SpainxEngland

"Well--" Spain started, thinking of the right words to say. Why indeed? He had only meant it as a joke, to tease Arthur but somehow the joke turned on him. Captain Carriedo knew himself-- in the past he'd only been attracted to women. Only to women. And even then--contrary to what many people believed--he didn't get around that much. But somehow, looking at this blonde-haired green eyed man's honest expression stirred something inside him. It was a feeling that he thought he had long forgotten, but at the same time something that felt completely new. Upon seeing the blush on England's face, he lost a bit of his composure and tried to get away with just laughing it off. "I-it's nothing to lose sleep over, ok? Just take it easy." he sighed and turned around, ready to make his leave.

Dios mio, Antonio. Pull yourself together. He held onto the crucifix over his chest, and headed slowly towards the cell door.

The next morning, Arthur woke to the feel of a rocking boat and the sound of a creaking ship. This was nothing out of the ordinary for the pirate captain, however, the creaking of ship was different. It was louder, but more drawn out; he as used to quiet, short creaking coming from his old, veteran ship. He felt warm, even though he had realized by now where he was. Opening his eyes, he saw the captain's coat still covering his body. He realized that the Spanish man had either left it there in his haste to leave the previous night or he had meant to leave it behind as a source of warmth in the cold iron cell.

He groaned and sat up, keeping the coat draped over his arms. His back hurt a bit from sleeping on hay instead of a mattress, but he wasn't about to complain. Sunlight poured through a window on the side of the boat and he felt like a caged bird. He walked to the bars and grabbed one, feeling the cold increase. He slowly shifted the coat so it was draped over his shoulders. He pulled his hand back, trying to sift through yesterday's events. He thought of Captain Carriedo's offer to join his crew. He was sure that it would ave been no problem-- had his love not been part of the British army.

Spain lay in his bed, staring at the ceiling as he woke up the next day. He hadn't gotten a very good night's sleep, and on top of that he had a bit of a hangover from all the wine he consumed. He put the pillow over his head, trying to fall back into sleep. It was still early--as if it seemed everything was quiet on deck, and the rays of light that penetrated his windowsill were the ones of daybreak. The events from the previous night were fresh from his mind, and above all, he couldn't get the thought of those green eyes out of his mind.

"Ah dios!" Spain sat up on his bed with a start, rubbing his eyes and tousling his hair with his hands. He didn't want to admit it but somehow, he was anxious over whether or not England was going to accept his proposal or not. If he did, Spain was sure that he was going to not only be an addition to his manpower, but an added strategist as well. With two heads working as one, he was pretty sure things would be easier. However, he wasn't banking on it entirely. After all, joining him would mean a betrayal to England's own country.

Spain stepped out of the captain's cabin, wearing nothing but the clothes he slept in. He rubbed his arms, warming them and looked to the horizon by himself. It seemed as if everyone else was still asleep from last night's partying, and it was peaceful on board. After one last look to the sunrise, he made his way down to the brig to meet up with the other Captain once again.

"Buenos diaz!" he said, peering into Arthur's cell. What he saw there was the man still covered in his coat.

England decided it was best to skip the pleasantries-- he knew what Captain Carriedo was here for. He sat up again and walked over to the front of the cell, the coat still draped over his shoulders. "I'll join you on one condition." He said, voice deadly serious. He knew he was in no position to bargain or make conditions, but he figured he had nothing to lose anyhow. Without his ship and crew, it wasn't as though he even had much of a life to lose.

"I want you to spare one British guard. His name is Alfred F. Jones. He's a general." Arthur looked into the tall Spanish man's emerald eyes and noticed how beautiful they looked in the light coming through the window. The rays of sun hit them, making them light up. He was sure his looked much the same, being only a slightly lighter color. However, he was also sure his lacked the warmth and kindness of the man in front of him.

"I know I ave no right to bargain, but this is my only and final offer." He said, hands gripping the bars of his cell. He subconsciously raised a hand to pull the coat tighter around his shoulders as he felt a chill run through him. "If you can give me that one thing, I'll do anything for you. You'll have me at your disposal, no refusals, no resistance." He blinked slowly at the Spaniard, praying for this one condition to be met without opposition.

He looked at the man expectantly.

So he decides to join me, only in exchange to spare the life of one British guard... Spain looked carefully at England's expression as the terms were stated. Though he was looking at him straight in the eyes, somehow there was this sense of anxiety that came from the Brit. He must really take this matter seriously. Spain couldn't help but wonder who would be so important to the man for him to give it as the sole condition, in exchange for his freedom?

Spain unlocked the door to the cell again and entered, slowly approaching the other captain. He gazed into England's eyes, and somehow there was something different about them. Could it be? Spain crouched down, and lifted England's chin up with his forefinger. The way he spoke about that general... he seemed very passionate. Maybe, that's why a spark's been lit. Spain cleared his throat and sat down beside England, resting his elbows on his knees.

"That man that you talk about... I'm not sure what your reasons are for specifically telling me to spare his life, but they must be good. Whoever he is, he must mean a lot to you... or something. I-it's none of my business though, so I won't ask about it." Spain said, stuttering at that last bit. It wasn't often that he received conditions such as the ones England gave. "Besides, do you know the principle behind the Spanish Armada? It's the three G's-- God, Glory, and Gold. God comes first, all the time. Don't worry about any needless killing." he held up the cross that dangled on his chest, and showed it to England almost as proof to his words. "Anyways, now that's settled I believe we won't have any reason to stay in this place anymore." Spain stood up, and brushed the dirt off his pants. He held out his hand for England to grab. "Bienvenido, Senor Arthur. I look forward to sailing with you."

England nearly fell over from shock, not expecting the Spaniard to give in to his request. "You Spanish are much more virtuous and respectable than the English." Arthur admits, exiting the cell and standing at his new captain's side. "What position are you assigning me on your ship?" He asked, fully expecting to be doing nothing but grunt work for a long while. He knew that most-- if not all-- of this ship would view him with distrust, and maybe even hate.

The Englishman shifted, not quite knowing how to thank the man in front of him for his undeserved kindness. What had he done for this man in the few days he'd known him? Tried to kill him, threatened his cabin boy, refused his hospitality, insulted and questioned his authority and then demanded something be done for him after being made a more than fair deal. He knew for certain he wouldn't let this man down, no matter the cost. Despite being bitter and having been beaten by the Spanish captain, his loyalty was already unquestionable. Already unbreakable.

And he knew this was either going to be a wonderful turn of events, or the end of him. He could feel an odd stirring in himself he couldn't quite identify. It was familiar, but obviously not familiar enough for him to be able to put his finger on. He felt himself grow uncomfortable, though the discomfort was internal and he shifted once more, looking up into the tanned man's big green eyes. He wasn't going to touch the subject of why he bargained for Alfred's life when so much hung in the balance for himself.

Spain walked out of the cell with England, thinking the situation over. As a captain, he knew he shouldn't trust others so easily, but there was something in the other captain's eyes that made him feel safe-- that he was someone he could put his faith in. If there was one thing about Spain, he listened to his gut; though it has caused him trouble in the past, it had brought him many victories as well.

"What position you ask?" Spain led Arthur up to the dock, where some of his men had already started doing errands on the ship. The sun was up higher now, and Spain shielded his eyes emerging from nearly total darkness. Before they could be noticed by his crew, he turned to Arthur and murmured. "How would you like to be my second mate, Arthur?"

Though Spain had a loyal crew, he'd never before considered giving anyone the title of being his "second mate." He bonded well with his men, and made sure they had a good time but somehow he had never really felt the compulsion in making anyone of them his right hand man. I shouldn't be afraid now. he thought, looking at the other man's eyes. Because if there was anything Captain Carriedo was afraid of, it was leaving a part of his fate, in another's hands.

"Stay here." he said, leaving Arthur in front of his cabin. He went to his room and rummaged through his chest, finding Arthur's blue coat. He looked at it, fondly admiring the patterns on it and looking at how different it was from his. He looked pretty sharp when he wore this, no~? Maybe I should make one patterned after this myself. He was about to close his chest when suddenly--

"Walk the plank, Brit!"

He heard a ruckus from the outside; with jeers from his men directed at England. Oh crap. He hastily shut his chest, and exited to the deck. He shouldn't have left him there without explaining to everybody what was going on.

England froze in shock at the Spanish man's words. His... second in command? How can he be so trusting... This man really... will end up dead, won't he? Entering cells with the prisoner, offering prisoners places in his crew, making prisoners his second in command... England could have shaken his head, feeling quite distraught for the kindhearted Spaniard standing before him. He looked up as he heard the captain say to stay where he was.

Arthur was waiting patiently for his captain to return, shifting from foot to foot in the cold of the morning. He heard someone moving behind him and turned, just in time to hear a Spanish man--whom was most certainly not his captain.-- say to his other crew mates loudly, though not quite a shout, "It's the Brit captain! Get him!" He turned back to try and run but it was too late. They caught him, grabbing him by the shoulders, the arms, his hands roughly.

He was soon tied up and standing on the side of the plank still on the ship. He soon felt a sharp prod as the tip of a sword was pressed to his back, not hard enough to draw blood, and he stumbled forward. He found himself just outside the ship, still on the plank; the slightest poke could send him over. "Walk the plank, Brit!" he heard a man shout loudly and he was poked once more. He began to lose his balance and started to tip.

Spain burst through the door, hoping that he wasn't too late before something terrible could happen.
"Detener! Detener! Stop this right now!" he ran as fast as he could, pushing his way through the crowd that formed on one side of the ship. He saw England on the brink of falling into the deep blue sea and without a second thought, he got on the plank and whisked England away with one arm, the other holding onto a wooden pole on the side of the ship. "I-I got you." Spain said, exerting all his effort to get England back off the plank and onto the ship. He held him in his hands, and looked into his eyes.

Everyone else aboard was quiet, as if they didn't understand what was going on.
"C-capitán... what are you doing? He's escaped, and we decided to take care of him." One of his subordinates said, dumbfounded by Spain's actions. But he didn't mind, after all it was his fault.

"Lo siento." He murmured to England, and set him to the side. He then cleared his throat and spoke to his men. "Listen up, amigos. From today on I want all of you to respect Captain Kirkland, and treat him as one of us. I know this is hard to understand... but trust me as your captain. I have faith that this man is capable of helping us reach our goals."

The rest of his men were still quiet, apprehension painted on their faces. Spain didn't mind however, thinking that things will be all right in due time. With that, he turned to England and held out his hand. "Let's go to my cabin first, ok? I want to discuss things with you."

England teetered on the edge of the plank, and vaguely heard the sound of Captain Carriedo shouting at them in Spanish behind the pounding of blood in his ears as if rushed in panic with the rest of him. He felt himself suddenly being swept off the plank and he could have cried from relief when he figured out he wasn't going over the edge. He calmed himself as the captain gave an explanation to his crew... Their crew. He blushed, knowing t probably wouldn't go over well.

When the Spaniard asked him to his cabin, he nodded shortly, walking away with his captain at a brisk pace. He followed the taller man below deck and into a small, but cozy cabin painted with bright reds and greens. It suited the young captain and England found himself smiling at the fact. He looked up at him, "You wanted to speak to me about the details of our... unique... arrangement?" He let his eyes wander the room before meeting the bright green in front of him.

"Is there anything in particular you had in mind?" He paused, "And I should also thank you for saving me back there... I would have been dead had I gone over." He blushed, not wanting to admit it would have happened sooner than later sure to his inability to swim. He'd never learned because he'd never thought he'd need to. He was starting to rethink that decision. He looked back up to the Spaniard timidly.

Spain brought England to his room, and slumped onto one of the chairs in relief. He felt bad for not being able to see the misunderstanding coming, but what's done is done and the important thing was England was in his room... alive. He was surprised though when England told him he would've died right away if he'd fallen in. Is he exaggerating, or does he not know how to swim? Spain chuckled at the thought, looking at England curiously. The man seemed to be getting more and more interesting to him."Don't worry compadre, it was my fault anyway." he said, offering England a seat. "As for our arrangements, there isn't really anything special that I want to talk to you about. It's just that as you know, we're nearing Britain." he pulled out a map, and showed England exactly where they were.
"Do you think you're ready for a siege?" he didn't mean for it to be so soon, but it was only a matter of days, or a few weeks at the most before they are visible from the shore. If that was the case, they would have to fight side by side.

England thought for a few moments, "It depends..." He hesitated, "How many men do you have? How well trained are they? Are any of them good with strategy?" He asked several questions at once, gauging the Spaniard's reaction. He knew the'd have to be top notch to be able to infiltrate Britain. Not only were their barriers stronger than any other countries that he'd seen in his time as a pirate, but their offense was top of the line.

"You'll be competing with new technology." He sat in the chair beside the Spanish man and leaned close, "We're talking about those new fire machines; guns." He said. These were new plans that the British army had only established a month before he'd been outlawed. But guns would be a standard weapon for any British officer or soldier by now. Arthur looks Spain in the eyes, "You'll need serious skills in stealth."

"I think you underestimate the Spanish Armada, Arthur." Spain beckoned England closer to the map, and showed him the strategy. "At the moment, we have this ship, right? This is however, just meant to navigate the rest of the ones that will follow, and take the port by surprise. All we have to do is be able to infiltrate the very first line of defense, until the rest of the galleons arrive with more firepower; the cannons. For the first wave, we have 6 more coming up-- each holding roughly 300 men. Even more follow, after that." he looked at Arthur in the eyes, trying to look confident. However, the mention of one word had caused him a bit of insecurity. Guns. Though some of them did have pistols, he had no idea what kind of firearms the British had at their disposal.

"You'd have to guide us, Arthur." he said, then putting his hand on England's shoulder. "Our goal would be to bring down their military base by the port. I'm sure you're very familiar with that."

England looks over the map, nodding every now and then as he evaluates the strategy before asking, "Is this all your ships or do you have more in reserves? If you can, it would be a good idea to add a couple more the the West side; It's more heavily guarded than the East... At least it was when I was still in the loop." He pauses, "It's because all the valuable items are kept on the Western wing of the port, so there's more to lose. They only just moved it recently. Before, it was all evenly spread about. They decided it was best to concentrate it in case of an attack from multiple sides-- as you were planning for."

He looks over the map again, eyes narrowing in concentration, "If you can, I think it might be best to take a note from their strategy; put your most powerful ships to the West and you won't need such a large number. With your intermediate ships in large numbers, the East should be covered well enough..." He turns to Captain Carriedo, "But on the other hand, many will die on the Eastern side if you use this strategy. If you decide against the strategy, there's a higher chance of failure and any of the deaths that occur will have been for nothing. They're brutal, using new methods. They've stopped taking prisoners."

Arthur let that last fact sink it. Up until then, any army that caught pirates invading ports would take them and interrogate them on strategy, but the English had had enough and were killing every pirate in their reach ruthlessly. "Even captains aren't kept at this point."

"There are more, but some are still being prepared. The British were starting to learn about our attack, so we had no choice but to move as fast as we could." he said, furrowing his brow. He looked at the map, and digested the new information. "I will have to send one of the ships back to inform the others that are still far. With what you've told me, our best bet would be to overwhelm the west side. However, the men I have now would not be enough to do that. We would have to attack the east side first as the surprise attack. Since the attack is there, they would probably be forced to shift some of their force from the west side to the east. If we hold up for long enough, the rest of my ships will arrive on the west side while it is vulnerable. We run the risk of being completely destroyed, before the rest comes however." Spain trailed, still looking seriously at the map.

Even captains aren't kept at this point.

Spain swallowed hard, finally coming to terms with the situation before him. He wasn't afraid of death, he was sure of that--but imagining himself and the men he cared for facing the possibility of brutal deaths had made him uneasy. He smiled slightly at England, and composed himself.
"Don't worry amigo, I am willing to do anything for my country. But, I am not worried. After all, I have the great one on my side." he held onto the crucifix on his chest, but at the same time held England's arm and stared straight into his eyes.

England listened intently to the Spanish man's plans and nodded in agreement, "If you're sure." He said softly, then watched as the man grabbed his crucifix and claimed the Lord's strength was on his side. The Englishman smiled bitterly, "Well I'm glad you do. I'm not a believer." He admitted softly, "Not after the things I've seen." He looked away, "You should know that the British army isn't squeamish Captain. They're quite fond of torturing people to death."

He looked into the sparkling emerald green eyes of the infamous Captain Carriedo, and he had to stop himself from thinking of this man's possible death. He already had so much respect for the young man and could tell that the British army would have a great deal of trouble with this one. He allowed himself to chuckle drying and added, "I'm glad I'm on your side and not theirs. I think you'll pull it off-- if only barely-- for what it's worth." He nodded, almost to himself.

"I really hope this works out. I'd hate to see good, believing men dead." He looked out the window and smiled sadly, and pained look in his eyes as he remembered all the horrors he'd seen-- had to performed.

"I wasn't only talking about Him, you know." Spain said, moving his face closer into England's. He chuckled, and put his hand on the other man's shoulder. "If you don't believe in God, then you must at least have belief in yourself. Likewise, I am more than happy that you have decided to join us." Spain didn't break their stare, and slid his hand down England's arm. He had faith in this man, and just looking at him stengthened his resolve. As to why? Only God knew.

"What kind of horrible things do they do, anyway?" Spain couldn't help asking, as some of the initial uneasiness had crept its way back into his head. Upon looking at England, the thought of death touching something so... beautiful made his heart sink within his chest. "I promise... I will protect you."

England visibly winced at the question, then turned and looked at the other man, eyes a bit wide when he heard the brunette's final line. "Th.... Thank you." He gave a halfhearted smile before his expression dropped and he began answering the question. "They have something called keelhauling... It's where the victim is tied to a rope and pulley, then dragged back and forth underneath a ship. The sharp errata under the boat rubs you raw, but drowning saves you from further pain..." He looked at the captain.

"Then there's 'rat torture.' They'll put all these rats into a bucket and block their escape with the victim's stomach. Then they heat up the other end of the bucket to keep the rats away from it... Well... hungry rats who are eager to escape... Mix them and they chew their way out through the victim's stomach." He pauses, thinking, "There's also the Two Man Saw..." He grimaced.

"It's where they disrobe you, and hang you upside down. Then they'll spread your legs midair and saw you down your middle. Because all the blood is flowing to your head and torso, you'll stay alive until they reach your heart." He stops, "There's many more, but you get the point. They're gruesome ways to die..."

"S-top, stop..." Spain said, waving his hands in front of him. "I do not wish to hear anymore, I regret asking." Spain looked down and leaned against his table, then removed his hat, resting it on his stomach. Just hearing all of that was excruciating... what more if they were actually happening? "H-have you... have you seen these acts happening before your eyes?" Without thinking, Spain held England's face in one of his hands and stared into his eyes.
How could something that looked so pure, had seen something so gruesome?
He held his forehead to England's, feeling the strength leave him. "Lo siento. he murmured, and rested his head on England's shoulder. Although Captain Carriedo was usually carefree and cheerful, and undoubtedly strong-- he was still young. Some things were enough to overwhelm him, and this definitely topped the list. He held onto England, trying to muster back his will in order to put on a brave face. He couldn't do this in front of his men, because if he did the sight of their captain so distraught might actually dishearten them enough to give up without a fight.

Arthur nodded and whispered softly, "That and things that were so much worse to see..." His eyes softened at the man in front of him, clearly distraught, "Are you sure you're ready for it Captain? No matter what you do, at least one of your men will be caught." England whispered, "I'm not going to sugar coat it... This is unofficial war, but war none the less. And those few I told you about were the least gruesome of their kind."

He slowly rubbed circles on the Spaniard's arm, "It's not pretty, I know... but I'm sure it's going to be alright. I've lived through it after all. I..." He choked slightly, "I was made to watch it happen to my father. He was a pirate as well. He betrayed the English military and they caught up with him. They used the Two Man Saw after murdering my mother and baby sister. Then they took me and trained me from the time I was ten until they deemed me ready to lead my own ship."

"They're horrible people Captain Carriedo. They have no faith, no kindness... no God."

"iDios mio." Spain let out, after hearing what England said. He then remembered his own father--the pirate general that died valiantly in battle just a few years ago. Although he loved his father, he had a secret resentment towards him since he was left in charge of everything at such a young age. He couldn't complain. He jumped right into it without much knowledge, except for the ones his father had left with him when he was still alive. He spent every day in his name, always relying on his guidance.
"I-I am so sorry about your father." he said, finally pulling away and looking at England. "I lost my father too, although in the hands of the enemy." Spain was still bothered, especially after learning more about how the British people operated. A lot of people had told him that mercy was probably his biggest weakness-- and here he was about to deal with people who had none.
"Arthur, I think it is best if we talk about this later." he said, smiling a bit sadly at the other. "The sun is up, we should have breakfast. You must be hungry."

England smiled at the obvious change in discussion, signalling that the younger captain wanted to forget for at least a little while. England nodded and said softly, "Yes, that would be lovely captain... and I should probably start warming up to your crew anyhow... Lest they try to make me walk to plank again." He chuckled and followed the captain. As they walked, he was sure to keep note of where everything was and how everything was placed.

Turning the the Spanish man leading him he asked, "How long have you been doing this?" He was genuinely curious; the man in front of him was no child, but he wasn't exactly pirate captain age either. Not that Arthur had room to talk-- he had become a captain at around this man's age as well. (Though only due to his vigorous training after his family's death. He waited for the man to answer.

As he waited, he watched a few other crew members interacting. Your basic squabbling, teasing and laughing. He couldn't help but smile and feel another pang in his chest as he remembered his own perished crew. He could only hope some had lived and been picked up by other ships. At the very least had a quick, painless death. His mind wandered as he anticipated the Spaniard's answer and he wasn't really focusing on one thing in particular.

"Don't worry, if that happens I'll be right there behind you." Spain chuckled at England's comment, and led him towards the door. "It might even be the perfect time to teach you a little about swimming. Nothing like death to force you to learn, no~?" he showed England around, helping him get familiar with the layout. It was a pretty large ship, and he thought that they could start with the deck, at least.

Spain stopped in his trail as soon as he heard England's question. It wasn't something he usually told others, but the curiosity in England's eyes made it hard to resist. "You promise you won't laugh at me?" With that, he held four fingers up with his left hand. "Just four years, amigo. Although I'd been learning how to sail years before that. What I lack in experience though, I try to make up with other things." He winked at England, and put his arm around him as he continued their walk. "What about you? You look like someone young for your merits as well."

England blushed profusely at the suggestion of learning to swim, "H-How did you know I never learned how to swim?" He asked, "I never told you I couldn't swim." He looked away, avoiding the emerald green eyes of his captain. He paid attention to everything the taller man said about the placement of things on the ship and how things ran. He made mental notes of details he saw himself that the other might have not deemed important enough to say.

England was surprised by the Spaniard's admittance and nearly blanched, "Only four years? Bloody hell... I feel a bit sheepish now. I should have had enough experience to fend off your attack..." But my broken heart wouldn't let me focus.... My heart wasn't in it. A dark look crossed his features, dimming the light in his eyes and making his chest throb painfully as the hollow emptiness swelled within him. He shook his head and put on a fake smile.

"You're awfully talented. Excellent with a sword... And you strike me as the type to be a fair captain." He paused, trying to sift through what he was trying to say, "Do you like this kind of life?" Because I don't... it's killing me.

"I've never seen anyone--captive or captain--look as panicked as you did before the plank." Spain said, laughing and tapping on England's cheeks with his hand. "We're on very still waters right now, Arthur. I assumed you would put on a brave face at least, or fight back no~? But I guess that's how we are when we're faced with out fears. So I just assumed, water might actually be one of yours." His eyes teased, as his interest in the other captain grew even more. He was nothing at all like first imagined him, and somehow he wasn't disappointed.

"Yes, four years amigo. Four long and eventful years. Before I became a captain I was nothing but a kid with no sense of direction or purpose, and the fact that I was going to have one at the time was an idea I really hated. But if you ask me now if I like this kind of life... I do. I do very much." he looked around the place and wondered what Arthur was looking at. Somehow, he had an uneasy look painted on his face. "It's a very rewarding kind of life, you know? As long as you live it right, and not abuse what you are given. In the end, you can't let greed guide you. You have to listen to something else." Spain then pounded on Arthur's chest, lightly and chuckled a bit.

"Tell me Arthur, is something bothering you? Is there something about my ship's interior that you do not like?" Spain looked around, still wondering what was bothering the other.