Dreaming Companion

Chapter 14: Choices (FINAL)

Despite the morbid skies, your heart shone bright in protest. As if a little sun of its own was birthed in you, rays of light shone through your being, and you easily failed to resist it.

The pot of soup bubbled away in the stove with much vigor as you walked from one corner of the kitchen to the other. The sounds of chopping mixing, stirring and washing were accompanied by soft melodic hums that proceeded to grow louder.
A tune you have not sung in ages , had suddenly returned to you. Humming it was your only form of celebration, singing it with enthusiasm later on. You were trapped in nothing but a state of euphoria, and objections you had none. Your body finally seduced by the rhythm, it began to move in a manner which caused you laughter. This felt familiar yet simultaneously unfamiliar. You had not danced like you used to in quite a long time. Deeply immersed in this overjoyed state, you were plainly oblivious to the fact there was a secret audience, namely Brace. Assuming you had shooed him away, you remained blind as he had secretly defied your request, and watched you his jaw dropped. The man himself returned to his senses the moment he felt James Delaney stand next to him. The two men were surely entertained by this sudden energetic change of behavior and these foreign movements from the woman who had made herself at home here.
"Wonder what madness has gotten into her head this time?" Brace muttered, attempting to hide his amusement.
James merely responded with a soft smile, for he indeed knew why.

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As your eyes followed James Delaney's figure pass through the crowds in the market by the docks, you were once again reminded of the excitement you felt by the mere sight of him.

Offering Brace some time off, you took advantage of this joyous state of mind , volunteering to step out of the house to fetch some much needed ingredients. Seeing him out and about later on simply added more fuel. You may see him everyday at home, you may find yourself waking up next to him, yet you were affected the same way every single time. His swagger in his attire and hat, never failed to capture your attention. And given the most recent incident, you could not help but feel the intimacy grow between the two of you. At last, someone to share your secret.

The pondering seemed to gather visible attention from the people around, especially when you stood frozen by the butcher, holding a piece fresh meat. And even James Delaney managed to stop in his tracks, just so he could turn towards your direction, locking eyes several feet away. With a slow nod, you both acknowledged each other, as he proceeded to walk towards where his ship was docked.

"Are ya finally gonna buy that miss?"
Embarrassed by the chuckling Butcher, you laughed nervously.
"Eheh...maybe later" you replied, handing the piece back to him.
The neigh of horses caught your attention once again, looking over to find a carriage stop in front of Delaney. Words were exchanged, and the carriage departed. A concerning feeling came over you, was it East India? Americans?

A deafening noise forced you to cover your ears, while you simultaneously caught the glimpse of something being engulfed by a grey cloud.

An explosion, surely.

To your horror, it was the ship. His ship. In the midst of crowds clamoring with fear, you stood motionless, unable to fathom of what just happened.
The gunpowder, it was kept there after the farmer Ibbotson situation in hopes of avoiding trouble.

Unfortunately trouble had come lurking by regardless.
Could it be that the East India had found out?

And just as you thought the sun was shining your way to your life.
You were relieved to find Delaney unharmed. White smoke filled the area, yet his dark figure remained to be visible through it all.
"Y/N"
Your ears suddenly grew extremely sensitive to his voice. Looking over, you found Delaney's gaze on you.
"Go home...now"
"No James..." you fought back as you gulped, "Not without you"
"Miss..." French Bill's voice suddenly startled you from behind, forcing you to face him.
"...You better go home"
Turning back to his direction, you shook your head at Delaney.
"Why...James, why?"
"You're a weakness...." His voice echoed in your heart.
You sighed, turning join French Bill,
"....my weakness"
You froze, leaving your heart to suddenly grow three times heavier by those simple words. Pressing your lips, you followed Bill through the bustling crowd, silently wishing for the only thing that seemed important to you at that moment: the safety of James Delaney.