Skull and Dagger

“I get that you’re a virgin,” Elizabeth began, looking at Annabelle askance from her position on the bed, “but do you have to be such a prude all the time?”

Annabelle practically choked on her wine. “Prude?!”

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “We’re captured,” she informed her mistress succinctly. “Even if you could escape, you couldn’t get off this ship…not until we reach land, at least. There’s no profit in making this trip more difficult than it needs to be.”

Sometimes Annabelle hated Elizabeth's straightforward logic. “It is my duty as a lady to resist these criminals in every way possible,” she practically quoted off of some priest or other that her father had subjected her to during his attempts to ‘tame’ her. She found it ironic that despite all the resisting she’d done at the time, she would quote back her father’s moral training now.

“You know what your problem is?” Elizabeth finally decided.

“Not enough orgasms?” Annabelle guessed with a mixture of sarcasm and amusement.

Elizabeth batted one hand in the air dismissively. “Besides that.”

Annabelle groaned and sat herself down on the desk for another of Elizabeth's long lectures. “What?” she asked reluctantly.

“Morality,” Elizabeth said seriously.

Annabelle snorted in response.

“I’m serious,” Elizabeth insisted, lying back against the pillows. “You’re so convinced that you’re right and Frank;s wrong because of some stupid moral beating your father gave you when you were a child—”

“He’s a pirate, Lizzie!” Annabelle exclaimed in disbelief. “It’s not ‘some stupid moral’ thing. Piracy is amoral!”

Elizabeth shrugged. “Give up on the whole virtue thing and just enjoy yourself,” she advised. “Living on a pirate ship’s a whole lot nicer than living in your father’s mansion.”

“That’s only because you have Gerard here,” Annabelle countered with a wry smile.

Elizabeth couldn’t help a little hint of a smile from creeping up upon the edges of her own lips at that. “He does kind of…light up my day,” she conceded with a slight blush.

Annabelle's jaw dropped. Lizzie blushed?!

“What?” Elizabeth exclaimed defensively, nervously fingering a thread on her long skirt.

“Lizzie and Gee…” Annabelle teased slightly. “You’re really serious about this one, aren’t you?”

If at all possible, Elizabeth blushed even further. “I’ll have you know that he has a very large and enjoyable penis,” she countered, hoping that her characteristic bluntness would be enough to embarrass Annabelle off of this topic.

Her strategy didn’t work. “So it’s only a physical thing, huh?” she jibed. “You don’t feel little butterflies in your stomach every time he walks in the room? The entire world doesn’t narrow down to just the two of you whenever you’re together?”

“I enjoy his company,” Elizabeth repeated slowly, “but that doesn’t mean anything. I’ve enjoyed many men’s company. It’s not like I would ever settle for just one…”

“You’ve thought about just settling down with Gerard then, have you?” Annabelle joked, knowing she’d caught her friend in the act.

Elizabeth's eyes widened in horror. “What? No! I didn’t say that! I—”

“—Wouldn’t bother to deny it so quickly if you hadn’t thought about it,” Annabelle taunted lightly.

Elizabeth sputtered in denial. “He’s…he’s…just a man and…”

“Lizzie's in lo-ove!” Annabelle sing-songed.

Elizabeth leapt at her in an amused playful fury and batted halfheartedly at the other girl, trying to get her to shut up.

“Oh, Gee!” Annabelle did in a high-pitched mock-Elizabeth voice. “Only your orgasms are enough to satisfy me forever! Make me yours, you manly—”

Elizabeth's face turned bright red, and she let out a little squeal before aiming right for Annabelle's weakest spot.

“Ah!” Annabelle exclaimed in horror as Elizabeth's fingers got her right in the side, tickling her mercilessly. Then, the uncontrollable giggles overcame her, and she fell back down onto the bed, taking Elizabeth with her.

The two of them laughed, Elizabeth continuing to tickle Annabelle while Annabelle shouted out (hopefully loud enough for Gerard to hear in the next room) “Lizzie sends her undying love!”

Their little romp ended when the door outside opened, and Frank cautiously peeked in. “Are you two killing each other or what?” he asked, mildly bemused. His eyes widened when he saw the two of them on the bed together, and he licked his lips when very nasty thoughts sprung into his mind.