A Moment of Peace

There remained much work to do, and yet she stood here with her bare toes curled into sand. She could see the spiraling walls, the cage that protected and bound so many people—just as she could see the vastness of the ocean, untouched by darkness, blue and all encompassing. Sand beneath her toes, a forever glance away—so very different from cliffs and muddied inlets. So very different from home.

In the midst of the picture of beauty, of a momentary peace, danced blues and greens and reds within the water's. Tanned and tall in presence, yet somehow still so childish. Seem watched as he splashed in the water, pants rolled up to his thighs, hair sopping wet as he danced in the water like a child. Jak—Mar—laughed, carefree and so different from the hardened, damaged boy she'd met so long ago.

"The water's nice and cool!" he hollered over at her.

"I'll stay here, thanks," Seem replied. Her voice remained a rasp and a whisper, but by the twitch of his ears he heard her all the same. "Besides, there is no time for such frivolous ventures as this."

Jak paused in his splashing—more like Mar every day as time passed, as they worked so hard. Seem turned her gaze from the water and from Jak; from the way it dripped off his hair, styled so much like his fathers, the man she looked up to—turned her gaze towards the blue of the sky. War rested at the edges of the world, and yet here there sat peace.

Seem's ears twitched as she heard the slosh of waterlogged clothes and the sound of feet shifting in the sand. Finally he'd sought to leave the water, finally they could get back to work—

"You worry too much, Seem."

—hands tilted her face downward, away from the blue, blue of the sky and the clouds that dotted the landscape like little islands, like home. Seem stared at Jak and Jak stared back. Sometimes she couldn't fathom how the angry, bothersome boy had grown, matured into a man worthy of his name, worthy of Mar and worthy to be called Damas' son.

Seem stared now at the blue of Jak's eyes and wondered when and how he'd become this. This encompassing presence, this determined stance of light and all that in this world remained good and somehow pure despite the hardships, despite the taint—

"And there you go thinking too much, too."

—hands turned to cup her cheek and that smile, locked in a face that radiated peace, radiated light and darkness, radiated confidence and—Seem stopped her train of thought and blinked.

"There is much to accomplish," Seem said. "Such…frivolous ventures go against that."

Jak huffed a short laugh. "Sometimes, Seem, you need to take a break. Everyone needs a break."

"But the horaquan—"

"They're not here right now," Jak said. "The Sages have gotten a rudimentary eco shield up, the villages for the moment are safe. For the moment we have a slice of peace."

"But—" Seem started, and then stopped when Jak's thumb brushed just under her eyes. Concern, worry—never for the right things, never for the trials ahead.

"You've got bags under your eyes," Jak said softly. "Rest. Play in the water with me?"

Seem blinked, and stared at the face of a legend, a king, a warrior, a hero—Mar and Jak all wound together into a shining, bright being so full of everything Seem couldn't imagine him having. These stolen moments of relaxation, stolen moments where his guard was down—Seem bit her lip.

Perhaps she deserved one of these moments herself.

"Alright," Seem said. "You win."

Jak grinned, teeth and brilliant in his smile and Seem felt her lips twitch faintly at the pure boyish, roguish action.

"I always do!" Jak laughed, then grasped her hand, and dragged her towards the water's edge. He hauled her with strength that his frame didn't display, and tossed her into the depths. Seem squeaked and pulled herself up—she landed in just a few feet of water, nothing too deep, such a calculated move. Jak sloshed in after her and swept his hand across the ocean's surface, flinging water in her direction.

Quickly Seem retaliated, and soon she found herself laughing and her heart lighter. Soon there was light and joy and her worries eased away.

Yes, she decided, she too deserved one of these moments of peace.


Just a bit of fluff type stuff for Valentines Day quite obviously post canon of Jak and Daxter universe, but not TLF compliance here. Jak and Seem are at some ambiguous point in the past when Jak has taken on the roll of 'The Mar' - ages too are rather ambiguous. Daxter's probably off somewhere telling tall tales.

If anyone is OOC it's because I'm unwell and still new to this little slice of characters and I didn't get Nashi to give me the OK on this one yet. She's under the weather, so bluh. Enjoy it anyway.