DISCLAIMER: The characters here are the property of Square-Enix. I don't even have a doll of any characters.
She was back here. Back in Balamb. This time, with no pretenses, no secrets. The world was safe. Everyone was safe. She was pleased. She walked quietly down the long pier of Fisherman's Horizon, her sandals hanging from one hand, her bare feet hardly making a noise on the wooden floor. Lightly dropping her sandals on the floor, she sat on the edge of the docks, allowing her feet to dangle in the breeze as she watched the sea. Her shawl flaps playfully in the sea breeze.
He stepped out onto the docks. It was a place where he usually came to these days. The enticing lure of the rolling waves of the sea drew him to it. The bounty that the sea produces had him carrying that fishing rod with him. He stopped at the start of the pier, watching that familiar figure up ahead of him. It was her, another person that he had hurt. In his blind rage, he had meant to hurt her. Yet, she had suffered more than any of them. At least he still had his friends to fall back on and return to. Despite their differences, he could still return to them. She had no such option. She was alone for many years.
With a violent tug, the wind playfully wrenches the shawl away from her arms, sending it flying backwards. A soft cry of distress escapes from her as she twirls around to watch her wayward shawl. Her eyes widened at the sight of the man at the start of the pier. A fishing rod in one hand and the other hand had stretched out to catch the shawl. It was strange to see him, his gray trenchcoat flapping in the breeze, the bright green shawl clasped in his strong hand. Slowly, she stood up on the docks and waited.
He approached her awkwardly, his fingers tightening onto the soft material of the shawl in his other hand. He stopped as he reached her, looking at her apprehensively as he does so. Her hands were clasped tightly together and her soft brown eyes were cast downwards as though she dared not look at him. He would not harm her again. She thought to herself. He would not. Wordlessly, he dropped his rod onto the pier and gently spreads out the shawl as he drapes it around her shoulders. His hands trembled as he adjusted the shawl around her so that it would not fly away again.
She felt the warmth and security of her shawl around her, his movements was unlike those that she had experienced with him in their first encounter. The strong hand that had tightened around her wrist painfully was now lightly draping her shawl around her. The voice that had roughly told her off was now silent and Ellone looked up towards him.
"I forgive you." The soft words were spoken so softly, that he had to strain to hear it. Though he heard it. The burden on his heart lifted slightly. It was not much, but it helped. Seifer did not know what he was doing when he abruptly reached out to her. Ellone stepped backwards at his sudden movement and plunged straight into the waters.
It was instinctive, Seifer jumped in after her, moving towards her as she flounders in the sea. His hand reached out to grab hold of one of her flailing hands as he attempted to pull her up. She continued to struggle as she turns and latches onto him. "Stand up." He instructs her. "Stand up." His other hand gripped onto her remaining hand as he spoke, lending her his strength as he assists her to stand. The water reached her shoulders and the look of confusion that she gave him was priceless.
Seifer laughed. He laughed as he held her close to him, his hand moving to press lightly against her back. His laughter stopped as he looked down at her. She was blushing as she continued to cling on to him. Her body was trembling. She had been frightened. His arms tightened around her as he gently rubbed her back, "It is allright, everything is going to be allright." He says softly. He would protect her. It was not much of an atonement but he would protect her.