[color=ed145b]"Urick? Can you please go with Saina?" [/color] Huh? [color=ed145b]"I don't want any of my guardians to go off alone, in case something happens. OK?"[/color] Wha-wait... "We will see you two back at the temple then." Urick was nodding along now, causing Saina to look between Eva, Maximus,and Urick all while fighting having her mouth gape open and shut like a fish in disbelief. They were tag teaming now? When had that happened? Saina let out a very long, deep exhale as her nerves stopped quelling and she nodded. [color=mediumslateblue]"Right... we should retrace our steps first."[/color] She cleared her throat, scratching her cheek while fighting the blood that invaded her cheeks as she turned away. Half storming off, half gracefully stepping away, Saina headed back toward the Youth League station with her smaller legs soon falling in step with Uricks, albeit having to walk faster than him to keep pace. Urick nodded as she mentioned to retrace their steps. He though was silent, as he started to warm up, despite the humid weather. He began rubbing his left fingers together, a nervous tick he had. But it was opposite from where Saina was. After a minute of walking in silence, and rolling ideas in his head of what to say to Saina. He remembered her question she asked on the docks of Besaid. But he still couldn't get his voice to work. [color=mediumslateblue]"Ah...."[/color] Saina sighed as they came to a spot overlooking the village. She placed her hands on her hips, looking down over it all and searching for a mass of blue feathers. As she did, her eyes flicked to Urick before continueing their search. [color=mediumslateblue]"I don't think I like this place."[/color] Urick looked down at Saina as she stopped, overlooking the village. He too after a moment looked for the big bird. When she spoke up again, he looked at her and watched her for a moment before struggling out, "Uh... Why not?" He said slowly, the sweat on his forehead seeming to pour now. He reached up with his ungloved hand hand scratched the back of his head. He looked away and towards the village agian as he lowered his hand again. [color=mediumslateblue]"It's too hot..."[/color] She murmured in return. As she began to relax, it could be noted that her panting was quite heavy, and she appeared to shiver. An odd thing to do, considering the climate would call for anything but shivering. Why was she letting her guard down so much right now? She'd been concealing her struggle so well but now as she looked down at the village, the wave of heat coming off the island was starting to make her quite dizzy. She bit back a whimper as she felt her knees buckle. Urick glanced at her when she murmured it was too hot. He did notice how she was breathing harder, and acting strange. He didn't let his eyes off her as he noticed her stance was... a little unsteady. He turned his body slightly, about to ask if she was alright, when her knees buckled. Instantly he reached out and grabbed her shoulders gently, keeping her from falling down. The moment he grabbed her she fell against him, she closed her eyes tightly as her hands instinctively raised to grip his. [color=mediumslateblue]"I'd like... lay down, please..."[/color] She wet her dry lips with her tongue, her body temperature noticeably a bit warmer than normal. It seemed to her that the world was spinning and the only way to remedy it from lurching beneath her high-heel boots was to go down before it made her go down. Urick quickly lifted her off her feet, easily with his right arm which was wrapped around her, sliding his left arm under her legs and moved out of the sun. Upon reaching a tree trunk, he knelt down slowly and rested her on the ground, with her back against the tree. His face showed concern, as he watched Saina's face. As he'd lifted her, her eyes widened and her heart was beating out of her chest all the way up until he laid her against the tree. She looked at him while he looked her over. His gaze on her made her want to shuffle in the awkwardness, but somehow she managed to keep still. She blinked a few times to achieve her bearings. Then, not necessarily of her own will, her hand lifted and pressed against Uricks cheek. The same one she had held after Thane had punched him back in the area, her lips parting a little. Urick froze as she reached up and touched his cheek, with her slightly cool hand, Instantly his body heat spiked. His cheeks flushed bright red as his eyes widened as he looked at her. He didn't know what was happening as his mind went blank. It felt a long time as he knelt there, but it was only a minute. He cleared his throat and stammered, "A-a-are you OK?" As he swallowed with a dry throat. He didn't move. Not an inch, as if doing so would cause her to pull away. [color=mediumslateblue]"Y...Yeah..."[/color] Though she hid it well, she felt rather short of breath. This time, however, it wasn't due to the heat. Her palm pressed a little closer to his cheek as she slowly closed her eyes and gave a small smile. [color=mediumslateblue]"I suppose I should stick to the shade on these islands.... Besaid wasn't quite so bad, only because I rode around on Mercury to keep me cool..."[/color] She opened her eyes again, looking deep into Uricks as she felt her heartbeat grow heavy. [color=mediumslateblue]"...Urick?"[/color] He nodded ever so slightly as she explained the difference between the two islands. His mind began to work again, as he realised she probably needed water, or a potion. He reached back into his satchel, realizing he didn't restock on potions, and his water pouch was...empty. She then said his name, which raised his eyebrows in silent question of what. [color=mediumslateblue]"Did you ever... consider the last question I gave you?"[/color] She immediately regretted asking and averted her eyes immediately. He had listened to her before, but after all the accusations thrown at her by the redhead, not to mention everything else going on the past two days, she doubted he'd even consider it. He opened his mouth, instantly closing it again. His mouth slowly turning into a tiny smirk as he looked away. Closing his eyes he slowed his breathing to calm himself and again tried to focus on Gippal's face, the only person he was able to talk to with out a studder. Kinda weird, for sure, but it was true. A moment went by as he slowly began to speak, taking his time and constantly telling himself to calm down. He opened his eyes, but didn't look at her as he looked towards the village. "Yes..." His voice deep and almost grumbling. "Can one truly be...lost? Life...puts us in situations...no matter where we are, so we can learn. There is a reason for everything. Why we were attacked...ship wrecked on Kilika... arrested like we were, we would have never have met Hector. Who we were going to meet in Luca..." He paused as his nervousness returned and he fought through it to continue to say, "We are meant to be where we are in life. Nothing is a coincidence." He looked at her shyly. Wondering if she understood him. Saina's eyes were wide and she exhaled slowly once he'd finished speaking. Her hand dropped slowly from his face as she digested what he was saying. As his voice trailed off, she looked down at her stomach and frowned a little. There was a moment of silence as her gloved hand went to her abdomen and ran her fingertips along the line of her long, garish scar covered in stitches. [color=mediumslateblue]"Exactly where we're meant to be....?"[/color] Her voice was barely a whisper, but it carried heavyand intense emotion. Saina's fingers clenched down over the scar as she closed her eyes tightly, as if she were in pain. Urick's own smile turned into a frown at Saina's...did he see not like what he said? It probably wasn't what she expected...but when she ran her finger along the very large scar on her abdomen, his eyes narrowed as she whispered so softly he missed what she said, but when she clenched over the scar as if in pain he quickly touched her shoulder. "Saina!?" He said with an alarmed tone. not knowing what he could do. Saina gasped and looked up at him as he gripped her shoulders.... and became very quiet as she realized how close their faces were. She blinked slowly, staring at him as her lips twitched. She felt a small blush creep up on her face as she felt the strength of his hands on her shoulders. It made her want to fall into his embrace... and... Urick didn't understand why she wasn't responding, and his mind returned to what she probably needed, he wasn't a healer though. Despite not wanting to leave this secluded spot with her in the shade he slipped his left arm under her legs and moving his right arm under her lower back and lifted her up with ease. He held her close, blushing himself as he realised that he was starting to like the coolness of her body against his. He looked to the village his thoughts turning to find some store for a potion and water for Saina. Saina blushed and rested her head on Urick's chest, finding great comfort in the sheer mass of the muscular man holding her. She'd been so comfortable that she had even closed her eyes for a moment. Now, as she opened them slowly, a very colorful feather caught her eye as it drifted down where they had been sittin a moment before. With a small 'Hm?' her eyes travelled upward on the tree. [color=mediumslateblue]"WAH!"[/color] The pale woman practically leapt from Uricks buff arms as she jumped, surprised to see that overhead, a giant blue bird rested with a flock of smaller birds beside it on a thick treebranch of the tree Urick had rested her against. In her being caught off guard by the sight, she had thrown her arms around Uricks neck in a scramble to partially sit up. Her face contorted in surprise, her eyes wide and her lips parted as she blink at her chocobo. "Wark?" Mercury peered down at her curiously, none the wiser about how his handler had been looking for him. When Saina freaked out in his arms, he, a seasoned warrior, had a heart attack. His eyes wide as plates as she wrapped her arms around his neck, her body pressed against his. If he had a whistle on the top of his head it would have been blowing. There was a crisp scent from Saina's hair that smelt almost divine. He also noticed how her much cooler body against his warm one felt...almost surreal. He never had a girl hold him just like this... though it was a product of fright that made this possible...he...he was glad it did. His cheeks burning now as he thought that he looked up to see the bird looking at him. "Oh..." He said softly. "There he is." He said mostly to himself. He didn't realize his arm behind her back was slowly pressing her closer to him.