Collector of Odd

XII |To Grow Closer You Must Stumble|

Within the fallen, hope does rise.

           To say Jack and Mirela's relationship after their intimacy in the crows nest had gotten better would be a lie. Jack was left confused, irritated, and slightly disappointed the following day. Mirela had not approached him since she had wandered onto the deck, in all honesty, it appeared to him that she was avoiding him at all costs. Truth be told? She was. Mirela didn't know whether to be angry at Jack for being temptation himself or angry with herself for betraying her husband. Sure, Bensik had been dead for some time now, but that didn't mean she didn't cling to his very spirit in hopes she would see him again.

           Bensik had been her life, her breath of fresh air when she needed it. They had met in a jail cell, believe it or not, she had been caught for stealing, and well, Bensik was a pirate. That was reason enough to lock him up. Mirela had been young at the time, only around 16 and no matter how happy Bensik and her had been when they wed, they had hated each other the moment they met. He was cocky, and she relied on no one but herself, so when Bensik escaped and offered to help you can imagine how that turned out. With a sigh, Mirela pulled herself from her trip down memory lane and gazed out toward the horizon. She was conflicted.

            "Ye were al'ays one to think too much." The light tsk tsk of Tia caused Mirela to glance toward the dark-skinned women. She would never understand how Tia always knew when she was needed. "Thinking too much has been keeping me alive my friend." Her full lips pulled into a small smile, causing her sun dried skin to pull slightly in response. "Ah, but are ye living de life ye should?" With a smile that told Mirela that Tia knew more things than she should, Mirela stared at her long term friend with a wrinkle in her forehead. She tilted her head to look at Tia full on, searching her brown orbs for a hint of what she knew. Though she knew it was no use, Tia never gave up anything unless she wanted, Mirela continued to search her friends face. Maybe one day she would be able to read her. 

          "Why have ye yet to go to Witty Jack? Tis not because ye be afraid.. is it?" Again, Tia sent her that knowing smile and set Mirela on edge, however, she knew Tia never meant anything by the action. "I will not betray him, I can not." With a disappointed frown, Tia shook her head at her friend's words. "Ye do not understand Bensik's words, my dear. Him be waiting for ye but not for ye to return to him." With those parting words, Tia sunk back into the shadows of the ship. She had things to take care of.

          Mirela was confused, and confusion led her to think even more than was normal. She thought of Bensik, thought of her boy, Nicu, she even gave a small part of her mind to Lord Beckett. However, her thoughts were not leading her anywhere promising, in fact they were leading her to frustration and heartache. With hands clenching the rail of the Pearl, Mirela cast her head downwards, allowing her hair to conceal her emotions. Life had never been easy for Mirela, she was never one to complain though, for she thought everything happened for a better cause to bloom. However, right now, she felt like that wasn't the truth, she felt betrayed, hurt, and most importantly, lost. She had no home anymore, Tia's shack was nice, warm, but it wasn't the place that her heart longed for. She longed for those emotions she felt with Bensik, and to her utter joy and anger, she had found them again.

          Turning to lean against the railing of the Pearl, Mirela concealed her emotions and locked her orbs on Jack. Jack was a man that schemed for his benefit, yet he seemed to always help his crew when they were in need. He wan an excellent pirate, yet he was also the worst. Bunching up her brow in slight thought, Mirela tried to really take in Jack Sparrow. Tried to understand the flames of chaos that was her mind. Jack was a handsome man, with his brown hair in dreads, but pushed out of his face by a head scarf, his hair alone left him with a well put together psychopath look. Her lips twitched up at her observation. Jack was an organized crazy man.

          With a soft giggle and a shack of her head, she focused on him once again. Allowing her eyes to trail along his facial hair Mirela came to think of Bensik. Bensik didn't have facial hair, and when he did, it was a mere three days scruff before he shaved it off again. He had too many scars around his jawline to allow facial hair to grow properly. However, Mirela wasn't comparing Jack to Bensik because she was looking to turn her emotions away from him, she was comparing him because she realized she highly liked his facial hair. She highly liked Bensik with no facial hair too. She was puzzled for a moment. Lost in thought she realized how different these two men were, but how they stirred the same things within her.

           With a defeated sigh, Mirela slowly made her way toward the helm, her body slipping between the crewmen with ease. She was careful to keep out of Jack's sight, not wanting to make any eye contact with the man she had been avoiding before she had to. She didn't know if he would ask about it, she hoped he wouldn't, but if he did she had no answer for him. Not any she was willing to share with him. Mirela wasn't one to pour her heart out, but she also wasn't one to keep the truth from those whom asked for it. Eventually, and without so much of a blink from Jack, Mirela had made her way to the helm and perched her self on a lone barrel.

          Jack knew she was there, though he didn't feel the need to acknowledge her, she hadn't paid him any mind. Why should he? Maybe it was childish of him, but Jack wasn't always the mature one of the bunch, in fact, he was rarely mature. Mirela didn't take offense from his silence, or the fact he wouldn't look at her. She simply curled her legs beneath her and watched him from across the helm. Her sandy orbs sparkled within the rays of the sun, causing diamond-like grains to scatter her warm-hued eyes. Without really understanding it, Mirela grew relaxed in the silence she shared with Jack, her mind was no longer swarming like a hive of busy bees, and instead, she was able to breathe easy. Jack noticed this.

           To her, and anyone else besides maybe Tia, Jack hadn't sent a glance toward the gypsy all day, that was not the truth. He had watched her the moment she had come onto deck, watched the way she fiddled with her rings, more importantly Bensik's ring. He noticed the way her brow creased when she would loose herself within her mind, or when Tia had spoken to her shortly. He had thought about approaching her, but what was he to say? They simply shared a kiss, a kiss that Jack could still taste on his lips, but still.. just a kiss. For all he knew he could mean little to nothing to him, and for some strange reason, that bothered Jack. A tight feeling grew in his chest at that thought, causing his fingers to twitch as he itched to rub the area.

          "Jack." Her voice was hesitant to his ears, softer than normal, but it was enough to grab his attention, to turn his head toward her and raise a brow. "I've learned to see and hear everybody loud and clear, but the truth comes out in riddles that are safe enough to share." He raised both brows at her now, slightly wondering why she would tell him that. He wasn't stupid, nor was he confused, he knew she often spoke in riddles, but why she was explaining to him why she did, didn't quite make sense to him. Then, as he searched her face, watched the way her eyes kept flickering away from his, and how she shifted slightly, he understood. She was trying to make amends. She was letting her walls fall down for only a moment so she could tell him something without the riddle. Something she thought was important to her.

          Without a second thought, Jack sent her his ever famous smile, letting his pearly whites and golden teeth flash for her eyes to see. Mirela instantly relaxed, her face lite up into her fox-like grin and her shoulders straightened back up. She wasn't vulnerable anymore, and in that moment, Jack realized just how much she was hiding from herself and everyone around her. Mirela didn't know what would happen between Jack and her now, she didn't know if she was okay with what had happened last night, but she did know she enjoyed his friendship, and right now? That's all she needed.