The heist is successful. Of course it is. Because Debbie knows how to take what she wants better than anyone on this little pirate island and she had a good fucking crew helping her realize her vision. And Lou. She had Lou, who’s proven herself to be more valuable than Debbie could imagine her being when she snapped the neck of a stray man who snuck behind Debbie somehow and threatened to bring the whole operation down—Lou is quicker, quieter, and more intent on winning than the people they are facing, and Debbie appreciates that in a partner. A pirate. She means to say pirate.
The point is, now that Lou stuck by her side of the deal, and with them sailing away on their new possession, Debbie must stick by hers.
The girls have found their respective spots below and above deck, either sleeping or humming tunes into the darkness of the water, and Debbie hesitates before making her way into the Captain’s quarters. She supposed they must decide on how to share that. She looks over to Nine, playing with her blade as it catches the moon light—their eyes lock and Nine salutes her lazily. If nothing else, Debbie needs to prove that Lou and she were right to do this to the rest of this team. Tammy included.
“Well?” Lou asks with a smirk when Debbie finally makes her way in. She has one leg up on the heavy desk where the logs from the previous owners of this ship are spread, and a small lamp lights up her face in shadows.
“Thanks for the help,” Debbie says, swallows at the sight of Lou’s fingers drumming on the wood underneath them.
“Thanks for the brains,” Lou returns.
They stay silent as Debbie moves closer to Lou, and Lou’s heavy boot hits the floor as she sits up and spreads her legs, makes room for Debbie in her lap. It is obvious, the fact she thinks she knows they are going to fuck now. The sea is calm and they are alone and have nothing to do until the morning, and that was, initially, all part of the plan. But then Tammy had to get involved.
She can’t help it, though. She comes to lean against the table and looks at Lou instead of walking away.
“Listen,” she opens, uncertain of how to explain herself. Should she even explain herself? Lou reaches out and lays a hand over Debbie’s, her thumb painting shapes on Debbie’s rough skin.
“I think we can talk more later,” Lou says.
“I want you,” Debbie confirms, the heat pulling in the pit of her stomach with every brush of Lou’s thumb. Lou shifts in her seat, spreads her legs further, the light from the lamp catching on the buckle of her belt and bringing Debbie’s attention there.
“No, Lou, I’ve been thinking.”
Lou gets up, comes to stand close enough to Debbie that Debbie can hear her heavy breath, feel the rise and fall of her entire body.
“Sounds dangerous,” she murmurs.
“That’s usually the case.”
She can’t tell her about the promise, the confession stuck in her throat. It must be her decision and her decision only, and not Tammy making a fool of her. As much as Tammy can be right, it would be admitting that Debbie still distrusts Lou enough to think there’s a danger between them. She looks up and boy, was that a mistake.
Lou’s eyes are hungry and dark in the dim light and Debbie wants to kiss them shut and make Lou breathless.
“I don’t think it’d be a good idea to do this.”
She runs a hand over Lou’s arm.
“Why?” Lou asks, splays her fingers over Debbie’s thigh.
“Co-captaining. Fucking.”
Debbie opens her legs and lets Lou stand between them. She wants to pull Lou in. She has never wanted anything so badly in her entire life, and that’s how she knows that Tammy might have more of a point than she initially thought. She locks her legs around Lou and holds the collar of her shirt. Lou wraps her arms around Debbie’s neck.
“What are you scared of here?”
“If I get what I want, and you get what you want, we have no reason to keep it going.”
“There’s something else.”
“Something else about this you’re not telling me.” Lou leans down, brings her lips to Debbie’s ear and Debbie shuts her eyes tight. “Because you’re dancing around this like you’re testing a boundary, and I have not put any boundary in place.”
Her lips brush Debbie’s lobe and Debbie gasps and pushes Lou away.
“I made a promise,” she says. Jumps of the table and walks to stand opposite Lou, who now looks quite disoriented behind it. “I made a promise to not fuck you.”
“Doesn’t matter. I made a promise. And it’s the smart thing to do, because we can’t fuck it up. We got the ship. I can’t fuck it up.”
Lou breathes in, deep and shaky and holds it in her lungs for longer than need be. She exhales, pointed. “You’re right,” she eventually says. “You’re right.”
They stand there, the light flickering, the darkness enveloping their bodies tempting. Debbie clears her throat. She steps closer to Lou once again. She’s been known to test an Ocean’s promise more often than not, in the past—toeing its lines until she could draw the exact parameters that she’s not allowed to cross and have her fun with the rest of it.
“What now?” Lou quirks an eyebrow.
“I promised not to fuck you,” Debbie says.
“Yes,” Lou is still lost as to why Debbie is in her space again, holding her chin up so their lips are in line. Debbie smiles. “Oh,” Lou whispers.
“But this isn’t fucking,” Debbie clarifies, wraps her fingers around Lou’s nape and brings her in. Lou buries her fingers in Debbie’s mane and kisses her more fiercely, until Debbie’s knees bend, until they are out of air.
“You’re a weird one,” Lou says. Debbie kisses her again.
“If I don’t get what I want,” she says, moves her mouth to Lou’s jaw, “and you don’t get what you want…” she continues, warm lips making Lou shiver.
“Then we have a reason to keep going,” Lou finishes. She pushes Debbie back and runs a hand through her hair, forcing herself to come down from it. Debbie breathes in and out slowly.
She’s not certain this is a good idea. And she’s certain that this is not what Tammy meant. But this is keeping in line with the promise, and this is better than nothing. Or maybe not. But this is what they’ve done.
“Strangely enough, Ocean, I’m game.”
