Requested by: ImTheDamFangirl
OC: Aaliyah McCarran

Another ship bumped against the dock, signaling their arrival. The passengers, sick from the salty air, all pushed their way off the filthy boat. They had waited for this moment, a moment where they would be free.

Crammed between sweat stained bodies, was a young girl who was all alone. She had travelled the entire journey, rarely speaking. But she was more than thankful to be getting off that ship.

In the distance, the city gleamed with color and excitement. There were occasional flashes of red among the people. Every corner she could see was just waiting to be searched and explored. Her stomach flipped as she was helped across a gap between the ship and harsh waves. She reminder herself not to look down.

When her feet and luggage hit the ground beside her, a rush of relief came rushing through her veins. Weeping, she crumbled on the cobblestone path. After months of traveling on rocky waves and dealing with tormenting sicknesses, her wish had come true.

"Are you alright, miss?"

Her head tilted upward to see a man watching her with curiosity. He was dressed in some of the best, most finest clothing she had ever seen. Compared to hers, they were quite a sign of importance or royalty. But she reminded herself that in America there was no royalty.

"Y-yes, sir. I couldn't be any better." Even at her words, he reached down and offered his clean, white hand. Her eyes flickered from his encouraged face, to his outstretched hand. A feeling she hadn't ever felt washed over her.

With a tough tug on her hand, the world was upright again. She furiously wiped her eyes, as the man began talking again.

"I remember when that ship arrived here for myself only a few years ago. It was unlike anything I had ever experienced. I understand how you feel, miss." A smile crossed his lips.

Desperate breaths fought their way out of her lips. She beamed up at him, admiring how open he was being. It already seemed like she had found someone to rely on.

"At least someone understands how far I've come. I wasn't expecting anyone to care of the struggle it took to get here. So much was left behind, but it was worth it." She sighed, remembering her homeland. "I haven't even introduced myself. Aaliyah."

Her outstretched hand connected with his once more. The man chuckled, wiping his mouth with his unoccupied hand. "Pleasure to meet you, Aaliyah. I'm Alexander."

And so things continued from there. The two grew close. Very close. However, it was not close in the romantic type of relationship. The two would much rather describe themselves as great friends. They understood each other, what the opposite had gone through, and so on.

There were nights that they say and talked about nothing in particular. After a few drinks of wine, one of them would get off on a topic that they hadn't ever mentioned out loud before. Because of that, those nights were generally filled with sobbing and emotion.

One night in particular, Aaliyah found herself sharing a story about her father. When she had arrived in the new land, she had sworn to never bring up his name again. But once her mouth and mind starting turning again, she couldn't tell herself to stop.

"I-I couldn't remember much else, except for the sound of my own screams. Every punch left a bruise that stayed for weeks. I couldn't afford to tell my mother, for she loved him too dearly and would be terrified. So it continued until I escaped and got here."

Alexander dropped his glass. "How could he just abuse you?! The man had no right, no-"

Aaliyah rushed forward, placing her hand overtop of his mouth. "I know, I know. You weren't there. I was scared out of my mind. Do you even know what goes through a girl's head in that situation?"

Gasping, he pushed back her hand. "But why didn't you speak up? Why didn't you just-"

"I would have been nothing but raw meat for him to destroy at that point. If I dared to speak against him, my life would be done." Aaliyah set down her own glass in distress, before collapsing back on a couch. She shut her eyes.

Alexander was still frozen in the center of the room. He couldn't believe what he just heard from his friend. The two of them shared stories quite often, just not stories that deep. His mind was spinning as he tried to take it all in.

"He's far away now. I don't need to worry about being abused senselessly anymore." She chuckled in relief. God, how good it felt to say that aloud.

"But what if that isn't the end?" Alexander stalked across the room towards her, wincing as his bare foot pierced into the scattered, broken glass. He sat beside her on the couch to talk to her more clearly.

"There are men everywhere in this city. They all are thirsty for pleasure, such a type that your father never dared to force upon you. I don't want you to get caught in the wrong hands, dear. You might not be as safe as you believe you are."

Aaliyah gasped. Of all the things he could have said to her, it had to be that. It had to be something to make shivers go down her spine, visions of her past come crawling back, and horrors of the future be presented to her.

Alexander grabbed her hands. "I will protect you from anything that will scar you any further. I can't afford to see you be broken anymore." He didn't get to finish, for she threw herself into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

And so he kept that promise. That promise would shape their future together as friends. If someone had never seen them before, they'd immediately assume they were siblings. By the way they walked with one another, talked, and even looked at each other was something worthy of two loving siblings.

Alexander used their close relationship as a way to fend off any unfriendly men. They would try to flirt with her, but he'd cut them off and make some excuse. Aaliyah would sit helplessly watching her friend fight them off.

Writing kept her feeling alright. Even with him at her side at all times was quite comforting, it was sometimes too much. She thought of it much like how siblings acted.

When he went off to fight, she sent him letters upon letters filled with words of advice. There was nothing more reassuring to her when she revived a reply. It kept her praying for her friend to stay alive and come back to stay by her side again.

She felt incomplete without Alexander. He was the one person who understood her. From the moment she landed from her journey, he was there. And while their relationship was often seen as different, both of them couldn't live without the other.

For the first time in their separate lives, they had finally found someone who actually understood.

.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
A/N: Thank you ImTheDamFangirl for the request! I hope you liked it! And I know, I've been a little behind on requests, my apologizes, summer started for me, so I'll be writing frequently now.