Sons of the Tide (mlm)

Chapter 12: Drunken State

Joseph

Joseph woke up only a few hours later, with only a few cuts and scrapes and a giant scar on his shoulder in the shape of a shark bite. It wasn't fully healed, but he was alive. Thanks to Caleb.

The crew pulled him out of his cabin and onto the deck for a moon and lantern lit celebration. He wasn't sure what they were celebrating, it was either him being alive, the gold they found—which was now sitting in the center of the deck—or a welcome to their newest crew member.

In any case, he planned to get absolutely shit-face drunk. Cecelia seemed to second that motion judging by the way she kept rum in both their hands.

Milo was playing the banjo while Saw used an old accordion. He was surprisingly good at playing the old thing, and the crew were shouting sea chantries at the top of their lungs while dancing and drinking.

Joseph had one arm looped through Cecelia's and the other holding rim while they spun around the deck in a drunken attempt at a dosey doe. Cecelia was laughing as they nearly tripped over a rope and she had to unhook their arms to catch herself.

"Shit-" she stumbled until she got back her balance and laughed as she tipped the bottle of rum to her lips.

Joseph snorted and took a gulp of his own, glancing around the deck. His crew were all terribly drunk, besides Milo who didn't drink, and Saw who swore he couldn't play his accordion when intoxicated. His eyes landed on Caleb, who was sitting on a crate with a half-drunk bottle of rum and a very flushed face. Joseph went over to him.

"You should be dancing like the rest of us." Joseph grinning crookedly at him and leaned against the rail to the ship. "You look so pathetic over here all alone."

Caleb chuckled and drank some more. "I'm not alone now, am I?"

Joseph smiled wider and pushed off the rail, then grabbed his hand. "Come on, no pirate of mine sits around during drunken sea chantries."

Caleb laughed as Joseph pulled him up and dragged him into the center of the deck. The crew were clapping and dancing and laughing, the light from the lanterns creating an orange haze.

Joseph chugged the last of his rum and set the bottle on the ground, out of the way. "I don't see you dancing!"

Caleb looked at him, amused, from where he was standing. "I don't really dance."

Joseph scoffed and grabbed his arms "Everyone dances."

Before Caleb could argue, Joseph took both his hands and started dancing with him. It was a horrible excuse of a dance, and his footsteps were way off beat, but Caleb was smiling and he assumed he was having fun. Joseph was, too. It was the most fun he'd had, and the most drunk he'd been in a while.

Cecelia was taking a break from dancing and was standing off the the side, clapping and singing along with Milo and the others, to which Joseph grinned. He was glad they were all so happy.

He and Caleb wound up tripping over the same rope Cecelia had, but they ended up on the ground with Joseph on top of Caleb. Joseph sat up, not caring he was sitting on Caleb hips, and bust out laughing.

Caleb smiled, looking up at him. "Nice footwork, captain."

Joseph smacked his chest lightly and pulled himself up to his feet. "Keep dancing, that's a order."