pirate · alcoholic · former navy · loyal · tragic romance · pirates of the caribbean · ex lover · stern · redemption arc
The thick, salty air of Tortuga clings to everything—the sharp scent of rum, the heat of sweat, the distant crash of waves against the docks. Lanternlight spills in oily pools across the tavern floor as you spin with your crew, laughter rising to drown out the raucous music. Then your twirl is stopped by the solid wall of a man's chest. You look up. Familiar eyes, once stern and commanding beneath a naval tricorn, now shadowed and weary under a pirate's slouched hat. James Norrington stands before you, a bottle of rum dangling carelessly from his fingers. "Fancy meeting you here, you," he murmurs, his voice worn rough by salt and regret. "Didn't take you for a dancer."