Adventures of Sinbad and Layla

The First Kiss Stealer (Part II)

A contract had been formed between Imuchakk and the newly named company, the Sindria Trading Company. It was the name of the kingdom they pretended to have as kids.

Soon, the day came where Sinbad and Layla were to leave Imuchakk. Going with them was Hinahoho, Rurumu, Jafar, Mahad and Vittel. However, Layla was sad that Shujae couldn't go with them too.

Their ship was ready and a crowd had gathered to see them off. Sinbad searched for Layla in the crowd but he soon found her saying her goodbyes to Shujae and decided to leave her to it.

"I'm going to miss you, Layla," Shujae said, gently holding her face.
"I'm going to miss you, too. But you'll be coming to Reim soon, right?"
He nodded. "Yes, I'll be there by the end of the year."
She pouted softly as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "That sounds so far away."
Moving his hands around her waist, he lifted her up from the ground. "You have a company to establish. The time will go before you know it. And the next thing you know, I'll be there."
"You better."

They leaned in and kissed each other softly. It was a slow but deep kiss, both savouring the moment before she had to leave. After a few seconds, they parted but stayed close.

"There's something I need to give you," he said.
"What is it?"

He gently placed her back down onto feet before pulling something out from his waistband. It was a necklace.

She gasped at it's beauty as he placed it on the palm of his hand.

"It's beautiful..." she whispered.
He smiled. "My mother gave it to me on my 16th birthday. She said I was to give it to the woman I intend to make my wife. And so I'm giving it to you."
"I..." Her cheeks burned red as she looked up at him shyly. "Shujae..."
"I know we're still young and there's still years until then but I also know that I only see you in my future, Layla. I want you to accept this so you know that I will always return to you."
She smiled brightly, still feeling flushed. "I accept. It will be as though a part of you is always with me."

He was so grateful that she accepted his gift. She turned as he placed it around her neck. She lifted her hair so he could hook it on and it sat beautifully on her neck.

"Layla!" Sinbad called from the ship. "We gotta go! Kiss your boyfriend and come on!"

She blushed harder again as the other crowded warriors stared directly at her. She cursed him under her breath as she took Shujae's hand and walked towards the ship, hiding her face with her other hand. Once they made it to the ramp, they shared one last kiss before she boarded.

They all waved goodbye as the ship set sail. Shujae was really going to miss her but once the ship disappeared over the horizon, he instantly resumed his training. The harder he worked, the sooner he could be with her again.

***

It had taken them a while to reach Reim. Once they did, they set up a stall to sell their goods from Imuchakk. When they found out they needed a permit to sell things, a man came by and bought everything they had. However, that night, they saw that all of their goods were being sold at a higher price.

Sinbad wasn't going to give up though. He decided to stay back to find a way to get a permit and send everyone back to Imuchakk to get more goods. He had told Layla to go as well so that she could see Shujae again, but she decided to stay back with him to help. He was grateful. He knew Layla's desire to help him was just as important as their goal. However, she did send a letter back with them for Shujae to update him on what was happening.

In the time they were gone, they met again with the man who had bought all their stuff. He had made a deal with them that if they made 10,000 gold coins by the time he returned from his trip, he would write a letter of recommendation for them so they could get a permit. Sinbad and Layla shared a room while they tried to make money but Sinbad slept on the floor.

He began performing to tell his stories and Layla danced. They brought in a lot of money but it wasn't enough. When the man returned, they discovered that he was the king of Balbadd and he had given them the 10,000 gold coins.

Things moved on quickly from there. They got the permit and their shows continued on in a larger scale. They soon had enough money to even purchase a store and warehouse for their goods.

It had been a couple of months and in that time, Sinbad's feelings for Layla only grew. He continued to tell himself over and over that it was just a crush and that he would get over it. He even started to believe himself, but that ended the moment the others returned from Imuchakk.

"Surprise!"

Layla jumped up and screamed when Shujae appeared behind her. Once she realised it was him, her entire face lit up as she jumped up into his arms and greeted him with a kiss. Seeing her mood become even more enlightened and the joy on her face made his heart pang. He knew then that he definitely didn't have just a crush on her. He loved her.

He put on a smile as he greeted the others. Layla parted from her kiss with Shujae and he placed her back down to her feet.

"What are you doing here?" she asked with a big smile.
"What? Are you disappointed?" he joked.
She rolled her eyes. "Of course not. I just wasn't expecting you."
He laughed. "I know. When I saw these guys had returned, I finished my training phase and decided to surprise you. I got your letter and it made me miss you even more."
She smiled, tiptoeing up and pecking her lips. "You're so cute."

Sinbad mentally gagged before going to show them the new place. Anything to get them to stop being so lovey-dovey. Everyone was truly impressed.

Shujae had decided that he would stay for a couple of days before he would have to go back to complete his training. With the business booming, Layla decided to rent a different room in the inn for them to share since they could afford it.

"Are you seriously gonna sleep in the same room as him?" Sinbad asked, laying on his bed as he watched her pack her things to move into another room.
She raised a brow at him. "Yeah. What's wrong with that? He's my boyfriend."
He mumbled under his breath. "If you can even call it that..."
"What?"
"Nothing," he lied. "Soooooo, isn't it gonna be awkward."
She shook her head. "Not really. It's just sleeping. I sleep in the same room as you all the time and it's not awkward."
"Yeah, but we've known each other all our lives. You guys have been together only a few months. And most of that time you weren't even physically together."
"What's your point?"
He shrugged. "I'm just saying don't have sex with him."
"Oh, my god... Sin!" she yelled as her face flushed in embarrassment. "I'm 14! I'm not going to have sex with him."
He held his hands up. "Hey, I'm just looking out for you."
She sighed. "I swear you are such an idiot." She then laughed with a shake of her head. "Don't worry your sweet, little head about it, okay?"
He flopped onto his back and looked at her upside down. "I'm always going to worry about you, Layla. I can't help it."
She smiled. "Then I'll try my best not to give you anything to worry about."

She leaned down and pressed a kiss to his forehead before grabbing her things and leaving the room. He closed his eyes, sighing deeply.

It was time to let her go.

(To be continued.)