"I want to be a sailor," The man said, smiling as he stood on the dock. He already had the uniform and the hat. All he needed now was confirmation.

"It's a dangerous voyage," The captain said as he inspected the newcomer and stroked his beard, "We don't allow women crew..."

"But I'm not a woman!" The man laughed, "I'm all man, me. Let me onboard!"

The other sailors laughed.

"You certainly look like a woman," The captain continued, "I mean, that clean face, that long hair, those hips..."

Twinkle sighed, furrowing his brow, "Honestly, I'm a man. Let me join you."

"Hmm, I don't know, could be telling the truth," Teased one of the crew, "No breasts.."

Twinkle rolled his eyes.

"Ohh, I don't know," The captain laughed, "Some women..." He smirked, turning to the man who had talked, "Have you seen my wife? Flat-chested old-"

"Would you just please let me sign up?!" Twinkle asked again, getting angry.

The commotion had caused some of the sailors onboard the ship to get up on deck and look down to see what was going on. One of them was Norie, a small, shy, sweet blonde sailor, who had been with the crew for a while, but this was to be his first voyage.

"No women allowed!" The captain laughed again, very much enjoying this game he was playing. Twinkle was sick of it now. He wanted to be a sailor, and he was determined.

"Gods!" He exclaimed, suddenly pulling down his pants to reveal to them that he did in fact have a penis, "There. Happy now? See, I'm a man, now let me onboard!" He quickly pulled his pants back up again, embaressed.

A while later, the captain shoved Twinkle onto the ship's deck, muttering- "Here. New recruit. Calls himself 'Twinkle'." He sneered at the name, "Be nice."

The rest, who were disgusted with Twinkle after what he had done to join them, just nodded, but Norie seemed intrigued. He approached Twinkle.

"Hi..." He said, smiling, "Welcome...don't let them get to you..."

Twinkle sighed, "I'm not really like that. Vulgar, I mean..."

"I'm sure you're-"

"I just wanted to go on this voyage. Escape. You know..." Twinkle looked at his feet.

"I know," Norie answered, putting a hand on his shoulder, "Nobody really likes me back in the town,"

"No?" Twinkle asked, looking at the man, then putting his hand on his, "Whyever not...?"

They talked all night over mugs of hot cocoa. They learned more than enough about each other as they sat huddled together under a blanket in Norie's cabin. The other sailors were outside. They suspected something, but they didn't want to go in, just in case.

A few days later, the captain called all of his crew to a meeting. Their voyage was scheduled for the next day. He confirmed that 'all would go well', as the meteorological report had given him confidence.

Quietly, during the meeting, Twinkle nudged Norie.

"Can I share your cabin for the trip?" He asked with a giggle.

"You can bet on it," Norie smiled back, putting his hand on Twinkle's thigh and giving it a tight squeeze, before returning his attentions to the captain's words.

Twinkle gazed at his friend and smiled fondly. He was falling in love.

The first week of the voyage had gone smoothly. The crew were off to South America, to bring back treasures and gold to England...or so they had been told that was what they would find there. It was night, and Twinkle was in the cabin he shared with Norie, writing a letter by candlelight. Norie was elsewhere. He had gone to collect their night's rations for supper, and Twinkle found this an excellent opportunity to express his feelings.

"Dearest Norie, in the time that we have known each other I.." He frowned, dipping the tip of the quill into the inkwell again, then continued, "..realise that my feelings for you are far stronger than the feelings a man has for a friend. I know we have been flirting over the past week, and it's been in a playful nature, but I can't hold back my emotions anymore. I'm in love with you. I knew from the moment I saw you that you would become something special to me, and I can only hope that you feel the same way."

Twinkle paused, reading over what he had written, then sighed deeply, nervous, and signed it, with a kiss. Hearing Norie's footsteps outside, he quickly panicked and left the note there, as was his plan, and crept into his bed, curling up and facing the wall so that when Norie entered the room, it would look like he was asleep.

"Twinkle," Norie's voice said as he fumbled to open the door while balancing a tray, "I got our supper, I..." He smiled as he saw Twinkle in bed. He gazed at him with the same adoration as Twinkle had that day the captain had called them for a meeting. He put the tray down on the floor and crept over to the bed, with the intent of stroking Twinkle's long black hair, which he had done every night Twinkle had fallen asleep before him, without Twinkle knowing. However, this time, instead of stroking his hair, Norie paused, noticing the note left on the small desk. He didn't want to pry, but he was curious, and his heart nearly skipped a beat when he saw it was addressed to him.

Reading the note made Norie's eyes water. He had no idea that Twinkle had felt the same way has he did. The 'playful flirting' had merely been Norie's desperate attempts to get Twinkle to love him as well. It was all so perfect. They were in love with each other, and neither had known it.

On deck, the captain sat on the crow's nest of the ship with a telescope. The air was clear and the moon shining brightly.

"Some say she causes insanity, Cap'n!" His first mate shouted from down on deck. The captain smirked to himself.

"Insanity? The moon is a symbol for lovers, so I'd always heard," He replied, "My wife and I married under a bright full moon,"

"Your wife," The first mate mused, thinking of the woman.

"Yes," The captain replied, adding under his breath, "Under a full moon. No wonder she's a right were-wolf!"

Back in their cabin, Norie and Twinkle were looking at each other, each on the verge of speaking. Twinkle was wide-eyed and panicked, knowing Norie had read the note. He saw the yellow scrap of paper discarded in a scrunched-up ball on the floor. Norie was also nervous, his heart beat increasing in his chest, making him out of breath and gulp for air like a fish out of water.

"I-" They both started to talk at the same time.

"No, I."

"No, you"..

They both shook their heads.

"You go first," Twinkle said, motioning with his hand to Norie. Norie looked down. He didn't quite know what to say.

"I.." He looked back up at him again, then, out of nervousness, took off his hat and scratched his head, eyes not meeting Twinkle's expectant gaze, "..well..I.."

"Yes, yes?" Twinkle urged, raising his voice not out of anger, but out of fear of what his friend would say.

"I read your letter," Norie answered, his eyes tearful again, "Oh.."

"What?" Twinkle felt his face turn red.

"I'm so very touched...oh..." Norie blushed now, and shivered, even though the furnace was on, "Oh Twinkle,"

"Call me Samienne..." Twinkle whispered, putting his hand on Norie's hand, squeezing it gently, "I meant what I wrote, I swear to you..."

"That you love me?" Norie sniffed, crying now, "Please tell me it was not just a lie. I think I know you better than that Tw-" He paused, "Samienne...I would not expect lies from you..."

"Why would I lie to you?" Twinkle replied.

"I don't know," Norie shrugged, "Nobody ever told me they loved me, so it's a little bit of a surprise to me, especially coming from someone like you,"

"How do you mean?" Twinkle asked, cocking his head.

"When you first joined this crew," Norie sighed, moving his hand away from Twinkle's and looking away, "You said you were 'all man'..."

"But I love you..." Twinkle pleaded, sadly, "Believe me."

"I do..." Norie kept looking down, "I feel the same, but..."

"But?"

"It's wrong," He sighed, "There are scrolls on the walls from the Bible...scrolls mentioning Hell, and Sodom and Gommorah!"

"But I can't help the way I feel," Twinkle sighed, "I love you. I'm in love with you!"

Norie looked up at him, "I love you too..."

"Then ignore what your mind tells you, and listen to your heart," Twinkle said, taking Norie's hand and pulling him close, "Only then can we be happy..."

The weeks of the voyage passed and the love between Twinkle and Norie grew stronger.

One night, they dragged the big desk in their cabin and used it to lock the door and prevent anyone from coming in.

"Come here," Twinkle said to Norie, patting his knee. Norie smiled, then sat in his lover's lap and purred with delight as he was tickled under the chin by Twinkle.

"I have plans for us," Twinkle smiled.

"Yeah?" Norie asked.

"When we reach our destination, we'll depart from the crew. We'll help them plunder the village and get enough gold so we can trade it in for money to support us both, and we'll stay in South America and live there, together," Twinkle sighed happily, slipping his hand up Norie's shirt and stroking his back tenderly, "We'll be safe there. I keep a pen-knife with me at all times, as you know, so it will protect us. Oh," He smiled, closing his eyes, picturing his dream, "How does that sound?"

"Oh Twink," Norie squealed with delight, wrapping his arms round Twinkle and hugging him tight, "It sounds perfect! I'm tired of this journey! I wish we would reach the damn place soon, so our new life can begin in a new world..."

"Oh, me also," Twinkle nodded, "And, Norie?"

"Yes?"

"I'm going to find a jeweller and, with the silver and gold we'll find in the Americas, he can burn it down into a wedding ring..."

Norie's eyes widened at what his lover had just said.

"A wedding ring?" He asked.

"A wedding ring," Twinkle confirmed, and smiled with delight as Norie embraced him again.

Once again, the captain was sitting in the crow's nest. His telescope showed a different picture now, however. The sky was full of dark clouds, and the moon could hardly be seen. He sighed, putting his telescope away and began to climb down.

"What's wrong, sir?" Asked a sailor who was out on the deck.

"I don't like the look of it at all, lad," The captain explained, shaking his head, "Don't like it at all."

"Don't like what, sir?"

"The look of the skies, boy!" The captain answered, a little agitated, "Those clouds, see them?" The sailor looked up into the sky, "They aren't friendly clouds. See how dark they are! Devil's clouds, they are. The gods are angry with us. I expect the last few weeks of our voyage will be shaky..."

Back in their cabin, the lovers were unaware of the change in weather. They were both nude, now, and gazing at each other in anticipation. Using some oil that was supposedly for medicinal purposes only as lubricant, Norie rubbed it over his hands, then ran his hands up and down Twinkle's penis. Twinkle murmered with delight and then instructed Norie to lay down on their bed. Even though there was a bunk-bed in every cabin, Twinkle and Norie always shared the bottom bunk.

This was not the first time they had made love. It was one of numerous times they had pushed the desk to the door to prevent anyone from intruding them and discovering their best-kept secret.

The sea was changing. The waves were getting bigger and more violent, and the captain had retired to his room now. He looked out of the window and saw water rising rapidly. He rushed outside to see that a storm was brewing. Suddenly the ship didn't seem such a safe place.

"Ahh..!" Norie cried out with joy as he felt Twinkle enter him. Twinkle gripped his lover gently and began to thrust into him, speeding up as Norie cried out for him too.

As the ship began to rock on the violent waves, Twinkle and Norie rocked back and forth in their passionate embrace.

"Steer, man, steer!" The captain yelled loudly over the sound of the thunderstorm. The ship had gone offcourse.

"Oh...S-Samienne! Samienne!" Norie gasped as Twinkle tightened his grip. They felt afraid now what with the storm and how the ship was moving now. Norie gasped as they both reached their peaks. Norie cried out again as he felt Twinkle explode within him. Both men panted as they came down from their orgasms, but then quickly clung to each other's burning bodies again as the ship plunged underwater, it seemed, and then quickly splash around on the surface again.

"Twinkle..." Norie whispered, burying his head in the taller man's chest, comforted in hearing his heartbeat, "I'm scared..."

"Me too..." Twinkle nodded, holding his lover, "Me too..."

Another clap of thunder sent the two men to retreat to their bed, naked, wet with passion, and snuggle underneath the moth-eaten blanket until the storm cleared.

* * *

The storm had long since cleared now. The sun was shining high in the sky and there was not a cloud in sight. An interesting new place was in the distance- South America.

The ship had reached it's destination.

It had reached it in bits and pieces. Broken pieces of wood lay scattered on the surface of the calm ocean and pieces of metal, which couldn't be identified as what they once were.

The ship's steering wheel had sunk and now probably lay on the seabed. Quite a fair bit of the ship had been sent to a watery grave.

The villagers from the village by the sea were intrigued by the flotsam and jetsam and crept out by the shore to see what they could find. A woman found some clothes in a chest and decided to surprise her husband with it as a gift. A man found a tattered copy of the Bible, but it was no use to him as he could not read. However, the most intriguing piece of debris was found floating on the sea by a young boy. It was a piece of driftwood, wrapped in seaweed, with a carving engraved on it.

The engraving was a heart, pierced by an arrow, and, written in the middle of the heart, an inscription:

"Samienne & Norie; ALWAYS".

A pair of dirty feathers lay floating on the water.

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