"So, what did you tell him, little one?"

Doubar's eyebrows were risen, the pale blue of his gaze lying on the petite brunette who now stood right next to him. There was the distinct trace of utter bafflement in the first mate's voice as he spoke and it had the young woman smile softly.

Just a few minutes earlier the captain of the famous Nomad ship had pulled their resident Celtic sorceress into a kiss that not a single sailor onboard had expected to witness anytime soon. And even more surprising, he had also declared his love for her, not caring if instead of just his friends it would have been the entire world that had listened in that moment.

All the years, all the long months they had spent together as a crew, as comrades, and family the couple had guarded their feelings so well – had always found new excuses why to not give in to what they each held inside. And it had seemed that the two of them would still have to come a long way until they could finally admit to this truth, but now, all of a sudden, it appeared things had changed fundamentally.

"You think I got anything to do with that?", the brunette quipped playfully while her warm gaze lingered on the retreating forms of their friends.
While she herself had walked over to where Doubar sat dumbfounded on the steps, his hair flowing down his neck and over his shoulders, the comb lying behind him forgotten and abandoned, a furiously blushing and for once speechless Maeve had allowed Sinbad to lead her to the prow where a more private talk was possible. And heaven only knew the two sailors needed that right now.

"Oh come on, I can tell from the look in your eyes that you're involved, you know. And besides…" Doubar's voice filtered through the air again, tearing Bryn's attention from the other couple and directing it back to the man who eyed her intently.
"You spoke to him just before he came over. So, what did you tell him?"

The first mate was almost bursting with curiosity Bryn could tell and it had her chuckle. She knew the sailor could get rather impatient when any info was kept from him, and while sometimes his lack of patience bothered her, right now it was quite endearing.

Finally meeting his expectant gaze, a small shrug passed her shoulders before she moved behind him and lowered herself on one of the steps above him, taking up the comb that Maeve had dropped the same instant that Sinbad had pulled her to her feet.

"I told him of how I once had a crush on him", she then replied truthfully, running her fingers through Doubar's hair before carefully she continued where her fellow sorceress had stopped.
The sailor's sharp intake of breath that accompanied her words didn't go by unnoticed by her and so she laid a soothing hand on is right upper arm before she added: "And of how that crush ended."

The brunette and the first mate had long ago spoken about her former interest in his brother, and of the reasons why she had once felt attracted towards the famous captain. Back then Doubar had not yet been courting her, and they had talked about this as friends. Now was the first time she had mentioned this gone by affection with their relationship having changed, and she understood why it made him be uneasy for just a heartbeat.
But as quickly as the tension came, beneath her touch, it disappeared again and thus Bryn went on in a soft and steady way.

"He's changed since Scratch has lured him into that trap using Maeve's image for decoy. He changed for the better, but it was tough realizing that the Sinbad I had known before was driven by regret and pain he did deny himself to feel. I guess reminding him of that set something into motion."

"Hum, but that wasn't the only thing you told him, right?", Doubar quietly mused as he leant back a little, relaxing visibly under her gentle care.

"Indeed it wasn't", Bryn shook her head in affirmation. "I also said that life was full of dangers and that tomorrow could be too late to tell her that he loves her."

While she spoke, the young one's slender fingers parted the first mate's dark blond hair and began to braid it just the way he preferred it to be. Then, after a little pause, she added with a low whisper:
"He's already lost her once. I don't think he could take it if he made the same mistake twice."

In front of her Doubar sat in silence for a while as he let her words sink in. They were all true he knew, and they gave this that they had just witnessed a whole new meaning.
The first mate now understood why Sinbad had finally found the strength to overcome his doubts and whatever else had held him back, and he felt his own heart begin to ache with a desire he had not known till now.

For so many weeks he had courted Bryn, had showed her what she meant to him, had given her signs that were impossible to misunderstand and yet there was still one thing he left hadn't done.
One truth he hadn't yet voiced out.

And right then and there he decided it was about time he did.

Bryn was only half done braiding when the first mate turned his head, the plait gliding from her fingers as her velvet eyes looked up to meet their light blue counterpart.

"I love you, Bryn."

The simple truth was out in a single breath, the words lingering on the breeze that caressed the young woman's skin.
Without any finesse, as sudden as he had told her he liked her these many weeks ago he blurted it out, offered it to her with all the honesty of his soul.

For a long moment she just held his gaze, stunned by his confession and moved by all that she could read in those pale eyes. Around the two of them the world seemed to stop turning for just this one glimpse in time, a warm expression settling on the young woman's face as the west wind passed her by.

"I love you, too."

She said it with a smile – this special one that Doubar would move worlds for to see it on her lips. And she gifted him with it – bending forwards a little, her cheeks flushing a delicate hue of pink as she brushed a feather light kiss across his lips, repeating the words against them in a whisper before she leant back again and gently took up the half finished plait to resume braiding.

"I love you, too."