high_seas | All fun and games

"But these things do get better. It just takes more time. But still, having you here .. it's making things better already. And, maybe you're still angry that you weren't there but, that you're here now, it helps..." She squeezes him slightly and opens her eyes to look up at him, wanting him to realise that this is important to her. And while she still thinks a lot of this was her fault, that she was the one who failed, his comfort is making the pain easier to bare. Bit as she continues to look at him, she doubts there's anything she can do to make him really understand that.

More time. What if the time they require is longer than one's lifetime? Because that's what he thinks at times, that his own wounds won't ever heal but instead be buried by time's passage, until he couldn't remember anything of them just as he can't remember his mother's face or the time spent with her as well as he should. Will Selphie's wounds take the same amount of time to heal?

"That's good to know," but it's hard to sound convinced, that just being there helps her. Even if it's true he doubts that it's better than having been there before to save her, to rescue her or just to protect her and avoid it all. "Just... Don't push yourself, take your time to recover, got it?"

Selphie was always known for bouncing back quickly. And usually she did. This time, though, was different. There was too much that had gone wrong this time. She'd nearly been killed, she'd dragged in other too, for the rescue. What if they'd been hurt too? If Ikki had been hurt because of her stupidity, she'd never be able to forgive herself. Wrapped up close to him, her thoughts drifted away from her, and it was a good few moments before she realised that he'd spoken.

"I'm not planning going anywhere... Not for a long time." She'd hide out in her room if necessary - she didn't want to face the rest of the crew - everyone knowing how weak she had been. "There's no worry that I'll be getting myself in any other fights. Not anymore. Not now."

"Is that really the attitude you should take? What would your clients say back in Balamb?" In a way it would be preferable, for her to just remain hidden, safe, but that wouldn't be her. A Selphie scared, terrified of the outside, ashamed to talk with others. That's now the Selphie he has come to know, neither is the one he wants to see around even if it would save him a lot of headaches and annoyances.

"There's a difference between taking your time to recover and hiding yourself forever, even if this is the first time you are taken prisoner by the enemy;" a first time that shouldn't have happened, that shouldn't repeat itself. But that's his burden, his part of the problem.

"They would think... They would think that I was a danger to everyone else and that I had to be kicked out. They'd say that it wasn't fair that I did that the rest of the crew. They wouldn't let me be a SeeD again." She bows her head against his neck, and drums her hands awkwardly on her knees. Risking the safety of the rest of the group was a crime that was punishable, and that's exactly what she'd done.

"...I couldn't fight them. That's my job. It's what I've been trained my whole life to do. And I couldn't do it. There's nothing - there's nothing left of me if I can't even protect myself... It's just...pathetic." Selphie sighs heavily, her body tensing slightly in his arms. That was really how she felt, just pathetic and useless. And by now, she's willing to bet that's what Ikki thinks too.

"Oh, so no SeeD has ever been captured and tortured before? Needed a rescue team? Have you really never have to rescue someone?" He understands her point, knows it well, but it's just not really applicable to the situation. She wasn't able to fight the enemy, but that didn't mean she had put herself in danger on purpose.

"Uh... Well... Yeah. And then, there was that time, that we were thrown into prison and had to escape... And we saved each other then but -" The recent memory that does come to the surface isn't one that she wanted to think about. The idea of rescuing, and saving, how it hadn't worked. And Trabia was destroyed.

"Yeah...there was once I had to rescue a whole place. The place I grew up. And I couldn't do it." She stops, because she doesn't know why she's saying this. But that's what she was reminded of, when he asked about having to rescue someone. That was one time when it was really important, and she was just too late. "But nevermind. That's not the point."

He moves, taking hold of her shoulders to push her away a bit to be able to look at her eyes. "That's exactly the point. You're a soldier, trained to succeed, but that doesn't always happen. There are a million of reasons why a soldier can fail, but that doesn't matter. What matters is that as long as you're not dead, a soldier has to stand up again and start again;" how many times had they been defeated? Fighting against foes far stronger than them, bleeding until there was only an inch of life left on them, and even then they kept fighting.

Selphie locks eyes with him, her own expression somewhat confused, a little sad, partly worried. But he's right, and she knows that he's right. The sadness gives way for a moment while she just feels like an idiot instead. Selphie opens her mouth and closes it again, realising that she had no idea what to say to that. To show her agreement, instead of nodding her head, she does something that she hadn't expected to do at all, and she's not really even sure where it comes from, but it happens. Swiftly, and quick enough that maybe it doesn't even happen, she leans closer and presses a light kiss to his cheek.

Ikki just blinks, frowning slightly at the unexpected reply, it was quick and brief, enough that he could think that he had imagined it... If it wasn't because he would never imagine something like that. He looks at her for a second before he sighs and pulls her close again, choosing to say nothing about it and act as if it hadn't happened.

"No matter how long it takes, you have to stand up again and keep trying. If you don't that's when you will become a burden and a failure;" even if it's his fault that it happened in the first place.

As soon as she sees that frown, Selphie knows that she did the wrong thing. It had happened quickly, and almost by mistake, but when it did she worried about what his reaction would be. But she makes a mental note that it should never be repeated, because it seemed to have an even worse effect than her hugs. So if he acted like it hadn't happened, then fine, it hadn't happened.

She sighs too, and hugs him back lightly. This time, she reacts in the way she should have done in the first place, and she nods her head, "You're right. I don't want to be a burden, or a failure."

"You're not, right now you're just a wounded crew member;" one they hope will recover and get better. At least he hopes so.

His hand returns to caress her hair as he holds her close. Does this really help? Has this help her feel better? Ikki doesn't know, it hadn't been his intention when he had entered the room... Actually he doesn't know what was his intention exactly, only that he felt angry, with her, with himself. The anger with her has passed, the anger with himself not so much and it probably won't ever leave, just like the rest of the reasons why he hates himself. As he holds her, he nests her face between his shoulder and his neck again, slightly turning his head towards her for a mere second, inhaling her scent, reminding himself that she's okay now, that she's safe and that he shouldn't go and take a boat to go back there and kill everyone left.

"You should rest now," he starts to shift, and it's hard to know if that kiss against her hair was real, an accident or just a figment of imagination.

Finally, Selphie breathes a sigh of acceptance. Just a wounded crew member, and in a couple of days she won't be wounded anymore. Things were getting better. And in the time he'd been there visiting her, she felt so much more relaxed and at peace that she had since the whole ordeal began. Selphie felt the tiniest movement, a quick moment where he had seemed closer, and the thought of it makes her blush, quite a bright shade of pink.

She slowly, reluctantly removes herself from him, despite the part of her that wants him to stay a little longer. She was so comfortable, felt so safe and warm. But she couldn't ask that. Besides, she was sure he had things to be doing now. When she flickers her gaze back to his, her cheeks are still slightly pink, and she is inwardly desperately wishing that they weren't. Because surely it was just an accident. Or she was really letting her imagination run away with him. "Okay. Thanks, Ikki, for coming to see me." Even if it had started with the two of them shouting at each other.

Her words bring out another sigh and a shake of his head, he doesn't know what he was aiming for with this visit but even as he had found himself there and had started shouting he really hadn't expected it to end with any of them actually feeling better. "It's nothing;" he moves to stand up, helping her to get back under the sheets.

He has things to do, the dull ache of the bullets buried inside his body, wounds covered with temporal bandages, is easy to ignore but it's something to treat. The Cloth helped, protected him from the worst shots, but some still hit the mark even if mere bullets won't ever be enough to kill him even once. He has to return to his room and extract the bullets so the wounds heal properly. And she has to rest in order to get better soon.

"Rest well, and don't worry, next time it will be very different;" there won't be a next time. He won't allow it. He won't fail her again. He has to vow to that, at least while he's here. If he can't do at least that, what use can he be back home? He's better than this, he has to be.

Selphie snuggles up underneath her blanket, feeling much more warmth and comfort there than from before, when she was using it as a way to hide from everyone. "It's not nothing... And I appreciate it." She smiles up at him, still looking a little flushed, but happy now.

"Alright. You rest up too, okay?" She smiles, laying her head down on her pillow. She's been thinking along the same lines he has, and her words show a renewed strength, "And, Ikki, there's not gonna be a next time."

He leaves her like that, moving to the door, still with heavy steps but glad that apparently she feels better now. He stops at the door and turns to look at her, a smirk on his lips as he shakes his head. "We're pirates here, there is always going to be a next ambush or attack. But none of us will let it be a repeat, right?" She will fight better and he will be there with her to avoid seeing her get captured or hurt.

"Alright. It's a deal - no more capturing and torturing." She lifts a hand from beneath the blanket to give a small salute. Then she stifles a yawn, realising suddenly just how exhausted she is. "Good night, Ikki." And she smiles as she closes her eyes.

"Good night, Selphie;" he closes the door slowly after he leaves. Heading to his room to treat his own wounds, it occurs to him belatedly how tired and shocked Selphie was for not having noticed his bandages. Or maybe she didn't care, it doesn't matter either way.

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