Gus nodded, tapping his temple. "Aye, on the ship and at different ports."
She took a quick breath in, then asked, "Why so many?"
He grinned again, slow and easy, before spreading his arms to showcase the countless designs etched into his skin. "Once you get one, you want more. And when you live your life at sea, you travel light. These..." He waved over the elaborate ink covering his body, "I can always take with me."
Vivienne tilted her head, considering his words. She’d never thought about it like that. Tattoos as memories, stories written on skin—his own personal map of where he'd been. She hadn't expected Gus to be so layered, so full of quiet wisdom beneath his brute strength.
"Last question—" she said, then quickly added, "for this shift."
Gus raised a thick eyebrow.
"Why did you leave the pirates?"
The warmth in his expression caught her off guard. "I fell in love."
A fold between her brows took shape. "In love?"
All at once, the mountain of a man softened, his gruffness melting away like morning fog. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a tiny, well-worn portrait of a curvaceous brunette, her warm brown eyes captured in delicate brushstrokes.
"This is my Millicent." His voice dropped to reverence, as if her portrait were an altar for his worship. "We've been married ten years now. She's a master seamstress... and she makes the best damn mead you’ll ever drink."
Vivienne stared at the portrait, then at Gus.He’s like a lovesick teenager.A twinge of envy twisted in her ribs. She ached for something like that—a love deep enough to leave behind an entire life of piracy and never look back.
"You must miss her."
Gus exhaled a deep, weighted sigh, a glimmer of silver lining his eyes. "Every day." He ran a thumb over the edge of the tiny portrait, the touch gentle despite the roughness of his hands. "But she knows every part of me that ain’t hers belongs to the sea."
Vivienne’s mouth curved upward. She hadn't expected this conversation to leave her feeling... hopeful. There were people in this world who loved deeply, people who carried each other across oceans, through distance and time. She wished for that kind of love for everyone.
Well.
Everyone except Bianca.
* * *
Vivienne kepther eyes on her plate as she sat with Gus and his crew, the low murmur of their conversation and the occasional bursts of laughter barely registering. Across the deck, Lewis stood with a group of sailors, his back to her. He still wasn’t speaking to her. He disappeared from view as he descended the stairs toward the galley.
She shoved several bites of stew into her mouth, chewing mechanically as Gus finished off his meal. His accordion emerged from its case, signaling the shift from dinner to evening leisure, Vivienne took it as her cue. She wouldn’t let Lewis do the dinner dishes alone, no matter how much he ignored her.
The metallic clang of tin plates and the steady slosh of water reached her ears as she descended into the galley, her boots tapping against the steps.
But it wasn’t Lewis at the makeshift sink.
Cirrus stood over a towering stack of rinsed plates, his sleeves rolled up, soapy water dripping from his forearms.
Vivienne squinted, startled. "Cirrus? What are you doing here? Where’s Lewis?"
“Blume is elsewhere.” His ice-blue eyes snapped to hers, irritation clear in their depths. "I read your name in the medical log." He tossed a plate into the water, the splash echoing through the cramped space. "Why in the everdark didn’t you tell me about your hands?"
Vivienne stiffened, surprised by the accusation in his tone.
"I didn’t think it mattered," she said with a small, dismissive wave.
Cirrus’ jaw ticked, his grip tightening on the edge of the wooden table. "If you don’t tell me these things, I can’t help you." His voice rose, frustration marinating every word.
Vivienne crossed her arms. "Who says I need your help?"
"Gods, Vivienne," Cirrus hung his head, his knuckles whitening against the table. "Maybe you don’tneedit, but what would it hurt to accept it once in a while?" His gaze returned to hers, the anger dimming. "Can you just—" he exhaled heavily "—let me help?"
