Out For A Stroll (Alaya/open)

[Alaya Seawitch]

Alaya started to drift off. Her breathing lightened and she wasn't as tense. Sleep had finally claimed her. She shifted slightly, her head still resting on Titus' chest. There was a small smile on her face as she slept. The wind blew calmly by, yet not enough to make the sleeping girl shiver. The sound of the crashing waves kept Alaya from waking as it lulled her into a deeper slumber.

[Titus Cortez]

Gradually, he could feel her body relax, her shoulders unwind and calm, and he could feel her breathing declining to a simple, deeper pattern. It kept him awake for only a few moments to watch her sleeping quietly. "Good night, pretty girl." he whispered after he was sure that she was asleep, and carefully placed the softest kiss on her cheek before drifting into slumber. His arms never moved as he slept, locked around her for warmth. He didn't want the moment to end, and even it sleep, it didn't, really. And his lips were smiling.

[Alaya Seawitch]

Something woke her, but she couldn't figure out what. Alaya realized where she was and was a little shocked but the feeling passed. She was in the crows nest with Titus. The nervousness came back when she realized that her hair was still down and the sun was to come up within the next two hours. Everyone would be up by then and Titus needed to hide or turn himself in and she needed to get started on her chores. Alaya carefully grabbed her bandanna from Titus and placed it back on her head, hiding her hair. She stood and looked over the crow's nest thankful that there was no one in sight, for now.

[Titus Cortez]

He slept peacefully until he felt something sliding from his pocket. His body jumped quickly, startled, his hand closing around her wrist as she took the bandanna from his pocket. He sighed in relief that it was only her, letting go. And he chuckled. "Don't scare me like that." he said, standing up with her to look over the edge of the crow's nest. The sun was still sleeping, and Titus yawned sleepily.

He leaned against the mast again, watching her, the purple sky a background to her and the stars.

[Alaya Seawitch]

Alaya smiled at his comment. "It's not my fault you kept it when you knew I needed it" She stated. She turned to face him with her back to the edge of the crows nest. "Besides shouldn't you be finding a hiding place or maybe the captain to turn yourself in, instead of bothering me?" She teased but also meant it that he should turn himself in. Knowing him he wouldn't do what she said right away.

[Titus Cortez]

"Bothering you?" he repeated, smirking a little. Titus took two sleepy steps toward her. "I thought we were flying." he smiled, and took her hands again like he had done before, slowly stretching her arms. But this time she faced him, and their faces drew close. His lip quivered slightly, but he didn't kiss her.

[Alaya Seawitch]

Alaya smiled slightly. She could feel the warmth of his face near hers. She placed her arms down and moves away from him slightly. "You really should stop doing that" She said in a whisper. It wasn't like she didn't want him that close just that, well it wasn't right. She was supposed be a boy and that would just be wrong. On that ship she as Aaron not Alaya and at the moment she was having a hard time of figuring that out.

[Titus Cortez]

"Why?" he asked her. His fingers tugged the bandanna free again, which was then returned to his pocket. "Why should I stop?" Titus moved towards her again -there was only so much space she could put between them in the nest -placing his hands against the railing like he did before, on either side of her. "Does it bother you?" He gave her a little wink. He wasn't going to be returning the bandanna freely.

[Alaya Seawitch]

It didn't really bother her, but at the same time it did. "I just don't want to be caught" Alaya turned her head away from Titus. She didn't know why she couldn't look into his eyes then. She could see the sky lightening up threatening the impending dawn. Why couldn't the night last longer? She took a deep breath still deep in thought.

[Titus Cortez]

He followed her gaze to the horizon, where the sun would be soon to rise. And then he looked back at her. Her sigh could have tossed the sea and stirred a storm, the way she sighed. "What's wrong, pretty girl?" he asked her, just as he had by the forest. Titus stepped into her gaze casually, hoping for an answer. He looked at her, the smell of a rose carrying on the breeze. A small smile crept over his face as he took the hidden flower from her hair and re-adjusted it so that he could see its petals. She had forgotten to take it out of her locks.

[Alaya Seawitch]

Alaya reached for the flower and took it out of her hair wondering how she could have forgotten it was there. She looked at it as she twirled it in her hands. "I already told you what is wrong. And can you stop calling me that. It is quite annoying really" She said. The nickname did annoy her, since it made it seem she was his and that was no where near the truth. Well, that is what she convinced herself.

[Titus Cortez]

"Pretty girl?" he questioned. "Why should I stop calling you that? I haven't lied." He slowly placed his fingers under her chin, lifting her face gently to look at him as he brushed a single strand of hair behind her ear. "You can't blame me," he smiled sweetly, "If you can't look at me." But still he didn't kiss her, like he wanted to. "I could call you Angel, if you like it better." Another smile that one the hearts of girls. But it was different, now. He was learning to love the humbleness that she was beating into him. A part of him was still protesting, struggling to be the rather arrogant charmer he had always been. But you can never escape the teachings of a woman, even if that very woman is trying to escape you.

And he dropped his hands from her face, backing away to the other side of the small crow's nest. "I'll call you Miss Alaya." he said, looking down at the water far below them. It rushed and crashed against the great ship, barely stirring it but to a gentle swaying. His eyes glanced to the horizon, and then down to his feet. "I should be making my way back to the hull." he sighed, and then chuckled a little, "But I really don't want to leave." Now it was he that wasn't looking at her.

[Alaya Seawitch]

Alaya had to try and not blush when he lifted her chin. She listened to what he said not sure of what to say back. Why was she fighting? It was hard to say. She wanted to be angry with him, or even hate him, it would be so much easier that what she was feeling now. Even then, she didn't know what she felt. Why was that? All her life she understood better than most people but now there was no understanding. When he turned his head she was slightly relieved. "On this ship, in public, and anywhere I am trying to pass off as a boy, my name is Aaron. Nothing else" She said wondering if he would follow that.

[Titus Cortez]

Titus looked up at her, taking his chance for a happy argument. "That may be so," he said, a twinkle in his eye, "But in this crow's nest, with me, in private, and any time else I have this," He waved the bandanna playfully, "Your name is Miss Alaya, pretty girl." It slipped out, actually out of habit, and he smiled because he knew he wasn't supposed to say that anymore. He pocketed the cloth again and rested one arm above him on the mast. His eyes didn't lose their sparkle. "Do you think you'll come to visit me down in the hull, when you can?" Then he lost his confidence to the humbleness that was constantly batting at him, and he looked away from her and out to the sky again, and then down to the floor. "Axel is here too, you know. He'd get lonely if you didn't come and see him." Sure, Titus, blame the dog.

[Alaya Seawitch]

Alaya was about to say something when he lit his tongue slip and said that name. She didn't get why Titus was so difficult. When he asked if she could see him some time she smiled. Now was her time for payback. "Visit you. You're kidding right. There is no way I would go to the hull just to see you. In fact if you don't turn yourself in and I see you anytime during the day or when the others are out I will personally turn you in. I hope you are ready to survive in a pirates world, since that is the one you just walked into" She had a grin on her face as she spoke. He couldn't do anything about that.