Chapter 5

As the boat rolled and swayed over the brutal waves, Aladdin was stirred awake. Groaning, he sat up and wiped the blood from his brow. Taking a quick inventory, he checked over the rest of his body and noted the bump on his head was to be the worst. As he tried to stand, the cabin around him blurred and spun. Fighting off the effects of his unconsciousness, he shook his head and forced his eyes to clear. Everything came rushing back to him in a vicious mental assault as he recalled his last quarrel with Samirah and the unbearable scum he was turning into. What bothered him worse; he didn't want Samirah to hate him and he didn't know exactly what that meant.

The squall became a wall of water and ferocity as it swiftly advanced towards Sapphire, leaving Aladdin grasping his bed to keep from rolling about his cabin as the boat was hit by another oncoming wave. He heard miscellaneous objects clatter to the floor as they were knocked off shelves and tables. Doors slammed and furniture toppled over as the boat was hurled around in the uncompromising sea. In a moment of somewhat stillness, Aladdin rushed towards his door and made his way up to the deck. Immediately greeted by a torrent of seawater and wind, he took a few steps back to keep from being swept away. Turning, he saw Samirah steering the boat, drenched and wild; loving every second of the storm.

When she looked down at Aladdin as he came up from below deck, her initial reaction was anger, followed swiftly by concern as she saw the blood on his forehead. Forcing that aside, she concentrated on the waves that were threatening her boat and the wind that could snap her mast in half. Aladdin stumbled his way up to the bridge and made his way over towards Samirah.

"Stay below deck!" She snapped loudly out against the wind and slapping rain. The last thing she wanted to deal with at the moment was her confused feelings with Aladdin and the earlier confrontation between them. The fading embarrassment only added bitterness in her blood towards him as she turned away and kept her eyes on the water.

"That didn't work out too well for me!" He replied and motioned towards his wound. "I want to help!" He cried out earnestly.

"We don't need you!" She screamed against the howling wind and the claps of thunder. "Hamal!" She bellowed, "Take the wheel!" She ran past Aladdin and quickly made her way down to the deck where she swiftly secured the sails. "Go away, Aladdin!" She called out without looking at him, knowing he had followed her onto the deck. "Before you hurt yourself or someone else!" It didn't take him long to realize what she truly meant by that.

"I can handle myself just fine."

"Well, that's fine and dandy," She began as thunder clapped while lightning flashed and illuminated the sky above them and the choppy waters below. "But I have myself and Hamal to think of, as well as Sapphire. Leave this to the professionals!" She looked past him, out to the stormy clouds that clashed above. "I don't want to see you right now." Her bitter thoughts only added towards her unbalanced emotions, 'You idiot! How could you ignore the oncoming storm after you were watching the clouds? You knew it was coming, but you let a boy interfere! … Just like you let your heart interfere with matters of the mind! Keep in mind the last time that happened.'

"I want to apologize!" He wiped the water away from his eyes, which proved little use as his body was whipped with rain and wind, causing him to lower his body closer to the boat and grab hold of rigging rope. The saltwater stung as it ran over his cut on his forehead and made him grimace. When she didn't reply, he continued. "I should've told you everything earlier ... before things got complicated."

Still, she didn't answer, but she didn't need to once he saw the anger and rage boiling within her eyes as she turned towards him. "You call this complicated? It's more than that!" Another wave hurtled the boat, spilling seawater across the deck and causing Aladdin and Samirah to lose balance and fall on to the deck. "You let me ..." She groaned and wiped her hair away from her face. "You let me believe." She stated flatly. Lightning streaked across the sky and momentarily illuminated Samirah's worn features and the natural hurt inside her. Both of them hastily gripped the same mast pole as the ship rocked to one side. Facing each other, merely inches apart, he could see every aching feeling in her eyes. "You could've ended this before it started by just ... telling me!"

"I know!" He called back. "I want to explain!" He pleaded as the storm pelted them with rain and seawater ceaselessly.

"It's too late for explanations! It's too late for everything!" With her fists balled at her sides, Samirah stepped away from the mast and took a wavering breath while she stared at him relentlessly. "Damn it, I've already fallen in love with you!"

Both of them stood, defenseless and motionless as the storm continued to berate the boat. They stood only within a few feet of each other, and saw deep within each other's eyes. He could see the hurt, the pain, and the unyielding jealously for the other woman that he was promised to. "I'm sorry, Samirah." He said quietly, so quiet it was nearly lost within the winds of the storm. He cast his eyes downward with shame for letting his attraction blind him from her feelings and even his own.

"I am too." She said with sorrow. Turning, she busied herself with the sails, bundling them up and tying them safely away. He stood against the main mast, bracing it when Sapphire was thrown around, leaning against it as he watched Samirah work. He felt useless and worthless; completely disgraced. The sting from the wound on his forehead was nothing compared to the dull ache of a heavy heart and curling stomach caused by guilt.

As he watched Hamal and Samirah work tirelessly against the storm, he watched her and thought of her words. She loved him. She had fallen for him, and he let her, knowing perfectly well that he was engaged and would eventually have to break it to her. So why did he allow it to happen?

As he realized, he felt shame wash over him. He allowed it all to happen because … he wanted to be sure she would return the feelings he was gaining for her as well. Closing his eyes, he let his head fall back against the mast. His body was aching with ongoing exhausting effects of the storm and he was drenched from head to toe as water still fell on him in a steady torrent from above. Yet, the last thing he could do was sleep at the moment.

The storm slowly began to die down and the waves began to subside. The rain continued to fall in a drenching shower, but Aladdin had no intention of drying off. 'Think about this logically …' he began to ponder before understanding he had to follow his heart and not his brain. He looked over at Samirah who was as equally drenched and tired as she sat at the bow of the ship, staring down at the water below the boat. The boat was still, with no wind to move the boat and the storm still posing a threat to the sails, they sat. It was the perfect time.

Pushing any form of logic and all thoughts of Jasmine momentarily out of his head, he took a deep breath and approached Samirah. It was wrong, he knew it, but something in his heart was pushing him and so he obeyed.

He grabbed her gently by the arm and swung her around. The alarm in her eyes was apparent enough, yet before she could shriek out his name in irritation for disturbing her, she was lost within his impulsive kiss. Aladdin's arms entwined around her waist and pulled her closer as Samirah's hands held the back of his neck and pushed him to deepen the kiss. Her skin felt sizzling as her heart pounded within her chest. 'Finally…' she thought dreamily and let the last remnants of anger float away.

The downpour fell on them relentlessly, soaking their heated skin as they held each other against the heavy rainfall. Samirah's heart was melting within her as she forgot every last trace of resentment for Aladdin. He no longer questioned what he was doing as he became lost within the feel and taste of her. She was so sweet and fresh, her lips were silky and smooth against his and her hands were tender and warm as they touched his neck.

Something ignited within him as he held her and his conscience felt nothing wrong with what he was doing. It was almost as if he had been meant to be with Samirah all along. Everything felt so steady and solid with her; everything seemed to click. When they broke apart, softly panting, Samirah felt her cheeks had warmed and the rain was cooling her skin. For a moment, they only stood, staring at each other with the same small smile covering their faces.

"Wow …" She murmured softly.

"Yeah …" He said with a stunned nod.

As they looked over each other with a new, fascinated attraction that fell over them both, it was then the guilt began to teem in his heart. Slight embarrassment swarmed over him and he felt himself backing away stiffly. Half of him wanted to continue the kiss between them, but the other half was screaming at him to stop and think of Jasmine. 'Oh Allah, what have I done?'

Samirah could see the battle that was forging within him at his will and frowned. "You're thinking of her now, aren't you?" She said sadly. When he merely nodded and swallowed, she turned away.

"I don't know what to do." He said honestly.

"Do what your heart tells you." She shrugged simply. When she began to walk away, he felt panic stretch across his chest.

"Samirah, wait." She paused and turned around. "I want to explain everything." She came back towards him and sat down, silently waiting for him to begin. The rain started to subside and faint traces of the sun started to shimmer onto the water through the clouds. As he told his lengthy tale of his life over the past year, the sun eventually came out and rose across the sky, drying the ship and warming the crew.

Aladdin felt like a burden was lifted from him as he told her about his life and the people he had centered himself around. The dependency he had with other's and what he had begun to make of himself after being a kid on the streets for so long. He also told of how his dreams of becoming something more than a street rat was up for questioning at that very moment by the counsel.

When he finally finished his story, from meeting Jasmine in the marketplace, to freeing Genie, and explaining what lead him to take the excursion to Dukhan, she sat back feeling enlighten and amazed. He left no detail out and even went into telling of a few adventures he and his friends had with Mozenrath and a few other foes Aladdin had. When he finished, he sat back and watched her reaction. At first, it seemed she didn't know what to think, but eventually let it all sink in with her.

"Who would've thought …" she began to comment absently.

"I know," he nodded. "Looking back, it's all been one crazy journey I suppose."

"She sounds wonderful," She murmured softly, commenting about Jasmine. After he went into great detail explaining everything about her, she felt so inferior and unable to compete with such a woman. Not only was she described to be physically beautiful, but she had a brain to match, was adventurous as Aladdin and a Princess no less. Sighing, she stood and surveyed the waters and the sky, determining whether to release the sails and continue the trip. As she pondered over it, half of her wanted to remain at sea forever with Aladdin, never wanting him to reach Dukhan and his fiancé. The other half deemed it was time to move on and let fate decide what was to become of them.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner." Aladdin said earnestly.

"I know. I understand why it was hard to explain everything, but I'm glad you decided to confide with me." She grinned.

"Samirah …" He searched for the words, but couldn't find any to fit the moment.

"I know, Aladdin." She nodded, silencing him. "Just remember, everything tends to happen for a reason. You should clean that," Samirah commented on his wound. The bleeding had stopped, but a growing bruise was becoming more noticeable. She turned and left him pondering his thoughts as she went to rig the sails and continue their voyage. After prepping the boat and setting it back on course she returned to her cabin to finally get some rest.

Aladdin took some more time on the deck of the boat, staring out into the barren ocean as they sailed on. When he felt his eyes become heavy and his body screamed for rest, he finally headed below deck. He paused at the doorway to Samirah's cabin, almost feeling the sudden urge to go into her room. His impulse was quickly smothered and he hastily went inside his own cabin. Lying on his bed, thinking over the last few hours with her, his heart tapped playfully in his chest as he thought of their steamy kiss. No longer able to stay awake, Aladdin slipped into a peaceful slumber with his last thoughts being his realization that he was falling in love with Samirah.

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To Be Continued …

As always, please R/R!