You, Me, and the World Between Us (Dragon Quest)

XXVI - Room For One More

The last night of the voyage had finally come upon them, in tow a bittersweet aura. In an effort to put the feeling on the backburner, the Doughlas sons decided that celebrating their final evening together would be ideal. Lincoln and Hurley brought up armfuls of alcohol from the saloon, which worried Maxim, but he managed to avoid it and all was well. Jordan pulled out the fiddle and Dylan the tin whistle, which they surprisingly had a knack for playing. As the sun began to settle on the horizon, the drinks were poured and the festivities began. "For Maxim and Inessa; thank you for joining us on this voyage. You're by far the best guests we've had on board with us," Caspian toasted, raising a glass into the air and earning cheers from all.

Maxim stood off to the side with Dylan and Jordan, clapping along and attempting to sing with them, despite not knowing the lyrics. He watched as the rest of the Doughlas brothers took turns dancing with Inessa, observing each of them carefully as they handled his sister. Caspian held her hip and hand gently, leaving plenty of room between them as they swayed back and forth. Hurley followed his older brother's suit but held her right against his body instead. He stuck his tongue out at Maxim, making the redhead sigh and laugh. Lincoln took over at a quicker pace, twirling the blue-haired girl and dropping her down into a dip before finishing his turn. Seymour went last, fumbling awkwardly and nearly tripping as they danced. Inessa smiled up at him and reassured him the entire time, giving him a peck on the cheek when they were done.

Then, Inessa pulled her brother out onto the center of the deck with her. Maxim laughed as he stumbled after her, stepping in time to the sea shanty. He spun his little sister in circles, catching her when she began to falter. She laughed and gave him a tight squeeze before leaving him out in the center alone. A ripple of snickers passed through the Douglas brothers and the redhead chuckled along, his cheeks growing warm. Maxim's eyes settled on Georginna; she stood against the sidelines, her back to the sea as she watched the spectacle. He gestured for her to step forward, inviting her to join him. She rolled her eyes and groaned, smirking as she sauntered toward him. He took her by the hand, trying to follow Caspian's lead, but he ended up a bit more like Seymour; this can't be too bad, he thought to himself, maybe I'll get a kiss out of it, too.

The pair danced a bit awkwardly. Maxim held Georginna gently, as he was taught to with a lady. However, her grip on him was much sturdier, she squeezed his hand a bit harshly. He figured that this was how his father felt whenever he danced with his mother. And yet, even with the awkward interactions between them and the fact that he could no longer feel the fingers in his right hand, he got lost in her eyes. The sun hit them at just the right angle that made them look like the rippling sea itself. His eyes wandered to her lips, spread into an enticing smirk. Maxim wondered what a kiss with her would feel like. But before he could get too overwhelmed, he looked away; he didn't need his emotions to get the best of him or a repeat of his first night on board, Goddess forbid.

After Maxim gained control of himself again, he managed to look back to her, forcing an awkward smile onto his lips. He decided that striking up a conversation would be the best way to distract himself from wanting to kiss her - even though he almost lost the ability to speak around her. "Now I know you're not too fond of me apologizing, but I still feel the urge to do so," he started, earning a hearty laugh from the brunette, "so, Georginna, I am terribly sorry about, well, about what happened on the ship the first night. I thought you felt the same way about me that I felt about you, but you didn't, and I still went for it. I really hope you're able to find it in your heart to forgive me, and that we can hopefully become friends despite what I tried to-"

"Maxim, shut up," Georginna interrupted with a snicker, cutting off the redhead. His face grew red again and she shook her head. "I don't know why you still feel the need to apologize to me, I've told you time and time again that it's fine. Stop worrying about it, alright? If it makes you feel any better, I do think we've become good friends on this voyage," she finished with a grin, bringing a broad smile to Maxim's face.