Reader type: significant other!reader -- they/them pronouns

Warnings: death (obviously)

Relationship type: romantic

Summary: They're fighting the final battle and both die in the process, martyrs for a worthy cause.

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The deck of the Flying Dutchman was slippery. The sword in (Name)'s hand was also. Catarina. Named after a friend of their grandmothers. She'd been handed down for two generations, from grandmother to mother, and now to mother's child. And now, at this point in time Catarina was soaked with blood and sea water. And she stank of fish. But that had never heeded her progress before. Unfortunately (Name), well they'd probably end up dropping Catarina before the night was out.

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(Name) blinked the salt crystals out of their eyes. The barnacled monstrosities around them had seemingly enough energy to keep themselves going forever. And that wasn't good. For them or anybody else on The Flying Dutchman. (Name) stepped backwards, Catarina parrying and blocking the monster's sword strokes. Unfortunately the monster had backed (Name) against the mast, and there was no way out. Unless they went up. Typical. Why were the only options in the dangerous situations, the ones that were possibly more dangerous. The monster snarled. (Name) ran behind the mast, sheathed Catarina and began to climb the rigging.

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The water was a constant hindrance. (Name) had lost count of the times that they'd lost the grip on the rigging and fallen a few steps. The barnacled monster was still only a few bits of rope behind. That was close. Far to close. (Name) looked back. The barnacled monster snarled. They climbed faster. The air was warmer up near the top of the mast. It swept their hair everywhere. How annoying. The monster uttered another roar. (Name) climbed up to the top of the rigging and placed a leg onto the top of the sodden mast. The barnacle monster advanced. (Name) placed the other leg on the mast and started to walk across it. Gunshots rang out from below.

(Name) glanced down towards the battle. Everybody on the battlefield looked tiny. God. They were still fighting... and, from what (Name) could hear, had apparently started using guns as well as swords. Will and Elizabeth were on the bow with Barbossa and James. He was the one using the gun. They considered yelling advice down to them, but the remembered where they were standing and thought better of it. The monster was right behind (Name) now. Unfortunately, due to the wind, the rain and the waves banging against the sides of the ship it was hard to hear its movements. Hence why it was able to push them off the mast and into the midst of the raging battle.

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The sky was an interesting blue (Name) noted.

I'd probably admire it more if I wasn't falling to my death, though.

The noises from the battle were getting louder. (Name) must have fallen faster than they had previously thought. Typical.

At least it'll be a swift death.

(Name) closed their eyes and waited. But death never came. They slowly opened to see that James had caught them in his arms. (Name) blinked, stunned.

How was he managing to look so flawless in the middle of a battle?

Even his wig was in place, despite the wind that battered the boat. He then dropped them on the wet deck of the boat and ran off to fight more monsters. (Name) stood up hastily, trying to get their balance back, so that they can follow him and re-join the battle. Unfortunately they stood up just in time for a monster, who had somehow gotten the gun that James was firing at the other monsters just moments before, to shoot them in the back.

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(Name) uttered a cry of pain that could have probably been heard at least 10 miles away. Everything on the ship seemed to quiet. But that moment only lasted for a few seconds before the fighting resumed. (Name) lay their head on the creaky deck of the ship. So I am to die here after all. They can hear footsteps coming towards them. There was also the sound of swords clacking together. (Name) felt like someone had stuck their head underwater. The sounds were all distorted, twisted out of shape. The swords got nearer to (Name). Then they stopped and there was a thud. (Name) raised their head just a fraction off the deck.

What they saw chilled them to the bone. It was James. He was slumped next to the edge spike on the boat's starboard side. This put him only feet away from where (Name) was. Suddenly lightning flashed, illuminating the ship's deck. There was glint of light from the direction of James. (Name) choked. He'd been stabbed. The sword was protruding through his torso, and the blood was leaking through the layers of his pristine admirals uniform. It had blossomed into a red spot on his chest. (Name) moved forward, scraping their knees across the deck, trying to reach James before they both bled to death. His breathing was ragged and slow. Footsteps. They were right next to (Name)'s head. (Name) looked up and was greeted by another barnacle monster leering down at. Or it was the same one, they couldn't tell.

(Name) moved across the deck faster. The monster picked them up and swung them towards the side of the boat. (Name) screamed. The pain was agonizing. Especially in their legs. The pain only increased as they were dropped back onto the deck, their body crumpling under the force. (Name) whimpered and started crawling away from their attacker. It did not follow. Maybe it thought they were dead? James! They had to get to him. The crawling across the deck increased pace until they were almost near him. His hands reached out, and they entwined their fingers with James'. His eyes met theirs and they smiled. And that's how they were found, once the battle was over. Locked in a fragile embrace, for all eternity.

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Author's Note: 90% of this was written in 2017, before I had actually watched at world's end..so this will be inaccurate. All I knew at that point was that barnacle monsters were a thing, and that he got stabbed. I wish James had survived to the final battle....

11.2.20