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While the pair argued, Jason ran to his brother's side. When he heard his brother creeping up from behind, he stopped. At the sight of him, Jackson picked his smile back up. With a broken smile, Jackson laughed, "What can I do for you, little brother?". Jason merely shook his head. They spent the rest of the walk in silence. Even while settling in the nest, the brothers didn't say a word. All they did was watch the clouds settle.
Finally, as the sun began to settle, Jackson sighed, " okay, get on with it. Give me one of your famous pep talks I've heard so much about. You're not going to convince me, so let's get this over with".
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Jason offered his brother an innocent smile. "Why do you think I came up here?". Jack laughed, " to convince me to keep being the captain. Obviously". A brief silence fills the air. "Jackson, do you really think I care who leads us?". While Jackson tilts his head, Jason continues, " I came up here for you". Jason let out a soft sigh, "Do you remember when dad died? You were eight and I was five, mom was a mess. She wouldn't stop crying. Every night, you let me sleep in your bed, and we ignored her sobbing. She couldn't get out of bed. We had no money. Jackson, you were the only one I had". Jackson looks down, he cant meet his brother's eyes. Jason continues, " a month later, we ran out of money. I was too young, you were too young, but one morning, I woke up and you were gone. Delilah told me, since the day he died, you were searching for a job and that she would be taking care of us. She told me, nobody in the city wanted to hire a kid, so you begged every boat to let you work aboard. You did it for mine and mom's sake. You were just a kid, but you put us before yourself. Jackson, no matter what, I'll trust you".
After he finished his sentence, Jason stood up, stretched, then yawned. When Jason vanished below deck, tears began to swell in Jackson's eyes. "You're wrong...", the words leave his lips softly, as he begins to cry. He sobbed into his hands, "...I was running away".
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For a moment, Jackson stops his crying. He looks up to the heavens. "God give me a sign... Please...". He lets out a breath of air, that's filled with pain. "I dont know what I'm supposed to do. All these people, their lives are in my hands, and all I'm doing is making mistakes. I dont know if you're listening, but if you are...". With a quiver in his voice, he whispers, " please, tell me". While he watches the stars, the only sound present is silence.
The gentle drifting of the waves rocks Jackson to sleep. The stars sit above watching over the ship, the waves run through the darkness, they crash against the hull of the ship creating a gentle lullaby, insects play a beautiful song through the night, and the wind gently strokes his hair.
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Once he awakes, he stretches himself up, then climbs down to the kitchen. Once he finds the crew, he plops down beside Delilah. While everyone laughs at his messy hair, he places his head on her shoulder. Delilah's face heats up and the crew's laughter gets louder.
With a twisted smile, Creed teases, "now that you two are together, shouldn't you be all lovie-dovie like that all the time?". Elizabeth not so subtly shifts her attention to Jason, but he's laughing with everyone else. Tristan hits Creed's shoulder then sighs, " leave the love birds alone". While Jackson continues his nap, Delilah whispers, "actually... We're not together". Sam is the first to scream out "what! but you two have been all over each other since before the fog!".
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Creed hides his laugh, but it doesn't last very long. In between breaths, he musters out, " I can't believe... They think... They aren't dating!". Quickly, everyone follows his cue. Which only burns Delilah a darker shade of red.
Even though his eyes are still shut, Jackson shows his annoyance. " Creed, stop talking. Secondly, why aren't we dating? I trust you completely, do you like me?". Delilah stammers, " i-i dont, k-know. I mean I like you, b-but". Before she could finish her sentence, Jackson laughs, "good", then steals a kiss, as well as the laughter in the room. With one swift action, he silenced everyone. He whispers, " I dont want to lose you, do you want to go out with me?", into her ear. In her stunned state, she simply nods her head.
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ns 15.158.61.54da2
