WHAT A PRIVILEGE IT IS TO LOVE — Jacob wasn't quite sure how this had happened. He'd been arranging all the events, he'd only just finished, when Pincher suddenly came out of his room. Jacob had been extremely confused, he was sure the date would go well. The captain had told him he wanted to find a girl to have 'fun' with (which he assumed was closer to Jersey's definition of fun rather than his own unless they were planning on baking and playing monopoly) and Jacob knew he was charming enough to do just that. Wait, did he? No, he problably didn't. It was just a guess. He wouldn't know anything about how nice Pincher's eyes were or how he smiled in a way that seemed like it was just for you. Sometimes his smiles were sly and small and like he was thinking about something else but other times they seemed to glow and only be focused on-

What was he doing? That was ridiculous. Smiles didn't glow. Still, he found his eyes moving to the doberman on occasionally. He wasn't sure why he stole glances when he knew he could just look at him. They were just walking together and talking. He could tell Pincher was a little... looser than usual so he didn't mind walking him back to the Typhoon. He wasn't drunk, exactly, but he'd probably had just a bit too much. Pincher had told him he wanted to go out on a walk with him, that they had important things to talk about, but Jacob had yet to hear a single 'important' thing come from him. He didn't mind, though. He really didn't. He would walk beside Pincher for as long as he could and be perfectly content doing it. He didn't even pay much attention to the pains that occasionally came to his bad legs. He was focused on the dobermna's voice, which was more heavily accented than usual, and the way he smiled and the way he laughed and the way he walked. Jacob had to move faster than usual to keep up with him and he had to ask a few times for the canine to slow down but he didn't really mind. As they neared the border, he decided to speak up, "So how'd your date go? I was surprised ya' didn' wanna' stay after how ya' talked before goin' in." There was a slight tinge in his voice despite his desire to hide it. He wasn't sure why the thought of Pincher with someone else made him upset but it did and he even felt tears building in his eyes before he cleared his throat and blinked them away. What did it matter if Pinch wanted to be with someone? That wasn't any of his business.

They were finally nearing the lighthouse Pinch had told him about and he spoke another question on his mind soon after his first one, "So, uh, what did ya' need ta' talk about 'ere? Is there somethin' wrong with it that ya' wanted me ta' take a look at?" He wasn't sure why Pincher hadn't just told him what he wanted to begin with, before they came all the way here. He would've been able to work out a solution faster and he would've been able to get right to work. Then again, he didn't mind the idea of having to stay a little later with the captain. A night was always well spend when it was in the company of a friend, after all, and it wasn't like he ever got much sleep anyway.    —A GREAT HONOR TO HOLD YOU UP

Pincher didn't really have a true reason why he had left Lilyspoise to find Jacob after their interaction. Usually, the doberman didn't mind throwing a few flirtatious comments here and there to the females of his group but while during the date, all that was on his mind was the cursed rubber duck that sat on the table. Mocking him. He only felt small waves of guilt wash over him when he would glance down, the taunting eyes warning him that he was stepping on dangerous grounds. It had frustrated him causing him to chug down more than he had told himself to drink, his tongue feeling like it had been numbed by the alcohol. How many had he taken? About ten shots, right? Or was it fifteen? All he knew was that he had risen from his seat and stumbled away, mumbling about needing to find Jacob. For what? Politics. Just politics. Words needed to be spoken from the husky, he needed to discuss. To just hear his voice. No, no, that was wrong. Wasn't it? He just needed to take him to the Typhoon to speak about leader shit that allies had to do. He was sure that was all he wanted.

Or so he thought. When he had finally managed to catch sight of the husky, the tall male strolled in and explained his pathetic excuse of wanting Jacob's attention. His plan seemed to carry out perfectly when he noticed that Jacob seemed tolerant of Pincher's drunken behavior. A light dazed smile had traced his lips when the two canines walked out of the territory of Snowbound, partly because he was now heading to the climate that he much rather preferred and because at his side was Jacob. His slightly fuzzy vision was locked forward towards the direction of Paradis Island yet there were ocassional glances, ones that flickered towards the husky with the soft powder blue eyes. Though they both had similar eye color, they carried a different hue that was defined by their personality. Unlike Pincher's frost-like blue eyes, Jacob had eyes that seemed like the pure aquamarine water he found in the jungle springs. They were ones that contradicted the cruel malicious intent that he held within himself, the ones that made him feel like he wasn't a bad person despite his many sins. Murder. Theft. Blackmail. Lying. He wasn't a saint in the slightest but when he was with the chief of Snowbound, he felt a sense of stillness like as if he was laying on snow. Drifting into a sense of false security which he adored so much. He wasn't bad...right?

As they began to cross into the long strip of land that led to the volcanic island, Pincher tipped his head ever so slightly to the side when Jacob questioned him about how his date went with Lilyspoise. She was an interesting woman that was for sure and quite a sight for sore eyes but for once, Pincher didn't want there to be any chemistry to spark between them. He wanted that from someone else but from who, he couldn't pinpoint at the moment which frustrated him. "It was alright, I guess. Lilys a great gal and certainly one I wouldn't mind hooking up but...I dunno, I guess if anything happened, it would be pretty awkward. You know, business and stuff." answered Pincher softly, almost in a groggy mumble as he felt the small laps of water splash against his feet as they walked closer to the entrance of the island. His ghostly smile turned to one of brief confidence as he tried to show that he didn't think of it being such a big deal though his velvety ears pricked when he managed to catch the faint tone that trailed after each word that rolled out of Jacob's tongue. Was Jacob troubled by that? Why? The temptation to ask gnawed at his chest but he held back, instead clearing his throat awkwardly and picking up his pace a bit - a habit of his when he tried not to appear nervous.

As they grew closer to the ivory lighthouse, Pincher tipped his head upwards and was glad to see that it was left perfectly fine and no damage had taken place. The last thing he wanted was to come back to the island being torn down due to the war. He had lived through a war before and this caused his cautious behavior to rise from its ashes, suspicious of every member that joined even though his crewmates kept reminding him to not let it get to his head. He halted before the entrance of the lighthouse, vibrant galaxy blue gaze flickering to the sky before glancing down to lock eyes with Jacob. He remained silent for a while, drinking up the sight of the husky under the star-splattered sky and felt his heart jump. Why? He quickly tore his gaze away and chuckled "Actually there's nothing wrong with it. I actually wanted to show you something. Come on." Pincher then turned around, the muscular ink black doberman brushing briefly against the other male as he headed towards the gaping cave nearby the lighthouse. He wanted to take Jacob to his favorite place on the island, the main reason why he loved living on it. Why he wanted to share it was another question stacked up inside his head but the pirate chose not to dwell on it too much.

"speech"

WHAT A PRIVILEGE IT IS TO LOVE — Jacob had never been any good at hiding his emotions and when Pincher began to assure- wait, no. Not assure. He was just telling him how things were between him and Lily. There was nothing to assure Jacob of. It wasn't like they had any feelings for each other or some sort of relationship beyond the connection Jacob felt towards the doberman. Still, he found himself allowing a slight smile and a gentle sigh of relief when he heard Pincher wasn't particularly interested in the woman. Then his mind leapt to the fact that Pincher had only asked to be paired with women during the blind date event. He wasn't sure why that bit stuck out so much but it did nonetheless, and it made him feel even worse about the situation. Maybe he should've have pried so much. When he mentioned things being awkward, Jacob could understand the feelings but at the same time, he couldn't really relate. Jersey had always been the one concerned with women growing up and Jersey didn't seem to take much of an interest in relationships or the implied activities his big brother had regularly participated in. "Oh, uh, yeah, I guess tha' makes sense," there was a brief pause between his words as he debated asking another question. He didn't want to keep the attention on Pincher's date for so long but he couldn't help it. Besides, the next one wasn't really related to the date.

"Uh, did ya' see the duck I left in the room? I hope it didn' bother ya' none," his tone was now colored with mild embarrassment. He just figured it'd be better for him to bring up than wait until Pincher inevitably asked him about the little toys he'd been gifting him so often as of late. Jacob noticed the change in pace and did his best to keep up with the doberman. He didn't want to ask him to slow down but his legs were both less functional and shorter than the other canine's so it was a bit of a struggle to stay at his pace. Still, he managed to trail just a bit behind him. "I jus'... Ya' know, when I stayed with ya' that week, I saw ya' had one on your desk. I remember thinkin' it was kinda' funny tha', well, tha' someone as stron-" Strong? That was the adjective he was going for? Strong people would like rubber duckies. What did Pincher's muscular build have to do with any of this? "Someone as serious as yourself would like stuff like this n'... well, I jus' thought it was nice. I figured since ya' were so nice ta' me tha' week n' took care ah' me n' all that, I had ta' find some kinda' way ta' thank ya' n' I thought maybe the ducks would be nice, since ya' seemed ta' like 'em."

Then Pincher went on to tell him that there was nothing wrong with the lighthouse. Jacob had been able to tell Pincher was drunk, of course. He was a doctor and he'd spent most of his life around men that drank heavily so it wasn't hard to catch on, even if he was surprisingly lucid. Jerseyboy was the same way, though. Jacob couldn't hold any sort of alcohol to save his life and he was sure he'd have passed out by now if he'd drank as much as whatever Pincher drank. Even if he could hold alcohol well, Jacob didn't think he'd drink very much of it. After all of the trouble he'd had with his mental health following his Ma and Pa's deaths, as well as after what Guru had done to him, the idea of not having complete control over his own mind absolutely terrified him. He was afraid that it'd turn out exactly like how all his nightmares and visions did, with him helplessly burning or watching someone else burn or seeing someone die. His mind wasn't particularly kind to him and he wasn't keen on letting his sub-conscious take control of anything currently.

He followed close behind Pincher, noticing the way the moonlight highlighted the captain's frame. He briefly wondered how much the other man exercised to look so nice. It was a little detail and one that registered without him even thinking about it but he shook his head, trying to dispel those thoughts. Why did he care about how often Pincher exercised? It wasn't any of his business. Suddenly, though, he felt conscious of his own frame. He didn't exercise much outside of the physical therapy schedule he'd designed for his legs and his diet wasn't exactly the most healthy way for any dog to live out their life. He was missing a lot of his fur, although that was all covered up by his bandages and his sweater. That was comforting for a moment until he remembered Pincher had first seen him without all that on and then he was self-conscious again. Why did he even care? The way he looked didn't matter. They were just friends. Not even that, they were basically business associates. Still, he found himself adjusting his sweater a bit. "Oh, um, alright! What is it?" he asked, unable to keep the excitement from his tone. It must be something impressive if Pincher had brought him all this way to see it. —A GREAT HONOR TO HOLD YOU UP

Unlike Jacob, Pincher had been forced into containing any emotions that were deemed undesirable in the eyes of his father. He could show he was happy. Upset. Amused. Envious. Prideful. But sadness? The need to explain that he was hurting was alien to the young doberman, the idea of being asked if he was alright or what did he feel currently was odd. Why would it matter? Why should he care? Why should anyone care, especially someone as hardworking as Jacob. He wanted to say that something had been bothering him of having a date with Lilyspoise but it simply clung to the back of his throat, refusing to come out and explain that maybe it had to do something with their relationship. The relationship that seemed friendly but Pincher was not an idiot, he knew that there were emotions that could rise and blossom from said “friendly” relationship. But for Jacob? No, that couldn’t be right. He was a womanizer, he knew how to win easily over various types of women. He knew how to charm, how to conquer hearts and walk off without a trace of regret for his actions. But when it came to Jacob, someone he had met in a state of fear, he didn’t find it attractive. Instead, he managed to meet him in a condition that one tried to avoid when meeting strangers. It was a new experience, a fresh new outlook towards someone that Pincher had never really been able to witness until now.

Pincher was slowly hazing a bit out of his normal poised charisma, his piercing blue gaze fluttering as he tried not to stumble to the ground. Maybe he had drank a little too much or maybe he ate too much that it was a good mix of satisfaction that lead to the desire to sleep.And with the comforting lazy waves splashing against the shore, the male was craving his bed but managed to snap back to reality when he realized that Jacob’s voice dragged him out. Focusing back, he turned his head ever so slightly to the side towards the smaller male, hearing the question about the duck. A small flush of warmth filled his ears causing them to twitch before the captain replied “Yeah, I saw it. Honestly, it was cute, thanks for the rubber duck. I got someone to take it back to my place.” That damn rubber duck. Usually it brought him comfort and relief but during that date, all it brought him was the itching reminder that he was being “unfaithful”. To who? Who the fuck was he feeling guilty over? That wasn’t a familiar emotion and when it decided to storm into his head, the pirate wasn’t able to really get over it. As Pincher listened to the rest of Jacob’s comment, the corners of his lips drew upward ever so slightly as he heard the adjective that nearly was placed on him by the husky. Part of his playful drunken mood wanted to probe Jacob for the near slip up but decided against it, pretending he had not heard that and instead focused on the aftermath response.

“Just cause I’m serious doesn’t mean I can’t have a little hobby. Besides it’s…it’s comforting. But you don’t have to keep giving me ducks if you feel like you’re obligated. But, I really do appreciate them especially if they are from you.” What the hell did he just say? His nerves that kept him down to earth seemed to have slipped off him and he was now blabbering whatever was popping inside his head. Well, not everything. His mind was still lingering about the thought of Jacob’s voice, the adorable accent that he had and the way it suited him. The scent of herbs that contradicted the one of cigarette and alcohol from him, reminding him of the tiny shred of memory of his mother and her herbal talents. Would she had loved Jacob? Absolutely. She had always wanted to the best for her children unlike Archie. Archie instead would have despised Jacob, viewed him as some meek pathetic child for having the strength to show care. His eyes narrowed at the idea of his dad ever coming back. He hoped he wouldn’t. He hoped the bastard stayed down, that he would never rise from the place that Pincher had struck him down. He hoped that he was burning in he-Pincher let out a small growl rumble in his throat when he felt a tiny sting of a headache slice through his train of thought. The problem that always came back when Pincher was drunk was his ever changing focus, his brain scrambling for too much in such a short span of time. Deciding to just focus on Jacob, Pincher turned back to Jacob, noticing at the corner of his eye at the husky now also being traced by the moon’s silver rays.

And then he felt it again. A flutter in his chest. A tightening of the throat. The damned butterflies that were trapped in his stomach began to rise to his chest. Pincher was one to enjoy the aesthetics and beauty of life (including its’ inhabitants) but he had never suspected he would be taken back by the sight of the bandaged husky. The way Jacob adjusted his sweater caused Pincher to swallow down the lump that had decided to form in his throat, tearing his gaze away to the entrance of the cave that was outlined by gold paint. He slowed down his pace to now walk step by step with Jacob, brief split-seconds shoulder brushes caused shivers to dance up his spine but Pincher managed to remain cool-headed as he tipped his head towards Jacob’s ear to murmur “It’s the main place where meetings happen. Only Typhoon members get to come in but it’s one of my favorite spots on the island.” With that, he stepped into the cave with the shadows beginning to swallow him as he trudged deeper down, making sure to not go to fast so Jacob could follow close behind.

After a few minutes of walking down the pathway, Pincher’s figure was then washed over with the light blue hue of the ocean that was now visible by the glass that replaced the rock walls.  The coral reef still thriving in the darkness, fish of various types flashing nearby though Pincher didn’t seem focused on them after seeing them many times before. He reached the end of the tunnel, stepping into the large dome that was encased by the ocean. Turning around, the doberman’s devilish smirk to one of eager excitement as he stated “Welcome to the Deep Sea Dome. Whatcha think? Not bad huh?”

"speech"

WHAT A PRIVILEGE IT IS TO LOVE — It was cute. He wasn't sure why but that statement made a wide smile spread across his maw and his tail began wagging quickly behind him. He was glad Pincher liked them. He'd given him a lot lately but it was good to know that he wasn't being annoying or overbearing or something. When the doberman didn't point out his slip up, he seemed to relax a bit. Jacob had never been very good at hiding his emotions but maybe the canine hadn't noticed in his drunken state of mind. After all, it was a little detail and Jacob liked to think he'd done a good job saving himself from it. Of course, most of it had left his mouth before he got control of himself but it was better than if he'd just said it all at once. Jacob was used to serious people like Pincher. It was the way his Babbo, Pa, and most of their... associates acted. He supposed that made sense. Pincher was a pirate who led a crew of pirates, which meant they where all technically criminals but Jacob tried not to think about that too much. It didn't bother him any, he'd spent lots of time with people who bent the law as they saw fit, but he knew Vito would be angry if he had any idea what Jacob was thinking.

Especially if they're from you. What did that mean? Did Pincher look for him at the border, did he look forward to getting the ducks and presents that Jacob sent to Typhoon? Jacob had found himself pacing the border more often lately, thinking about the smells of the sea mingling with cigarette smoke. It was odd that the thing that terrified him had become some comforting, although he supposed it shouldn't be that surprising. Jacob had spent his entire life around people that smoked constantly. After the fire especially, none of them had really done it around him but they still stunk of the substance. Jersey, his Pa, his Babbo. All of them smoked. And so did Pincher. "Oh! No, no, no, it ain't like tha' at all, I swear! I like givin' 'em ta' ya'. It's fun ta' try n' find different ones n' all tha', I think. I jus'... I'm real grateful for what ya' did. Ya' didn' have ta' take care ah' me. Ya' coulda' jus' left me there n' ya' didn' so I couldn' jus' not do nothin'. Besides, I like doin' things ta' make people happy. There's too much sadness so I think sometimes 's nice ta' help try n' keep it away, ya' know?" he explained with a light shrug of his shoulders, trying to show it was no big deal but his face burned. He wasn't sure why he was embarrassed to admit all that but he was glad that at least Pincher enjoyed them. Otherwise it would've all been for nothing.

As they walked up the steps, Jacob felt Pincher brush against him and he had to stop himself from gasping. He wasn't sure why but he wanted to do nothing else but press himself to the larger canine and close his eyes. That'd be so nice and peaceful. To smell the sea and cigarette smoke all night. All night? When had he specified this ideal situation to be at night? He probably just thought that because it was late currently. He had nearly completely lost focus of the actual situation and flinched when he heard Pincher's voice in his ear, goosebumps running down him. He wasn't sure why but the hushed tone made this seem like some sort of special secret, only for Jacob. All of the Typhoon had been in this place before, it wasn't anything special. But his heart crashed against his chest as the waves would against the sand and he couldn't help it. He was so happy to be with Pincher but also terrified he's say or do something wrong or that the doberman would realize he wasn't all that interesting. He knew those were all silly concerns but he thought of them nonetheless.

When they entered, Jacob no longer had to hold his gasp in. His eyes widened and his mouth was agape in wonder. He spun around, looking at all the creatures swimming in the dark ocean. It was all so beautiful. He'd never seen anything like this before. He didn't even reply to Pincher immediately, he just looked at the shapes moving in the water. Soon, though, he came near the doberman and pressed his paw against the other man's, trying to get his attention as he pointed with his other paw. "Look! 'S tha' some kinda' turtle?" he asked, pointing to one of the figures. He then turned his head to look at the captain, a wide smile spread across his maw. "I-I dunno' what ta' say, Pinch-" he admitted, sounding rather flustered. It might not have really been a sacrifice for Pincher to bring him here but it felt like one. It felt like this night had been made just for him, it was so wonderful. He knew the dome had already been here and they just used it for meetings but it felt more special than that. Pincher had said it was his favorite place on the island, after all. That had to mean something.

He shook his head as he looked at all the creatures before his eye inevitably returned to his companion. They were so close now. Jacob hadn't realized it but what had initially only been a tap of the paw had turned into him leaning against the doberman completely. He supposed it made sense, he'd been walking around all day and his legs had never been any good. He looked up into the blue eyes that stared back at him and he knew what he wanted to do. "You're-" his voice faltered. That wasn't what he should say. "This is real beautiful, Pincher." He wasn't so sure about it. It could make things complicated. He didn't even know if he liked men. He just knew he liked Pincher. Hesitantly, the younger man leaned forward and pressed his lips briefly against the captain's. He then abruptly pulled away, feeling his face heat up as he forced himself to drop his gaze. Immediate regret filled him. That had been stupid. Pincher had asked for girls at the blind dating event. "I-I-I'm sorry, tha' was completely inappropriate, I promise I ain't gonna' do it again. I'm so, so sorry for makin' ya' uncomfortable n'-" Jacob just kept rambling. He wasn't even sure what he was saying anymore but maybe if he kept talking that would make it all better again. —A GREAT HONOR TO HOLD YOU UP