dimitri was
struck by the wide (beautiful) blue eyes staring at him with rebellion deep in their depths with the
slightest hint of embarrassment.
“Uh… Sorry, Captain,” the teen muttered. Dimitri quickly put the beat down on the butterflies and
smiled at the teen, easily masking his sudden nervousness.

“No harm done,” he said with a flippant wave of his hand. “James Hawkins, I presume?”

The teen jumped down to the deck, standing a head shorter than the captain. Somehow, Dimitri
found it endearing. “Yes, sir,” Jim muttered.

Dimitri held out a hand. “Well, Mr. Hawkins, I’m Captain Dimitri Sudayev. Pleased to meet you.”

Jim stared at his hand suspiciously before reaching up to grasp it with his own. He had a
surprisingly firm grip. “And you, Captain.”

Taking his hand back, Dimitri placed it on his hip while the other rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He
strode forward, casually circling the teen, taking the moment to study him up and down. It was
something he had done to all his crew members upon first meeting them. If they weren’t put off by
it, then they generally became a long-lasting part of his makeshift family. So far with Jim, he was
pleased by what he saw. His initial thought of the boy being too thin was quickly disputed. Jim
turned his head to watch him with narrowed eyes, arms crossed.

“Excuse me,” he huffed. “What are you doing?”

Dimitri ignored him. “Tell me, Mr. Hawkins. Have you ever been on a ship before?”

Jim scowled at him. “Yes, sir, I have.” Every polite word was forced out, and Dimitri was
determined to break the polite, if hostile, exterior. “I served on the RLS Legacy a few years ago.”

“As a cabin boy?” Dimitri finally stopped in front of him. “Captain Amelia Smollet was you
commanding officer. I heard she put in a recommendation to the Interstellar Academy, which you
don’t seem to be in.” Jim visibly bristled in front of him as he spoke. Dimitri found it curiously
interesting. “What happened?”

The younger man was quiet until the captain raised an eyebrow. “I was honorably discharged.”
“Why?” Dimitri pushed. He crossed his arms. Hawkins was clenching his fists tightly.

“For recklessness and an inability to follow orders,” the teen gritted out.

“Well, Mr. Hawkins,” Dimitri started, tone firm. “I do hope that has changed as I expect that the
orders I give are followed to the letter. Understood?” Jim was glaring down at the floorboards, but
nodded. “Very good. That’ll be all, Mr. Hawkins.” He knew there had to be more to the story than
that, but the captain turned away nonetheless. With one hand in his pocket and the other held close
to his chest, he walked away. Behind him, he heard the boy practically growl and smirked. He held
up three fingers and counted down. “Three… two… one…”

“What if lives are on the line?” the cabin boy called angrily.

The captain stopped, turning to stare into angry blue eyes.

“What if someone’s life is on the line and I’m expected to just stand there? What then?” the
accusing tone wasn’t necessarily directed at the auburn-haired man, but Dimitri blinked. Jim strode
up to him with purpose, staring straight into caramel eyes. Dimitri couldn’t look away. “What if
it’s in my power to save them at no cost to anyone else and you tell me not to?”

The boy looked so angry and accusing, glaring up at the captain as he expected an answer. Dimitri
was happy to give it to him, never looking away. “Well, Mr. Hawkins,” the captain started, “I
expect you to save them.” At the teen’s wide-eyed look, Dimitri smiled and turned on his heel.
“This isn’t the Academy, Mr. Hawkins,” he called over his shoulder. “I run things quite a bit
different than them.”

He missed the small smile on the younger man’s lips as he jogged back up to the helm. Jim was
already walking away when he looked back.

“Interesting one, is he?” Greggo asked with a knowing smirk.

“Oh, very interesting,” Dimitri replied. “The kid was on the Legacy chasing Treasure Planet and
was later kicked out of the Interstellar Academy.”

Greggo whistled. “I’m impressed he managed to get in at all.”

“A certain Captain Smollet put in his recommendation,” Dimitri said.

The feline chuckled. “That sounds like Amelia. She’s not easily impressed.”

“Yeah, well, when you see her next, tell her they screwed my cabin boy over,” Dimitri huffed. He
turned to look for his oldest friend.

“Oh, he’s yours already, is he?” Greggo teased. Dimitri flipped him off and kept walking, even as
Greggo’s loud laughter echoed after him.

Maybe he is, the captain thought as he strode away.

///

“He doesn’t seem too bad,” Jim muttered as he swabbed the deck. Leonard, the cook he was
working for, was determined to keep him busy. It brought a nostalgic smile to his face as he
remembered another cook who ran him ragged, one with mechanical limbs and a broad smile. Jim
was happy to prove to Leonard, an old salamander who was getting up there in age, that he was a
hard worker. “I mean, he could be a little less arrogant,” he continued to himself, “but what captain
isn’t?”

At his feet, a tiny broom, not much bigger than the teen’s hand, was weaving between Jim’s legs,
scrubbing both the deck and the teen’s boots. Little mutters came from the small broom and Jim
laughed softly.

“Thanks for the help, Morph,” he said. The broom floated up to be eye level with him and shape-
shifted into a pink blob. It chirped happily and rubbed itself against Jim’s cheek. Jim laughed and
batted a hand at him. “Come on, none of that now!”

“None of that now!” Morph copied and the next thing Jim knew, the pink shape-shifter made a
dive for his black shirt.

“Hey!” he shouted, dropping his broom. “Morph! Get out!” Morph’s gelatinous body was cold
against Jim’s skin and tickled something fierce. As the creature squirmed around in his shirt, Jim
tried desperately to catch him, throwing his leather jacket off and reaching a hand down the back of
his shirt. Under the cloth, Morph was giggling maniacally. “Come on, Morph, I have a job to do!”

He was able to grab onto the little bugger just as a voice rang out over the mostly empty deck.
“Morph? What’s a morph?”

Jim jumped straight up, turning to find his captain leaning against the main mast and watching him
with an amused smirk. The momentary shock allowed the shape-shifter the moment he needed to
dive further into Jim’s clothes.

“Um… Captain-” Jim cut himself off with a yelp. He grasped at the seat of his trousers in
embarrassment, face red as he cursed Morph loudly. The captain laughed openly at him now.

“Are you alright?” he asked, one hand covering his mouth to stifle his laughter.

“Ow! Yeah, fine…” Jim muttered back. Hopping on one foot, Jim undid his boot and kicked it off.
He shook the leg of his pants and the annoying little troublemaker tumbled out, still giggling. Jim
glared at the blob. “Why you little…!” He made a grab at Morph, but Morph darted out of his
reach with a playful grin on his face.

Dimitri stopped laughing when he saw the blob, but it was difficult. He didn’t suppress the grin,
however. “What is that?” he asked curiously.

Jim grunted, making another grab at the bugger. “He’s a Morph,” he said as Morph dived out of
sight. Jim looked every which way, scowling. “An old friend of mine gave him to me to look
after.”

“Interesting little fellow,” Dimitri said. He quickly had to cover his mouth when he saw the boot
floating up behind the cabin boy. “Seems like a troublemaker.” He suppressed a snort.

“He can be,” muttered Jim. At that moment, the boot reared back and Jim yelped, falling forward
as Morph kicked him. Jim whipped around. “Morph!” Morph giggled and darted around the teen,
taking refuge behind the captain. Jim glared. “Normally he behaves much better than this…” he
explained, rubbing his sore backside.

Dimitri studied the little shape-shifter up close, holding a finger up for Morph to land on. Morph
did so, turning into a perfect copy of the captain. “He’s not going to be a problem, is he?” he asked.
He hoped not. He kind of liked the little blob.

“Not a problem! Not a problem!” Morph mimicked. He floated off the captain’s finger and rubbed
his cold body against his cheek. Dimitri laughed.

“He’ll be good,” Jim promised, picking up his forgotten broom. He glared at the shape-shifter.
“Won’t you, Morph?”

Morph saluted him. With one more full body rub against Dimitri’s cheek and a small lick, Morph
floated back over to Jim and curled around his neck, turning into plain silver chain. Jim ran a finger
along the necklace with a small smile.

Dimitri shrugged and pushed off the mast. “So long as he’s not a distraction.”

“Thank you, Captain,” Jim sighed. He leaned the broom against the banister and retrieved his boot.
He put it on and made a grab for his jacket, but the captain beat him to it. Dimitri handed it over
with a small smile.

“Finish up here and get some rest,” he told the shorter man. “You might need it.”

Jim held his jacket close as he watched the captain retreat to his cabin for the night, a small smile
on his face. Then he scowled down at the necklace. “You’re going to get us in trouble, Morph,” he
hissed. Morph giggled.
 Part I Act II
Chapter Notes

Unbeta'd

OCs belong to me

It was already a week into their journey when Jim noticed “it” for the first time. “It” was the worst
possible thing that could ever happen. And no, he wasn’t exaggerating.

He was attracted to his captain.

His gorgeous, unattainable, engaged captain.

This was not good.

It was all Dimitri’s fault.

Jim had been minding his own business, helping the crew bring in the sails as a minor asteroid
storm threatened to tear holes in them. Over the course of the week, Jim had steadily been
surprising the seasoned crew, deftly taking orders and showing them up when he could. Apparently
the captain and first mate were the only ones who knew of his preexisting history on star ships.
Every time he executed an order, a member would come up and heartily pat him on the back,
telling him “job well done.” Even old Leonard, who was as sour and cantankerous as they came,
cracked a smile and praised him on occasion. As Jim climbed down the shrouds as any
experienced spacer, Greggo gave him a small smile. Jim smiled back as large hands clapped his
back.

“We’ll make a proper spacer out of ‘im yet!” an enthusiastic amphibian called out to the crew.
They cheered and joked, and Jim smiled. The amphibian – a froglike, bipedal male named Robert
– continued to boast to the crew. “He’ll be cap’n before any of us’ll be able to blink! He might
even take Cap’n Sudayev’s place!”

There was a round of laughs at his claim.

“Well, I certainly hope he’s not after my job,” a jovial voice cut through the banter. Everyone fell
silent, and embarrassment crossed Robert’ usually smiling face. “You’re not planning anything, are
you, Hawkins?”

“No, sir,” Jim was quick to say. He nearly scowled at the accusation. Shouldn’t the captain realize
the crew was only joking? Then he noticed the small smile quirking Dimitri’s lips and the laughter
in his eyes. The captain was messing with him! A quick glance around told him that Greggo was
the only one who seemed to notice, as well. The feline was snickering behind his hand. A thought
came to mind and Jim smirked. “Although, Captain,” he started. All around, eyes went wide and
Dimitri’s narrowed. He crossed his arms.

“Yes, Mr. Hawkins?” His smile became just bit more obvious.

“The crew and I have been talking.” Heads were shaking and arms waving at him to cease and
desist. Jim shrugged. “We just don’t think it’s entirely fair that you get this big, warm, comfy bed
all to yourself while the rest of us are stuck in those hammocks. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love
a good hammock as much as the next guy, but they leave these horrible cricks in the back!” He
stretched and his back popped for emphasis. There were a few chuckles around him and Dimitri
was biting his lip now, which only spurred Jim on. “Seriously, if I was going to mutiny, I think the
beds would be a pretty good excuse. And the food! You think you could stop and pick up some
fresh groceries? Seriously, what kind of captain are you?” Jim crossed his arms. “I demand fresh
produce,” he said in his most serious voice. “And a bed,” he stated as almost an afterthought.
“With fluffy pillows and thick sheets. It gets chilly below deck. Captain.” Jim ducked his head.

All around, the crew stared at him with wide eyes and open mouths. Dimitri tried valiantly to keep
a straight face, but Jim noticed his shoulders start to shake. Then there was a loud, whooping laugh
from behind the crowd and everyone turned to see the first mate doubled over. He clutched his
sides as loud peals of laughter escaped him. The captain joined in.

The stupid grin Jim was trying to fight back finally made its way to his face. He snickered as
dawning finally came over the crew. They laughed long, hard, and relieved.

Once the first mate finally got a hold of himself, he came up behind his still laughing captain and
placed a hand on his shoulder. “I think… you finally met your match, Captain,” he joked, short
snickers escaping between words.

“I think your right,” Dimitri laughed back. He gave Jim a wide smile. “I’ll see what I can do about
those hammocks, Mr. Hawkins.”
Jim nodded sagely. “See that you do, Captain.”

Dimitri laughed again before turning to grin at his crew. “All right, back to work, ya bilge rats!”

“You heard the man, scatter!” Greggo echoed. He started shooing workers back to their posts.

The captain was still smiling as he turned back to Jim. He placed a hand on the teen’s shoulder, his
smile turning more sincere. “You’re a good sailor, Hawkins,” he said.

Jim sputtered, face heating up. “Thank… thank you, Captain…”

Dimitri squeezed his shoulder gently before walking away. Jim absently rubbed the spot, feeling
the leftover warmth and reveling in it.

That night, as Jim lay in the hammock he had previously been complaining about, he tossed and
turned in his sleep. He dreamt of dark eyes, soft lips, and even softer kisses. Warm hands caressed
his body, trying to feel as much skin as possible. Jim jerked awake as he softly whispered
“Captain…” against those lips and the teen was horrified when he realized what he had been
dreaming about. Careful not to wake his sleeping crewmates, Jim stealthily made his way to the
lower decks where the longboats were stored. There he was able to take care of his embarrassing
little… problem. Afterward, with his face red with shame, Jim went up to start his day early.

And that was how Jim Hawkins had come to the end of his first week aboard the Duchess, quietly
cursing himself under his breath as he angrily scrubbed at the floorboards. Beside him, Morph
looked on worriedly.

“I’m an idiot,” he told the shape-shifter. Morph muttered in concern. Jim sat back on his knees.
“It’s just… what do you do when you’re crushing on someone and they’re engaged to someone
else? I think I got it bad, Morph, and I can’t tell him…”

Morph rubbed his gelatinous body against Jim’s cheek, his way of providing comfort. Jim laughed
lightly and cuddled him close.

“Thanks buddy,” he said. Morph smiled at him.

As Jim turned back to the task at hand, the center of his problems walked out of his cabin. Jim
scrubbed harder at the deck, trying with all his might not to look up. He didn’t see the way the
captain smiled at the sight of him or the disappointment in his dark eyes when Vlad came up to
him with a chessboard in hand. However, Jim did catch them setting up the board out of the corner
of his eye. At one point Dimitri looked up and caught his eye. He smiled at the younger man. Jim
felt his face flush, but he smiled back before going back to work.

Every so often, he would glance up to catch the captain either smiling or scowling down at the
board. He heard Vlad say checkmate once or twice and Dimitri say it once. Their conversation was
quiet for the most part and Jim couldn’t hear much.

It was sometime after Vlad’s third checkmate that the larger man exclaimed, jovially standing from
his seat. Jim looked up curiously just as Dimitri looked over his shoulder. Jim tried so hard to keep
from scowling.

There stood Anya, beautiful and radiant, with sparkling blue eyes and dark red hair wearing a dress
the same color as her irises. Her hair was up in a high ponytail with a pair of old boots on her feet.
She looked lovely as she smiled at the captain and his friend. Jim’s heart plummeted.

“Ah, my dear, you look wonderful!” Vlad exclaimed. Some crew members catcalled, but Anya
waved them off flippantly.

She twirled in her dress. “You think so?” she asked. “I thought I could wear it when we meet with
Grandmama. “ She smiled at Dimitri as he also stood. “Do you like it?”

“Well I did buy it for you,” he teased. She scowled lightly and swatted at him. Dimitri laughed and
took her hand. “You look beautiful,” he admitted with a light kiss to her hand. Anya grinned.

Jim turned away from the lovely couple with a grimace. “I think I’m gonna be sick,” he muttered to
Morph, sticking his tongue out. Morph took the appearance of a bucket. Jim laughed. “not literally,
Morph.” He stood, throwing his brush in his bucket and picking it up. “Let’s see if Leonard needs
help below.” Morph chirped and floated after him.

Jim didn’t have anything against Anya. Honestly, he didn’t. On the contrary, he actually found her
quite pleasant to be around. She was funny and nice, if a little stuck-up, but he liked her. She made
a point to talk to the crew, including Jim, and he thought they got along well enough. As the days
turned to weeks however, Jim started noticing little things here and there. If spent in each other’s
company for too long, and would get short with Dimitri and the captain would snap at her in turn.
They argued about little things. At first, Jim thought that was a normal thing for couples, but when
it resulted in them giving each other the silent treatment; he realized there was something wrong.
When the fights ensued (and Jim finally figured out there was a difference between fighting and
arguing, and they were definitely fighting) Anya would usually retreat to their shared cabin or
stomp off to find Vlad, while Dimitri mad for the helm, where Greggo could usually be found. Jim
wished he was the one the captain would turn to for comfort, but wrote off as wishful thinking. He
barely knew the captain and vice versa, and even less about relationships. As it was, Jim was
scared to death by his newfound feelings for Dimitri.

As the first month ended, Jim stood at the helm. Greggo was showing him on how to properly steer
the ship, instructing in short, clipped tones that reminded the human of Amelia. His mind
wondered to how she was doing. The last time he saw her, she and Delbert had brought the kids to
the Benbow Inn to visit “Aunt Sarah and Uncle Jim.” Sarah had been ecstatic to see them,
reminding her of when Jim had been young.

Amelia hadn’t been too happy to hear that he’d been kicked out of the Academy, but after
thoroughly explaining the circumstances of his discharge, she had been even angrier at the
Academy. Jim had taken great amusement in watching her rant and rave about the “sheer idiocy
and incompetence of such a well-renowned establishment and wait until they get a piece of my
mind!” Delbert had then taken her aside and calmed her down. Jim had seen Delbert the night he
had taken the job as cabin boy on the Duchess and the doctor had said something about her still
being heated about Academy bureaucrats. Jim had simply laughed and told him to thank her for
him.

He snapped out of his thoughts as clawed fingers snapped in front of him. He grinned sheepishly at
the first mate. “Sorry, sir.”

Greggo waved him off. “Just ‘Greggo,’ Hawkins,” he said.

“Sorry… Greggo,” Jim corrected.

“Better,” Greggo nodded. He thumped Jim on the back of the head. “Now what do you think
you’re doing day-dreaming, boy?” he demanded. “I give you a job and I expect your full attention!”

Jim put his hands up defensively. “Sorry! I didn’t mean to!”

“No one ever means to,” Greggo said. “What were you thinking?”
“Nothing, really,” Jim said. It really was nothing compared to the whirlwind of his emotions of
late. I was just thinking that you remind me of my captain while I was on the Legacy. You act a lot
like her.”

Greggo looked pensive. “Captain Amelia Smollet?” Jim nodded, adjusting his grip on the helm.
“She’s a fiery one, she is.” Greggo smiled wistfully.

Jim raised an eyebrow. “You know her?”

Greggo chuckled. “She’s my sister.”

Jim honestly couldn’t stop his mouth from dropping open. “You’re kidding.”

It was the feline’s turn to raise his brow. “I assure you, I’m being very serious.”

“But…” Jim stuttered. “She never said anything about having a brother!”

“Actually, she has three brothers,” Greggo corrected, smirking. “She doesn’t like us much.”

Jim was floored. “Whoa, whoa… Three?” Even Delbert had never mentioned that she had siblings.

“Yep.” Greggo left it at that. Jim wanted to ask more, but the look on the first mate’s face told him
to drop it. Apparently there were some family issues there. Jim turned back to the Etherium
beyond. “How’s that husband of hers, anyway? None of us ever thought she would settle down.”

“Good…” Jim hesitated. “I saw him before we left the spaceport. He seemed in high spirits.”

“Good, good…” Greggo said absently. He looked thoughtful. Jim decided not to ask.

It was then that yelling could be heard. Both cabin boy and first mate glanced over their shoulders
to see Dimitri stomping out of his cabin, Anya in tow. Her face was bright red and she was
scowling. Dimitri ignored her and slammed the door. She could be heard screaming obscenities on
the other side.
With a sigh, the captain ran a hand through his hair. When he glanced up, Jim and Greggo quickly
turned back to their task, guilty looks on their faces. Dimitri sighed again. “You saw all that?” he
asked wearily.

Greggo was the first to reply. “Heard it, too.” He gave the captain a sheepish look as Dimitri
approached the helm. “It’s hard not to notice, Captain,” he confessed.

Dimitri ran a hand over his face, his other on his hip. “That bad?”

I think you’re fights are getting increasingly worse,” Greggo admitted. Jim determinedly kept his
eyes forward and stayed silent, trying not to alert his higher-ups to his presence. It didn’t stop him
from listening in, though.

“I think you’re right…” Dimitri groaned. He leaned against the banister. “I just don’t get it!” he
exclaimed. “Everything I do is wrong, and the few things I do right are not enough! I can’t make
her happy and when I try it just makes things worse!” He threw his hand up in exasperation. “I
can’t talk to Vlad about it. All I can get out of him anymore is ‘Sophie this, Sophie that.’”

Greggo shrugged almost pathetically. Jim could see that he wanted to comfort his friend but was
unsure how. “You know how stubborn the upper class can be.”

Dimitri rolled his eyes. “I know I’m stubborn, but I don’t think I was ever that bad. The sooner we
get to Regalia III, the sooner I can take breather before the wedding. Hopefully, Her Majesty will
let me take a break from her granddaughter before I have to spend the rest of my life with her.”

Jim’s eyes widened. Anya’s grandmother was the Empress? Dimitri was royalty? Dimitri and Anya
were the ones getting married when they arrived?!

“Whoa, whoa! Back up! You’re royalty?” Jim practically shouted. Two pairs of eyes swiveled to
him and Jim clapped a hand over his mouth. Around his neck, a concealed Morph giggled. Jim’s
face turned bright red. “I-I mean… S-sorry…”

“You’re fine, Hawkins,” Dimitri said with a smile. The initial surprise at his outburst confirmed
that he hadn’t quite noticed Jim’s presence before, but they seemed to brighten at the sight of him.
The captain crossed his arms as a smile brightened his sullen face. “I don’t look it, do I?”
Embarrassment still coloring his cheeks, Jim looked his captain over. The man as dressed in simple
tan trousers with a plain cream shirt and dark green vest. His leather boots were old and looked like
they were ready for a replacement. Nervously, Jim met Dimitri’s dark eyes. “No, sir.”

Dimitri nodded. “Good. It’s easier to be captain of a merchant ship when no one knows who you
are. I’d like to keep pirates off our tail by letting them know I’m not a walking ransom.” He
grinned. “Can you keep a secret, Hawkins?”

Smiling bashfully back, Jim nodded. “I think so, sir.”

“Good man.” Dimitri pushed off the banister and started for the stairs. “Greggo, see to it that the
lad doesn’t wreck my ship,” he called over his shoulder.

“I don’t know, Captain,” Greggo called back. “The boy’s proving to be a better spacer than you!”
He and Jim shared a laugh when Dimitri gestured rudely to them. Greggo turned to Jim with a
small smirk. “Don’t prove me wrong, boy.”

Jim saluted. “Aye-aye, sir.”

Greggo rolled his eyes. “No one likes a kiss-ass, Hawkins.”

“And here I thought I was being cute,” Jim muttered. Greggo glared at him. Jim grinned in return.

Roughly shoving the younger man out of the way, Greggo took control of the ship. “Go see if old
Leonard needs your help,” he ordered. Jim saluted and walked off. He didn’t see the small smirk
playing on Greggo’s lips.

With his hands in his coat pockets, Jim walked across the deck to the stairs leading to the galley.
He jumped out of the way as two crewmen hauled a barrel up to the main deck. Making his way
into the galley, Jim glanced around. “Leonard?” he called. “You down here?” Rounding a pillar, he
smacked face first into a broad back.

“Careful there, Hawkins,” the captain said with a grin as he turned to face the cabin boy. Jim stared
up at him with wide eyes, face slowly turning red. Dimitri had a fresh purp in hand that he offered
to the younger man. “You said something about fresh produce once?”

Jim’s face heated up further as he recalled his audacity. “Uh… yeah…” He accepted the purp
hesitantly. “I don’t think I ever apologized for that.”

Dimitri held up a finger and waved it back in forth in front of him. “Oh, no!” he said with a smile.
“I don’t accept any apologies!”

“Well, I guess I won’t be nice then,” Jim huffed. Dimitri laughed and picked out another purp for
himself. Jim took a seat at one of the tables, Dimitri close behind. He sat across from the younger
man and took a bite of his fruit.

“I thought you were manning the helm,” Dimitri wondered, if only to break the oncoming silence.

Jim bit into his purp. “I think Greggo was getting sick of my attitude.” He absently licked some
that fell from his lips. Dimitri watched the action intently.

“A little attitude is good every once in a while,” Dimitri replied slowly, distracted. “Greggo’s just
used to a more prim and proper lifestyle. His whole family is military.” He shrugged, attempting to
be nonchalant. “I happen to like your attitude. It’s refreshing.”

The blush crept up his neck, and Jim cursed himself for a love struck fool. “Ah… Thank you,
Captain.”

Dimitri smiled. “I see the military managed to balance some of that attitude out.”

Jim thought of Amelia. “When I was on the Legacy, Captain Amelia was adamant that I address
her as ‘Captain’ or ‘Ma’am.’ The Academy was the same.” He shrugged. “I guess it just became
habit after a while.” He took another bite of his purp.

The captain eyed the juice left behind on pouty lips and licked his own. He took a bite of his own
fruit to hide it. “Palace life is similar,” he admitted. “Everywhere you go, a formal greeting should
be at the ready.” He waved a hand and made a face. “You must bow before anyone in a position of
power. It’s all ‘Yes, sir,’ this or ‘No, ma’am,’ that, or my personal favorite, ‘Yes, Your Grace.’” He
blanched, earning a laugh from the cabin boy. Dimitri smiled at the sound, proud of himself.
“Sounds boring as hell,” Jim snickered.

“Oh, it is,” Dimitri huffed. “I took the first chance I had to hope on a ship and never looked back.”
He finished his fruit and rubbed sticky fingers against his pants leg. “I learned everything I could
about running a ship and the next thing I know, I’m first mate to my captain. He taught me how to
command a crew, and a few years later I had the Duchess commissioned to be mine. Haven’t parted
with her since.” He ran a loving hand over the table. Jim quickly squashed the thoughts over other
things that could be happening on that table.

“Where does marriage to the Empress’s daughter come into play?” Jim asked quietly.

Dimitri sighed heavily. “Around my eighth birthday. Anya’s grandmother and mine were good
friends and thought it would be a great idea to keep the royal line going, so we were betrothed.
Lately, though…” He ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t think marriage is such a great idea.
Anya’s great, and we’ve been friends since we were kids, but things are just…”

“Complicated?” Jim supplied. Dimitri laughed.

“Yeah. Complicated.”

Jim finished his purp, licking stray juice off his fingers. Dimitri tried to look away, but the sight of
that pink tongue disappearing in and out of that mouth had him enthralled. He wanted nothing
more than to reach across the table and take Jim’s hand in his and…

“So what will you do?” Jim’s voice cut through the captain’s rather inappropriate thoughts.

“Hm?” Dimitri quickly looked up into bright blue eyes. Thankfully, the cabin boy didn’t seem to
realize where his mind had strayed. So long as he didn’t stand up, Jim would be none the wiser.

Jim shrugged. “You clearly aren’t interested in her like that. At least, not anymore. So what will
you do to get out of marrying her?”

Dimitri placed a finger to his lips and leaned forward, elbows on the table. “I haven’t really figured
that out yet,” he admitted sheepishly.
“Well, you might want to get to thinking,” Jim said, pointing at him. “We only have a couple
weeks before we arrive.”

Placing his head in his hands, Dimitri groaned. “Don’t remind me…” Jim laughed.

“Boy! What’re ye doin’ lollygaggin’ down ‘ere? Why aren’t ye workin’?” a sour old voice called
out angrily. Old Man Leonard came down the stairs, cane in hand to support his hunched frame. He
glared fiercely at his cabin boy when Jim whipped his head around. “There’s veggies needin’
peelin’ and the deck needs swabbin’! I ain’t retirin’ just to know my replacement can’t work.”

“Sorry, Len,” Jim sighed. He smiled apologetically at Dimitri. Dimitri, however, had an eyebrow
raised at the old salamander.

“Sorry to take up your lad’s time, Leonard,” Dimitri told the cook jovially. There was a hard look
to his eyes that was at odds with his tone. “Hawkins and I were just finishing.”

Leonard sputtered, removing his hat with his free hand. He bowed low to his superior. “C-
Cap’n…” he muttered. “I didn’t see ye there, sir. It’s these old eyes o’ mine. I can come back fer
the lad when yer done wit’ ‘im.” He made to turn around.

“No, that’s alright,” Dimitri said, standing. “I have something I need to attend to. Gentlemen.” He
saluted both of them lazily, offering Jim a small smile as he passed. Jim smiled back.
 Part I Act III
Chapter Notes

Unbeta'd

OCs belong to me

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Something about their relationship changed that day.

After their conversation in the galley, Dimitri could be seen spending more and more time with the
cabin boy. Jim was hesitant to say they were friends, especially since he wanted them to be
something more, but they had definitely grown closer. Anytime Jim was topside, either swabbing,
scrubbing, or generally helping where he could, Dimitri was there. They talked about anything and
everything, from what type of food they like to childhood escapades to what dream they had the
night before. Jim had told him about how the old Benbow Inn had burned down, leading to his
adventure on Treasure Planet. Dimitri would complain about Anya, his betrothal, and how much
he dreaded returning to Regalia III. Jim listened and laughed, in turn earning small smiles and
teasing smirks. It was becoming an odd sight to see them apart.

One night, as most of the crew were heading below deck to get some shut eye, Greggo made a
comment to Dimitri.

“I think you really have met your match,” he said offhandedly. Dimitri stared at him, raising an
eyebrow.

“What do you mean by that?” he asked curiously.

Greggo shrugged. “You just seem happier lately. You and Anya don’t fight as much anymore,
mostly because you don’t spend any time together, it’s all thanks to Mr. Hawkins. The boy puts a
smile on your face, which seemed an impossible thing when we launched.”

Dimitri narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “What do you mean by that?”

The feline raised his hands defensively. “Take it as you will, Captain. The lad makes you happy,
which in turn makes me happy.” He smirked, showing off just a hint of pointed teeth. “And you
stare at him. A lot.” He quickly jumped out of the way of Dimitri’s fist and laughed. “Good night,
Captain!”

Dimitri was left standing alone on the deck with nothing but the darkness of the Etherium for
company. That night, he stood at the helm and thought long and hard.

///

The days passed quickly for Dimitri, too quickly for his tastes. Every day brought the Duchess
closer to Regalia III and an extra ounce of dread settled in his stomach with each passing hour. He
loved Anya. He really did. She was his best friend, and he loved her more than anything. But the
more time he spent with Hawkins, laughing and smiling, feeling genuinely happy, Dimitri knew he
couldn’t marry her. It wasn’t right by her and it killed him inside to give her something that may
belong to someone else. And he had to face it: his heart was never hers to begin with.

Maybe when they were kids, he might have given his heart to her. But that was so long ago. They
used to tease each other about how gross it was to get married. Later they both warmed up to the
idea before accepting the inevitable. How bad could it be to marry your best friend? For a while, he
was even ok with the idea. Then the day came when his father offered to take him sailing and
Dimitri took it, escaping from royal duties and high-born stuck-ups, and for the first time, he knew
where he belonged. He learned all he needed to know about space and once he did, the thought of
marriage became a plague on his mind. It was only when he commissioned the Duchess and gave
her the name that he remembered his royal obligations. Anya was the Grand Duchess. He hadn’t
even been thinking of her when he chose the name, but it stuck and he remembered his fiancé.
When he returned to Regalia III as captain of his very own ship and dressed to match, Anya hadn’t
been too happy with him. That was their first fight.

The little girl who used to play hide and seek around the palace and laugh as she jumped in the
mud was all grown up. Anya had become a beautiful, headstrong young woman in his absence. She
was almost scandalized to hear he had become the captain of a merchant vessel and not a war ship
like his birthright would demand. After many long talks, however, and a few trips to places she
could only dream of, Anya found that life it space wasn’t so bad, and she agreed that it would be
good for their relationship if she traveled with her fiancé.

In hindsight, it didn’t seem like such a great idea.

‘We were better off apart,’ Dimitri thought gloomily. He sat on the bowsprit of the Duchess,
staring out at a distant nebula. He ran a hand through hair and sighed. ‘Or at least as just friends.’
They were fine when they were just friends. Anya was always pleasant to be around and he
enjoyed her company. But then the wrong word would be said and both of them would pull a 180
and they snapped at each other. It hurt to constantly fight with his best friend. He couldn’t talk to
Vlad; the man became more and more intolerable as they neared Regalia III. Dimitri understood
his excitement to see is beloved Sophie, but hearing about it all day every day grated on his nerves.
Greggo would listen, but he never really commented or offered advice. The feline didn’t know how
to handle matters of the heart very well and he had his own family issues to sort out.

Jim listened.

Jim listened and he spoke his mind. He was unafraid to tell the captain his opinion, but he did so
hesitantly, afraid he might cause offense. Jim came up with plans, each more ridiculous than the
last, to get him out of the wedding, from faking being sick to not showing up, to purposely ripping
a hole in his wedding pants. Every one of them got a laugh out of Dimitri.

That’s when he really thought about Greggo’s comment.

At first, Dimitri found Jim Hawkins cute. He’d heard about the kid, sent someone to recruit him,
and here he was. Dimitri was immediately attracted to the younger man. It helped that the kid
knew what he was doing. He hadn’t really tried talking to him until that day in the galley. Now, he
noticed everything about Jim.

Jim was headstrong, stubborn, and fiercely loyal. When he set his mind to something he saw it
through to the end. He had this adorable habit of blushing when given any sort of compliment, and
he could usually be see muttering and laughing with Morph. Dimitri found that he actually liked
the little shapeshifter. Morph was so much better than Anya’s yappy little dog at the palace. He
and Pooka had never gotten along very well…

Dimitri actually really liked Jim Hawkins. He liked that Jim was smart and snarky. He liked that
Jim knew his way around a ship. He liked that Jim was attractive. He liked that he had fallen for
someone so…

Right there, Dimitri sat up straight and violently shook his head. He had not fallen for the kid. He
only found him desirable, that was all. He was just a bit of eye candy on a long voyage. Dimitri
groaned, running both hands through his hair. With a determination he didn’t feel he could keep,
the captain of the Duchess refused to think of blue eyes that sparkled like the very stars around
them as he stomped back to his cabin.

He had not fallen, dammit.

///

Dimitri was successfully ignoring his little revelation the night before as watched Jim swab the
helm deck. Jim grumbled about lazy, unhelpful captains while Dimitri smirk, lazily steering the
ship.

“You know,” Jim started, “one of these days you could actually help me rather than smile and
watch.”

“Where’s the fun in that?” Dimitri shot back. “I’m the captain. I’m not supposed to lower myself to
hard labor.” He turned away, dramatically grasping the helm in both hands. “Besides,” he called
over his shoulder, “I’m the one driving this thing.”

“Then get Greggo to drive!” Jim snapped. Floating next to him, Morph mimicked Jim perfectly,
complete with angry gesturing. Jim smirked. “Or better yet, have him help me.” Morph mimicked
Greggo holding a mop and looking rather sour. Jim chuckled at him.

“I don’t think he’d like that much,” Dimitri said. He glanced back and snickered at Morph. “But it
would be pretty funny.”

Jim poked at the shapeshifter and Morph changed back to his usual gelatinous self, a little smile on
his face. He licked Jim’s cheek before floating over to the captain. He rubbed his whole body
against Dimitri’s neck, making himself comfortable on his shoulder. Dimitri laughed.

“He’s such a friendly little thing,” Dimitri commented. He pat the shapeshifter gently. Morph
chittered approvingly.

“He is,” Jim muttered. “He kept Mom company for me while I was at the Academy. She
absolutely adores him.”

“I can see why.” Morph yawned, closing his eyes and sleepily cuddling into the captain’s neck. Jim
went back to his swabbing as Dimitri petted the creature. A thought came to mind, one that he had
entertained before, but the subject simply never came up. Now seemed as good a time as any. “You
talk about your mom a lot,” he said slowly, carefully choosing his words. “I’d like to meet her. But
why don’t you ever mention your father?”
There was a brief pause in Jim’s mopping. Dimitri saw his back tense and instantly knew he had hit
a sore spot. “My dad’s not around…” Jim mumbled.

“If you don’t mind me asking… what happened?” He studied Jim’s profile carefully.

The younger man was silent for a minute or two. Dimitri thought he wasn’t going to say anything
and was about to retract his question when Jim finally decided to elaborate. “He… was a space,”
Jim said. He kept his eyes on the deck and continued his chore, his movements slightly more
aggressive. “He just loved space a little bit more than his family. I was seven.”

Dimitri looked down, sorry to have asked. “I’m sorry,” he said quietly. Jim just shrugged. “I can
see why you’re so dedicated to your mom now. I wouldn’t want to leave her alone for long periods
either if I were you…”

“Yeah, well, you’re not me,” Jim snapped. Dimitri winced. Obviously this was a very sore subject.

“But,” he quickly backpedaled to salvage this conversation, “if I were to ask you to become a
permanent member of my crew,” he watched the teen out of the corner of his eye, “would trips to
Montressor be mandatory?”

Jim’s head whipped around and Dimitri enjoyed the surprise on his youthful face. “You’re
serious?” the teen exhaled.

Dimitri smiled softly, drowning in those blue eyes. “As serious as I can be.”

“I don’t know…” Jim smirked, mood uplifted. “I don’t really know you to be all that serious,
Captain.”

With a nonchalant shrug, Dimitri turned away from him, a smirk of his own on his lips. “Well
then, you’ll just have to stick around and find out on your own, won’t you?” Morph chirped on his
shoulder. He couldn’t see that Jim was positively beaming behind him.

“I would be honored, Captain,” Jim said sincerely.

 Dimitri turned back to him, smiling wide, and opened his mouth to officially welcome him aboard.

A sudden blast echoed in the silence of space and the Duchess rocked violently.

Chapter End Notes

Look at that, two updates in one day! This one was actually about 12 pages in the doc I
typed it in, but then I decided that I wanted to leave off at a cliffhanger, so now you
get to wait!

I'll post the next one in a few days!

 Part I Act IV
Chapter Notes

Unbeta'd
OCs belong to me

My knowledge of old-timey ship battles is limited so I have no idea how well any of
this turned out. I tried my best!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Jim fell on hands and knees with a groan, Dimitri grabbing the helm to keep both himself and the
Duchess steady. Morph flew from his shoulder, chattering nervously. He quickly shifted into the
plain leather necklace and wrapped securely around Jim’s neck. Jim gently ran a finger over him.

“It’s ok, Morph…” he said, scanning his surroundings.

“All hands to stations!” Dimitri ordered, his commanding voice echoing out over the ship. Men
rushed to obey his order. “I need men on the cannons, now!”

Looking off the port side, Jim saw what his captain already knew. Dimitri looked over his shoulder
to glare at the pirate ship proudly displaying their colors in distaste. “Orders, Captain?” Jim asked.

“Get to a cannon,” Dimitri ordered. “If we can cause some damage, it’ll buy us time to get away.”

“Aye-aye, sir!” Jim darted down the stairs to help reload the nearest cannon. Dimitri couldn’t help
but smile. He quickly regained his thoughts and turned the ship hard to port.

“Give ‘em hell, men!” he called out.

With a small cheer, the men took aim and fired.

The sound of cannon fire was deafening. The attacking ship apparently hadn’t expected such a
quick response. Dimitri could see their captain shouting orders and the crew barely managing to
keep up with them. They were slow to reload their weapons and Dimitri guessed that they must be
new to piracy. The Duchess’s crew was far more efficient.

Men cheered when the offending ship rocked on its side, quickly reloading more ammo. The
Duchess shook violently as the pirates returned fire, the bow exploding with bits of wood. Another
hit landed on the main deck, taking a chunk of the floor and banister with it. A loud rip! could be
heard and when Dimitri looked up, he saw a nasty hole had been ripped through one of the sails.

“Secure the sails!” he ordered. The pirates tried to maneuver their ship closer but Dimitri steered
the Duchess out of the way. “All hands not going up, blast those damn pirates out of the
Etherium!”

There was a chorus of “Aye, Captain!” but Dimitri paid them no mind. HE kept his attention on the
pirate ship. It was a small vessel, smaller than the Duchess, but it was fast, otherwise they wouldn’t
have been able to catch the Duchess unaware. He had to keep making adjustments to keep them out
of boarding range. He couldn’t turn tail and run. They’re only means to get away safely was to
cripple their ship. ‘No way are they getting their hands one my ship!’ Dimitri thought angrily.
Pirates were a regular occurrence on merchant ships, but they never failed to grate on Dimitri’s
nerves.

“Greggo, get your ass up here!” he shouted, adjusting the helm. The feline appeared by his side a
moment later.

“Yes, Captain?” he asked, gripping the balustrade as another blast hit its target.

Dimitri gritted his teeth, surveying the damage. “How much more can she take?” he asked tightly.

Greggo shook his head. “Not much captain. We got lucky since they seem to be new to raiding, but
their causing a lot of damage.”

“Aim for their main mast!” Dimitri ordered so that all could hear. He looked up to check the state
of their sails. “Take the helm,” he told Greggo. “Don’t let them get too close. As soon as their mast
is down, turn in the opposite direction and punch it.”

“Aye, sir.” Greggo took the helm. Dimitri ran to the nearest rigging.

“Keep her steady,” he called as he started to climb.

When he got to the top, he spotted Jim and Robert securing the main sails. “Hawkins! Robert!” he
called. They glanced up and met his eyes. “As soon as their mast is down, we’re turning tail. When
that happens, unfurl the sails! Spread the word!” They saluted and called out to the other men.

Just as Dimitri saw the pirates’ main mast start to topple, the Duchess turned. A blast larger than
the others shook the ship. He grabbed a nearby rope to hang on as Greggo hit the thrusters and took
off. Around him, men were clutching what they could to hang on. Then he saw Hawkins.

Jim scrambled to clutch a loose rope just as he lost his footing. Dimitri’s heart stopped as he
watched him fall, but the rope pulled taut with Jim hanging on. Robert slowly inched his way to
the boy to haul him up.

There was the distant sound of cannon fire, one final attack, and the rope was severed. Dimitri’s
eyes widened and fear overtook him.

“Hawkins!” he screamed. Pulling a knife out of his boot, he cut the rope he held and swung away
from the mast.

Jim still held his piece of rope in one hand as he flew further out into the darkness. “Captain!”

“Hang on!” Dimitri made a desperate grab at the rope as it fell further and further away, but
shouted in triumph when he seized hold. “Don’t let go!” He saw the fear in Jim’s eyes as his own
life line was tugged back. Slowly, the crew pulled him in, followed closely by Jim. He landed on
the deck first, knees shaking, but steady. Jim nearly collapsed when he was set down. Dimitri
grabbed his shoulders to steady him as two crewmates grabbed the boy’s arms. “Are you alright?”
Dimitri demanded, lifting the teen’s face. He stared into fearful blue eyes.

Jim managed to nod his head in affirmative, but what came out was a quiet “No…” Dimitri
chuckled, stamping down his own terror at almost losing the younger man.

“You’ll be fine,” he said with a relieved breath. Robert patted Jim’s back. Turning to his men,
Dimitri did a quick headcount. “All hands accounted for?” There was a mumble through the crowd
and when no one spoke up, Dimitri released a shaky breath. He hadn’t lost anybody this day… ‘But
you almost lost Jim…’ his mind supplied for him. He glanced back at the teen. Jim’s eyes were
unreadable as he continued to stare at Dimitri, as though he was seeing him for the first time. His
blue eyes were still wide and his lips parted, revelation shining in his eyes. Dimitri forced himself
to look away. “Greggo!” he called out.
“Aye, sir?” Greggo answered.

“Put as much distance between us and those cutthroats as possible!” the captain ordered. “I don’t
care how badly we crippled them I don’t want any more surprises.” Greggo saluted and turned the
thrusters up. Dimitri turned to his crew. “Back to your stations. We’re almost home free.” He
didn’t look at his cabin boy as he turned away. He needed to check on Anya and Vlad.

///

As the day wore on, the excitement died down. Men slowly quit blabbering about the attack as
Dimitri tried to reassure Anya and Vlad that it wouldn’t happen again, at least not on this trip.
Anya glared at him, turning her nose up and stomping off to their shared cabin.

“Don’t worry, Dimitri,” Vlad told him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. “She’s just
homesick. Once she gets her feet on firm ground again she’ll calm down.”

Dimitri sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I hope you’re right. I don’t know how much
more fighting I can take.”

Vlad patted his back and smiled. “It will all work out in the end.” Dimitri managed a smile for him
and watched as Vlad lumbered off to the galley.

‘I really hope you’re right, old friend,’ Dimitri thought.

By the time the men were ready to retire for the night, Dimitri had spotted all of his men joking
and laughing as though the attack had never happened; all but one. The captain had yet to see
Hawkins since he left the boy standing on the deck hours ago. He felt terrible for not checking on
him. He was starting to think they were friends. What kind of friend doesn’t check on his friends
when they survive a near death experience? He had seen to Vlad and Anya. Why hadn’t he sought
Jim out?

‘Because I’m afraid,’ he thought, leaning over the railing of the bow, watching the distant stars sail
by. He was afraid of this attraction he felt to the teen, a teen who was almost ten years his junior!
What kind of pervert was he?
Dimitri sighed heavily, crossing his arms over the polished wood. He hung his head. “I’m an
idiot…” he mumbled aloud.

There was a frustrated grunt from above. Dimitri glanced up.

There was Jim Hawkins, muttering to himself with an annoyed glare on his face as he slowly made
his way down the rigging. Dimitri smiled, finally having located the cabin boy even if he hadn’t
tried very hard. The kid looked beyond frustrated and Dimitri decided to stay quiet. He didn’t want
to anger the teen further.

“Stupid emotions,” Jim grumbled as he drew closer. “Stupid ship. Stupid Anya. Stupid Captain
making me question everything.” Dimitri raised an eyebrow. “Stupid pirates. I so didn’t need any
revelations today, thank you! This shit’s confusing enough as it is…”

As the younger man hopped down to the banister, Dimitri couldn’t keep quiet anymore. “What’s so
confusing that you have to insult my ship?” he asked curiously, keeping his tone light.

Jim stopped in his tracks and slowly looked up. His blue eyes stared wide-eyed at the captain.
“Uh… Hi…”

Dimitri grinned disarmingly at him, pretending his heart hadn’t done a flip when those beautiful
eyes landed on him. “Hello, Hawkins. How are you holding up?”

“Um… I’m good,” Jim stuttered. He slowly slid off the banister. He wet his lips nervously.
“You?”

“I’d be better if there weren’t holes in my ship,” Dimitri admitted. His eyes softened once more as
he stared at the younger man. “How are you, seriously? That was a pretty nasty tumble you took.
Scare me half to death.”

Rubbing his shoulder, Jim winced at his captain’s words. “I’m still a little shaky,” he admitted. He
managed a small grin. “Didn’t mean to scare you, though. If it makes you feel any better, I scared
myself pretty bad.” There was something in his eyes that told Dimitri there was more to that
statement, but Dimitri didn’t pry.

Instead, he smiled. “Go get some sleep, Hawkins. You deserve it.”
Jim nodded, still gripping his arm as he slowly walked away. Dimitri turned back to the Etherium.

He didn’t hear Jim’s footsteps stop. He didn’t hear him turn around, so lost in his own thoughts of
blue eyes. He barely caught the almost inaudible “Kiss me…”

Dimitri blinked and turned around. “What was that?” he asked in disbelief. ‘Did he just…’

Jim was practically shaking in his boots as he stared determinedly at his captain. “Kiss me,” he
said louder, more forceful. Dimitri’s mouth dropped open. “You’re all I can think about! I can
barely get through the day without thinking of you. What happened earlier made me realize
something and right now all I want is for you to kiss me!” Jim was panting when he was done.

Dimitri stared at him with wide eyes, mouth agape.

Jim’s cheeks turned bright red. He turned away. “S-sorry…” he mumbled. “F-forget all that. It’s
been… a stressful day.” He ran a hand through his hair. Dimitri heard him sniff.

He shook his head. He marched up to the boy and grabbed his shoulder, turning Jim to face him.
The tears in those ocean blue eyes gave him pause and his gaze softened. He offered the younger
man a small, genuine smile as the eyes he loved so much stared back, wide and fearful. Dimitri slid
his hand from Jim’s shoulder to his neck, feeling him shudder under his touch.

“You should have told me…” he muttered, taking Jim’s hand with his free one. He brought it to
his lips and placed the softest of kisses to the back of it. Jim’s eyes widened and his mouth fell
open.

“Ca-captain…” he started. Dimitri laced their fingers together, bringing their hands to his chest.
Jim swallowed heavily before letting out a breathy chuckle. “This is supernatural…” he muttered.

Dimitri smiled back. “I know…” he whispered, leaning down. Jim’s eyes fluttered shut.

It was the softest, sweetest kiss Dimitri had ever had, their breath warm on each other’s lips before
meeting in the lightest of touches. Dimitri was afraid to take it too far. He was afraid this whole
scenario was too good to be true and he didn’t want to scare Jim away. It was a simple press of the
 lips and fireworks exploded behind the older man’s eyes. Jim sighed against him and Dimitri
hummed, cupping the younger’s cheek. He pressed more firmly against those soft lips.

Jim moaned and kissed back. Before the captain knew it, Jim’s arms were around his neck, one
hand tangled in his, tugging gently. Dimitri groaned. He grabbed Jim’s hips, pulling them flush
against each other. Before long, lips were bitten and tongues were introduced and there was no way
Jim had never done this before. He backed Jim up against the main mast and pinned him to it with
his body, growling as he pulled away to nibble at Jim’s neck. Jim released a breathy sigh.

This was so much better than anything he had ever done with Anya…

Dimitri stopped.

That one, single thought was enough to make him pull away after placing one last kiss to Jim’s
lips. This wasn’t right. It felt so good, it felt right, but he was getting married. He still had a duty to
Anya, and until something was done about that he was technically cheating on his fiancé. As much
as Anya had been grating on him lately, and as good as Jim felt pressed against him, Anya didn’t
deserve this.

He savored that final, sweet press of lips as he took a step back. He exhaled shakily as Jim looked
up at him with heavy lidded eyes, pupils dilated and kiss-bruised lips parted slightly. He stared up
at his superior in a daze and Dimitri wanted nothing more than to do unspeakable things to him.

Instead, Dimitri offered a sad smile. As Jim came back to himself, Dimitri lightly ran a finger over
those plump lips.

“Goodnight, Jim,” he whispered. Then he was gone.

Chapter End Notes

End Part 1
 Part 2 Act I
Chapter Notes

This wasn't supposed to take so long to get posted, I swear!

No beta. OCs are mine.

Regalia III could just barely be made out in the distance. It was no more than a tiny speck against
the black expanse of space, but the Duchess was coming up on it fast. The minutes ticked by in a
flash and the crew grew more and more excited as the prospect of a vacation loomed before them.

All Jim felt was nausea.

Dread had settled in the pit of his belly, slowly growing as they drew closer. Of course, he was
excited for a small break. When that break was over, he’d be an official member of the crew. Old
man Leonard was retiring as soon as the spices were unloaded and Jim would take his place. The
salamander was glad of it, too.

“At least I know me galley is in good hands,” Leonard wheezed that morning as Jim helped him
clean. “Wouldn’ want some whelp wet behind the ears preppin’ meals fer this belligerent crew. Ye
at least have a good head ‘bout ye, Hawkins.”

Jim stayed silent as he listened to the old salamander and smiled. He wasn’t really paying attention
to what the cook was saying. Thoughts of the pirate attack the day before ran through his mind,
followed closely by what had happened that same night.

When he had fallen from the mast and his rope had been severed, the only thing that had flitted
through his mind in those seconds was Dimitri. Dimitri’s laugh, Dimitri’s smile, the way he
always gestured with his hands when talking, the way his voice went from friendly to commanding
in a blink. Jim had thought he’d never see him again, that he would float off into the Etherium the
same way Scroop had years before. It made him shudder in fear.

Just when he’d been sure the Duchess would disappear forever and his breathing became labored,
his body heating up almost unbearably, the rope still in his hands pulled taut and he looked up.
Dimitri was there, hauling him in and looking more scared than Jim had ever seen him. All Jim
wanted to do was kiss that look away. In that moment, Jim felt his heart swell in his chest and
knew that whatever he felt for his captain was no passing fancy. When his feet finally landed on
the deck, the fear from the fall and his sudden clarity were enough to bring him to his knees. No,
he hadn’t been alright at all when the captain had asked. At the same time, he couldn’t be happier.

Then he had gone and made a fool of himself.

Jim had tried to act normal. He tried to play off his sudden nervousness like he’d done so many
times before. Everything was different, however. He could have died! He almost had! And he
never would have known how his captain felt, what he tasted like, how it would feel to kiss him.
Jim had begged – no, demanded – that Dimitri kiss him now that he had a second chance.
Honestly, he hadn’t expected Dimitri to do it.

He expected a polite decline at best; a simple “You need to sleep. You’re not in you’re right mind.”
At worst, the captain would have him thrown off the ship again. Jim hadn’t anticipated anything
that happened after and oh, was he so glad he asked! It had been wonderful, and right, and
amazing! Words couldn’t seem to describe just how it had felt. Dimitri’s hands on Jim’s body had
lit a fire in his being he just couldn’t quench, and before he knew it, things were going much
further than he dared to imagine. Then Dimitri pulled away.

His captain had given him the most heartbreaking smile Jim had ever seen when he finally came
to.

That’s when Jim remembered Anya. He remembered that Dimitri was his superior, that he was
royalty, and that he was getting married. Jim was just a cabin boy. Romance like that didn’t exist in
real life.

It hurt so much to watch Dimitri walk away.

Jim was jarred from his thoughts when a stray cloth whacked the side of his head. Morph laughed
at him from his place over Jim’s shoulder. The human winced, glaring at the shapeshifter.

“Boy! Git yer head out o’ the clouds!” Leonard yelled, brandishing his cane threateningly. “Here I
am praisin’ ye an’ ye repay me by sleepin’! Ungrateful little…” he trailed off with a grumble.

“Sorry, Len,” Jim mumbled apologetically. “I just have a lot on my mind.”

Leonard narrowed one cataract-ridden eye at him. He made a sound in the back of his throat before
throwing a nearby bowl at Morph, effectively shutting the blob up as he dodged. “I like ye lad,”
Leonard said slowly. “Whatever ye be thinkin’, don’ let it git to ye. Ye may be thinkin’ too much
‘bout it.” He stood slowly, groaning as his aged muscles protested and using his cane for balance.
Jim stood to help. Leonard waved him off. “Don’ bother yerself, lad. Ye got plenty o’ work to do
when ye take over. Go above.” He turned and slowly made his way further into the mess,
grumbling something about lovesick fools. Jim couldn’t help but smile. Of course the sour old man
would already know.

Jim stood and stretched his legs. Morph chattered by his ear, landing on his shoulder. Leaning
against a nearby column, Jim sighed heavily. “What am I supposed to do?” he asked the little blob.
Morph muttered sadly and floated in front of him. Jim covered his face with his hands. “He already
knows,” he continued quietly. “How am I supposed to face him?”

Morph turned into a miniature Jim and Dimitri, holding hands and making kissing faces at each
other. Jim waved his hand angrily, scowling.

“Stop that!” he growled. Morph changed back, tapping his little hands together nervously. Sighing,
Jim held out his own hands. Morph floated down to them and landed, nestling down to make
himself comfortable. “I’m sorry,” Jim murmured. He ran a finger over the little pink body. “I didn’t
mean to yell… I’m just so confused!”

Morph gently patted his thumb.

Jim smiled. “Should I go talk to him?”

“Talk to him,” Morph repeated.

Before he could change his mind, Jim pushed off the wooden post. “Talking it is. It probably won’t
go smoothly.” Morph chattered. He wrapped around Jim’s neck as his usual necklace and Jim took
a breath. “Wish me luck…” he muttered.

“Luck…” his necklace chirped back. Jim smiled.

Regalia III was much closer when he appeared on deck. Crewmen were prepping the Duchess to
dock, but no one said anything to him about helping. He found that kind of odd. Nonetheless, he
strode purposefully up to the helm deck, nodding at Greggo.
“I just saw Anya stomp out,” the first mate informed him. “It didn’t look like she was going to be
back anytime soon.” Greggo looked out, judging the distance between them and Regalia III. “I’d
say you have a few minutes,” he continued, a small smirk on his face.

Jim nodded gratefully. ‘Does the whole damn crew know?’ He somehow didn’t doubt it.

Taking a deep breath, the nineteen year old walked up to the captain’s quarters and hesitantly
knocked. He glanced back at Greggo, but the feline stared resolutely forward. “Captain?’ he called.

“Enter,” was the faint reply. “It’s open.” Jim entered cautiously.

The room was dark, one small lamp on the desk illuminating hi captain’s hunched form. One hand
gripped light brown locks, elbow on the table as dark eyes studied a chart on his desk. He looked
pale in the dim light, bags under his eyes, and Jim hated that it was probably his fault his captain
looked so torn. Nervously, he rubbed his neck, fingers running over his necklace and making
Morph coo. Dimitri’s eyes widened and he glanced up.

“Hawkins?” His voice was full of disbelief

Jim managed a shaky smile. “Hi…” he started, voice catching. He cleared it and began again.
“Please forgive me…”

There was that cheeky smile Jim had grown so fond of. Dimitri waved a finger at him in
disapproval. “No way! I don’t forgive anything!” Jim cracked a small smile.

[ “Are you alright?”

“No…”

“Kiss me!” ]

Silence fell as the night before hung over them. Jim rubbed at his shoulder, staring out the
windows in awkward silence. Dimitri stood to face him, leaning a hip against the desk. Even he
could barely meet the younger man’s eyes. Instead, he stared down at his hands.
“Do you often want to kiss people?” he asked quietly. Jim could make out the uncertainty in his
tone, yet he was glad at least one of them could act normal. He chuckled, glancing up at the man.

“No,” he admitted. “Just you.” He looked up fully as the taller man approached him.

Dimitri gave him the smallest of smiles. “Great…”

Jim’s heart sped up.

Slowly, as if not to startle him, Dimitri brought his hand up to cup Jim’s cheek. He didn’t have to
worry; Jim wasn’t going anywhere. Dimitri’s voice was soft when he spoke again. “So maybe we
could…”

“Kiss?” the teen offered helpfully, hopefully.

The captain’s breathing had become heavier as he stared down at Jim. “Yes…”

He leaned down, eyes closing slowly. Jim leaned into him. Their breath was warm on each other’s
lips.

“Land ho!”

The sudden call from the lookout echoed over the whole ship. The crew could be heard cheering
on the deck.

Just like that, the spell was broken. Dimitri looked away, staring down at the floorboards as Jim
leaned back, shoulders dropping. He dare not look up at the captain. Dimitri cleared his throat.
“We’ve arrived…” he croaked. Jim smiled bitterly.

“Yeah…” he mumbled.
Dimitri took a step back, carefully keeping his eyes averted from the younger man. He wanted
nothing more than to take the younger man in his arms and continue what they had started the
night before, but he knew it wouldn’t be right. He had a cargo to unload and a wedding planned. If
he looked into those hurt blue eyes, he’d drown. It wasn’t enough to stop him from looking up.

Jim’s smile was bitter and self-deprecating. He refused to look at the captain, dark bangs
shadowing his eyes. He turned away from the older man, hands in his jacket pockets. “I should…
go help unload the cargo,” he mumbled, taking a step towards the door.

Before he could stop himself, afraid the younger would walk away forever, Dimitri’s hand shot out
to grab his arm. “Jim…” he started.

The tee’s eyes were wide as he turned to stare back at his captain. Dimitri had been right; he found
himself drowning in those deep ocean pools. “Yes?”

Silence pervaded. The hope that had briefly flared in Jim’s eyes faded as Dimitri grasped at
something, anything, to say. When he finally thought he had something, Jim beat him to it. He
smiled at Dimitri. “I have to go.” And just like that, he pulled out of Dimitri’s hold and was out the
door before the captain could stop him.

In the solitude of his cabin, Dimitri sighed and ran his hands over his face. ‘What a mess…’

Outside, Greggo had expertly maneuvered the Duchess to a docking bay where deckhands secured
her and gangplanks were rolled out. Jim solemnly followed his crewmates to the cargo bay to help
unload the spices. He didn’t notice Captain Sudayev stroll out of his cabin as if he wasn’t
experiencing inner turmoil. He didn’t see Greggo giving them both pitying looks as the captain
descended the gangplank to speak with the men they were delivering the spices to. Instead, Jim
stared resolutely forward as Morph unwrapped his gelatinous body from around his neck to hover
worriedly over him. He chattered as Jim located Robert and helped him untie the ropes holding
down one of the spice crates. He gave the pink blob a small smile in reassurance. Morph only
looked on in more worry, tapping his little hands together.

“That’s a perceptive little critter ye got there, lad,” Robert told him. Morph muttered at the praise.

Jim smiled. “He is. An old friend of mine told him to keep an eye on me.” The shape-shifter
chirped at the mention of his previous cyborg owner.
“That so?” Robert asked. Jim simply nodded. He walked around the crate to untie the next set of
rope. They worked together in silence with the exception of Morph’s chatter. Jim couldn’t help but
let his mind wonder.

Of course, he thought about Dimitri. He thought of the heated kiss they shared and what it felt like
to have the captain’s entire focus on him. He thought of the pain he felt as the captain walked
away. He thought of their short exchange in the captain’s cabin. Jim tried so hard, so very hard ,
not to focus on his slowly breaking heart. It hurt. It hurt so much. He’d never thought that rejection
like this would hurt so much. This pain must be how his mom had felt when his father left. He
suddenly had so much more respect for her and he wished she could be there.

“Lad? Jim?” The teen looked up at the sound of his name. Robert was looking at him, Morph now
floating next to him. Both of them were concerned now. “Ye all right, boy?”

Jim gave him what he hoped was a disarming smile. “Fine. I’m just daydreaming.” He untied the
last rope.

Robert chuckled, winding the ropes around his arm. “Yer always dreaming,” he stated fondly. Jim
placed his hands on his hips, glaring at him. Robert laughed. He leaned in close to the teen,
lowering his voice so that passing crewmen would not easily overhear them. “If you dream about
the captain, be careful,” he muttered. Jim’s eyes widened. The amphibian chuckled again. “I like
ye, lad,” he said. He reached up to cup Morph gently in his hands, mimicking a cage as Morph
muttered sadly. Robert’s eyes saddened. “The cap’n’s engaged. I don’ want to see ye get hurt.” He
let Morph go. Morph settled on Jim’s shoulder and nuzzled his chin.

Jim smiled sincerely at their concern. “I’m fine,” he said. All three knew he wasn’t. “I’ll get over it
eventually.”

“An’ if ye don’?” Robert asked.

The teen looked up at the ceiling. “My mom got over her heartbreak. I think I can, too.” It wasn’t
what he amphibian wanted to hear, but Jim left it at that. He turned on his heel and walked out of
the cargo bay.

Jim slowly made his way off the ship. Men much larger than him were carrying the spice crates
down in twos and he made sure to keep out of their way as he made his way planet-side. Greggo
and a local human, probably the man they were delivering to, were shouting orders.
“Ahoy, Hawkins!” Greggo shouted when he spotted him. “There’s an inn not too far from here.
Most of the crew will be bunking there for their shore leave. If you prefer to stay elsewhere,
however, you’re more than welcome to.” Greggo shrugged as though it made no difference to him.
“Just be sure to return in two weeks.”

Jim saluted. He spotted some crewmates who were done with their work and followed them to the
inn.
 Part 2 Act II
Chapter Notes

Decided to post two chapters to make up for the long wait! Please forgive me!

No beta. OCs are mine.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

One day.

One day away from his captain and Jim could feel himself slipping into insanity. Morph hovered
nervously next to him as Jim sat on the roof of the inn like he used to do at the Benbow. There was
a small pile of pebbles next to him. Jim tossed each one methodically. He was trying to see how far
he could throw them. Rather, they were there to help keep his mind off things. Dimitri’s face had
been persistent in appearing in his dreams that night casing Jim to lose sleep.

He woke in the early morning just before sunrise in a cold sweat with quite the problem down
below. Once that was taken care of, he tossed and turned in bed only to sigh in frustration and get
up, pacing about the room. This had worked Morph into an anxious frenzy, and in an effort to calm
the floating blob, Jim had resorted to this age old habit to clear his mind. But once the pebbles ran
out, the thoughts returned.

Why did the captain agree to kiss him? Did he feel the same? Was he just humoring Jim? If that
was the case, why did he move to do it a second time? Why would Dimitri be interested in some
punk barely of age anyway?

Jim sighed, burying his head in his arms, knees pulled to his chest. Morph gently rest on his
shoulder and pet his hair. He cooed soothingly.

“I don’t know anything anymore, Morph,” Jim mumbled to his small companion. “I like him, I
know that. But I don’t know how he feels about me…”

Morph shifted into a miniature version on Dimitri and Anya, the two small figures glaring at each
other and gesturing wildly. The Anya lookalike soon changed to Jim and the mini Dimitri’s face lit
up.
Jim huffed. “I know we get along, but does he like me?”

The Dimitri and Jim miniatures kissed.

Jim waved a hand in exasperation. “That doesn’t answer my question!”

Morph changed back, placing little hands on non-existent hips. He glared at Jim and chattered.

Sighing, Jim ran a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry, Morph. I’m just… stressed.”

The little pink blob patted his shoulder in understanding.

“Come on,” Jim said, standing and stretching. “Let’s go get some food.” He carefully slid down
the roof, scaling the wall to get back to his room. Morph chirped excitedly and eagerly flew
through the open window. Jim chuckled at him as he climbed back into the room.

Downstairs, many of the Duchess’s crew were sitting and enjoying a late breakfast. They greeted
Jim and Morph with grins and jovial banter. Jim smiled at them all, taking a seat at a relatively
secluded table in the corner of the room. He wasn’t feeling like the most social butterfly. A waiter
came and took his order, and he was once again left alone with his thoughts.

Across the room, Robert was talking with the innkeeper.

“Some rich kid left the damn thing in his room,” the innkeeper was telling the amphibian. “The
engine needs rebuilt and the sails are torn. Thought I might just throw it out. It’s worth nothing to
me.”

Robert scratched his chin. “Damn shame. Solar surfers sell fer a pretty penny when they work.”

Jim’s ears perked.

The innkeeper, a large slug-like creature, waved a hand. “I don’t care if it sells or not. I just want it
gone.”
Robert thought for a minute. Then he snapped his fingers. “Wait a tic,” he said. He glanced around
the room. He lit up when he spotted Jim. “Jim, lad!” he called. “Come here a minute, will ye?”

The teen stood, petting Morph’s head in permission to eat what was left of his food. He weaved
through tables to join the other two men. He stuffed his hands in his jacket pockets. “What’s up?”

Robert threw an arm around Jim, grinning at the innkeeper. “Jim here could take it off yer hands.
Lad says he built a surfer from nothin’ when he was a tyke.”

“That true, kid?” the slug asked.

“Yes, sir,” Jim said. “I could help fix that surfer for you.”

The slug waved dismissively. “Ah, don’t worry about that. You rebuild that solar surfer, you can
keep it. I’m too old for them and the rich brats round here won’t even look at a used one anyway.
You want it, you keep it.”

Jim grinned at the man. “Thank you, sir.”

“Least you have manners,” the innkeeper muttered. “The thing’s out back if you want to get
started.”

Between Jim and Robert, they were able to get the solar surfer up to Jim’s room. The engine was
hanging off the board by a wire and the sail was almost completely shredded.

“Well, it’ll keep me occupied at least,” Jim told Morph as he examined the mess. Morph chirped in
reply.

For the next few days, Jim worked on the solar surfer, successfully keeping his attention away
from thoughts of the voyage. The easiest part was mending the sail. Over the years, Jim had gotten
pretty handy with a needle and thread, thanks in part to his mom. There had been times when she
had Jim help fix her clothes and sometimes the waiters as well. This skill always came in handy
when a sail needed patching up. The Duchess’s crew had been elated when they found him
repairing the sails after the asteroid storm.
Slowly but steadily, he rebuilt the engine using discarded pieces of scrap he found out back by the
trash. Finding a way to connect the engine was the hardest part. Jim sat and scratched his head for
a while as Morph babbled over his work. Eventually, he had to take a break to eat. In the dining
hall, he asked around if anyone had a torch of some sort he could borrow. There was no useful
cyborg around to help him this time, after all.

A canine not much older than him finally fetched a welding torch and passed it along.

“Don’t go burning yourself now,” he said good-naturedly.

Jim laughed and reassured him, running back up to his room to finally finish his project. A few
short hours later, he brought it back down with many thanks.

“Well, what’re ye waitin’ fer, lad?” old man Leonard called out. He was staying at the inn while he
looked for a permanent place to settle down. “Go get it an’ show us yer masterpiece!” There was a
chorus of agreements and Jim grinned, running upstairs to retrieve his new solar surfer. The
innkeeper and crew scrutinized his work, giving their compliments. Jim swelled with pride.

As the evening wore on, more and more crewmen retired to their rooms, bidding Jim a good night.
Eventually, Robert walked up to him.

“That’s some skillset ye got there, lad,” the older frog said. He clapped Jim on the shoulder. “No
doubt ye’ll make good use of ‘em as a permanent member of the Duchess! ”

Just like that, everything the teen had been trying so hard not to think of the past couple days
forced their way to the forefront of his mind. Jim gave him a forced smile. “Thanks.”

Robert chuckled. “Perhaps you could do me a favor.”

“Sure,” Jim agreed. “What is it?”

“Well, I’ve been meanin’ to run by the ship. Just to make sure everythin’s still shipshape, ye see.”
Robert grinned bashfully. “The cap’n asked me to do so e’ery couple a days on our leave an’ I fear
I’ve been slackin’.”
Jim raised an eyebrow. “You want me to go for you?”

“Aye,” the frog nodded. “A shipment of sails should’ve arrived earlier today an’ I need to make
sure they’re there. Some of the crew is goin’ up the next few days to get ‘em ready to cast off.” He
gestured to the solar surfer. “Be a good chance to test out yer new gizmo.”

“It wouldn’t hurt to get out for a bit,” Jim said. He turned to the floating shapeshifter on his
shoulder. “Wanna go for a ride, Morph?”

“Ride, ride!” Morph chattered, flipping in the air excitedly.

“Guess that’s a yes,” Jim said, smiling at the frog.

Robert laughed. “Good, good! Ye just saved me weary bones a long walk.”

“No problem.” Jim smiled and carried his surfer out, Morph wrapping around his neck as a
necklace. “See you later.” Robert bid him good night as he walked out into the evening.

The solar surfer worked like a charm as Jim took off. He sighed in contentment, enjoying the feel
of the wind in his hair. Nothing could compare to the feeling of riding a solar surfer. Around his
neck, Morph hooted in excitement. Jim laughed.

“Having fun, little guy?” he called over the rushing wind.

“Having fun, having fun!” Morph called back. Jim laughed again.

Traveling by solar surfer gave Jim the opportunity the portside town they were staying in. The sun
was setting fast so Jim couldn’t see much, but he enjoyed all the little detours he could find on his
way to the docks. Regalia III was an aristocratic planet and everything looked positively upscale. It
would take a lifetime for Jim to even think about living in the cheapest of homes on the planet. To
think his captain had grown up in such a posh place…
‘Why would he want to deal with a poor punk like me?’ Jim thought. He sighed, leaning the surfer
back towards the main road. ‘Might as well get this over with.’ So saying, he quit dallying and sped
off towards the docks. He was not expecting to see Captain Sudayev, or Anya for that matter,
walking down the gangplank with another man in tow. Jim powered down his vehicle and hid
behind some crates to stay out of sight.

“Thanks for everything,” Dimitri told the stranger. “The new sails are in perfect condition. I have
some men coming up tomorrow to replace the old ones.”

“It is no trouble at all, Captain,” the man said. He bowed low to the couple. “It is always an honor
to do business with the royal couple. I shall bid you both good night now, if that is all you require
of me, Captain.” He shook Dimitri’s hand. “Princess Anastasia,” he directed at Anya, taking her
hand and kissing it lightly. Anya smiled and nodded primly. The man quickly left.

‘Anastasia?’ Jim thought. ‘Her name is Anastasia?’ He shared a look with Morph, who once again
floated next to him.

“It’s nice to hear my real name again,” Anya said. Jim focused back on the couple. Anya had her
arms crossed and smirked at Dimitri.

Dimitri shrugged in response. “It was your idea that no one on board know you’re royalty. What
better name to use than the one I’ve been calling you for years?” He stuffed his hands in his
pockets, strolling towards a small carriage not far from them. “I can’t really say I missed it myself.”

“You’ve been on that boat too long,” Anya said, waving a hand flippantly towards the Duchess.

“Ship,” Dimitri corrected patiently. “She’s not a boat. She’s a ship.”

“Whatever. You’ve spent too much time on it.” Anya smiled. “It’s about time you settled down
anyway. Vlad said Sophie and Grandmama have the wedding rehearsal planned for the end of the
week.”

The captain ran a hand through his hair, sighing. “What if I don’t want to settle?” he asked softly.
“What I want to keep traveling?’

Anya turned sharply on her heels, glaring at him. “And what exactly do you mean by that?”
 “Anya, I’m not trying to fight,” Dimitri tried to placate. “I’m just saying that even if we’re married,
I still want to captain my ship. I want to travel, and as my wife, if you want to come with me,
you’re certainly welcome to.”

The redhead put her hands on her hips, blue eyes glaring. “And if I don’t? You can’t expect me to
rule half a planet on my own! If you’re going to be my husband, then you need to step up and take
on some of the royal responsibility.”

“Anya…” Dimitri started. She dismissed him with a wave of her hand. “Oh, no! I’ve finally set
foot on solid ground where people respect me,” she said. “I’m not giving that up again! I’m not a
spacer, Dimitri. I never will be. And I’m sorry, but my feet are staying planted on this planet.” She
turned back towards the carriage. “Now if we’re done here, I’d like to get some sleep before we go
to my cousin’s tomorrow.”

“I already told you I’m not going,” Dimitri called after her.

Anya whirled back around. “Oh, yes you are! You promised.” She started walking again. “Besides,
Sophie needs to walk us through the plans for our big day.”

Dimitri ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head. Jim’s heart ached for him as Dimitri
followed Anya to the carriage. Beside him, Morph chattered and tapped his hands together. Jim
patted his head soothingly.

“Seems like things still haven’t settled between them,” Jim muttered to the shapeshifter. He set his
solar surfer up for takeoff. “Come on, let’s go back. Looks like the captain took care of
everything.” Morph chirped in agreement and wrapped around his neck. Once the pink blob was in
place, Jim took off.

Chapter End Notes

Next chapter will be a big one! Things will happen! Words will be said!
 Part 2 Act III
Chapter Notes

Excitement! Drama! Things are afoot! An extra long chapter to make up for all the
extra long waits!

OCs are mine. No beta.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

That night, Jim tossed and turned in bed. Images flashed behind his eyes. He could barely make out
anything solid, splashes of color standing out more than anything. Chocolate brown and sky blue
slowly mixed, an angry red slash splitting the two colors. The blue slowly deepened, overtaking the
red and mixing once more with the brown. A soft, pale pink slowly churned from the entwined
colors and blanketed Jim in a wave of warmth. Jim smiled in his sleep.

More colors entwined together. Blue and brown and pink slowly whirled about until a violent
purple slashed through the calm sea of color. Purple bled through until it drowned out everything
and Jim jerked awake. His eyes snapped open and he sat up slowly, taking in the little room he
resided in. Pale morning light streamed in through the window and illuminated a small corner of
the room. Morph lay snuggled up in a little nest made from Jim’s discarded jacket, muttering in his
sleep. Jim smiled at the little blob. Running a hand through his hair, the nineteen year old crawled
out of bed, taking care to stay quiet so Morph could sleep a little more. At least one of them had to.
He went to the bathroom to freshen up and when he came back, fluffy towel around his waist, he
padded to the window, resting his arms on the sill.

Blue eyes gazed out at the world beyond. Regalia III was beautiful. Every house was clean and
shiny. He could hardly imagine growing up around such wealth. When he had seen the gold that
lay inside Treasure Planet, he could scarcely believe so much gold could even exist in the universe.
The old Benbow Inn had made plenty of money, sure. He and his mom had never been left
wanting. But as the years passed, more money had to be set aside for upkeep of the old inn and
times had been tight; Jim’s consistent run-in with the law hadn’t exactly helped things. After the
old Benbow burnt down and the new one built in its place, they’d been able to make as many
upgrades as they desired. The rest of the money had been placed into an emergency savings
account. The Hawkins weren’t bad off by any means now, but they knew what it was like to be on
the poor side. The people of Regalia III probably didn’t even know the meaning of the word.

Staring out towards the docks, Jim thought of the Duchess and its captain. Dimitri really was
different then the people of his home planet. The life a spacer wasn’t an easy one, even for simple
merchants. The fact the Dimitri preferred to be in space for months at a time on a ship with limited
facilities said something of the kind of life he was escaping and Jim admired that in him, even
envied a little. To have that kind of freedom was something Jim had sought after for years, to the
point of actually considering a life of piracy. Nothing beat the view of passing stars and distant
nebulas, to be able to visit new worlds and meet all sorts of different people. And now that Dimitri
had offered him a job, it was a dream come true! Serving under him was way better than serving in
the military.

Dimitri himself was another thing entirely. He could be completely serious and the perfect captain
when needed, but he knew how to get along with his crew and when to laugh and have fun. He was
easy to get along with and did his best to do right by his crew. Jim enjoyed his time with the
captain, valued it highly, even more so now after their shared moment the night before they pulled
into port.

He wouldn’t mind taking things further.

That brought his thoughts to Anya. Jim looked down at the street below and sighed despondently.

Anya was wonderful. She was funny, witty, and easy to get along with. She was a beautiful woman
and she had actually made an effort to get to know the Duchess’s crew. Jim had only spoken with
her a handful of times, but he really did like her; which made him feel guilty for having these
confusing feelings for Dimitri and for wanting more after that kiss.

The princess, despite all her efforts, just wasn’t cut out for a life in space. She had been used to
people catering to her and having access to things that just were not available on a merchant ship.
Her increasingly short temper with Dimitri only emphasized her frustration. But even after all that,
she still wanted to marry him. Over the course of the two months Jim had served on the Duchess,
Jim realized that Dimitri didn’t want to get married. His conversation with Anya he night before
hinted to that at least. Jim sighed, burying his head in his arms.

Minutes passed like that, the sun steadily rising higher in the sky. Crewmen were starting to exit
the inn, assumedly to go to the Duchess to prepare the sails. Jim’s head jerked up.

“Wait a minute!” he shouted. Morph, who was slowly waking up, jerked into the air and chattered
questioningly. Jim’s eyes were practically glowing at his sudden epiphany. “He doesn’t want to get
married!” He looked at Morph in excitement. “I have to talk to him!” With that, he threw his
clothes on, grabbed his jacket and solar surfer, and rushed out of the room, Morph zipping after
him. As soon as he was outside, Morph flying into his pocket, Jim mounted his surfer and took off
towards the docks.

At the docks, three or four crewmen were just starting to climb up the rigging to put up the new
sails, first mate on deck to supervise. The rest of the crew must have gone into town. Jim didn’t
really care. He aimed his surfer towards the Duchess , coming to a stop next to Greggo. Said
feline’s ears perked up as he looked over the younger man, examining his surfer.

“Hawkins,” he greeted. His eyes roamed over Jim’s excited face. “What can I do for you?”

“Where can I find the captain?” Jim cut straight to the point. “I need to talk to him. It’s urgent.”

Greggo stiffened, hands clasped behind his back. “Jim,” he started slowly. “He’s getting married
next week. He has commitments to keep after being away for so long. You’re only going to break
your own heart.”

The whole crew really did know how he felt. Jim tore his eyes away from the feline’s. For a
moment, he really did want to listen to the first mate, someone he had become close to in the past
couple months. They weren’t exactly friends, but they got along. Greggo didn’t like his occasional
attitude, and Jim didn’t like Greggo’s frigid demeanor, but they made their professional
relationship work. That Greggo would defend Dimitri, his captain and long-time friend, came as no
surprise to Jim. But he needed to do this. He needed to talk to Dimitri at least once before the
wedding. Greggo was the only one who would know where to find him in this city.

“ Please, Greggo,” Jim begged. “I have to talk to him. I don’t care if he never looks at me again. I
don’t care if I break my own heart. I’ll get over it eventually.” He clapped his hands pleadingly in
front of him. “Please.”

Greggo’s eyes softened as he stared down at the cabin boy. No, not cabin boy; not anymore. Jim
was a fine sailor and a capable young man who had proven himself time and again; a young man
who had earned his place aboard the Duchess . He sighed again. “Jim…”

“Please, Greggo,” Jim continued. His deep blue eyes bored into Greggo, his resolve never
wavering. “Please tell me where I can find him.”

The feline was silent for a long moment. He looked away from those pleading blue eyes and
understood why his captain was so captivated by the young man. He closed his eyes. “Alright.” He
turned to look at Jim again. “He and Anya should be on their way to her cousin’s by now.” He
explained the directions in great detail, Jim’s mind latching onto every word. Once finished, Jim
thanked him profusely even as he hopped back on his solar surfer and took off.

A tiny smile graced Greggo’s lips. “Good luck, kid,” he murmured quietly. He didn’t think Jim
would actually need it.
///

As Jim flew down city streets, barely paying attention to those around him and nearly running
down more than one pedestrian, a single thought looped over and over in his head.

‘I need to talk to Dimitri. I need to talk to Dimitri. I have to talk to Dimitri,’ he thought. He paid
just enough attention to his surroundings to know where he was going. A right turn here, a left turn
there; straight ahead for one mile, then another left turn. He rose higher in the air, level with the
rooftops of expensive buildings, deeper into the city. The people complained about how loud the
engine was in their quiet neighborhoods, but Jim paid them no mind. His eyes roamed over every
house as he grew closer to his destination, searching for the one that matched Greggo’s description.

Eventually a dark brown roof came into view towards the end of the street. It had to be the right
house and Jim urged his surfer to go faster. Tan siding came into view, an array of windows set
into the front of the house. A wrought-iron fence enclosed the large home and the perfectly care-
for lawn and rocks started to sink in Jim’s stomach. This is where Anya’s cousin lived?! The place
was practically a mansion! Jim had never seen a house so big in his life!

Doubt started to creep up on him. He had to compete with this? This was Dimitri’s life outside of
spacing? Dimitri would be able to provide for each other with all the money that went into this
house alone. What could Jim provide? Work on a ship that Dimitri may give up for life on a
throne? Not to mention that Anya was a beautiful and intelligent woman who could give Dimitri
things that Jim couldn’t; namely children.

Jim abruptly shook his head., face turning beat red. ‘No,’ he thought. ‘Get your mind out of the
gutter! You’re not even completely sure what you feel for him.’ It was true. He wasn’t in love with
Dimitri. They had only met a few months ago. He knew he liked the captain. Really, really liked
him. And the thought of Dimitri marrying Anya hurt. It hurt so damn much. But he wasn’t in love.
He couldn’t be.

Shaking his head of such thoughts, he tried to refocus on the task at hand. It was a difficult think to
work through the doubt, but he pushed it to the back of his mind, only to completely freeze when
he spotted a carriage pull up to the gate and Anya and Dimitri stepped out. Vlad must already be
inside. Anya, of course, looked radiant in the light blue dress she had shown off all those weeks
ago and Dimitri in a dark brown jacket and slacks over a dark blue dress shirt and shiny black
shoes. The top two buttons of his shirt were undone. It was the most elegant Jim had ever seen him
and he looked gorgeous. From his spot on a nearby rooftop, Jim could only stare.

Morph floated out of his pocket. He chirped and waved a tiny hand in front of Jim’s eyes. Jim
shook his head slowly. “I can’t do this…” he muttered, feeling a bubble of panic rise up in him. He
spent so much time psyching himself up on the way there; he didn’t think he’d clam up. But now,
actually facing the captain while he was all dressed up while Jim was wearing a simple shirt and
pants, and his old leather jacket and boots that had seen better days… “I can’t do this,” he said
louder. Quite suddenly, the difference in class that had been so small on the ship seemed to gape
wide open. He took a step back. “Morph, I don’t think I can do this.”

Said shapeshifter floated in front of him. He glared, tiny hands on nonexistent hips, and chattered
angrily. Below them, Dimitri, ever the gentleman, offered his arm to Anya and escorted her up the
long walkway. Morph jabbed his little hand in their direction and separated into a mini-Dmitri and
Anya who started shouting at each other. Then Anya changed to Jim and mini-Dimitri’s face lit up.
The two laughed at some obscure joke together.

Jim took a deep breath and ran his hands through his hair. “Okay… You’re right.” He exhaled
slowly and got back on his solar surfer. “I made it this far, no point in quitting now.” Morph
chirped excitedly and wrapped around his neck as a plain leather necklace. Jim took another deep
breath. “Here goes nothing.” He revved up his surfer and flew over the gates to the mansion.

Dimitri and Anya were already at the door as Jim flew over the gate. It opened to reveal a bigger
blonde woman who greeted them cheerfully and stepped aside to usher them in.

“Captain!”

Too late

The door closed before he could call out to the man in question. Jim sighed. “Dammit…” he
muttered. Morph chattered. “Guess we’re waiting, buddy.” Morph floated up next to his head
again, looking around cautiously. Jim noticed a window he could see through if he stood on his
toes (curse his height!). He set his solar surfer against a nearby tree and walked up to the window.
“I’m not a total stalker at all,” he muttered with a derisive snort. The window just so happened to
be partially cracked and he watched as Sophie (at least he assumed it was Sophie as Vlad came up
behind her and placed a hand on her waist) led the royal couple to the sitting room. Jim could hear
them exchange pleasantries as Anya shared a warm hug with Sophie.

“Oh, it’s so good to see you again!” Sophie gushed. She pulled away and held Anya’s hands in her
own. “You’re going to have to tell me all about it! I want every last detail.”

“I think I can think of one or two things to leave out,” Anya told her with a smile. “Merchant life is
a little too exciting for me.”
Sophie nodded to every word. “I can only imagine. Oh, sit, sit! Where are my manners?” Anya sat
in plush armchair while Dimitri elected to stand near the fireplace. The room was as posh as could
be, with antique furniture and expensive decorations all over. Jim ignored it all, focused on
Sophie’s voice as his eyes tracked Dimitri’s every move.

‘Not a stalker at all…’ he thought.

They talked mostly about the voyage, Anya noticeably leaving out the parts about the asteroid
storm and the pirates. She somehow made it seem both boring and exciting. She had nothing but
good things to say about the crew and Dimitri smiled with pride behind her. He was quiet, only
chiming in with a word or two. He didn’t seem to have much to say, especially since Anya also left
out the part about them fighting all the time. Jim wondered if they had cooled down now that they
were on firm ground. It had sounded like it the night before.

‘Does that mean they worked things out?’ Jim thought. ‘I know Dimitri didn’t want to before, but
he could always change his mind. Anya’s a great person.’ Those rocks sank even deeper in Jim’s
stomach. His heart rate sped up and he was starting to shake. ‘This was stupid!’ he thought. ‘Stupid,
stupid, stupid! Why would he want you? You can’t do anything for him!’ That kiss had been just a
fluke. Dimitri was just humoring him.

It had felt so good, though! It felt right; Dimitri’s body pressing him into the mast, their lips warm
and gentle. It was wonderful. It had been perfect as far as first kisses went. Jim wanted to feel that
again. He wanted to be the one Dimitri held in his arms and never let go. He didn’t want anyone
except Dimitri. Did that mean he was in love? He wasn’t sure.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm down before focusing his attention back on the
room. Sophie sat next to Vlad on a sofa to Anya’s left.

“Now, down to business!” the blonde woman exclaimed. “We have to talk about your wedding!”
Jim’s eyes widened. He didn’t want to hear this. “And the subject of the royal heirs!” Jim definitely
did not want to hear this. He took a small step back from the window. “The whole thing’s been
planned for years. It’ll be wonderful! Grandmama will be so happy!” Jim took another step back.

“No…” he mumbled. He could still see them talking, but he couldn’t hear anything. He shook his
head as Vlad stood and went to Anya, picking her up and winging her around.

“Wonderful! Congratulations, Anya!”

“No!” Jim didn’t mean to shout, he didn’t. It just burst out of him and he ran to his solar surfer,
Morph quickly flying after him. He had to get away from here, he had to be far away, he had to
hide. His tiny room at the inn seemed perfect and he took off as fast as his surfer could go. He had
to get away.

///

Inside the lavish mansion, Sophie, Vlad, and Anya only paid half a mind to the commotion outside.
It was Dimitri who walked over to the cracked window and glanced outside. He was just in time to
watch a solar surfer take off for the docks. He recognized that black jacket.

“Hawkins…” he muttered. His eyes widened. It slowly occurred to him that the younger man had
seen and heard enough of what they had been discussing. “Shit!” he cursed softly, inaudible to the
celebrating occupants in the room. So focused were they on wedding plans that none of them
noticed him sneak out of the room and outside. Once the door was firmly shut behind him, he
sprinted to the carriage. “Shit, shit, shit!” he exclaimed loudly as he ran.

He threw his jacket off and tossed it on the seat next to him as he climbed in. He immediately set a
course for the docks where he would hopefully be able to find his youngest crewmember.

“This is bad…” he muttered frantically. “Bad, bad, bad… Dammit!” The carriage swung around
corners, nearly running into other carriages and almost running down pedestrians. A mantra of
curses repeatedly fell from his lips along with the single-minded thought that he had to find Jim.
He had to. They needed to talk. They couldn’t put it off anymore. They had to discuss that kiss, the
wedding, Dimitri’s plans for the Duchess . He couldn’t keep pretending nothing had happened.

Despite all that, though, the wedding was the last thing on his mind. Anya was the farthest thing
from his thoughts. He needed to find Jim. As he passed the docks, he barely spared a glimpse at his
ship. He wasn’t thinking about how if he got married he would have to give her up. Anya had been
right. She couldn’t rule a half a planet by herself. But Dimitri was a spacer. His happiness came
from the stars, not from bureaucracy. He couldn’t give the Duchess up over a wedding he didn’t
want. And he didn’t want to set sail without Jim Hawkins by his side.

The inn most of his crew was staying at soon came into view, and for a moment, Dimitri worried
that Jim might not have come here, that he would have disappeared in the city somewhere. Two of
his crew was standing to the side of the building and Dimitri halted his carriage, running out to
meet them.
“Cap’n!” one of them greeted jovially. “Didn’ expect to see ye here today.”

“It wasn’t really planned,” the captain said with false cheer. If either of his men noticed, they had
the good grace not to point it out. “Did Hawkins come through here?”

“Yeah,” the other said. “Seemed to be in a bit of a rush. “Had his solar surfer with him.”

“Which room is he in?” Dimitri didn’t beg. “I need to talk to him.”

“Top floor, last door on the left,” said the first. Dimitri thanked them and went inside, trying hard
not to look like he was in a hurry. There were a few crewmen scattered about, relaxing and
ordering food. All of them greeted their captain cheerfully. Dimitri cracked a smile and said
something to them all before moving to the stairs. Once out of sight, he took the remaining steps
two at a time and made a mad dash to the end of the hall. He stopped at the last door on the left,
banging on it none too gently.

“Hawkins!” he called through the wood. There was a crash on the other side and Dimitri knocked
more gently. “Hawkins?” There was a curse and Dimitri smiled. He knocked again. “Jim? Open
up, Jim. Please?” There was silence. Dimitri wondered for a moment if the younger man tried
climbing out the window. He was about to knock again when there was a soft click and the door
cracked open. Jim wasn’t on the other side. Dimitri cautiously let himself in. He took stock of the
tiny, if homey, room. His eyes then landed on Jim. He sat on the edge of the bed, somehow making
himself seem smaller by hugging his knees to his chest. His face was pale compared to his usually
tanned cheeks and Morph was hovering over him, tittering with worry. “Jim?”

Jim seemed to huddle further into his little ball at the sound of Dimitri’s voice. Morph actually
glared at Dimitri, floating up to be at eye level with the man. He chattered angrily while pointing at
Jim. Dimitri watched on with wide eyes. Morph had never been anything but nice to him and now
the incomprehensive little blob was telling him off! This was just not his day. Morph shifted into a
miniature Dimitri and Anya all dressed up for their wedding and sharing a kiss, then into Jim who
had tears in his eyes, turning away from the real Dimitri. The captain stared wide-eyed at the scene.
He continued to do so even after Morph changed back and glared at him with little hands on his
hips.

“Um…” was all he could intelligently respond with.

“Leave him alone, Morph…” Jim said quietly into his knees. He refused to look up at the older
man. Morph stuck his tongue out at Dimitri, blowing a raspberry before flying back to Jim,
hovering in worry. He nuzzled Jim’s cheek, earning a small smile for his efforts. Jim took a deep
breath, finally gaining enough courage to look up at his captain. “Don’t you have a wedding to
plan?”

Dimitri shuffled his feet awkwardly. “They don’t need me there for that.” He wasn’t sure if he
should move closer or stay put. He really wanted to take a seat next to the younger man, pull him
into his arms and never let go. It was crazy how strong his desire to make the teen happy was.
“Why did you run?” he settled for asking.

“Well, what the hell was I supposed to do?” Jim snapped back. “I was listening in on the whole
thing. That’s creepy. You think I wanted to get caught?”

“That’s not why and you know it,” Dimitri said. He sighed, closing his eyes. “Jim…”

“I don’t understand anything anymore!” Jim suddenly shouted. Dimitri took a step back as the
youth jumped to his feet. He started pacing, hands gripping his hair tight. “I can’t get you out of my
head! It’s like every time I close my eyes I see your stupid face and I can’t stop thinking
about-”Jim paused, stopping in his tracks and staring down at his feet, hands balled into fists at his
side. He didn’t dare look up at Dimitri, chocolate locks shadowing blue eyes. Dimitri couldn’t take
his eyes off of him. A flush slowly climbed up Jim’s neck to color his cheeks. “I can’t stop
thinking about that stupid kiss…” he murmured, voice no higher than a whisper. Dimitri released a
breath he didn’t know he had been holding. Slowly, Jim turned to Dimitri and their eyes finally
met. “What do you feel for her?” Jim asked. He looked away again, voice quiet now. “What do
you feel for me?”

Dimitri was quiet for a long moment. He wet his lips. “I’m not in love with Anya.”

“But you’re going to marry her!” Jim shouted

“I told you before our grandmothers decided this when we were kids,” Dimitri explained. His heart
felt like it would beat out of his chest. He took a step closer to Jim. “I have no family and I work all
the time. I don’t care to marry her. I don’t love her.” He gently took Jim’s hand in his, causing Jim
look up at him. Their eyes met and Dimitri smiled softly down at the younger man. “Now you
want to know what I feel for you?” Jim stared up at him, lower lip trembling and fear in his deep
blue eyes. Dimitri could stare into those eyes for the rest of his life. “I like you, Jim Hawkins. I like
you so much that I’m going to cancel the wedding and my engagement to Anya so we can explore
this,” he gestured between the two of them, “whatever this is.” Jim’s eyes widened impossibly so
and Dimitri could only think of how beautiful he looked. “You have to know…” It was his turn to
blush. “My heart beats loud for you.”
Deep red stained Jim’s cheeks and he ducked his head so Dimitri couldn’t see his face. “That was
the cheesiest thing I’ve ever heard anyone say…” Jim whispered. He didn’t remove his hand from
Dimitri’s. His grip only tightened. “You’d seriously give up your engagement for me?”

Dimitri laced their fingers together and brought Jim’s hand up for a light kiss. Jim glanced up at
him. “Jim,” he said. Now that he was finally calling the younger man by his name, he couldn’t get
enough of saying it. “You’re worth it,” he said truthfully.

“But I can’t give you the things she can,” Jim said, blushing. Dimitri took a step forward, barely a
hairs breadth from the teen.

“And what would those things be?” the captain asked. Jim’s blush only seemed to darken.

“Support, a house, money, you’ll rule a freaking planet together.” He looked away. “Kids…”

It was Dimitri’s turn to blush, but he smiled. Jim was so cute when he wasn’t being rebellious brat.
Hell, he was cute then too. He was cute all the time. The captain took Jim’s chin in his free hand
and forced the teen to look at him. “We can work out little details later,” he said, smiling. He
glanced from Jim’s eyes to his lips. “Can I kiss you now?”

Jim didn’t bother to answer. He threw his arms around Dimitri’s neck, their lips crashing together
with the force of it. Dimitri had to take a step back to keep his balance, but clutched Jim close, one
arm around his waist. His free hand tangled in Jim’s hair. The kiss was hard and hungry, as though
they would never get a chance to do it again. Dimitri’s tongue licked at Jim’s lips and the younger
let the wet muscle in, moaning at the feel of it. It wasn’t quite the same as their first kiss, but it did
not lack the heat and intensity from before. If anything, the familiarity made it even better. Jim’
hands wandered to Dimitri’s chest, feeling the firm muscle underneath the dress shirt. He blushed,
wondering what his captain would look like without it.

Dimitri for his part was trying to keep his hands on Jim’s waist. He wanted to touch every part of
the younger man, to run his hands under his shirt and feel heated skin, to dip his fingers in the
waistband of his pants. His hands slipped down to slender hips, thumbs pressing into tan skin. That
earned him a low moan and Dimitri took two steps back to cool down, to think rationally again, but
Jim followed, teeth biting lightly into Dimitri’s lower lip. It was his turn to groan and his legs were
suddenly pressed against the bed. He lost his balance and had to sit, Jim barely parting long enough
to crawl in his lap, sitting on his knees as he straddled his captain’s lap. Dimitri groaned again and
pulled the youth’s hips down to forcefully grind against his own.

It was actually Jim who broke the kiss, yelping at the intense feeling. His hands clutched Dimitri’s
shoulders, his face deeply flushed, and lips kiss bruised. Blue eyes were darker than normal, pupils
dilated and lids heavy.

He was the most beautiful thing in the universe.

The younger man was panting a little, his breath warm on the captain’s lips. Dimitri wondered
what kind of mess he must look to the youth.

“We should…” It hurt him to say it, but it needed to be said. “We should slow down…” he
murmured. He pecked a light kiss to Jim’s lips.

“You don’t…” Jim paused, unsure of himself. “I mean, we’re not…” He bit his lips and looked
away.

The captain smiled. He lightly rubbed circles on the younger man’s hips. “Hey,” he said softly. Jim
shyly looked back at him. “Why rush? We have all the time in the world. Sound good?”

Jim nodded slowly. “Yeah… Sounds good.” Dimitri pressed another light kiss to his lips.

“We’ll go as slow as you want,” he said.

Nodding again, it was Jim’s turn to lean in and kiss Dimitri. This one was slow, languid. Tongues
lazily danced together, Jim’s arms lazily snacking around the captain’s neck. Dimitri’s hands
stayed glued to Jim’s hips, the thought of moving them far too tempting. He continued to rub
soothing circles with his thumbs, earning a delightful squirm from the younger man in his lap. Jim
moaned softly against his lips.

There was a loud chattering from the window. Both men pulled away to see what was going on,
Jim looking over his shoulder. Morph was purposely making a show of ignoring them, turning
away and whistling innocently.

Dimitri laughed. “Sorry, Morph.”

Jim leaned away from him. “We should probably stop…” he said hesitantly. Dimitri flashed a
smirk at him.

“But I kind of like where you’re at right now,” he said teasingly. Jim blinked wide eyes at him
before looking down, noticing his position for the first time. Dimitri squeezed his hips. He yelped,
quickly scrambling off his captain and huddling in the far corner of the bed. He buried his face in
his knees, blushing intensely. Dimitri laughed. “You’re so cute!” he chuckled, leaning back on his
hands.

Jim groaned loudly. “God, you’re such a sap…”

“And now I’m your sap,” Dimitri stated. Jim peeked up at him. Dimitri held out a hand. “Come
here.”

“Why?” The younger man stared at him in suspicion. Dimitri just continued to smile.

“Just come here.” Jim slowly crawled closer to him. He nearly shrieked when the captain grabbed
him around the waist and dragged him down to lay next to him. Jim struggled in his grip, but
Dimitri only tightened his arm around him.

What the hell?” Jim glared at the auburn-haired man, unintentionally getting lost in caramel eyes.

The older man gave him a lazy smile. “Take a nap with me,” he said as though it was the most
obvious thing to do when it was barely noon.

“What are we, five?” Jim snarked back.

“Hey, when you’re my age you’ll learn the benefits of a good nap,” said Dimitri, rubbing his nose
against Jim’s.

Jim ducked his head. “You sound like you’re fifty…”

“I’ll get there eventually.” Dimitri yawned. “Besides, it’s been an eventful morning and a stressful
couple of days. I think I deserve a good nap with a cute cuddle buddy.”
 “Stop calling me cute, dammit!” Jim practically shouted.

Dimitri pretended to think about it. “Mm… No.”

Jim huffed. “Fine. Let me up so I can give Morph my jacket.” Dimitri reluctantly let him up and
Jim sat up long enough to shrug off his jacket and toss it in Morph’s direction. The pink blob
snatched it up and set about making a nest out of it. Dimitri wrapped his arm around Jim’s waist,
his hand warm on the younger man’s back. Jim snuggled close to him. “I could get use to this,” he
murmured softly, sighing.

Dimitri made a noise of approval. “Talk later. Sleep now.”

Jim laughed. “Fine, fine. Old man.” Dimitri was asleep before he could correct him.

Chapter End Notes

End Part 2

Dear god, this whole thing needs to be rewritten. I'll edit it some day. Today is not that
day.
 Part 3 Act I
Chapter Notes

Short and sweet and absolutely dedicated to heavenlygothicgirl for letting me wake up
to so many wonderful little reviews on every chapter and just making my day. Thank
you so much and I hope you enjoy the little bit of smut in this chapter!

No beta, we die like men.

OCs are mine.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

The sun was just starting to set when Jim stirred from his comfortable cocoon of warmth, bathing
the room in a soft golden glow. At some point he had rolled around in his sleep to face the wall.
There was a weight on his waist that seemed to only be there to keep him in place when he tried to
sit up. He was a little confused by that. It wasn’t until he looked over his shoulder and saw his
captain’s peacefully sleeping face staring back at him that he remembered all that had happened
that morning. He remembered the sheer panic he felt while eavesdropping at Sophie’s manor, the
need to hide away, how shaky he felt talking to Dimitri, their… whatever it was they shared after.
He remembered his complete embarrassment. Jim had never been with anyone, romantically or
otherwise. His early teenage years were spent avoiding anyone and everyone, including his own
mother. After joining the Interstellar Academy, he focused solely in his work. He wanted nothing
to do with the stuck-up posh kids around him. They never did anything but point out his failures to
the instructors. Even after he saved one of their ungrateful asses and was honorably discharged, he
wanted nothing to do with romance. He focused on helping his mom and barely spared a glance at
the few girls who tried to hit on him while he was working. He didn’t flirt, didn’t even really know
how to, so he just kept on with his day to day life until a sour old salamander named Leonard
limped through the Benbow’s front door and offered him a job. Jim knew when he met the captain
of the Duchess that Dimitri was off limits. Crewmen had mentioned Anya in passing multiple
times and Jim had respected that after he figured out he had a crush. Things changed, of course,
after that pirate attack. But he never dared to imagine that this was where events would lead.

Dimitri was cancelling the wedding and the engagement just to figure out where they stood. Jim
was ecstatic. He wanted nothing more than to bask in the captain’s comforting warmth against his
back. It was the absolute best feeling in the world. At the same time, however, he felt incredibly
guilty. They were lying in bed together while Dimitri was still technically engaged with Anya. It
wasn’t fair to the princess that Jim was basically stealing her man. He didn’t want to hurt her and
this was bound to do just that. Jim managed to lift his head to glance out the window. The sun was
rapidly disappearing over the horizon. It would be too late for Dimitri to head home to talk to his
fiancé only to start a fight so late. As it was, she was probably wondering where he could be and
was worried. Dimitri would have to talk to her first thing in the morning. For now, Jim pressed
back against his new – lover? Boyfriend? – and enjoyed the moment.

“Jim…” the body against him suddenly groaned. The arm around him tightened. “Stop moving or
you might start something you might not be ready for.”

Said teen blushed hard and buried his face in his hands. “Seriously? Do you have to say things like
that?”

“Are you blushing?” Jim didn’t answer. “Then yes, I’m going to continue to say things like that.”

“Ass…” Jim muttered. He rolled over, taking in and enjoying the sight of his captain’s sleepy
caramel eyes fluttering open. Sleep-glazed eyes gazed into deep blue. Jim noticed for the first time
that there were flecks of green in Dimitri’s eyes.

“Mm… I could get used to this,” whispered Dimitri. He rubbed his nose against Jim’s. “What time
is it?”

“No idea.” Was he ever going to stop blushing? “The sun’s gone down so I’d say eight or so.”

Dimitri lifted his head to glance out the window. “We slept that long?”

“I said you were getting old.”

“Ha ha.” He dropped his head back to the pillow and peered at Jim. “I wonder what we could do
this late in the evening…” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

The younger man bit his lip and looked away. He didn’t answer.

“Hey…” The captain moved his hand from Jim’s waist to his cheek. Jim’s eyes met Dimitri’s
hesitantly. “I’m only joking,” Dimitri said softly. He gave the younger man a sincere smile. “We’re
going at your pace, remember?” Jim nodded and gave him a tiny smile in return.

“Yeah…” His eyes briefly dropped to Dimitri’s lips. He blushed, but managed a devious little grin.
“Does that include good morning kisses?”

Dimitri grinned back. “I thought you’d never ask.”

Jim didn’t need any more permission to press their lips together. Morning or late afternoon – it
didn’t matter when it happened. So long as Jim could keep kissing his captain, he was happy.

These were sweet, little pecks of the lips and long, languid kisses that lacked the tongue and teeth
from earlier. They enjoyed the feel of the other against them, Dimitri’s hand sliding back to tangle
in Jim’s hair. Jim’s arm slid around his lover’s chest to clutch the back of his shirt. He pressed
himself as close as he could get, soaking up the heat from Dimitri’s body.

It was Dimitri who pulled away first. His eyes were dark as he stared into Jim’s slowly opening
eyes. “I would seriously be fine with doing this the rest of the night.”

Jim’s stomach growled.

He blushed three shades of red and hid his face in Dimitri’s chest as the older man laughed. “We
should probably feed you first,” he chuckled.

“Oh my god…” Jim groaned. “Just kill me now!”

“Later.” Dimitri sat up, throwing his legs over the side of the bed. “Let’s get something to eat.” He
patted the younger man’s hip. “I’m hungry, too.”

There was a moment of silence as Jim took a moment to compose himself before he sat up. Dimitri
kissed his temple and stood. “Morph, you hungry?” Jim asked the nest that was situated under the
window. Morph slowly rose from his bed and chirped sleepily. “You slept that whole time, too,
huh?” Morph chirped again. He flew over to Dimitri and landed on his shoulder. Jim smiled at
them. “It’s a good thing he likes you,” he stated as he stood. He stretched his arms above his head,
shirt riding up to reveal the V of his hips. He missed the way Dimitri stared at the sight.

“And why’s that?” Dimitri asked, licking his suddenly dry lips.

Jim smirked. “Because then I’d have to boot you out the door.”

“Boot you out the door!” Morph echoed.

“Good thing I don’t have to worry about that then.” Dimitri opened the door, gesturing for Jim to
go first. “After you.”

“Such a gentleman,” Jim said teasingly. Dimitri bowed with a grin.

Together they walked downstairs. They had conveniently forgotten that most of the Duchess’s
crew was also staying at the inn and that some of them had witnessed Jim’s mad dash upstairs,
Dimitri hot on his heels. There were catcalls all around.

“Where’s Ms. Anya, Captain?” one called teasingly.

“Did ye finally get tired o’ all the fightin’?” another asked.

“Does t’at mean she’s up fer grabs?” Robert jeered. Jim covered his eyes with a hand and took a
breath, hiding his embarrassment as best he could. Dimitri placed a hand on his shoulder in
reassurance.

“Ah, can it, ye gossiping housewives!” the captain reprimanded with a smile. “Can’t a man have
dinner in peace?”

“Aw, but Cap’n, yer life’s the best gossip there is!” the first man exclaimed as the room broke out
into hearty laughter. He was a human only slightly older then Dimitri with blond hair. “Not’in
beats talkin’ bout yer love life!”

“Can it, Alan,” Dimitri said, leading Jim to a nearby empty table. “My love life is none of your
business. And you don’t stand a chance with Anya, Robert. You know that.”

Robert shrugged good-naturedly. “Let an ol’ frog dream, will ye?”

Dimitri actually stuck his tongue out at the frog, earning laughs all around. After that, the present
crew went back to their meals and conversations, uninterested in Dimitri and Jim, despite their
claims. Jim finally managed to look up at his companion, cheeks blazing. Dimitri gave him a
reassuring smile.
“Don’t worry about them,” he said softly. “They don’t actually care about what we do.”

“Sure sounds like they do…” Jim mumbled back. Morph landed on the table and Jim stuck out a
finger to pet him. Morph purred. “I can’t believe I was that obvious…”

“Jim.” Dimitri laid his hand over Jim’s. Jim met his eyes again. “They don’t care. Believe me.
They’ve all been with me since I became captain of the Duchess . They’ll tease and make
comments, but they know my love life is my own. Hell, I could tell you some stories about
Reggie,” he pointed to a slug-like man sitting opposite of Alan, “ and Gord,” he jerked his thumb
behind him to a younger canine behind him listening to one of Leonard’s stories. “Their lives are
far more scandalous than mine. Robert has a tale or two to tell, too.” Dimitri smiled and laced their
fingers together. “They don’t care.”

“But they know about the wedding,” Jim tried to argue.

“They know about a wedding,” Dimitri corrected with a smile. “They know Anya and I were
together. You, Greggo, Vlad, and Anya – and probably Robert, that gossiping rat – know about the
engagement.” Here he lowered his voice and leaned in conspiratorially. “You’re also the only ones
who know about the whole royalty thing.” He leaned back, face becoming pensive. “Well, Leonard
probably knows, but he has more respect for me as a captain, so he doesn’t care either.”

Jim slowly looked around the room. Not a single crewmember was looking in their direction. They
kept to their own private conversations, laughing and teasing their fellow crewmates. “They really
don’t care…” he whispered.

“And they like you,” Dimitri continued. He squeezed Jim’s hand, smiling softly. “You’re one of us
now, Jim. They won’t say anything against you.” Jim smiled back. As the waiter came and took
their orders, Jim finally relaxed, enjoying the feeling of belonging.

///

The next morning found Jim curled up at Dimitri’s side, head resting on his strong chest with one
of Dimitri’s arms wrapped around Jim’s shoulders. Jim slowly stirred awake, hazy blue eyes taking
in his captain’s sleeping form. Dimitri was a fairly laid back guy when he didn’t have his captain
face on, generally relaxed in everything he did. When he was asleep, there was a certain tranquility
that seemed to settle the stress lines on his face. He was gorgeous and Jim didn’t want to look
away. He traced his fingers over Dimitri’s chest, outlining the muscles he could see under his shirt.
Jim was content. He was more relaxed than he’d ever felt in his life and it was all thanks to the
man he was half lying on top of. A small smile graced his lips. He’d never felt like this before’ sort
of floaty with butterflies in his stomach. Every time he so much as glanced at Dimitri the feeling
came over him. He never wanted that feeling to go away.

He was suddenly overcome with the urge to kiss the man, another feeling that didn’t seem to want
to leave. So he leaned in and kissed Dimitri’s cheek, just once. The older man stirred in his sleep,
eyebrows scrunching together. He turned his head towards Jim, slowly opening his eyes through a
sleepy haze. “Jim?” he asked as though he didn’t believe the teen was actually there. “Mornng.”

“Morning,” Jim whispered back.

Dimitri rolled onto his side, pulling Jim close and pressing their foreheads together. “For a second
there I thought I was dreaming.”

“A good dream, I hope,” Jim said softly. Dimitri smiled.

“Definitely a good dream.” He leaned and pressed a gentle kiss to Jim’s lips.

They laid there in comfortable silence, simply enjoying each other’s presence. Morph was already
up and floating about, amusing himself with trinkets in the room, leaving the two humans to
themselves. Jim closed his eyes, very nearly falling back to sleep.

“You’re so beautiful…” Dimitri whispered quietly, not wanting to break the comfortable
atmosphere. Jim blushed, opening his eyes to stare bashfully into Dimitri’s own.

“Not so bad yourself,” he murmured back. He grinned. “And to think, I thought you were kind of
annoying when we met.”

“Annoying? Me?” Dimitri stuck his tongue out childishly. He rolled onto his back, crossing his
arms. “I am a perfect gentleman, thank you very much. You must have me confused with someone
else.”

Jim laughed. He rested his head on his captain’s chest. “Oh, because the rest of the crew are so
annoying. Greggo has better manners than you, Your Royal Highness.”

Dimitri pursed his lips together in thought. “This is true. Fine, I agree with you. I was kind of a brat
as a kid.”

“Oh, yeah?” Jims traced his finger over the captain’s chest absentmindedly. “Any sordid stories?”

“Oh, yeah. Gave my parents hell when they wanted me to attend some formal event. I always hated
suits. Anya and I would sneak down to the servants’ quarters and hide out for as long as we could.
Mother would get furious.” Dimitri smiled at the memory.

Jim was quiet for a moment. “You mentioned yesterday that you have no family… What happened
to them?” There was a quiet sigh above him and Jim adjusted so he could look up at the other man.
“If you don’t mind me asking…” he tacked on.

“No, it’s fine.” The captain stared at the ceiling for a long moment, gathering his thoughts. “Mom
died when I was twelve. Her immune system was never that great so she was sick all the time.
Finally it got to the point where she couldn’t recover and passed away in her sleep. Dad was
heartbroken. He focused more on work and started traveling to other planets as an ambassador.
When I turned fifteen, he took me with him on one of his trips and I fell in love with spacing. He
brought me along on a few more trips after that and I learned the basics of ship work, and it was all
downhill from there. Before mom died, he was deadest of me taking over for them, but after all
that, I think something in him changed. He encouraged me to fly and hardly ever brought up
politics anymore. He was so proud when I was hired onto my first ship.” Dimitri smiled at the
ceiling. “My grandmother wasn’t too happy, but Dad convinced her it was so I could learn
responsibility and earn my place. He told me later that he didn’t care what I did so long as I was
happy doing it.”

“What happened to him?” Jim asked hesitantly. He enjoyed the smile on Dimitri’s face and he
didn’t want to break it, but he was curious.

Slowly, Dimitri’s smile faded. “On one of his trips, his ship was attacked by pirates. I don’t know
the details, but hardly anyone survived. Dad wasn’t one of them.” Jim reached out and took
Dimitri’s hand in his own. Dimitri laced their fingers together. “I was told he put up a good fight.”

Jim squeezed his hand. “I’m sorry…”

Dimitri shrugged. “What happened, happened. What matters is that I enjoyed the time I spent with
them.” He turned his head to Jim with a smile. “They would have liked you.”

“How would you know?” Jim asked.

“Because you’re cute. You’re intelligent and you’re not afraid to call me on my shit.” He rolled
back on his side to better face the younger man. Jim laid his head on his pillow, blushing hard at
the compliments. “You make me smile. You make me happy. That’s all that would have mattered
to them.”

“And the fact that I’m a guy-”

“Has absolutely nothing to do with it,” the captain cut him off sternly. “Dad already knew there
was something up with me when I started seeing this guy Cale at seventeen. Said something about
loving me no matter who I loved, and Mom used to always say I was different from other boys. It
was on the way I acted.” He brought Jim’s hands to his lips and pressed a soft kiss there. “They
would have loved you, Jim.”

Jim bit his lip, but didn’t say anything. He wasn’t sure what his own mom would think of the
situation. He knew she loved him no matter what, , especially after all the hell he put her through
as a stupid delinquent. But would she accept him bringing a guy home?

A hand cupped his cheek and Jim jerked out of his reverie, focusing once more on those warm
caramel eyes. “Hey,” Dimitri murmured. “Have I kissed you yet this morning?”

Uncertain thoughts fled and Jim shook his head with a teasing smile. “You know what? I don’t
think you have.”

“We should fix that,” the captain said with a smirk. He did just that, leaning in to kiss Jim softly.
The youth let out a quiet sigh and kissed back, opening his mouth when a lazy tongue brushed his
lips. It was slow and sweet until Jim sucked on the appendage in his mouth and a nip to his bottom
lip in retaliation. A throaty moan escaped from Jim’s throat. The hand on his cheek slid to his hair,
tightening. Dimitri tugged at chocolate locks and Jim released another low moan. ‘I wonder…’ the
captain thought. He bit Jim’s lip harder, and the younger man arched into him, grinding their hips
together and moaning shamelessly. “Oh my god…” Dimitri nearly growled, eyes lidded heavily as
he watched and felt a flushed Jim writhe against him as he tugged his hair even harder. “You are so
damn perfect…”
“C-cap’n…” Jim moaned. He forced his eyes to open, pupils blown as he stared at his superior.
“Want more…” He was cut off as Dimitri crashed their lips together, kissing him like his life
depended on it. Jim squeaked and Dimitri growled, his hands finding their way to slim hips and
grabbing none too gently. Jim moaned deeply at the rough treatment, Dimitri grinding their hips
together. “F-fuck…” Jim whimpered against his lovers lips, biting down on Dimitri’s lower lip.

A groan slipped out of the captain. “We… we should really s-stop…”he rasped, voice no more
than a husky growl. Jim shook his head, barely parting from the other man.

“Don’t wanna…” he muttered back. Dimitri unintentionally ground their hips together, both
moaning at the feeling.

“Jim…” the older man tried again. He swallowed hard as the nineteen year old leaned in to press
soft kisses to his neck. “Jim, you don’t have to…”

“Don’t wanna stop,” Jim said again, more firmly. He bit at the exposed flesh of Dimitri’s chest,
earning another delicious grind of hips. Aching flesh pressed hard together and both moaned. Jim
arched forward again.

It took quite a bit of effort for Dimitri to collect enough higher brain power to speak again. “Are
you sure-”

Jim’s fingers tangled in auburn hair. Blue eyes hazy with lust, pupils blown wide, bored into the
captain’s. “Shut up,” he ordered. He crashed their lips together again.

Dimitri didn’t bother saying anything after that. He bit the teen’s lip hard. Jim let out a desperate
moan, leg hooking over his captain’s. Dimitri slid one hand down, running it over Jim’s ass to grab
his thigh, using it to better angle their hips. They kept up a steady rhythm of this, Jim moaning
shamelessly and Dimitri all but growling as he got closer to the edge. He rocked against the youth
harder as Jim’s noises grew louder, more desperate. He whimpered as Dimitri ground down hard,
hips circling, before he released a loud cry as his vision went white. Dimitri rocked once, twice,
before following him over the edge, a shaky groan escaping his throat.

They lay there panting in the aftermath of their shared pleasure. Dimitri relaxed his grip on the
younger man’s hair and thigh. He worried for a moment that he might have left bruises, but thought
otherwise as he noticed the content smile and gleam of happiness in Jim’s eyes.
 “Well,” Dimitri started hoarsely. “That was certainly unexpected.”

Jim ducked his head shyly. “Good unexpected?”

Dimitri pulled him close, grinning stupidly. “Definitely good. But you didn’t have to do that for
me.”

“I know I didn’t have to,” Jim stated. “I wanted to.”

“Then I’m not complaining.” Dimitri kissed him softly. “I hope we didn’t traumatize Morph.” Both
of them looked over the captain’s shoulder, scanning the room for any sign of the pink blob. He
was nowhere to be seen.

“He might have slipped under the door,” Jim said. He shifted a little as he laid back down, making
a face as he blushed. “I think we should clean up…”

The older man laughed. “You’re probably right. You go first.” Jim kissed his cheek as he stood,
Dimitri watching as he made his way to the bathroom and closing the door. He relaxed back in bed
with a smile.

He was definitely happy.

Chapter End Notes

Nothing like kicking off Part 3 with some smut! These two were horny and ran away
from as I was writing.

As always, reviews are lovely!

 Part 3 Act II
Chapter Summary

The real world invades.

Chapter Notes

The drama is starting to heat up! This chapters a little short, sorry. I'm dedicating this
once more to heavenlygothicgirl, whose fic Maps to Trouble you should definitely go
read, especially if you like the Jimitri pairing. Thank you!

I feel as though I should mention that when I originally started writing this, I sincerely
thought about putting characters from other animated movies in here, other Disney
films and animated Fox and DreamWorks, but at the time it didn't feel right. I didn't
think the crew would really get as fleshed out as they started to become and in the next
two or three chapters they start to develop personality and get away from me. It was
fun writing them and gave me an opportunity to play with accents.

On that note though, from here on out is going to be sprinkled with some familiar
characters! I'm not going to tag them specifically (yet) cuz some of them are minor,
others not so much, nor will I tag their movies (yet).

On that note, OCs are mine, Cale belongs to Fox Animation, and as always No Beta.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Once both of them were clean, Jim having a trouble meeting Dimitri’s eyes after their little romp,
they headed downstairs for a late breakfast. There were a few catcalls from their crewmates, which
only served to embarrass Jim further, but no one really bothered them. A waiter took their orders
before dashing off to the kitchen. Morph floated over to them from another table, resting on Jim’s
shoulder.

“Hey, buddy,” Jim greeted. Morph chirped back.

“Doesn’t seem like we traumatized him too much,” Dimitri commented. Jim blushed.

“Really?” he deadpanned. “You’re gonna start that already?”

“Can’t help it.” Dimitri smirked. “You’re just so cute when you blush.”
Jim buried his head in his hands. “Kill me now…”

“Nope. You’re stuck with me.” Jim peeked at him through his fingers. Dimitri smiled. “Whatever
this is between us,” he stated softly, “I’m really enjoying it. I don’t think I’ve ever been this
comfortable with anyone in my life. You make me happy, Jim.”

The teen slowly removed his hands, revealing his flushed face. He tentatively rested his hand on
his captain’s, who laced their fingers together. “I feel the same…” he whispered quietly. He turned
hesitant, meeting Dimitri’s eyes through his bangs. “But what about Anya?”

Dimitri sighed. “I was hoping to forget about that,” he muttered. “I need to go back today and
formally call everything off. As much as I enjoy ou r time together, I feel bad for what I’m doing to
her.”

“I’m not feeling too hot about it either,” Jim admitted. Their waiter came by with their food, Jim
sectioning off a small portion for Morph. “Anya was nothing but nice to me on the Duchess . She’s
gonna hate me for stealing her man.”

" Hey.” Dimitri squeezed his hand, the youth finally looking up to properly meet his eyes.
“Whatever happens, happens. It’s not your fault I feel something for you that I don’t for her. She’s
a strong woman, she’ll get over me.”

“And her grandmother?” Jim asked.

“Will be harder to convince. She’s about as stubborn as I am.” Dimitri sighed, pushing his food
idly across his plate. “I should really just leave after breakfast. No use putting it off.” He chuckled
and flashed Jim a flirtatious grin. “I’m gonna need a change of clothes anyway.”

Jim’s face turned bright red at that. It was true, though. Dimitri was wearing the same clothes he
had on when he rushed out of Sophie’s the previous morning. His suit jacket was still out in the
carriage the innkeeper had been kind enough to stash away. “What will you tell them?” Jim asked,
doing his best to ignore that last comment.

“The truth,” Dimitri answered. “Or as close to the truth as you’re comfortable to me getting. I can
leave you out of it if you want.”
“Whatever works best, I guess,” Jim agreed. Dimitri nodded. They ate their meals in silence after
that, each offering Morph a small portion. It was a comfortable silence, broken only by the chatter
of their crewmates around them. There was something pleasant about just sitting with each other
without the need to force a conversation. Jim felt a brush against his leg and looked up, noticing
that Dimitri was watching him with a content little smile. Jim smiled back, pressing his leg against
Dimitri’s.

After breakfast, Jim walked with Dimitri out to his carriage, Morph floating over his shoulder.
Dimitri placed a light kiss to the teen’s cheek. “I’ll sneak out after I break the news. Hopefully
Anya won’t try to break my nose…”

“I hope not,” Jim replied. “I like your face how it is.” Dimitri chuckled.

“I’ll see you soon.” He tried to get in the carriage, but Jim grabbed his arm, pulling him back. “Jim,
what-” He was cut off as Jim stood on his toes to give him a sweet kiss on the lips. Dimitri blinked
once before closing his eyes, smiling into the kiss, wrapping one arm around Jim’s waist. Behind
them, Morph turned into a line of bells playing a traditional wedding tune. They broke apart.

Jim glared at the shapeshifter. “Shut up, Morph!” Morph simply giggled.

Dimitri pecked him lightly once more. “I really have to go now,” he said. Jim nodded, taking a step
back and shooing him away.

“Off with you, then,” he said. Dimitri laughed.

Jim didn’t head back inside until the captain was out of sight. . Morph floated along after him. He
was greeted with catcalls and teasing whistles from the few crewmen who were still in the inn.

“Didn’ t’ink ye had it in ye, lad!” one man called out. “We t’ought fer ye’d be pining after him the
rest o’ yer life!” A flush slowly crept up Jim’s neck.

“Bah! Poppycock!” Old Man Leonard called out. He had yet to figure out what to do after
retirement. “Ye didn’ work wit’ the boy day in an’ day out. I knew he could do it.” He winked at
Jim and gave an evil smirk to Gord who was once again seated across from the old salamander.
“Pay up.” The canine grumbled and fished out some coins.
“Wait a minute!” Jim exclaimed. “You’re betting on my love life?!”

“They were,” Robert said. He handed some coins over to another crewmate. “Some of us were
bettin’ on the cap’n’s.”

Jim stared at them all with wide eyes, a smile growing on his lips. “You’re all terrible. You know
that?”

There was raucous laughter all around. “Come join us, lad,” Robert invited. “We’ve hardly seen ye
the last few days.” Jim took a seat at his table.

“I haven’t seen the captain this happy in a while,” Alan said from a table over. “Practically the
whole trip he was fighting with Miss Anya.”

“The poor lass ain’t used to spacin’.” Robert said. “Bein’ stuck on a starship really brings out a
person’s true colors.” He clapped a hand on Jim’s shoulders, smiling broadly. “Now that Jim here
is wit’ the cap’n, I can finally be wit’ the lovely Miss Anya!”

“In yer dreams!” someone called out.

Laughing with the others, Jim smiled at all the banter. He had only partially believed Dimitri when
he said that the crew would be accepting of their relationship. To hear them tease and jeer at each
other, making light of what could have been a tense situation, finally cemented it for Jim. It’s what
he thought it might feel like to be part of a big family. They accepted it. They accepted him.

///

Sneaking into the palace was much more difficult than sneaking out would be. He almost felt like a
child again. He ditched the carriage where he knew the groundskeeper would notice and deal with
it properly, sneaking around the massive building to one of the servants’ entrances. ‘This would
have been so much easier to do at night,’ he thought, ducking under a window sill. The nearest
servants’ entrance was near one of the many gardens, two women tending to the flowers and a man
carrying mulch out a nearby storage shed. He nearly dropped the bag when he caught sight of
Dimitri.
“M-my Lord!” he exclaimed, catching the women’s attention. “Where have you been, sir? Miss
Anastasia’s been worried sick!”

One of the women walked up to them. “Sir, your clothes are a mess! Come, let’s get you dressed in
something fresh.” She turned as though to lead him back to the main entrance. Dimitri caught her
shoulder gently.

“No need,” he said with a kind smile. He had always made a point to be friendly with the help,
especially after his days as a cabin boy on his first ship. Nothing like learning humility while
taking orders. “I won’t be he e r long. Just need to talk to the Empress and Anastasia.” He always
hated calling his fiancé by her given name. ‘Ex-fiance,’ he corrected. “I’ll get a change on the way.
Don’t let me take up your time.” The woman looked to her companions uncertainly.

“Are you sure, sir?” the other woman asked. “It would be no trouble at all.”

Dimitri smiled at them. “I’m a big boy now. I think I can manage.”

The man laughed, hefting up his bag of mulch. “Come on, ladies, let’s leave him be. We need to
make the grounds presentable for the ceremony!” He flashed a smile at Dimitri. “We’ll leave you
be, my Lord.”

The women looked uncertain. “If you’re sure, my Lord…” They walked away, tending once more
to the flowers.

“Thank you,” Dimitri said sincerely. “I can always count on you to have my back.”

Shrugging, the other man grinned. He was the same age as Dimitri, having grown up alongside the
royal heirs. They’d been good friends in their youth, the blond man having helped sneak a young
Dimitri and Anya away from formal events. At one point in their teen years, they had even shared
something that Dimitri had trouble sharing with Anya. “Just like old times,” the blond said. “It’s
good to see you. You’ve been gone a while.”

“I know.” Dimitri clapped a hand on his shoulder, smiling genuinely. “It’s good to see you too,
Cale. How have you been?”

Cale shrugged. “Same old, same old. Trying to stay out of trouble.” He watched Dimitri with
longing in his eyes. “You’re not staying, are you?”

Dimitri shook his head. “No, sorry. I have a ship to run.” Cale had never quite gotten over their
time together, holding a slight grudge against Anya for a betrothal they hadn’t asked for.

“You’re finally calling it off?” A light of hope lit in Cale’s eyes.

“Yes, but…” Dimitri sighed. He watched Cale’s shoulders drop. “I’m sorry, Cale…”

Cale waved him off, clearing his throat. “I get it. I’m sorry it couldn’t be different, but… I get it.”
He managed a sincere smile for his friend. “We’re still friends. That’s enough for me.” He hefted
the mulch up once more and jerked his head towards the servants’ entrance. “Go on, get out of
here. Anya’s gonna be pissed when she finds out.”

“Don’t remind me…” Dimitri said his goodbyes as he entered the building. He weaved through
tight corridors he had long since memorized, having explored them often as an unruly child. It
didn’t take long to find his room, a place he hadn’t visited in over a year. It looked the exact same
as last he saw it; bed meticulously made and not a speck of dust to be seen. Dimitri hated it.

With a sigh, he went to the closet, pulling a random suit fit to wear before the Empress and a black
bag. He quickly stuffed the bag full of comfortable clothes stashed in his dresser and a suit or two
he may need at a later date. He even managed to fit a book or three in it. All in all, it only took a
few minutes; the less time spent in the unwelcoming space the better. Not a soul dropped by to see
if he was home and Dimitri preferred it that way.

Once packed, he changed out of his old suit into the clean one, throwing his dirty clothes into the
basket nearby. He didn’t leave the room properly, opting instead to use the servants’ corridors once
more to avoid as many people as possible. Not a soul was seen in the narrow passageways,
everyone too busy making last minute preparations for the wedding. A wave of guilt washed over
Dimitri. He had chosen the absolute worse time to call things off and he was well aware of it. But
now that he had found Jim he couldn’t keep playing the charade of loving someone he wasn’t
actually in love with. He couldn’t even recall a time when he ever told her he loved her. He was
going to hurt Anya deeply by doing this, but it was only fair to her as his friend. She deserved to
find someone who would love and cherish her genuinely, to look at her the way Dimitri looked at
Jim. He was an asshole, yes, but they would both be happier for it in the long run.

Exhaling deeply, resigning himself to the biggest yelling match of them all, he came upon the door
that led to the Empress’s study room. He smoothed his hair back, running a hand over his suit to
flatten out any creases before stepping out into the hallway. A few maids were going this way and
 that, paying him no mind. They must have thought him to be a butler of sorts since he came out of
their secret halls, which suited him just fine. Taking a deep breath, Dimitri walked up to the large
double doors of the study and knocked firmly. It was nowhere near his first audience with the
Empress, but he couldn’t help but wonder if it may be his last.

“Enter,” commanded the strong voice on the other side. Taking another deep breath to steady his
nerves, Dimitri entered the room, closing the door behind him. He didn’t notice that the latch
didn’t catch, nor did he notice the person who saw him enter the room. That person wondered what
her fiancé could want with her grandmother instead of seeing her after running off the day before.
Curiosity getting the best of her, Anya stepped up to the study doors, straining her ears to hear
what could be so important.

Chapter End Notes

Drama's afoot!

Leonard is absolutely based off Star Trek's own Leonard McCoy, in case anyone was
wondering. Every space adventure needs one. I like cantankerous characters.
 Part 3 Act III
Chapter Notes

Alright everybody, this emotional roller coaster of a chapter is going out to

heavenlygothgirl and ChildofSolace! Thank you so much to them and everyone else
who has commented and contributed to this tiny corner of fandom and encouraged me
to keep this fic alive!

As always, no beta and OCs are mine.

The Empress stood from her desk as Dimitri entered the room, door closing behind him. Marie
Feodorovna was an intimidating woman with cold eyes that seemed to only warm for her
granddaughter. She stood tall, back straight, with grey hair pulled up in a complicated bun. Her
hands were clasped in front of her. She was a firm but fair ruler, having been in power since her
late teenage years. Her father, the previous ruler, had died of illness. She had always been kind to
Dimitri, if exasperated with him a majority of the time. She had done her best to instill the ways of
the royal family in him, but Dimitri had always found ways out of his tutoring sessions. It wasn’t
until he had been hired on his first ship that she gave up, assuming that his adventurous streak
would finally leave after his service. To her disappointment, his lust for adventure only grew.

“Dimitri,” she said in greeting. She smiled kindly, but her eyes remained hard. “How wonderful to
see you. My apologies for not having an opportunity to see you until now. It’s been rather eventful
these last few weeks. Anastasia says your voyage went well.”

The captain bowed before the woman responsible for his betrothal. “It’s a pleasure to see you as
well, Your Majesty.” Even after spending all his time with a crew of licentious, vulgar men of
different species and races, his manners always seem to reemerge when faced with this one woman.
He straightened up, looking the older woman in the eye. “I wish I could say it was under better
circumstances.”

Marie raised an elegant eyebrow. “Oh? And what might that be?”

Dimitri swallowed back his sudden fear, butterflies fluttering in his stomach. This was the moment
of truth, quite literally. She would not take the news well, something he knew she would share with
her granddaughter, but he needed to tell her first to officially cancel everything. “I’m here to say…”
he paused, gathering his courage. “I cannot marry Anastasia.”

That sentence hung in the air. He wondered if Her Majesty was too stunned to speak, but the look
in her eyes never wavered. If she was shocked, she didn’t show it. Dimitri bowed once more.
“I have to go,” he said. He turned and reached for the door.

“Wait.” He stopped in his tracks at her demand, but he did not face her. He heard her heels digging
into the expensive rug and took another encouraging breath. “You can’t,” Marie said simply, calm
as could be. She stood before him once more, partially blocking his exit. “You made a promise.”

‘This was stupid…’ he thought. He should have just stayed in bed with Jim and let the wedding go
on without him, leaving Anya at the altar on her big day. ‘No. I couldn’t do that to her. She
deserves better.’

He wasn’t quite sure if Marie had continued speaking over his thoughts. “You are engaged,” he
heard. “You have a duty to uphold that engagement.”

“ You decided this with my grandmother, not me,” he told her firmly. “Anya and I had no say in it.
I have to go.” He bowed politely once more and she stepped aside, allowing him to leave. He did
not look back.

She had accepted far more easily than he had thought, but he did not like the calculating glint in her
eyes as he left. What was she up to? She couldn’t force him to marry Anya. All he had to do was
say “I don’t” at the actual ceremony. Hell, he didn’t even have to show up.

He hefted his bag higher on his shoulder as he closed the door behind him only to lose his balance
as he was shoved against it.

“You liar!” Anya all but screamed at him as he regained his footing. Panic settled in Dimitri’s
stomach as he stared at his now ex-fiancé.

“Anya…” he tried pathetically. This wasn’t how it was supposed to happen! He wanted to break it
to her gently, give her a chance to process it in private, and then have her scream at him. The
servants running to and fro stopped to witness what might be their most epic fight yet.

“Shut up!” she yelled, voice catching. She shoved him again and Dimitri took it. He deserved
everything she was going to do to him. “How could you do that?! How could you do this to me ?
You can’t just decide not to go through with this!”
“Anya, please understand me…” He tried to grab her hand, but she ripped her arm away, dark blue
eyes glaring dangerously. “This is a stupid thing for us. All we do is fight and we both want to do
different things! We won’t be happy together!” She turned away from him and Dimitri rushed to
stand before her. “We hardly know each other anymore!”

She shoved him out of the way once more. “It’s that damn cabin boy, isn’t it?” If it was possible,
her glare grew even more hateful. “You’re going to let some kid you just met change your mind?! I
swear, you will marry me!”

Dimitri panicked, reaching for her hand once more. “Anya…!”

Turning to face him one last time, Anya slapped him as hard as she could. Dimitri’s head turned
with the force of it and he let her go, giving her the opportunity to stomp off. He didn’t bother to go
after her. He reached a hand up to his lips, making sure he wasn’t bleeding where he bit it.
Satisfied that he wasn’t, he finally noticed all the wide, startled eyes of the surrounding servants.
He gave them all a shaky smile. “You all might want to take a long break,” he suggested. Picking
up his bag, Dimitri disappeared back into the servants’ corridors and out of the palace.

///

Jim was tinkering with the engine on his solar surfer when Dimitri opened the door to their now
shared room. He dropped his bag by the door and with a weary sigh, walked over to the bed and
flopped down on it face first. Jim looked up at the commotion, growing concerned when his
captain didn’t move. He set his solar surfer aside, carefully sitting on the side of the bed. “That
bad?” he asked quietly. Dimitri nodded into the pillow. Jim scratched the back of his neck. He
wasn’t good at these kinds of situations. “Want to talk about it?” Dimitri shook his head. Jim bit
his lip, not sure what to do. Morph floated over, chattering. He lightly patted the back of Dimitri’s
head.

There was a snort into the pillow. The captain sat up to face Jim properly, letting out a weary sigh.

“Oh, wow,” the younger man whistled. He brought his hand up, gently ghosting his fingers over
his captain’s bright red cheek. “She really didn’t take it well.”

“Not at all,” Dimitri conceded. He watched Jim get up and head into the bathroom, hearing the
faucet turn on briefly. “She found out in the worst possible way. “ Jim came back out with a damp
cloth, handing it over to his captain. “She overheard me talking to the Empress.” He pressed the
cool cloth against his cheek, wincing slightly.
“And how did the Empress take it?” Jim twisted his hands together nervously.

“She seemed to take it ok.” Dimitri leaned back against the wall. “I mean, she didn’t try too hard to
talk me out of it. But she’s a hard woman to read, so she might actually be plotting my death right
now.”

Jim brought his knees to his chest, staring at the ground. “I don’t think that’s something to joke
about right now…”

Dimitri went silent, taking in his young lover’s hunched form. He smiled softly. “Hey…” he
murmured. Jim slowly looked up to him, worry in his blue eyes. Dimitri set aside the cloth,
holding a hand out to Jim. “Come here.” Jim hesitated for a moment before crawling over and
sitting with his back to the wall. Dimitri wrapped his arm around him and pulled him close. Jim
laid his head on the captain’s shoulder. Said captain kissed his hair lightly. “We’ll be fine. Anya
just needs to cool down. I’m staying here for the rest of shore leave so I won’t even see the
Empress again before we take off. With any luck, I won’t see her for a very long time.”

“And if they come looking for you?” Jim asked quietly.

“That would mean coming down from their ivory tower,” Dimitri replied. He kissed Jim’s head
again. “Try not to worry about it. We’ll get through the next week and then we’ll return to
Montressor so I can meet your mother.”

Eyes widening in surprise, Jim slowly looked up at him. “You… You really want to meet her?”

The captain smiled down at him. “Of course. She sounds like a wonderful woman from what
you’ve told me.” His smile turned playful. “Unless you don’t want me to meet her.”

“No, no, I do!” Jim beamed at him. “I’d love for you to meet her!”

“I can’t wait,” Dimitri said truthfully.

They spent the rest of the afternoon talking and laughing, sharing stories they had already heard
and stories they had yet to hear. Dimitri regaled Jim with his misadventures sneaking out of his
tutoring sessions as a kid, how he and Anya couldn’t stand to sit still for long periods of time. He
was careful not to mention Her Majesty for fear of bringing back Jim’s uneasiness. Jim told him
about some of the stupid things he did before his trip to Treasure Planet, about how he trespassed
on old mining sights and government properties with his solar surfer back home and was
subsequently put on probation. It was comfortable, relaxing, reminding them that before all this
drama had started that they had become good friends while on the Duchess. Morph even did his
best to mime their stories, doing his best to make both men laugh. Dimitri asked about Amelia,
saying that Greggo didn’t mention his family much, and Jim asked about his time learning to be a
captain. They talked well into the evening, only remembering dinner when Morph darted under the
door without warning.

“Guess we should go eat, huh?” Dimitri said. He sat up straight, stretching his arms above his
head. His back popped in the most satisfying way.

“Suppose so.” Jim sat up as well. He smiled at his captain. “I can’t wait for you to meet mom,” he
said. “She is by far the best cook you will ever meet. Everything she bakes is to die for.”

“Really?” Dimitri stood, holding a hand out for Jim. “Can’t wait to try some of it. The guys who
stayed at the Benbow Inn had nothing but good things to say.” He gave the youth a teasing smile.
“I sure hope she passed some of that great cooking onto you. I would hate to cast off without
Leonard only to find out our new cook burns everything.”

Jim shoved him lightly as he walked past, smirking. “Please. The only food I’ll be burning is
yours. I may not be as good as her, but she taught me well. I’ll have you all eating out of the palm
of my hand.”

Dimitri wrapped an arm around his younger lover’s shoulders, smiling as he kissed his cheek. “I’m
looking forward to it.”

///

That night at the palace, Anya sat on her large, luxurious bed; something she had sincerely missed
while out in space. Her head was in her hands, legs crossed under her. Her shoulders shook slightly,
but she did not cry. She hadn’t cried in a very long time. That did not mean she was void of
emotion. In actuality, she was more than a little upset. Lifting her head, she wiped at dry eyes with
the sleeve of her nightgown. Her tiny dog, Pooka, nudged her leg with a soft whine. Anya looked
down at him.

“Hey, boy,” she said softly. She lifted Pooka into her lap, gently petting him. “Momma’s just a
little upset,” she continued. Pooka placed both paws on her chest, standing on hind legs. Anya
scratched behind his ears. Dark blue eyes glinted wetly as she stared down at her dog. “Dimitri said
something…” A lump lodged in her throat, but she swallowed past it. “He doesn’t want to go
through with the wedding. When we were kids neither of us wanted to, but…” She paused, taking a
deep breath. “I got used to the idea. Being married to your best friend couldn’t be so bad, could it?”
She looked down at Pooka in question.

Pooka tilted his head.

“Apparently so…” Anya muttered. She fell back on her large mattress with a huff, staring at the
ceiling. Pooka laid on her stomach. “I thought if we just traveled together for a while he’d
eventually get bored of spacing. That never happened. And he’s right. All we’ve been doing for
months is fighting.” She closed her eyes. “Maybe it is a bad idea…” A bitter laugh slipped past her
lips. “We’ve never even said ‘I love you’ to each other…” She rolled on her side, Pooka falling to
the bed with a yip. He crawled up until his snout was touching Anya’s nose. “I don’t even know if
I do love him. But now he has that cabin boy – what’s his name? Jim? Now he’s interested in Jim
and he likes guys apparently…” She wrapped her arms around Pooka. “I don’t know what to do…”

Silence enveloped the bedroom, Anya simply holding onto her dog and taking solace in Pooka’s
presence. She didn’t know how much time passed as she lay there, only that she didn’t know what
was going on in her heart. She needed a husband eventually, she knew that. It didn’t have to be
immediately, but the sooner she was wed the better for her throne. Dimitri just happened to be the
best option, and at the time of their betrothal, convenient. If his father had never taken him off
planet, maybe he wouldn’t be so against the idea.

And Jim…

Anya had always known there was something... off… about her best friend. When they were
young, Dimitri had started spending more time with Cale than with her, despite being the best of
friends. During their teen years, she had seen the two of them sneak off together more often than
she could count. She had no idea what could have happened on the ships Dimitri had served on. If
she really thought about it, she really wasn’t all that shocked that Dimitri would want to be with
Jim. Anya hadn’t spent much time with the younger man, but he had been polite, and he was cute.
She had noticed immediately when Dimitri had started spending more time with the kid.

Did that make the ache of betrayal hurt any less? Not a bit.

There was a knock at her bedroom door, disrupting the silence that was starting to lull her to sleep.
“Come in,” she called, sitting upright. Pooka crawled back into her lap.
The door opened and she was only slightly surprised to see her grandmother enter the room. She
had expected the older woman to have retired to bed already. Marie was absent of her formal wear,
instead wearing comfortable lounge clothes. She had a kind smile on her aged face, eyes soft as she
gazed at her granddaughter.

“Hello, my dear,” she greeted fondly. She walked over to the bed, taking a seat on the edge. “How
are you? I’ve not seen you at all today.”

“I’m fine, grandmama,” said Anya. She hugged her knees to her chest. “I’ve just… had a lot on my
mind.”

“About Dimitri,” Marie stated. Anya looked up at her. “I’m old, my child, not blind. Nor am I deaf.
I heard what happened outside my study this morning.”

Anya looked away guiltily. “I didn’t know I had yelled so loud…”

“I think half the palace heard you.” There was a hint of laughter in Marie’s tone. “No one blames
you for being so upset. You have every right to be. Dimitri has betrayed you and your trust.”

“I’m not so sure he actually has, though,” Anya admitted softly. Marie watched her patiently,
waiting for Anya to gather the right words. “We’ve been fighting so much lately and he’s right.
We barely know each other anymore. Is it fair to either of us if we marry in contempt?”

Marie listened quietly. She stared out the picturesque windows overlooking the moonlit gardens.
Anya made no effort to interrupt her thoughts.

Finally, Marie looked back to her. “Anastasia,” she asked, “do you love him?”

It was Anya’s turn to be silent. She absently scratched behind Pooka’s ears. “I think so,” she
eventually answered. “It hurt a lot when he said he wouldn’t marry me. But…”

“But what, my dear?” Marie placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

“It’s just… I think he’s with the cabin boy from ou ship,” Anya admitted. “He’s always gravitated r
towards guys and Jim’s… Well.”

“He’s what?” Marie prompted.

“Well… He’s a cute kid with a bit of an attitude. He’s the type of guy Dimitri always seems to
spend time with.” When Anya looked back up to her grandmother, there was a calculating glint in
her eyes. It was always there when Marie had to take counsel- be it with ambassadors from
neighboring planets or her own people. Anya bit her lip, unsure. That look had never been directed
at her before. “Grandmama?”

Anya was suddenly pulled into a comforting, yet firm hug. Her grandmother held her tight. “I
don’t want you to worry about any of this, my dear. I have a plan.”

///

race Regalia III’s sun beat down on the docks as spacers of all creeds to and from their respective d
ships. The Duchess’s crew jeered and shaved at each other as they made their way to the ship, Jim
and Dimitri bringing up the rear of their small group. The rest of the crew were either in town or at
the inn, Greggo included. It was the captain’s turn to oversee ship maintenance with a few
volunteers. Jim figured he could help as well.

“Jimbo,” Alan called from the front. Jim looked up from his conversation with Dimitri. “You can
sew, right?” Jim nodded. Morph bobbed in the air next to him.

“You mind helping with the old sails, then?” Gord asked. “It’s always best to keep spares in stock
no matter the condition.”

“Sure, I can do that,” Jim agreed. Dimitri wrapped an arm around his shoulders. Jim looked up at
him with a small smile. Dimitri smiled back.

“I’ll help you gather the old ones up in a nice pile before I leave,” he said. Jim rose an eyebrow in
question. “Need to head into town and barter for some more provisions. We need to be ready at a
moment’s notice.”

The assembled crew muttered in understanding as they boarded the Duchess . True to his word,
Dimitri helped them gather the torn sails into a neat pile. Four men climbed up the rigging to finish
securing the new sails while Alan, Jim, and Vaughn, a young slug not much older than Jim, found
a place to sit on deck, legs crossed and needles in hand. Dimitri pressed a quick, sweet kiss to Jim’s
lips, making the teen blush and the others catcall.

“Behave, you lazy bilge rats,” the captain said with a laugh, ruffling his lover’s hair. He waved as
he strolled back down the gangplank.

As their captain disappeared from sight, Vaughn nudged Jim with his tail. Jim glanced at him, face
red. “So when did you and the captain happen?” he asked with a small smile. “First he’s with
Anya, then he never seems to leave your side. How long has that been going on?”

“Don’t tell me you never noticed them pining after each other?” Alan interjected. “They’ve been
attached at the hip practically since the day Jimmy came aboard.”

“Not that long…” Jim mumbled. Morph unhelpfully separated into miniature versions of the men
in question, making big eyes at each other. Jim swatted at him while their companions laughed.

“So it’s only been since shore leave started?” Vaughn asked.

“Pretty much,” said Jim. “You remember the pirate attack?” How could they forget? “It all kind of
started that night, but officially a couple days ago.”

“With all that pining you guys did during the trip and how you never left each other, we thought it
had to have been longer,” Alan admitted. “Anya?”

Jim was silent for a moment, watching his hands move. “She didn’t take it well…”

“Course she didn’t,” Vaughn snorted. “She was looking for crap to fight about long before you
came aboard, don’t worry.”

“Yeah,” agreed Alan. “We all saw it coming. No one thinks any less of either of you for Cap’n’s
actions.”

Vaughn laughed and jabbed his needle in the blond human’s direction. “You’d be one to talk if ye
did.” Alan swatted at him.

Oddly enough, that little bit of reassurance was enough to help ease the guilt from Jim’s mind.
Guilt had been eating at him since the moment he begged Dimitri to kiss him. It had only grown
since then. To have some reassurance that it wasn’t his fault that Dimitri left Anya, that their
problems weren’t because of him, made him breathe a sigh of relief. It felt good to finally open up
about it.

But if he was still feeling guilty, how did Dimitri feel about it all?

With one question answered, new ones popped up, but he pushed them to the back of his mind for
now. He’d be sure to bring it up with Dimitri that night. In the meantime, the three men worked
and talked, joking and laughing. Morph acted out their stories to each other, making their tales
more enjoyable and the time pass much quicker. The occasional jeer from the men on the mizzen
mast had Alan shouting curses back. All in all, Jim enjoyed himself, despite occasionally pricking
his own fingers with the needle.

The comfortable peace was broken by the sound of a police hovercraft further down the dock. Jim
knew the sound well. He looked over the port banister and saw two police bots dismounting their
vehicles near the Duchess’s gangplank. An uncomfortable roiling built in his stomach and his
palms started sweating. This was an all too familiar scene for him.

Alan and Vaughn only noticed their unwelcome company after the cops made it onto the ship.
Vaughn gave them a polite smile. “What can we do for you, officers?”

“Do you know the location of a Mr. James Hawkins?” They cut straight to the point. A lump
settled in Jim’s throat.

Alan glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. “What business do you have with him?” he asked
firmly. “He’s done nothing wrong.”

“It is a matter of imperial business,” one cop said. Their cold metallic eyes stared down at them
hard. “Where can we find Mr. Hawkins?”

They had gathered the attention of the rest of the crew, who quickly scurried down the rigging.
“What’s going on?” Gord asked.
“They’re looking for Jim,” Vaughn answered.

“What’s he done?” asked another. Jim felt a surge of affection for his crewmates. They still hardly
knew him yet not a one would give him up to the police. He felt more a part of the family than
ever.

“Imperial business,” the other cop repeated. “We won’t ask again. Where is James Hawkins?”

Gord crossed his arms, glaring back. “We won’t say until you tell us why you want him.” Jim felt
his eyes tear up at the display of loyalty.

He set aside his needle and his part of the sail. “Thanks, guys,” he muttered as he stood. “It’s okay.
I think I know what’s up.” He faced the officers as they leveled their perpetual glares at him. “I’m
James Hawkins.”

“You will accompany us to the palace, willingly or by force,” one stated. “Her Majesty wishes to
speak with you.”

Gulping down the lump in his throat, Jim nodded. He turned back to his friends, who looked on
worriedly. “I won’t be gone long,” he told them with a smile. He wondered if he was lying.

Morph chattered anxiously and when the cops turned their backs, he quickly wrapped around Jim’s
neck as a plain leather necklace. Jim patted him gently, reassuring the both of them. It was at times
like this, he thought as he mounted the hovercraft behind one officer, that he missed BEN’s
constant muttering. The robot could talk so much and at such a rapid fire that he could
unintentionally defuse any situation. He had a knack for directing all focus to himself. All who
heard him became universally irritated and just wanted him to shut up. Just thinking about him
made Jim smile.

The ride to the palace was much shorte r than his trip to Sophie’s had been. He made sure to
memorize every hill, twist and turn. He awed at the ornate building when they finally stopped and
followed the robots to the main entrance. They were let in by a blond human who stared at Jim in
question as he walked by. Jim felt severely underdressed. He stuck close to the robots as they
navigated through the many halls, fearing how easily he could get lost. Morph tittered nervously
around his neck. Finally, they came upon a set of ornate double doors. One officer knocked. They
waited patiently, at least the robots did, until there was a call of “Enter” on the other side.
One of the officers placed a hand on Jim’s shoulder and urged him forward first. “Madam,” the
robot said, “We located the boy.”

The elderly woman who could only be the Empress of Regalia III stood from her desk, a kind smile
on her lips that did not meet her eyes. She wore a black dress, silver hair in a tight bun. Jim could
see her resemblance to Anya in her high cheekbones and the line of her jaw. She looked good for
her age. “Thank you, officers,” she said. “You may leave us.” The police did their best to bow
before taking their leave, closing the door gently behind them. To Jim, it might as well have been a
death sentence.

He felt trapped.

“I’ve heard about you, Mr. Hawkins,” the Empress addressed him in a friendly tone. Her eyes were
stony. “You seem like a nice young man.”

Jim didn’t answer her. He placed his hands in his coat pockets.

Marie was unconcerned. “I have a proposal for you, Mr. Hawkins.” She walked around her desk,
opening a small box as she did so. Jim nearly gasped, eyes widening at what lay inside. “Here is
more money than you will ever make in a lifetime.” A small smirk lifted her lips as Jim stared.
“Take this money,” Jim was already taking a step forward, “and leave Dimitri.”

With his foot halfway in the air, Jim froze.

A few years ago, Jim would have done it. He would have taken all that money in a heartbeat and
went straight home, never to look back. Things were different now. He and his mom weren’t
financially hurting anymore. The little bit of gold Silver had left for them had been enough to take
care of them for years to come. His mom was happier than he had seen her in years. And now Jim
had Dimitri. He had his own slice of happiness. He never once thought that he would find someone
who could make him as happy as Dimitri did. He couldn’t.

No.

It wasn’t even an option!

“Why should I do that?” he demanded of her. How dare she even suggest it!
Her face contorted into a look of outrage. “You don’t deserve him!” She didn’t shout, but it was a
near thing. Jim stood his ground, glaring at her. “Look at you! You’re a ridiculous sailor with no
future!” She took a deep breath. A small smile graced her lips once more. “So, it’s all right.” Marie
stared him down.

.I'm sorry to say that it's really not," Jim said coolly"

". Marie continued to smile tightly. "I must ask that you reconsider

Jim matched her gaze. “Never.”

He wouldn’t leave Dimitri just because he wronged her granddaughter.

“What a pity…” Marie said with a sigh. “Very well. Officers!” Those same two cops entered once
more. Marie took a seat behind her desk, not even looking at them as she ordered, “Take him
away.”

Panic rose up as the robots roughly latched onto Jim’s arms and hauled him out of the room. “No!”
he shouted. “You can’t do this! You can’t – No !” He writhed and struggled, barely noticing when
the weight lifted from his neck. He kicked and shouted, catching the attention of everyone they
passed by as he was dragged off. Not a single person tried to help him. “Let me go!”

lurched forward, barely staying upright as his vision He was cuffed on the back of the head and he
tunneled and blood rushed in his ears. He was vaguely aware of being lifted and placed on the
blur of gree hovercraft once more. Scenery zoomed by in a and browns and grays, his stomach ns
reeling when they came to a sudden halt. His vision was starting to center as one cop roughly
hauled him to his feet and he stumbled up a ramp. There was noise all around him. Jim barely
caught himself on his hands and knees as the earth gave way under him. There was more noise and
movement and he finally took a moment to gather his surroundings.

There was wood under his hands. Finely polished with scuffs and nicks from years of people
walking on it. Barrels were on one side of him and cannons in the corner of his eyes.

He was on a ship. He was on a ship and it wasn’t the Duchess . He was on a ship and it was
moving. Oh, no. No. No no no no no no !
Jim leapt to unsteady feet just as the gravity field was turned on and stumbled to the side of the
ship. No one tried to stop him. He clutched the railing tightly, knuckles going white as he watched
in horror as Regalia III drifted further and further away.
 Interlude
Chapter Notes

How many of you wanted your hearts ripped out today?

No beta, OCs are mine.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Dimitri didn’t return to the Duchess until well into the evening. When he saw that everyone had
left for the evening, he headed back to the inn. Dinner was oddly quieter than normal, but he paid it
no mind, greeting his crew as he normally would. They said the ir hello’s much more subdued than
usual. Unease started to build in the captain. Even the innkeeper had trouble looking him in the
eye.

“What happened?” he finally demanded the room at large. Nobody was in a rush to speak up. He
glared, eyes more serious than they had ever been. “What. Happened.”

All were quiet. Then, with a small sigh, Vaughn stood from his seat. “Cap’n…” he started. He had
to stop to swallow the lump in his throat, but when he finally looked Dimitri in the eyes, Dimitri
knew something was terribly wrong.

“Vaughn,” he pleaded, “please. What happened?”

“It’s…” Vaughn looked away. “It’s Jim…”

Dimitri sucked in a sharp breath. “Where's Jim?”

“He’s…”

“Vaughn. Where is Jim?” he all but demanded.

if he “He hasn’t come back,” Alan said into his mug, not standing or looking up. “We don’t know
will…”
Dimitri took a step back. “…What?” He looked around at all the somber faces. He shook his head.
“No. No! You’re wrong!” He pushed past Vaughn, running straight to the stairs. “Jim!” he
shouted. “Jim!” He ran to their shared room , bursting through the door. “Jim!”

He expected to see Jim lying in bed with a sleepy smile after working all day. He expected to see
him tinkering with his solar surfer in the middle of the floor. He expected to see him coming out of
the bathroom, his beautiful smile welcoming Dimitri with open arms and sweet kisses.

He at least expected Morph to greet him with a small chirp.

The room was empty.

No Morph.

No Jim.

He glanced around with a sick feeling curling in his gut.

A note rested on the nightstand.

With shaking hands, Dimitri picked it up and unfolded it, eyes scanning the page slowly.

Captain,

I decided to leave. I’m sorry. I never loved you. It was only a joke. I hope you will forgive me.
I think we will never meet again, so here are my last words for you:

Thank you for everything,

Jim.

A tear dripped onto the page.

 No, it just won't stop

Chapter End Notes

End Part 3
 Part 4 Act I
Chapter Notes

I wasn't planning on updating this quite so soon, but I got myself all hyped up for it
cuz I like this chapter. It is kinda short tho.

Those characters I mentioned? Yeah, they show up finally!

As always, no beta and OCs are mine.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Anger burned bright in Jim as Regalia III drifted further and further into the distance. His first
panicked instinct was to make a run for the lower decks, to immediately seek out a longboat. It took
three men to grab him and pin him to the deck. He jerked and struggled, snapping his teeth at
anyone who got close enough. Anger the like s of which he’d never felt before boiled over and he
thrashed wildly, a fourth man needing to jump in and pin a leg he managed to kick free, nearly
managing to kick one of them over the head.

“Let me go!” he shouted. “I have to get back! You can’t keep me here!”

“Sorry, kid, but we’re under orders,” another man said, walking over to kneel in front of the teen.
He was handsome, with dark eyes, dark hair, and a dark goatee. He smirked. “Either you calm
down and behave, or I toss your sorry ass in the brig. What’ll it be, kid?”

Jim glared fiercely at the man. “Take me back to Regalia.”

“No can do.” The man shook his head. “Her Royal Pain in My Ass is paying me handsomely to
take you far away from her planet.”

“You look like nothing more than dirty pirates,” Jim snarled.

The handsome man laughed. “We have a winner here, boys!” he jeered. The crew laughed.

The youth’s eyes widened. His struggle died as he actually took a good look around at the crew s
who watched with amused eyes and big smiles. Two men were whispering as they eyed Jim,
shaking hands as they watched the scene .unfold Jim swallowed the lump in his throat, his eyes
burning horribly.

“I see you finally understand your position,” the man continued, presumably the captain. He stood
at his full height, waving away the men who had Jim pinned down. They reluctantly stood and
moved away, standing close by in case Jim tried something stupid. The captain removed his red
cap and bowed with a flourish, “Welcome aboard the Chimera !” he declared. He stood up straight
again, replacing his cap. He held out a hand. “I’ll be your captain during the voyage. The name’s
Sinbad.” A cheeky grin enhanced his handsome features. Jim glared. The captain shrugged. “Not a
talke r then.”

“Take me back to Regalia,” Jim hissed darkly.

“Can’t do that, kid.” Sinbad turned away. Jim used the chance to jump at him, hands outstretched,
snarl on his lips. Sinbad sidestepped easily, pulling out his sword in one smooth motion and
pointing it at Jim’s neck as he regained his balance. Jim froze.

“A-and why not?” Jim managed to growl out around his fear.

Sinbad studied him in silence for a moment, sword held steady. He was impressed to say the least.
Even under the threat of death, the kid still had fire in his eyes. “Word is you pissed off the
Empress. In exchange for letting me and my crew go, she wants you taken as far away as I can
possibly get you. You’re a wanted man if you’re ever caught in this small corner of the galaxy
again.”

Jim nearly argued, but the seriousness in the older spacer’s eyes stayed his tongue. Sinbad wasn’t
lying. Jim looked away, no longer able to meet the captain’s eyes.

He was a wanted man. He could no longer return to Regalia III, couldn’t return to Dimitri. To think
that only a few hours ago he had kissed the man goodbye as he went off on some mundane errand.
He had been getting along with the crew so well, had been accepted into their ranks as one of their
own. Would he ever see them again? Would he ever see Dimitri again?”

“Are you going to kill me?” Jim asked quietly, eyes dropping to the floorboards under his feet.
Sinbad regarded him quietly.

“I’m not gonna kill you, kid,” he finally said, sheathing his sword. He walked up to Jim. “But I
can’t let you go either. Her Holiness has eyes on us until we’re out of her jurisdiction.” Jim exhaled
heavily. “Now you have two options. If you cause trouble, I can throw you in the brig for the
remainder of the voyage.” Jim’s shoulders sagged and he shook his head. “Option two is you have
to pull your own weight around here.” Jim looked up with disbelieving eyes. Sinbad shrugged.
“Hey, not all pirates are bad guys,” he said with a wink.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jim caught the two men who had been whispering earlier exchanging
coins. One of them looked rather annoyed.

His attention was brought back to Sinbad when the older man waved a finger in his face. “But if
you try anything, like say, go for one of the longboats for example, then it’s the brig. Clear?”

Jim nodded reluctantly. “Crystal…”

Sinbad gave him a wide smile. “Great! You got a name, kid?”

“…It’s Jim.”

///

It was two days until the original wedding date and two days since Anya had spoken to her
grandmother. She had not seen Dimitri since that fateful morning, but she had been searching for
him. She had scoured the palace, combed through old hideouts and hangouts he had been known to
frequent, eventually making her way to the docks. There she found Greggo. He was aboard the
Duchess with a handful of crew, dutifully securing the last of the sails and tying down cannons and
equipment. She approached the feline cautiously, receiving a bored stare in return.

“Gregory,” she greeted politely. He blinked dully at her. “You wouldn’t happen to know where I
can find Dimitri, would you?”

The feline turned back to the cannon he was securing. “He’s at the inn down the street,” he
answered. “You shouldn’t have any trouble finding it.” A sick feeling curled in Anya’s gut at his
easy dismissal, but she thanked him politely. He snorted in reply.

The Duchess’s preparations were coming along much faster than originally anticipated, almost like
the crew were working double-time to get her underway again. Anya was unsettled by it. A ship
the Duchess’s size would need a couple more days at least to be ready. Anya’s queasiness grew.
Her arrival at the inn was not greeted with warm smiles and playful banter like it had been aboard
the Duchess. The air was somber, the faces she recognized barely sparing her a glance. Only the
innkeeper bowed his head politely, but that was all. Anya scanned the room for a familiar friendly
face before finally finding Robert in the small crowd. As she drew closer, she noticed just how
ragged he looked, dark bags hanging under his eyes. In fact, most of the crew looked similar, like
they hadn’t slept in a day or so.

“Robert,” Anya greeted with an uneasy smile.

Robert looked up at her slowly. “Ah, Miss Anya,” he said almost out of reflex. “What can I do fer
ye?” The older frog was usually so cheerful when they spoke. The lack of affection in his tone
made her worry.

“I was wondering if you knew where Dimitri was,” she said.

The frog nodded towards the stairs. “Upstairs. Last door on the left.”

Anya gave her thanks and headed in the right direction. Arriving at the correct door, she took a
deep breath, swallowing down her unease, and knocked.

“It’s open,” came the sullen voice from within. Anya took another deep breath and entered.

Dimitri had his back to her, leaning against the window with his head pressed to his arm. He gazed
in the direction of the docks, where his Duchess laid waiting. That ship was his pride and joy.
Anya knew that, but she still couldn’t help being incredibly jealous. If Dimitri had never gone with
his father on that trip all those years ago, they wouldn’t be in this situation. They’d get married;
rule their planet together as both friends and husband and wife. There would be no fighting; there
would be no cabin boy to get in the way and ruin years of careful planning. Anya had to do this.

“What is it?” Dimitri called out tiredly.

“Dimitri?” Anya tentatively asked. The captain jerked in surprise, head turning so fast he might
have gotten whiplash. Anya gave him the tiniest of smiles. “Are you alright?”
The captain simply watched her with anguished eyes. He turned back to the window, pressing his
head to the cool glass once more.

Anya bit her lip, looking away. Her eyes caught sight of the letter lying on the floor by his feet.
She glanced over the words. “Is it because of him?”

Breath fogging up the glass, Dimitri sighed. “Yes…”

Anya wrung her hands together. “I… I heard what happened.” Slowly, she approached he r e x-
fiancé, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. Dimitri looked at her over his shoulder. “I’m
here for you, you know.”

She wasn’t sure what she expected to see in his caramel eyes, eyes she once thought she had been
some sort of gratitude, but his eyes remained in love with. She expected to at the very least find
dull, almost unseeing. Anya forced a comforting smile, but Dimitri didn’t react.

“Oh…” he muttered. He looked away. “Thanks.”

Anya bit her lip. She was losing him. She knew it. “I will take care of you,” she tried again. She
reached up to caress his cheek but Dimitri caught her wrist.

He gave her a tight smile. “No need.”

Familiar anger bubbled up in the royal. “But he left you!”

Dimitri’s head snapped up to meet her gaze, life sparking once more in his eyes. “How do you
know that?” he demanded.

Anya jerked her hand back in panic. She took a step back, mind running a mile a minute. She
gestured to the letter. “I read the letter… Sorry…”

Releasing a heavy breath, Dimitri looked away from her to the parchment on the floor. He closed
his eyes as something desperate flickered in them. “Anya…” he whispered. “You don’t
understand.” He stared at her with the most pleading, heartbreaking look she had ever seen on him.
“I didn’t realize it until I read that note, but… I love him.”

Pain, piercing and hot, lanced through Anya’s heart. Whether she was in love with him or not, to
hear those words fall from his mouth was too much. She hadn’t thought it would hurt so much.
Tears started to fill her eyes, but she blinked them away. With a scowl, she closed the space
between them to stand a hair’s breadth in front of him. She stared directly into his eyes, hands
reaching up to cup the sides of his face. “I don’t care.” She closed her eyes and leaned in to kiss
him.

///

“You don’t deserve him!” Marie yelled, face contorted in anger. “Look at you! You’re a ridiculous
sailor with no future.”

Just as his vision blacked out, Jim jerked awake, heart racing. His hammock swung wildly back
and forth from his writhing and he gulped in a lungful of air, letting it out slowly. He ran a hand
through his hair.

“Just a dream…” he muttered. He took a moment to listen to the soothing sounds of the ship; of
creaking wood and snoring spacers. It was familiar and comforting.

Until he remembered that it wasn’t a dream.

The memory of his abduction had the blood draining from his face. He observed the sleeping faces
of the crew, not recognizing a single one. Even Morph was nowhere to be seen, usually snuggled
up in Jim’s jacket on the floor at the head of the hammock so as not to get stepped on. Morph had
barely even left Jim’s side since they left Montressor and now that he was missing, Jim felt his
absence acutely. He looked back around the slumbering humans.

“I have to get off this ship…” he whispered. He thought of Morph, cheerful, playful Morph,
stealing his clothes and playing keep-away as Jim scrambled after him, Dimitri watching and
laughing. Dimitri, eyes bright, smiling so sweetly at Jim like there was nowhere in the universe he
would rather be than with Jim. Warmth spread through the young man as he thought of his lover,
of Dimitri’s warm smile and sweet kisses. He needed to get back to Dimitri.

With newfound conviction, Jim slipped out of his hammock and grabbed his coat and boots,
tiptoeing his way out of the crew’s quarters. The crew of the Chimera hadn’t felt it necessary to
give Jim a tour of the ship, and rightfully so for as soon as he was topside he immediately started
searching for the longboats. The dark beauty of the Etherium and its distant nebulas was not
enough to distract him from his search, and he was careful to keep an eye out for any pirate out of
bed. Maybe he wasn’t locked in the brig, but they definitely refused to take him back to Regalia III
and that was enough to keep him searching. It didn’t take much more than a quick scan of the deck
to find the other entrance to the lower decks and he crept to it, careful not to alert the on-duty
helmsman. Once below, he walked down a promisingly short hall and he was reminded of the night
he snuck aboard the Legacy with BEN and Morph. Once again, he was on a ship full of pirates, but
this time he was on his own. He quietly made his way down the hall.

He nearly hooted in excitement when he opened the door at the end and stumbled into the room
with the longboats. Quickly scanning over their condition, he deemed them acceptable from the
outside. If they had enough fuel in them, he could probably make it back to Regalia III in twenty-
four hours, which meant he wouldn’t have to risk getting caught raiding the galley for provisions.
Quietly, he edged his way to the nearest boat, straining his ears for footfalls from above.

He never made it to the boat.

Barely a foot away from the nearest longboat, a hand clamped over his mouth from behind, a
strong arm wrapping around his waist and lifting him back the way he came like Jim weighed
nothing.

Jim screamed into the hand, heart stopping in his chest. Arms pinned to his sides by the huge arm,
he struggled as much as he could, which is to say, not as much as he would have liked. He bit the
hand over his mouth, earning nothing more than a pained grunt from the behemoth behind him.

“Come on, kid. None of that,” came the faintly accented voice from behind. “I’m only following
orders here.” There seemed to be a lot of that going on lately. There was another grunt. “You’re
heavier than you look.”

Jim renewed his struggle.

It was all in vain, however, as he was once again tossed like a sack of old purps onto the deck. He
snarled, turning on the man who had him captive. Kale raised his hands in defense, easily dodging
as Jim took a swing at him.

“Hey, hey!” he said calmly. “Cap’n told me to keep watch down there. He figured you’d try
something after everyone went to sleep.” He side-stepped another attack.
“You couldn’t have ignored orders just for once?” Jim growled.

Kale shrugged. “Sorry, kid. I know where my loyalties are.”

That gave Jim pause. He lowered his fists, looking away from the bigger man. “Yeah, well maybe
I have my own loyalty to think of.” Warm caramel eyes flashed in his mind. “I need to get back to
my captain.”

“Is he so important to you that you’d risk your life for him?” came a voice from behind Jim. He
turned to see Sinbad strolling up to them, nodding at Kale. “You’re dismissed. Get some sleep,
Kale.” The bigger man glanced between the two of them before nodding and heading down to the
crew’s quarters. Sinbad waited until he was gone before speaking again. “I’m only doing this for
the sake of my crew. If I had my way, I would have left you on Regalia to go about your business.
But if I take you back, the Empress would have an armada hunting me down. So you’re stuck for
now. Might as well get used to it.”

Frustrated tears sprung unbidden to Jim’s eyes, but he turned away from the captain before they
could be seen. He ran a hand through his hair, groaning in irritation. Pain like none other stabbed
his heart and a horrible queasiness built in his stomach, churning over and over. Jim gripped his
hair tighter. “Fuck!” he all but screamed.

Stomping over to the side of the ship, he rested his elbows on the banister. He took a deep breath
and let it out slowly. A single tear slipped down his cheek as Sinbad stepped up next to him. He
darkness. rested his weight on his forearms, clasping his hands together as he looked out at the
Both were silent for a moment.

“You really love him, don’t you?” Sinbad asked quietly. Brown eyes softened as he glanced at Jim.

The younger man was silent. He leaned on his hands and stared out at the distant stars. A green
nebula passed in the distance. The dark, forest green smoke swirled against inky blackness, the
color similar to the green flecks Jim had noticed in Dimitri’s eyes. To think, it had only been a
couple of days that they laid in bed together, simply looking at each other. They had only had a few
days together. That horrible burning ache filled his chest again. He looked away to stare down at
his hands. And it hit him.

“Yeah…” he whispered. “I guess I do…”

Staring at that nebula and how beautiful it was only to realize that Dimitri eyes were even lovelier
to him. He could get lost in them for hours if given the chance and that revelation… It hurt.

It hurt like nothing else had ever hurt him before; more than the Benbow burning down, more than
John Silver’s betrayal. It hurt more than his father leaving all those years ago. He wanted Dimitri.
He wanted to see him, to hold him, to be held by him.

He loved Dimitri. He was in love with Dimitri.

Tears came to his eyes and he couldn’t stop them this time. Sinbad was nice enough to look out at
the vastness of space to give him some privacy. Jim struggled to wipe them away. The air was
quiet between them. The creaking of the ship was the only noise to pierce their little bubble.

After what seemed like hours, Sinbad stood up straight, face pensive. Jim glanced up at him. The
pirate captain gave his supposed captive a tiny smile. “Where you from, kid?”

Jim’s eyebrow rose in question. “Montressor... Why?”

Sinbad shrugged, still grinning. “That’s about a two month voyage, isn’t it?”

Now Jim was suspicious. “Yeah…” He glared at the older man. “You’re not gonna raid and pillage
my hometown, are you?”

Laughing, the pirate waved a hand dismissively. “No, nothing like that!” He couldn’t seem to stop
smiling. “Tell ya what, Jim,” he said. “I can’t take you back to Regalia III. But!” Before the pain in
the youth’s heart could flare up again, Sinbad held up a finger. “I can take you back to Montressor.
That should be far enough away for Her Royal Pain in My Ass to be satisfied. If this man of yours
is smart, or if you can get word to him somehow, maybe he’ll know to look for you there.”

The ache dulled as a spark of hope ignited in its place.

The pirate captain grinned widely, all teeth, and clapped Jim on the shoulder. “I’ll even have the
men spread the word! Maybe it’ll make it back to your ship.”
Jim was almost too terrified to believe it. “You… You’d really do that for me?”

Sinbad shrugged nonchalantly. “Why not? I like ya, kid.”

“But why?”

The pirate’s smile turned sad and he squeezed Jim’s shoulder. “Maybe I know what it’s like to be
in love.”

///

Just as Anya’s lips brushed against Dimitri’s he grabbed her by the shoulders and gently pushed
her away. “Stop it,” he told her firmly. The look in his eyes was a warning, but Anya did not heed
it.

She was growing desperate. “Dimitri, please!” she begged. “I love you! I want to marry you!”

Familiar frustration was starting to creep into the captain’s cool façade. “Anya, we’ve already been
over this. And if I recall, you didn’t let me say very much.”

With a cry of irritation, Anya stomped back to the door. She had every intention to just leave. It
was a mistake to try and talk sense into Dimitri. He was completely unreasonable! The damn cabin
boy wasn’t even around anymore! He was gone, and hopefully he wouldn’t come back. He should
have never gotten between the two of them. Anya suddenly whirled around, nearly stomping her
foot when she saw that Dimitri had his back turned to her once more. “But he wrote that he was
joking with you!” she shouted.

“He didn’t write it!” Dimitri roared back, spinning around. Anya took a step back, eyes widening at
the pure rage in her ex-fiancé’s voice. Of all the fights they had had, in all the time she had known
him, the princess had never seen that much anger, that much hate in Dimitri’s eyes. All directed
solely at her.

“W-what?”
 Dimitri took a calming breath.

“He didn’t write it,” he repeated. He adopted his cool captain persona, watching her with
disinterest. “It’s not his writing.”

Anya’s heart skipped a beat in panic. “How do you know that?” she demanded. “You’ve only just
met him.”

“True.” Dimitri nodded in agreement, voice infuriatingly calm. He stared hard at his once best
friend. “But I’ve known you for years. Did you really think I wouldn’t recognize your
handwriting?” From his pants pocket, a small pink blob poked its head out to regard Anya with
wide, fearful eyes. She vaguely recognized the little thing as the creature that constantly followed
the cabin boy around. She looked into those eyes and a wave of guilt crashed over her. No one had
ever looked at her so fearfully before.

“You would be better off forgetting him,” she whispered futilely, already knowing she had lost.

Dimitri wasn’t hers. He never had been.

Dimitri looked away from her, squeezing his eyes shut, jaw clenched. He absently stroked Morph’s
little head, earning a muffled purr in return. He didn’t open his eyes when he addressed her again.
“Did you write the letter?”

Silence was his answer. Tears leaked from Anya’s eyes and she looked away from him.

“I see…” Dimitri sighed softly. Without even sparing her a glance, he walked right past Anya and
out the door.

A sob was torn from her throat.

Chapter End Notes

I really enjoy writing Sinbad. There will be more of him, don't worry!
 Part 4 Act II
Chapter Notes

I am so supremely not satisfied with this chapter. Fair warning, I got stuck here
hardcore trying to figure out how I wanted to write the conflict, especially since I
made the pirates who kidnapped Jim morally gray characters. I like where it's heading,
just don't like how I got there.

No beta, OCs are mine. Apologies for the short chapter.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Tears dripped down onto the crisp white paper in Dimitri’s hands, ink smudging. He didn’t bother
and to wipe them away, only attempted to rein in his sobs so they weren’t quite so loud. He re ad
reread the note and Dimitri’s heart broke all over again.

How could he? How could Jim leave without telling him? It was all a joke? It couldn’t be! Dimitri
refused to believe it! Yet, the proof was in his hands. Jim was gone. He wasn’t coming back.

Dimitri had thought things were going so well. He genuinely enjoyed Jim’s company, enjoyed his
humor, his laughter. He enjoyed his sweet kisses and the way he felt in his arms. He had
compromised his whole future for Jim. Was this what Jim had been thinking this whole time?

Was he really so cruel?

He choked back another sob. It hurt. God, it hurt so fucking much. His heart felt like it was being
ripped from his chest, palpitating with every sob. None of his partners in the past had felt like this.
He’d never even come close to feeling this kind of pain when he fought with Anya. He gasped in
unsteady breaths.

ove was? Was it feeling like you were on top of the world, as long as that special [Was this what l
person was by your side? Was it waking up late in the morning and sharing sweet kisses, or
playfully bantering over a good meal? Was love having you heart torn out and stomped on over
and over again, thinking you’ll never recover from the pain? He thought he’d known Jim better
than that.

Was he in love with Jim?

It was the only thing he could think that could cause this kind of crippling pain, this awful feeling
of betrayal. He was in love with Jim.

Jim didn’t love him back.]

That was the thought his shattered mind finally shut down to. He fell to his side, note crumpled in
as soon as his head hit one hand, and let his emotionally exhausted mind rest, falling unconscious
the bed. He distantly thought that Jim’s pillow held a very comforting scent.

When Dimitri awoke again, night had fallen completely and there was a commotion at the door.
Body drained and mind still distant, his gaze fell to space under the door where a little pink blob
desperately wiggled its little body through. Dimitri blinked tiredly at the sight.

“Morph?” he asked slowly. He couldn’t keep the confusion out of his voice. What was Morph
doing here? He hardly ever left Jim’s side and never without a reason. If Jim left, wouldn’t Morph
follow?

Finally wiggling his little body into the room, the pink creature tiredly floated over to the human
and all but melted on the soft bed. He looked as drained as Dimitri felt, worse almost. Little lines
of worry marred the creature’s exhausted features. Dimitri gently scooped the panting blob up into
his cupped hands.

“Are you okay?” he asked the critter. Morph slowly shook his head. “You look exhausted. What
happened?” He hesitated a moment. If anyone would know, it was Morph. “Where’s Jim?”

Morph blinked tired eyes slowly up at him, registering the questions in his exhausted mind. When
he finally understood, he regained some of his energy and suddenly he was in the air in a flurry of
movement, chattering. Dimitri watched as Morph put on the most elaborate charade he had ever
seen, first separating into a likeness of the Dutchess Jim away, the and Jim, two officers tak ing
palace. Marie yelling at Jim, the officers taking him away again. Then Marie was talking to a
messenger, handing them a note that was delivered to the inn. Finally, he mimicked Marie and
hip. Anya talking before switching to Jim in a cage on a s

When he finally reverted back to himself, chattering wildly, eyes wide and fearful, Dimitri’s own
eyes were as wide as could be. The only thing he could get out was, “You flew all the way back
here?”
Morph snarled, getting directly in Dimitri’s face. He jabbed a little finger at the note crumpled up
next to Dimitri. He morphed back into Marie, looking far too menacing and cunning, and then
turned back.

Dimitri turned wide eyes down to the paper. He stood quickly, crossing to the room to his duffle
bag and riffling through it. Morph took the moment to rest on the bed, breathing heavy and
exhausted.

It took some digging, but eventually he found what he was looking for. It was an old scrapbook,
Inside contained old letters from his parents, little notes from Cale, and an assortment of letters
Anya had sent him after he took up spacing. He grabbed the first one he come across from her and
practically ripped it open, scanning over the words. It said something about missing him and life at
the palace, but Dimitri wasn’t interested in the contents. Instead, he stared at the words, the
letters, at the swoops of the ‘L’s and the ‘G’s. He laid the letter on the floor next to the one from
Jim.

The elation he felt after realizing the note was not from Jim after all was immediately dulled by the
immense betrayal that replaced it.

It was Anya’s handwriting. Anya had written the note. Anya was trying to sabotage his
relationship. His best friend.

Dimitri slowly turned his head back to the lightly dozing shapeshifter, horrified.

“She took Jim…”

To Dimitri’s shock and gratitude, it took little to no convincing to get his crew to go after Jim. He
rounded them all up on the Duchess that same night and explained the situation as best he could
with Morph providing a visual of everything he saw when Jim was taken. The men worked in
rotating shifts throughout the night and through the next day to get the Duchess ready to take off,
Dimitri and Greggo running around town to finish gathering supplies.

By the time Anya had finally paid her visit, the Duchess was ready to get underway, a record for a
ship her size. Dimitri was immeasurably proud of his crew. Their loyalty to both him and Jim,
someone they had by all rights just met, was astounding and it definitely meant they were getting a
raise.
All that was missing now was a destination.

After leaving Anya alone in his once shared room, he went downstairs to address the present crew.
He ordered them to disperse and ask around the docks and in town who might have seen Jim or the
ship he had been abducted on. In the meantime, he was going to pay Her Majesty a visit. Once he
got back, they were leaving. They shouted their ‘Aye, Cap’n,’s and dispersed, leaving money and
room keys on the innkeeper’s counter. The innkeeper called out a good luck to them. Dimitri was
leaving his own key when old man Leonard hobbled up to him.

“Ye don’ know how long it’s gonna take to find ‘im,” he said.

Dimitri shook his head. “No, I don’t.” He smiled at the old salamander. “We could use a cook for
the search. Seems ours has been kidnapped. What do you say?”

Leonard scrutinized him with one narrowed eye. Then he smiled. “Ye lot wouldn’ last a day
wit’out me. Reckon this ol’ man’s grown found o’ th’ li’l punk.” He shrugged and turned, cane
clacking as he limped away. “I think I can go fer one more ride.” Dimitri smiled after him.

The crew spread the word to those finishing preparations on the Duchess , and when those men
finished their work, they too went searching for clues, seeking out any information regarding one
James Hawkins.

Dimitri had never been more proud.

While the crew of the Duchess sought information, her captain caught a cab to the palace. Unlike
the last time he visited, purposefully avoiding anyone and everyone he came across, he made it no
secret that he was there when he arrived. He nearly slammed the front doors open, stalking through
the hallways to the Empress’s study. He even ignored Cale when they crossed paths. Dimitri
would not be swayed. All that mattered was finding Jim.

Not even bothering to knock, quite enjoying the element of surprise, he barged right into Her
Majesty’s study. Marie stood at her desk, sorting through a stack of important-looking papers. She
nearly dropped them at his interruption.

“Dimitri!” She placed a hand over her heart. “Are you trying to give this old woman a heart
attack?”
The thought had crossed his mind. “We need to talk,” he stated instead.

“I would love to,” Marie said, “but I’m late for an important meeting. This will have to wait until I
get back.”

Dimitri cut off her exit. “Wait!” he growled. “Where is he?”

That hard glint was back in the Empress’s cold eyes. “Get out of my way, young man.”

“No.” He glared at her, arms outstretched. “Tell me what I want to know and I’ll leave.”

“I’m afraid you’ll need to be more specific,” Marie said with disdain.

“Jim,” Dimitri growled. “Jim Hawkins. Where is he?”

Marie glared fiercely back at him. “It’s all you fault!” She didn’t shout, but it was a near thing.
“You wouldn’t be having this problem if you had just married Anya like you’re supposed to. I’m
trying to do what’s best for my granddaughter!”

“I don’t honestly care,” Dimitri stated. He reveled in the scandalized look she gave him. “Don’t
make me ask again. What have you done with him?”

“Lost in space,” she snarled back, slamming down her papers. She sat down in her high-backed
chair, a nasty smirk on her face. “With pirates.”

“Pirates?!” It was clear even .The bottom dropped out of his stomach as his eyes widened in horror
to Dimitri that she enjoyed his horrified shock.

“A problem?” she asked .a picture of nonchalance ,

“But…” Panic rose up in him, twisting painfully in his gut. He was quite sure it showed on his
face. “They’ll kill him!”

“There is a solution to saving him.” Her usual cold politeness was back. She laced her fingers in
front of her face. “I know where they’re going. If you agree to marry Anya, then I will send a
messenger and your precious cabin boy will be free.”

Dimitri thought about it. He actually thought that maybe she was right. Maybe everything would
be better if he just married Anya. Jim would be free and he wouldn’t need to worry about all the
petty relationship drama Dimitri kept putting him in the middle of. But Dimitri couldn’t do that. He
couldn’t leave his life to a chance of fate like that. If he really loved Jim, he would do whatever he
could to save him. Jim would do the same for him. He could be selfish for Jim.

The captain of the Duchess glared hatefully at the woman in front of him. “I don’t want a monster
like you in my family,” he stated firmly. “This is the last time you’ll see me.” He turned away from
her.

“You will never find him without me,” Marie called after him.

“Really?” Dimitri turned back one last time to give her a small smirk. “I know space like no one
else. I’ll find him.” He closed the door calmly behind him.

///

“Are you sure you can’t turn around?” Jim asked for what felt like the millionth time. The
exasperated look Sinbad gave him said as much.

“Kid, if you ask me that again, I’m sending you to the nest with Rat,” the captain threatened, face
serious as could be . One quick glance at the lookout currently hanging upside down from a rope
talking with Li had Jim shaking his head.

“No, thanks.” He sat with a pile of sails in his lap against the banister on Sinbad’s right as the
captain manned the helm. Since he wasn’t spending the trip locked up, Jim figured he could make
himself useful by doing odd jobs around the ship. He worked quietly for the most part, but there
were when his need to be a brat surfaced and he couldn’t help but bother the pirate moments
captain. The last group of pirates he’d had the displeasure of meeting had been rude and too
focused on killing him to bother. Except the one, of course.
“Good.” Sinbad turned back to the Etherium beyond. “We’re already going pretty slow. Your
boyfriend might actually be able to catch up to us.” He smirked. “Would beat going out of my way
to take you to Montressor.”

Jim smirked back. “What, you don’t want me around already?”

Sinbad laughed. “I may like you, kid, but not that much. You’re driving me crazy.”

The feeling was mutual. It had been barely four days since his kidnapping and Jim was acutely
aware of his separation. He was able to smile and joke with the crew, but a part of him couldn’t
help but hate Sinbad for not turning around.

It hurt.

It was a manageable hurt, especially since Sinbad was taking him home, but it hurt nonetheless. He
wasn’t about to make things easy for the pirate. Sinbad was arrogant and cocky, and if it hadn’t
been for their talk the night Jim tried to escape, Jim wouldn’t bother with him at all. But Sinbad
wasn’t a bad guy, Jim could tell that much. So grudgingly or not, he made a point to get along with
him.

“So tell me about this captain of yours,” Sinbad said, breaking Jim out of his thoughts, causing him
to stab himself with the needle. He yelped and Sinbad laughed.

Shaking his hand out, Jim asked, “What do you want to know?”

“Does he have a name? I don’t think you’ve told me yet.”

Jim was silent for a moment. “…Dimitri. His name is Dimitri.”

“How long have you been together?”

“Officially?” Sinbad nodded. Jim took a moment to count on his fingers. “Seven days.” God, had it
only been that long? It felt like a lifetime.
“A week?!” Sinbad’s head swiveled to Jim, eyes wide. “You’ve only been together for a week?!”
Jim nodded. “Damn. Way to make me feel worse than I already do…” He ran a hand down his
face. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry, Jim.” He looked it, too. Head bowed, eyes closed, Sinbad
looked sincerely sorry.

Jim glared. “Then turn around.”

The pirate sighed. “I can’t. I have my crew to think about. The best I can do is slow down. I’m not
risking my crew, my friends , for a kid I just met.”

Jim looked away. “I know. Sorry…”

They fell silent. Jim went back to his sewing.

So lost in his own spiraling thoughts, Jim barely caught the name whispered like a prayer from
Sinbad’s lips.

“Huh?”

The pirate cleared his throat, eyes still locked on the distant stars. “Miguel. That was his name.”

Jim stared for a moment, racking his brain. Then he remembered the full conversation from the
other night. “Oh. Was he…?”

“Yeah.” Sinbad grew quiet for a moment. “He and a friend of his bartered for passage a few years
ago. We’re pirates, so I charged them kinda high, but they paid it. Apparently they had gotten in
trouble with the law on multiple planets in that system.” He chuckled fondly.

“What happened?” Jim asked hesitantly.

“He, uh… Well.” Sinbad didn’t continue and Jim didn’t pry. It was none of his business. He wasn’t
expecting Sinbad to go on. “Anyway, when it came down to it, he chose his best friend over the
 guy he just met. Can’t say I blame him. Pirate life isn’t exactly stable, let alone ideal.”

“I’m sorry.” Jim didn’t know what else to say.

Sinbad shrugged. “Not your fault. Not his either. It is what it is. I got over it and moved on.”

Except he clearly hadn’t. Jim could tell in the way the pirate wouldn’t meet his eyes and stared at
the deck as he spoke. Sinbad had to shake his head to get back on track. He made a slight
adjustment to their course after checking his compass and stood up straight. “Anyway,” he finally
looked at Jim with a small, forced smile, “I thought we were talking about you.”

Jim laughed.

It was at that moment that Kale walked up to the helm deck, eyes dark. Immediately, Sinbad was
on alert. Jim set aside the sails and stood next to the captain. “What is it?” Sinbad demanded.

“We’re being followed,” Kale said, not bothering to sugarcoat it.

Hope flooded Jim’s heart and he ran to the side of the ship to look out behind them. Every bone in
g s his body screamed that it was Dimitri but as he surveyed the approachin hip, he didn’t
recognize it. Sinbad came up behind him.

“It could be nothing,” Kale continued, “but they’re not flying any colors. I don’t trust it.”

Jim looked up at the captain and was met with a fierce glare directed at the ship in question. “I
know that ship,” he muttered darkly. “I don’t trust it either.” Swiftly, he took his place at the helm.
“Hoist our colors!” he ordered. Rat scrambled to comply. “Prepare for attack! The Valkyrie is on
g us!” The pirates immediately ran to their positions, armed with cutlass and pistol, readyin the
cannons and preparing for battle. Sinbad turned to Jim. “You can work a cannon, right?” Jim
nodded. “Good. Get down there. Kale, get him a weapon!”

Chapter End Notes

This has been sitting in my files for almost three years and I'm only now ready to post
it. This chapter is the sole reason I want to rewrite this fic.
.....I may or may not be planning a spinoff for Sinbad.....
 Part 4 Act III
Chapter Notes

SO.

This chapter is the reason this fic sat for like 4 years before I finally got around to
posting the rest of what I had. I've had the first part with Jim and co written for like 2
years before I finally figured out what to do next. You might notice a slight shift in
writing style because of it. Up until this point, I've had everything already hand-
written, and I'm still not super happy with it, but now I am a blank slate. I have nothing
else.

But fear not! For I am not giving up on this! I know how this fic is going to end and I
know what I want to do to get there! It might just take a long while before the next
chapter comes out. Please be patient. The comments I've gotten for this in the last few
months have been wonderful, and they've done oodles in keeping my confidence up to
put out every new chapter! Please keep them coming! You have all been wonderful!

This chapter goes out to everyone ever who has left a comment or kudos on this fic!

As always, we die like men with no beta and the OCs are mine.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

The Chimera was a fast ship. It was small, easy to maneuver. It could easily outrun the Valkyrie.
But what the Valkyrie lacked in speed, it made up for in weaponry. The first cannon shot took out
the main sail and Sinbad didn’t even bother to try and run. Instead, he turned hard to port to face
them head on. Kale shouted orders at the men. Jed ran up and handed Jim a cutlass and pistol. He
hesitantly took both. He never liked using the weapons, despite the situations he found himself in
and the training he underwent at the Academy. Regardless, he knew how to use them and
recognized their necessity. Shoving the pistol in his waistband, he gripped the sword tight and ran
to the nearest cannon.

Flashbacks of the last space battle he’d been in and subsequent tumble overboard had him nearly
shaking, but he squashed down the fear. He couldn’t afford to let such thoughts plague him as he
fired on the captain’s order, the shot hitting the bow of the Valkyrie. Li cheered beside him.

Cannon fire was loud in his ears. Each side landed their marks and misses, wood spraying up with
each successful hit. Sinbad’s orders grew steadily more frantic as the Valkyrie drew nearer, the
Chimera heavily outgunned.

“Prepare for boarding!” the captain shouted. With the sails down, Sinbad could only drift the ship
out of reach, but that could only last for so long. They had no choice but to fight. “I don’t want to
have to save any of your sorry asses from the noose!”

A round of cheers went up and Jim could only assume the Chimera ’s crew was out of their minds.
With that in mind, he cheered with them, unsheathing his pistol and taking aim as gangplanks
banged against their deck. He shot down the first man who tried to cross, Kale whooping behind
him. He kept shooting. Men fell, but more replaced them.

The Valkyrie was large, but he didn’t think it was that big. When he stopped to reload, men made
it across. The pirates engaged their attackers with swords and knives, and even Sinbad abandoned
the helm to join the fray.

He was an artist with a sword, dodging and parrying with ease. He felled one man and moved to
the next seamlessly. Jim was in awe. He managed to fend off his own assailants easily enough, but
weariness eventually set in as the battle wore on. He noticed some of the other pirates slowing
down as well. There was just too many of them! Even Sinbad was slowing. Someone managed to
sneak up on Jim as he fought off another attacker, cuffing him on the back of the head with the
pummel of their sword. Jim fell to one knee where he saw Kale rushed by four men and a few
pirates knocked out. The ones still standing were losing badly. Sinbad still fought on. An enemy
managed to take him by surprise while he was engaged with another attacker, and that was when
the man behind Jim hit him again and everything went black.

///

When he came to, Jim wondered if he might have a concussion from how many times he’d been hit
in the last week. He groaned, struggling to sit back on his knees. Then he took a good look at the
crew.

They all kneeled before their captors, hands either tied or behind their heads. Two men held their
swords to Kale’s neck in an effort to keep the man down. Sinbad stood, hands shackled in front of
him as he snarled at a man pointing a gun at him.

“You okay, kid?” Rat murmured softly from his place on Jim’s right. Jim nodded discreetly.

“What are they doing?” he asked softly.

“Waiting for their captain,” said Rat.

“Their captain didn’t fight with them?” Jim was incredulous. On all the ships he’d served on, the
captain had taken it upon themselves to fight side by side with their crew. What kind of coward led
this ship that Sinbad, hardened pirate, hated so much?

Rat scoffed quietly. “Their captain is a selfish, black-hearted, greedy fool. He makes us proper
pirates look good.”

“Quiet there!” one of the men shouted. He marched up to Rat, pointing his sword between Rat’s
eyes. “Her Majesty wants you alive, but she’ll settle for dead if necessary!”

Rat grinned up at him. “Then do it.”

The man growled, raising his sword high to strike Rat down, but was stopped by a loud “Halt!” He
lowered his sword, glaring at Rat. He stepped away as the man Jim could only assume was the
Valkyrie’s captain stepped onto the ship. He stood straight, hands behind his back, long coat
opened to reveal the twin pistols holstered on his hips. His hair was cropped short, goatee trimmed
neatly with the slightest bit of grey coloring the dark hairs. There was a nasty smirk on his face as
his eyes focused on Sinbad.

“Well, well, well,” he said, strolling up to the pirate captain. “It’s been a long time, Sinbad.”

“Korso,” the pirate spat. “You have me. Let my crew go.”

“Now why would I do a thing like that?” Korso asked. “Her Majesty is paying a hefty price for
your head. She’s doubling it for the whole crew.”

Sinbad snarled. “That two-timing bitch! I knew I couldn’t trust her!”

Korso patted his cheek condescendingly. “Of course you did.” Sinbad snapped at his hand but
Korso jerked away with a chuckle. “Regardless, she wants you alive, probably to see your outrage
when I hand you over. She just wanted you to have a head start to get your hopes up. She does have
a mean streak.” Korso chuckled. “However,” he turned away from Sinbad, walking down the line
of captured pirates, “seeing as I’m feeling rather generous, I think I’ll let you go.” Jim tracked
Korso’s boots with his eyes, keeping his head bowed. Sinbad scoffed at the man.

“What’s the catch?” Sinbad asked through gritted teeth. Whatever it was, it wouldn’t be good.
“I’ve been told that you have a prisoner aboard,” Korso stopped his trek to eye Kale with disdain.
“But since my men couldn’t find anyone below, he must be up here.”

“What’s it to you?” Sinbad growled. “I told her I would take him far away. I keep my word.
Usually.”

Korso snorted. “Usually. See, that’s the problem. Why would Her Grace actually trust you?”

Jim knew where this was going. He’d had this conversation with the pirate hours earlier.

“Hand the boy over,” Korso continued, “and you and you’re crew can go free.”

Jim closed his eyes, lips pressed tight. Sinbad would give him up. He had made it painfully clear
that his crew was the most important thing to him.

“See, there’s a bit of a problem with that,” Sinbad said. “The brat had too much of a mouth on him.
I left him for dead in the wilds of Zangria. Good riddance, if you ask me.”

Jim’s eyes widened.

Korso stopped right in front of Jim. He closed his eyes and let out a heavy breath. “I sincerely hope
you didn’t,” he sighed. “The boy crossed the royal family and the Empress wants to deal with him
personally. She decided life was too good for him. She’ll be upset if you killed him before she
could. Even worse, you lost him!” Korso shook his head in disbelief. “Can’t trust pirates to do
anything right…”

“Well, I saved her the trouble then.” Sinbad glared. “You gonna let us go now? The kid’s not
here.”

Korso rubbed his chin in thought. “Well,” he started slowly, “what Her Majesty doesn’t know
won’t hurt her…” He shrugged. “Tell ya what: you caught me in good mood. I’ll let you all go.”
Sinbad eyed him suspiciously. Korso smiled. “After all, I’m a man of my word.”
There was muttering among the pirates. Rat glanced at Jim out of the corner of his eye.

Korso’s smile widened. The pirates cried out as he snatched Jim by the arm, hauling him up to
stand in front of him, snatching a sword from one of his men to hold threateningly under Jim’s
chin. “Or I can kill him and everyone here for trying to lie to me.”

Jim stared at Sinbad with wide eyes as Korso pressed the blade harder to his neck. Sinbad stared
back, face carefully devoid of emotion. “I’m a pirate, Korso. Lyin’s what I do.”

///

The Duchess had been soaring silently and steadily through space, her engines working overtime to
push her along as fast as she could go. It was going on four days and Captain Sudayev had barely
gotten a wink of sleep in that time. Greggo had to forcibly remove him from his near constant
visual at the helm and shove him into his cabin so he could rest. Instead, Dimitri would lie in bed,
haunted by the feeling of a warm, solid body next to him. In so short a time, he had grown so used
to holding Jim close when he slept, their feet tangled together as a cocoon of warmth surrounded
them. With the absence of that warmth, Dimitri was left tossing and turning, dreaming of all the
horrible things his young love could be going through at the hands of pirates.

If he had managed to fall asleep at all, he would jerk awake and instead go to sit at his desk with
his head in his hands as he poured over every star chart he had in his possession in a desperate
all hideouts a pirate might have in space. There were many moons and attempt to track any and
small asteroids that were well-known refuges for some pirate bands that frequented this sector of
space. Bounty hunters and local authorities had no jurisdiction over them and would often patrol
the surrounding areas waiting for a ship to drunkenly sail into their path. The crew who had
absconded with Jim wouldn’t take a chance like that.

Dimitri sighed heavily, sitting back in his chair and scrubbing his hands over his face. He was
exhausted, but he couldn’t sleep. He was worried and couldn’t relax. If it wasn’t for Leonard
forcing people to bring food up to his cabin, he probably wouldn’t even be eating. Robert had been
the last to bring him a plate and that had been hours ago. Dimitri had barely looked at it. Now he
glanced at it out of the corner of his eyes. It was some kind of stew with two purps laying on the
plate to the side. Dimitri’s eyes watered.

He grabbed one of the purps, holding it gently in his hands. The first time he and Jim had actually
had a real conversation had been in the galley, the two them swapping stories as they each indulged
in the purple fruit. It had been the first time Dimitri had realized that he actually really liked the
younger man, and not just because he was some cute eye-candy running around his ship. They had
really gotten to know each other after that. Jim knew what he was doing, had proved himself space-
worthy, and they bec a me fast friends. Somewhere along the way, Dimitri had fallen in love with
him. He knew Jim cared about him deeply in return. He didn’t know if Jim loved him back,
wouldn’t know until he found him and returned him to his rightful place aboard the Duchess , but
he did know that Jim wouldn’t want him to waste away. Rubbing at his eyes, Dimitri took a bite
out of the purp and stood, ignoring the cold stew, and walked out of his cabin.

Gord was at the helm when he stepped out, Greggo next to him providing direction. They both
looked back as they heard the door close to the captain’s cabin.

“Captain,” Gord greeted, turning back to the blackness beyond.

“Gentlemen,” Dimitri greeted back, Greggo scrutinized him from head to toe. Dimitri smiled back,
lifting his purp to his lips and taking an overly large bite out of it. Greggo rolled his eyes. He
turned as well, going back to checking his compass and the ship’s radar. Dimitri smiled. “Do we
have a bearing yet?”

Greggo released a heavy sigh. “No more than we did yesterday, Captain.”

“Damn…” Dimitri tried to keep his tone light, but it was difficult. Despite his confident claims to
Her Majesty that he could find Jim, it really was easier said than done. Space was vast,
unimaginably so. It was n't like sailing a limited ocean on some planet. There were no set routes to
follow, only certain sectors off limits to those who did not wish to suffer a most painful death.
Merchants chose to follow stricter trade routes only because on - time deliveries tended to pay
more. The various militaries in the galaxy more often than not stuck closest to their home planets.

Pirates, however, could be all over the place. They could lie low in an asteroid field waiting for a
mark to sail nearby, or they could travel swift and fast under any radar not scanning for their
frequency. Pirates and smugglers were the only ones that did business outside of the safer sectors of
the Etherium. Dimitri prayed to whoever was listening that the pirates they were chasing stayed out
of those sectors. The Duchess was not equipped to chase them to the edges of the Etherium.

Not that it would stop him, but it would certainly take longer to find Jim.

“We’ll find him, Captain,” Gord said, breaking Dimitri from his souring thoughts. “No one aboard
is willing to leave Jim in the hands of those cutthroats.”

Dimitri placed a grateful hand on the canine’s shoulder. “Thanks, Gord.” He headed towards the
stairs.
“Captain, you really must rest,” Greggo called. He followed his captain down to the main deck.
“You’ll need your strength when we finally catch up to them.”

When.

Dimitri paused in his stroll, leaning against the railing on the portside of the ship. He smiled. The
hope his crew had in finding his lover continued to fan the flames in his heart. He smiled at
Greggo, a genuine albeit sad, smile. “I’m fine, Greggo. Seriously. I managed to get a few winks.
Just needed to stretch my legs.” Greggo raised a skeptical brow. “And look!” Dimitri held up the
half-eaten purp. “I’m eating!” He took a big bite for show.

Greggo exhaled heavily. “If you say so, sir.”

“Cap’n!” came a call from the crow’s nest. Dimitri and Greggo both looked up. Reggie stared
back, waving his spyglass. “Two ships spotted off the starboard bow! One’s wavin’ a Jolly Roger!”

Dimitri never moved so fast in his life. He ran to the bow of the Duchess, jumping onto the railing
and practically hanging off the ship with nothing but a rope to hold him steady, straining his eyes to
get a look. Greggo jogged up behind him, passing a spyglass up to him. The captain took it
gratefully.

Peering out through the lens, he scanned the stars for the ships Reggie had spotted. It took him a
moment, but he finally found them a good distance below the Duchess. Sure enough, the smaller
ship was proudly flying a modified skull and crossbones. Dimitri dared to hope that it might be the
ship he was looking for. It was small, fast, and perfect for quick getaways.

The other ship was military. It was entirely possible it was just an unlucky crew of pirates that got
themselves caught, but something about the vessel didn’t sit right with Dimitri. He’d grown up on
ships like that, had even served on one or two of them. They weren’t flying any colors.

“Something wrong, sir?” Greggo asked.

“Those are definitely pirates,” Dimitri said. He handed the spyglass back to his first. “Do you
recognize that second ship?”
Greggo peered out at the distant vessels. He was silent for a moment. “Military,” he finally said.
He lowered the scope, handing it back to the captain. “They’re not flying any colors so there’s no
way to know if it’s one of Regalia’s. Bounty hunters, perhaps?”

The captain nodded, gazing back out at the ships. “I was thinking the same. I know that ship
though! I swear I’ve seen it before…” he lowered the spyglass again, glaring at the offending
vessel. “Greggo, take us over them quick and quiet. I want a better view.”

“Aye, captain,” the feline saluted, jogging back to the helm as he shouted orders.

The spyglass trembled in Dimitri’s hands. He let go of the object and it floated for a moment
before Morph took its place. The little blob chattered nervously, tapping his little hands together as
he looked out at the Etherium. Dimitri gave him a little smile and rubbed his head.

“Don’t worry, Morph,” he said, feeling more confident that he had in days. “We’re getting Jim
back. One way or another.”

///

The Duchess was fast for a merchant vessel and surprisingly quiet for her size. As they flew in
closer to the two ships in question, Dimitri climbed up the rigging, getting a better angle to gaze
down. Morph shifted back to a spyglass for him.

“That is definitely a warship…” Dimitri muttered. “But where have I seen it?”

They circled over the two ships. There was fighting aboard the pirate ship, but the militant crew
was winning. More people boarded from the bigger ship and the pirates were losing one by one. It
was lucky that both ships were so distracted or else Dimitri would not have been able to signal
Greggo to move in closer. Slowly, the Duchess circled down until finally Dimitri was able to make
out the name on the side of the warship.

“Shit!” he hissed. He jumped down from the shrouds to the deck, Morph floating after him. He ran
up to the helm. “It’s the Valkyrie !” he exclaimed to his first.

Greggo hissed. “Damn bounty hunters…” he muttered. “I thought Korso was locked up?”
“He was,” Dimitri growled back. His eyes narrowed dangerously. “The Empress must have made
him a deal. Which means she must really want someone dead.”

Greggo’s eyes widened. “Then that means…”

Dimitri nodded grimly. “Those are the pirates that took Jim.” Morph tittered anxiously next to him.
Dimitri absently stroked the shapeshifter’s head, encouraging the pink blob to rest on his shoulder.

Gord kept the helm steady. “What are your orders, Captain?”

The captain ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t know.” He gripped his hair hard, snarling. “Fuck!
I don’t know!” He resorted to pacing. Greggo and Gord both watched him warily. Dimitri was
silent for a long time. Then… “The Valkyrie’s a decommissioned warship,” he muttered. “It won’t
have much in the way of weapons anymore. Korso was a general before he went AWOL… He’s
basically no better than a pirate right now. His crew will be filled with hired mercenaries and thugs,
but they’ll have little to no loyalty. And Jim’s down there.” He finally stopped pacing. He stared
hard at the floorboards.

Morph patted his neck.

Finally, he looked back up at his first mate and helmsman. “I can’t leave Jim down there,” he said
firmly. “I won’t leave him.”

Gord nodded, a hard look in his eyes. “I follow your orders, captain.”

“And you know I’ll stand by you,” Greggo agreed.

“Thank you.” Dimitri gave them a hard nod. He walked up to the railing. “Men!” he shouted,
addressing his crew. The men stopped what they were doing to stare up at him. The captain’s voice
was firm as he spoke. “Below us are the pirates who took Jim Hawkins away from us! Now I’m
sure you all feel similar, but I’m rather attached to Mr. Hawkins.” There were some tense chuckles
all around. Dimitri cracked a small grin. “Personal feelings aside, you all know that if that was any
one of you down there, I would risk hell and back to get you!” The men cheered.
 Dimitri held up a hand to silence them. “Normally I would not hesitate to engage them,” he
continued, “but the Valkyrie has caught up to them as well. For those who don’t know, they’re
nothing but low-life mercenaries run by a disgraced man who calls himself a bounty hunter.” There
were scattered mutterings throughout the ship. “We’re not military, but we’ve had our fair share of
skirmishes. Right now the Valkyrie’s crew is distracted so we can hit them fast and hard!” Here he
glared, his face souring. “But we’ll have to work with those pirates. We won’t be able to take
Korso and his men on alone.” He was quiet long enough to let his words sink in. It wasn’t a plan
he was particularly proud of, but if it meant getting Jim back, then he would do whatever it took. “I
won’t force you to fight,” he continued. “For those of you who wish to stay aboard the Duchess
you need not fear reprimand from me. I only ask that you keep the cannons loaded!”

The ship was silent. Nobody moved or spoke. Then Leonard stepped forward, using his cane for
balance. The old salamander stared up at the captain.

“I t’ink I’ll be the only one stayin’ aboard, sir,” he said. He tapped his cane against the floorboards
pointedly. “But I can at least keep t he ship in place while the rest o’ ye give ‘em hell!”

The men roared in agreement.

Dimitri smiled. Relief washed over him as Leonard made his way to the helm deck. “You’re the
best crew a captain could ask for!” he called out over the din. “Everyone grab a weapon and get
those cannons loaded! Gord, circle round and come up on their flank!”

There were “Ayes!” all around as the Duchess prepared for battle.

Chapter End Notes

Stay tuned for the conclusion to Part 4!

 Part 4 Act IV
Chapter Summary

Action! Drama! Tension! So much tension...

Chapter Notes

I really, really wanted to get this out before the new year, but I will settle for this
morning because I am so stupidly proud of this chapter! Aside from the rough start, it
turned out almost completely perfect in the events that happen! This is by far my
favorite chapter (until I decide to edit it, I only briefly looked over it before deciding to
get it up as soon as possible) and I am just. So proud. Like damn.

Obviously with the way the part has been going, there's some heavy divergence from
the original youtube series. I tried to keep it as close as possible, but that just wasn't
happening after a certain point. I hope you all don't mind the changes that have been
made!

Please enjoy!

No beta, we die like men! OCs are all mine!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Fear was familiar to Jim. He had felt it so many times in his life. Fear that he might never see his
father again. Fear for his mother when the old Benbow Inn burned down. Fear that someone he
thought of as a friend would kill him as Treasure Planet counted down around them. Fears born of
loss and love and betrayal.

Never fear for himself.

Even when he had fallen overboard during that pirate attack, he was not so much afraid of dying,
but rather of doing so with words and feelings left unsaid. Leaving behind unfinished business.
Maybe after he died, he would return as a ghost, haunting the various passing ships forever chasing
an end to his unfinished business.

Feelings had since been shared. Now he just needed to say the words.

Jim stared into Sinbad’s iron eyes as Korso’s blade pressed hard into his throat. His skin burned
where it bit into him, and he could feel a trickle of blood trail down to soak into his shirt. He still
had unfinished business. Only now, he was also fearing for his life. Sort of.

Maybe a little.

“Let him go, Korso,” Sinbad demanded. He raised his bound hands as best he could to try to
placate the bounty hunter. “He’s worth more to you alive.”

Korso smirked as he answered, “Aw, what’s this? Is that concern I hear? I didn’t know pirates
could care with all that blackness in your hearts cluttering up the place.”

Sinbad kept his poker face. “S’got nothing to do with concern. You’re not gonna risk half your
paycheck just because I lied to you, are you? Didn’t figure you’d be that petty.”

“And I can’t help but wonder why you went and did a thing like that in the first place,” Korso
mused. He tightened his grip on Jim’s arm, blade cutting further into his throat. “But you’re right.”
Jim kept his panicking breath as shallow as possible to avoid having his throat completely slashed
open. “I’m not one to get half my pay. We’ll be leaving now.” He took a step forward and Jim
grunted as he tried to resist. It did not work in his favor as Korso only drew more blood. “If any of
your men try to stop us, the boy dies.” He ordered his men back to the Valkyrie . Sinbad’s men did
nothing to stop them, but not without dark looks on their faces.

The Chimera’s captain had a similar look of silent rage in his eyes. His steely gaze darted from
Korso to Jim and back. He watched the departing mercenaries. He glanced around at the scowling
faces of his crew. He looked down at his shackles. He looked back at Jim.

There was nothing he could do.

Jim searched his face for something, any sign that the clever pirate could help him out of this
situation. Korso would take him back to Regalia III. It was the one place he had been begging
Sinbad to take him for days, but by now Dimitri would have left. If Dimitri really was looking for
him, he would be long gone from Regalia and Korso would take him back to the Empress to face
his real punishment.

Getting him off-planet had only been the bait to either get Dimitri to cooperate or leave.
Sinbad’s eyes slid past him, past Korso and the Valkyrie , and Jim felt a wave of helplessness wash
over him. He knew for certain now that once he set foot on the Valkyrie he would never see
Dimitri again. He would never see his clever smile, his loving eyes, or hear his dumb jokes. He
would never see his crewmates again. He would never see his mom or Morph or BEN. Once again,
words were left unsaid and Jim feared for his life. Would Korso kill him in transit? Would Her
Majesty? Did Anya know about any of this? They would all see him thrown in a cell to rot as an
uncertain future hung over him. He closed his eyes, fighting back tears. He would not give Korso
the satisfaction.

Korso jerked him to a sudden stop from their trudge to the gangplank. “What are you smirking at?”
he snarled. Jim opened his eyes. Sinbad wasn’t looking at them, smirking at something in the
distance. Korso raised his sword higher to press under Jim’s chin. “I said no games, pirate!” he
snapped. “What are you up to?!”

“Me?” Sinbad pressed his shackled hands to his chest, affronted. “I haven’t done anything! My
men and I are staying put. We don’t want the kid hurt.” He closed one eye as he grinned wider,
grabbing his left thumb in his right hand while he pointed his left index finger behind the
mercenary. He sighted down his finger as though it were a pistol. “You never said anything about
them.”

“What?” Disbelief colored Korso’s tone as he looked over his shoulder. At the same time, one of
his men called out from the Valkyrie.

“Incoming vessel, cap - !”

Cannon shots rang out and the Chimera rocked violently as the Valkyrie was hit. The gangplank
connecting the two ships threatened to fall had men on both sides not scrambled to hold it in place.
Korso briefly lost his footing, his sword falling away long enough for Jim to lean forward and
throw his head back hard, his skull cracking against Korso’s cheek. The man shouted in pain and
rage as Jim finally broke free of his hold, picking up a nearby fallen cutlass. The pirates took that
as their cue, breaking free from their captors with newfound vigor. Sinbad took up arms next to
Jim, brandishing his own sword in one hand, manacles hanging uselessly from his wrist. His thumb
on his left hand hung awkwardly and was purpling with a bruise.

“Men to stations!” Korso shouted, gesturing wildly. He parried an attack as the pirates once more
engaged the mercenaries in battle. Another blast rocked the two ships. “What the hell is going
on?!”

“We’re under attack!” someone shouted from the Valkyrie . Korso swore loudly as he barely
managed to block a slash from Sinbad. Jim was occupied with another mercenary.
Korso kicked Sinbad away from him, running for the gangplank. “Where the hell did they come
from?!”

“They’re circling back around!” another called out. More voices panicking in succession.

“More pirates?!”

“I can’t get a read on them!”

“Incoming!”

The mercenaries were panicked, scrambling around frantically to fight off the pirates and get back
to their ship. The Valkyrie was hit again, this time managing to fire off a shot in retaliation. The
mercenaries cheered, but it was short-lived as the attacking ship soared up next the Chimera . Jim
kicked his own assailant away as Rat swung down from the mast to forcibly kick the thug
overboard. Jim turned away as the man’s screams died off into breathlessness. Rat hung upside
down next to him, swaying back and forth.

“I think that’s your ride,” the eccentric man said with a grin. Jim’s eyes widened. As Rat pulled
himself back up to continue the fight, Jim turned, his movements feeling sluggish, to a sight he had
only dreamt about since his kidnapping.

He wasn’t sure what he expected to see, but it certainly wasn’t Dimitri swinging over on a loose
rope, leading the charge as his men boarded the Chimera . He reminded Jim of the heroes in his
childhood stories, kicking a man out of his path before landing gracefully on the main deck,
immediately pulling out a pistol and firing off a shot at the nearest man wearing the Valkyrie’s
uniform. The men still aboard the Duchess rolled out a gangplank to connect the two ships and
more men boarded the Chimera. Those who didn’t board aimed rifles and one by one picked off
the mercenaries. Jim awed at them, feeling his heart flutter as h e watched Dimitri pull out a
cutlass, parrying the attack of a charging mercenary in the same motion as easy as any trained
military man. His swordplay wasn’t as impressive as Sinbad’s, who deftly continued to fend off
attacks from Korso and one of his goons not too far from Dimitri, but Jim felt he could watch his
lover fight for hours.

So distracted he was by his captain’s sudden appearance that Jim didn’t see a man coming up on
his flank, having no time to raise his weapon to block the attack as the other man raised his sword
over his head. The merc brought his sword down as Jim’s eyes widened.
The mercenary was suddenly knocked away as Kale bodily threw himself into the attacker, the
man flying over the railing to the deck below. Kale glanced down at Jim with a small smile. “Head
in the game, kid,” he said, ruffling Jim’s hair. “They’re starting to retreat. You can have your
reunion later.” Jim nodded and Kale jumped down. Jim took a deep breath before following him to
continue the fight.

With the unexpected arrival of reinforcements on the side of the pirates, Korso quickly found his
men pushed back to their ship. He wasn’t one to go down without a fight, however, and fought to
give his men a chance to escape. He knocked the pirate captain back with a forceful kick when
their blades locked, causing Sinbad to stumble away long enough for Korso to turn, coming face-
to-face with a pistol aimed right between his eyes.

He froze.

Behind him, Sinbad picked up his blade, pressing it to the side of his neck. The eyes staring back at
him from behind the gun were ones he hadn’t seen in years.

“Sudayev,” he said neutrally.

Dimitri glared right back at him. “Drop it, Korso.”

Korso dropped his sword.

All around them, his remaining men on the Chimera dropped their weapons, raising their arms in
surrender. As Sinbad circled around him to stand next to Dimitri, blade pointed under his chin,
Koros’s own hands rose in surrender.

“Not quite how I pictured meeting an old friend,” the disgraced general said, lips quirking in a
smirk.

“We were never friends,” Dimitri declared. “I just had the misfortune of taking your orders. Where
is Jim Hawkins?”

“What, can’t be bothered to ask how I’m doing?” Korso wheedled. He flinched as Sinbad pressed
his sword further into him.

“The man asked a question, Korso,” Sinbad said jovially. “Better answer him.”

Korso gritted his teeth. Dimitri cocked his weapon.

“He’s here somewhere,” Korso finally hissed out. “We’re under orders to bring him in alive.”

Dimitri side-eyed the pirate next to him. Sinbad didn’t take his eyes off their captive, but he nodded
minutely. “Jim’s here somewhere.” The younger captain nodded. He took his eyes off Korso long
enough to cast a sweeping glance over the ship, caramel eyes desperately searching for the one
face he wanted to see most in the crowd.

His heart soared when his eyes locked with wide blue and he barely managed to suppress a smile.
Instead, he nodded and turned back to Korso.

“What do you want to do with him?” Sinbad muttered. “I don’t know about you, but I’m not
looking to bring a bigger bounty down on my head.”

“Let him run back to his master, “ Dimitri decided. He pointed his weapon up as he disarmed it.
“She’ll have no choice but to imprison him when he returns empty-handed.” Sinbad snorted. He
kicked Korso’s fallen sword up to hold by his side.

“You’re not the one on the run,” he said, but backed off anyway, cutlass still held up in a clear
threat. “We’ll see how well this works out.”

“Yeah, well I’m not in the habit of killing for sport,” Dimitri snapped back. He snarled at Korso.
“Leave.”

Korso was smart enough to keep his mouth shut with a large group of angry pirates and spacers
training their weapons on him. With an exaggerated bow, he and his remaining men high-tailed it
back to the Valkyrie , crippled though she was from the Duchess’s earlier attack. The Valkyrie had
just enough power to pull away from the Chimera and stutter off. When they were barely a click
away, Dimitri raised his gun to the sky and shot off a blast without warning. The pirates around
him jumped in the same moment the Duchess’s cannons let loose a barrage of fire, easily tearing
through the Valkyrie’s sails and downing their masts.
In the next breath, he had his weapon cocked and pointed directly at Sinbad.

There were shouts of outrage all around as Dimitri glared at the pirate. Said pirate, to his credit,
kept his cool demeanor as he raised his arms, letting his swords clatter noisily to the floorboards.
The mixed crewmen all muttered amongst themselves.

“Give me one reason not to shoot you,” Dimitri demanded.

Sinbad stared stonily back. “Besides the fact that I kept your boy alive?” he retorted just as Jim
Hawkins shoved through to the front of the crowd, panic in his eyes. “Not a clue.”

Dimitri gritted his teeth. “You’re the ones that took him in the first place. You’re not giving me
much to work with here.”

“Oh, did you actually need a reason?” Sinbad snarled. He flicked his hand. “The kid’s fine, by the
way.”

“Dimitri!”

Dimitri was briefly jolted from his standoff as Jim abruptly broke from the crowd to propel his way
in front of Sinbad, arms held out to his sides. Dimitri immediately disarmed his weapon and
pointed it slightly skyward, eyes widening as he finally got a look at his young lover. Jim looked
ragged. Dark bags hung under his eyes and he was pale. A nasty red gash marred the side of his
neck and there was a faint tremor in his hands. All the while, he leveled a vicious glare at his
captain, teeth barred.

It was the first time Dimitri heard his name fall from those lips and it was in anger.

The men around them seemed to suck in a collective breath. Even Sinbad’s own dark eyes were
wide as he stared down at the reckless young man.

“Kid -”
“Jim -”

“Shut up!” Jim shouted. The adults shut up. Jim’s pupils were blown wide as he stared at Dimitri.
“It has been absolute hell this past week,” he stated. He took a calming breath, letting his arms
drop. “There has been a lot of fighting, and a lot of it has been because of me.” He met Dimitri’s
worried gaze once more, tired and pleading. “Please don’t make this about me, too.”

Dimitri’s aim wavered. “Jim…”

Jim gazed back steadily. “Dimitri.”

Dimitri felt his heart seize. Those big eyes were going to be the death of him one day. “He’s a
pirate, Jim.”

“I hadn’t noticed,” Jim spat back.

Dimitri glared. “I can’t let him walk away.”

“Well, it’s a good thing it’s not your job to catch pirates, now, isn’t it?” Jim asked.

With bated breath, the two crews waited to see who would win the battle of wills. Jim never
moved from his spot, staring with tired blue eyes at his captain. All the while, Dimitri was well
aware that Sinbad could take the younger man hostage at any moment, but he never made a move.

collective sigh of relief At last, after what felt like hours, Dimitri lowered his weapon. There was a
all around and he caught sight of two pirates exchanging coins. He shook his head.

In front of him, Jim sagged forward and Dimitri rushed to catch him as Sinbad took a step away.
For all the heartache, worry, and panic that had built in him over the past week, it was a relief to
hold Jim once more in his arms. Jim released a deep sigh as he buried his head in Dimitri’s chest.

“He needs medical attention,” Sinbad stated. “He got tossed around quite a bit earlier.”
Eye flicking up to meet the pirate captain’s, Dimitri deliberated. Jim was close to passing out in his
arms, but that was enough for him to make a decision. He nodded. “Vaughn!” he shouted. The
slug-like alien appeared next to him from the crowd. “Help me get him back to the ship. All hands
back to the Duchess! ” With the order given, his crew made their way off the Chimera. With
Vaughn’s help, they managed to stand Jim up with an arm thrown over each of their shoulders.
Dimitri met Sinbad’s eyes as he stood. “We can send someone out to help fix you ship,” he r
offered, willing to show some good faith in Jim’s trust.

Sinbad waved him off. “And wait for the authorities to arrest us? Nah. We should be fine to limp to
the next port.” He smirked. “I think our friends out there might need the assistance more.” He
pointed to the distant Valkyrie .

Dimitri followed his gaze and gave a small smirk of his own. “I don’t know, it might take us a few
days to get to the next port.” He sighed. “But I suppose I should send someone out.”

“We’ll make sure they stay put,” Sinbad said. He ruffled the dazed Jim’s hair with a fond smile.
“Take care, kid.” He pointed at Dimitri. “Don’t shoot us on the way out.”

Dimitri barked out a laugh as he and Vaughn hauled Jim off. “No promises.”

Between the two of them, they managed to get Jim back onto the Duchess with little issue, and
with the last of their men on board, they cut ties with the Chimera as Greggo gave the order to haul
ass towards the nearest port. Jim stared around in a bleary haze as Dimitri called for their medic,
ordering the men to give them some space. Almost immediately, a spider-like alien pushed through
the crowd to get to them. He lowered himself to Jim’s level and shined a light into his wide eyes.

“Concussion,” he said shortly, pressing his claws to Jim’s wrist as he took out a pocket watch. A
few moments later, he pocketed it again. “Elevated heartrate.” Without warning, he reached out
and lifted Jim easily into his arms. The human struggled briefly, but relaxed when his blown eyes
landed on Dimitri again. “Need to get below.” The doctor was already skittering off and Dimitri
had to jog to catch up.

“Greggo, take over!” he ordered. His first’s confirmation was lost on him as he disappeared below
deck.

///
There were low voices murmuring in the corner of the room when Jim finally came to. His head
was pounding and his throat was dry, and he groaned where he lay on an uncomfortable cot. The
voices ceased and Jim heard footsteps and an uncomfortable skittering that he often heard in
distant nightmares. His eyes cracked open and he sat up, coming face to face with the Duchess’s
resident doctor, intentionally lowering himself to a positon that made him shorter than Jim. Jim had
very little interaction with Dr. Morgenstern, due in part to his previous encounter with a member of
the good doctor’s species, but Dr. Morgenstern was highly regarded by the rest of the crew. He
was professional, if a little eccentric, and exceedingly polite. He smiled gently at Jim as he held up
his hands before slowly reaching out for one of Jim’s. He held the youth’s wrist and took out his
pocket watch, watching the seconds tick by with every beat of Jim’s heart.

“Hmm,” he hummed, pocketing his watch. “Pulse elevated, likely due to apparent fear than blunt-
force related trauma. Acceptable, given the circumstance.”

“Sorry…” Jim croaked. The good doctor waved him off.

“Nonsense. No apology needed.” He took out a small torch. “Eyes open, please.” Jim obliged as
the doctor shined the light in each eye. “Pupil dilation normal.” Jim blinked rapidly to dispel the
spots. “Now, there is a bandage on your neck where you were cut. I need to remove it to check the
healing process.” One of his large eyes narrowed and Jim hesitated for a moment. Those claws
looked no less intimidating than they did when he was pinned to a mast years ago. He swallowed,
but nodded and lifted his head. Dr. Morgenstern smiled and carefully removed the bandage.

“How long was I out?” Jim asked, voice hoarse. He cast his eyes about the small room as the
doctor checked his neck.

“About five hours,” the spider replied. “Very short time. Very good, too, considering the
concussion you had. Captain Sudayev very worried. Wouldn’t stop pacing.”

“Don’t give all my secrets away, doctor,” Jim heard Dimitri say behind him and the doctor actually
had to grab Jim’s head to keep him from jerking around. There were footsteps as the captain came
around to stand in Jim’s line of sight and the younger man could barely hold back tears of relief at
the sight of him. Dimitri looked how Jim felt, haggard and tired, with gauntness to his cheeks that
wasn’t there before. He locked eyes with melted caramel and released a ragged breath as Dimitri
gave him a soft smile.

Dr. Morgenstern smiled. “Refused to leave your side, he did,” he continued as though the man
hadn’t spoken. “Could barely pry him away long enough to bandage you up.” He finished
wrapping fresh gauze around Jim’s neck, ignoring Dimitri’s glare on him. “Is healing nicely.
Worried more about mild dehydration. Drink plenty of water and recommend few days bedrest and
light duty after.” Jim lightly rubbed the area as the doctor moved away.
“Does he have to stay here?” Dimitri asked as he continued to stare at Jim. His soft eyes grew stony
and Jim had to think a little harder than he’d like to recall what he had done to make the captain so
angry. Heat bloomed in his cheeks when he remembered. Questioning the man in charge in front of
his entire crew, let alone an enemy, didn’t exactly earn brownie points. Jim ducked his head in
shame.

“Bedrest only, Captain,” the good doctor said with a hard edge. Jim blushed harder, peeking up to
see Dimitri leveling his glare on the spider. Dr. Morgenstern glared back. “No, he does not have to
stay. But he needs sleep. As do you. Drink plenty of water.”

“And we’ll get sleep,” Dimitri confirmed. “But I have some words to say first. March, Hawkins.”

Jim obeyed quietly, standing on wobbling legs. Dimitri was kind enough to give him a moment to
catch his bearings before gesturing to the door. Jim led the way out.

“My cabin,” the captain said tersely. Jim nodded.

He kept his eyes on his feet as they reached the main deck, carefully ignoring the crew. He could
feel Dimitri’s steely gaze on his back all the while and it made him shudder. He wasn’t entirely
sure it was out of fear, though. The crew were quick to get out of the way, all of them no doubt
aware of his panic-fueled outburst on the Chimera by now. There was a black cloud almost visibly
rolling off of Dimitri that kept everyone quiet. Jim felt like he was being led to the plank, but
Dimitri placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, so at odds with his demeanor, and led him up the
stairs to his cabin. The door closed and locked behind them with an ominous click, hiding them
away from the rest of the Etherium, and Jim was alone with Dimitri for the first time in a week.

As he turned around to face his captain, Jim realized this was the first time he had been in the cabin
since the morning after that fateful night. He barely had a chance to look around then as he barely
took a moment to look around now, caught in Dimitri’s stare as their eyes met. The captain had his
back against the door, the only means of escape, arms crossed over his strong chest and long legs
crossed at the ankles. His auburn hair fell over his eyes as he watched Jim with all the scrutiny of a
predator, and Jim was struck with what certainly wouldn’t be the last time with how beautiful his
captain was. He stood a little straighter even as his cheeks flushed, desperately wanting to throw
himself into those strong arms and never let go.

The silence seemed to stretch on forever.

.h Finally, Dimitri closed his eyes and released a heavy breat Jim continued to hold his.

“I thought I would ever see you again…” Dimitri whispered. He pushed off the door as he ran his
hands through his hair. Jim exhaled shakily. “I thought those pirates would kill you before I could
get to you.” He pushed his palms into his eyes. “I thought…” He breathed out hard. “I thought
Korso would take you away from me just as I’d finally caught up or that pirate would grab you as
you just stood there like something out of some stupid tragedy…” Dimitri snorted. Jim took a
cautious step forward. “I thought I was gonna lose you…” Dimitri whispered hoarsely.

Jim took another step forward. He reached up, gently grasping Dimitri’s wrists. The captain let him
guide his arms down to his sides where Jim simply held them, rubbing his wrists. The captain kept
his eyes closed for a long moment, taking deep, even breaths. Jim slowly moved his hands up
Dimitri’s arms, rubbing them gently as he went, simply letting the older man know he was there
through touch alone. It hurt to speak and Dimitri looked like he needed the quiet moment, so Jim
was content to glide his hands over taut shoulders, fingers dancing over his neck until he finally
came to gently cup Dimitri’s cheeks in both hands. He wiped away the wetness he found there,
waiting for Dimitri to look at him with eyes so heartbreakingly beautiful as the wetness in them
brought out the green flecks in his molten gaze.

Jim cleared his throat of the heavy lump he found there and stared up with all the love he could
possibly project at the older man. “I’m here,” he rasped quietly. Dimitri hissed a low breath as
more tears fell. “I’m here, Dimitri. I’m not going anywhere.”

Dimitri leaned down to press their foreheads together. “I almost lost you,” he hissed.

“But you didn’t,” Jim said. “I’m here and I’m fine. A little banged up, but I’m alive. I’m never
leaving this ship without you by my side.”

Dimitri cupped the hands holding his cheeks, his warmth seeping into Jim and making him shiver.
They stood there quietly, breathing the same air and simply existing in the same space. Dimitri
slowly wrapped one arm around Jim’s shoulders, bringing them closer together. He stared into
Jim’s eyes, searching for answers to questions unasked and Jim stared back unflinchingly.
“Don’t…” he started, “don’t ever scare me like that ever again.”

Jim gave him a shaky smile. “If it makes you feel any better,” he answered, knowing that in their
line of work, he could never make such a promise, “I scared myself pretty damn bad, too.” His
eyes watered. “I-I thought…” He swallowed heavily. “I thought Korso was gonna win. I had no
idea that you were so close or that I’d get so lucky, but you stopped him, and I thought he was
gonna drag me back to Regalia and I’d never see you again.” The floodgates opened. Tears
streamed down his face in unceasing trails. Dimitri did his best to wipe them away, but they just
f of d traile e kept coming. “I was terrified…” h .
“You’re safe now, Jim,” Dimitri murmured. “You’re on the Duchess, you’re with me, and you’re
safe. ”

“No.” Jim pulled away. He looked up at Dimitri’s wide eyes and hastily backtracked. “I mean, no,
I know that.” He scrubbed at his cheeks. “I can’t think of anywhere I feel safer than with you.
Pirate attacks notwithstanding.” They both released shaky chuckles. Jim grabbed one of Dimitri’s
hands and brought it to his lips, kissing his knuckles. Dimitri exhaled heavily. “I was terrified… of
never seeing you again. Of never getting to do this again.” He kissed his captain’s hand again as
Dimitri seemed to freeze. “I thought I’d never get to feel your arms around me again. Not just of
being near you, but of being with you! I never want to be apart from you again!” His eyes darted
between Dimitri’s, hoping he was getting his point across. He felt desperate, his hands shaking as
his whole body trembled. Dimitri laced their fingers together, squeezing hard. “I love you,
Dimitri,” Jim finally admitted breathlessly. “I love you and I never want to be away from you.”

Dimitri’s breath grew ragged with each reverent word spilt from the younger man’s lips until he
finally leaned in and kissed Jim for all he was worth, their lips smashing together painfully. Their
teeth clacked at the initial contact, but still Dimitri did not let up. He bit Jim’s lip and shoved his
tongue in the younger man’s mouth when he cried out, backing his lover up until his back hit the
wall. Jim grunted, but kissed him back just as desperately, sucking on Dimitri’s tongue as he
wrapped his arms around broad shoulders to claw through the older man’s vest. Dimitri’s nails
scratched at Jim’s waist, fingers digging into his sides as he groaned against Jim’s mouth. He
wedged his thigh between Jim’s legs and earned a high moan in response. Dimitri had to pull
away.

Jim’s face was beautifully flushed, his plump lips bruised and eyes glazed over with heat. He
rocked down on Dimitri’s thigh, staring open-mouthed and panting up at his captain. Dimitri gave
him a moment to come back down, removing his leg and getting a whine in return. He pressed their
foreheads together once more as clarity came back to Jim’s deep eyes.

“I love you,” he breathed against Jim’s lips. Jim’s breath hitched and he sobbed. “I love you so
much and as soon as I got you back you went and did something so incredibly stupid. ” His words
turned frantic as his own sobs caught up with him. “I had no way of knowing that pirate wasn’t
going to hurt you and you stood there anyway and… Jim, I could have shot you! ” Jim nodded,
reaching up to hold their heads together. “You can’t just… throw yourself around like that! My
heart can’t take it!” Dimitri took a step back, catching his breath. Jim continued to lean against the
wall. They both took a steadying breath. “No more throwing yourself at death’s feet,” he declared.

Jim nodded. “Okay.”

“And no more getting kidnapped.”

Jim laughed shakily. “Okay.”

Dimitri finally gave him a smile that didn’t make him feel like a lunatic. “And you can’t keep
calling me out in front of my crew.” Jim nodded, looking appropriately sheepish now. “Everyone
knows about us and that doesn’t bother me, but there has to be a little chain of command. I can’t
keep playing obvious favoritism.”

“Please,” Jim huffed, rolling his eyes. “You’ve been playing favorites since the day I came
aboard.”

“That doesn’t mean you have to keep calling attention to it,” Dimitri said. Jim laughed.

“I’ll try to behave,” he conceded. “Not including near death experiences.”

“Let’s try to keep those to a minimum from now on,” Dimitri muttered. He ran his hands through
his hair. Silence fell over them again as he simply looked at the younger man, studying his face
and committing every detail to memory. “You’re really here…” he whispered.

Jim nodded, smiling back. “I’m really here.” He held out his hand and Dimitri stepped back into
the warm circle of his arms. Dimitri wrapped the younger man up in his long arms, leaning down to
kiss him gently. Jim softly kissed back. “I love you, Dimitri. I love you so much.”

“I love you, too, Jim,” Dimitri whispered reverently. He pulled away once more, this time taking
Jim by the hand and leading him to the bed in the corner of the room. He sat down, pulling Jim
into his lap. “Stay with me,” he pleaded. Jim kissed him in response. Dimitri carefully leaned back
until he lay on the bed with Jim hovering over him. The younger man’s face flushed a lovely shade
of red as he stared down at the captain under him. Dimitri smiled up at him, running his hands
down Jim’s back, over his toned buttocks, and down his thighs. He squeezed a handful of the flesh
there and urged Jim to lie down next to him. “Your pace, remember?” Dimitri whispered.

Jim swallowed heavily. “Yeah…” He met Dimitri’s eyes again, counting the flecks of green he
found there. He leaned in to kiss the older man as Dimitri wrapped his arms tight around him. “I
love you…” he whispered breathlessly.

“I love you, too…” Dimitri murmured against his lips. They kissed softly again and continued to
do so well into the night.
 ////

Chapter End Notes

This concludes Part 4.

Tell me what you thought! I honestly never thought when I started this monster that I
would get this far, but I'm working on part 5 now and I'm feeling pretty good about
wrapping this thing up!

[[I'm gonna change the summary sometime soon]]

 Part 5 Act I
Chapter Summary

A much needed talk and then smut. Just... smut.

Chapter Notes

Did you want smut? I hope you wanted smut.

Cuz I wrote smut.

Should I raise the rating to explicit? I tried to keep it toned, but man, these boys are
horny and I like writing vulgarities. I tried, man, I really did!

Please mind the new tags.

As always, no beta and the OCs are mine.

Anyway, please enjoy!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Jim was awoken from a deep sleep in the early hours of the next morning by Morph nuzzling
against his face. He groaned as the little blob licked his cheek and generally made a nuisance of
himself until the human opened bleary eyes to bring the pink shapeshifter into focus. Morph’s eyes
watered when Jim’s gaze finally landed on him.

“Morph?” Jim rasped, throat rough with disuse. Morph sniffled. “Where have you been?”

The dam broke. Lip quivering, Morph sobbed, fat drops of water falling from his eyes as he
struggled to keep his body whole. Jim quickly sat up, head spinning as he cupped his hands to
catch his friend as Morph melted in front of him, wailing loudly.

“Hey, hey, Morph, it’s okay!” Jim cooed. His throat felt like it was on fire, but he did his best to
soothe the blob anyway. “It’s okay, I’m okay, shh!” Morph blinked up at him sadly from the
puddle in his hands. “I’m here, I’m fine.” Jim smiled. “I’m not going anywhere, okay? I’m safe.”

Morph slowly pulled himself back together. “Safe?” he chirped nervously.

Jim brought the half-formed shapeshifter to his face, nuzzling the top of his little head. “I’m safe,
Morph. We’re safe.” Morph sighed, nuzzling him back. Jim pulled him away to smile down at
him. “Are you okay?”

Morph finally pulled himself together to bob in the air, nuzzling Jim’s cheek. “Okay, okay…” he
tittered sadly. Jim cupped him with one hand, holding him gently to his cheek.

As Morph took the moment to calm down, Jim looked around the cabin. The double bed he sat on
was empty save for himself and Morph. A glance around revealed them to be alone as Dimitri was
nowhere to be seen. He bit his lip, nerves buzzing, but quickly shook his head. He was on the
Duchess. He was safe. He was back with Morph and Dimitri was still his captain. He still had a job
to do that didn’t involve spending all his time with Jim.

He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t a little disappointed, though.

He fell back against the soft mattress, Morph settling on his chest, and rubbed his eyes. His head
hurt, his throat hurt, and his whole body ached. The bandages on his neck itched. The silence in the
room save for Morph’s soft breathing was a small blessing. The past week had been filled with
nonstop arguing, work, and fighting. He had barely had a chance to relax while aboard the
Chimera , always on edge while surrounded by pirates. Even if they had been friendly enough and
he had worked his way into their good graces, he had been careful not to completely drop his guard
around them. He had slept with one eye open every night if he even managed to sleep at all. Now
that he was back where he belonged, Jim could finally relax.

Only to tense up as the door to the cabin opened. He could hear the men outside working and
jeering at each other, and Morph rearranged on his chest. Jim turned his head as the door closed,
relaxing as silence was welcomed once more. Even more welcome was the sight of Dimitri quietly
making his way to his desk with a covered bowl in one hand and a mug in the other. He nudged
some papers out of the way to make room for the food and set the dishes down quietly. When he
straightened back up, he looked over to the bed, eyes locking with Jim’s as the younger man smiled
up at him. Dimitri smiled softly back.

“Hey,” he said quietly. He grabbed the mug off the desk and walked over.

“Hey yourself,” Jim rasped. He sat up slowly so Morph could float up to rest on his shoulder.
“Where have you been?”
Dimitri sat next to him, handing Jim the large mug. Jim peered in to find water and he took a large
gulp, soothing his burning throat. “Had to check on the ship and the men,” Dimitri explained.
“Korso managed to put a decent sized hole in the aft.” He blew out a frustrated breath. “I just had
the last holes patched up and now I have to get them fixed again!” He groaned exaggeratedly, Jim
chuckling at him. Dimitri smiled. He placed a hand at the small of Jim’s back, rubbing the spot
gently. “How’re you feeling? I didn’t wake you, did I?”

Jim grimaced as he shook his head. “I’ve been better,” he muttered into the mug. “Everything
hurts.”

“Well, the doc has you on mandatory bedrest so lucky for you I can’t put you to work yet,” Dimitri
said playfully. Jim gave him a flat look. Dimitri laughed.

“Your heartfelt concern is noted,” Jim grumbled, shoving him away. Dimitri grinned as he used the
momentum to stand, going back to his desk to retrieve the bowl. He took the mug from Jim as it
was handed over.

“Len was nice enough to whip something up,” he said. “Believe it or not, I think he was worried
about you.”

“Everyone loves me,” Jim declared. He took a bite of soup and practically moaned at the first hot
meal he’s had in over twenty-four hours. He swallowed, grinning at the pink he saw rising in his
lover’s cheeks. “Don’t act like I’m not gonna steal your crew. They’d mutiny for me.”

Dimitri pouted at him. “Betrayed by my own boyfriend.” He fell back on the bed dramatically.
“Next you’re gonna maroon me at the next port.” He sighed as Jim chuckled quietly. He rolled
over and snuggled into Jim’s hip as the younger man ate.

When Jim’s stomach grumbled when he couldn’t finish his food, he set it aside, patting Morph with
the go ahead to finish his meal. The blob ate at a surprisingly sedate pace. Dimitri let go of him
long enough for Jim to lay next to him, settling into his captain’s arms and burying his face in his
chest. Dimitri nuzzled his hair.

smile. “Boyfriend?” y “So…” Jim started quietly. He peeked up at his lover with a sh

Dimitri’s face flushed red. “Well… yeah.” He looked away briefly. “I know we haven’t really
discussed this and all, and it technically hasn’t been very long,” he looked back down at Jim,
staring into deep blue eyes, “but I know I love you and I want to be with you for as long as you’ll
have me.”

“I’d love that…” Jim murmured softly. Butterflies danced in his belly and he placed a soft kiss to
his boyfriend’s lips. “I’ve never had a boyfriend before.”

“You’ll get used to it pretty quick, I think,” Dimitri told him with a grin. He pulled away a little.
“Since I am the captain, though, and you are still technically my subordinate, we need to go over
some ground rules.”

“Oh, boy…” Jim muttered. He propped himself on his elbows to look down at said captain. Dimitri
rolled on his back, hands under his head. “Ok, shoot.”

Dimitri’s face turned serious. “Okay, so the whole crew knows about us and I’m pretty sure they
don’t care.”

“Pretty sure?”

The captain held up a finger to silence him. “We need to maintain some semblance of
professionalism. You still need to follow my orders without backtalk.” Here he raised an eyebrow
and Jim grinned. “No fraternizing in front of the crew unless we’re both off-duty. And as much as I
love to kiss you and hold your hand, we need to keep all that at least confined to the cabin.”

“Or any other dark, shadowy corners of the ship,” Jim decided with a grin. Dimitri laughed.

“Only if no one’s around,” he agreed with a leer. Jim blushed. Dimitri continued. “In the case of a
conflict of interest, Greggo has agreed to act as your commanding officer if we ever find ourselves
in a situation where you feel you can’t follow my orders. If you ever need to defer to him because
my orders contradict my relationship with you, you are free to do so with no repercussion from me,
be it personal or professional.”

“Sounds good,” Jim agreed. “What happens in extreme cases where one of us has been kidnapped
by pirates because of a jealous ex?”

“Then I better not find you throwing yourself in front of those pirates in the heat of battle,” Dimitri
stated.
“In my defense, Sinbad wasn’t that bad,” Jim said. He ran a soothing hand through Dimitri’s hair,
causing his lover to release a tense breath as he closed his eyes. “He was doing what was best for
his crew in a shitty situation.”

Dimitri hummed. He opened his eyes and stared up into those deep blue depths he could never get
enough of. “Her Majesty holding something over his head?”

“Something like that,” Jim said.

Silence fell over them. Dimitri closed his eyes and allowed his lover’s hand in his hair to soothe his
nerves. Jim shifted position again, knocking the empty bowl at his feet to the floor. Morph cooed
over them as he floated over, nestling on Dimitri’s chest as Jim wrapped an arm around his waist,
resting his head on his captain’s shoulder. Dimitri placed a soft kiss to Jim’s hair, holding him
close with an arm wrapped tight around his small waist. They relished the quiet moment, simply
enjoying the feeling of holding the other in their arms.

Finally, Jim broke it. “How’d you find me?” he asked quietly. Dimitri released a ragged breath,
slowly recounting his experience since the night he returned to the inn to nothing but a note.

///

With the only damage to the Duchess being the small hole in the aft the crew could easily patch
while in transit, Dimitri ordered them to keep the ship moving, only stopping at the nearest
spaceport to report the stranded Valkyrie to Her Majesty’s authorities. Afterward, they high-tailed
it out of her sector of space without looking back. Dimitri wasn’t sad to be rid of the whole ordeal,
but in the privacy of his now shared cabin, he revealed to Jim his unease at technically being a
wanted man if he ever returned. That meant he might never see Anya again. While he was still
incredibly angry with her and hurt by her betrayal, she had still been a life-long friend. Now he
might never have the opportunity to patch things up with her. Jim was familiar with betrayal. He
offered what comfort he could to his lover and an open ear whenever Dimitri needed to vent.

They didn’t make port again until they were back in safe space, almost two weeks after returning
Jim to the Duchess, on the small garden world of Zeflon-Terre. They spent a week there,
restocking supplies and finishing the repairs to the ship that had yet to be competed. Old man
Leonard finally announced his permanent retirement while there. He found the humid environment
agreed with his old bones and decided to purchase a small cabin along one of the major rivers to
e spend his leisure years. The crew threw him a party at the inn they were occupying where h
officially christened Jim his successor. He assured everyone they were welcome to visit anytime in
the same breath he told them all he never wanted to see their sorry hides again. No one pointed out
how his eyes glistened as Leonard gave his short speech.

So it was with one less person that the Duchess returned to duty, Dimitri quick to pick up trade
from Zeflon-Terre to the more bustling hub world of Lumia. Jim settled easily into his new role as
the ship ' s cook, taking on other small roles around the ship when time permit. He even got to
prove his worth at his original trade as navigator when Gord fell ill along with two other crewmen,
a field he was quite accomplished in due to his previous experience with Treasure Planet and his
time at the Academy. Dimitri had actually been taken aback by how adept he was.

“Tell me why you’re the cook again?” the captain had asked one morning after listening to Jim
bark orders at the on-duty helmsman.

“Because that’s what you hired me for,” Jim replied with a smug smi .k r

“You submitted the wrong resume,” Dimitri had grumbled back. “You’re over-qualified.” He then
settled back to watch Greggo and Jim argue about coordinates over star charts.

Luckily, they had little to no run-ins with pirates while in transit, the most notable experience
being when a small band tried to get the jump on them from an asteroid field. The attempt wound
up backfiring spectacularly when they were hit by their own cover just as they made themselves
known. Dimitri had a good laugh at their expanse as he watched their mast fall.

From Lumia, they followed the Duchess’s established trade routes to Retruse and Kian II,
bartering trade and even picking up new clients. Jim got to see so many new cultures and places he
had only seen in holobooks. The journey gave him the opportunity to meet new species he had
never even seen before. Through it all, he bonded with his crewmates. He’d already known Robert
to be a fantastic storyteller, but he learned Vaughn was also an accomplished cook who loathed
cooking, so of course he roped the unwilling slug into helping him in the kitchen on occasion. Alan
often doubled as an assistant to Dr. Morgenstern when he needed one, even dragging Jim into
helping out. Jim slowly got over his irrational fear of the doctor and found the spider to be quite
pleasant. Greggo could play the violin and sometimes led a small band consisting of Finnly on
accordion and Tyr on the flute in short concerts in the evenings. Jim took the time during the
evening merry-making to sit with Dimitri and listen to the music and party around them before they
retired to their shared room for the night.

Trade from Kian II took them to the spaceport Mandol orbiting the planet Tristal, where the locals
were celebrating the passing of their new year. Dimitri gave everyone leave to join the festivities
and took the time to take his lover on a proper date. He and Jim went from vendor to vendor and
ate their body weight in snacks, laughing and holding hands without a care in the world as they
saw the sights. Dimitri introduced his love to a local brew and they spent the night drinking on a
little rooftop until the fireworks started, ringing in the new year. Morph did his best to mimic the
colorful display while the humans cuddled until morning found them bleary-eyed and hungover.
They returned to the empty ship only to fall in bed together and sleep until evening when the
festival continued. They spent another week at port until Dimitri finally rounded up his men and
they took off.

Two days into their next trade, Jim recognized the route.

He looked up from where he was going over a star chart with Gord to Dimitri who stood at the
helm, humming a tune he had heard at the festival. Jim’s eyes were wide as he stared at the captain
who eventually noticed and looked back at him. Dimitri quirked a brow and smirked at the
younger man.

“Yes, Hawkins?”

Jim had to wet his lips. “We’re going to Montressor?” Disbelief colored his tone.

“Well, technically to the spaceport,” Dimitri clarified. “The planet doesn’t have an atmosphere the
Duchess can readily touch down on the planet, so it’s the next best thing.” He grinned cheekily.
“But you already knew that.”

“Tyr has family there,” Gord stated as Jim continued to stare at his grinning captain. “And I think
Mr. Greggo does too. He’s not been very clear about it.” He looked down at Jim. “You’ve been?”

“I live there…” Jim muttered back. Gord laughed.

“Excellent!” he exclaimed. “Cap’n always gives us a fair amount of leave to visit family. It’ll be a
good break for ye!”

Jim looked back to find his captain giving him a loving smile . He mouthed “Thank you” before
excusing himself, hiding away in the galley where he knew no one would bother him.

Emotion welled up in him as he sat on the counter by the stove, hands buried in his hair as his
elbows rested on his knees. Morph floated up to him, patting his head and chattering in question.
He was ecstatic to be going home! He missed his mom. It felt like he hadn’t seen her in years rather
than a few exciting months. He missed Delbert and Amelia and his not-nieces and nephew. He
even missed loud-mouthed BEN. He was so excited to see them all, it actually hurt ! Jim couldn’t
wait to tell them about the journey, minus the near-death experiences (he’ll tell Delbert about those
in private). At the same time, he was a little bit terrified.

How was he going to tell his mother about Dimitri? How would she react? He had given so little
thought to how she might take the news of her only son being with a man, let alone one with
authority over him, that he had no idea how to break it to her! His heart raced in his chest and he
groaned.

“What am I gonna do?” he bemoaned to his floating friend. Morph could only shrug. Jim glared at
him. “Some help you are.”

“You okay?”

Jim jumped, looking up to find Dimitri watching him with concern in his eyes. Jim ran nervous
hands through his hair, noting absently that he needed a haircut. “Yeah,” he muttered as Dimitri
walked up. “No. I don’t know.” Dimitri took his hands in his own, bringing them to his lips to
place a gentle kiss to his knuckles.

e “Talk to me,” h murmured, squeezing Jim’s fingers gently. Jim leaned back as the older man
stepped closer, parting his legs so Dimitri could stand between them. He rested his forehead
against Jim’s. “I thought you’d be excited to go home. What’s up?”

“I am,” Jim assured him. He released a low breath, closing his eyes. “I am excited. I can’t wait to
see mom. I miss her so much!” He leaned back, looking down at their joined hands. “It’s just… I’m
nervous, I guess.”

“About us?” Dimitri guessed.

The younger man nodded reluctantly. “Yeah…” He sighed. “I have no idea how she’ll react. I’ve
never brought anybody home before.”

“She’ll probably just be happy you brought someone home at all,” the captain said. He let go of
Jim’s hands to grasp his hips, rubbing circles over his hipbones with his thumbs. Jim shivered at
the touch. Dimitri smiled lovingly when the younger man met his gaze. “She loves you, Jim. She
won’t care that I’m a man.” He furrowed his brow as he bit the inside of his cheek. “She’s going to
be more worried about what kind of a person I am and whether or not I’m good enough for you.”

Jim narrowed his eyes in suspicion as he watched his superior. “Are you…” he trailed off as a grin
quirked his lips. “Are you scared to meet my mother, Captain Sudayev?”

Dimitri scoffed. “Scared? Me? Pfft, no.”

From the space next to them, Morph outright laughed at him.

Dimitri glared at the blob, refusing to meet his lover’s laughing eyes. “I am not scared to meet my
boyfriend’s mother. It’s not like it’s a big step or anything. I’ve fought pirates scarier than this!”
He pursed his lips haughtily as Jim quirked a brow at him, smiling.

“Uh-huh.”

Dimitri glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. He sighed. “Okay, yes, fine. I’m a little
nervous.” He looked away. “I want her to like me…” he admitted softly.

Jim cupped his face in both hands, forcing their gazes to meet. “I think she’ll love you,” he said
definitively, smiling gently.

“You know,” Dimitri pressed their heads together once more, smiling back, “ I came down here to
comfort you, not the other way around.”

“And you’re doing a fantastic job, Captain.” Jim rubbed their noses together, getting a laugh out of
Dimitri. He pressed a soft kiss to the taller man’s lips. Dimitri watched him with heavy eyes, hands
holding Jim’s hips close as Jim leaned back. “Thank you, sir,” Jim murmured softly.

Dimitri released a heavy sigh. “Jim…” His hands tightened on the younger man. Jim shivered.
“You do something to me, you know that?”

“Good something?” Jim asked with a cheeky grin.

Dimitri dragged him forward on the counter, his hips lining up with Jim’s groin. Jim instinctively
wrapped his leg around the taller man as Dimitri placed a biting kiss to his neck. “Definitely good s
something,” Dimitri growled in his ear.

Jim moaned.

He could feel that something pressing against him, his face heating up as he remembered where
they were. It wasn’t the first time his captain had been so forward with him. Hell, the first time
they were intimate with each other had been Jim’s doing back on Regalia III. He had slowly
opened up more to Dimitri in the bedroom over the past few weeks, growing more comfortable
with light touching and heavy petting, Dimitri being ever patient with him all the while. A part of
Jim felt guilty for making his more experienced lover wait for him, but Dimitri was careful to
reassure him every time he expressed doubt. He backed off at the slightest sign of Jim being
uncomfortable and would instead settle for a long night of cuddling unless Jim expressed interest
otherwise, and all in the privacy of the captain’s cabin.

This was definitely not the captain’s cabin.

They were in the Duchess’s galley where anyone could walk down those stairs and have a near
perfect view of Dimitri’s back if they turned their head just right and gain a pretty good idea of
what was happening.

Oh, god , the teasing would be horrendous.

Despite all that, with cheeks aflame and Dimitri kissing his neck just the way he liked and sending
shivers racing up his spine, Jim crossed his ankles behind his lover’s back and squeezed his thighs,
bringing the older man closer. Their groins pressed tighter together and Jim whimpered, his
interest jumping to attention.

Dimitri moaned at the sudden pleasure, holding Jim tight by his hips as he bit the younger’s
shoulder. That only caused Jim to cry out as he did his best to circle his hips into Dimitri’s. He
could feel the outline of Dimitri’s length grinding into his as one big hand moved to the small of
Jim’s back, holding him close to his captain. He squeezed his eyes shut as his nails dug into
Dimitri’s shoulders.

Dimitri rested their heads together with a groan. He rocked his hips into Jim as his hot breath
stuttered across the younger’s lips. “Jim…” he breathed reverently as he watched Jim’s face twist
with pleasure. He couldn’t help but pull the younger man as close as possible to grind their hips
together harder. Jim practically sobbed. “J-Jim...” he groaned. “Look at me.”

It took effort, but Jim willed his eyes open. His pupils were already blown wide, glazed over with
bliss and he bit his lip as he met melted caramel. He leaned forward to kiss his captain, biting
Dimitri’s lip and Dimitri let out a deep groan as he allowed his young love do as he pleased. Their
tongues met in a slow dance as Dimitri let his fingers on Jim’s back dip below the band of his
trousers. Jim whimpered softly, sucking Dimitri’s tongue as the older man tried to pull back.

“Jim…” he tried again. His gaze was full of heat and promise when their eyes met again. The
words took actual effort to force out. “We’re in the galley, Jim,” he stated, hissing when Jim
pressed his heels into his back to grind their hips together once more. “Th-this really isn’t the place
for this,” he tried again.

His young love leaned in, kissing his cheek. He trailed soft kisses to his neck, licking a long striped
to his ear, making Dimitri shiver pleasantly. This kid was going to be the death of him one day. Jim
bit his earlobe and Dimitri hummed in pleasure, closing his eyes.

“Green…” Jim whispered hoarsely.

Dimitri’s eyes popped open.

Over the course of the past few weeks, they had slowly been discovering what Jim liked and didn’t
mov s like. He was less nervous now, but still found things to sometime e f aster than he was
comfortable with, especially when they discovered that rougher treatment generally got him more
excited than either of them anticipated. In response, Dimitri had come up with a simple solution for
when Jim felt like things were too much. If he was too nervous to say stop, Dimitri had him follow
a color system. If things started heating up too much or too fast, all Jim had to say was “Yellow,”
and Dimitri would slow down. “Red” meant he needed to stop altogether and he would give Jim
some room to breathe, to clear his head and decide whether or not he wanted to continue or just lay
together and snuggle. Dimitri was absolutely fine with snuggling. He loved the feel of Jim in his
arms, to hold him close and bury his nose in his soft brown hair. He could take care of his own
need later.

But sometimes…

Sometimes Jim would say “Green.”

“Green” meant things were good. “Green” meant Dimitri could keep going. “Green” meant
continued pleasure for them both.

Jim was starting to say “Green” a lot more often.

Dimitri leaned back enough so their eyes could meet wide caramel to cloudy blue. He cupped
Jim’s cheek, rubbing his thumb over the flushed skin. “Are you sure?” he asked seriously. “This
really isn’t a good place. Anyone could walk down here.” He waited for the younger’s darkened
eyes to clear up as Jim nodded.

“Yes…” he murmured, a deeper blush rising to his cheeks. “I’m sure. Green.”

Dimitri sucked in a breath.

He shoved forward to capture Jim’s mouth roughly, biting plump lips with a growl before licking
his way into the younger’s wet cavern. Jim yelped at the harsh treatment, pressing back just as
fervently. Dimitri ground their hips together hard, Jim’s legs holding him captive even if he wanted
to move away (he didn’t). The hand on Jim’s back dipped lower into his pants, between pert
cheeks and further down. Jim whined and moaned, needy for more attention as his cries were
swallowed by his captain.

“Tell me to stop,” Dimitri growled against his lips. He moved his other hand to Jim’s neck to his
chest and down his stomach, lifting his shirt to rub the soft skin over his abdomen.

Jim’s breath hitched with blissful sighs. He shook his head, running his hands over Dimitri’s
shoulders to his chest . He dug his nails in and dragged them down, earning a hiss. “Green,” he
repeated breathlessly.

Dimitri nodded, biting his own lip. He undid Jim’s trousers with one hand, reaching in to pull out
Jim’s length. He swallowed his lover’s cry of ecstasy with another deep kiss, trailing his fingers
lightly over velvety skin before curling his hand in a loose fist around Jim’s need. He tightened his
hold slowly, Jim practically sobbing against his mouth. His other hand spread his cheeks so he
could circle a finger over the sensitive flesh of Jim’s entrance. Dimitri moaned at the heat Jim
radiated from both sides. “I’ll stop of you tell me to,” he whispered hurriedly into Jim’s open
the absolutely wrecked look on n mouth. He watched the younger man with heavy eyes, drinking i
his blissed out face.
Jim shook his head frantically, looking almost panicked as he tightened his legs around his
captain’s waist. “Green!” He clawed at Dimitri’s chest as Dimitri continued to pump his length
with slow strokes. “Please, green! Don’t stop!”

How could Dimitri deny such pretty begging? He pressed his finger in slowly, kissing the younger
soundly when he tried to cry out.

m He had teased Ji like this before, with one hand on his manhood and another teasing his hole,
getting Jim accustomed to something there. He had yet to press further until now. The sensation
made Dimitri groan, Jim’s tight heat swallowing his finger in further. He gave Jim a moment to get
used to the new sensation as he worked his member slowly, listening for his breathing to settle. He
pressed his head to Jim’s to watch the emotions play out on his love’s face. His eyes were
squeezed shut and mouth dropped open in bliss.

“Jim?” Dimitri was almost shocked at the rough sound of his own voice. Jim was beautiful, all
blissed out and relaxed as his dark eyes opened to stare at Dimitri in a euphoric haze. “You okay?”

Jim opened and closed his mouth, eventually just settling for nodding when no sound came out.
Dimitri continued to lazily stroke him until Jim could finally mumble out a broken, “Gre-een…”
.m Then he tightened his grip and slowly pumped his finger in and out of hi

Jim moaned loudly as the older man pleasured him, pressing his head to Dimitri’s shoulder. He
watched Dimitri hand move on him with glazed eyes, the sight sending tingles up and down his s'
whole body as the finger moved, and forcing noises out of him he didn’t know he could make. His
toes curled as he pulled Dimitri as close as possible, gaze falling to the bulge in his captain’s
slacks. He cupped a hand over it, groping roughly and hearing Dimitri’s breath hitch in his ear. His
fingers shook as he undid his pants, but when he reached in to pull out Dimitri’s manhood, his
lover moaned his name in his ear and Jim pumped him in time to the finger inside him.

Dimitri’s glazed eyes went wide as his hand on Jim’s length stuttered to a stop when he realized
what Jim was doing, focusing instead on forcing another finger in with the first. Jim bit his
shoulder through his shirt, muffling the high-pitched whine that escaped him His lover didn’t wait
this time, immediately setting a fast pace with his fingers, in and out, driving Jim quickly to
ecstasy. He lifted his head to lock his lips with Dimitri’s, moaning into each other’s mouths. He let
Dimitri focus on pleasuring his hole as he reached down to press their lengths together, both
groaning. Jim pumped them both in time to the fingers inside him as they licked and bit each
other’s lips, sucking on tongues and muffling the other’s noises the best they could as their
breathing grew ever heavier.

Jim tried to rock back on the fingers in him, to take them even deeper, but he couldn’t quite get the
angle right with the way he was sitting. He couldn’t thrust forward either, whimpering in
frustration as his toes curled and his release grew nearer. Dimitri thrust hard against him, grinding
slowly against his length and groaning deeply against his lips as Jim felt his wet heat cover his
hand. The sensation made him whine pitifully and he worked faster at his own length as Dimitri
focused all his attention on working his finger s deeper into him. He bit Jim’s lip at the same time
he touched upon something deep inside the younger man that made his eyes widen and his mouth
fall open in a silent scream. His member twitched as his climax washed over him abruptly, his seed
mixing with Dimitri’s on his hand. A drawn out moan escaped him and his captain pulled him into
a deep kiss, slowly drawing his fingers out of Jim’s body. They gasped and panted as they came
down from their high, lazy kisses pressed to kiss-bruised lips.

“Holy ffff…” Dimitri trailed off with a gasp. His softening member twitched and he had to pull
away from his love so he could tuck himself away. His cheeks were red and his eyes dazed. He
stared at Jim in loving wonder.

Jim laughed almost hysterically in his post-orgasmic bliss. “Green…” he muttered with a giggle.
His pupils were still blown wide as he fixed his pants. Leaning back on his clean hand, Jim stared
at the mess on his other. He looked back up at Dimitri from under heavy lids.

Staring his older lover dead in the eyes, Jim brought the mess to his mouth and stuck out his
tongue, licking his middle finger from base to tip, lips quirked in a devious little grin. Dimitri
watched with wide eyes. His mouth fell open as Jim licked up the mess, watching him all the
while. The captain’s member twitched with interest and Dimitri shook his head, backing away
from the sight of that pink, pink tongue doing things he very much wanted done to a certain
interested part of his body.

“Nope!” he shouted, throwing his hands up. “Nope, no, nah-uh!” He glanced at Jim out of the
corner of his eye just to see him grinning back. “You stop that! I can’t handle you right now!” He
flapped a hand at him. “Get… get that cleaned up!”

Jim outright laughed. “Aw, too much, cap’n?” he drawled. He jumped off the counter, taking a
moment to steady himself on wobbly legs. Then he strutted over to the nearby wash bin he used to
clean dirty dishes. He rinsed the remaining mess from his hands and dried them on his pants. “Here
I thought you were enjoying yourself.” His grin did little to mask his nerves.

Dimitri’s gaze softened. As Jim’s shoulders started to hunch as he drew into himself, Dimitri came
up behind him, wrapping his arms around Jim’s waist and pulling him back against him. He
pressed a kiss to the back of Jim’s neck. “You’re amazing, Jim,” he stated softly. He leaned down
so he could press his mouth to Jim’s ear, feeling the younger man shiver in his arms. “You do
things to me that don’t even feel real.” His hand dipped under Jim’s shirt to run over his toned
stomach. Jim’s breath hitched. Dimitri tightened his hold on him. “I love you and I’m never letting
you go,” Dimitri declared quietly.
“Is that a promise?” Jim whispered back, voice heavy with emotion. He laced their fingers together
over his chest.

Dimitri smiled, kissing Jim’s cheek. “Only if your mother doesn’t kill me.” That got a laugh out of
Jim. He spun the younger man in his arms, pulling him close. “Seriously, we need to get back to
work,” he said ruefully. He cupped his young love’s cheek, running a thumb over Jim’s lips. Jim
reached up to wrap his arms around Dimitri’s neck, forcing him down to capture swollen lips in a
kiss. “I love you…”

“I love you, too…” Jim murmured back. He sucked on the captain’s lower lip playfully.

Dimitri groaned. He pulled away with a huff. “You’re awful,” he bemoaned. He finally stepped
away from his lover, but not without running a hand through soft brown hair. “We can talk about
this later if you want.”

Jim nodded. “Maybe somewhere a little more private,” he chuckled nervously. Dimitri laughed in
finally forced his feet to turn, walking out of the galley and up the e reply. With a reluctant wave, h
stairs. Once he was finally out of sight, Jim ran a hand through his hair, heaving in deep breaths.
His face felt like it was on fire.

He couldn’t believe he did that! And in the galley no less! Where anyone could walk in! He wanted
to scream.

“Oh, my god, oh, my god, oh, my god! ” he babbled over and over. He buried his face in his hands
“Oh, my god! ” He really wanted to scream. .feeling the slight burn where he had been filled ,

There was a gentle pat to the top of his head. Jim looked up. To his mounting horror and further
embarrassment, Morph floated over him with a sympathetic smile, his usual pink body now a
bright shade of red. Jim felt his head might explode from how much blood rushed to it. “Were
you… here the whole time?” he asked with a note of hysteria slinking into his voice.

Morph dipped in the air, pointing to a far pillar where he would have a good view of the stairs and
no view at all of the space Jim and Dimitri had previously occupied. He chattered, eyes narrowing
as he took a serious pose, one little hand over his eyes as thought searching for something far away.

Jim gaped, mortified. “You were keeping watch?! ” Morph bobbed in affirmation. Jim hid his face
 in his hands. He almost screamed.

Chapter End Notes

So there's like 3 parts to Part 5 in the series for those of you who haven't watched it
(link in the first chapter,
go watch it, it's amazing). I will be following 2/3rds of that. The Ariel bit never sat
well with me in terms of the overall story, but I realize that the editor threw that in for
their personal amusement. So I will diverge. Maybe I can keep it coherent.

Hopefully.

Please tell me what you think!

 Part 5 Act II
Chapter Notes

Soooo this chapter was originally 20 pages long and I almost posted it as one thing, but
then I thought.... Nah. All the others have been like 12-13 pages or less, this one can't
be special, so you get to settle for some filler! Next chapter is a little longer, I promise.

As always, the OCs are mine and I have no beta.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

It took just under a week to arrive at Montressor Spaceport. There was a buzz of excitement among
the crew, the men readily anticipating a proper shore leave after the last one was cut short. They
were being given three weeks leave this time, long enough for those with family on Montressor to
spend time with and as an apology for the quick getaway from Regalia III. The men gathered what
little belongings they had and prepared to disembark when they finally made port.

Jim was a different kind of excited.

He was greatly looking forward to seeing his mother and extended family through Delbert and
Amelia. He couldn’t wait to regale their kids with stories of his time in service to the Duchess ,
minus some life-threatening details, of course. He was looking a little less forward to BENS’s loud
mouth, but he’d missed the robot all the same and so couldn’t wait to see him. However, despite
his anticipation, his nerves continued to grow.

As he followed Greggo and Tyr to the nearest transport shuttle, Dimitri at his side, a bubble of
uncertainty floated in his belly. He had come to the conclusion that his mom would still love him
when he brought a man home to meet her, but there was a near constant little voice in the back of
his head that whispered doubt into his ear. Would she be disappointed? After finally earning her
approval after years of delinquency, Jim didn’t think he could handle breaking her heart again.

Jim chewed on his lip as he sat next to Dimitri, Morph settled on his shoulder for a nap, in the
shuttle, his small bag of belongings on the floor between his feet. Tyr sat across from him, his
large ridged tail taking up the seat on his left. The case for his flute stuck out of his bag between
his own feet with Greggo on his right, who sat military straight with his violin case held in his lap.
The first’s sharp nails dug into the polished wood leaving indents in their wake, the only sign that
he was nervous as well. Across from Greggo on Jim’s left Dimitri bounced his leg as they waited
for the rest of the passengers to settle.

Tyr, the only calm one in their little group, smiled at Jim, blinking large reptilian eyes. “So who do
ye have waitin’ fer ye?” he asked the young human.

Jim cracked a small smile back. “My mom,” he answered easily, letting some of his excitement
escape. “She runs the Benbow Inn off the main coast.”

Tyr’s eyes lit up in recognition. “Ah! That’s where ol’ Leonard picked ye up, innit?” Jim nodded.
“Yeah, some o’ the lads stayed there last visit. Had nothin’ but good t’ings to say about it. Never
been there meself.”

“I would hope so,” Jim chuckled. “Mom puts a lot of work into the old place. She’d be lost without
it.”

Next to him, Dimitri cracked a fond smile, reaching down to lace their fingers together
shamelessly. Jim blushed, still getting used to him showing affection in front of the crew, but
squeezed his hand back. Tyr grinned at the sight.

“She’ll be ecstatic to see you,” the captain said softly. He brought Jim’s hand up to place a light
kiss to his knuckles.

“Nervous about meetin’ the in-laws, cap’n?” Tyr teased shamelessly. Greggo chuckled as the
couple blushed simultaneously across from them. Dimitri coughed as Jim looked down at his lap in
bashful silence.

“Uh…” Dimitri rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. “Mrs. Hawkins isn’t an in-law…
yet.”

Greggo laughed outright as a wide grin split Tyr’s face. Jim ducked his head further, long bangs
shielding his features.

His face was aflame and eyes wide as he stared blankly at his lap. In-laws? Yet?! What did that
mean?! They weren’t engaged! Dimitri hadn’t proposed! He hadn’t proposed! Who said anything
about proposing?! Jim had never considered their relationship might go that far. Was he marriage
material? He certainly didn’t consider himself marriage material. He was young and stubborn,
technically still lived with his mother, was basically a dropout and delinquent with little to his
name. Sure, he didn’t think of himself as unattractive, but in terms of stability… he was a punk.
Definitely not marriage material.
Dimitri, however, was so much his opposite that Jim still couldn’t quite wrap his head around why
the older man was holding his hand and ready to meet his mother, even after the couple months
they’d been together. Dimitri was handsome and clever, with a successful if short military career
under his belt and even more successful trading career. He was well-off, with a significant
inheritance from his late parents, made a comfortable living on the Duchess , would have been
royalty had Jim not barged into the mix. Why the man chose him still threw Jim for a loop
sometimes, but… he was happy.

There was no where he wanted to be than by Dimitri’s side. He had no idea how he got so lucky to
stand beside someone so caring and gentle yet equally firm and commanding, but all around witty
and upbeat. Dimitri never failed to put a smile on Jim’s face, never failed to make him blush, or
make his stomach flip with butterflies and nerves. He couldn’t dream of leaving Dimitri again,
willingly or otherwise.

Jim smiled as he felt Dimitri squeeze his hand once more. He peeked up through his bangs to meet
soft caramel flecked with green and gave the older man a loving smile as Dimitri looked back with
mild concern.

Jim loved him

He loved this caring, stubborn, handsome mess of a man sitting next to him buzzing with nerves as
he anticipated meeting his boyfriend’s mother for the first time. Jim felt full to bursting with all the
love he felt in that moment as he kept his eyes locked with Dimitri’s and brought his love’s hand to
his own lips to place a light kiss there. The faintest of pinks lit his captain’s cheeks and Jim smiled
lovingly up at him.

In that moment, he easily envisioned their future together.

///

Their shuttle had to make three stops before finally heading for the dock nearest the Benbow. Tyr
got off on the second stop, having spent the majority of the trip trying to wheedle answers out of
Greggo about who he was visiting. The feline remained tight-lipped once the lizard turned his
focus on him, giving the one-word answer of “family,” and nothing more. That didn’t stop Tyr
from trying to get the feline to talk all the way up to the moment he had to leave. Dimitri even
encouraged the lizard, even though he already knew all the answers to the his questions. Greggo sat
there and glared at the human through it all.

It wasn’t until Tyr was finally gone that Dimitri relaxed in his seat, watching Greggo release a
heavy sigh. “I don’t get why you have to be so secretive all the time,” Dimitri said. He raised a
brow at his first.

“Is it so wrong of me to want to keep my personal and professional lives separate?” Greggo asked
in return.

Dimitri shrugged. “Well, no, I guess not. But it would make you seem more approachable to the
men if you relaxed a little.”

“I play music for them and share meals, that should be plenty relaxing,” Greggo stated.

“You relax around me,” Dimitri pointed out.

Greggo glared at him. “You pester me into conversing with you.”

Dimitri gasped dramatically, slapping an affronted hand to his chest. “How dare you speak to your
captain that way!”

The first mate rolled his eyes to Jim. “How do you put up with this?”

Jim shrugged. “Just one of my many talents, I guess.”

“Hey!”

Jim snorted, shoving the captain away. Dimitri crossed his arms and pouted. Jim tapped his leg
with restless fingers as he looked back to the first. “What makes me different from the rest?”

Greggo crossed his arms. “How do you mean?”

“I mean,” Jim licked his lips, “you and the captain get along fine, you two being friends and all,
but you’re pretty relaxed around me, too. Why is that?”
Greggo was quiet for a long moment. The shuttle pulled into the third port before the Benbow and
was already unloading passenger when he finally answered. s

“I guess,” he started uncertainly, “it’s because you’re basically family.”

Jim’s eyes widened. Even Dimitri sat up a little straighter, surprised by the answer. Greggo looked
away from the stunned humans, almost bashful. “You know Amelia and I are… not close. No one
in our family is. Our family is military through and through, and as a result affection wasn’t very
high on our list of things to share growing up. We all drifted apart as we got older. She sent a letter
when she got married, but no invite and I was… upset.” Greggo’s brow furrowed, confused by his
own words. The shuttle rattled as it took off again. “I don’t know about the rest of the family, but I
was sad she didn’t even invite me. I have no idea if it was a big ceremony, or if they just signed the
documents to get it over with. Either way, I would have liked to have been there.” He looked down
to his lap, nails digging into his violin case once more.

“Then I found out she had kids,” he whispered, voice hoarse and barely au i d b l e over the sound
of the transport. “I was… I don’t even know their names… She didn’t say in her letter, but I have
nieces and a nephew… and I want to know them.” He bowed his head, shadowing his eyes. “I want
to meet them and be there for them the way no one was there for us when we were little.” A drop
of water landed on the polished case. Dimitri and Jim both squeezed each other’s hand to keep
from interrupting their friend. “I don’t know them, but they deserve as much love and affection as
they can get and I want them to know they have more family out there who loves them just as
much as I know the ir parents do.”

Greggo wiped his eyes before looking up, meeting Jim’s stunned blue with unwavering conviction.
“You’re family to them,” he stated. “You’re friends with Amelia and her husband, and you know
those kids, you love them like family. And I’m sure they love you, too. So that makes you family
to me as well. And I’ll be damned before I push anymore family away.”

///

The Benbow Inn came into view as the shuttle drew nearer to the coastline. They spent the rest of
the trip in silent contemplation after Greggo’s admission, much to the feline’s visual relief. As the
transport slowed, Dimitri nudged Jim’s shoulder to look out the window, a small smile on his face.

s A grin slowly split Jim’s lips. He tapped Morph awake where he slept on hi shoulder. The blob
opened bleary eyes and murmured to himself, but when Jim picked him up to look out the window,
the shapeshifter was awake in an instant. He flipped in the air in excitement, chattering animatedly.
Jim chuckled.
“I’m happy to be home, too, Morph,” he whispered. Greggo looked out at the inn as well.

“Looks like a nice place,” he said quietly as the shuttle landed.

“Greggo and I had to stay at the spaceport the last time we were here,” Dimitri explained. He
winked at Jim with a flirtatious smirk. “Too bad, huh? I could have had my hands on your cute ass
sooner.”

Jim blushed hotly as Greggo and Morph both glared at the captain. “Don’t be crass,” Greggo
ordered sternly. “Talk like that is bound to lose you points with his mother.” He smirked with a
mean glint in his green eyes. “You won’t be able to propose if she doesn’t like you, captain.”

Dimitri’s face turned bright red. “Oh, my god, enough with the marriage jokes!” He grabbed his
bag and stood, walking away swiftly. “We’ll cross that bridge later! Much later!”

Jim’s mouth dropped as he watched the captain disembark. He whipped his head back around to
into a line of bells and played a traditional wedding tune as g shiftin ,d Greggo. Morph giggle
Greggo smirked.

“Oh, yeah,” he confirmed for the younger human. “He’s been thinking about it.” Jim sat stunned as
Greggo stood to follow their captain. Morph had to wave a large hand in front of Jim to snap him
out of it, and Jim had to run to get off the transport before the doors closed.

On the dock, Dimitri stood stretching his arms over his head, his back popping. Greggo grimaced
next to him.

“See a doctor or something,” the feline muttered. Dimitri flashed a rude gesture at him with his
finger. Jim laughed, Morph settling on his shoulder. The two senior spacers turned back to him.
“Wanna lead the way, Hawkins?” Greggo asked, a faint tremor in his voice.

Jim strolled up to them, taking his boyfriend’s outstretched hand, dragging the man along. “Don’t
worry, Mr. Greggo,” he said as he passed. “They’re just children. They don’t bite.” Jim looked
over his shoulder with a smirk. “Much.”

Morph’s teeth became jagged and sharp as he bit down on thin air with a loud chomp! Dimitri
laughed. The feline hesitated behind them until he had to jog to catch up.
“Is anyone else staying here?” Jim asked as they strolled up the walkway. In front of the inn’s
entrance children played, two having a mock swordfight with sticks as three others ran around
shrieking and giggling as they chased each other. Two girls were playing hopscotch on the dirt
path. Jim smiled, finally feeling his nerves calm down some as excitement finally fully took over.

“Some of the guys who stayed before might,” Dimitri said. He squeezed Jim’s hand. “Finnly and
Robert definitely. Gord might already be here. Maybe some others.” He shrugged. “I try not to
keep too much control over what the crew does on leave so long as they return to the Duchess on
time.” The children’s laughing grew louder as they approached.

“Except for me,” Jim teased.

“Except for you,” Dimitri agreed. He pressed a sweet kiss to the younger man s' temple. “I plan on
having you in my arms at all times,” he whispered, voice husky.

Jim felt his face flush as Morph streaked by them with a chatter of excitement. He managed a
playful smirk up at his captain as the girls playing hopscotch shrieked joyously. “That a promise?”
he murmured back.

“Absolutely.”

“Uncle Jim!”

The twin cries distracted them; the humans turning their heads just in time for Jim to brace himself
as the girls all but threw themselves at him. He stumbled back, laughing as he caught one around
the waist and hoisted her up, the other latching onto his leg and hugging tightly. Their feline eyes
stared widely up at him, beaming with joy as their ears perked forward. The child in his arms threw
her tiny arms around his neck and squeezed, Morph floating animatedly around them.

“We missed you, Uncle Jim!”

“We didn’t know when you’d be back!”

“Did you bring presents?”

“Do you have any stories?”

“Who are these people?’

“Do you work with them?”

The questions kept coming, making Jim’s head spin. Dimitri took a step back as Jim set the girl he
held down to give the other a proper hug. She squeezed him just as tightly as her sister had.

“Did you miss us?” they asked in unison.

“Of course I missed you,” he told them, smiling gently as he kneeled down to their level. “I thought
about you all the time!”

“Did you bring us presents?” the one with long brown hair asked.

Jim shook his head ruefully. “Not this time. I didn’t have time to get anything before I found out I
was coming home.”

“That’s okay,” the one with short blonde hair pulled up into tiny ponytails said. “You can bring
them next time!”

Jim laughed. “I’ll definitely bring presents next time,” he agreed. He stood back up, adjusting his
bag on his shoulder as he went. Both his hands were taken by two tiny ones as the girls walked on
either side of him, Morph settling on the blonde’s head. The brunette tugged at his hand, staring
shyly up at his two companions. Dimitri watched them with the most adoringly gentle smile Jim
had ever seen from his captain. His cheeks heated up and he had to glance away shyly. Greggo
never took his eyes away from the girls, sharp teeth chewing nervously at his lip. His eyes were
wide and his grip tight on his violin and shoulder bag.

“Oh, right,” Jim muttered to himself. He gave a small, fond smile to his captain as he gestured to
each man with occupied hands. “Girls, this is my captain, Dimitri Sudayev, and our first mate,
Gregory Small-” he cut off when Greggo shook his head sharply. Jim’s eyes widened and he
quickly backpedaled. “Er… We call him Mr. Greggo for short.”
Both girls stared in wonder at the new faces.

“You look like us!”

“You look like our mom!”

“You’re the captain?”

“That’s so cool!”

“Our mommy was a captain, too!”

Greggo took a step back as the girls talked excitedly over each other as Dimitri laughed. He knelt
down to the girls’ height, smiling. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, young ladies,” Dimitri said
pleasantly.

“It’s nice to meet you, Captain Su-Sud…” the blonde pouted as she struggled with the captain’s
name. The brunette mumbled the word to herself as she struggled as well. Dimitri let out a gentle
laugh.

“You can just call me Dimitri,” he told them sweetly.

“Dimi!” the blonde shouted triumphantly.

“Captain Dimi!” screeched the brunette with a grin.

Greggo snorted behind him as Jim outright laughed. Dimitri pouted up at him. He turned back to
the girls. “And what are your names?” he asked.

“I’m Gynny!” the blonde declared. “That’s Leesa,” she pointed to the brunette.
 “We have another sister and a brother, but they’re inside,” Leesa explained, pointing to the
Benbow, “Our mommy and daddy are there, too. We’re visiting Aunt Sarah!”

Greggo went rigid at the news, but Dimitri kept smiling. “I’d like to meet them,” he said as the
girls’ eyes lit up. “Your Uncle Jim was going to introduce us. Why don’t you lead the way?”

The girls cheered, promptly dragging Jim with them. Dimitri stood back with Greggo. He placed a
warm hand on his friend’s shoulder.

“I don’t think I can do this…” Greggo admitted quietly. “I haven’t spoken to Amelia in years.
Those kids have no idea who I am…”

“I’m nervous, too,” Dimitri told him. “I’m honestly a little terrified how Mrs. Hawkins is going to
react to me.” He squeezed Greggo’s shoulder comfortingly. “I’m here for you, though. The
Duchess and her crew are your family whether you want them or not. You know you have a home
there no matter what.”

“Yeah…” Greggo released a heavy breath, his shoulders relaxing slightly. He managed a small
smile for his captain. “Thank you, sir.”

Dimitri patted his back and started walking. “Anytime, Mr. Greggo.”

///

Chapter End Notes

This thing is coming to a close soon!

 Part 5 Act III
Chapter Summary

Meeting new family is scary. Coming out to the family can be scarier.

Chapter Notes

First off, let me apologize if some of the dialogue in this chapter seems stilted. Delbert
and Amelia are too smart and clever for me to know how to write properly.

Second, I love Sarah. Her and Jim's relationship in Treasure Planet is one of my
favorite things about the movie, so I hope I did her justice.

Third, I'm tagging the coming out bit because I know for some people that might be
hard to read. Everyone's experience was/is different. I got all emotional just writing
that scene.

Which leads to the last, but not least: this is basically the end!!! That's right, we have
reached the end times! I estimate roughly one more chapter with some much needed
smut followed by an epilogue, so be sure to keep an eye out for those!

This fic has been a monster for me. I conceived it at the end of 2014, posted the first
chapter in 2016, and here we are five years later and its finally almost over! I make no
promises on when I'll have the next chapter posted, but I am ready to be done with this
fic and move on to the next!

Thank you all for sticking around and patiently waiting for me to post new content!
Your kudos and comments have all been amazing, and though I may not respond to all
of them, I do read and reread them on a regular basis and they fill me with warm
fuzzies every time!

With that said, this is not beta'd and the OCs belong to me. The names of the Doppler-
Smallot children are mine but the kids themselves are not.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

The girls were bouncing in excitement as they led the trio of spacers through the Benbow’s main
entrance, telling Jim everything he had missed that four-year-olds deemed important. Jim nodded
along to every word as he looked around the dining hall. The delightful smells from the kitchen
washed over him, his stomach growling. The familiar surroundings relaxed him, the dim but soft
lighting and cabin interior filling him with the sense of home. He loved the Duchess, loved
spacing, and the sights and experiences that came with it, but nothing beat the feeling of coming
home to the Benbow Inn. He heard Dimitri and Greggo enter after him through ears filled with
cotton as his eyes scanned the room, glancing over the many patrons that came during the lunch
rush.
With the rebuilt Benbow being wildly more successful than its predecessor, his mom finally had
the money she needed to hire some help. Waiters were scattered about the room, taking orders and
carrying out food from the kitchen. As yet, none of them caught sight of the newcomers. As a
result, Leesa and Gynny had no problems leading them through the crowd to one of the tables by
the back window. There sat Delbert taking up his usual spot, a young feline with glasses sitting his
lap, her dark, almost black hair pulled back in a ponytail as she read along with her father to the
book he was reading. Across from him sat Amelia with their canine son, helping him with what
looked like schoolwork. Greggo froze behind him, but Jim could only grin uncontrollably as Leesa
and Gynny let go of his hands to run to the table, Morph floating after them.

“Mommy! Daddy!”

“Guess who’s here!”

Delbert and Amelia looked up just as Morph hovered in front of the youngest canine. The boy
gasped in delight, reaching out for the blob and hugging him close. The little girl looked up with
her parents and gasped, jumping off her father’s lap to launch herself at Jim.

“Uncle Jim!” she screeched. Her brother stood as well and walked a little more sedately over to hug
Jim tight when he crouched down to their level. “We missed you!”

“Hey, guys!” he laughed, hugging them close. “I missed you, too! How have you been?”

“They’ve been right terrors, is how they’ve been,” Amelia grumbled as she stood. “Been begging
to know when their uncle was coming home. You never write.” She glared at Jim with a playful
glint in her eyes.

“Oh, please,” Delbert griped. “You never write when you’re on the job, either. You know how
hard it is to send letters in space.” He stood, bringing Jim into a tight hug. “It’s so good to see you,
Jim! We didn’t think you’d be back so soon.”

Jim stepped back to give Amelia a hug as well. “I didn’t think so either, but the trip was a little
more… exciting than we all expected. The captain’s giving us some leave time to wind down.”

“Well, he’s a kinder man than I,” Amelia stated.

“I try to be,” Dimitri said amicably from behind Jim. Amelia’s ears twitched as her sharp gaze
darted to him. Dimitri smiled at her, stepping up to hold out his hand. “Captain Dimitri Sudayev of
the Duchess . You must be Major Amelia Smallot.” Amelia gave him a firm handshake. “Hawkins
here speaks highly of you.”

“Pleasure to meet you, Captain” she said. “I wasn’t expecting Jim to bring along his CO. Pardon
our rudeness. This is my husband, Delbert.” Delbert waved from behind her. She then gestured to
the children at their feet. “And our children, of whom I see you met two.” She gestured to the girl
with glasses. “That one is Lex and this is Cephan.” She ruffled her only son’s hair. The boy giggled
and she smiled fondly.

“It’s wonderful to meet you all,” Dimitri said honestly.

“So are you rooming here at the Benbow for your leave?” Delbert asked before kneeling down to
speak with the kids. “Why don’t you all go outside and play? Let the grownups talk for a bit, hm?”

The kids all groaned in unison. “Fine!” They started to stalk off. “We wanna hear stories of your
trip, Uncle Jim!” one of the girls called back. Jim chuckled, waving Morph off to chase them.

Dimitri nodded in answer to Delbert’s question. “Some of my men stayed here on our last trip and
had nothing but good things to say. And since this is where we picked up Hawkins here,” he placed
a warm hand on Jim’s shoulder, “I figured why not give it a shot.”

“Why don’t you join us, then?” Delbert offered, gesturing to the table. “I’m sure Jim has plenty of
stories to share!”

Dimitri hesitated, his nerves returning, but he remained polite. “I don’t want to impose…”

“No imposition at all!” said Delbert cheerfully. “You don’t mind, right, Jim?”

Jim smiled at his captain. “Not at all.”

“Excellent!” He waved at the vacant chairs across from him, Jim and Dimitri walking around to
take a seat. Delbert looked up at his wife. “Amelia, are you-”
But she had clearly long since stopped listening.

She stood stock still, wide eyes scanning over every inch of the first mate rooted before her.
Greggo matched her wide-eyed look.

“Gregory…” Amelia breathed softly. Greggo swallowed thickly.

“Hey, Mel…” he mumbled.

Delbert looked between the two, confused. “Um…”

Dimitri, smooth as ever, quickly spoke up. “Oh, how rude of me! Doctor, Major, this is my first
mate, Gregory Smallot. Mr. Smallot, I believe you know Amelia?”

Understanding flashed over Debert’s face. He walked over to his wife and placed a comforting
hand on her shoulder, snapping her out of her shock. “Why don’t you go talk to him?” he offered
gently. “Take as much time as you need.”

Amelia looked from her husband to her estranged brother. “Yes… Yes, we’ll, uh…We’ll be back.”
Delbert placed a soft kiss to her temple before Amelia led Greggo away.

“That was certainly a surprise,” Delbert admitted as he sat across from the two spacers. “I didn’t
think she’d ever willingly meet with her family.”

“You knew she had siblings?” Jim asked.

“Of course,” said Delbert. “She didn’t talk about them much when we first got together, but by the
time we had to send out the invites for our wedding, she was so stressed it was nearly impossible
for her to keep the story to herself. It took some coaxing, but she finally opened up about her
family after a while.” He flagged down a nearby waiter as he said, “Remember, Jim, the key to any
lasting relationship is communication.”
Jim blushed as Dimitri grinned, pressing his thigh into Jim’s. “Yeah,” the youngest man croaked,
“I’ll definitely remember that…” Dimitri certainly wouldn’t let him forget it.

The waitress that came over recognized Jim immediately. She stood at their table to catch up
amicably for a moment before taking their orders. No doubt she was going to clue the whole staff
in about his return.

“You some kid of celebrity around here, Hawkins?” Dimitri teased.

“Infamous is more the word,” Delbert stated with a grin.

Jim groaned.”I already told you about my delinquency, Captain. I’m not doing it again.”

“Oh, but you have such interesting stories!” Dimitri continued, nudging his shoulder.

“Not about that, I don’t.”

“Aw, come on!”

Through the exchange, Delbert watched them carefully, a curious glint lighting his eyes. When his
eyes met Jim’s, he raised a brow. Jim flushed red. Keeping eye contact, he slowly reached for his
lover’s hand on the table, lacing their fingers together. Dimitri’s eyes went wide as Delbert’s
eyebrows rose to his hairline.

“Well, this is a development!” he nearly shouted in delight. Jim buried his face in his free hand.
“Your mother is going to be so excited! You’ve never brought anyone home before!” He turned his
excited grin on Dimitri. “He’s never brought anyone home before.” Dimitri rubbed the back of his
"neck and looked away, face red. Sarah is going to be positively delighted!”

“Yeah…” Jim mumbled. “I don’t know. You really think so?” he asked quietly. Dimitri squeezed
his hand in reassurance.

Delbert’s smile softened. “Of course, Jim! She’ll be happy you brought someone home finally. We
were starting to give up on you, honestly.”
Jim rolled his eyes. “Gee, thanks. Where is she, anyway?”

“She took BEN with her into town to get some supplies.” Delbert looked around conspiratorially.
He leaned in and lowered his voice. “Between you and me, I think she started seeing someone.”
Jim’s eyes widened as he leaned back.

“What?! When did this happen?” Jim cried out.

“Probably about the same this,” Delbert gestured between the two of them, “happened. Now come
on, come on! I want to hear about it! What happened on your trip?”

With a sigh, Jim started on his story, Dimitri interjecting with a few added details here and there.
Delbert listened with rapt attention. Jim held nothing back when it came to the drama that plagued
them from Regalia III up until his rescue. For all his easy excitement, Delbert had always been a
good listener. He asked questions at certain intervals, eyes wide and rapt on the two humans. Jim
only paused when their waitress came back with their food, bringing two more staff members with
her to welcome Jim home. Once they retreated Jim finished his story. Delbert was the only person
they would be able to tell the whole story to. Amelia would fly into a fit if she heard the whole
thing and his mother… well, the less said about being kidnapped, the better. She didn’t need to
worry over much about what happened to him in space. Sarah had enough trouble worrying about
whether or not he came home at all.

Once his story was over, they continued to talk around their food while around them the lunch rush
slowly came to an end. Customers cleared out, allowing the staff time to breathe and clean up
leftover messes and taking the time to prepare for the dinner rush. The Doppler-Smallot children
had free reign of the place, playing indoors and outdoors now, but taking care to stay out of the
wait staffs’ way. Amelia had been careful to instill proper manners in them, after all. They came
over to sit with the adults as they talked, Morph hovering after them with watchful eyes. They
asked all kinds of questions of Jim and Dimitri before running off again only to repeat the process
minutes later. Jim indulged them every time with patient answers, Delbert looking on fondly and
reigning his kids in when they became too much. All the while Dimitri watched his young love
with sparkling eyes and a soft smile.

He loved Jim. He loved him so much it actually hurt, and seeing Jim laughing and smiling with
Delbert and his kids made that love swell in his heart and tears prick his eyes. Jim hadn’t stopped
smiling since he’d taken Dimitri’s hand and Dimitri had barely managed to take his eyes off his
boyfriend since. Jim was practically glowing next to him, burning with starlight and filling the
.w whole damn room with his glo Jim was something special. He was so lovely and so loving and
t Dimitri was so lucky to have him all to himself, to bask in his ligh and his love and everything
that made Jim who he was.
Jim met his eyes as the kids ran off once more, a bright smile on his lips. His brow scrunched in
concern as his smile softened when he stared back at Dimitri.

“You okay?” he asked gently.

Dimitri shook his head, his own smile never leaving his face. “Never better.” He squeezed Jim’s
hand in reassurance.

A commotion at the entrance broke their trance, interrupting the pleasant bubble that settled over
the three adults. They looked over to see the kids crowding the door as a skeletal droid tried to
enter, two sacks cradled in his arms. Jim immediately jumped up to help as a woman followed
behind the droid, a produce sack hefted in her arms. Jim shooed the kids and Morph away to make
room and held the door open for them.

“Oh, thank you so much!” the robot exclaimed, his voice pitched high and good-natured. H e
e didn’t seem to notice Jim as h walked by, heading straight for the kitchen. Jim looked on in
amusement. “Those rascals love to make things difficult! Always getting underfoot and crowding
doorways. And the questions! So many questions! But that’s what happens when their dad’s a
scientist. They’re gonna be so smart when they grow up! Oh, they’re so cute!” the robot continued.

Jim continued to hold the door until the woman was safely through, a tired smile on her face.
Laugh lines creased her mouth and crows’ feet were starting to crinkle the corners of her blue eyes.
Her long brown hair was hidden by a bonnet that she swept back, its ties ensuring that it remained
hanging from her neck. She was Jim’s height and Dimitri could definitely see where the young
man got his good looks.

Sarah jumped as the bag she was carrying was taken from her. “Oh! Thank you, you don’t have
to…” She looked up and took a good look at her helper. “Jim?!”

Jim smiled as her eyes widened. “Hey, mom.”

Sarah shook herself, a large smile tugging at her lips. “Oh, my god, Jim!” She threw her arms
around his shoulders, laughing with delight. Jim smiled back brightly as he embraced her with his
free arm. “What are you doing here? When did you get home?”

“I got back this morning,” he told her. “We had some… cancelled shipments, so we’re taking an
early shore leave . ”

“Well, who am I to complain?” Sarah laughed. “Come on, tell me how it was!” She took his arm
and steered him into the kitchen to take care of the groceries. The staff greeted them and cleared
out when Sarah motioned to give them some space m set down the bag Ji as . BEN hummed as he
was already sorting out what was in his bags. Sarah’s eyes crinkled mischievously. “Hey, BEN,
look who’s here!”

“Hm? Who is it? We have visitors?” BEN turned. His optics widened and he grinned in his own
robot way. “Jimmy! You’re home!” He launched himself at the human, clinging to him with a tight
hug. Jim hugged him back easily. “I’m so glad you’re back! I missed you so much! You had a safe
trip, right? No pirates this time? I hope not; that last one was- whoo! What a trip! We should do
that again sometime. I missed you! It’s so good to have you back!”

“I missed you, too, BEN,” Jim said when the robot stopped long enough for him to get a word in.
“It’s good to see you. I’ll tell you all about it later, okay? Promise.” BEN nodded along eagerly.
Jim smiled. “Can you, uh… step out for a minute? I want to have a moment with my mom.”

“Oh, sure! No problem!” BEN agreed excitedly. “You two catch up! I’ll go play with the kids. I
missed Morph. I hope he’s doing okay!” He trailed off as he exited the kitchen, the door swinging
shut behind him. Sarah and Jim waited for a moment to make sure he was gone before looking
back to each other. They shared a laugh.

Sarah opened his arms and Jim easily fell into them, hugging her tight. Sarah laughed again. “It’s
so good to see you,” she breathed out. “I missed you so much.”

“I missed you, too, mom,” Jim muttered. For the first time since what felt like that very first pirate
attack, Jim fully relaxed. He let her comfort him in that way only his mother could, chasing away
his fears and guarding him from the horrors of the universe the way she had since he was a child.
“It was… a dramatic trip.”

“Dramatic, huh?” Sarah pulled away to hold him by his shoulders. “How dramatic we talking?”

Jim shrugged, going for nonchalant even as his insides tightened. “No more than the usual on a
ship. Some attempted pirate attacks, an asteroid storm, and a lot of interpersonal drama between the
crew.”
“Oh, is that all?” Her brow rose as she smiled, but Jim could easily detect the worry in her tone. He
gave her a reassuring smile.

“I’m fine, mom. I promise.”

She eyed him for another long moment before throwing up her hands. “Alright! You’re fine, I
know! I get it. I won’t pry.” She moved to her grocery bags and started sorting out their contents.
“Help me out with this.” Jim was already moving before she even had to ask. As he started putting
food away, Sarah said, “So tell me about your trip. All that drama has me curious.” Jim laughed
and started on the watered down version of his story.

He didn’t hesitate to mention Dimitri from the very beginning, telling her how much the captain
annoyed him in the first moments that they met, but praised the crew right from the start. If his
tone took a hard edge when he spoke of Anya , Sarah didn’t mention it. She listened patiently as he
recounted the asteroid storm, his voice softening more and more with every mention of his captain.
He did not say anything about realizing he had a crush on Dimitri, but as he started talking about
the man, he wondered if it was obvious how strong his feelings were. He spoke of how they grew
to be friends. He told her about the fights between Dimitri and Anya. He told her about the pirate
attack, but not about falling overboard. His hands were starting to shake.

Jim stopped putting the food away as his stomach twisted, hands clenched tight around the counter
and breathing heavy. This was so much harder to do without Dimitri by his side.

“S-so I was a bit shaken after the attack,” he admitted quietly. It was quiet in the kitchen as Sarah
stopped on her end as well. Jim couldn’t bring himself to face her, shoulders hunched up around his
ears. “I won’t lie, it brought back memories of Treasure Planet. At one point I thought I was gonna
die.” He exhaled heavily. “It took me the rest of the day to calm down. I avoided everybody, even
the captain, and I just… thought. I thought about a lot of things and I thought the most about…
him.” He squeezed his eyes shut.

“About your captain,” Sarah clarified gently.

Jim nodded minutely. “Yeah…” he croaked. Tears sprang to his eyes, but he was quick to rub them
away. He cleared his throat. He still couldn’t bring himself to face her. “I thought about him and
how much I… I really liked him. Like him.”

Sarah was quiet behind him. He released a heavy breath and forced himself to continue.
- “So when I f-finally ran into him later, everything just seemed to… overwhelm me, I guess. I I
don’t know. I was high on adrenaline and scared out of my mind so I-I asked him to kiss me and he
did,” he finally hissed out in a rush. “It was… It was nice. It was better than nice. It…” He smiled
down at the counter. “I can’t even describe it. I’ve never felt like that before. I’ve never felt this
way about anyone before. He’s… He’s like no one I’ve ever met.”

Behind him, Sarah was still silent, but she moved to stand beside him. Her hand was warm on his
shoulder as she wrapped an arm around him. Jim swallowed thickly before cautiously looking up at
her. He was met with her gentle smile and warm eyes. She squeezed his shoulder gently. “It’s okay,
e Jim,” she said softly, still smiling. H felt tears prick his eyes again. “You can keep going,
sweetie.”

He nodded, wiping his eyes once more. The lump in his throat was still there, but his chest felt
lighter than it had in a week. He managed to relax and continue his story. He told her how Dimitri
pushed him away after that first kiss because of his engagement. He told her about trying to
confront Dimitri in the captain’s quarters the next morning. He talked about Regalia III and the
crew. He told her about chasing Dimitri only to run away and have Dimitri chase him. He told her
about their conflict at the inn and subsequent relationship, about how Dimitri broke off his
engagement for him, how mad Anya had been. To avoid worrying her about being kidnapped, he
simply said that they had been banished from the planet by the Empress herself when Dimitri
refused to continue with the wedding. He told her about how they spent the past couple months
growing closer and falling more in love.

He finally wrapped up his tale when they arrived at the Benbow. Sarah listened through it all
quietly patiently, her hand a steady, gentle pressure keeping Jim grounded throughout his story. ,
He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, refusing to look up at his mother until she took his chin
in hand and urged him to do so. He r soft smile was still in place, her blue eyes so warm and loving
and proud that Jim nearly started crying again.

“Jim,” she finally said, and her voice was so damn gentle that Jim did start crying. He didn’t wipe
them away this time. “Do you love him?” she asked.

Jim didn’t hesitate to nod. “I love him so much. I’ve never f-felt this way about anyone and the th-
thought of losing him scares me to death. I want you to meet him and I want you to like him and
I… I want to be with him.”

Sarah beamed at him and for the first time he noticed tears in her own eyes. “Baby, I would love to
meet him!” Jim blinked wide, watery eyes at her. She laughed and brought him into her tight
embrace once more. Jim buried his head in her shoulder.

“I th-thought you’d be mad at me…” he mumbled into her shoulder. Sarah shushed him and petted
his hair soothingly.

“Jim, I could never be mad at you for being in love,” she stated. Jim’s breath hitched as more tears
fell. “Honey, I have wanted nothing more for years than for you to find someone you love and who
loves you. That’s all any parent wants for their child. I want you to be happy with whoever you
choose. I don’t care that he’s a man as long as he loves you and takes care of you.” She held him
tight and rubbed his back as Jim struggled to calm down.

As his sobs finally subsided, Sarah loosened her hold. Jim pulled back enough to rub his eyes.
Sarah reached for a clean cloth on the counter and helped him dry his red cheeks. When he was
finally able to take a breath without his voice hitching, Sarah took his face in both hands, pulling
him down to press a gentle kiss to his brow. Jim gave her a wobbly smile.

“Feel better?” his mother asked gently.

“Yeah,” he said, nodding. “Thank you.”

“Don’t ever thank me for loving you, Jim,” she said. “You mean the world to me and I just want
you to be happy.” Her eyes turned serious as she cupped Jim’s cheeks in both hands. Worry spiked
once more in Jim, but there was a playful tilt to her lips that calmed him. As she stared into his
eyes, she very seriously stated, “I still want grandkids.”

Jim squawked, batting her hands away with a laugh. “Mom!”

“What?” She tidied up what was left on the counter before heading to the door. “I have one thing to
look forward to in my old age, and that’s the sound of tiny feet pattering around this old place!”

Jim laughed as he jogged to catch up, a bounce in his step that hadn’t been there previously.
“You’re not that old, mom.”

“But I will be!” she tutted. “It’s one request, Jim, indulge your mother.” Jim rolled his eyes with a
grin. Sarah pushed the door open to the dining room, signaling to the staff that it was safe to return
to the kitchen. “So where is this oh-so-wonderful captain who has stolen my son’s heart?” Jim
blushed darkly even as he pointed to the back window table where Dimitri sat with Delbert, now
joined by Amelia and Greggo. The kids hovered around the table with BEN standing over them as
Dimitri awed them with card tricks, Morph resting on his shoulder. The kids squealed with delight
every time he tricked them, Dimitri’s caramel eyes soft and his smile sweet as he indulged the
children. Jim felt his heart swell with more love than he could handle and he smiled.

“That’s him?” his mother hissed at him, her grin splitting her face. Jim nodded. “Oh, my god, Jim,
he’s cute!” Jim buried his heated face in his hands. Sarah’s laugh caught the attention of the over-
crowded table. The kids exclaimed all at once and scrambled over to them.

“Aunt Sarah! Uncle Jim!”

“Captain Dimi’s showing us card tricks!”

“He’s so cool!”

“And nice!”

“And we have an uncle!”

“His name is Greggo!”

“That’s Greggo over there!”

Four little fingers all pointed to the feline sitting next to Dimitri. Greggo ducked his head bashfully.

“He’s nice, too!”

“Mommy says he’s gonna visit more!”

“And he looks like us!”

Sarah had to put her hands up, smiling widely down at the children. “Whoa, whoa, not all at once!”
she laughed. “It’s nice to see you, too! Why don’t you four go play with Morph and BEN, hm? Let
the adults talk.”
“Aw…” all four mumbled simultaneously. As BEN wrangled them to another room, Morph
nuzzled up to Sarah in greeting. She laughed and placed a light kiss to his little head. Then she
shooed him away.

Jim cleared his throat. “Okay, so...” He gestured to Greggo, who stood. “This is our first mate on
the Duchess, Gregory Smallot.”

“Please call me Greggo,” the feline said as he shook her hand.

“Smallot, huh?” Sarah parroted. “ I smell a story there.” She glanced over at Amelia.

Amelia waved her hand. “Another time, dear. It’s a long story and one I don’t care to tell right
now.” She gave her brother a smile. “I am happy to see you, though, Gregory.”

“You, too, Mel,” he told her. “And it’s very nice to meet you, Mrs. Hawkins.”

“Oh, it’s just Miss now,” Sarah said with a smile. Jim looked to her wide-eyed with surprise. “And
please call me Sarah.” Greggo nodded as he sat back down. Sarah waved Jim off. He raised an
eyebrow at her.

“Okay…” He shook his head and gestured to Dimitri. “This is my- our captain, Dimitri Sudayev.”
He blushed as Greggo snorted over his stumble.

Dimitri ignored them both with one of his winning smiles as he stood to shake her hand. “It’s a
pleasure, Mi- Sarah. Jim talks about you all the time.”

t “Aw, you do?” she grinned and pinched Jim’s cheek. Jim bat ed her away. “It’s nice to meet you,
Captain. Jim tells me you two have become… close in the past few months.”

Jim buried his reddening face in his hands.

Dimitri’s eyes widened. He glanced over at Jim, who was steadily trying to disappear. “Well, I’m
not quite sure what he’s told you, but I have grown quite fond of him. He’s become a valuable
member of my crew and we’ve become very good friends.”
Sarah’s eyebrow quirked up as she smirked. “Just friends?”

Dimitri glanced more at Jim. The younger man peeked through his fingers to nod at Dimitri.

“She knows,” he muttered tentatively.

“Well, in that case,” the captain looked back to Sarah, “no, not as just friends. I’ve grown overly
fond of Jim, if I may say so. He’s a good friend, an impressive spacer, and I find myself very much
in love with him.” Jim hid his face again.

Sarah seemed quite satisfied with his answer. She grinned. “There, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” She
patted Dimitri’s arm. “I approve.”

Dimitri let out a breath he didn’t even realize he’s been holding.

Jim pulled two chairs from a nearby table for him and his mo r the . Sarah sat next to Delbert,
Amelia on his other side, while Jim sat close to Dimitri, Greggo on the captain’s right across from
Amelia. Dimitri wrapped his arm around the back of Jim’s chair, his fingers dancing lightly over hi
s 'lover s spine. The younger man shivered, pressing his thigh tight to Dimitri’s. Dimitri smiled
lovingly at him.

The next few hours were spent talking, getting to know Jim’s new paramour and Amelia’s
previously unknown brother. Amelia, ever the military woman, was curious how they were
handling the commander/subordinate relationship, to which Sarah became quite interested. Dimitri
and Greggo both explained the solution they came up with about Jim deferring to Greggo during
conflict of interest scenarios. Both women seemed satisfied by this. From there easy conversation
flowed. Sarah asked about Dimitri and the Duchess, which led to questions about Greggo and the
crew. The dinner rush was starting to pick up and the Doppler-Smallot children were starting to fall
asleep on their feet. Sarah excused herself to help in the kitchen as Delbert and Amelia rounded up
their kids. Jim was sad to see them leave.

“We’ll stop by tomorrow,” Delbert said as he hugged Jim. “The kids will get a light dinner tonight
and head straight to bed. They’ve had a lot of excitement today.”

“Haven’t we all,” Jim laughed. He hugged each kid goodbye as they made grabby hands at him.
 Amelia surprised him with a hug as well. “Have a good night, Jim.”

Goodbyes were said all around until all that remained were Jim, Dimitri, and Greggo. They ordered
dinner and as the evening wore on, familiar faces from the Duchess joined them at the Benbow.
Greetings and goodnights were shared and even Greggo left to turn in for the night. His departure
brought up a question that Dimitri had been mulling over for most of the evening.

“So,” he started, “where am I sleeping?” Jim tilted his head in question. “Well, I can’t imagine
your mother wants me sleeping in the same room as you.”

Jim laughed, cheeks turning pink. “She knows we’ve been sharing a bed on the Duchess , I doubt
she’ll mind too much if we continue to do so.”

Dimitri dragged his nails teasingly over the back of Jim’s neck. Jim shivered, his skin tingling
pleasantly as Dimitri leaned in, his breath hot on Jim’s ear as he whispered, “What if I didn’t
necessarily plan on sleeping?”

Jim swallowed heavily, heat settling low in his belly. He looked up at Dimitri from under heavy-
lidded eyes, allowing his lips to quirk up in a small smirk as his cheeks fully reddened. “Then I
hope you have a way to keep me quiet,” he muttered, “ sir. ”

Dimitri groaned. He looked away, pulling his arm back as he went. “That’s it, I’m done,” he
announced, fishing money out of his pocket and tossing it onto the table. Jim scrunched his brow in
confusion. Dimitri gave him a huffy glare. “Up, Jim. We’re going to bed.” Jim bit his lip to hide a
smile, torn between laughing and being embarrassed. Dimitri grabbed both his and Jim’s bags as
he stood. “I’m tired ,” he growled lowly.

Swallowing thickly, Jim stood. “Yeah, definitely tired…” he rasped out. He led the way to his
room.

Chapter End Notes

I have 3 nephews under the age of 8 and they talk and ask questions nonstop, so the
kids are basically based on them.

Please stick around for the next and (hopefully) final chapter of Futuristic Lovers!
 Part 5 Act IV
Chapter Summary

Sex. Small bit of plot, but mostly just sex. Skip to the end if you want to know what
happens with out having to read the sex*. It's entirely too gratuitous.

Chapter Notes

This is it everyone! I promised you smut, so of course its gotta be the longest chapter
so far at nearly 8000 words. Do I deliver or do I deliver?

I'm a little embarrassed by how long it took me to get this written, but in my defense I
had the last third of it written shortly after posting the last chapter. I'm fairly proud of
how it turned out!

If for some reason you do not want to read the smut, the only plot relevant scene starts
at "The room was quiet in the aftermath..."

Thank you so much to everyone for sticking around and patiently waiting for my slow
ass to update this monstrosity! You've all been wonderful, and you're lovely comments
and kudos have been seen and read and reread and have pushed me to actually finish
this project that I started almost 6 years ago in my boredom at work. I never thought
I'd actually finish this, but here we are, and I'm excited to be done with it!

As always, OCs are mine and I have no beta.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

The walk to his room was quiet, filled only with the sounds of their footfalls. As Jim led the way,
he could feel Dimitri's eyes burning a hole in his back, his belly filling with heat and sending
shivers up his spine. He thought about saying something, anything to break the tense silence
between them, silence that was entirely Dimitri's fault. His tongue caught in his throat however. A
glance over his shoulder only confirmed for him that Dimitri's dark eyes were glued to his form,
fixed firmly on his ass as he walked and Jim looked quickly forward again. His cheeks burned and
he was eternally grateful that there was no one else but them in the halls.

When his bedroom finally came into view, Jim practically sighed in relief, almost desperate to be
out of sight, away from any prying eyes that may catch them, namely his mother's, if only because
Dimitri watched every little move he made as he pushed the door open and gestured for his captain
to enter.

His room was remarkably sparse compared to his childhood bedroom. After the original Benbow
had burned down he hadn’t been able to retrieve what little had remained, and since then he hadn’t
spent nearly as much time at home to fill it with anything more than furniture and clothes. His bed
was big enough for the two of them to comfortably sleep on, but he was pretty sure that sleep
wasn't going to come to them anytime soon. Dimitri barely looked around the room before kicking
the door closed behind him as he dropped his duffel, turning the lock. Jim stood nervously under
his lover's heated gaze as he set aside his bag from the ship. He struggled to find words as his
nerves nearly overwhelmed him.

"Dimitri..." he started, hands wringing together.

"Jim," Dimtiri said, his voice sure and confident as ever with a hint of lust making it deeper then
normal. Jim shivered, letting his captain's confidence fill him, forcing his body to relax. Dimitri
had never done anything he hadn't asked for, he wouldn't start now. "Come here, Hawkins."

The order sent heat straight down Jim's body and he took a a jerky step forward. Dimitri reached
out to him, brushing strong fingers against his cheek and cupping his face gently even as his eyes
bore into him. Jim stared back, feeling hopelessly lost, but more than willing to let his captain lead
him along.

Dimitri's gaze softened just so as he continued to stare down at him, lips quirking in a soft smile.
He ran his thumb over Jim's lips, pressing on his bottom lip. Feeling playful, Jim parted his lips and
brushed his tongue against the digit. Dimitri sucked in a breath, eyes darkening once more.

"You're so damn gorgeous..." the older man muttered. He shoved his thumb further into Jim's
mouth, the younger moaning as he gave the digit a firm suck. "Take your jacket off." They had
barely even started and Dimitri already sounded wrecked.

Jim quickly threw the garment away, feeling more confident as he continued to suck his lover's
thumb. He hissed a breath as Dimitri caught him around the waist with his free arm, pulling against
his captain's firm body. He moaned, eyes falling closed as Dimitri removed the digit, expecting a
kiss. Instead, he yelped as he was forcefully turned and shoved against the door, head cushioned by
the hand his captain placed behind it. His mouth was captured in a bruising kiss, teeth nipping at
his lower lip. Jim whined, tongue darting out to taste his captain. Dimitri met him with little
resistance, forcing his tongue into Jim's mouth. The younger man eagerly sucked the appendage in,
pulling a groan from his older lover.

A leg was firmly shoved between Jim's, his crotch resting perfectly against Dimitri's thigh.
Pleasure shot through him and he whined, rutting against his captain's leg, his member filling
easily from how turned on he was. He could feel his cheeks burn with pleasure and embarrassment
as Dimitri pulled away from the kiss, watching with dark eyes as Jim humped against him without
shame.

"God, you’re so beautiful..." Dimitri muttered. Jim barely heard him, so lost in chasing the faint
waves of pleasure he could get. Dimitri leaned in again, this time to Jim's ear to nibble the lobe.
"I'm going to fuck you, Jim," he said without preamble. Jim groaned at that, turning his head to
allow the older man more room to his neck. Dimitri obliged the silent request, placing a kiss just
below the younger's ear. "I'm going to fuck you on your bed," he continued with a growl. "I'm
going to wreck you and make sure you'll never be able to think of anyone but me. I'm going to
make you mine in every sense of the word," he placed another soft kiss to the spot before pulling
back, looking into Jim's lust-hazed eyes. He moved his leg away so Jim could take a moment to
clear his head, but not without earning a whine from the younger man. When Jim finally looked
into his eyes with a slightly clearer head, Dimitri continued, his voice nothing but a growl against
Jim's lips, "And you're going to enjoy every minute of it, aren’t you?"

Jim nodded eagerly, accepting the bruising kiss that punctuated those words with teeth and tongue.
He didn't know how long Dimitri kept him pinned to the door, but he whined when he felt a hand
undoing his pants, crying out when it was shoved in to wrap around his cock. Dimitri shoved his
tongue into the willing mouth as Jim's hands clutched his arms, nails digging into the fabric of his
shirt as fingers danced lightly over the tip of his cock. He rocked his hips forward, trying to chase
more of the feeling, but Dimitri kept his touch light and teasing, barely offering more than a light
squeeze to quell his need. Jim moaned against his lips.

"Please, Dimitri," he whined, kissing his love desperately as he tried to chase the teasing pleasure.
Dimitri only leaned away from him, a smirk on his lips and eyes dark with lust. Jim stared at him
desperately, thrusting his hips uselessly. "Please, please, I want it..."

"You beg so prettily, Jim," Dimitri hummed. He tightened his hand just so, enough to make Jim
sob with pleasure before loosening his grip and scraping his thumb over the head of Jim's cock. His
smirk was almost mean now. "But you can do better than that." He gripped Jim almost painfully.

"Yes!" Jim cried out. "Please! Sir, please, I want it! I want you to touch me, please, make me feel
good!"

Dimitri kissed him again. "Color?" he murmured against Jim's lips.

"Green..." Jim practically sobbed out.

"Good boy," his captain praised. He took Jim firmly in hand and pumped his fist just the way Jim
liked. The younger man sobbed in relief, rocking his hips into his lover's hand as Dimitri attacked
his neck, trailing kisses and bites down to his collar until his shirt got in the way. Jim moaned all
the while, finally willing his hands to let go of his love's arms to move to Dimitri's chest, running
his nails down his strong torso. Dimitri hissed out a breath, kissing his way to Jim's mouth before
capturing his lips again. Jim rocked forcefully into his hand, shaking fingers starting to unbutton
Dimitri's shirt as the captain's administration's threatened to make him completely incoherent.

As tan skin was revealed to him, Jim scratched his nails hard down his captain's chest, earning a
heavy groan from the older man. Dimitri pulled away from him, panting, his hand stopping it's
motions on Jim's cock. Jim whined, hips bucking at nothing, but Dimitri pulled away. He gripped
the bottom of Jim's shirt as he went and forced it up, Jim having no option but to remove it entirely.
He threw it across the room, soon joined by Dimitri's shirt and vest. His hands came back to his
captain's chest, nails scratching red lines into the skin and causing the other man to groan. Jim
looked up, awed that he could continue to get that reaction out of the older man, Dimitri's head
thrown back and eyes closed. He wanted to make him feel more, to make his love feel as good as
he made Jim feel.

Feeling more confident, Jim stepped away from the door, leaning up on his toes to kiss the line of
Dimitri's neck. Dimitri's lips tilted up in a pleased little smile, sighing as Jim kissed a path from his
neck to his chest. He moaned as Jim bit him, looking down to watch him roughly suck a deep red
mark into the skin. Jim looked up, meeting dark caramel eyes and gave a little smirk of his own.
He continued his path down, kissing and sucking as he went. Dimitri's abdomin flexed as he licked
down, further and further as his hands reached up to undo his pants, licking along the hemline of
his trousers.

He stopped when Dimitri's hands flew to his hair.

"Wait," his love ordered, but this time it sounded a little more desperate, a little more wrecked. Jim
looked up, curious and more than a little excited that he was the one to put that desperation there.
His eyes met Dimitri's, seeing the worry hidden in them. "This is supposed to be about you," his
captain said, sounding a little shaky. Jim felt giddy knowing he could excite the man in the such a
way, nevermind the clear tent in his pants barely inches below his face. "You don't have to do
anything you don't want to, Jim, you know that, right?"

Jim smiled. "I know," he said, placing a kiss to the bare skin in front of him. Above him, Dimitri
released a shaky breath. "You make me feel good all the time," Jim continued, kissing his skin
again. "Let me make you feel good, too. I haven't been able to do this for you yet." He finished
undoing Dimitri's pants, tugging them down just so. He smiled sweetly at his lover. "Let's have
tonight be about both of us."

Dimitri's hands tightened in his hair. Jim waited patiently, placing light kisses along his lover's skin
until the older man finally came to a decision. His hands loosened and he released a shuddering
breath. Jim looked up to him, waiting. With a slight nod, Dimitri gave him a crooked little smile.
"Green..."

Jim beamed. That was the first time his captain had ever used their color on him and he would not
let the opportunity go to waste. He tugged Dimitri's pants down, mimicking what his lover would
do for him the few times they'd done this. He mouthed the sensitive skin of his captain's hips,
feeling nails scratch at his scalp as Dimitri reflexively tightened his grip. Jim kissed lightly along
his sharp hips, earning breathy sighs, moaning at the feeling of his hair being pulled. He kissed his
way down, sucking a mark just to the side of his target, causing Dimitri's breath to hitch. Steeling
his nerves, Jim pulled back and finally got his first good look at Dimitri's cock.

It was long and slender, a thick vein running up the underside of it. Jim's mouth watered and he
wondered what it would feel like inside him, almost willing to skip the foreplay entirely and just
push Dimitri back on the bed to take it raw. That was a terrible idea, though, no matter how much
he ached for it. He had promised himself however, that he would make this as good for his captain
as Dimitri wanted to make it for him so he took the familiar weight in his hand and gave his love's
erection a few firm strokes. Above him Dimitri moaned and Jim glanced up to find heavy-lidded
eyes staring back at him. Dimitri had his lower lip sucked between his teeth and Jim felt a little
swell of pride at having put that expression on his face and without taking his eyes off his captain,
he stuck his tongue out and gave the head a firm lick.

The hands in his hair tightened almost painfully, but did not push him forward. Jim took that as a
good thing and gave the head another firm lick, placing his lips at the tip and sucking lightly.
Dimitri breathed shakily, one hand releasing Jim's hair to hold the base of his cock, squeezing.

Jim could taste fluid at his slit already, salty and bitter, and he craved more. He let his inhibitions
go and wrapped his lips fully around the head, sucking and licking. Dimitri whined above him,
hand trying to shove Jim forward, but Jim pulled off, placing a kiss at the tip and licking around the
bulbous head and down that vein that looked so enticing to him. Dimitri groaned, hand loosening
to let Jim do as he pleased and holding his cock in place for the younger man to lavish his attention
unimpeded. Jim licked and sucked along the sides, kissing his way back up to the head where he
engulfed it once more. He sucked hard, spurred on by the noises Dimitri made above him, his own
member straining against his pants. He took as much as he could in his mouth without gagging,
hearing Dimitri gasp and groan, himself surprised when his lips touched Dimitri's fingers at the
base. His throat felt stretched and he pulled off to take in air, looking up as he did so. Dimitri stared
back at him with wide eyes, pupils blown and mouth hanging open, cheeks redder than Jim ever
recalled seeing. Shoving his hands down to free his aching member, pants pooled around his knees,
Jim opened his mouth wide and stuck his tongue out, nodding up at his captain when he just rested
the tip of his cock there. He muttered "green" and waited.

It took Dimitri a moment, but when he understood his hand tightend in Jim's hair and he guided the
younger man to his cock. Jim moaned around it, sucking as Dimitri forced more into his mouth. He
desperately wanted to grab his own erection, but his captain hadn't given him permission for that
yet. Instead, he focused on making Dimitri feel good, sucking and taking in breaths where he
could. Dimitri's hips started to stutter, his breathing coming faster between moans. Jim whined,
looking up at him with a mouthful of cock, watching as Dimitri's eyes widened at the sight and the
hand in his hair pulled.

"Shit, Jim!" he cried out, his other hand flying to Jim's head and forcing him down as far as he
could go. Fluid burst in his mouth as Dimitri's cock twitched, fucking in and out of his mouth
almost frantically as Dimitri rode out his orgasm. Jim did his best to swallow what he could, but
the sudden burst had a drop or two slip past his lips. He kept his hands firmly clenched on his
thighs as he waited for his captain to finish using his mouth, giving the head one last good suck as
Dimitri pulled away. Hazy caramel eyes looked down at him from a reddened face and he reached
down to wipe away the escaped droplets from Jim's chin.

"Such a good boy," he muttered in a daze, cupping Jim's cheek. Jim whined, nuzzling into his
hand. "You're so good to me, Jim. You didn't touch yourself once, did you?"

Jim shook his head, nails digging into his thighs. "No, sir," he rasped, throat raw from being used
so thoroughly. "Please, sir, I want to come. I want to come so bad, it hurts!"

Dimitri leaned down and kissed him sweetly. "Its ok, baby, you can come. Touch yourself for me,
hm? Put on a show for your captain."

Jim watched as Dimitri stepped out of his shoes and pants, kicking them aside before sitting back
on the bed. Then his dark eyes were riveted to Jim and heat filled him from head to toe. He sat
back, ignoring his aching knees, and took his cock in hand, eyes closing as he threw his head back.
It didn't feel as good as when Dimitri touched him, nothing ever did anymore, but it was enough to
know his captain was watching. He tried to put on a show as requested, hand sliding slowly over
his shaft to cup and knead his sac and repeat, trying to make his movements slow and languid, but
he was too keyed up, too turned on knowing he had an audience and he didn't last long after the
first few thrusts into his hand. He cried out, hips stuttering through an orgasm that seemed to sneak
up on him and leave him shaking on the floor.

He must have blacked out for a moment as the next thing he registered was Dimitri's strong arms
around him, shushing him and whispering soothing words into his ear.

"Such a good boy. You did so well, Jim, you were so good for me, so beautiful, " Dimitri
murmured, slowly standing him up. His knees screamed in protest and Jim winced. Dimitri helped
him remove his boots and pants, walking him to the bed and laying them down with Jim in his
arms.

They lay in bed cuddled together with Dimitri whispering softly in his ear until Jim's shaking
finally died down. Even then, Dimitri continued to hold him close, back to chest as he pressed soft
kisses to Jim's neck and shoulders. Jim might have dozed off, closing his eyes to his lover's arms
around him and blinking them open again to Dimitri sitting fully nude in front of him holding out a
glass of water. He smiled gently and brushed away Jim's bangs.
"I found the washroom," he said lightly, offering the glass. Jim took it gratefully, finally feeling
how dry his throat was. "Thank god for that, I would hate to explain to anyone in the halls how
much noise we were making."

Jim choked, coughing up water as he laughed. "You mean how much noise you made!" he
exclaimed. He handed the glass back and Dimitri set it on the nearby dresser. "I don't think I've
ever heard you make that much noise before."

A faint tint of red lit Dimitri's cheeks. "To be fair," he said cheekily, "I didn't know just how
talented your smart mouth was before." It was Jim's turn to blush. Dimitri smirked. He leaned in
close, lips just barely brushing against Jim's. "And I plan on making use of that mouth again..." he
muttered hotly.

Swallowing thickly, Jim nodded. "Looking forward to it, sir..." he whispered honestly.

Dimitri groaned. He leaned in fully and kissed the younger man, not as rough as before, but still
with enough tongue to leave Jim panting. When he pulled away, he pushed Jim over enough to
slide back into bed behind the younger man, wrapping his arms around him and holding him close.
Jim sighed contentedly, wriggling closer into Dimitri's arms. Dimitri's hand flew to his hip to hold
him still.

"Stop that," he growled in Jim's ear. Jim shivered, heat immediately pooling in his belly as his cock
twitched. "You just had an intense scene, getting me going again is a bad idea."

Jim squirmed. "It's a good idea to me," he murmured, glancing over his shoulder. Dimitri's hand
tightened on his hip, glaring. "You can take care of me like you wanted, " he explained. "It doesn't
have to be a scene." He grinned, feeling Dimitri's own interest already swelling against his ass. He
rocked against it playfully.

Dimitri sighed, kissing his shoulders. "Strike me down for a weak-willed fool," he muttered. Jim
laughed. He twisted to give Dimitri a proper kiss, sucking his lower lip gently. "Brat," he muttered
against Jim's lips. "Roll back over."

Jim lay back on his side, sighing as Dimitri continued to lavish kisses to his neck and shoulder. He
gasped as a hard bite was placed to his shoulder, distracting him minutely from the hand moving
under his pillow. When it pulled away, he took notice, glancing over his shoulder once more. He
snorted.

"Did you actually hide lube there while I was out?" he asked with a cackle. Dimitri glared.

"It’s not my fault you decided to derail my plans for you like you did," he huffed petulantly. "I still
plan on following through with some of them, but if you don't want to..."

"No, no, I do!" Jim shook his head with a laugh. "I'll be good, sir, I promise!"

Dimitri smirked. He leveled a firm smack to Jim's ass, making the younger man shout in surprise.
He rubbed his ass back against Dimitri's swelling erection with a needy moan. "Mm, that's more
like it," Dimitri groaned. "Face forward."

Jim did as he was told, listening to the sounds coming from behind him. He continued to move his
hips, not having been told to stop, not that he would listen this time around (maybe). He jumped
when he heard the sound of a cap being removed, shivering with anticipation. The first touch of
Dimitri's hand on his back startled him, but the gently massaging fingers worked to relax him
again. They started at his shoulders, kneading tensed muscles. Slowly, Jim loosened up, not quite
sure this was going to go the way he thought, but enjoying the ministrations nonetheless. Having
Dimitri's full attention on him was a high he couldn't get enough of. Nothing could compare to the
feeling of those caramel eyes watching him, analyzing his every move, his every reaction. Even
the most intense of adrenaline rushes paled in comparison, and Jim noticed he craved those less
now that he had Dimitri to call his.

The hands on his back continued to move, across his shoulders, massaging down his back and
dancing playfully over his spine. He was still hard, but it was less urgent, and he was content to
enjoy the unexpected attention. He could feel Dimitri straining against him still, but felt less
inclined to tease as the hands moved away from his slicked skin so Dimitri could add more oil.
They returned to the small of his back, Jim moaning as they pressed and kneaded.

"Do you want me on my back?" he asked quietly, voice breathy with relaxation and pleasure.

"No," came the husky reply. "You're perfect where you're at." Jim shivered.

Dimitri scooted away from him, his erection no longer pressed against him and Jim whined at the
loss. Dimitri placed a kiss to his slicked shoulder, breathing heavy as one hand started to massage
Jim's hip, the other sliding to his ass. Jim's breath hitched. The hand on his hip squeezed, fingers
digging into the sensitive skin near his groin, making his whole body twitch. Dimitri huffed a little
laugh in his ear.

"Just relax," he whispered. His other hand moved between his cheeks, one finger tracing around the
rim of his hole. Jim whined. He could hear the smirk in Dimitri's voice as he said, "Think of it as a
little payback."

"That's not-" Jim choked off with a gasp as a finger was inserted inside him at the same time
Dimitri's other hand wrapped around his cock. Jim clutched the sheets, the pillow, anything his
scrabbling hands could find. A loud moan escaped him and he bit the pillow.

It felt so good. The double assault on his body coupled with the kisses and bites to his neck as
Dimitri panted heavily behind him had him immediately seeing stars. He moaned and whined,
rocking forward into the hand then back on the finger, his movements stuttering when his body
couldn't decide which one felt better. A second finger prodded the muscle around his entrance,
slowly working in with the first, and making Jim groan. The hand on his cock moved slow and
languid, not using too much pressure but also not using nearly enough. Jim sobbed in frustration
rocking back on the fingers and yelping as they hit the bundle of nerves inside him that his own
fingers could never find. Jim focused on rocking back on those slender digits and Dimitri took his
hand off his cock to spread his cheeks wider. A third finger soon found it's way in and Jim whined
at the stretch.

"You ok?" his lover asked hoarsely, kissing his neck.

"Good," Jim groaned out. "So good, it's so good..."

Dimitri laughed. "It'll feel even better in a minute."

Jim whined, roughly bouncing back on his fingers. "Oh, please, give it to me now! It's all I've been
thinking about all night, please! I want it!"
Dimitri groaned behind him and Jim barely registered the feeling of his cock rubbing against his
ass in his blissed out state. "You're gonna kill me one day, Jim..." he muttered.

"One day..." Jim moaned. He looked over his shoulder to meet Dimitri's blown eyes, sure that his
own matched. He smiled cheekily. "But not today. Kiss me?"

Dimitri smiled around a moan as he shifted up, removing his fingers and ignoring Jim's betrayed
whining. He moved between the younger's legs, one hand on his cock to line up with Jim's entrance
as he leaned forward on his other hand to kiss his love sweetly. Jim made no move to rush it,
sucking gently on Dimitri's lip, his tongue, licking his way into his mouth. He could feel the head
of Dimitri's prick rubbing at his entrance, a not unfamiliar feeling, but one he was definitely ready
to take further. Dimitri's breathing was heavy with the effort to hold back and his hips kept moving
forward to push and finally settle into that tight heat.

Jim wrapped his arms around Dimitri's neck and his legs around his waist, urging him closer, to
finally fill him up after so long. Dimitri's eyes shot open and he pulled back to stare into Jim's own
hazy eyes.

"Jim..." he started, his words failing as Jim pulled him closer, the head of his cock making the first
push past the ring of muscle. Dimitri hissed. "Are you s-sure?"

Jim nodded. "Never been more sure of anything... Want you. Want you in me..."

"Okay..." Dimitri nodded, kissing his cheek. "Deep breaths..."

He finally starting to push into Jim, leaving the younger man breathless and panting despite the
weak advice. Dimitri groaned low in his throat, burying his face in Jim's neck as he made aborted
movements with his hips to bury himself further in overwhelming heat. Tears pricked Jim's eyes as
he tried to breathe, feeling so full he thought he might burst.

His struggle for breath slowly died down when he realized Dimitri was no longer moving. Instead
he focused on the stream of words in his ear as Dimitri tried to soothe him even though his own
voice was strained from the effort it took to stay still.

"So good, Jim, you're doing so good. You're so tight, it's incredible. God, I've wanted to be in you
for so long, you feel so good, Jim."

Praise fell from Dimitri's lips like a prayer, filling Jim with warmth and grounding him enough to
finally take deep breaths and get his heartrate back to normal. Dimitri continued to murmur in his
ear, sounding more strained and desperate with each word.

"You feel so fucking good, Jim, I've wanted this for so long, I've wanted you for so long. Fuck, I
love you so much, you're so tight. I wanna move, please let me move, Jim, can I move?"

The words sent heat straight to his dick and Jim nodded. When Dimitri didn't do anything just kept
whispering nonsense, Jim tightened his legs around his waist and tilted his head towards him with
a gentle hand to Dimitri's cheek. Dimitri's pupils were blown so wide his eyes looked almost black
and Jim kissed him sweetly.

"You can move," he whispered. "Make me feel good, Dimitri..."

Dimitri moaned at that and did as he was ordered. He slowly rocked back and pushed in, making
Jim moan loudly and dig his nails in Dimitri's shoulders. Dimitri had one hand on Jim's hip, the
other pressed firmly into the mattress by Jim's head so he could stare into Jim's eyes with every
thrust.

"You're so beautiful, Jim..." he murmured reverently. "You're so amazing and you feel so amazing,
fuck..."

Maybe it was the rush of emotions that made him think it, Dimitri's loving words and his gentle
grip as he made love to him, made him feel like the only person in the Etherium who mattered, but
Jim wanted to marry him right then. He wanted to be with Dimitri for the rest of his life, to wake
up in his arms after this and every morning from now til the end of time. Tears leaked from his
eyes and he did nothing to hold them back, so overwhelmed with love and pleasure as he stared up
at Dimitri through hazy eyes. Dimitri looked at him like he was something special, so unbelievably
mind-blowing to even exist and Jim could barely handle it. No one had ever looked at him the way
Dimitri did in that moment.

He cried out as Dimitri sat up, changing the angle of his hips, hitting that spot deep inside him that
filled him with ecstasy and made him see stars. He turned his head to try and muffle the noise he
made into the pillow under him, but Dimitri reached up, placing a gentle hand on his cheek. He
urged Jim to turn his head back, to look into his eyes again, and Jim did so, opening his mouth just
so as Dimitri's thumb rested on his bottom lip. His thumb slipped into Jim's mouth and Jim moaned
around it, sucking and licking at it in a lewd imitation of what he'd done to his lover's cock earlier.

Above him, Dimitri let out a shuddering breath.

"I'm not... gonna last much longer," he admitted. His heated gaze dropped down to where their
bodies were joined together. "Can I come in you? Please let me come in you, want you to be mine,
Jim..."

Jim nodded, allowing the digit to fall from his lips. "Fill me up, Dimitri . I wanna feel all of you..."

Dimitri sucked in a sharp breath at that. "Oh, fffuuuu..." His whole body spasmed as he moaned,
eyes squeezing shut as he thrust hard into Jim. The younger man moaned low in his throat, feeling
he captain's member twitching inside him and feeling impossibly full as Dimitri came. His own
cock lay untouched and twitching, painful with the lack of attention but Jim honestly felt no need to
try and finish himself. Dimitri sat fully seated inside him for another long moment before he pulled
out, Jim doing his best to ignore the uncomfortable wetness that followed.

Instead he sucked in a sharp breath as wet heat descended on his cock. "Oh, fuck!" he cried,
clutching the pillow under him as Dimitri wasted no time putting his mouth to work. Jim whined
and panted under his skilled attentions and it didn't take long for him to find release in the back of
Dimitri's throat. Dimitri drank him down easily, sucking and licking for good measure before
pulling away. He crawled up Jim's body, kissing as he went until he reached his love's mouth and
kissed him sweetly.

"I love you," he muttered between kisses, sucking Jim's bruised bottom lip.

"I love you, too," Jim murmured back.

They continued like that until Dimitri's arms started to shake and he flopped down gracelessly on
the bed next to him.
The room was quiet in the aftermath of their love-making save only for the sounds of their heavy
breathing. Dimitri turned his head to look at Jim, the younger man's cheeks flushed with exertion,
certain that his own were as well. Jim turned his head to look back at him. A small smile lit his
face and as Jim rolled on his side to fully face him, one hand pillowing his cheek, he laughed. It
was a quiet laugh, carefree and sated, and maybe a little embarrassed, and Dimitri couldn't help but
smile and laugh back. He rolled over to mirror Jim's position, staring into those blue eyes he loved
so much.

"So," he started, feeling far more satisfied than he had in a long time, "was it good for you, too?"

Jim snorted, laughing even louder as his face flushed once more. "Y-you," he stuttered between
giggles, "are the absolute worst!"

"But the sex was amazing, right?" Dimitri confirmed with a smirk.

"Yeah," Jim sighed as his laughter subsided. His smile was dreamy and his eyes bright as he took
Dimitri's hand, lacing their fingers. "It was better than I ever dreamed..."

Dimitri couldn't help it. His smirk widened with pure delight. "So you do dream of me."

Jim ripped his hand away and whacked him with the pillow.

More laughter filled the room, both men feeling like they were floating on Cloud 9 and happier
than they ever dreamed of being. Dimitri rolled on his back, opening his arms and urging Jim
closer. The younger man scooted over, throwing an arm around his captain's bare waist and a leg
tangling with Dimitri's, head resting on his shoulder. Dimitri ran a hand through sweaty brown
locks, placing a kiss there for good measure. He wasn't tired yet, despite their exertion, but he
enjoyed the peace and the intimacy and the feeling of Jim in his arms. Jim ran a hand over his
chest, nails scratching lightly down to his abs. Dimitri's breath hitched.

"You should really stop what you're doing..." he whispered, voice throaty with anticipation. He no
longer had the stamina of his teen years like Jim, but he was privately amazed at how ready he was
to go again. The things Jim did to him continued to amaze him.

Jim chuckled but stopped, instead reaching for his captain's free hand and twining their fingers
together once more. "Sorry," he whispered, sounding not sorry at all. They basked in the quiet
afterglow once more.

What felt like minutes, possibly hours later, Dimitri couldn't be sure, so lost in the comfort of Jim's
hold, he heard his lover quietly clear his throat.

Dimitri glanced down at him, but Jim avoided his gaze. "What's wrong?" His brow furrowed in
concern when Jim didn't immediately meet his gaze. He squeezed Jim's hand, trying to provide
silent reassurance, but when the younger man still didn't look up, he said, "Hey," and didn't
continue until Jim finally looked back, uncertainty and questioning in his eyes. The captain smiled
warmly back. "Whatever it is, you can ask it, Jim," he assured. "Communication, remember?"

That got a small laugh out of the youth. "I was just thinking..." he said.

"About?"
Jim hesitated. "A-About what Greggo was saying... on the shuttle..." he admitted.

Dimitri's face scrunched up as he tried to recall all that had been said that day. He thought back to
the shuttle ride with Greggo and Tyr that morning. It took him a moment, but when it finally
dawned on him, his mouth dropped open in a little "oh."

Jim lifted up onto his elbow to properly look him in the eye. He chewed his lip in uncertainty, but
his blue eyes were determined. Dimitri stared up at him with wide eyes. "Was there... some truth to
what he said?" Jim asked, a quiver in his voice.

Dimitri couldn't respond. He could only stare up at Jim.

"I mean..." his lover continued, licking his lips as his nerves made him ramble, "I know it's only
been a few months, not even that, really, and I know you just got out of a relationship sort of and
were already engaged then, too, but I've been thinking about it all day and I can't help but wonder
because it sounds like it'd be really nice-"

"Jim," Dimitri cut him off, eyes still wide. He felt his mouth move without his permission, but he
couldn't look away from the beautiful young man hovering over him. "What are you asking?"

It was more of a statement than a question, but it helped to bring Jim's focus back to his point. He
closed his eyes and took a deep, shaky breath. When he opened them again, there was so much
determination and love in the deep pools that Dimitri felt himself falling in love all over again.

Jim's voice was steady as he asked, "Will you marry me?"

Dimitri's breath hitched.

He knew it was coming. That's where Jim's rambling had been leading to. He knew there was a
chance Jim would ask about it this morning after Greggo's teasing. He knew it would be brought up
in the future and he knew he didn't mind entertaining the idea and bringing it up himself.

He never thought Jim would outright propose.

His mouth opened and closed as he, for once, tried to find the words to answer the younger man.
"Do you... really want to marry me?" was all he could get out.

"Yes!" he cried, Jim's smile so bright and blinding, Dimitri actually had a hard time looking at him.

Dimitri was still struggling to get words out. "You don't... Don't you think you're a little young for
this?" What the hell was he saying? They just had sex, for fuck's sake! Of course Jim wasn't that
young; he could make his own decisions! Why couldn't he get an answer out?!

Jim's whole expression fell at his words and he looked away. Dimitri hated that he put that look on
his love's face. "I'm not that young..." Jim whispered hoarsely. Tears pricked his eyes.

"You're just nineteen," he continued dumbly. "I'm twenty-six. You're young and gorgeous and you
could have anyone you want-"

"I don't want anyone else!" Jim shouted, those blue eyes settled on him again with renewed
determination. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you." He said it with so much conviction
that Dimitri actually felt tears well up in his own eyes. "Maybe if I was older..." Jim continued,
uncertainty creeping back into his voice. Dimitri hated it. "I could prove how serious I am..." He
looked down at the bed, away from his captain and Dimitri couldn't stand it. If they were having
this conversation, then Jim's beautiful eyes belonged on him and only him.

With a burst of adrenaline, Dimitri surged up, catching Jim by surprise and making him yelp as he
pushed Jim onto his back. His arms caged the younger man's head and he looked up at Dimitri with
wide-eyed surprise. Dimitri leaned down and kissed him hard, forcing his tongue into Jim's mouth
and sucking his tongue as Jim slowly responded. A guttural moan escaped him as his cock pressed
to Jim's ass. He'd been completely unaware how hard he was throughout the conversation and now
that he was aware, it was almost painful how much he needed to be buried in Jim at that moment.
Jim whimpered as he rutted against him, whining as Dimitri pulled away from the kiss to look
down at him with burning eyes. Jim stared up at him with his hair in a halo over the pillow, his
eyes glazed over and cheeks flushed dark red.

"S-so..." Jim stuttered out as he struggled to get his panting breaths under control. "Do you want to
marry me?"

Dimitri couldn't help it. He laughed, leaning in to kiss Jim a little more sweetly this time. "It would
be an incredible pleasure," he punctuated his statement with a shallow thrust of his hips, his cock
catching on the rim of Jim's still slicked hole. Jim's breath hitched around a moan, closing his eyes
as Dimitri pushed in a little more. He opened them again to meet Dimitri's caramel eyes as he
gently cupped Jim's cheek, continuing, "and an immense honor to marry you, Mr. Hawkins."

Jim positively beamed up at him. He threw his arms around Dimitri's shoulders and pulled him
down for a hard kiss as his lover pushed the rest of the way in, both moaning as he bottomed out
and Jim wrapped his legs around his waist.

Dimitri only pulled away to look into Jim's eyes, pulling out just slightly. "Say my name," he
rasped out, his voice more guttural than he could ever recall hearing it.

Jim smiled slyly up at him. "Dimitri..." he whispered reverently. Dimitri groaned and thrust hard
into him, making Jim moan deeply. "Dimitri..." he said again, and Dimitri repeated the motion. He
grabbed one of Jim's legs and hitched it higher up his waist, thrusting harder into the younger man
under him. He moaned low in his throat and Jim cupped his face in both hands, forcing them to
meet each other's eyes. Jim's eyes were filled with so much love and lust and just pure ecstasy that
Dimitri couldn't help but kiss him again. "I love you..." Jim moaned against his lips as Dimitri
rocked into him over and over. "I love you so much, Dimitri," he continued, kissing him between
words.

"I love you, too, Jim," he practically growled against Jim's lips. He thrust harder and deeper into
the pliant body beneath him, hearing Jim cry out his name sharply as he angled his hips just right.
"I love you," he said with another sharp thrust to that same spot. "I love you." Another thrust had
Jim throwing a hand up to muffle his cries as Dimitri roughly hit his prostate over and over again.
He removed it only at Dimitri's urging so he could place two fingers at Jim's lips. Jim readily
sucked them in, eyes falling closed as he moaned loudly.

Dimitri thrust into him at an almost impossible pace, going as deep as he could, desperate to be
buried as far as he could possibly go into Jim's tight heat. His other hand was bruising on Jim's
thigh where he kept his leg in place. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he thought to loosen his
grip, to not be so rough, to not hurt Jim because he knew he was, he had to be. His nails dug into
flesh when he tried to loosen his grip and Jim bit the tips of his fingers and moaned so loud that
 Dimitri was sure the rest of the inn heard it. Jim dug his nails deep into his shoulder as he reached
for him with one hand, the other falling over his head to wrap around the pillow under him. He
threw his head back with a moan of Dimitri's name, baring his neck at the perfect angle for the
captain to bite. He did so roughly, sinking his teeth in and sucking a dark red mark that had Jim
crying out his name directly in his ear. Dimitri groaned in response, his hips stuttering as he grew
closer to the edge. He sat back on his heels, pushing Jim's leg up to his chest as he fucked him
harder, dragging his nails down his torso to wrap around Jim's cock.

Jim shoved the pillow in his mouth as he screamed, the feeling of Dimitri's spit-slicked fingers on
his cock too much for his already over-sensitive skin to handle. His eyes squeezed shut as he came
with a deep moan, muffled by the pillow, his seed coating Dimitri's hand. Dimitri hissed as heat
tightened impossibly around him. He grabbed Jim's other thigh and practically bent him in half as
his hips stuttered and fireworks danced behind his eyes. His release coated Jim's insides, hearing
the younger man moaning under him through cotton-filled ears and he groaned, still rocking into
Jim. He opened his eyes as he slowed his thrusts, looking down into Jim's glazed eyes as he simply
enjoyed the feeling of being buried in his lover. Jim pulled him down into a slow kiss as his hips
slowed to a stop, his softening member slipping out. They both whined at the loss, but Dimitri
continued to kiss him and Jim refused to let him pull away.

It wasn't until Dimitri's arms started to shake from holding him up that he finally pulled away,
falling over in a heap next to Jim and pulling him close. Jim snuggled as close as he could, sighing
in contentment, placing a light kiss to the captain's shoulder. He worked his way up Dimitri's neck
to his lips, kissing him sweetly again and again, the captain happily indulging him. When they
finally had their fill, Dimitri leaned back far enough to look into Jim's tired eyes. Sleep was pulling
at the edges of his own mind as exhaustion finally caught up with him, but he still smiled stupidly
at the young man in his arms.

"So," he mumbled as he watched Jim grin stupidly back, "are you gonna take my name or are we
gonna hyphenate?"

Sleepy giggles were his answer as Jim buried his face in his shoulder. "We can figure that out in
the morning," he mumbled back. "'M sleepy..."

Dimitri chuckled. He closed his eyes and pulled Jim close, tangling their legs together. "Fair
enough."

The room filled with their soft snores as they drifted off in each other's arms, dreams filled with
promises of what their future together may hold.

Chapter End Notes

*Jim proposed. They're getting married.

So I had the idea for the proposal like two chapters ago and I think it turned out pretty
good! I might rewrite the end at a later date, but all and all I'm supremely satisfied with
this fic! I'm ready to finish it and move on to the next project I'll take Nother 5 years to
finish!

Thank you again to all of you for sticking around and patiently waiting for updates
these past couple years. It means so much to me and you've all been wonderful! To all
the new readers, thank you for taking the time to read my self-indulgent dedication
TheLuth31's epic video series of the same title! Remember to check it out if you
haven't already!

Stay tuned for an Epilogue and the final conclusion to Futuristic Lovers!
 Epilogue
Chapter Summary

The future is never certain. But it's always exciting.

Chapter Notes

I tried dragging this out. I really did, but it just finally reached a point where it could
go on no longer. Here it is! The final chapter.

Enjoy!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

One Year Later

The party was full of shimmering dresses and shining lights. Beautiful faces smiled and laughed
with each other as soft music wafted through the golden hall. An orchestral band was set up to one
side of the large room, a space cleared away for guests to dance. They moved with grace and
elegance, dresses twirling artfully and coattails whipping playfully.

It was a party she had been to a hundred times and would continue to attend a hundred times more.

As a child, Anya had spent many of these parties hiding away, escaping with her friends to the
servants’ quarters where they would giggle at their own mischievousness. She hadn't particularly
hated them, she had actually always enjoyed getting dressed up in fancy dresses and twirling
around endlessly. She’d always wondered if she could make herself float away like that. But while
she had always loved dressing up, she had never been quite so fond of the mingling part. All the
too-polite smiles and the constant bowing and the ever endless “Your Highness.” Dimitri had hated
it all far more than her so when she caught him sneaking out the first time she followed, eager for a
break from the dazzling lights. It had quickly become a habit when Cale became an all too willing
accomplice ready to please Dimitri at every request.

Anya sighed. She should have heeded the signs all the way back then.

Their friendship, something once so comfortable and comforting in turn, had grown so strained
with every year. There had been days where their friendship still shone, inside jokes shared and
conversations about anything and everything reminding them why they still tried. But then the
quirks that used to endear them to each other became grating, borderline intolerable. Disagreements
turned to squabbles turned to arguments until they were downright yelling. Anya had thought they
just needed to spend more time together, to relearn each other as adults, and so she joined Dimitri
aboard the Duchess . Their forced proximity only highlighted just how far they had grown apart.

The music swelled as the dance ended, the participants bowing to each other as the audience
clapped. The band bowed in turn before setting aside their instruments for a quick break. Anya
watched it all through dull eyes from the back of the hall.

“Care to pick you poison, Your Highness?” a voice startled her from her melancholy and she
practically jumped out of her dress. She swiveled her head around to Cale’s smiling face, dressed
neatly in white and black to indicate his role as a server. He held out a tray of champagne flutes
which he gestured to with a dramatic flourish of his free hand. “For your consideration we have
Deadly Night Shade, Forget-Me-Not, and the ever popular Witch Hazel. All of them bound to ease
the troubled mind of any young princess.”

With a laugh, Anya reached for a glass of bubbling liquid. “I think I’ll take the Forget-Me-Not.”

Cale nodded sagely. “Ah, an excellent choice, Your Highness! May your memories fog and your
dreams be empty.”

“Cheers to that!” She held up the glass in salute and proceeded to knock back more than half of it.

Her friend rose an eyebrow, his tone sobering. “That bad, huh?”

Grimacing as the liquid burned its way down, Anya shook her head. “Just getting lost in my
thoughts.” She leaned back against the wall. “Adulthood seems to have caught up with me.
Dreaming of days long gone…”

“I hear that,” Cale muttered. He leaned against the wall next to her, careful to hold his tray out in
front of him. “I miss being able to hide away during these parties. Waiting just isn’t for me.” He
made a face.

Anya smiled at him. “Oh, but you clean up so nice!” she teased.
Cale snorted. “Please. I would so much rather be out in the garden trimming the topiaries in the
dark. I hate serving drinks.”

“What are you doing here anyway?” Anya asked, finishing her drink. She placed the empty glass
on Cale’s tray and picked another. “You’re not normally on server duty.”

“Aurora took the night off so I’m picking up the overtime,” he said with a shrug. He grinned at her.
“Wanna sneak off to the gardens, for old times’ sake?”

Anya let out an undignified snort. “Can’t this time. I’m supposed to be meeting with the dignitaries
to find my future husband.”

“And you’re doing an excellent job of it,” stated Cale. Anya stuck her tongue out at him. “Ah, yes,
very mature, Your Highness .” They shared a quiet laugh.

Silence fell between them as a passing guest snagged a flute off Cale’s tray. Anya sipped at her
own drink, watching the elaborate dresses start to twirl as the music once more filled the room.
She was aware of Cale studying her and she resolutely ignored him.

“So,” he finally started. Anya visibly deflated. “Wanna talk about it?”

She took a large gulp of her drink. She stared at the ceiling. “No. Yes. I don’t know.” She sighed
and looked back down. Spots danced in her eyes from the lights. “I miss him, I guess. He was my
best friend for so long and I thought… Well, I always thought things would work out. And when I
realized they weren’t I… I messed up.” She shrugged despondently, twirling her glass. “I messed
up big time.”

A calloused hand rested gently on hers. She looked up to Cale who stared back sadly. “I only
talked to him briefly while he was here and he didn’t say much, but… He found someone, didn’t
he?”

Anya searched his eyes and found nothing but sympathy there. “Yeah,” she sighed. “A new guy on
the Duchess. Fell head over heels for him.”

Cale released a heavy breath. “Figures…” he muttered. He turned away from Anya but she didn’t
miss the way he wiped at his eyes. “Did he at least have the decency to break it off with you first?”
“We were already basically done by that point,” she admitted. “We barely talked the whole trip,
and when we did it ended in a fight. Cale,” she placed a hand on his shoulder and he glanced back
at her, “what happened between you two?”

He swallowed thickly. “He never told you?” She shook her head. “Of course not… We were
seventeen or something. It was after he came back from his second mission. We, uh…” He
blushed, looking away. “We fooled around a bit. Realized we both liked men. It never went much
past that.” He shook off his embarrassment to raise a brow at her. “He seriously never told you?”

Anya shook her head. “Honestly? He never had to. I knew there was something going on between
you two and I saw the way he looked at other men. It wasn’t hard to figure out. I just didn’t want to
see it.” She smiled sadly. “It’s nice having it confirmed though.”

“For what it’s worth,” Cale started, sincerity etched in every word, “I am so sorry.”

“There’s nothing to apologize for,” Anya said with a small smile. “What’s happened has already
passed. Nothing we can do about it now. But for what it’s worth,” she lightly punched his arm,
“apology accepted.”

Another guest walked by, picking up the last drink on Cale’s tray. He stared down at it with a pout.
“I need to go refill this…” he mumbled in annoyance.

Anya quickly downed the rest of her drink and placed it with the rest of the empties. Cale glared
half-heartedly at her. “Well, off with you! Back to work! Your princess requires more alcohol.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m going,” he grumbled. Before he walked off, however, he gave her one last sincere
smile. “You know I’m here if you want to talk.”

“I know.” She smiled back. “Thanks, Cale.” He gave her a bow and she watched him walk off.
Alone with some alcohol finally in her system, Anya pushed off the wall, smoothing out her dress.
Flicking an errant strand of hair out of her face, she finally went out on the floor to mingle. She
could see her grandmother on the far side of the room and headed in the opposite direction.

She loved her grandmother. The empress had raised her from a young age when her parents had
passed away, had instructed her in the ways of royalty and been an all-around inspiration to her.
Marie had been her role-model for as long as Anya could remember. However, that did not mean
she appreciated Marie’s interference into her failing relationship. At least, not in how it had been
handled. Anya had been reluctant to write that note. She hadn’t known it would go as far as it did.
As a result, her relationship with her grandmother had been tense, but as she told Cale, what’s past
is past and now she had to live with the consequences. She at least held out hope that she would see
Dimitri again someday.

As the party went on, Anya mingled. She made small talk with guests and shared a few dances.
She even managed to broker a trade agreement with a neighboring star system. At some point, Cale
managed to find her again and slipped her an extra full glass of champagne before disappearing
into the crowd with a wink. She had only just taken a sip when a voice behind her called out.

“Anastasia! There you are!”

Anya turned, eyes scanning the crowd. She caught sight of a slender woman in blue and purple
pushing her way through, her short brown hair pinned back by a simple gold headdress. A wide
smile lit her face as she approached. Anya smiled back.

“It’s so good to see you, my friend!” the woman greeted, her voice lightly accented. “It’s been so
long!”

Foregoing the customary cheek kisses, Anya pulled the woman into a warm hug, who readily
accepted. “Marina! I didn’t think you’d be here! Don’t you have a wedding coming up?”

They pulled apart only for Marina to loop her arm with Anya’s. “And miss all the big gossip about
my favorite princess cancelling her own wedding? I don’t think so.” She led Anya away from the
group of dignitaries she’d been making small talk with. They both giggled at the bewildered looks
on their faces. Marina snagged her own glass of champagne from a passing waiter as they went.
“Besides, it’s always fun to cause a ruckus.”

“I was starting to get bored of discussing trade and finances,” Anya admitted. “Seriously, aren’t
you getting married soon? What are you doing here?”

“Of course!” Marina said, taking a sip of her drink. “It’s in a couple of weeks and I wanted to
personally invite you, since we’re friends and all.” Anya rolled her eye with a grin. Marina’s
playful grin turned sincere. “And I wanted to know what happened to your plus one. Are you
okay?”
“I’m fine, Marina,” Anya said honestly. “Things just weren’t working out and the wedding was
called off.”

“And you waited a whole year to tell me?” Marina huffed playfully. “I see how it is.”

Anya squeezed her arm and stuck her tongue out. “Oh, come off it! You’re here now. And I must
say, you are far more chipper than the last time I saw you.”

“I’m excited for my own wedding, what can I say?” Marina finished her drink and passed it off to a
passing waiter. Anya’s eyebrows shot up when she grabbed another and gulped down half of that
as well. Marina flashed another bright grin, Anya finally seeing how pink her cheeks were. “I don’t
think I’ve ever been so excited in my life!”

“Uh-huh…” Anya finished her own drink and passed it off. She didn’t grab another. “How many
of those have you had?”

Marina squinted at her glass. “Five…” she dragged the word out as if she was still thinking about
it. “Six,” she followed up. Then she chugged what was left. “And seven!” She reached out for
another, but Anya snatched her hand before it could brush another glass.

“And seven is plenty for now!” she said diplomatically. “How about we get some water in you
first? And some food. You are gonna have such a headache later.”

Marina pouted. “Party pooper…” But she allowed Anya to lead her to the refreshment tables where
assortments of finger foods were laid out. Servers were coming and going to refill their trays and
Anya flagged one of them down to get Marina some water. When he was gone, she picked up a
tiny sandwich and passed it to her lightly swaying friend.

“Eat,” she ordered.

“Mm, yes ma’am,” Marina practically purred. Anya tried not to blush.

“Don’t make this weird, Marina,” she said, exasperated.

“Too late!” Marina laughed. She bit into her tiny sandwich and thanked the waiter who brought her
water. “Bossy as you are, you’d make an excellent Dom in the bedroom.”

Anya did blush this time. Her face met her hands. “And you made it weird. Where’s your fiancé? I
want to be rid of you.”

“Oh, she’s here somewhere.” Marina’s eyes lit up as she gazed past Anya. “Ooh, there she is!
Helga!” She waved her sandwich in the air. Anya grabbed it from her and shoved it in her mouth.

“There you are,” said the stoic blonde woman who came up behind Anya. Her beautiful face was
stern, softened only by the tiny quirk of her lips as she gazed at Marina. Marina’s face turned bright
red under the woman’s gaze and she ripped the sandwich out of her mouth, swallowing down a bite
with the water and looking away. “Making a fool of yourself, I see.”

Marina gasped, placing a dramatic hand over her heart. “I would never! I am a princess, I’ll have
you know. I would never debase myself.”

Helga crossed her arms. “Uh-huh.” Her piercing gaze slid to Anya and she bowed respectfully.
“Your Highness. A pleasure.”

Anya inclined her head in turn. “General.”

“Have you two met?” Marina asked, finishing her sandwich.

“We met once, a few years ago,” Helga answered.

A slow smirk pulled at Anya’s lips. “Yeah, I think it was at that engagement party for Cindy and
Charming. The general was your escort, I believe.”

“Just Helga, please, Your Highness,” the general interrupted.

Anya nodded. “Call me Anastasia then.” She turned back to Marina. “You made eyes at her the
whole time and thought you were being all sneaky about it.”
Marina hid her bright red face in her hands. She groaned loudly. “Ugh, why do you have to expose
me like this?” She pouted, crossing her arms. “Some friend you are…”

“Don’t pout, dear,” Helga said. She placed a finger under Marina’s chin to force her to look up at
her. “It’s unbecoming of royalty.” Marina’s face grew redder. She glanced away almost shyly.
With a smirk, Helga turned back to Anya. Her tone softened as she said, “I’m sorry to hear about
your engagement, Your Highness.” Anya’s brow rose. “Forgive me. Anastasia.”

Anya waved a hand. “Thank you, but there’s nothing that can be done about it now. I’ll just have to
find a new plus one for your wedding.” She smiled. “Congratulations, by the way.”

“Thank you,” Helga said candidly. She smiled as Marina took her arm and rested her head on her
shoulder. “We’re honestly just ready to get the whole thing over with.”

“Says you,” Marina muttered sleepily. “I can’t wait to call you my wife.”

“You two are adorable and you disgust me,” stated Anya.

Marina laughed. She stood up straight and stretched. “Come on, I know how to make you not so
jealous.” She placed a light kiss to Helga’s cheek before taking Anya’s arm and dragging her off
once more.

“Who says I’m jealous? I’m not jealous.” Anya pouted. Marina laughed again. “So where are we
going now?”

“Well,” the brunette craned her head over the crowd, “I ran into an old friend earlier. Thought I
might introduce you.”

“Trying to set me up?” Anya asked.

Marina winked playfully. “Maybe. Oh, there he is!” She waved her free arm in the air to get the
man’s attention. “He’s a prince, so you’ll have that in common. You don’t need to actually follow
through with anything, though. Proteus! Over here!”
As a handsome man with a kind smile and long brown hair emerged from the crowd, Anya smiled.
Dimitri may be gone, but she still held hope that she would see him again. They may continue to
have a strained friendship when that happened, but until then she wouldn’t put her life on hold. She
bowed to Proteus when he did and allowed him to sweep her off to the dance floor. Even in her
world of elegant dresses and dazzling lights, she could remember how to have fun.

///

The party was lively, with music and dancing filling every square inch of the Benbow. All but a
few tables had been pushed to the back of the room to make space, one table set aside for drinks
and snacks. BEN enthusiastically played server, weaving in and out of the crowd to take orders
while the organics filled the room with conversation. The Doppler-Smallot children took turns
dancing with anyone they could drag off to the dance floor. The crew of the Duchess gladly
indulged them, giving their parents a quiet moment together and to even share a dance themselves.
Sarah was forcefully dragged away from the kitchen to relax and dance with Greggo and a few
others. It was unanimously agreed that she was not allowed to do any work for this particular party.
A few friends of the Hawkins mixed with the spacers, laughing and dancing. Greggo danced with
Amelia and took turns dancing with each of the kids. The atmosphere settled only when the front
doors opened and Robert walked through with a large grin on his face.

“May I present,” he announced, the crowd waiting with bated breath, “Misters James and Dimitri
Sudayev!”

Thunderous applause welcomed the newlyweds as Robert stepped aside, revealing a ridiculously
proud Dimitri and bashfully smiling Jim. The applause continued as they strolled into the room,
thanking everyone and shaking hands. Jim shared a long, heartfelt embrace with his mom. She
hugged Dimitri next before stepping back as the music started up once more, softer now. Dimitri
gently took Jim’s hand and led him to the center of the room. Dimitri held him close with one hand
holding Jim’s and the other on his hip. Jim’s face was flushed and there was a dusting of pink on
Dimitri’s cheeks. They were each dressed pristinely in white.

“It had to be in front of everyone, didn’t it?” Jim muttered, his lips pulled up in a small smile as he
stared up at Dimitri.

“Just like we practiced,” Dimitri whispered back. He moved his feet and Jim followed his lead.
“You look sublime.”

Jim ducked his head, peeking up at him through freshly cut bangs. “Don’t look so bad yourself,
handsome.”
As Dimitri led him around the room, the music faded. The conversations and the crowd all faded
away until it was just the two of them. Jim closed his eyes, resting his head on Dimitri’s shoulder.
Dimitri laid his head on Jim’s hair. He sighed in contentment. “I wish today would never end…”
Dimitri mumbled.

“Why’s that?” Jim’s breath tickled his neck, raising goosebumps on Dimitri’s skin.

“Because after the party’s over, I gotta go crawl in bed with my husband,” Dimitri said. Jim
snorted, burying his face in the taller man’s chest as his shoulders shook. “I don’t think he’d be too
happy with me if I brought another gorgeous man home.”

“Gorgeous, huh?” Jim laughed. “Sounds like your husband’s a bit of a prude.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that,” Dimitri continued. He ignored Jim’s quiet, “Oh, boy,” saying, “You
should see him bed. Kid’s got a thing for biting and being held down. I need to shove a gag in his
mouth and tie him to the headboard every night just to satisfy him.”

A punch landed on his arm but it meant nothing as Jim was laughing too hard to put any weight
behind it. Dimitri grinned stupidly down at him. “We’re in public, you pervert!” Jim hissed
through his laughter. His cheeks were red as he looked up at Dimitri. “Maybe you’re the one that
needs to be gagged.”

Dimitri’s gaze was practically smoldering. “Mm, I wouldn’t mind trying that.”

“Maybe if you ask nicely, your husband will do it for you,” Jim purred.

“Heh. Who’s the pervert now?”

“I learn from the best.” Jim’s gaze softened as he stared up into those caramel eyes he loved so
much. “I love you, Dimitri.”

Dimitri leaned in, pressing his forehead to Jim’s. “I love you, too, Jim Sudayev.”
“Hm. Should’ve hyphenated,” Jim said cheekily. “Doesn’t have as much punch to it.”

Dimitri growled. “I’ll show you punchy…” he grumbled. He stole a kiss, biting Jim’s lower lip as
he pulled away.

Jim stopped the dance, wrapping his arms around his husband’s neck. “Oh, no you don’t!” And he
pulled Dimitri down for a forceful kiss. At the same time, the music picked up, the crowd cheered,
and reality set back in. They were married. They were husbands. This was Dimitri’s husband.
Euphoria crashed over him and he wrapped his arms around Jim’s waist, picking him and spinning
him around. The kiss broke, Jim laughing ecstatically in his arms.

He stole another kiss as he sat Jim back down and the party continued. They each took turns
dancing with Sarah, followed by four excitable children clamoring for a dance each. At some point,
Dimitri forced Greggo to dance with him, earning a laugh from the crowd when his first mate
grumbled good-naturedly. Meanwhile, Jim shared a dance with Amelia and Delbert both. They
took turns dragging friends out onto the floor, making rounds between dances to thank everyone
for coming. At some point the music fell silent so the band could take a break, and the newlyweds
took the time to cut the wedding cake, a red and pink monstrosity that Sarah, Jim, and Alan had
baked together over the past three days. It was topped with a little wooden replica of the Duchess .
Two figures in white stood on the deck of the figurine, a small gift from Gord. The cake stood four
tiers high, each layer a different flavor and covered in little flowers. Jim was quite proud of it.

“You guys did an amazing job on this,” Dimitri muttered to him as they took hold of the knife,
Dimitri’s larger hand warm over Jim’s. “I feel bad ruining it.”

“It’s meant to be eaten,” Jim said with a laugh. “I’ll make you another sometime and you can set it
up in a corner somewhere to admire.”

Dimitri laughed. They both took a small piece of cake and held it up to the other to take a bite. Jim
noticed too late as he leaned in the devious smirk on Dimitri’s lips.

Red and pink was suddenly smeared all over his mouth. He squawked indignantly. “Hey!”

Their guests were laughing. Even Sarah had a hand over her mouth, her eyes crinkling with delight.
Jim glared at all of them. Then he smirked.

While Dimitri practically cackled in delight, Jim licked icing from his lips. He brought up his own
 slice of cake and shoved it in his new husband’s mouth. Dimitri choked and coughed.

“I deserved that,” he wheezed, still laughing. Jim laughed with him.

As their laughter died down, cake and icing smeared over their mouths and cheeks, they gazed
lovingly at each other. Even covered in cake, the other was still the most breathtaking being they
had ever met. And they were going to spend the rest of their lives together. This truly was the
happiest day of their lives and they readily looked forward to the future, knowing many more
happy days were yet to come.

Dimitri cupped Jim’s cheek in his hand, the younger man leaning into the gesture. This was his
husband. This was the absolute love of his life. He would do anything for this man.

Jim gazed up at him with so much love in his shining blue eyes and Dimitri could clearly see his
own thoughts reflected in their depths. This was it. This was them.

And so, surrounded by their family and friends, red and pink smeared all over their faces, they
leaned in as one to share an extra sweet kiss, hearts bursting with love and euphoria. They were
married. And they were eager to start this new adventure together.

The End

Chapter End Notes

It's done. It's over. It's finally fucking finished! Five long years later and my first real
multi-chapter fic is done! Thank you so much for sticking with me on this little
adventure! Thank you for reading and rereading and commenting and coming back!
You are all so wonderful and you have no idea how much your feedback has kept this
monster alive!

Be on the lookout for possible future installments! I have a few spinoff ideas brewing
that may or may not see the light of day. Also keep an eye out for a rewrite somewhere
down the line! Those first few chapters definitely need it.

Thank you so much again! You're all beautiful and I hope you have a wonderful day!

End Notes
 Come join my cat and I on tumblr: 9haharharley1

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