As You Wish

You Shouldn't Ask for More Than Warmth

The hand was kept clasped firmly across her lips as the two remained motionless close to thick tree trunks, watching as in the near distance boys ran past, calling out with delight as they waved around their torches and held their weapons high. Once the commotion had passed, Estelle was turned around by the man and took in his appearance. Adding onto the menacing vibe already given by the hook, the tall man wore all black and had rubbed some kohl around his eyes. Even his hair and eyes were dark, and Estelle automatically tried pulling away from the stranger but could only take a single step as he had gripped onto her left forearm.

“Where am I?” she breathed and the man’s face crinkled with confusion.

“You don’t know? How did you get here then?” he questioned, causing Estelle to hesitate as she considered whether or not she should tell the truth.

“A bean,” she stated and his eyes flickered with recognition.

“Well, you’re in Neverland, my lady,” he answered softly as he let go of her arm. “The name’s Killian Jones.”

“Estelle.”

“Estelle…?” Killian trailed off but she shook her head.

“No last name,” she clarified with a grimace, wishing that she wasn’t a lowborn.

“Why did you travel here, Estelle? This is a very dangerous island, and I’m not just talking about those boys who were chasing you.”

“I was running from someone else,” she admitted and then her stomach sank at the thought of Allesandre following her through another portal. “She can’t follow me, can she?” Killian hesitated as he pondered how to answer the panicked woman’s question.

“Only if she knows of Neverland, and how to get here,” he said and Estelle breathed a sigh of relief, fairly certain she would not be followed. “Nonetheless, you don’t belong here. If the… owner of this island finds you, you could be in grave danger. I could return you to another realm when I next leave, if you’d like.”

“I can’t go back there,” Estelle winced and Killian shrugged.

“There are plenty of realms to choose from. You can go anywhere you’d like,” he offered and she narrowed her eyes with suspicion.

“And you would do this all out of the kindness of your heart for a stranger?” Estelle asked and he grinned.

“A beautiful woman like you should be happy,” Killian replied smoothly and Estelle couldn’t help but crinkle her eyebrows with surprise at his boldness. “I should disguise you before we return to my camp. If you can put a bit of trust in a devilishly handsome stranger, I can make sure none of my crew harm you during our stay here.”

“Crew?”

“Did I forget to mention I’m Captain Killian Jones?” he said with a chuckle, but Estelle didn’t show a reaction. “We’re taking a break from sailing; camping on land and celebrating with some drunken women. I could easily take you into the camp by saying that you’re my personal whore and not a single man would dare to touch you, I promise.”

“You want to disguise me as a whore?” Estelle clarified, the hesitation in her voice obvious.

“It would just be a charade, love, don’t panic,” Killian continued in a rather dismissive voice. “I promise you, I am an honourable man. So what do you say? I’ll protect you for a week or so, then I’ll take you somewhere safer than Neverland?” He offered his hand and Estelle stared at it for a few moments, deciding whether or not she should trust an intimidating one-handed man or try to fight for her survival in a jungle with crazed boys.

“It sounds like a deal,” she agreed, shaking his hand.

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“Listen up! This is Estelle, and she’s mine. If you touch her, you’ll lose your hand,” Killian shouted and his crew snickered, a few of them glancing at Killian’s hook. “Believe me, it’s not worth it.” The crew laughed loudly, Killian’s lighter tone giving them permission. Estelle nervously glanced down at herself, noting how her dress, now modified slightly by Killians’ knife, made her blend in with the other women present.

“Anything else, Cap’n?” a man called out and Killian smirked.

“Where’s my rum?” The campsite turned back into its previous rowdy state, with the men tending to have one hand on a whore and another on a bottle, as they celebrated being alive. Killian was passed a flask of rum and he pulled the lid off with his teeth, spitting the cork away before taking a large swig. He glanced to his side and noticed Estelle staring at him. “Would you like some?” She immediately screwed up her face, remembering the time that she had taken a sip of her brother’s whiskey and immediately spat it back out.

“No, it’s not my kind of beverage,” she muttered. Killian just shrugged and took another mouthful as he headed across the camp. Right next to the beginning of the forest was a single tent, a used campfire before it, and Killian sat himself before it. As Estelle joined him, he flicked one of the stones against his hook and created a spark that lit the fire. They sat in silence as they both watched the antics happening around camp, some of them disgusting Estelle, and Killian emptied his bottle only to grab another.

“What’s on your mind, love?” he questioned, snapping Estelle out of her daze.

“Just thinking about what I left behind,” she answered truthfully. She figured that there was no point in lying about how Drake and his mother Allesandre were plaguing her thoughts.

“That horrible, was it?” Killian remarked as he noticed her slight frown and the creases running across her forehead. Estelle didn’t reply as she had no idea what to say, and Killian leaned towards her, lowering his voice. “I promise you that I’ll keep you safe. You’ll never have to return there.”

“And I appreciate that more than you can ever know,” she replied, hoping that he would be true to his word.

“You could always stay with me and my crew. We sail to many realms, go on many adventures-”

“I’d rather not,” Estelle interrupted as politely as she could, giving a weak smile before staring at the fire.

“I’m sure we could have plenty of fun times together,” he said suggestively, but her gaze remained straight-ahead.

“My heart is preoccupied, Killian,” she stated with a heavy sigh. He frowned, understanding where she was coming from but feeling a tad disappointed. Killian paused as he considered his next move, then held out his bottle.

“You should drink. It will make you fit in, and it will help numb the pain,” he offered but Estelle shook her head.

“I’m actually rather tired,” she said before glancing back at his tent. “May I?” Killian reluctantly nodded, wanting to keep his new company for a little longer, and watched as Estelle stood and went inside his tent. In an attempt to make her feel more comfortable around him, as they would be staying in Neverland for a while yet, he drank until he passed out outside the tent and resisted all urges he had to crawl inside and join her.
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So sorry for the delay in posting this update! NaNo and life got in the way... Thank you so much to those who have rec'ed this story, and an extra thanks to KillJoySynner, Onyxmoon, and zombiecupcakes for the encouraging comments! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!