Escaping Fate - Ja'far X Reader

Chapter 10

The city bustled loudly as Ja'far and I made our way back to the ship from the market, we had been travelling quite extensively over the last few months and I was growing quite fond of it. Currently, we were docked at a small port in Parthevia, getting ready to head back to Balbad; to restock headquarters with the newly acquired goods.

"Ja'far! Hurry up!" I giggled, dancing along the uneven stone street, "Sinbad's gonna leave without us!" His green eyes glared at mine as he juggled the boxes in his arms, which he refused to let me carry.

"Just keep walking, (Y/n). I'm not making you carry any of this." He said as his foot caught on a rock, giving me my chance.

I spun around him and grabbed the boxes as they fell, laughing at his red face, "Mine now! Let's get going." Ja'far grumbled incoherently, his ears a bright pink, as we walked up the ramp of the ship. "SINBAD!" I yelled, "We're back!"

I placed them down on the deck, grabbed a few of the boxes from Ja'far and opened the smallest one, "Looks like this set of bowls is still intact!" I teased, nodding at Ja'far as I closed it, making my way down the ladder carefully into the storage.

It had been almost a year since my battle in Leam, I still had my blade, which rested on a belt slung around my waist. With my hand on the hilt, I leaned to the side, counting the boxes to my left. I always keep excessive track of everything I come across, old habits die hard.

"Oi, (Y/n)! I'm coming down, watch out." Sinbad shouted, lowering down fishing nets next to neatly stacked barrels and bags of product. He jumped down, hair swinging as he gracefully landed, "How's my girl doing today?" He smiled, "Haven't seen you since last night."

"I'm doing just fine, Sin." I laughed, untying the knot at the top of the net, "'Your girl' couldn't sleep last night so she went for a walk on the beach and then counted inventory."

"You know that we have the numbers just fine, right? Ja'far makes sure of that, there's no need for you to constantly be counting things." I handed him a bag as I turned to place a horn on the shelf. I felt his eyes on me as I organized the shelf below it.

"You had another nightmare, didn't you."

I froze, a sigh leaving my lip as I faced Sinbad, "Yeah . . ." I nodded, "It was the other one this time."

He nodded in understanding and took my hand in his, "How many times does that make this week? Please be honest with me." Sinbad waited for my response, but I stayed silent, "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. But please don't distance yourself." He whispered before leaving a small kiss on my forehead.

He turned on his heel and grabbed onto the ladder, "We're leaving the port soon, so make sure to get anything you need before we head out." He said, climbing up to the deck, his feet thumping along with the rest of the crew above. 'I will,' I thought.

After I was done putting things away, I went back into the market by myself, stopping by the small cart next to a baker's stall. They had a large variety of herbs and trinkets, but I was interested in one thing. "Hello?" I said, "Is anyone here?" I looked around searching for the vendor; who popped out from under a table quickly.

"H-hi!" She said, "How can I help you? Sorry!" I smiled and she relaxed, "Are you looking for anything in particular?"

I nodded, "Do you have any viper's bowstring?" I mentally crossed my fingers, hoping she would. The sweet vendor darted into the side of her cart, sifting through a few drawers before returning with a small sachet.

"I do!" She said happily, "That'll be 1 silver if you would." Rummaging through my bag, I found a few coppers but no silver. "I have about 5 copper, would that cover it?" I asked, and luckily she took it. Waving goodbye to her, I made my way back to the ship, slipping the sachet into my pocket.

"Viper's bowstring?" A voice asked, popping up beside me. A hand stopped me as I reached for my blade, "Chill, it's me." White hair came into my vision and I rolled my head back in annoyance.

"Ja'far, don't do that to me," I muttered, "And yes, I ran out a few weeks ago, so I had to get another bag. Why do you care?" He sighed, grabbing my arm to lead me down another street. We stopped next to a wall, one close to a staircase that led to the shoreline. The waves crashed along the rocks.

"The nightmares have started again, haven't they?" Ja'far scolded, "Why didn't you tell me?" I leaned against the brick wall, crossing my arms. "Because it's not that big of a deal!" I scoffed, "I have them from time to time and I deal with them on my own. I've dealt with them for years."

"But now you don't have to do it alone!" He yelled, "You trust me don't you?" Ja'far looked at me expecting an answer, not sure of what it could be, but he seemed hopeful, "Yes, you know that I would trust you with my life even." I scoffed.

"But do you trust me with your secrets and sorrows?" Green eyes trailed across my body as I waved at him to follow me. "Well," I paused, unsure. Did I trust him? Sure I trusted him in battle, but my trust has never been given lightly. The only others to have earned my full and complete trust were my childhood friends. I looked up at him, "I-"

"(Y/N)?! Oh, thank the gods!" A sharp but sweet voice shattered through the air, "I never thought I'd see you again!" My head contorted around as fast as it could as I dropped my bag, I couldn't believe my eyes.

In front of me stood Aliya Zuran. One of my best friends. She was crying, her clothes ragged.

"I need your help!" She cried.