"You're the captain of this relationship," she pointed out, nuzzling close to steal a kiss before he could start upsetting himself over the one thing that was just out of his reach for now. "Captain of my heart." One kiss became two, and would have become more if he hadn't changed the subject. She glanced to the steaming pot beside them with a lopsided smile. "Sure. Ply me with alcohol, you irascible rapscallion."

Her kisses were almost enough to distract him from his annoyance over the lack of a ship, but it was the mention of her heart that really softened him. He couldn't help but chuckle at her further teasing. "I haven't been called that in at least a century," he teased back, touching a kiss to her nose. "Now, bring me two cups, love, and we'll toast our future."

"And then do I get my present?" she asked plaintively. If this had been her brother, Dom would have tickled her into agreeing not to mention presents for at least another hour, but James seemed to genuinely enjoy the childlike impatience she was making no attempt to keep a lid on this evening. Lifting a pair of rounded cups from the cupboard, she flashed him a cheeky grin. "Or do I have to polish your mast first?"

"Hmm, a tempting thought, but I think perhaps we should wait for the bean, or you might have to do it twice," he teased, grinning back at her. He ladled hot mulled cider into each cup, handing her one before filling his own. "What shall we drink to?" he asked, as he held his cup aloft in anticipation. He had already suggested toasting their future, but he thought perhaps they should be more specific than that.

Taking the cup into her hand, Ash considered the toast thoughtfully, breathing in the deliciously rich fumes rising from the cider. "To making this work," she said, raising her cup to his. "Together."

He was a little surprised by the toast, but not unpleasantly so. He thought they were already doing a fair job of making their relationship work, but they hadn't been together long enough yet to really put it to the test. "Together," he repeated, touching his cup to hers before raising the cup to his lips.

Of course, he knew something she didn't. Ash could only see the six weeks stretching ahead of her in which she would be away in the Nereem Strait with a few students, and she wasn't anticipating an easy time of it. If she thought about being away from James too much, she made herself cry, and that wasn't a look she particularly wanted him to see from her. Taking a sip from her cup, she smiled up at him, her eyes widening in delight at the transformation he had effected on the cider. "Wow, that's ....hoy ..." She coughed as the kick hit her full in the chest, her eyes watering.

"Small sips, love," he warned a little too late. "I'll make a pirate of you yet," he teased, grinning at her reaction to the cider before taking a gulp of his own, the brandy warming his insides from his throat straight down to his stomach. "Ah, that's good stuff, that is. Warm you right up on a cold winter night."

She laughed, one hand brushing the escaping tears from her eyes as she blinked to clear her vision. "Small sips, gotcha," she nodded in agreement. She, too, could feel the warmth spreading through her, setting her cup down to peel off the slightly suggestive Christmas sweater she was wearing and get some kind of headstart on preventing herself from turning into a sweaty ball of impatient affection. "So what do we do now?" she asked, taking up her cup again. "Dinner's not gonna be ready for a while yet."

There was that little wrapped box nudging him, right where he'd put it in the pocket of the cardigan sweater her Uncle Humphrey had bought him. He'd also received a gold ring bearing an onyx stone that it seemed nearly all the adult members of the Granger family wore, as well as various pairs of trousers and shirts and sweaters. Apparently, it was not socially acceptable to traipse around in public dressed like a pirate, unless one really was a pirate. His hand went to the little wrapped package in his sweater, fingers toying with it as he contemplated giving it to her now. "I suppose a snowball fight would be out of the question."

"Oooh, don't tempt me," she laughed back to him. "You know I'll take you up on that if you're serious. I've got years of getting beat in games by my brother to make up for here, and a snowball fight means I can make you squeal if I get the snow in the right place."

"You wouldn't dare!" he exclaimed, looking shocked at the very thought of her trying to freeze his jewels off. "Have you ever heard the saying 'Don't get mad, get even'?" he asked, wondering if she'd get the hint.

Laying one hand on her hip as she looked up at him, Ash sipped her cider with an impish smirk. "Are you saying you want to stuff my bra with snow?" she asked innocently. "Cos, you know, if you want me to flash you, I'll do that." Her smirk deepened, knowing she could shock him even more with what she was about to say. "Hell, say the word and I'll strip off, go out on the balcony, and declare you to be the universe's most amazing lover at the top of my lungs if you really want me to."

He wouldn't have put it past her either, knowing her the way he did, but instead, he touched a finger to her lips to silence her. "Wait for the bean," he reminded her again, wondering just how that was going to play out in the hours to come, no matter which of them found it. "Anyway, do you really want to advertise that, love" I might end up with women worshiping at my feet," he teased back, a smirk on his face.

"Hmm ..." She chuckled, hopping up to sit on the counter behind her comfortably, reaching out with her feet to pull him closer. "Maybe I shouldn't boast until I've got a ring on it, huh?" Her smile faded as she looked into his eyes, so comfortable with him by now that she was sure she would struggle without him. "I'm gonna miss you, you know."

He lifted his dark brows, once again a little surprised by her blunt honesty, assuming she was not just teasing him as she drew him closer. He might have commented regarding a ring if she hadn't distracted him again with her worries about leaving him behind, having no way of knowing she was doing no such thing. Should he tell her the truth, he wondered, or surprise her as he was planning on doing. It seemed cruel to make her worry so, and yet, it might be worth risking her anger to see the look on her face when she found him on board. "I'm not going anywhere, Ashlyn," he assured her, which was neither a lie nor the whole truth. "Do you trust me?" he asked, touching her cheek with gentle fingers.

She smiled wistfully, not knowing his plans, only aware of her own ache at the thought of being away from him. Setting her cup aside, she let her hands settle at his hips as he touched her cheek. "You know I do," she told him faithfully. "I love you, James, and ....I've never been in love before."

He, too, set his cup aside, as the conversation turned serious, his fingers caressing her cheek and drifting back into her hair, touched by her words, but even more by the feelings behind them. "Then trust me in this, Ash. I love you, too, and I will never do anything to betray your trust." He met her gaze, a solemn look on his face, hoping she would believe him. Whether he was a pirate or not, he had never been so adamant about anything before as he was about this. He reached into the pocket of his old man sweater and pulled out a small wrapped box, suddenly wishing he had bought her a ring, like he had been thinking of, but the gift he had chosen would simply have to do. "This is for you," he told her, offering it to her. "You deserve so much more, but it's the best I could do, for now."

How could she not believe him, when he told her the truth of his heart that was shining in his eyes" If he could only have seen himself as he spoke, he would have known that she would never mistrust him, that she knew when he was speaking the truth that lived in his bones. She might have kissed him, but for the sudden appearance of a little box in his hand. Surprised that he had gone back on his intention of waiting until after they'd eaten to exchange gifts, she smiled, her fingers covering his around the box. "I have you," she reminded him softly. "I don't need anything more." Her lips brushed his tenderly, holding the softer moment just a little longer before that childlike excitement lit up her eyes once again. "Can I open it, or do I still have to wait?"

"Would you mind having a professor for a wife?" she countered with a gentle smile. It was the same question in its way, a fond reminder that the sea would always be the third person in their relationship, and denying him his love of the sea was something she would never allow herself to do. "I think we could make it work," she murmured confidently. "It's not like we're running out of time, is it?"

"Of course not. I would never deny you the study of that which is so important to you. It is as much a part of you as the sea is to me. Why would I deny you something that gives you so much joy?" he asked, setting the bottle aside for the time being. He'd come back to it later and find a suitable place to display it where it would be a constant reminder, not only of his heart's desire but of her love and understanding. "We have all the time in the world, love," he assured her, a soft smile on his face. "All the time in the world," he repeated before touching a tender kiss to her lips.

"Exactly how I feel," she agreed with him, touched that he understood her so well. As he set the bottle aside, she smiled into his kiss, any fear she might have held of losing him swept away in the face of his tenderness. She trusted him; she trusted his heart. But more than that, she trusted the promise of the time still to come, time that was theirs to fill together, however they chose to do it. The sailor and the scientist, bound together more tightly than they could possibly have imagined.

The rest of the evening passed quickly, stomachs full from dinner, the wassail punch making them both a little light-headed, until James was breaking into bawdy songs that had nothing to do with the holiday and sent Ashlyn into raucous laughter. She had won the bean and had demanded he entertain her, and he seemed more than happy to oblige, thumping up the stairs while singing in a full voice with her thrown over his shoulder. Once they were in bed, however, it was hard to say who was slave and who was master, both of them taking turns at taking charge and neither seeming too put out about it.

He had never met a woman who was so much his equal as Ashlyn, and though he preferred to be in charge, he let her enjoy a few hours of queendom. By the time the moon was high in the sky, they were lazily curled up in bed, limbs tangled together, the bedding rumpled from their lovemaking, a trail of discarded clothing that led from the door to their bed evidence that they'd enjoyed their little holiday together and then some.

With bedsheets bunched about her waist and her beautiful turtle sparkling at her throat, lips swollen with kisses and her peach skin glistening with the lightest sheen of sweat, Ashlyn was the perfect picture of a woman well and truly loved. She turned her tousled head toward James, propping her head up onto her hand as her palm came to rest over his heart. "You know ....none of the books I read said anything about the Queen of Misrule being thrown bodily into bed and loved until she can't feel her legs," she murmured teasingly. "New tradition just for us?"

Somehow it had seemed fitting to him that she had won the bean. After all, he was the one who was accustomed to being in charge, and by winning the bean, they had exchanged places, just as the tradition required. "Are you complaining, Majesty?" he teased as he tucked the blankets up around her, his fingers straying to touch her cheek, her hair, her bare shoulder. She was flushed and looking as happy and lovely as he'd ever seen her, and he knew it was because of him. There was a certain swell of male pride in knowing that, in knowing he could play her like a maestro and make her sing every time.

"Mmm, am I still a majesty?" she giggled, sensitive enough to his touch that the passage of his fingers drew a sound that was definitely for his ears only from her lips. "I'm not complaining. I might ask you to do it again sometime."

"You are the queen of my heart," he replied, the liquor loosening a tongue that was not normally given to poetry, though he had once been a student of literature and had a great love of words. He smiled at the sound she made when he touched her, knowing he held a certain power over her, though he was careful not to abuse it. He had her trust, and he intended to keep it.

The pretty words still evoked a soft blush from her when she heard them, unused to compliments so sincerely offered and endearments that had weight behind them. Nestling closer, she rested her cheek against his shoulder, sighing contentedly. "You know what would make this absolutely perfect?"

"I can think of nothing that would make this moment any more perfect than it is," he replied, taking her hand from his chest and touching it to his lips as he turned to face her. "Tell me, and I will do my best to grant your wish," he said, in earnest. It was no longer about who'd won the bean, but what he could do to prove his love.

She laughed softly, tightening her arms about him just in case he tried to run off and achieve what she was about to say. "The sound and smell of the sea," she told him, raising her head to show him her smile. "We should find a home that's all ours, close to the sea. Somewhere we can moor a boat nearby."

He lifted his brows, at once both surprised and not so surprised by her suggestion. It made perfect sense that they should live near the sea when they were not living on board a ship, but he had never expected to hear her suggest so soon. "Like your cousin," he said, thinking mostly of the one who was married to a mermaid. There was a pair whose hearts, like theirs, would never be far from the sea. "You wish to make a home with me?" he asked, as if needing to hear it again from her lips. Yes, they were already living together, but in an apartment that didn't really feel like the kind of home where they'd one day want to raise a family.

"Why not?" she countered with a gentle smile. "If we're going to have a family, we should really have somewhere to put the little monsters." He'd seen her often enough with Daisy by now; he knew that description of children was more fond than irritated. "Besides, isn't that what people in love do' They make a home together."

"You are serious," he said, almost as if he could hardly believe she was suggesting it. It was a thought that he'd already had and one that he'd acted on, but he wasn't sure if he should share that with her now, or wait until the time was right. But then, there was no better time than the present.

She blinked, uncertain why he seemed to disbelieve that she really meant what she was saying. "There's no rush, I guess," she conceded, a little concerned by that sense of disbelief. "If you're not ready, I mean. I get that it takes time to go from one stage to the next, but I'm gonna be away for at least a month. You might be ready when I get back, you never know."

"No, love, you misunderstand," he told her gently, sighing a moment. If only they'd had this conversation in the light of day, but it was the middle of the night, and it was too dark and too cold to make her understand. "I ....have done something. It was supposed to be a surprise," he started, looking a little nervous, fearful even that she'd be angry with him.

"Another surprise?" Her eyes lit up, the child inside her always delighted with the idea of surprises. "Okay." Grinning, she zipped her lip. "No more questions, I won't ask. I like surprises." Leaning in close, she kissed him once again. "You bought a house, didn't you?" Just because she liked surprises didn't mean she wasn't going to try and guess, despite her promise bare moments before.

"Not exactly," he replied. From the look on his face, he was both amazed and perplexed she had come close to guessing the truth, but there was more to it than that, and he wasn't sure he wanted to say anymore about it just yet.

She giggled, nuzzling close to him. "Okay, I won't ask again," she promised. "Not tonight, anyway." He couldn't say she wasn't obliging when it came to playing these gentle games, getting as much pleasure out of being the surpriser as the surprised.

"I can take you there, if you like," he volunteered. "I wanted to wait until ..." Until what? Until he thought enough time had passed that it would be proper to ask for her hand in marriage" They were already living together - and sleeping together - and no one had protested. No one had pointed out that she deserved better than a dirty pirate for a lover. No one had said a word against him, not even her over-protective big brother. What the hell did they know about him anyway' "Some secrets are meant to be kept, until it's time for them to be revealed," he told her, touching a finger to her lips to silence her once again.

"Or woman," she added, sealing his words as her own as she braced herself over him. "Besides, you did ask me. I just dropped anvil sized hints about babies, that's all." She giggled, nuzzling to him before her lips caught his in a slow kiss that was searing in its intensity. She poured everything she felt for him into that kiss, willing him to understand all the feelings she had no words for.

You are not finished, Captain. There is someone who needs you somewhere else. Those words resonated in his head. Words spoken to him by someone he had no name for at a time when he had given up hope. He had never told Ashlyn of that time or of how he'd come to be in Rhy'Din - none of that mattered - but he realized now in that very moment that she was his reason for being here. She was his second chance.

"Hey." She drew back, her fingertips stroking against his cheek as she smiled down at him, sensing that some part of him had wandered off for a moment or two. "You still with me, baby?"

Something in her kiss had triggered those thoughts - that memory. It was not so long ago that he'd been trapped in Neverland, not so long ago that he'd found himself here in RhyDin. It seemed in that moment that all the loose threads of his life came together to make sense, and it all ended with her. She was his fate, his destiny. It had never been about Pan at all, but what had Neverland taught him' What lesson had he learned" Perhaps it was simply that life was an adventure, wherever it took you, and that the best things in life couldn't be planned, but often came at you unexpectedly out of the blue, like a gift from God. "Aye," he said after a long moment, brushing the tears from his face before she noticed. "Aye, I'm with you. I'll always be with you."

She smiled, relieved to see him come back to her from wherever his thoughts had taken him. "Good." Oh, she'd seen the tears, but as he had not drawn attention to hers, so she did not draw attention to his, simply kissing a single escaping droplet from his cheek. "Because you know that thing I did with my tongue a little while ago' I'm gonna do it again." Her eyes sparkled with illicit promise as she grinned at him, easing back to begin their loving all over again. Her first Twelfth Night celebration was definitely one she would never forget.

He laughed again, not only amused by her forthright sauciness, but delighting in it. There were few women from his time who'd been able to match her in her enthusiasm for life. Maybe that's why he was here, in part. He was right where he belonged - here, with her. "You'll hear no argument from me, lass," he replied, happy to let her have her way with him. She had won the bean, after all. She was Queen for a Day, though the truth was Ashlyn Granger was queen of his heart. And always would be.

((Looks like Dom's little sister is going to pip him to the hitching post! Huge thanks to James' player!))