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madammuffins · 5 years

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Fairy Summers

Fairy Summers is a short story request by @vhum for my 300 follower celebration.

It is a World of Make Believe AU featuring Chelsea x Puck told over a series of summers as they age together and maneuver through life’s struggles, fantastical and mortal.

I will be uploading in parts just for easier reading. Also, playlist.

CW: Contains coming-of-age themes, familial abuse situations.

~*~*~*~*

Part 1 ♣ Part 2

~*~*~*~*

Part 3 is a Montana Summer, Chelsea is now 9 and we see her family situation evolving as well as her relationship with Puck

~*~*~*~*

"I don't hate you, Mom." Brown eyes dropped to muck covered mud boots. "I know it's not your fault we're out here, and I know the family will understand." She rolled her shoulders to try and ease the ache, shuddered when the rake knocked against her leg leaving a wet brown mark against her pale skin.

"Oh good. Good, Chellers." Susan pushed a strand of dark hair that had fallen from Chelsea's ponytail back behind her ear. "I had worried you'd be mad about not being able to... you know, see everyone this year. I am just so glad you've learned from your earlier tantrums that those kind of outrageous-"

"I was just upset, Mom." Chelsea's eyes dropped to the hand that was still clenched around her arm. She wondered, briefly, if she'd have bruises.

It didn't matter out here on the farm though. The farm she couldn't ever leave now. The farm she was trapped in. The farm she was indentured to. The farm she'd be held prisoner in. Between the pigs and horses and cows and fence mending and irrigation repair no one would notice a few more fingerprint bruises on her arms or welts on her legs. No one could hear her crying to the chickens when she collected eggs out here either. Or the tadpoles in the river out on the East side.

A hell and a haven.

"I can understand that." Susan released her grip. "Perhaps we had spoiled you taking you to the island so much. Every year, every summer? Such an expensive trip for such a small child."

Chelsea kicked at the gravel beneath her, leaning on the rake now. The sun beat on the back of her head and neck uncomfortably. "When I finish the chicken coop can I walk down to the c-"

"You are too young to go to the store by yourself."

"Mom-" Chelsea stopped at the glare.

A quick snap of Susan's head, the chill radiating off her body. The frigid square of her posture; shoulders up, eyes widened, fists clenched, jaw set, legs spread.

"I. Said. No."

Chelsea nodded, eyes down, shoulders hunched. "Okay. Right, sorry. I shouldn’t have-"

"Why would you push me like that when your grandfather has just passed away? Why would you even try to-" Susan's body withered, hands tangling in her bun. "Why would you do this to me? You're supposed to be a good girl. I took you in because your parents died, nobody else wanted you and this is how you repay me?" The sorrow burned away with every word, anger fueling the older woman. "You know what, you can go one ahead and muck the horse stalls now."

"What?" Chelsea dropped the rake. "But that's Max's-"

"You wanna talk back, ungrateful child?" Susan smiled, cool and collected now, “you can polish the tack too while you're at it." She paused, hand on a cocked hip, the other cupped her ear as she tilted towards her ward. "Oh, what's this? No more smack talk? Nothing to say keiki? That's what I thought." Susan turned away. "Get it done before dinner." She crooned over her shoulder, "Or you don't get to eat tonight."

“Yes, Mom.” Chelsea bit the inside of her cheek clean through, tooth meeting tooth through the flesh.

She turned on a swift heel, spitting blood into the dirt as she spread new hay out on the coop floor, billowing her shirt off her back as she crouched down and backed out of the small wood enclosure. The hens screamed at her, pecking her bare legs. The two roosters paraded, watching with careful disdain. She eyed them but they didn’t hold her worry. The fuzzy legged brown and black zebra striped hen did. A vicious laying feather duster to-be who’d taken to crowing and eating any of the unfertilized eggs.

Easily the most vicious of the bunch. Chelsea had a few scars on her calves and hands to show it.

Latching the door she stored the plastic rake, grabbing the wheelbarrow, shovel, and metal forked rake instead. Horse stalls required heavier equipment. She paused at the cows watering trough midway, taking a handful of water and splashing the top of her head, dunking her hat, letting the water douse her shirt and shoulders. Dribbles fell soothingly under the fabric and trickled to her jean shorts, soaking into the denim, offering some form of relief she knew would become muggy and stuffy.

Soft nickering greeted her as she positioned her wheelbarrow, carefully setting it aside as she grabbed the hanging lead ropes and twisted them into makeshift halters. The horses were easy enough to grab with the right kind of manipulations. With a smile she leapt up onto the tack trunk and stretched back behind the grain shelf to where she hid the sugar cubes. A sharp smack at her backside made her yelp, lose her balance, fall hard on the ground, elbow hitting the metal body of the wheelbarrow.

"Max." She ground between clenched teeth, peering up at her brother.

The jerk laughed with his pubescent cronies. "Mom told me you got in trouble today. Don't know how something so small has such a big, smart mouth."

"Whatever." Chelsea wiped off her butt, wincing as her elbow popped.

"What were you reaching for back there anyway, idiot?"

"Mind your own business, stupid." She hissed. "Just let me muck the stalls alone." Her eyes drifted back to her secret stash.

Later. She promised the roan gelding as his muzzle roamed over her t-shirt and shorts snuffling for his treat. When Max isn't around, when I'm done. She looped the halter over his ears and nose, letting the big beast follow her past the boys, using the giant red flecked animal as a barrier.

"This is boring." One of the boys yawned. "Let's go to the store."

"Yeah." Another piped up. "She's just a baby, no fun to pick on and no fun to watch."

"Alright." Max shrugged, picking up his bike from where he dropped it. "Let's go."

Chelsea watched the boys speed off as she latched the gate, something ugly that had been bubbling in her stomach calming as the distance grew. A big head shoved against her.

"Alright, Tory." She laughed, pushing him through the cry of her aching elbow. "Lemme get the others."

"No need for that, Country Girl."

Chelsea didn't bother hiding her joy, flinging herself into the noticeably taller fae, tangling her arms around Puck; knocking them back into warm, dusty fur.

"You came!" She pushed at the Chestnut mare holding the both of them up, rubbing her withers in apology. "I didn't know if you would and-"

"I promised." His voice was sincere, the laugh that danced in the words still present. He pushed her away, "Why are you crying?"

"It's been awful." Chelsea admitted, following him out to the corral where he let the mare loose. "Ever since Grandpa died Mom's been just... so much worse. And..." She swallowed hard. "Max too?" She blinked, "Dad's the only one who is nice to me anymore. Sometimes it feel like we're trapped here together. He's not healthy anymore either. It's his heart and cholesemal. He's gotten a lot bigger." She held her hands out at her sides to demonstrate.

Puck frowned, "What do you mean Max? What's he doing?" He watched as Chelsea looped the halter over the last horses head, stifling a hiss at the swayback and hobbling gait.

"Oh, don't mind ol' Gremlin." Chelsea pat the greying face fondly. "He used to be a race horse till he went lame. Rode him too hard Grandpa said. He was up for the butchers block to be dog food but Grandpa had a soft spot. Mom doesn't like the dead weight but he's in good shape considering."

"That's cool." Puck jumped down to follow her out into the sun, "Max?"

Chelsea tsked. "He's just... touching me a lot more? Like today he..." She blushed, "He spanked me in front of his friends." She growled. "I really don't want to talk about-"

"Put this under his mattress." Puck shoved a thorn into her hand, glaring into her eyes. "If he does anything like that again this will poke him throughout the night until he repents. If he continues it will get worse until it draws blood and spreads across his body like a rash."

"Puck!" Chelsea gasped, "I can't do that!"

"You aren't." He snapped his fingers, "I am. Now, let's go play. The chores are done, I wanna show you some stuff. Montana is great! There are things here that I haven't seen in a while!"

~*~*~*~*~

"So that's an Alven!" Puck leaned in close, pants rolled up above his knees.

"Where?" Chelsea leaned back on her knees, eyes scanning the running stream frantically. "I don't-"

Puck's hand landed roughly on the top of her head, "Do you see that bubble floating on the surface?" He guided her vision. "Right there, inside of it, the barely there thing? You can just see it when the light hits just like- That! Yeah!"

"I see it!" Chelsea gasped, "It's so pretty!"

"Eh, you're prettier." Puck grinned toothy and sharp at her blush. "Sometimes they wear Otter skins to stay hidden. Maybe beaver skins here in the North like this, I don't know if you guys have otters."

"Oh, I don't know either." Chelsea frowned as she climbed the rivers bank back to their sandwiches and snacks.

"Anyway, if you're really nice to them they'll help you with protection and healing. They like to dance at night." Puck took a bite of his fruit. "Fish eat them though."

"That's not cool." Chelsea managed between swallows. "Why do they live in the water if they'll be eaten?"

"They'd dry up on land. You saw it. Just a wispy invisible thing." Puck waved his hand. "Not a thing of substance. They need the night and the moon and the water like you need your soda and oxygen." He swallowed rough, "Anyway. I'll see you tomorrow. It's about time for your mom to start hollering for dinner."

Chelsea nodded, gathering her food and handing it to the fae. "See you tomorrow, same time?"

"Same time." He winked, then blinked out of sight.

~*~*~*~

"No." Chelsea crouched further down, ignoring the creeping coolness of water over the butt of her shorts, "You gotta get further down. You can't tell me you've never caught frogs?"

"Not like this!" Puck grumbled. "I just have to ask back where I'm from. It's different. The things out here are so much less... compliant."

"Compliant." Chelsea snorted. "Now that's a word."

"Just because I'm smart-"

"Yeah, a smart-ass."

"You can't say grown up words!" Puck toppled into the stream, sending the frogs scattering.

"Oh man." Chelsea groaned, falling back with her friend, laying down in the water. "There goes the lesson. Now what?"

"Well, we could have a new lesson." Puck sat up, dripping to look over the pasture to the horses. "Teach me to ride them like you do."

"My mom will see you if I do that." Chelsea's eyes widened.

"I can make it so she doesn't." He promised. "I can make a lot of things happen that she doesn't have to notice."

Chelsea frowned for a moment, pulling a rock out from the bottom of the riverbed and cleaning it before putting it back. "Like you do with my chores?"

"Like I do with your chores. Hey, by the way, did you do what I said with that thorn?"

She blinked, fingers busying themselves with the hem of her shorts, "Alright, I'll teach you to ride the horse."

Chelsea laughed as the fae leapt up with a shout, "The curved back one?"

"Gremlin isn't fit to ride." Chelsea pointed out. "But Tory is. He's big, but he's a nice boy."

"Ahh, the black brown one was my second choice." Puck stuck his lips out in a pout but followed as Chelsea approached the red roan.

"Free's too stubborn for a new rider. Especially bareback."

"You're the expert I guess." The fae shrugged, then grinned as he rubbed his hands over the roans dusty coat. "Man he smells so good."

"I'm glad you think so." Chelsea ran her fingers over Tory's neck to his face. "Now, blow into his nose really slow."

"Uh... What?"

~*~*~*~

Chelsea let out a shuddering breath. "I really shouldn't be here, Puck." Her grip tightened around his fingers.

"I mean, it's just a corner store." Puck snorted, pushing the door open, gaze darting to the bell that chimed their entrance.

"Mom said-"

"She won't know, and what she doesn't know won't hurt her." He pulled the human down the candy isle. "Let's grab stuff, my mortal. I've got cash- real cash." He cut Chelsea's protest off.

Chelsea frowned, watching her dark haired companion load his arms with goodies. Convincing herself. Because Mom didn't know, did she? She didn't know Chelsea wasn't working on the irrigation. She didn't know Chelsea wasn't on the farm.

She didn't know.

Puck turned a corner, returning with large sodas and a wry grin. Chelsea smiled, fingers snaking around a Whatchamacallit. She could do this. She could be a kid, she could enjoy this wild abandon at least once.

~*~*~*~

The cemetery maybe was a weird place to meet. Puck had suggested it and Chelsea didn't have any second thoughts about flying there on her bike as fast as she could. But wandering the tombstones, the air holding a chill that promised Fall was approaching, it whispered of scarier things.

In the back of her mind she couldn't shake Puck's warning; the creatures out here are wilder. Chelsea rubbed her arms against the chicken skin that washed over her.

"Oi, Chelsea." The fae waved as he created the incline. "Why are you wandering way-"

"Are there ghosts?" Chelsea sat on the edge of a burial plot. "Do human spirits linger?"

Puck blanched, his grip on their snacks tightened. "Y- you know. I don't know." He sat beside her, at a distance. "I don't deal with that, it's not what our family does."

"Do you think..." Her voice dropped deep, "do you think my parents-? Back on the Island there are stories about-" She sucked in a breath. “It was a car accident. Mom says no one wanted me, but I know they did. She took me to court. She sued the family, the whole family, to have me. My real mom and dad had a living will, it just wasn’t legally recognized. It didn’t have the right signatures.” Chelsea wiped at a stray tear. “They died in a car accident that I was in. Why did I-”

Watery eyes turned to the horizon, ignoring the way her young friend watched her, scrutinizing. He breathed deep, setting the food down. Chelsea leaned into him as he pressed his body against her, his arm looping around her shoulder, her head falling to the crook of his neck. Slender fingers rubbed against sun warmed skin as her shoulders shook in quiet cries; a trick learned from harsh scoldings and long, lonely nights.

"I don't know about your parents. I don't know about ghosts." He whispered under the protective tree, old and exuding a peaceful kind of magic. "I know your parents must have been great people and I'm sorry you lost them."

Chelsea sniffled, "Why are you even here?"

The words were cold and curt, cutting Puck quick. "Because you're my friend."

"I'm just a stupid mortal." He winced physically at his own word being used against him. "I'll die just like they did one day."

"I love you." Pucks grip tightened, the words rushing out of him with vehemence. "I'm never leaving you. One day I’m going to marry you."

"You can't."

"And why?" He leapt up, defiant to the tips of his hair. “Fae do it all the time, stealing away people and keeping them.”

"I'm too young." She leaned back to watch him, wary and guarded.

"When you're older then." Green eyes rolled.

"What if I have a boyfriend?" A smile touched the corners of her mouth.

"I'll beat him up." The fae crouched, looking into Chelsea's face all youthful earnest and baby innocence. "I'll marry you. I love you. I'll punch anyone who tries to take you from me. I’ll take you away from this one day, and keep you and we can dance every night like my parents do and I’ll take you flying when I’m stronger and introduce you to all kinds of different fairy creatures. If you want to?"

Chelsea tilted her head, staring long into those emerald depths until she nodded.

The wind carried away her whispered "Okay."

~*~*~*~*

Tag List: @vhum @thelastoftheflyinggraysons @nemothesurvivor

#womb1 au #puck x chelsea #300 follower celebration #fairy summers #modern fantasy #urban fantasy #wip #short story #modern fairy tale #violetvineyard #world of make believe au #writeblr #my writing #amwriting

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