A/N: Um, okay, this is my first 'Treasure Planet' fic. I'm not really sure how to go about it, and I'm terrible at writing something original for the first time, so this is just a novelization of the scene where Silver comforts Jim...which quickly became my favorite scene :3
Okay, can you BLAME me?! They were perfect as father and son! And then Silver ruined it...
Uh, also, from what I hear, it sounds like there are more movies than just the one, so I'm gonna attempt to find those, but the only one I've seen is the first, if the first is the one that 'I'm Still Here' plays in :3 I love that song.
Anyway, I only recently saw Treasure Planet and am now in love. Feel free to judge me. Nothing will change this.
Anyway, I'd say it's pretty good for my first try at a new fandom...anybody else wanna tell me how I did?
Disclaimer: I own no dialogue or characters. Some of their thoughts, yes, but nothing else!
Silver knew how horrible Jim felt.
After all, he was still seeing it himself, in his mind's eye, trying to process everything that had happened.
He had just about managed to convince himself that he hadn't imagined everything, not even Jim's wide blue eyes as he frantically checked the lifelines, finding only one that was no longer in place.
"His lifeline was not secured."
"No, I checked them all!" Jim was quick to say. Perhaps…too quick. "I-I did! I checked them all! They were secure!" He was gabbling now; even Silver could see the boy's nervousness as he ran up to the ropes and checked them all again.
And one was missing. Just one.
The other ropes dangled limply, of no use to anyone now. And there was one empty space where Mr. Arrow's should have been…where Mr. Arrow's HAD been…
There was a silence, except the soft sighing of the wind as Silver picked over the horrible events of the day, again and again.
Jim hadn't known Mr. Arrow would be in the way.
He thought Mr. Arrow was meant to live.
"It weren't your fault, you know," Silver whispered comfortingly, wanting to help the boy and reassure him, but not quite knowing why.
There was nothing but stony silence from Jim's end.
"Why, half the crew would be spinnin' in that black abyss—
"Look, don't you get it?" Jim had had it. He'd finally snapped, unable to hear any more meaningless, empty words of comfort. Words meant, he was sure, to reassure a child. He was no child. He had screwed up. Why should he be comforted?
"I screwed up! For two seconds, I thought that maybe…I could do something right…"
Silver bit his lip in sympathy. He knew how the boy felt. But every person made mistakes. Before he had known all there was to know about spacing himself, he'd been terrible at it. He thought about sharing these mishaps, but then reasoned with himself. Let the boy talk. He wants to talk. He needs to talk.
"…but…" Jim drew a deep, ragged breath. "I just—just forget it. Forget it."
There were a few more long seconds of silence as Jim silently refused to face Silver, before the older man was suddenly angry. He wasn't about to let this boy beat himself up over something that wasn't even his fault.
"Now, you listen to me, James Hawkins," Silver said angrily, spinning the boy around to face him. "You got the makings of greatness in ya…" And you're gonna squander it, the way everybody else does?
"…But you gotta take the helm and chart your own course."
There! That sounded much better!
"Stick to it," Silver continued, "no matter the squalls! And when the time comes, you get the chance to really test the cut of your sails and show what you're made of…" He drew a deep breath, trying to calm himself before he scared the boy with his intensity. "Well, I hope I'm there, catching some of the light comin' off ya that day."
Jim just stared up at him.
Silver wasn't looking. So he didn't see the tears building up in the young man's bright blue eyes.
He glanced down at him for half a second and that was enough.
Jim collapsed in Silver's arms, sobbing quietly, the warmth of the man welcoming him in, telling him things that he shouldn't have believed, sweet, beautiful nothings, like, you're safe here. This man will always care about you. Always.