"Not exactly."

The pause stretched out awkwardly between them.

“Then what?”

“Since you’re my new cabin boy you’d be staying here with me. I don’t just have a cot lying around and there’s no way I’m letting a sickly kid sleep on the floor, especially with the chill that’s setting in tonight.”

“Look, I can handle a little cold, my temperature runs a little hot anyway.”

“You’re not sleeping on the floor. You’re going to sleep in my bed.”

“You disgusting pervy pirate! You’re already trying to trap me in your bed! You’re no better than the lot of them!”

Finn’s face was turning red again. Xan could only guess a combination of anger and embarrassment at the implications.

“You didn’t let me finish you growly little puck! You’re going to sleep in my bed and I’ll be the one sleeping on the floor! I have no interest in trying to bed some kid!”

“What…?”

“Do I really need to repeat myself?!”

“No, I just…that’s not what I expected.”

“I realize this isn’t easy. I realize I fucking bought a kid today. I realize I’ve just stuck you on a pirate ship, but I think we can make the best of it and I have no intentions of taking advantage of you. That’s never what this was about.”

Xan’s voice trailed off soft and sincere at the end. There was something about it that felt warm, even from a pirate.

Finn could hear the honesty and sincerity, could see it written plainly across Xan’s face. He felt a sinking sensation that had nothing to do with the gently rocking of the ship and everything to do with making an ass of himself. It settled like a anchor in his stomach.

After that they quietly and slowly moved around preparing for bed. Remnants of daylight were fading and being replaced by the glow of moonlight. It had just come off the new moon, so it was still only a sliver, but it was enough.

Xan busied himself making sure the bed and the kid were settled before hunkering down on the floor with an old wool blanket. It was something he managed to pull out from his trunk. There wasn’t much need for wool blankets in the Caribbean, so he didn’t have very many and most of what he did have were on his bed at the moment.

Finn had burrowed down quickly, totally silent and compliant since Xan’s little outburst. They laid in relative silence for a while, before he heard Finn start to shuffle around. It was a restless shifting that went on and off for several minutes before Xan saw his silhouette sit up in the bed.

Finn let out a deep sigh. “Get up here…please?”

“What?”

“I just…. I feel bad ok. I’ve kicked you out of your bed, you’re on the floor with one blanket, and I know it’s cold down there. I can’t sleep because I feel like shite ok?”

“You kicked up all that fuss just to ask me to get into the bed?”

“Yes, I did. But in my defense how was I supposed to know a pirate would turn out to be an honorable man?”

“Guess you don’t know very much about me then.”

“No, I don’t. You just bought me today.” Finn let out a little snigger at that and Xan huffed would could be construed as a laugh.

“Are you sure? I really don’t want to make you anymore uncomfortable than I already have…you know with everything that’s already gone on.”

“Yes. Now please get into the bed and bring that moth-eaten rag you claimed as a blanket with you. We can fold it over and put it down at the foot.”

“Cold feet?”

“I can feel a draft.”

Xan climbed into the bed which ended up putting Finn against the wall. The kid didn’t seem to mind though. He fixed his side of the covers and burrowed back down. Xan felt a little more hesitant but nevertheless settled in too. He was thankful his bunk was a bit larger and seemed to afford plenty of space for the two of them.

After they both seemed to get settled Xan felt the need to ask one last question.

“Is this ok?”

“SSss-fine.” Came the sleep slurred response.

Xan figured they’d have plenty more things to discuss in the morning and closed his eyes, happy to settle in for a solid night’s rest