Don't Fall, part 30

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy. No profit is being made off of this... uhh, self-indulgent crap. Because, that's exactly what it is.

Note: I actually typed this up months ago. It's not a full chapter, but it's not meant to be. I just need the time to pass and for the ship to arrive all ready to get the plot moving. So it's SUPER short.

FIC START!

There were a small group of beds underneath the ship's deck, spaced evenly. It was meant to hold a reasonably sized crew for a cross-seas adventure. Over on the other side of the room was a cabinet full of provisions, mostly canned dried fish and hard-tack. Things that would not spoil in case a crew was lost at sea. Sakinah sat on a bed and pat it, winking at Kain. He blushed and instead sat on a bed right across from hers.

"That's not what you want, is it?" she asked.

"Now is not the appropriate time," Kain answered in a very stern tone. He pulled the faceplate from his head and began to take his armor off, revealing the clothes underneath his armor. Simple, functional, with room to move.

"Let my ask you this, then," Sakinah said, reaching to pull her shoes off. "Is any time appropriate?"

"I suggest you get some rest, though I would not put it past Cecil to immediately offer you the chance to rest once we land. We are both familiar of the fatigue involved with long travels," he replied. Once all of his metallic armor had been removed, he pulled back the simple, single layer military issue blanket and prepared to settle himself into it. While he wanted to assume responsibility for the travel party, everyone was correct when they noticed exactly how tired he was. Sometimes, Kain hated that now his entire face was exposed to the rest of the world. He used to be able to hide so much under his dragon helm. "Please. The accomodations are not lavish, but do make use of them."

"You think I care about how fancy things are?" she asked, rolling her eyes. She snapped off her breastplate and placed it with her shoes, and hung her hat off of it. "We could be stranded out in the middle of nowhere, hundreds of miles from civilization, using rocks as pillows, and... I'd still be happy, knowing I'm with you."

Kain let out a tiny chuckle at that comment, picking up the pillow to fluff it up a bit. These pillows were infamous for providing absolutely no comfort or support. Rocks would be more useful. "You mean that."

"I do," she nodded.

"Lay down."

"I have to do something first," Sakinah said, standing back up. "I can't sleep just yet."

He was bewildered at that comment, wondering why she would bother getting up now. She walked to the other side of the bed she had claimed as her own, and put her hands on the wooden frame. With the utmost force her body could muster, she managed to push it a bit towards the bed Kain sat on. She took a few deep breaths, frustrated at her own weakness, but if she wasn't going to share a bed with him, the least she could do would be to sleep next to him. Sakinah grunted audibly, shaking as she tried to apply more force.

"You must not over exert your body. You will hurt yourself," Kain said worriedly. "You really don't have to worry. I'm not going anywhere."

"I'm going to be close to you one way or the other," Sakinah gasped, finally able to push the bedframes together after a lot of struggling. She flopped over onto the bed, her head landing on the very edge of Kain's bed. The mattress felt like nothing more than a cloth-covered concrete slab, and it wasn't comfortable in the slightest, but having her head level to her feet, she still let out a yawn. "Forgive me for being so stubborn."

"What is there to forgive?" he asked, leaning over so his long blonde hair framed his face. He smiled just a bit. "I don't mind this arrangement, as long as you do get some decent rest."

"Fair enough," she said, picking herself up enough to get in a much more comfortable position. She yawned again, this time far more loudly, having a hard time fighting against the gentle, soothing rocking of the boat in the current. "Don't leave without me, all right?"

"I would never," Kain said, curling up so that his body faced hers, his head on the horribly unsupportive pillow.

She faced him, staring into his beautiful blue eyes until she couldn't hold her own eyes open any longer. She reached for him, and she found her hand embraced in the warmth of his own. That was enough for her to fall asleep completely, her deep steady breaths making him feel that much more relaxed. He knew that everyone was forcing the issue of them being an item, and while he had been growing closer to her, he wished that everyone would just let the relationship grow naturally. It took him a bit, but he slowly fell asleep himself, continuing to hold her hand.