doyle: tardis (giles/anya by sinecure)
doyle ([personal profile] doyle) wrote2004-01-07 09:07 pm

Sparrington fic

Y'know… I automatically assumed I'd write my 12 ficlets in Buffy/Angel fandom. Maybe a little foray into Firefly to see if I could manage it. And then [livejournal.com profile] circe_tigana took over my brain, and next thing I know I'm googling for information on eighteenth-century naval history.

Besides, I wanted to yoink a Hemingway title.

Title: The Old Man and the Sea
Author: Doyle
Fandom: Pirates of the Caribbean
Pairing: Sparrow/Norrington
Rating: PG-13
Notes: Day 7 of the 12 Days of Ficlets Challenge. Remembrance.


He suspects he's becoming quite cantankerous in his old age. His dearly departed wife would add stiff-necked and proud, but he was that long before time seized his joints and slowed his movements. Not so duty-bound as he once was, though; the benefits of living for a very long time, and seeing very many admirals pass like -

Always back to ships, isn't it? Even in metaphor. His smile is bitter, and all but invisible except to those who know to look for it. There are not terribly many people on that list, now. His wife, of course. Elizabeth, perhaps, once upon a time. Jack Sparrow.

Of late, his thoughts have often turned to Jack.

Norrington has grown old, and failed to die, and that is his great failure and his great success. He's glad, certainly, for the time with his children and their children, but he regrets finding himself unable to walk three steady steps on solid ground, when he never stumbled on the Interceptor's decks. He regrets that when his wife died he was at sea, and that when his own time comes, he will not be.

Snatched, forbidden nights on the Pearl, in Tortuga, in other places - those he does not regret, except that they were few, and tended to end less than amicably.

The days are longer now than he remembers in his youth, the sun less bright. The sea, though, the sea at Port Royal is the same, and much of his time is spent here in his garden, overlooking the bay where the Victory is docked. A fine ship, his flagship for several years, but at his shoulder Jack says not a ship could match the Pearl, nor never will be.

Jack, he thinks, with more fondness than he allowed himself those years ago, the Pearl has been gone for a long time.

So've I, love, the voice in his memory protests, and he can see the insouciance in the slouch and the wicked sparkle in the outlined eyes clearer than he can see the roses around him that his granddaughter so lovingly tends. Don't see you claiming there's any as could replace me.

"No," he sighs aloud, as if there is anyone to hear him, but Jack is long gone, far more than a day's head-start away, and he fears he will never catch up to him now.

[identity profile] circe-tigana.livejournal.com 2004-01-07 01:44 pm (UTC)(link)
I ::heart:: you.

::melts happily::

[identity profile] doyle_sb4.livejournal.com 2004-01-07 01:46 pm (UTC)(link)
You evil enabling person who enables. Sparrington may truly be the greatest love story ever told.

[identity profile] bear.livejournal.com 2004-01-07 02:27 pm (UTC)(link)
Sparrington may truly be the greatest love story ever told.

Word. Especially the way you tell it.

This was *lovely*, particularly the last line. I'm so very glad [livejournal.com profile] circe_tigana corrupted you, though I think that may have been her sekkrit evil plan all along. :)

[identity profile] circe-tigana.livejournal.com 2004-01-07 02:50 pm (UTC)(link)
::laughs::

That obvious, was it? :)
andrealyn: (Default)

[personal profile] andrealyn 2004-01-07 02:16 pm (UTC)(link)
I quite believe I'm in love with the last line. It's utterly heart-wrenching, bitter smile inducing, and wonderful all at the same time. Every description is utter perfection, and the whole idea of memories has been really beautifully done.

Amazing work! I adore it so much!
ext_7670: (Default)

[identity profile] monkeypuzzle.livejournal.com 2004-01-07 02:17 pm (UTC)(link)
::tear::

"No," he sighs aloud, as if there is anyone to hear him, but Jack is long gone, far more than a day's head-start away, and he fears he will never catch up to him now.

Oh god, James...

This was so perfect and lovely and heart breaking. I'm so very glad you wrote it.

Only thing... ...outlined eyes clearly than... seems to be missing a word, maybe more clearly or clearer

But damn... Perfect.

(ps I got here throught circe)

[identity profile] doyle_sb4.livejournal.com 2004-01-07 02:20 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, thank you! Didn't spot that, will fix it.

[identity profile] firesignwriter.livejournal.com 2004-01-07 02:29 pm (UTC)(link)
Followed Circe here. Just swallowed my heart. Ow. God. Love. Hurts.

[identity profile] juniper200.livejournal.com 2004-01-07 04:52 pm (UTC)(link)
I know. It's so sad!

[identity profile] cosmic.livejournal.com 2004-01-07 03:40 pm (UTC)(link)
Absolutely lovely, in a heart-breaking kind of way. I love the emotion throughout the fic and the last paragraph is a killer, along with Norrington has grown old, and failed to die, and that is his great failure and his great success. Because, *yes*. Dying young is not something to root for, but it holds an element of romanticism, and growing old always strips away the heroicness of a person and transforms them to somewhat ordinary, old people with tales and stories instead of actual things that *happened*, y'know? Just...*yes*.
enigel: Aziraphale shielding Crawly under his wing (Default)

[personal profile] enigel 2004-01-07 03:58 pm (UTC)(link)
so sad. so good.

everybody mentioned the last line, so I won't quote it again, but that is really the final touch to an entirely captivating tableau. with so few words, you manage to create a cross between a Dürer drawing and a Turner painting. (please don't mind my strange comparisons...)

I hope we'll see more from you :]

[identity profile] viciouswishes.livejournal.com 2004-01-07 05:18 pm (UTC)(link)
*sniffs* Absolutely sad and bleak. Great job.

[identity profile] maybedarkpink.livejournal.com 2004-01-07 06:12 pm (UTC)(link)
Well, I'm not as into PotC as everyone else seems to be, but your Sparrington is lovely!

[identity profile] lerah99.livejournal.com 2004-01-07 10:28 pm (UTC)(link)
:::dies::: This is beautiful. Thank you.
melusina: (Default)

[personal profile] melusina 2004-01-08 03:54 pm (UTC)(link)
This is heartbreakingly lovely - thanks.

[identity profile] myriad69.livejournal.com 2004-01-08 06:25 pm (UTC)(link)
::falls to the floor in a sobbing heap::

That was so gorgeous, so moving, so, so... GUH!!!

[identity profile] kenovay.livejournal.com 2004-01-10 04:41 pm (UTC)(link)
*cries*

Jack is long gone, far more than a day's head-start away, and he fears he will never catch up to him now

You actually broke my heart.