Kris had managed to return back to her usual spot at the ship's railing to look out at the ocean. The sea was alight with the stars above, a cosmos of splendor tinkling both above and on the surface of the water. Waves crashed against the ship down below, a melodic sound that reverberated through Kris's very being. Magnificent indeed. She hadn't been able to sleep again, her nerves still alight with adrenaline. But she didn't want to disturb Nathan, so she snuck upstairs to gaze out at the stars.
"Couldn't sleep either?" A female voice said from behind her.
Kris turned to see Fuzzy standing behind her. "No."
"Mind if I join you then? The guys in my room snore really loudly."
"Yeah, I guess."
Fuzzy smiled, leaning against the railing next to her. "Thanks."
A silence then filled the air around them, neither saying a word. Kris couldn't help but to feel a sense of Déjà vu from when they had been leaning against the railing just the other day. She shook her head and looked up at the sky, breathing in the cool night's air.
"How are your bruises feeling?" Fuzzy asked.
Kris shrugged. "They're alright. Nothing to fuss over."
"You think they'll be back?"
"Oh I know they will be. Which is why we just need to be more prepared next time. I think we just got too comfortable because we had the safety of numbers."
"Yeah, that's true." Fuzzy agreed.
Silence surrounded them again, and Kris lost herself in her thoughts. A smile crossed her face involuntarily as she thought of the sleeping man in her bed. She would never tell him this, but he sometimes talked in his sleep. It didn't happen a whole lot, but sometimes when he was exceedingly tired, and his dreams had taken him to a faraway place, words deep from within his soul leaked out. Tender words. Words he only said to her. And tonight's words had warmed her heart. He'd repeated her name, the word love, and the word always. A lot had happened that day, but hearing those words coming from him even in sleep comforted her. She was still getting used to such intimacy, and still had a difficult time expressing her love towards him. But he always seemed to know what to do, what to say. He would patiently wait for her to return similar expressions to him, never impatient or unkind. A side of him she would selfishly hold onto.
"You're thinking about Nathan, aren't ya?" Fuzzy asked quietly, looking over at Kris.
Instantly wiping the smile from her face, she shrugged. "Maybe."
"You two make a nice couple you know."
Kris raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"
Fuzzy walked up, her arms behind her back. "You and Nathan. You two suit each other well."
"What makes you say that?"
Fuzzy shrugged and gave her a soft smile. "I don't know. You two just seem to fit well together."
Kris relaxed, leaning forward. "What do you mean?"
"Granted I haven't known you for very long, but I guess I can tell how you feel about him by the way you look at him, like a young woman in love. And from what I have heard of ya from the rest of your crew, you two just complement each other. You bring out a softer side to Nathan, a more protective and loving side that I don't think I've ever seen from him. I mean, if you need any more proof of that, go talk to the guy he threw out into the ocean earlier today."
Kris couldn't help but to laugh at Fuzzy's words. "You think so?"
"I know so! You should just see the way he looks at you when you're not watching him. Total adoration. A rare quality in a pirate like him." Fuzzy answered, patting Kris on the back roughly.
"He does?"
"Yeah. Just wished Master Eduardo would look at me that way!" Fuzzy replied, wiggling her eyebrows at her.
"Master Eduardo?"
"Yep! He's totally in love with me, he just doesn't know it yet."
Amused by this smaller woman's confidence, Kris grinned. "Is he now?"
"Has been for years now, poor thing's just been pining away for me."
"So even Cyclops has feelings. Miracles do happen."
"Oh yeah. Someday he'll come to his senses and sweep me up off my feet. Only a matter of time as I see it!" She answered, fluffing her hair up exaggeratedly, causing Kris to let out a small laugh.
"And when that day comes, let me know. That's something I'd definitely want to see!"
"Of course! I'll want everyone to see! But you're lucky you have Nathan."
Kris softened slightly at her words. "I… I just worry sometimes that he doesn't know how much I care about him. Because I'm not used to expressing myself in that way…"
Fuzzy shrugged, nudging her gently in the side. "Well, you've never really had to before. Us women pirates are a tough and rare breed. When we've made it on our own for so long, even in such a tough guy's field, it's harder to be more intimate with someone. But I wouldn't worry if I were you, he knows."
"How do you know that?"
"By how the both of you act around each other. You let your guard down around him. I've seen it, though brief because whenever you think someone else is watching you go back into tough-girl Kris mode."
Kris suddenly looked at her suspiciously. "Why are you being so nice to me?"
"What do you mean?"
"Why are you being nice to me? What is it that you want?"
"Is that what you think? That I'm just being nice so that I can get something from you?"
Shrugging her shoulders, Kris glanced at her. "You tell me."
Fuzzy chuckled and slapped her on the back again. "You really are quite the distrusting little shit, aren't ya?"
"Come again?"
"Russell was telling me a little about you during dinner earlier. Said you weren't exactly the most trusting person at first."
"Oh he did, did he?" Kris asked, mentally making a note to pound him later.
"Yeah. But he also said that despite how you act all threatening, you really are a good person."
"He did?"
Fuzzy nodded. "All of your crew did. Your fiancée included."
Rubbing the back of her neck, Kris sighed. "I didn't know that's how they felt about me…"
"You've earned the respect of all of your crew not because of how tough you are, but because you're a good person. Trustworthy. Courageous. Kind when you need to be. Sarcastic as hell, which I think is absolutely hilarious. And so, you've also earned my respect. Us women gotta stick together ya know!"
At her words, Kris couldn't help but to feel slightly guilty. "T-Thank you Fuzzy… You know… I'm sorry I've been so cold to you…"
"It's alright. Don't worry about it."
"I am sorry though… I'm just not… just not used to being around other women."
Fuzzy smiled and patted her on the back again. "Yeah, Russell told me a little about your background."
"Making friends with guys was always just the safer choice growing up."
"Well, I'm hoping that maybe now you'll know what it's like to have a woman as a friend."
"You want to be my friend?"
"Yeah, why not?"
"I just didn't think it was that simple."
Fuzzy extended her hand towards Kris. "It can be. Friends?"
"Friends." Kris replied, taking Fuzzy's hand and giving it a hearty shake.