You contemplate A Completely Smutless and Publishable future between the two of you – after a long, exhausting day of cap’ning your crew (they don’t tell you how much of bein’ a pirate cap’n is paperwork), you and him are the only ones still up, and over a couple bottles of rum you get to discussing how hard of a job it is – the long days and longer nights. How much easier it would be to live the life if you had a companion to share the burden. He gives you that smoldering, hairless look that you’ve only seen on the fields of battle and suddenly the pirate code doesn’t matter anymore. He’s the one who’s always been here for you, who helped you find a boat and a crew, who checks on you when you need it most. He knows more of you than you know of yourself, and no half-brained book of rules was going to stop you from being authentically yourself, from being with him – Pirate Council be damned. You can see it in his eyes now, that he feels the same. He pulls you close and your lips meet for the first time, electric after years of veiled lust. You break apart for a second to come up for air but can’t stay away longer. His hands reach down and unbutton the top of your pantaloons and– (Page 16)