high_seas | Supply Stop at Serenes

He caught her other hand as she stood. "Do you think it's far from here?" He did recall seeing one close by, and was looking around for anything familiar in the dark.

"Hmm... Maybe. Let's walk along a little, and we'll see if we can hear the water. It was a pretty big lake. And warmer than I thought it was gonna be." She smiled at him, glancing down at the flowers and stepping aside to be sure that she wasn't going to stand on them by accident. "There were pink flowers there too, I remember. Real pretty ones!"

"Did you want to keep them for yourself, then?" Aya wouldn't mind. Focusing on a few flowers would be fine. Not only that, but he could always draw the flowers if need be.

He gestured for them to walk to the left, thinking that the lake could be over in that direction.

"Maybe, I could just have one. We can share them. They're pretty big flowers!" The left seemed to be as good a direction as any and, sure enough, just ahead in a small clearing is, "The lake! We found it!" She let go of Aya's hand and moved round further along the lake and she pointed at some rather tall pink flowers. "These guys. Check them out!"

The flowers were almost tall enough to reach his hips. Aya approached them, carefully, as if they would swallow him up otherwise.

"How...are they so big?"

"Maybe the lake water helps them grow so big." Selphie stood very close to Aya, a hand above her head so that she can measure herself against him. "Well, doesn't look like the water helped me grow any taller."

"You're still pretty short." Aya grinned at her measuring, taking a hand that was above her head and pushing it gently down to the top of her head. "It's also not like you lived here your whole life.

"I guess I'm just stuck this way for good!" Selphie laughed when he put her hand on her head and she looked at him wondering why pretty much every thing he does makes her want to kiss him. But she didn't, and looked down at the flowers instead, "I bet this flower probably has. Or at least, I'm guessing it hasn't done too much travelling."

Her guess would be as good as his, really. Aya smiled to her softly while she looked at the flowers. His gaze eventually fell to the flowers and lake, barely baking it out with the glow of the forest.

"We should be lucky they don't. I can only what they would be capable of if they could." Aya sighed quietly. "It's too big to really take with us, don't you think?"

"Are you sure? Wouldn't this be an awesome one to research? You'd only need the one, really." She continued to look at the flower, then poked lightly at its huge petals. She'd touched it before, so knew it wouldn't sting her or hurt her in any way at least.

He scratched his head in thought, watching Selphie. Well, good to know it was harmless so far. "Where would we keep it?"

"Oh. Right. I don't know..." Selphie looked around her, trying to think practically of what to do. It'd be a shame if Aya couldn't take this with him. "I also... I dunno how we're gonna get any of the water. I didn't bring a flask with me."

She moved closer to the edge of the lake, as though being near it was going to help her get some idea out of thin air somehow.

He did wonder why she was getting so close to the lake. "We still have time to figure it out. We could still come back tomorrow, too." Aya stepped closer to her, placing a hand on Selphie's shoulder."

"Anything on your mind?"

"Oh, yeah. Tomorrow we can come back with all the equipment, or, whatever it is that you need."

His question surprised her, but she continued to look down into the lake even with his hand on her shoulder. She really wasn't sure what to say, about her talk with Marco, or with Ikki. "I forgot to bring something to put the water in... I didn't think about going back to get anything... Do you think...that I'm stupid, Aya? Do you think it was...childish for me to forget?" Still not turning to look at him, her eyes were focused on the water as she remembered the way Ikki had told her she had a childish brain, she was just a stupid kid.

His eyebrows narrowed at her question, which came seemingly out of nowhere. "Of course not. I don't have anything, either, and I certainly don't think I'm childish, or stupid. So you're not either of those things."

Aya brought his other hand to her chin, turning it as gently as possible. "Why do you think I would come to that conclusion?"

Selphie nodded very slightly - that was very true, so it was somewhat comforting. She allowed Aya to turn her face towards him, but she had difficulty meeting his eyes, "I don't know... Just something someone said..."

Aya could only guess who, but he didn't want to make assumptions just yet. "Which someone?"

Selphie swallowed and shook her head, only very slightly, still unable to really look at him. "Doesn't matter. Won't be talking to him again. Ever." Because he actually threatened to kill her if she did, but she decided it was better not to say so, at least just now.

"Well, whatever he says doesn't matter, anyway." Aya shifted so that he was in her line of sight, the hand guiding her chin going to the side of jaw. "If he says anything to you that's hurtful, just ignore him." A thumb stroked her jawline lightly. "You can always talk to me, if you're up to it."

He was right. It really didn't matter. Especially not now. And she shouldn't let any death threats bother her when she was standing by a pretty lake at night time with Aya. With that touch on her jaw, Selphie finally let her eyes lift up to his, and when he mentioned talking to him, she knew that she could and, suddenly, completely trusting him, she talked.

"Aya, you need to know that I do really care about you, and I'm not just being silly, or selfish, or spoiled and I don't think that things have to happen my way, and I don't expect you to do everything for me. I don't want to change you, or anything like that. And I'm not a horrible person, not really, and I'd hate it if I ever said anything that made you feel bad. But you can tell me if I do. And it's so confusing for me sometimes that you don't yell at me all the time, and you don't seem to think I'm repulsive. So - you're right, it shouldn't bother me, but it hurt me today when he said those things. And I'll do my best to just ignore it, and to even forget about threats and everything. But Aya, I'm not perfect but I'm not worthless either, I promise."

It all came out in a rush, but her eyes didn't move from his the entire time she said it, getting rid of all of the things she'd been thinking since speaking with Ikki, and the things he's said to her before. Her expression changed between sadness, and confusion, and frustration, but she was clearly always earnest with what she said.

Aya was glad that she finally looked to him, and even more so when she said what was on her mind. He smiled to Selphie, glad that she trusted him enough with what was on her mind.

"I care about you, too, Selphie. Honestly, I doubt you could willingly change me to anything you'd like, but you'll probably be a good influence on me." His smile faded into a frown at the word 'repulsive'. Was that what Ikki thought of her? "If I did find you repulsive, I probably wouldn't want to be involved with you like this. I've...been angry for a a long time, Selphie, and for a very good reason. Sure, I may have gotten frustrated a few times when we talk, but those are just petty things that aren't worth my anger over."

He shook his head softly. "None of us are perfect, and I doubt he is." A hand reached for hers, linking them together. "If he ever threatens you again, tell me. You don't have to deal with that on your own. If it gets serious, we'll leave, because it's not worth staying someplace you can't even feel safe in."

Aya wasn't sure what he could do if Ikki threatened her again, but he sure wouldn't just let it go without saying something.

"I'll do what I can to be someone you can trust, and worth spending your time with, but I can't guarantee I'll always be the best of company." He gave her a wry smile. "Maybe we can be not worthless together?"

Edited 2014-04-16 13:12 (UTC)

The smile startled her at first, perhaps because she was still afraid that there was a chance he'd be angry or disappointed with her and what she had just said to him. After all, she's hardly been in a situation before where she's had to explain to someone about an ex who gave her death threats. It is a little awkward.

She closed her eyes and nodded when he held her hand, pleased to know that he's watching out for her, and also that he said 'we' - if she had to go, it sounded like he'd come with her, and that made her smile fondly. Opening her eyes again, she squeezed his hand nodded, smiling much brighter now, "Good idea. I like the sound of that a lot."

He squeezed her hand back, his smile widening little by little. Good, she looked a lot better than when this conversation first started.

"You know, we've come a long way, haven't we?" A bit of an understatement when he thought of it again.

Seeing Aya smile more makes her feel even better, and she turned to take a look at the lake, and the ridiculously tall pink flowers. Selphie looked at him again, laughing lightly at his statement, "Yeah, I guess we have."

Aya leaned his forehead atop her head for a short moment. "How about we go back? We can collect the flowers tomorrow."

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject