Treasure Planet: The Next Voyage (OC INSTERT)

Chapter twenty-three

Third Person's POV~

Zeizei stared at Silver with widened eyes at his statement, the heat rising in her cheeks as she felt his chapped lips press to her boney knuckles. Zeizei then looked away, chuckling, and smiling, "Flirtin' eh?" She mused, looking out at the stars overhead, "Oh, I haven't been flirted with in along, long time." She told him, moving some hair from her face.

"Well," Silver shifted closer, so his shoulder pressed to hers, "guess I be lucky then." He said with a coy grin on his lips.

Zeizei stared out at the asteroid, watching the homes, the illuminated windows. Zeizei's long ear flickered back to him, and she slowly turned her head to his, huffing gently, "I assume ya be takin' me out fer a meal soon?" She flashed him a grin.

Silver flushed and rolled his eyes, his cybernetic body parts whirring and clicking as he spoke, "Me thinks I can make a far better meal than any ol' place." He mused.

Zeizei smiled and laughed as she looked out at the stars all around them, she felt the comforting warmth of his arm pressed into her shoulder. Zeizei sighed heavily as she let her head rest on his shoulder, "Been a very long time since I've had someone make a move on me." She said softly.

Silver looked down at her with soft eyes, feeling warmth spread through his body at the comfortable weight of Zeizei pressed against him. She had her eyes closed as she spoke again, "Feared I was beyond my prime." She murmurs, "Not many folks enjoy a lady who's got wrinkles, y'know." She mused softly.

Silver let out a low chuckle, as he raised his hand and rested it on her shoulder, bringing her closer to his person, still watching the stars twinkle and shine, "Beauty be in the eye of the beholder, Lass." He said softly with a hum. His thumb rubbed in small comforting circles, feeling the worn material of her tunic as he felt her shift beside him, her wings giving a soft shudder and shift as she adjusted them. Zeizei opened her eyes again and postured up, inhaling deeply, before she smiled, "So, what be for dinner, Mr. Silver?" She asked, with a low chuckle.

Silver laughed as he began walking with the winged woman down to the galley, "It'll be some' ting special, lass, I promise ya that!"

Zeizei watched him fondly as she padded down into the kitchen after him, minding to tuck her wings close to her body as she entered the smaller space. Silver placed a hand on her back, and the cyborg paused for a fraction of a second as he felt the indentations around the base of her wings. The scars. Right.

Silver quickly had Zeizei sit at the table, before he began bustling around the kitchen, grabbing ingredients and cooking away, whistling a tune. Zeizei craned her elegant neck around and watched him, rubbing her arm as she observed Silver, truly observed him, with no reserves in fear of embarrassment. He moved with surprising agility, his hands moving with swiftness from years of muscle memory. Zeizei watched the cybernetic parts of his arm shift and lock, and rearrange as the arm transformed into different tools he needed, from knife, to spoon, to whisk and many others. Zeizei chuckled faintly as Silver busied himself with cooking, before he spoke, "So, I gotta know, Lass." He walked before her, setting a pot upon the stove, before turning to her, "After all these years, ye never found a clue as to where ya motherland be?"

Zeizei took pause, before she huffed and scratched her cheek, her gaze lifting up to him, before she huffed softly, she then stood up and walked to the window and watched the nebula clouds drift across the sky. Silver stopped chopping up fruit and looked up, ". . . Lass?" He prompted faintly.

"It all be flashes." She whispered to him, her voice tender, "When I be a babe. Kind hands, a soft voice." She touched her weathered cheek, "I remember feelin' somethin' scratchy, me father's beard, I think?" She then reached down and produced her map, "And this. I had this all me life, John."

Silver heard her voice choke up, as she held the map, and stared out at the universe before her through the circular window. Silver set the pot down and dried his hands on his apron before he took it off and slowly approached her. Zeizei had her back to him, her wings giving faint twitches and quivers as she slipped the map back into her pocket. Silver reached out with his flesh hand and placed his hand on her shoulder, turning her to face him, feeling his heart break as he saw that tears had begun to carve chasms in her cheeks.

"Oh, Lass. . . " he pulled her in, and engulfed her in an embrace, "Shh, shh."

Zeizei pressed her head against his chest, as she hugged him, her wings coming up and wrapping around them both as she gripped his jacket. He held her there, running his fingers through her scarlet hair.

Zeizei eventually eased out of his grip and cleared her throat before adjusting her tunic. Silver grabbed his apron, "Sorry. I had no intention of bringin' up bad memories." He said as he went back to work.

Zeizei smiled and choked on a laugh, wiping the last of the tears away with her thumb, "Oh, John, please." She sat back down, "It be ok. It be more frustration than any'ting else, ya know." She watched him as he continued to cook.

It wasn't long before Silver had served them both a plate of food and Zeizei smiled, as she looked up at him, "This definitely looks far better than any tavern, Mr. Silver." She winked at him. She took a bite and her eyes widened, "Taste's better, too!"

Silver chuckled as he sat beside her. The two ate in content silence, Silver observing Zeizei as she ate. He noticed she had this habit—an adorable habit—that when she ate something she liked, or it appealed to her flavor, her ears would wriggle up and down, ever so slightly, but once Silver noticed it, he couldn't stop seeing it. And the old Cyborg was taken aback by this, feeling his heart melt at the sight. It did his old soul good to see someone who was so tormented enjoy a warm meal in peace and comfort.

After the meal, Zeizei helped Silver clean up, and once that was done, Zeizei turned to him, wearing the sweetest, elegant smile on her lips. Her blue eyes shone in the dim light of the galley, "Thank ya, for the food, John." She said, her voice so soft it would've made Silver melt. She approached him, her head tilted to the side, tucking her scarlet hair behind her ear, "Ya be a good man. An' I be a lucky lady." She chuckled faintly.

Silver smiled tenderly down at her, once again feeling his heart swell, "I be startin' ta t'ink I be the lucky one, Lass." He hesitantly reached up with his flesh hand and pressed the back of his knuckles to her cheek. "Very lucky, indeed."

Zeizei happily leaned into it, her eyes fluttering shut as she gripped his meaty palm with her hand. Zeizei then moved closer, and stood up on tiptoes. She gently held the sides of his face, pressing a kiss to his forehead. Her lips were warm and thin, sending a spark of electricity through him. Zeizei pulled away, and took half a step back, smiling up at him.

Silver stood there, with a stunned expression, which quickly melted into a flustered smile as he watched Zeizei give a final little wave, before making her way to her room.

"G'night, John."

"Good night, Zeizei."