𝓒𝓻𝓸𝓼𝓼 𝓶𝔂 𝓗𝓮𝓪𝓻𝓽 ~ 𝓪 𝓑𝓾𝓰𝓰𝔂 𝔁 𝓕𝓮𝓶 𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓮𝓻 𝓯𝓪𝓷 𝓯𝓲𝓬𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷

𝓝𝓲𝓷𝓮 : 𝓜𝔂 𝓰𝓲𝓻𝓵

*Amby's POV*

Everything seemed to happen so fast. Too fast for your mind to even fully register precisely what was happening.

As you lost your footing on the ropes of the rigging, your heart leaped into your throat. Time seemed to slow down as your arms flailed wildly, your hands scrambling; desperately reaching for purchase on the ropes but not finding it. You were tumbling backward - or rather, hurtling! The air whooshed passed your ears as the world became a blur of rain, billowing sails, motion and chaos.

But you had your safety line....it just.....felt a little slack. Scarily slack in fact.

Oh god, no. No. How could it have come loose? This couldn't be the end. Not like this. Could it?

Evidently it really could.

You tried to scream, cry, anything. Anything but fall. - not that it would do you any good, screaming - your chest had tightened, all the air seemed to have left your lungs; stolen by the wind or perhaps maybe the utter shock itself of plummeting down at such great speed. Your arms continued to flail instinctively; grasping blindly at empty space as gravity mercilessly pulled you down. Powerless, there was nothing left to do but to close your eyes and brace yourself for the impending impact. You were powerless versus gravity.

Well, you had insisted on pursuing your dreams. Your stupid, misguided dreams. To become a pirate and take to the seas in search of your beloved Narvi.

You had been warned repeatedly of the dangers. Your adoptive parents, your friend Laurette, and of course your captain.

Your captain.

Wait. Why were you dwelling on him during your final moments, and not Narvi?

Your turbulent thoughts were suddenly shattered by a foreign sensation. The completely unexpected feeling of....arms. Not the hard impact of the wooden deck, not the salty embrace of the roiling waves, but two very strong and distinctly masculine arms; wrapping around your waist and catching you.

It was him of course. It had to be him. And your instincts were confirmed once the familiar voice of Buggy spoke, close to your ear and uncharacteristically gentle. And in that moment, the three words he uttered were undoubtedly the best you'd ever heard in your entire life...

"I've got you"

Relief flooded you and you had to suppress a sob; forcing it back down into your chest before it could escape. You felt almost hysterically relieved, unsure if you wanted to cry or laugh.....perhaps a bit of both. Not that you allowed yourself to do either of those things.

You couldn't however, disguise the way your body was trembling as a result of the fear and the adrenaline now coursing through your nervous system. You were aware of being suspended in mid air; your legs dangling beneath you, so you reflexively leaned back against his solid chest; seeking further support. Knowingly, your captain then repositioned one of his arms; his right one now hooked under the back of your knees, so he was essentially holding you bridal style.

"Th-thank you..." your arms encircled the back of his neck; clinging on, quite literally, for dear life.

How bizarre. How fortunate. For you to have been thinking of him in what you'd thought would be your final moments, and then he had saved you. As if he'd sensed your need for him somehow.

The stability and comfort momentarily gained from being cradled safely in his arms was fleeting, once his torso reattached to the rest of his body. The aggressive sway of the ship was unmissable, as the vessel continued to be tossed along violently on the waves.