2.) Moments
She could see the boat breaking the steady surface of the waves ahead of her and a hitch in her chest made her falter a moment before, with a single flick of her tail, she righted herself and shot herself ahead like she had never done before, adrenaline and irrational fears pumping through her blood. An urgency to see the one she loved, the father of her unborn child one last time before he escaped her...forever.
At the edge of the ship's shadow she twisted in the water and with a powerful twist with her tail, shot herself upward, water trailing after her as she broke the surface and arched over the railing.
She spotted him on deck while she was in the air, staring at her with wide, startled, dark grey eyes and donning the captain's outfit she hadn't seen him touch in a year.
She landed on the deck with a hard thump and slight wince and she instantly felt a hand on her, helping her as she pushed herself up.
He just stared at her with those wide eyes, like he couldn't believe she was there. She glanced over him quickly, noticing how much more haggard he looked. It reminded her why he was doing this, and she understood why as he had explained that much.
That didn't mean she liked it.
She twisted quickly and nailed him with the scaly part of her tail, right in the head, a hot flash of anger filling her and edging her on as she nailed him with the most powerful part of her body and yelled at him.
"Roger! How dare you tell me what your planning over a snail phone! Were you not going to let me say goodbye?! Were you not going to let me tell you the news!?! Did you not think I'd track you down?! You bastard." The last two words were said in a quiet cold voice as she raised a fist threateningly, shaking in anger a vein throbbing on her neck.
He raised his arms in attempt to block her tail from connecting to his head again, and quickly spewed out words. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! There wasn't time! Rouge I'm sorry! Pleaaassee stop!"
She relented and let her tail fall against the deck heavily and leveled him with a glare as he sheepishly scratched his head while looking at her.
She leveled her glare at the only other two occupants of the boat and noted they had pinched looks on their faces, and backed up instinctively when her glare landed on them. "Shanks, Rayleigh.. did neither of you think to make him do it some other way?!"
They both shrank back and the red haired teen stepped slightly behind the older man beside him. Rouge rolled her eyes and looked back to Roger she sighed at his sheepish look and the angry look on her face softened. "You could have at least come to Sabaody so I could say goodbye to you." He winced and looked even more guilty.
"I'm so sorry Rouge."
She shook her head and sighed looking back to her love's past crewmates, her voice was soft, a sharp contrast to her harsh fury moments before. "Would you two give us a minute."
"Sure Rouge." Rayleigh was the one to speak as he grabbed the red head's arm and pulled him into the cabin.
She looked back to Roger and he was looking at her again. He opened his mouth to say something, only for her to cut him off as she kissed him. She pulled away after a minute. Feeling his arms wrap around her and pull her close, she maneuvered her tail to wrap around his back as he placed her in his lap, she leaned her forehead against his chest. "You don't have to explain to me why you're doing this... I'm not ignorant or naive enough to not understand.. I'm not here to beg you not to, or to steal you away from this ship.. that'd only put you in more pain..."
"Rouge.." his voice was quiet but she let it wash over her, knowing very well she may not hear it like that again. She listened to his breathing for a moment feeling the slight rattles the shook his lungs and the almost unnoticeable trembles that had possessed his arms the past few months.
She opened her eyes and inhaled his scent as she spoke. "I don't want to hurt you... but I have to tell you.. you have to know..."
He pushed her slightly by the shoulders so he could look in her eyes a confused look on his face. "Rouge, what are you talking about? What news were you meaning earlier?"
She smiled shakily and grabbed his hand, slowly shifting it to rest over her lower abdomen. She left it there for a moment and she felt him still completely. She smiled. "You're a father Roger."
His eyes grew wide and a large smile broke on his face. He was the one to kiss her this time and she relished it.
Banishing the painful air and daunting approaching future that would await the end of this ship's voyage.
If only for a moment.
She'd treasure the last few days she had with him, never letting her thoughts trail to what would await her love at the end of the waves.
