James Norrington / Reader - Sad-Bittersweet Ending - Bonus - The Afterlife
You and James faded into the golden light of the setting sun and for a moment there was nothing but warm, soft glow everywhere. You could feel James’ hand still holding yours but you couldn’t see him because everything was covered by haze that carried a scent of sea but also something else… wild flowers, fresh rain… and of course, James’ cologne. You closed your eyes and an unimaginably intense feeling of peace took over you. It was like a warm blanket that protected you from the cold winds of the world… Or no… not a blanket… a warm embrace of your loved one.
James felt confused and slightly cautious as the world faded away into the soft glow and eventually turned into haze. He did not know where he was but he knew that he was with you so he abandoned his worries and focused on everything that he felt, heard and smelled. He heard your relaxed breathing, mixed with his, echoing all around… but there was more… birds singing in the distance, soft music… chatter… the hems of fine dresses swishing against a marble floor… The air carried a scent of expensive perfumes and candles… but there was also… a scent of sea salt mixed with a delicate scent of flowers. This all reminded him about one evening… almost like he had been there again… in the party where he had met you.
Then all the sounds, scents and sensations faded away and when he opened his eyes, he noticed that he was laying in a large, comfortable bed, wearing light clothes and feeling calm and… profoundly and thoroughly… good. The room was bathing in a soft light of the rising sun that shined through white, long curtains and the air in the room was pleasantly cool, but by no means too cold. The next thing he noticed was that the curtains danced in a light wind that poured in from an open door that led into the garden… or that was what he deduced from the scents and sounds anyway; he heard seagulls crying in the distance and smelled flowers… grass that was still slightly wet from the rain.
Finally, now that his eyes had gotten used to the light, he saw you laying next to him with your eyes closed in a light, slightly see-through gown. Your face was exactly how he had memorized it… every line and every detail was where they had used to be but this time you did not look exhausted or troubled. Oh no, you looked… carefree and serene as you slept with your hair open, all over the pillow, framing your face and shining in the sunlight every time the curtain moved in the wind and let rays of golden sun shine directly in the room. Your hair framed your gorgeous features… those eyes that were now closed, soft skin that looked flawless and touchable… your beautiful, full lips, slightly parted, almost like you had been waiting to be kissed.
James leaned closer to admire the sight that he had missed for so long but he did not dare to touch you since he was afraid that if he did, the illusion would break and he would find himself alone again. He had lived a good life and he had been quite content, but he had always felt lonely and never truly happy… but as the years had changed into decades he had learned to live with the plain mediocre which, ironically enough, was what he had assumed to be enough. However that had been before he had met you.
The time with you had been filled with heartbreak and sorrow, he had been forced to say goodbye to you too many times, although in the beginning you had told him not to, but in his heart he had always said farewell, hoping that he would meet you again, but never certain that it would be his fate, especially after he had found out who you were. At that point the prospects of sharing a future together had seemed impossible but then he had found his way to you and for two and half precious months he had been truly happy. Unfortunately the happiness had been short-lived and it had ended so suddenly, that one evening by the cliff.
James had been so afraid that you had died thinking that he had betrayed you and then he had been bitter about your decision to take your own life but with time he had understood and forgiven you, knowing in his heart that whatever you had done, you had not done out of evil or revenge. James also had come to a conclusion that you had not wanted to die, you had not wanted to leave him but in that situation, pushed to the corner, you had not seen any other way out. James had also decided to believe that you had done it because you had loved him so much and therefore you had not wanted James to go through the public humiliation of your execution. He had a feeling that you had not wanted him to see you in that state because it would have been an image that would have haunted James for the rest of his life. And indeed you had wanted James to remember you as a free woman, your hair shining in the sunshine… not as a lowly criminal in shackles and chains with a noose around your neck.
You smiled a little when you felt James’ breath on your lips. You expected him to kiss you but instead of pressing his lips against yours, he drew back, almost like your waking up would have had startled him… like he had been about to do something that he wasn’t supposed to do and therefore he had backed away like he had not intended to kiss you in the first place. You breathed in deep and tried to read James’ expression; was he… sad or… confused… happy or… relived perhaps? But you were unable to interpret his thoughts or feelings as they were hidden securely behind the calm look on his face.
- What is this place? he asked softly after just staring into your eyes for many minutes.
- I do not know. you replied and then sighed “Home?” James however stayed silent but you were not actually even surprised. He after all had lived a long life, many long years… grown old… and now suddenly he was young again.
- This is a place where no one grows old. you explained and then continued with a smile on your face “Here no one gets sick or…” you said and paused for a brief moment before adding “…Dies.”
- Heaven? James asked with a puzzled tone.
- Yes… no… maybe? you replied and rolled on your side. “This place can be whatever you want it to be” you explained and then asked “Do you… want to be on a beach?”
And suddenly James found himself standing on a beach, his toes hidden in the white, warm sand as the waves washed over them in a steady rhythm. He looked around; in front of him there was nothing but vast ocean that glimmered in the sunshine, a couple of ships sailing far away in the horizon and behind him a tropical forest that changed into a town a bit further. He couldn’t see any buildings but he knew that behind those trees there was a town, buzzing with life… maybe his own version of Port Royal. He also saw you standing behind him in a gorgeous dress with your hair tied up on a neat bun and a couple of strands of hair dancing in the wind that was blowing from the sea. He was wearing his old uniform, with the white wig and the navy-hat, his sword strapped on his hips like it had been during the long years of his service in the Royal Navy.
- Or perhaps mountains with snow. you said and suddenly, when James blinked his eyes he found himself standing on a highest snow-covered mountain staring at other mountains that glowed in the pale moonlight as the sky was covered with stars, shining brighter than he had ever seen before. The air was crisp and most likely the temperature high up was below minus thirty but neither of you felt cold while you admired the Milky Way glowing as a stream of incandescent mist right above your heads.
- This is a sight that I have never seen before. James stated with an astonished tone. He shifted his gaze to you and saw you wearing a warm-looking fur and he was wearing one himself. You smiled at him and then shifted your gaze back to the galaxies in the sky.
Suddenly James noticed that he was in the party where he had met you. He was standing in front of you, a bit further away. Just as he was about to walk to you, the orchestra started to play and he realized that it was the song that had played when he had danced with you for the first time. The room was filled with people, dancers, spectators… servants and musicians… and when the other dance-pairs started to move, but James did not, you said to him with a cheerful tone “Dance with me!”
James looked around at the dancing pairs and stated “I’d rather dance alone with you” and all of a sudden all the other people were gone and you found yourself standing alone with James in the banquette hall. There was music but you couldn’t see the orchestra anywhere. “You did this?” you chuckled as you realized that this time you had not been the one who had changed the scene. James responded with a smirk and bowed before walking to you and placing his hand on your waist. He held you firmly, took your hand and led you skillfully on the dance floor, keeping his eyes fixed upon yours so you knew that his full attention was on you. You felt the same butterflies that you had felt during the first evening… the exact same attraction… the tingling sensation that holding his hand provided you. It was exactly how it had been, all the smells, the music, the clothes… but you and James were different and the same at the same time. It felt like you had walked a full circle and this was the new beginning… a fresh start… a second chance… and this time neither of you would screw it up.
James stopped leading you and wrapped his arms around you, holding you tightly against his body. “Is this real?” he whispered into your ear and hid his face in the crook of your neck. “Yes, as real as anything” you sighed and breathed him in. You had missed the feeling of his strong arms embracing you, his warmth surrounding you and drowning you into the overwhelming sensation of tranquility. Yes, this place it could be anything you wanted it to be… even home, if you wanted, but your real home was right there in James’ arms. You embraced each other in the soft candlelight for a moment that felt like just a few seconds but could have been hours and hours, although time did not really matter anymore. All that mattered was that you were with James and there was nothing to keep him away from you.
You closed your eyes as you pressed your cheek against the fine fabric of James’ decorated frockcoat. When you opened your eyes again you found yourself in the soft bed again, in the room that bathed in the golden light of the rising sun, in a house by a sea. You were wearing the light dress and when you shifted your eyes from the ceiling to James who was laying on his side next to you and facing you, you noticed that he was wearing the light, casual clothes again. He smiled at you and stated softly “This is where I want to be”. Then he smirked at you and added “For the first hundred years.” The statement made you laugh and you rolled James to lay on his back against the soft, large pillows.
You reached to kiss him, but just as you were going to land your lips on his, you stopped and stayed there, very close but out of his reach for a moment. You brushed your nose against his playfully a couple of times and chuckled silently when this light mischievousness made James slightly frustrated and a soft groan escaped his lips. You leaned closer and brushed his cheeks, his forehead and finally his lips with yours and then gave in to the temptation. You kissed James softly at first, just tracing his lips with yours, feeling them and exploring them slowly and then, after nibbling his lower lip a couple of times, you pressed your lips firmly against his.
James wrapped his arms around you and pulled you as close as possible so he could feel your heart beating against his. It was the feeling… the sound that he had missed. Suddenly he rolled you in bed ending up on top of you and taking control of the moment. He deepened the kiss but it remained sweet and modest still as there was so much longing and suppressed grief to process first. His lips danced delicately with yours for hours… days… years… touches following each other in the eternal sea of time that was never going to run out. You slipped your hands under his shirt and felt his warm, soft skin as well as the firm, strong muscles with your fingertips, sometimes just brushing softly and sometimes using all your strength to pull him closer to you.
The kiss grew more possessive, more passionate, greedier, hungrier and needier as the morning light turned into a day and eventually faded away into the light of a setting sun, finally leaving you into the soft glow of the moonlight and stars. James teased you with his tongue a little and as you moaned softly against his mouth, he slid it in and met your tongue with his. You let him dominate you, to do whatever he wanted to and you followed his lead, answered to his kisses, touches and caresses with the same passion and adoration. He moved to kiss your neck, finding all the sensitive areas, using his tongue and lips to worship your skin. He nibbled your earlobe and after taking his time with your neck, both sides, he moved lower to plan soft kisses on your collarbones. He traced them with his tongue, blew warm air on the trails and eventually moved lower to adore you soft breasts through the light fabric of your dress.
You tangled your fingers into his hair, massaged his scalp and caressed his neck as he used his mouth as well as his fingers to caress your chest. He took his time before pulling the bodice of your dress lower and exposing your curves but when he did, you arched your back as a moan escaped your lips. He traced the shape of your breast softly, just brushing with his lips, slowly getting nearer to your nipple and planting light kisses here and there, like he had been marking his territory and claiming ownership over your body and soul. You were his and there was no question about it. He repeated the same worshipful fondles with your other breast as well and showered you with love as he satisfied his own need to explore you and to remind himself about the love that had tied you and him together. Love that had defied time… even death… as it had never faded away or abandoned either of you.
You welcomed James to put his weight on you, to nest between your legs so you were able to rub the calves of his legs with the soles of your feet and occasionally wrap your legs around his to keep him close. However suddenly he drew back and got on his knees, pulled you up to sit as well and helped you out from your dress. He slid the hem higher very slowly, revealing your thighs, lower stomach and finally pulling the dress off over your head and threw it on the floor. You smiled at him calmly as he admired your form with a calm, loving smile on his face. You were exactly like you had been in his memories… in his dreams… perfect with your small flaws that were more like details that made you… you. He loved the Goosebumps that appeared on your skin when you got the shivers… and your nipples that got hard when he touched them, your soft stomach that made laying on top of you so… heavenly. Everything about you was just as it was supposed to be, nothing more and nothing less.
You tangled your fingers into the hem of James’ shirt and started to pull it higher slowly, memorizing and admiring every inch and detail of his body. You chuckled a little when his hand got stuck with one of the sleeves, making you to use some additional force to get the shirt off completely but you managed to do with James’ assistance anyway. You threw the shirt away to the floor and reached to open the ribbons that kept his light pants up. You loosened the waistband a little before laying down and pulling James to lay on you again.
James continued his explorations, using his fingers and mouth to trace every detail of your form. He kissed every inch of you, trailed on you with his tongue, slowly getting lower but taking his time to get there. He planted hot, devouring kisses on your stomach, on your inner thighs and then moved to the more intimate areas, giving you pleasure in the most delicate and the most adoring ways. His tongue explored your sensitive parts, his lips kissed you in ways that made you lose your breath and moan loudly. His fingers rubbing your inner walls, stretching you and discovering all those hidden spots that gave you such great pleasure. He slowed down, intensified his actions again, bringing you to the edge of your release, prolonging the moment and enjoying your every sound as they echoed in the dark room that was lit by the glowing moonlight.
James continued his caresses until you were shivering, panting, moaning and whimpering in front of him. He exhausted you completely and then returned to kiss your lips, pressing kisses all the way up and making sure to stop and admire all the sensitive areas of your body, using plenty of time on your hardened nipples and neck. He nested between your legs to rub himself against you but as soon as you had recovered from the satisfying heights you rolled him on his back on the bed and locked his hands on the both sides of his head.
You kissed his lips, using plenty of time to dominate his mouth with your tongue, sometimes teasing him by pulling back just as he thought that you were about to kiss him and sometimes tracing his lips with your tongue before nibbling his lower lip and sucking it gently. You abandoned his lips as the morning light crept on the sky and moved to devour his neck instead. You nibbled his earlobe, found all the sensitive spots and enjoyed his moans, groans and gasps as your hands trailed freely on his skin, massaging his muscles with relaxing round motions or just brushing his skin lightly. You moved lower to admire his strong chest with your lips, pressing kisses and tracing his muscles with your tongue as you recalled all the places that were especially sensitive and made James shake slightly as the shivers ran along his spine, giving him sensations that he had been missing for so long.
He tangled his fingers into your hair, pulled them softly and massaged your scalp as you got closer to his lower stomach. You took your time before touching his aroused member directly and even when you did, you used just light brushes of your fingertips to make him experience every touch, stroke and caress with more intensity. Finally you moved to kiss his flesh, to explore and study it with your tongue. You blew hot air on the trails where your tongue had been and found the spots that made him gasp for air. You caressed him slowly, just like he had caressed you… taking minutes, hours, days and years to get in sync with you, to build your orgasm and turning it into a life-and-death -altering experience. It was exactly what you wanted to do to James and therefore you used every second in the clock, in the endless stream of time, to adore him with your mouth as well as hands.
Finally you intensified your actions, took him deep into your mouth, allowing him to guide you by pulling your hair gently. You kept your lips firmly around his shaft, sucked the tip, massaged the sweet spot with the tip of your tongue… and enjoyed the sounds of pure bliss, just like he had enjoyed when he had satisfied you. After James had reached his release you continued caressing him until he calmed down and his breathing returned normal. You kissed his stomach, chest and neck, getting higher and lowering yourself on him to rub your body against his with sensuous movements.
You reached to kiss him, pressing your chest against his and moving your hips with slow, round movements to provide yourself pleasure while he rested. You placed your knees on the both sides of his hips and rocked yourself back and forth against his manhood, keeping yourself tightly against his body at all times. James wrapped his arms around you and helped you to keep a slow, yet steady rhythm and after a while you felt him getting aroused again. When he was aroused enough, you guided him in, very slowly lowering yourself on him and enjoying every sensation, both physical and emotional.
James sat up and helped you to shift your position a little, to wrap your legs around him which made sure that you stayed as close as possible at all times. Like this he filled you constantly and all the movement that was possible was slow, yet intense grinding that you both enjoyed greatly. The embrace was very intimate, you felt him surrounding you as he embraced you and he felt you surrounding him as you embraced him while your lips danced together, joined into an eternal kiss that subsided and intensified, changed but remained constant at all times.
You embraced each other like this as the sun set and rose again, the seasons changed outside and sometimes there were even snowflakes floating in from the opened door, then the spring followed and turned into a summer… until it was autumn and the leafs in the trees out in the garden turned yellow and red, floating into the room as they danced in the wind. James kissed your neck and whispered loving words into your ear as you both moved together towards the sweet release. Then suddenly he rolled you in the bed, ending on top of you with your legs still wrapped around his hips and with a couple of intense, long, hard thrusts you both came undone in each other’s arms.
James collapsed on you, resting his cheek against your heaving breasts as he panted and enjoyed the warm, soft haze that surrounded him. He felt your womanhood clenching around his member as you both melted into one pulsating, throbbing being with no real physical form. You were nothing but energy in the endless universe, bound together for an eternity. You and James fell asleep, still holding each other, breathing in the same rhythm, with your hearts pounding against each other and then slowing down to a calm, relaxed pace.
You woke up and noticed that James had rolled on his back at some point and therefore he was sleeping next to you. You nested against his chest and drew random shapes on his chest to lure him back from his sleep. You listened to his breathing changing as he gained full consciousness and enjoyed his touch as he brushed his fingers up and down on your arm. You pressed soft kisses on his chest and listened to the sound of his heartbeat against your ear. Such a wonderful sound that was, the most wonderful sound in the world. James pressed a kiss on your head and held you tighter against his naked body.
- I have been waiting for you. you stated after a long silence.
- Why did you not come to take me sooner? James asked with a soft voice.
- It wasn’t your time. you spoke and smiled against his skin.
- I have missed you… he whispered with a tear rolling out from his eye. “…So much” he added, accompanied by a sniffle. “I know” you whispered and tear fell on your cheek as well. It rolled on your cheek, finally landing on James’ chest, forming an imaginary pool of tears as they kept silently pouring out from your eyes. “I’ve missed you too… more than I can describe in words” you spoke and gasped for air to keep yourself seemingly calm. James smiled at the ceiling and whispered “Then describe it in kisses” as he reached to kiss you… eventually leading you and him to repeat everything over and over again… until neither couldn’t remember that you had even been apart.