❝ French Perfume ❞ - FrUk/UkFr Pirate Novella

Chapter 02

"Francis! There ya be my lad!" a drunken sailor, called Edward, bellowed. He had a round abdomen and had a shortsword by him at all times. He wore brilliant greens and yellows, his crooked pirate hat was on the table next to him as he raced his finger over the beer’s smooth glass. 

Francis took the man's glossy, glass and poured the brown liquid into Edward's cup. "Where were ya? We yearned for you to fill our glasses. You're our favorite yanno."

Francis let out a small sigh as he sharply pressed his elbow into the oleaginous table, while his head sat in his fists. "I want to be a pirate, not doing this for the rest of my life-" he gestured with his hands towards the bar and finished his statement. “For the entirety of my life." He poured the murky liquid into the man's glass and the pirate placed down a small tip.

"Us pirates do a dangerous job you aren't prepared for. You're more immeasurable here."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Francis asked in a monotone voice, his eyes were dull and held no hint of expression. He didn’t want to hear what Edward had to say as he already knew what was going to escape the male’s mouth. 

"Look. The merchant ship had been robbed last night. We have a rogue pirate on our hands."

"A-"

"Stay out of it Francis!" Edward's voice dropped down an octave. His eyes glazing over the young Frenchmale who only retorted, 

"But-"

"There's a famous smuggling pirate here in St. Pierre. Last night, he took french perfume, rum, and cigarettes."

Francis remembered last night and his stomach tied itself in a knot. 

"All pirates are now suspicious according to the Queen."

"What if-" Francis replied. "What if I track down this pirate and slay him, it would get you all off the hook, right?"

"That's good fantasizing you have, but believe me kid.” The pirate began to gulp down the filthy rum. “That pirate is well trained. He has already killed several good pirates. We don’t need another tragedy."

"But—" 

"Drop it." 

Francis crossed his arms and huffed, a small sigh escaped his mouth. "One day, I'll be on a ship with the most beautiful girl and sailing across the world with her."

"Tch! Ye and your big imagination. I'm surprised your optimism didn't collapse over… yanno what," Edward grumbled, taking a sip of rum in-between his words. Francis grumbled and crossed his arms, he'd sail the sea as a feared pirate and have a partner by his side. He KNEW deep within his heart that it would play out that way. His eyes began to water; however, the last sentence began to sink like a rock in water. He was positive he hasn't supposed to hear Edward say that and when the plump pirate noticed the male's tears, he dragged his hand down towards his pointy chin. 

"Remember last time when you got your hopes up? I just don't want that to happen to you, again." 

"This time it'll be different!" Francis hated how much of a whining child; however, Edward's eyes held dull interest in the tone of the male's voice and concern over the waiter. 

"I know you're trying to change the course of what your life could be, but are you sure this is what you want? Can't you try to be on the good side of the law and be better than everyone else in this raggedy joint?" 

While they were talking, a female had pushed violently at the swinging doors, her dark green eyes screamingly livid thoughts. She possessed sun-kissed skin and wore a pink crop top over a white spaghetti stringed shirt. Her long-drawn skirt got caught in the door and she groaned, opening the door and slamming it behind her.

"Sasha~!"

"Don't Francis, I will kill you-!" She hissed as Francis ran towards her. He stopped in his tracks, his arms looking stupid in front of him. Sasha rolled her eyes, her sun-kissed hand rammed itself into his nose and forcefully shoved him like a kid would flick a booger. 

"Have fun~" He chirped, his posture straightening up from being shoved. He eagerly grabbed his blue pirate coat off a hook and shagged his medium blond hair out of the way of his vivid blue eyes. "I'm off, enjoy your shift Sasha!" 

"Hey- Francis!" Shouted a drunken sailor as the male passed through the wild jungle of bodies that sprawled out all over the bar. 

Francis sighed and glanced at a sailor who looked homeless. His scrawny beard was down to his chest while his clothes were torn and ripped in areas. His feet were exposed and the yellow toenails were definitely a turn off. 

"Oui?" He asked the drunken sailor, who placed his heavy cup down and licked his finger, pointing at Francis’ chest area. 

"Why don't you grow a pair and you look even more like a girl?" The sailor started chuckling and soon everyone around him was. He ignored their mocking laughs while Edward slammed his cup against the table. Francis crossed his arms and slammed the bar's heavy door, the rush of wind comforting him, not looking back to see what Edward was going to do to the pirate that violated him. 

The sky was a purplish-orangish, fading into the brilliant night sky. It reminded Francis of a famous painter as the portrait had heart and soul poured into it. Francis only let out a small sigh, his mind fantasizing about what he could have if he were a true pirate. He'd have the perfect damsel on his arm with the perfect life on the sea. 

"Get your head out of the clouds!" Someone shouted as they passed Francis, which they almost bumped into him. The male had an attitude and Francis so desperately wanted to take his anger out on the stranger, and stalked towards him. 

“Hey…!” 

The stranger didn’t turn around and only shot his hand up with his middle finger soaring through the sky. "I'm quite busy to even think of handling your petty shit." Francis wanted to hit the male; however, he only clutched his purple and blue pirate clothing and strolled across the solitude path. 

"Who am I kidding… They won't ever take me seriously…" 

The thoughts in Francis's head caused him to growl outloud and rip off his pirate hat and stomp on it; however, he glanced down at the object and then towards the ground at his black, pointed boots.

"Why can't I do anything right?" Thinking back to last month caused agony to stab at his heart. He'd give anything to achieve just this one dream he had. He would trade away everything he owned to be the pirate he dreamed. However, he failed last night. The night that was supposed to change his life. 

" ... " Francis turned towards the direction of where he heard a soft mumble and he cocked his head towards it, his thoughts ending; however, his curiosity growing. It was a narrow alleyway that Francis never really took a notice to, until now. Francis squinted as he thought he saw two figures descending the pitch-back alleyway.

His curiosity sparked wild as his adrenaline picked up, his mind raced with a million thoughts. It began to boil down into two choices: go down into the darkness or don't.

He wasn't scared, but if there was a chance he could have stumbled upon something he shouldn't be apart of. However, a part of him screamed that this was going to change his life forever. 

He took a deep breath and went down into the alleyway....