Hearts on The High Seas (Pirate!Tom Hiddleston x Reader)

Chapter Three: A Stowaway

(Y/N POV)

Three years.

That's how long Thomas had been gone for. I still went down, to the docks twice a day, hoping he would return.

He never did, he never even sent a letter.

Three years.

I was now twenty-one years old and my parents have been trying to find me a suiter. I did not want to marry but my parents said that because Thomas hadn't come back that I would marry Richard Quince, a duke from the highlands further inland. I had met him only three times and was only going to see him two more before the wedding, but I held no love for him.

It was almost sunset, and I walked down to the docks to look for Thomas, still hoping he would come home. That maybe I could see him again, we could live our lives together on the sea. I didn't want this inland life with some man I barely knew, have kids and stay there for the rest of my life. I just missed Thomas so much. everyone was telling me to move on, that he wasn't coming back or that he was even dead. No, he couldn't be, Thomas knew the sea so well.

Did he not love me anymore? Did he forget me?

I just couldn't take it anymore, the marriage, the waiting, everything. This trip down to the docks was different, this time I didn't plan on coming back. I was wearing a loose white shirt and dark brown pants, a cloak to hide my face, and a small cloth bag filled with some food and things I would need.

A few hours earlier I had bound my chest tightly under the shirt to make them appear flat. I had also cut my H/C hair, so it came down just past my ears. I gave myself a once over and thought I could pass as a man once I was onboard.

There was a large trading ship leaving port tonight and I was going to stowaway on it, I didn't care where it was going, I just wanted to leave this place. I made to where the large galleon was docked and looked around to see if I had been spotted. There was no one around so I quickly made a mad dash up the plank and onto the ship's deck, that was luckily empty.

"Good," I said quietly to myself as I was trying to find a way below deck. "Almost there Y/N, once they leave port you are basically free. I can blend in with the crew once we are out to sea, thank goodness I know how to sail."

I found my way below deck and worked my way through the small halls of the ship, trying to find an out of the way place to hide until we left port. After a few minutes, I found a small room filled with bags and long coils of rope. This would work for a hiding spot, barely anyone would be below deck while setting sail, they would all be working the rigging.

After what was probably about two hours when I could hear footsteps above my head and then a little later, I felt the ship lurch slightly making that we were now moving. I waited just a bit longer before coming out from my hiding spot and walking into the hall. I rounded a bend and collided with someone.

"Sorry," I said in my normal voice, then remembered I was a boy, so I deepened it slightly. "I didn't mean to run into you."

"It's alright," The young man who was probably about twenty and had a very thick Scottish accent. "It happens, don't worry about it.

I was about to walk away when he gripped my arm cluing in that he wanted to talk more.

"I haven't seen you here before," He said looking at me with his dark green eyes that were just visible under his dirty blond hair. "You must be new then."

"Yes," I said trying to end the conversation. I wanted to make as little verbal contact with the crew as possible, and yet I couldn't even make it out of the hallway. "I joined the crew at the last port."