Chapter Text
Chapter 25 (imgur) (Boots cam)
Well.
I did agree to walk home with Sebastian after Abby's birthday party.
But we first have to escort the panicky Sam to his house, lest he shit his pants.
“Dinner sure was nice, huh?” Sam whistles shakily. His eyes dart back and forth to either side of the pathway, expecting to see something dart out from between the bushes.
“Yup. It’s not too bad talking to Pierre when he’s not just trying to sell you something.” I say calmly.
“Oh, he doesn’t ever talk to me when I come over. ‘Cause I work for the enemy.” Sam’s shoulders ease for a moment, only to jump a second later when a raccoon crosses the street.
“The enemy? Like, Joja?” I ask.
Sebastian answers, “Yeah, he’s got a grudge against any grocery store within a 20-mile radius.”
“Well, I’d really better get some shut-eye before my shift tomorrow. Seb, maybe you can take this time to get to know the farmer more. Okay-g’night!!” We see a whip of yellow hair as he hauls his ass through the door as soon as his key unhinges the lock.
“Well, that’s a good segway.” I comment.
Our eyes fall to Sam’s key chain, which still hangs out of the lock. Sebastian sighs, takes it out, and hides it under a nearby rock.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about being Gotoran sooner, I just don’t normally bring it up.” I apologize as soon as there’s distance between us and Sam’s house.
“No, really, it’s fine. I just felt bad that I never thought to ask.” His voice softens towards the end of his sentence.
“To be fair, I usually avoid it. At Joja, I brought my visa papers for my boss to sign and he looked at me like I was an animal. After that, I didn’t tell anyone till I moved here.” I admit.
There’s a moment where we focus on the rustling sound of the trees.
“What’s your hometown like?” He asks as we turn down the road to my house, and his hand loops into mine.
“Family’s always first where I’m from. Sometimes a bit too much… Family parties are huge, no matter the occasion. You always wear loose-fitting pants, ‘cause your elders will make sure you’ve had at least four plates of food before you leave.” I laugh, remembering the times I’d come home from my grandma's house. My mom would say I looked like I swallowed a whole melon.
“It must be hard being away from them for so long. Especially when you have assholes like me coming to you and complaining about their family.” He admits, voice tinged with guilt.
“You can always come and complain to me, Sebastian.” I smile. “Pelican town, though. It really helps. I know I don’t socialize much with anyone but you, Sam, and Abby, but all the festivals and gossiping moms… it reminds me of home.” I pause as we reach my doorstep. “Are you coming inside with me?”
“Sure. I’m not sleeping any time soon, you know me.” He shakes his hair out of his eyes and follows me inside.
That’s what he said, but truth be told, as soon as we get comfortable sitting on my couch, the weight of his head on my shoulder gets heavier and heavier.
“Sebastian, you’re falling asleep.” I lightly try to slap him awake. “Sebastian.”
He only grunts softly in response.
“Sebastian, your mom’s gonna be here in the morning… Remember? Gossiping moms?” I press on his shoulder a bit harder.
“It’s fine.” He mumbles.
“I don’t mean this in a weird way, but if you’re gonna spend the night, my bed’s at least a hundred times more comfortable than this couch. I’d much rather sleep there.” I shift my weight to the side, and the feeling of his head falling is enough to jolt him awake.
His eyes are barely open and his feet drag on the floor as we make our way to my bed. He’s half-asleep when he takes off his shirt and hoodie, folds them neatly, and places them on top of my cluttered nightstand.
The next moment, his arms are around me and his scent is flooding my senses. I shoo away the thoughts about how much of his skin I can feel against me, and try to shut down the heat that rises from my pelvis. All the while, he’s snoring away in my ear.
***
I wake up to the sound of a crash and little footsteps scampering away.
Rain pelts down hard against my house.
Propping myself up on my elbows, I see the hanging plant in my window swing back and forth, knocking against the glass.
“Come back.” Sebastian says groggily, reminding me why my bed feels warmer than usual. “It was just Boots.”
I relax into his arms again. “Are you having an insomnia night?” I ask. My alarm clock reads 2:44am.
“No, actually. I was asleep until Boots started biting my toes.” He laughs, nuzzling his lips into my hair.
“Sorry about that.”
“What’s funny is I totally watched him do that, just now. He was trying to jump onto that plant and… well, his front paws made it. I probably could’ve stopped him, but I didn’t wanna wake you up.” He says.
We settle down again, waiting for sleep to take us, his soft breathing in my ears.
I watch the minutes pass on my alarm clock. 2:47... 2:48...
Is he asleep yet? He's not snoring.
Would it be weird to just start talking now? It's been about ten minutes since—
“Sarah…” Sebastian breaks the silence.
"Yeah?"
There's a crash of thunder and the clamor of Boots knocking something over in my kitchen.
“Can I touch you?” He asks calmly, but I can sense a timidness he’s hiding.
I can't believe my ears. Did he really just ask me that? Well, we are in my bed after all...
I turn to him and nod. I feel my face flush.
I listen to the rain tap harder on my window, the sound of our breath growing hotter, and the rustling of the blanket as his hand moves down my body to the drawstring of my pajama shorts.
He presses his lips together. The anticipation of the moment rides on his face.
“Stop me if this is too much.” He whispers.
Every hair on my body is raised as he loosens the drawstring and slips his hand beneath.
Silence.
“Did I make you this wet?” He asks, trailing the slick seam.
“Y-yes.” I reply, my words only managing to come out in a hoarse whisper.
A satisfied smile pulls at his mouth.
He dips a finger down, parting the lips of my pussy like Moses.
Why do I feel so embarrassed about the moan that escapes my mouth? It’s so hard to meet his eyes right now.
His movements are slow and simple, tracing a finger from my clit to my opening, but it’s the fact that it’s him that makes me shiver. My friend. Someone who made my move to Pelican town exciting in ways I never thought possible. Someone whose touch — whose eyes — have plagued my thoughts for months.
My mouth breaks open with a gasp as he waves his finger over my clit.
I need to hide my face. I curl forward into him, my forehead smashing against his collarbone.
“Sebastian.” I hum his name breathily, needing to convince myself that it’s really him that I’m laying here with; that this is really happening.
I can’t help the cry that escapes my mouth as his fingers sink inside me and curl upwards against my walls.
“I have no idea what I’m doing, by the way. Tell me if—“ he says.
“Just don’t stop. Please.” I whimper, cutting him off. “I’m obviously really enjoying this.”
I cast my leg over him, circling my hips around his fingers as trembles start to take over my body.
I start to undo the button on his jeans but he softly says, “No, it’s okay, I’m good for tonight.”
With no other task for my hands, all I can do is pull him tightly against me, kissing him like he’s the air I need to breathe.
This is him, Sebastian, who’s turning me into puddy beneath his hand.
Afterwards, I still can’t meet him in the eyes. I settle to just let him hold me, my breath hot against his chest.
I don’t know if I’ll ever stop smiling.
It’s his first time doing this, but it feels like the first for me too. It feels like everything I’ve ever done has been rewritten by his touch.
“You’re really good at that.” I giggle, pressing my forehead into the soft muscle.
“Button mashing in video games builds good hand dexterity, I guess.” He brags sarcastically, voice raspy.
“You’re a dork… Thank you.”
“Thanks for letting me.”
***
When we wake up again, it seems like neither of us know what to say. We lay in the warmth of each other’s bodies, using the silence to accept that that really happened.
It’s tingly. It’s exciting. It’s vulnerable .
Here alone together, with just the sound of rain outside… and the rhythmic thumping of Robin’s hammer.
“I’m surprised she’s working in the rain." I finally say.
“Yeah, she doesn’t stop for anything.” Sebastian comments.
“Well… what do you want to do? I’ve got about fifty pumpkins to pick today, and a lunch date with Abby’s mom.” I ask.
“Eh, I should get home. I’m trying to finish the soundtrack for that video game I showed you. The band’s recording our first EP in a few weeks, so I’m gonna ask the producer for notes on the game soundtrack too.” He explains, scratching his head.
“Oh yeah, how’s that video game coming along?” I ask, grinning. “I forgot about that.”
“You know, slow as hell, ‘cause it’s just me. But it’s fun.”
“I have no idea how you do it.”
I fry up a few eggs for us while we plan his escape.
It ends up going well, surprisingly. I’m able to distract Robin by asking her to check out some moisture damage in the chicken coop, while Sebastian hauls ass to the backroad.
***
The humid air washes over my skin. Calm, meditative music plays on the radio. Plants are everywhere. I feel like I've stepped into a hippie jungle.
“Hello, Sarah. I hope you kept warm on the way here.” Caroline greets me.
“Oh, it wasn’t too bad. Harvesting pumpkins this morning was the challenge.” I reply uncomfortably. My back fucking hurts. There's still dirt under my fingernails, despite having scrubbed them raw. And now, I have to keep my cool in front of Caroline.
“Pumpkins, hm? I carve one with Abby every year for Spirit’s Eve. Could I buy one from you?” She smiles, holding a mug firmly in her hands.
Her green eyes are kind, yet striking. It catches me off guard, how similar her eyes are to Abby’s. They both have the same long, swooping nose, but Abby’s face is a lot narrower than Caroline’s or Pierre’s. I always thought it was her sly personality showing through.
“Of course!” I say after spending a moment transfixed.
“I wanted to give you some seeds. I don’t have much from the south-east, but I have Gotoro cabbage, ginger, and some gourd varieties." She moves to a cabinet and starts sorting through a few plastic bags. Differently shaped seeds are in each of them.
“Thank you, I don’t even know what to say.” I watch as she places three bags in my hand.
“It’s nothing.”
“If you don’t mind me asking, how did you end up in Ferngil?” I say, hoping I’m not stepping on her generosity by asking.
“Well,” She begins, eyes dropping to an overwatered plant as she thinks. “It feels like a totally different life back then.”
“I totally know what you mean. Out of sight, out of mind.” I murmur, my eyes following her around the room as she mists some tropical plant species.
“I was young and didn’t know what I wanted. I didn’t stay in one place for long, and found myself here somewhere along the way.” She says politely, bringing her hand to the corner of her mouth as she blushes. “How did you find yourself here? If you inherited your grandfather’s farm, I assume your mother is the Gotoro parent?”
“Yes, my father was drafted in Gotoro and never moved back after meeting my mom.” I explain and laugh a bit, wondering what it must be like to change your entire life for a person like that. It’s a level of faith I hope I’ll find some day.
“That is so nice for them… It was hard for me to settle down when I got here. I just… wasn’t ready for domestic life, but Pierre pulled it out of me. He’s very traditional.” She hums gently, lips tightened into a thin line.
“It all works out in the end.” I reply. I have no fucking clue what to say to that.
“Oh, heavens! I forgot to offer, would you like some tea? I grew it myself.” She lightens up, and moves over to a small table with a kettle.
“S-sure.” I stutter.
Fuck, is this a test? To see if I’ll trust her enough to drink what she prepares for me?
She pours a cup and hands it to me. It has the color of forest moss. It catches the light oddly.
I consider everything. What if this wipes my memory like the wizard did to Abby? I’d never get to the bottom of whatever’s going on, but maybe it would be better to keep my nose where it belongs.
Whatever it is, it’s in her hands now. I decide it’s her secret, and her right to decide knows it.
I sip the cup, the hot liquid warming my throat. It tastes floral, and somewhat grassy.
My memory seems to stay intact, but that doesn’t stop the room from spinning around me.
“With how hectic life can be, drinking a cup of this lets my mind wander.” She hums. “I can pretend I’m elsewhere.”
“It’s really peaceful in here.” I mumble. All my senses are fuzzy, but not in a bad way.
Why would she give me this?
Following my meeting with Caroline, I bust down the hallway and dizzily find my way to Abby’s room.
It’s real. All of this. This tea is like a microdose of the nature potion the wizard gave me, months ago. I feel like I've been climbing these stairs for 20 years.
It’s so easy to forget it all and go on about daily life, pretending that there’s no magical man, or bouncy little Junimos around the corner. But now it’s here, and it's infiltrating on my personal life.
“Abby.” I throw a weak fist on her door, bracing my weight on the wall.
“Yo.” She answers the door. Her gaming headset is on and she's still seated in her computer chair. “Let me finish this match.”
I go to lay on her rug, watching the wiggly lines that appear in the ceiling, while she frantically taps on her keyboard.
“FUCK.” She bellows, throwing off her headset. “What’s up, Sarah?” She casually swings in her chair to face me as if she didn’t just rage quit.
“I’m gonna say something crazy, but please just go along with it.” I spurt out.
“Well, you usually do anyway, but okay.” She shrugs her shoulders.
“You believe in occult things, right?”
“I mean, I think it’s cool. And, I do really think I talked to a spirit at the railroad tracks.” She answers.
Fuck, where do I start?
“Have you been to the Community Center lately?” I ask tepidly.
“Not since the Flower Dance.”
“Let’s go tonight. Once it’s dark.”
