What Rhymes with Bliss?

Ava was looking over the edge of the ship, watching the waves crash up against it. She had been standing there with her chin on the wood for what felt like hours. She had run up shortly after Theo had and saw the Captain walk into her room. She didn't dare knock or bother her but she wanted to talk about what happened. She wanted to apologize for it. She had fucked up and now her place on the ship was probably compromised. Theo would probably tell Cooker and Xyra and she would be looked at differently forever. The stupid recruit who tried to kiss the Captain, how funny.

Ava heard a noise and her head snapped over to see if it was the Captain's quarters opening. It wasn't. Ava turned her head back to the water and let out a pathetic sigh. She felt a pit in her stomach, the anxiety of not knowing what would happen next was eating at her. After a while, she thought it best to just go inside. Theo didn't seem to be coming out and even if she did, she did not want to talk to Ava. She should have never gone in for the kiss. Ava had misread everything.

But had she?

Theo had kissed back. Theo had grabbed Ava by the waist and pulled her close. Theo did not step away from the kiss until it got heated. And then she ran. Ava was confused. Confused about Theo's reactions, confused about her emotions, confused as to what to do next. Her head snapped back to the Captian's quarters yet again after hearing footsteps. Not Theo. Ava was going to drive herself mad just staring at the water waiting for Theo to emerge so she retreated into her isolation cave, the library.

She found comfort in her chair. No one used it quite as much as her and she liked to believe it had molded to her shape. The table in front of the chair held her book, open to the page she left off on before Theo came to get her earlier that night. She reached for the book and pulled it into her lap. Her eyes read the words but her brain did not process them. Minute after minute she kept reading the same page, over and over. She closed the book with an angry grunt and sank lower into the chair with a huff. She felt a frustrated tear fall down her face and she wiped it away aggressively. Ava sat with her head against the chair until she fell asleep.

She woke up to loud whooping and cheering outside in the hall. Fucking noisy pirates. She lifted her neck off of the chair and was met with sharp pain. If the constant chattering she was hearing was any indication, it was breakfast. She got up and straightened herself up before walking into the mess hall. She yawned and scanned the area for the best place to sit. She found Morgana and Tuni and slid into the table they were at.

"Good morning," Tuni smiled and took Ava's hand into her own, "you didn't sleep well last night?"

Ava shook her head and laughed it off, "Fell asleep in the library again."

"That's the third time in seven suns," Tuni pointed out.

"Ow, my neck hurts Tuni. Do you have any ointment?" Morgana teased in a high pitched voice.

Ava picked off a piece of bread from a discarded plate in front of them and threw it at Morgana. It was true, she had been making it a habit to fall asleep in the library. Now that she was busy all sun and then at night, she was preoccupied with Theo, she didn't have time to read anymore. She would sneak off into the library after her sessions with Theo and end up falling asleep there, body exhausted from the training.

"I have ointment leftover from last time so I won't be needing any," Ava stuck her tongue out at Morgana and then took Tuni's hand as Tuni had, "May I take the day off to rest?"

Ava wasn't planning on getting any more sleep but she wanted to lay low for the day. Too embarrassed to have to face Theo.

Tuni let out a small giggle and turned to Morgana and wiggled her eyebrows, "I'm in charge. I get to be powerful and tell people what to do. I command their suns."

"I see that my love," Morgana smiled.

"So?" Ava asked, with a smile on her face and a bat of her eyelashes.

"Of course. Rest up, child," Tuni conceded.

"Way to display authority and be in charge," Morgana teased and Tuni playfully hit her chest. Morgana grabbed Tuni's wrist gently and pulled her close, wrapping an arm around Tuni's shoulders, "I'm just kidding. You are a gracious and generous boss and you look good giving orders."

Tuni chuckled and leaned in for a kiss. Morgana kissed her and Ava rolled her eyes.

"That's all for me," Ava said and stood up, grabbing a piece of stale bread from Morgana's plate. On her way out she commented on the two lovebirds and it earned her a round of laughs from the girls at the table near the front.

Ava went to the lower decks. There was just enough light filtering in through the hatches that if she moved to an empty hammock she could get enough light to read. She grabbed one of the books about Theo and made herself comfortable. She wasn't sure why she wanted to read about Theo when Theo was the person she needed a distraction from but she read one the books about her anyway.

The first few chapters were about Theo's childhood. There wasn't much, just some barebones information mixed in with political context that Ava was already aware of. Theo was five when she ran away from home. Not much is known about her past but it was speculated that her parents aided the revolution and she was orphaned after the fall of Lamentations. It mentioned nothing about how she left home or where she went.

Theo's time from running away until she was seven was not recorded in the book. The book claimed that no historically accurate information could be provided around this time but historians suspected that Theo had been taken in by a notorious group of assassins and trained in the art of the kill. Ava did not know how accurate that information was, she would have to ask around. The first historically sound mention of Theo in any documents or rosters was when she was seven years old and she joined a large pirate crew with two other children, Xyra and Cooker.

By the time Theo was nine, she had earned herself a reputation. All three of them had. They were called the Council of Death and were dispatched by Captain Uncilo to take care of discreet jobs. The trio being young girls allowed them to pass along city streets without being noticed and their training as pirates allowed them to easily go in for kills. Ava read that chapter twice, feeling as if she had misunderstood or missed a crucial part of it but she hadn't. Theo, Xyra, and Cooker were children when they began to kill. Used as hitmen for someone else's benefit. Theo was a part of a death squad at nine years old. Pirating really was all they knew.

The information in the first few chapters alone was enough to overwhelm Ava. There were stories from witnesses and news excerpts littered throughout the chapters on The Council of Death. Thinking about how the three of them were used as hitwomen didn't sit well with her and she closed the book and put it away. She stared up at the ceiling, rocking back and forth in the hammock until her eyelids felt heavy and she fell asleep.

Ava was awoken by some shaking and when she opened her eyes, the hatch above her displayed dark instead of light. She rubbed her eyes then looked at the person who awoke her from her slumber. Cooker.

Ava let out an unhappy sound and shifted away from Cooker, "Leave me alone. I want to sleep."

"I've come into the lower decks like four times and you've been asleep every time. Dinner is being served. Let's go."

"I don't want to go to dinner," Ava said, still looking away, "wanna sleep."

Ava wasn't even tired; she just didn't want to face anyone. What if Theo had told everyone at the table and she looked like an idiot. Cooker grabbed the top of her head like she was palming a ball and forced Ava to look at her.

"We didn't see you at lunch which means you haven't eaten enough today. Plus, the table misses you. I was instructed to come to find you," Cooker encouraged.

"By?"

"Your best friend. Miss Mischief herself," Cooker chuckled.

Ava smiled a bit. Oceane had called for her? It warmed her heart. She hadn't gone without spending time with Oceane at least once a day. They called themselves the lower deck duo for obvious reasons, they both slept in the lower decks. It wouldn't win any creativity points but they were happy with it. Ava let out a groan and swung her legs over the hammock. She took her sweet time and Cooker decided she had had enough. She bent down and drove her shoulder gently into Ava's midsection before lifting, effectively carrying the redhead over her shoulder.

Cooker was slightly shorter than Ava so it wasn't as easy and smooth as it could have been but Cooker's strength allowed her to carry Ava into the mess hall. She squirmed and made it as difficult for Cooker as she could before being sat down on a chair.

"Ah, she's back from the land of the lost souls," Morgana teased, "When you asked Tuni for the day off to rest you meant it."

"I am a woman of my word," Ava chuckled and she leaned back a little when a tall figure appeared next to her. Xyra flashed her a smile and set a plate down in front of Ava and Ava thanked her.

Ava was acutely aware of the lingering presence of Theo in the corner. Theo was standing in the corner she usually did. Her captain's hat fell a little lower on her head so her face was partially covered. Ava could only see Theo's mouth, which was curled up into a smile while she listened to Iona animatedly tell a story. Theo made no move to say hello or to even look in Ava's direction. Granted, Theo was in the middle of a conversation but that had never stopped her from acknowledging Ava before.

She brushed it off and began to eat. Ava didn't tune into any particular conversations, she just let the waves of noises wash over her and she focused on chowing down her food. There was a roar coming from the women in Theo's corner and Ava's heart sunk at hearing the captain's laughter. Theo was allowed to have fun and to laugh without her but knowing that she was not the one making her laugh made reality sink in. Ava was sick of the in-between, she just wanted Theo to speak to her.

Or scream at her. Or humiliate her. Or literally, anything that would get her out of the limbo.

Ava got up with her plate and was about to take it into the kitchen before she was stopped by Oceane.

"Can you steal me a roll when you come back? I know Rose is hiding the edible bread somewhere back there," she narrowed her eyes suspiciously, "If I eat one more stale roll I'm afraid I will go on a murdering spree."

"I was going to go to the library after I put my plate away," Ava smiled apologetically.

"But it's Ophie's commencement anniversary today! We are celebrating on deck after dinner, you have to stay," Oceane frowned a bit at the notion that Ava wouldn't be a part of the festivities.

She had been either isolated or sleeping most of the day so she had completely missed that it was Ophie's commencement anniversary. She had gotten to know Ophie during her time as a sailor and had taken quite a liking to the Aelizan. Ava felt bad that she hadn't wished her congratulations. She looked at Oceane who was flashing her an exaggerated frown and wide, pleading eyes.

"Please, Red," Oceane batted her eyelids and tugged at Ava's arm, "Get drunk with me so I don't have to do it alone."

Ava laughed and let herself get pulled back down to the table, "I'm not getting drunk but I will stand by your side so you don't feel like you are drinking alone."

"How did I get so lucky to find you as a friend before anyone else here did," Oceane sighed happily and put her head on Ava's shoulder, her arms now wrapped fully around Ava's upper arm.

"I don't think there was much competition, love," Ava chuckled and looked around the table.

Ava caught Theo looking over at them. The smirk that was there before was now gone and a slight downturn to her lips replaced it. Theo was looking over in their direction but Ava couldn't see Theo's eyes. Was the frown about Ava? Or Oceane with Ava?

Ava quickly looked away from Theo and tried to shrink herself as much as she could. Thankfully, people had started to filter out of the room so they only stayed at the table for a short moment. No sooner did a quarter of the room empty out did Oceane take Ava's hand and ran out, forgetting all about the search for bread. Ava had learned throughout the many times she had engaged in on-deck festivities that Oceane had a science to it. They couldn't go too early or they would risk getting stuck with the task of lugging barrels up from storage. They couldn't go too late because then there was a line to get drinks.

Oceane and Ava were handed mugs of ale as they walked up to the upper deck. Yet another perk of going up during the sweet spot was the pirates on deck were trying to get everyone drunk as fast as possible. Ava had learned to say no by then and every time she was offered a drink she would reject it whereas before she would chug her drink and take the new one offered. Tonight her heart was too heavy to get drunk. She was afraid that with her inhibitions down and her judgment impaired she would either go up to Theo, or cry, or cry in front of Theo. None of which were attractive options.

Instead, Ava and Oceane spent most of the night side by side and Ava simply watched as her friend became more and more intoxicated. They played a game called Stycks where Ava was the referee. She had played the game before at other deck parties, multiple times, but she still had no idea what the rules were. The gist of it was a dice roll, some shouting, and then a physical altercation in which there was only one winner. The point of the game was to get your opponent past a line. Ava's role was just to be a sober eye and to call it when someone crossed the line. All in all, it was painful to play and entertaining to watch. Quite a crowd gathered around them as the deck began to fill up and suddenly Stycks was almost a crew-wide game. It came to an abrupt halt when it was Morgana's turn and no one dared to challenge her.

Oceane, many mugs in and sore from Stycks, found a place to sit and let some of the excitement wear off. Ava kept her company and for the rest of the night, they stayed on the deck, allowing people to come to them. Occasionally, Oceane would get up and run off to join a shanty or a dance and Ava would be tugged along with her. But for the most part, they sat and drank. Or, Oceane drank and Ava took a sip here and there from the foul-tasting drink. Eventually, Oceane was hiccuping and giggling a little too much and Ava knew it was time for bed. Oceane had stages of being drunk and she was nearing a stage that would make the recovery process in the morning a lot harder.

"Up we go," Ava said and tried to pick Oceane up but Oceane dragged her bodyweight down.

"Noooo," Oceane complained and cemented herself on the box she was on, "still so much to drink and celebrate."

"I heard there was a party going on in the lower decks, let's go check it out," Ava lied in an attempt to convince her to cooperate.

"You can't lie to me, Red," Oceane said with a giggle, "there is only one party at a time and it is here."

Ava helplessly tugged at Oceane's arm with a chuckle, "Oceane, I wouldn't lie to you. There is something super exciting going on downstairs."

Theo was suddenly at Ava's side and she made quick work of swooping down and hoisting Oceane off the box, "She's right, O. Something is brewing down there. Let's go check it out."

Theo looked up and caught Ava's eye for the first time since the night before. It was silent for a beat and neither of them made a move to help Oceane. Ava was the one that broke the stare and went to Oceane on the other side and helped to hoist her up. Ava was unsure how much longer she could take the lack of communication between them. Every time she even looked at Theo her chest tightened. There was so much unsaid between them and Ava was frustrated, why could Theo not just fucking talk to her? Was it too much to ask?

Ava had never been happier to not have had any ale because that short stare they shared would have resulted in drunk tears.

---------------------

Theo tended to lie to herself and she had been doing it the entire sun. Every hour, she told herself she would find Ava and clear everything up. Theo had been coaching herself to march up to Ava, demand, and audience, and have a serious discussion about... well, everything. But every time she went to do it she made excuses. She pretended she was needed around the ship more than she actually was and when the time came where she finally worked up the courage to talk to Ava, she was asleep.

Theo was the Captain and could easily wake up anyone on the ship if she wanted but she chose not to. If Xyra pressed her on it she would say it was to not bother Ava but Theo knew it was just another excuse to put off a conversation. Theo had prepared herself to face Ava at dinner but Ava hadn't shown up. Theo made her rounds, greeting the women she hadn't spoken to that sun and then hovered over her usual table. She took place in her usual spot, standing in the corner with Xyra next to her. Iona was retelling a story about how she slipped and fell on a slippery deck that morning and Theo had a stupid smile on her face.

Cooker walked in and brought Ava with her. Theo was still listening to the story but her eyes followed the pair to the table. Ava looked like she had just woken up, Theo had awoken Ava from enough naps by then to know what that looked like; Ava was a sleeper. Theo caught herself smiling at the memories of Ava startling awake but she bit her lip to stifle it. She needed to talk to Ava but now that the night was well on its way she would have to wait. Which was both a relief and a stressor. She was dreading the conversation but she wouldn't be able to be at peace until they had it. What if Ava told her it was a mistake? Or if Theo running off had ruined something.

Theo's attention was brought back to the present when she saw Oceane pull Ava close. Jealousy flared in Theo's stomach and she frowned. She knew she shouldn't be jealous. Ava was not hers or indebted to her in any way and Oceane was a koldi. If they wanted to be together, which was unlikely, they could. Theo caught Ava's eye and then looked away and tried wiping the frown off of her face. By the time Theo had looked back over to them, they were gone. Theo wasn't going to get to speak with Ava that night. She wanted to just go to her quarters but it was Ophelia's commencement anniversary and Theo needed to at least show up for a while.

Theo stayed until the room cleared out and it was just her and Xyra. They silently helped Rose clean up until they were both shooed out of the kitchen and told to go enjoy themselves. Theo dragged her feet the whole way out and then walked slowly down the hallway. Xyra matched her snail-like pace, itching to speed up.

"Can you stop stalling?" Xyra sighed.

"I'm not stalling. I have nothing to stall for," Theo defended herself.

"Right. I forgot we were pretending that you aren't avoiding confrontation. My bad, I'll just go back to ignoring that you are emotionally stunted and cannot process your emotions in a healthy and time-efficient manner," Xyra rolled her eyes and tried to nudge Theo forward but Theo planted herself down.

Xyra then began to push at Theo a bit more forcefully but Theo wasn't budging. Theo pushed back against Xyra's force and they found themselves in a fight. Theo flipped around and she wrestled with Xyra, neither of them winning. Xyra was much taller and Theo was much stronger. They roughhoused with each other until a sway from the ship sent them falling onto the ground. Theo lunged on top of Xyra and tried her best to pin her first mate down. As Theo was struggling to keep Xyra's shoulders pressed against the ground, Xyra reached her long arm up to palm Theo's face. Theo's face was pushed to the side and covered with Xyra's hand.

They were both writhing around and grunting with effort when someone cleared their throat above them, "Children!"

Theo's face was liberated from the giant hand that was holding it captive and Theo let Xyra's shoulders go. Cooker had an amused smile on her face and her arms were crossed.

"Jealous I wasn't invited. Is it because you knew I'd kick your asses?" Cooker teased.

Theo stood up and wiped her coat of any dust she gathered from the floor, "I was just defending my honor. She started it."

"Debatable," Xyra scoffed and stood up with the help of Cooker's outstretched hand.

"For some reason, I'm inclined to believe the person who isn't a notorious fight picking asshole, sorry Xy," Cooker laughed and stepped away from a shove headed her way.

"Whatever," Xyra said and began to walk out onto the deck.

Theo followed her friends and she was handed a drink as she entered the party. Most of the crew members were halfway to blackout drunk by that point but Theo had no intention of joining them. She took a few sips from her drink now and then but the ale was too warm and the ship was swaying too much to enjoy it. That is what she told herself. The real reason was she couldn't get her mind off of a certain redhead. She was physically present with the girls that night but mentally she was invested in Oceane and Ava. Theo watched as Ava refereed Stycks until that was broken up then watched as she cared for Oceane the rest of the night.

Theo had sat back and watched Ava before, most of the people on the ship had. Ava was odd and she had different mannerisms, customs, and ways of approaching things and the crew could always be found staring at her with a mix of awe and confusion. This time though, Theo noticed things she hadn't before. Ava had blended in, she had been a foreign substance that had now been incorporated into the mass. Theo watched the corner Ava and Oceane had taken residence in and saw the way Ava interacted with all that came near. She always made the other person laugh, granted they were all drunk so it was an easy feat, but there was a deeper connection between Ava and all the women. In a crew of over 30, Ava had seemed to mesh well with every single one.

That wasn't the only thing she noticed. She knew Ava and Oceane had become friends, Ava spoke about Oceane constantly and Oceane was always around Ava in her spare time but Theo hadn't realized how close they had gotten. As Theo observed them together, it wasn't jealousy she felt that time; it was fondness. Oceane was someone that held a special place in her heart and to see her be treated with affection and care was heartwarming. Oceane had always been a friendly force on the ship, investing time and thought into most of the girls but her genuineness was rarely appreciated. Everyone loved Oceane but between their busy schedules and their own issues, her kindness was often taken for granted. To see her be able to let loose and have fun with someone by her side to make sure she was safe made Theo want to cry. It must have been the lack of sleep.

Theo watched as Ava tried to get Oceane up and Theo figured Oceane had hit her limit. Oceane was a fan of letting loose and most everyone close to her knew the signs that it was time for bed. Oceane was giving Ava trouble, falling back onto the box in an attempt to stay for the rest of the festivities. Ava, although stronger than when she started to train, was not equipped to lug Oceane to sleep. Theo jogged over to help.

She watched as Ava helplessly tugged at Oceane's arm, "Oceane, I wouldn't lie to you. There is something super exciting going on downstairs."

Theo was suddenly at Ava's side and she made quick work of swooping down and hoisting Oceane off the box, "She's right, O. Something is brewing down there. Let's go check it out."

"Cap, you are here!" Oceane giggled and Theo secured her arm around Oceane's waist. Theo locked eyes with Ava as they both helped to lighten the weight of Oceane for each other.

"I am. Now, are you able to use your legs, or do we need to drag you?" Theo asked as they started to move forward.

"Legs are working. See?" Oceane took a large step forward and she was out of their grasp. Oceane stumbled forward a bit and Theo rushed to keep her upright.

"Dragging you it is," Theo said and they began to take her into the ship. Oceane alternated between being helpful and letting them do all the work.

Theo looked over Oceane's shoulder to confer with Ava once they reached the stairs. Ava looked over and they both glanced up the stairs instead of down. Theo and Ava were both on the same page. A cabin was much better for Oceane, she was much less likely to escape if she was in a room then if she was in a hammock. Theo picked Oceane up and began to carry her up the stairs with Ava spotting them from behind. Theo was glad Ava was behind and not in the front so she would be spared the grotesque face Theo was making because of the effort. They reached the top of the stairs and Ava ran away once she cleared the stairs to see if there were any open cabins. Halfway down the hallway, Ava found one and she came back to help Oceane the rest of the way.

Oceane had been too drunk to notice they went up and not down and they managed to successfully get her into bed before she realized what had happened, "Oi! What happened to the surprise in the lower deck?"

"It was all a ploy," Theo admitted and sat on the bed next to Oceane.

Oceane gasped and furrowed her brow, betrayed, "Captain, you lied to me."

"I did," Theo took Oceane's hand and squeezed it tight, "but it was time to get you to bed."

"Mmkay," Oceane gave in quite easily. She was already making herself comfortable in the bed, closing her eyes.

"Goodnight," Theo said and stood up, setting Oceane's hand back down.

Both of them hovered in the room for a moment and made sure Oceane was asleep before leaving. Theo did it partly to make sure Oceane didn't run away and partly to have a few more minutes with Ava. Once the snores could be heard they backed out of the room. Theo closed the door to the room and suddenly they were alone in a dark hallway. Theo looked over at Ava and Ava was already staring.

So, they were playing this game again.

Theo twisted her rings and bit her bottom lip nervously and broke eye contact with Ava. Ava made no move to leave and neither did Theo. Neither said anything either. Theo scratched her head and rocked back on her heels and Ava kept her hands crossed in front of her. After a few moments of silence, they both went to speak at the same time.

"I-" "Did-"

They both chuckled awkwardly and Theo felt a smile break out onto her face. Ava followed suit and Theo was screaming at herself to just let it out in the open. They kissed, now what?

But neither of them were speaking. There was a tension between them that could be sliced with her dagger and Theo's mouth was dry. She was trying to formulate a thought or even words but she was drawing a blank. Being at a loss for words was an odd feeling for Theo, who had something to say for just about everything.

In that very moment, the ship was rocked by a large wave and Ava was propelled forward, crashing into Theo's arms. Ava had tumbled right into Theo, hands splayed over her chest. Theo secured Ava by holding onto her waist. It was as if Sea Goddess, Riva herself, had shaken the oceans to nudge the redhead into Theo's embrace. Ava let out a small laugh and Theo looked up at the redhead. The laugh died in Ava's throat as they both soaked in just how close they were to each other.

Theo didn't know what Ava felt but Theo felt electric, like the night before. Like every nerve in her body was being fed volts of energy. Ava's hands-on Theo's chest tickled, fingertips resting on exposed skin. Theo kept repeating in her head that she needed to talk to Ava. Talking was of the utmost importance. Communication and honesty.

But all thoughts of proper conversation and addressing the situation went out the window when Theo saw Ava's eyesight glance down at Theo's lips and then back at her eyes. Theo could read the signs this time, she didn't need it to be spelled out. Whatever Ava was thinking or feeling, one thing was for sure; the electricity was there for her too. Theo pulled Ava closer and closed the small gap that was between their bodies. Ava leaned forward and their faces were inches from each other. Theo could feel Ava's soft puffs of breath.

"Red," Theo whispered.

"Hm," Ava answered and snaked her hands up and around Theo's shoulders.

"Can I kiss you?" Theo pushed her forehead against Ava's and closed her eyes.

"Please," Ava said on an exhale.

Theo's hand came up to cup Ava's jaw and she pressed their lips together. Ava's lips were soft and inviting and Theo wanted to pull Ava closer but it wasn't possible. Theo pulled away only slightly before kissing Ava again, a smile threatening to ruin the flow of the kiss. Ava pushed them back slightly and Theo's back was pressed up against the hallway. The kiss grew passionate and neither of them had any intention of breaking away.

The clamor from the stairway was suddenly very loud and it indicated a lot of people were fast approaching. Ava jumped back a little and put space between her and the Captain. Theo brought the back of her hand up to her mouth and turned her back to the stairwell, trying to soak in what had just happened. There was no immediate need to escape or panic this time. Ava had wanted to kiss her and she had wanted to kiss Ava. Theo felt an explosion of flutters in her stomach and she pressed her hand harder to her mouth to suppress a shit-eating grin.

Once the noise had passed and they were in the clear, Theo turned back around and faced Ava.

"No running this time," Ava pointed out sassily, "Quite an improvement from the last time."

Theo groaned and hit her head against the wood and they both chuckled. Theo rubbed her neck and looked down at her feet, "We should probably talk about it, huh?"

"Probably," Ava laughed a bit, "although, I would like a smoke and a tea if we are going to do this now."

"I think I can arrange that," Theo smiled and held out her arm, "shall we?"