like a ripple in a pond | heizou
PAIRING | heizou / reader
TAGS | general audiences, mystery, minor npc oc, mystery, kiss, canon compliant, happens after inazuma archon quest (but knowledge on the quest is not needed)
SUMMARY | heizou does not believe in coincidences, so seeing you at tenryou street piqued his curiosity. however, it's not your appearance on a street you hardly frequent that bothers him. it's your expression.
WORD COUNT | 5.1k words
INFO | title given by @isekyaaa | beta'ed by ekolu & mimkyu | ao3 | more
When he crosses paths with you on his way home, the shocked expression you have when he calls your name tickles his intuition.
Nothing is a coincidence, Heizou believes, and he should be the one thatâs surprised.
First, his office is located in Tenryou, and itâs also in Inazuma City, the place he lives. Itâs no anomaly to see him on the street. Second, you live in a village far away. Third, you only ever visit Yae Publishing House during your trips to the city.Â
The girl at your side might be a clue though.
When Heizou walks over with a big smile to say hello, the girl stands awkwardly, hands itching for a handshake, but she is also poised for a bow. She doesnât seem like a local. He wants to assume sheâs your friend, but if you are visiting someone you rarely hang out with, casual clothes might not be your choice of wear.
With all these pieces, Heizou is seeing a clearer picture of the situation. Youâre giving a tour to someone from another nation. How sweet. However, that does not explain why you are shocked to see him. The Tenryou Commission did send a search party to find his whereabouts, so maybe you chanced upon this rumour and thought he was missing. But you know him. He is never lost with his intuition in the lead. Youâre the last person he expects to fall for such stories.
He exchanges greetings with you, and you give a pleasant smile, but soon return to that new distant demeanour of yours. It has been a month since he last saw you at the publishing house. You were always joyful to meet him, sometimes even gracing him with snacks from your home as both of you chewed on dried lavender melon while discussing mystery novels. This is a change he isnât prepared for, so he focuses on the girl by your side.
âMy name is Shikanoin Heizou, a special detective working for the Tenryou Commission. Welcome to Inazuma,â he says as he extends his hand to the foreigner.
Her eyes flit Heizou up and down, and although she tries to be polite, Heizou can sense some doubt in his claim as a detective, not to mention a special one. She returns a friendly grip, body relaxed, but tenses up again. Her eyes beg at you for some guidance, but youâre deep in contemplation.
âItâs nice to meet you Shikanoin⊠Heizou?â she says after her failed call for your attention. She then introduces herself as Bertha, and Heizou smiles at her name. So sheâs from Mondstadt.
âYou can call me Heizou.â
Bertha loosens up, releasing a faint sigh. âOh, Iâm glad I didnât offend you. I heard that some people like to be called by their first name, but some are stricter and only want to be called by their last name.â
âNot at all. I donât find it a big deal, but if you remember my full name, it might come in handy if you find yourself in a tight pinch.âÂ
âOh, thatâs really nice of you,â she says in a way thatâs hard to decipher if sheâs being friendly or she means it. âThere were a few instances I did feel unwelcomed,â Bertha mumbles, then she returns to her cheerful self and continues, âbut youâre really too kind. Your friend too! I was lost but your friend offered to be my guide for free!â
âI had time to spare,â you bashfully say, walking closer to Heizou. âCan I speak to you for a bit?â You give Bertha a sheepish smile. âI have some matters to discuss with him. Weâll be back! Give us a minute.â
Before she can respond properly, youâre walking down the road. Heizou tips his head to Bertha as a small note of parting and follows suit. Questions sharpen his senses as he scavenges you for keywords. Youâre restless. Tired too. Each observation adds a layer to his hill of concern for you. What have you been doing the past month to end up in such a state?
âActually⊠I am lost,â you admit after finding a good place out of Berthaâs earshot. You glance behind Heizou to watch her. He takes note how she seems more interested to ask about an Inazuma charm than ask for directions from the nearby store owner. âBertha wants to go to Komore Teahouse and I thought I knew the way but I guess⊠I overestimated myself.â
Getting lost⊠Thinking youâll know the way but not really⊠Heizou taps his forehead. Have you been frequenting Inazuma City? It explains your tiredness. The walk back to your village requires climbing and sometimes bandits loiter the paths. It matches your predicament too. Increased visits to the city made you confident you can navigate it by yourself⊠but if you did frequent the city, would you be lost? Unless youâre only visiting a few places, and Komore Teahouse is out of your parameters.
âWhere did you meet Bertha?â Heizou asks. You are taken aback by his question. Reasonably so since the starting point does not matter when someone is lost. Even a baby is aware of this. âIf you tell me, we will know where you took a wrong turn. You wonât get lost again.â
After a bit of hesitance, you oblige. âI saw her at Ogura Textile and Kimonos. I took a left turn believing it was a shortcut but⊠no success. What a relief that you appeared. She still thinks I can guide her. I wouldnât want her to know Iâve been leading her to nowhere. Plus, how embarrassing⊠I approached to help but I ended up being lost as well.â
Heizouâs intuition pricks.
Your expression when you saw him had no inclination of relief. Not that it was hostileâit was surprise, mixed with a drop of disbelief.
âThen it must also be a relief to hear that youâre walking in the right direction,â Heizou says, smiling at the way your eyes light up. âSince youâre on the main road, itâs easy. Walk straight and just before the staircase to Hanamizaka, thatâs when you turn to your left.â
âThank you,â you say, but there is something else on your tongue youâre not sharing. He can tell from the way you lick your lips and press them together, as if sealing an envelope.Â
Heizou spent his past few days tracking down a case. It was exhilarating to enter the ruins and find treasure hoarders deep in their mischief. This case of you, however, is a different kind of exhilarating.Â
His intuition blares, warning him not to let this moment go. Not that he will. His brain is whirring with possibilities of what he can dig, and he isnât satisfied with all the information he currently has.
âPerhaps I can join you, just in case,â he offers.
You stiffen.Â
âItâs a straightforward path and Iâm sure you can manage yourself,â Heizou says, âbut my way home is in the same direction. It wonât hurt to do a little detour, would it?â
You furrow your eyebrows and watch Heizou suspiciously.Â
âYouâre suspecting somethingâŠâ
âAiyaya, how quick you are to accuse me. I just want to follow along.â
âAndâŠ?â
âAnd?â Heizou repeats, hands on his hips, smile stretching playfully. If he stitched everything right, Heizou is a problem to you, but he wasnât one a month ago. Something has happened, and his intuition is telling him he has to find out why before itâs too late. âArenât you happy you bumped into me?â
âRelieved,â you correct. Heizou is smirking, silently arguing that itâs the same, and your quietness is your agreement. âIf it doesnât bother you, I donât see why notâŠâ you relent. It is never nice using your inability to say no to his advantage, but this is necessary to unearth your strange behaviour.
Heizou snaps his fingers in delight. He was worried heâll have to return to paperwork after his cases. His intuition to leave for the publishing house a little later today was genius, serving him a delicious find.
âWe shouldnât keep Bertha waiting, should we?â He asks, and you sigh, deflated, but when you look at him, you have a restrained giddy smile on your face. Locking eyes with him, however, makes you squirm and you stare at the ground as if to collect your strength, yet you arenât afraid of him like Bertha is. Youâre standing close, almost as if preparing for the winds to sway you to bump into his shoulder.
His intuition tingles.
Oh.
How very exciting.
You are surprisingly well known in Inazuma City, Heizou observes, and although it distracts them from making their way to Komore Teahouse, the small conversations reveal plenty about you. Some of his colleagues recognise you, and interestingly they arenât doushin that patrol the city. Ogura Textile and Kimono shop is just by the entrance of the police station. It should be expected that doushin will find you familiar if youâre frequently within the area⊠but they seem too friendly for you to be a face they witness crossing the streets on a regular basis.
He tries to ignore the small bud of green in his stomach, covering it with a yawn as one of his colleagues brag about his accomplishments. Youâre nodding, listening, but your eyes wander too much. Sometimes you seem to be staring into space. After a minute or so, Heizou decides to save you from your misery, pulling you away.
An old lady also stopped the group to give you groceries in exchange for a kind act you did, which you eventually accepted so she could let you off.Â
Heizou can see Berthaâs eyes grow with innocent admiration with every pit stop. When you introduce her as your friend to the locals, they extend their warm greetings. It isnât a surprise when, at the teahouse, she frantically requests to exchange contacts. She even reveals the address of her lodging in Inazuma City, practically begging you to find her.
Only you. It seems Heizou is redacted out of the situation, left to stand at the side and wait.
âI am truly so grateful. I came to Inazuma alone believing it will be a smooth trip. Who knew my understanding of the Inazuma script and local customs is so shallowâŠâ Bertha clasps both your hands. âYou really saved me back there.â
âOh, itâs not a big deal,â you say like a saint. âIâll be happy to help within my means. But, um⊠could you let go of my hands now?â
âOh, sorry.â Bertha looks as if you struck a knife in her chest.
âNânot that I hate it or anythingâI canât delay any longer. Itâs getting late and I need to go home.âÂ
Heizou wants to laugh. There you go again letting people do as they want with you. Physical contact is not part of Inazumaâs culture, so he knows youâre at least uncomfortable. Bertha doesnât need to know that though. She looks at the darkening sky and agrees, bidding you goodbye, and waves to Heizou as an afterthought.
You seem weary, and Heizou almost feels culpable approaching you for what heâs going to say next.
âLet me walk you home.â
âAlmostâ because the stupor in your expression is worth it.
âYes, you shouldnât walk me back home.â
âOkay, letâs go.â
âNo, wait, I said you shouldnât!â
âBut you said âyesâ.â
âAs a detective, you shouldnât cherry pick your clues.â
âAs a detective, I am supposed to pick up things between the lines.â
âNo, no, no. Youâre reading this wrong. I donât need you to walk me back home. I know the way andâwait a minute. I should just go now. The more we talk, the later itâs going to get. Good bye. It was nice meeting you.â
Heizou expects you to dash away, as your words imply, but youâre walking at a comfortable pace, and after a few metres, you do look back.
âI said not to follow me,â you hiss, intending it to be a warning but you sound conflicted instead.
âThatâs hard when youâre making it too easy to do so.â
To his surprise, you stop and turn. You take a step closer to him and corner him like a culprit. Heizou is tempted to raise his hands in surrender, but he just smirks instead.
âListen here, smart guy. I donât know what youâre thinking but whatever youâre thinking of is wrong. You should just go your merry way and I will go on my own.â
âThen answer me this question, and your prize is that Iâll leave you alone.â
You shrink, looking uncertain.
âIâll hear it first.â
He clears his throat comedically, adjusting his attire as he straightens his back, then stares into your eyes. You look away before returning with a gaze of equal determination.
âCan you explain what youâve been doing near the police station?â
As if Heizou got caught in his own webbed game, you smile, eyes narrowing. The hunter has become the hunted it seems, when you so readily answer him.
âI guess you donât know, but I am a freelancer who occasionally delivers parcels in Inazuma City. Most of the ordersâwell, the ones I take anywaysâare to the police station.âÂ
He tilts his head and looks at you. Youâre really bad at lying, needing every word of yours to be factually correct. In some sense thatâs your charm. Under his inquisitive presence, you falter for a split second before steeling yourself.
Youâre trying to throw him off from his original hypothesis. That has to be the reason why youâre still shaky in some aspects of your stance. You didnât reveal any new information, but itâs nice to know his assumption that you frequent only the police station is correct, aligning with how you could not find Komore Teahouse.
With your guards up, itâs not easy to get more out of you. Regardless, the sun is no longer in the sky and the city is illuminated by street lamps. It is a great condition for one thingâŠ
âLook at the time. I donât think you should go home alone when you donât have a weapon or vision to defend yourself. I guess it is in my interest to accompany you.â
You open your mouth in rebuttal but squeeze your eyes. Then, your raised index finger filled with accusatory intentions falls to your side as your shoulders slump.
âFine. If you think itâs not a nuisance.â
Youâre reluctant at first, answering his questions plainly, but as the night deepens, you start speaking the way you used to at the publishing house. Excitedly, you rap about your trivial adventures at the village, recounting tales like a narrator observing life unfold. In your good mood, Heizou tries asking about your delivery job, but you change the subject to ask about his cases. When you try to sneak a few questions on his whereabouts to piece together the incidents that led him to appear at Tenryou street, he gives you what you want, but, tit-for-tat, he doesnât reveal he was on his way to the publishing house.Â
When you reach home, youâre all smiles, as if you did not oppose his suggestion to walk you back home at all.
His intuition tingles.
Heâs getting closer to the truth.
âThat helpful delivery person has not come in weeks,â a colleague of Heizou laments as he enters a restaurant well known to tourists and high flyers, not so much doushin. âI ordered something and I was hoping itâd be that freelancer to arrive, but it was just a regular employee from Komaniya Express.â
âOh, I know that freelancerâHeizouâs friend, right?â
Heizou does not say anything as he enters the restaurant after his colleagues for lunch. Many have commented his increased presence in the city is strange considering his love for pursuing personal cases that leads him to other islands of Inazuma, but no matter how much they poke, Heizou does not say anything more than he has personal dealings in Inazuma City.
Unfortunately, you havenât stepped foot into the city for a while, puzzling him. His intuition doesnât lead him anywhere else.
âOi, Brother Heizou, help your brothers out, would ya? We want to know more about your friend.â
Something ugly buzzes in his gut. Over the weeks, as he dug for more evidence to solidify his hypothesis, he learned a lot about you. He has known you for a while, but only as a novel enthusiast. His first encounter with you was at the Publishing House, and buying novels was the only reason you travelled the distance from your village to the City. He didnât question much and left after he browsed through the shelves, but you were always there when he visited, and it was fun having discourse with you on the reality of these novels.
Turns out you took the long journey to the bookstore not just for yourself, but to buy books for the village. The old lady you bumped into? She is from your hometown. She was visiting her grandson who lived in the city, and that grandson, inspired by the books you brought back, decided to chase his dreams. Heâs apparently an up-and-coming novelist.
As gentle as ripples on a pond, sometimes he worries how fragile you are, but it amazes him how large your small actions become.
To have his colleagues fawn over you is expected considering your deeds, but Heizou still doesnât like it.
âAiyaya, itâs a little too early to be talking about all this. We havenât even ordered our meals. Come, Uesugi, what do you want to eat?âÂ
Uesugi, a colleague, brightens up at the invitation, and the boys holler and hoot as they scan the menu.
In the midst of chaos, a voice finds its way to Heizouâs ears.Â
Itâs Bertha. She dashes towards Heizouâs position, uncaring about the way his colleagues fall silent and watch her with great curiosity. Heizou doesnât care either. What he cares for is if you are with her, and if you are, then his intuition is right. Bertha is the reason youâll visit the city again.
âOh, itâs such a pleasure to meet you! We were just talking about you. Come, let me show you where weâre seated.â
Without any warning, Bertha grabs his hand and drags him up the stairs. Heizouâs colleagues just gawk. Even their honed quick reflexes are no match against the shock that sits them in their place, and he is carried away before they know it.
âWeâll order for you!â one of them shouts before Heizou is gone.
He has no idea how Bertha has the strength to sprint up the stairs. Upon reaching the second floor, he is slightly exhausted but tries to compose himself when he spots you sitting at a nearby table. Youâre sipping your drink, and when you notice him, you almost choke.
âTake a seat!â Bertha gestures to the seat beside you. You cough, twisting your body away from him. It is only after you take a deep breath do you sit proper, straining your face to remain expressionless.
âBertha,â you say with a controlled voice, âYour break to the toilet was faster than I expected.â
âThat,â she says, pursing her lips in embarrassment, âI actually forgot about that because I was so excited. I shall go now.â But it seems as if it is intentional, for she giggles on her way down the stairs.
Heizou pulls out the chair opposite you instead since Bertha is gone. Plus, heâll give himself till Bertha returns. The longer he stays, the more questions his brothers will ask him. You do not like being bombarded with grand gestures, something his colleagues will do when they realise youâre in the vicinity.
You return to your drink, staring at the table.
âHowâs lunchââ you say.Â
âItâs nice to see you aroundââ he says as well.
Both of you gently laugh. He gestures for you to go first.
âI didnât know you'd eat lunch at this restaurant. You donât seem like someone who likes fancy food.â
âThatâs right. I prefer more homely dishes, but my friends wanted something special.âÂ
âSpecial? Is today a special day? Wait a minute, when is your birthday?â
Heizou chuckles, leaning against the table. âItâs not my birthday. Theyâre just being sentimental that Iâm around. I am their model employee.â
You nod, laughing, and then fade to silence.
âItâs nice to see you around,â Heizou starts. Youâre almost back to your normal self, it seems. Less tense, less rigid. More welcoming. Still, a streak of sadness stains your mien.
âYeah⊠Bertha wanted me to accompany her through her itinerary. Sheâs invited me to join her a few times but I declined, and then I felt horrible about it⊠This is the second of the seven places she wants to visit. Iâm in for a long day, huh.â
âIs that why you havenât been doing deliveries, then?â
âNot really,â you say, shrinking into your seat. âDid⊠Bertha say anything to you?â
Oh? Heizou can feel his lips curving into a smirk. She did drop that you were talking to her about him. He tries to control his expression and tap his temple in thought.
âPerhaps she didâŠâ
You jump in your seat, hands reaching out to create some barrier between him and you. âLook, I can explain. IâIââ
âYou can when I walk you home,â Heizou says as he stands. âI believe youâll have a long day today, and itâll be dangerous for you to go home yourself. Iâll meet you at Berthaâs.â
âWait, I donât know when Iâll end. How about I meet you at the police station?â
The rowdiness from his peers below reminds him of their casual talk about you.
âThe hostel is fine. If not, I'll wait for you. How about that?â
âI donât really have a choice if I want to explain myself, rightâŠâ
âYouâre right,â he teases. You look down in your seat, but he manages to catch you biting your lip to abate a nervous smile. âIâm not giving you another opportunity.â
He leaves, crossing paths with Bertha on his way down the stairs. Sheâs upset he canât stay, but understands that heâs still on the clock and the meal his colleagues ordered for him has probably arrived. She bids farewell and Heizou rejoins with his friends.
They pester him with questions on who Bertha is, which he answers honestly. A few catch on that Bertha isnât alone and asks who the other person might be.Â
âEven a detective should have his secrets,â he says, then smiles and stuffs himself with food.
As quick eaters and obedient guards of the Tenryou Commission, they finish their meal before lunch break ends. Thankfully, neither you nor Bertha make your way down. As some quip about you and their sadness for your absence the past few weeks, Heizou canât stop grinning.
His intuition is always right.
Heâs looking forward to tonight.
Heizou throws his jitte into the air, catching it by hooking the handle with his index before spinning it idly. He has been waiting for 10 minutes with you nowhere in sight. Heâs surprisingly optimistic though, especially considering Berthaâs personality. She will not let you slip away. Itâs highly likely she knows of your meet up with Heizou at the end of the day. She would have pestered you for details, and youâll give what she wants.Â
âSorry to keep you waitingâŠâ you say behind him. He turns, confused why youâll appear from the hostel, only to have his eyes feast on a wonderful sight. His jitte drops to his floor. Youâre wearing traditional clothing, styled and tailored in a way that perfectly brings out your form. Heizouâs heart almost forgets its job. He bends down to pick his weapon.
âBertha decided to use me as a model⊠uhâŠâ You lift your sleeves and twist to look at yourself. âThis is making things worse, isnât it?â
âWhere are your clothes?â
You sink, hands covering your face. Heizou kneels with you.
âI wasnât paying attention and bumped into someone who spilled noodles on me.â
Nothing happens out of coincidence, Heizou believes.Â
You groan. âIâm making this worse for myself.â Your hands are shaking, so he takes them gently in his and gives them an encouraging squeeze before standing to pull you up.
âI wonder what was on your mind,â he asks, partially knowing the answer. You donât release your grip on him even though youâre on your feet.
You sigh. âThis is the time for it to all be revealed, isnât it? Although I believe you already figured it out.â
âIâm not a mind reader,â he says. âEven if I do know, donât you want to say it?â
âNo, I donât.â You keep your head low. âNot really.â
He keeps quiet, patiently waiting for your next move. You look at his hand thatâs holding yours, then at him before your face is stricken with nervousness. He gives an encouraging squeeze.
âDo you remember our first meeting?â you ask.
âAt Yaeâs Publishing House.â
A small smile graces your features as you seem to reminisce. âYour wit captivated me. I found you so charming, but scary. You could understand every twist and turn of the novels, I was envious.â
Heizou nods. He remembers that, and at that time he was grateful for your agreement. Normally people push aside his own beliefs, or even accuse his intuition to be childâs play. Thereâs a reason people call him peculiar and eccentric. It took a while to gather the trust of his comrades he currently calls his brothers, but you trusted him immediately. That made it easy to get along with you. He might not admit it, but meeting you was his highlights, not the best seller books.
âAs we talked more, I started to like you, Heizou.â
The ambience is thick with suspense. It is what he expects to hear, but he stands, now the stunned one, unable to fathom the honesty in your gaze.
You finally pull your hand away from his grip.Â
âWhen you stopped appearing at the publishing house, I wanted to see you again, so I tried many excuses to visit Inazuma City in hopes Iâd bump into you. Truthfully, I was a little offended that when I tried, you were nowhere to be found. Then, just when I gave up, you were there. âÂ
âYou quit your job as a delivery person, didnât you?â
You nod.
âAnd,â Heizou adds, âthe day we met would be your last day in the city.â
âI went to the publishing house without fail. Went for multiple trips and even stayed there for a whole day just to increase my chances. I always wondered when we would meet again.â
As you speak, your head lowers. You touch your attire, eyeing it carefully. âI was thinking about what will happen now before I got noodles all over myself. I was so nervous, but Bertha is right. Keeping these feelings inside isnât doing me any good. I rejected her invitation because I didnât want to go to the city, to have anything to do with you⊠but I eventually agreed because it felt too good to be true that we walked home, and maybe Iâm greedyâŠâ
You lean against the wall, arms hugging yourself as an attempt to be smaller.
âShe said if I donât tell you, sheâll do it for me as the highlight of her trip before she leaves. Knowing how she is, I was worried sheâll give you a run down version of my feelings as the truth. I know I said I like you, but Iâm really here to say Iâm not going to anymore.â
Heizou can only stare. Soaked in sincerity and moonlight, youâre enthralling.
âThis is so embarrassing,â you admit, facing his nonplus reaction. âYou shouldnât say anything. Iâll just go home now.â
Heizou wants to grab you before you elude him, but his intuition freezes him in place. Where is the joy in that if you succumb to his plea? At this moment, there is no greater test for you than him giving you the space to express yourself. For once, you donât have to adhere to otherâs desires, and in the quiet, he hopes you can hear your own. So he stands at the entrance of the hostel as he watches you go. Each step, his heart aches. His hands itch to reach forward, but he keeps them to his side.Â
His intuition is always right.
You stop your march.
Slowly, you look back, and you dash towards him.
âItâs not easy to like you,â you confess when you return, panting. âAnd I keep telling myself I can stop liking you if I donât see you but Iâll remember how we would talk for hours and Iâd fall in love with the way your mind works, and then spiral into a mess of listing everything amazing about you.â
For a long time, you have been at the back of his mind too. While he runs around Inazuma, led by his intuition, he wonders how youâll react to seeing him again. Perhaps his insistence to find the truth is also stemmed from his disbelief that you can look at him with such dejection. Where was the smile he found beautiful?
He doesnât believe in coincidences, so this moment canât happen if it isnât for his frolicking attitude. He doesnât regret it, but it does cause a small twang in his chest knowing heâs hurt you.
âI canât change who I am,â he says.
âI know. Iâm not asking you too. I donât know what Iâm asking, honestly. After this we can ignore each other and Iâll never visit the city again.â You look at him to search for some kind of confirmation or rebuttal.Â
âDo you really want that?â he asks instead, and perhaps you see your reflection through his green eyes as you widen yours in gentle surprise, like facing a revelation. âYou can do what you want with me. Iâm not going anywhere.â
You take a step closer. He doesnât budge, letting your breath hit his skin. A second later, you declare like a criminal: âI missed you.â
You hold his face and press your lips against his.
Heizou does not believe in coincidences. A ripple has to be caused by something. Humans have to be moved by something. He has fallen under scrutiny for this view, but there is no moment greater than this that proves his point.Â
It is not a coincidence your lips mould his.
It is not a coincidence he likes you, and itâs not a coincidence you like him.
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14:25 ăŒ TAMARACK BAUMANN. honey ain't got nothin' on you, 'cause you're sweeter.
Summers are different in Golden Grove.
Truthfully, Golden Grove feels different no matter the season. For a town called Golden Grove, autumn is the season that suits it best. When the leaves are shades of red, oranges and golds and there's a pleasant chill in the air. Summer, to you, is just when it is the most apparent.
When you were still a child, experiencing your first Golden Grove summer, it was exciting. There was no school so you had all the free time in the world to explore the forest surrounding the cul-de-sac you call home. It had changed, with its green leaves and the sorts of seasonal critters inhabiting it.
When you were much younger, that meant more goodies for you and Tamarack to find and bring home.
Now that you're a teen with more of a mind to hate the summer heat, summer has lost its appeal. You can tell it has also lost its appeal to Tamarack who sits squarely in front of the fan in front of your desk, cheeks flush from the heat. Summer is only enjoyable in small increments, you believe. If there's too much, all the energy gets sapped out of you and you lose the drive to do much of anything.
Case and point, the wig you are supposed to be practicing your braiding on. Now that wig and the mannequin head you placed it on lie abandoned on the floor while you lie eagle spread across your bed. You haven't even begun braiding it. Not even Tamarack could make herself sit and practice her cello in this sort of heat.
Why do conventions have to be in the summer? There are only three major conventions in Oregon ăŒ WasabiCon, Ani-Medford and KisuuCon ăŒ and only two of the three take place at a time your mother accepts. "Why do conventions have to be in the summer," you groan once more, this time for everyone in your room to hear. "Is this really the curse I have to bear for quality cosplay?"
"Autumn can't come quickly enough," Tamarack murmurs in agreement. Autumn may come at the cost of school's return but it's the perfect season for everything. Her ruby eyes glance at your lack of progress. "Maybe you can practice later tonight instead?"
You shake your head, pushing yourself into sitting. "No, if I wait until then, I'll just put it off until tomorrow and do the exact same thing again." Then you'll put it off and put it off, citing the summer heat as the culprit, until finally the weekend of your chosen convention arrives and you have an incomplete cosplay. That's what happened last year when you were 14, you'd rather not make it habit. "I'll work on it now."
You just need motivation. Proper motivation.
That can wait until you've gotten yourself something cold to drink, however. "There's lemonade in the fridge if you want some."
"Please," Tamarack pleads.
The trip downstairs to the kitchen is quick yet arduous as you shuffle through the less cool parts of your house. You can only hope your mother is having a better time where she works. You hope everyone you know is doing better than you are right now.
Serenity is out of town visiting family in the Bay Area.
Vianca and Qiu are at ballet practice in an air conditioned building.
Ren is with her family kayaking for the week so you're sure she isn't minding the heat in the slightest.
As for Baxter, he's off at his fancy university in Virginia. You never really reconnected with the guy before he left either, so you can only hope he's somewhere that has good air conditioning, if any.
So to your knowledge, you and Tamarack are the only ones suffering in a building too old to have an air conditioner. You and Tam, ever a pair. Even if that means suffering during summer vacation together.
"I'm back with the goods," you announce needlessly when you return to your room. Tamarack's already reaching for a glass before you reach her, gratitude all over her face. You're happy to be directly in front of the rotating fan, relishing how it feels on your sticky skin. The tangy-sweet chill of the lemonade is a wonderful accompaniment.
Tamarack cups her glass in both her hands much like how one would carefully hold an injured pigeon. You feel a warmth more comfortable than the sweltering summer heat permeating through your room.
Thick, fluffy hair that shines gamboge pulled into a messy bun. Dappled in an autumn sparkle that never goes away even in another season.
Berry-red eyes that are much too pretty for this world and as expressive as they come.
All things that make Tamarack Baumann 'Tamarack Baumann'.
Tamarack is here. Truly here and she isn't going anywhere. That was the resolution of everything that happened last year when you were 14. No more moving scares, no more hypothetical surprises haunting your every waking moment. Tamarack Baumann is a true blue resident of Golden Grove and you won't let anyone forget it.
"What is it?" Tamarack catches your staring and you're sure that you see her cheeks flush a deeper color. You take satisfaction in knowing the summer heat isn't the only thing that is making her face red.
Yes, this is the life.
"Nothing," you smile into your glass.
"You're thinking something," Tamarack insists with a playful yet embarrassed lilt.
"I'm just thinking about your hair, that's all," you tell her smoothly. You can talk about how your world has become much more vibrant since the confirmation Tamarack wouldn't be moving anywhere another day. "It's really pretty. You're pretty."
You remember thinking Tamarack was the prettiest person you'd ever seen when you popped out of that pile of leaves. Your opinion has yet to change now that you are 15, you doubt it ever will.
Almost instinctively, Tamarack pushes a lock of her hair behind her ear in her embarrassment. "You're the pretty one."
"We have to agree to disagree on who is the pretty one in this relationship," you close your eyes petulantly. Dorothea Baumann would tell you both that you're equally the pretty one in this relationship, but where's the fun in that when you know you're right? As far as you're concerned, if Tamarack suddenly decided she wanted to pursue a career in modeling you would be right there at every audition.
It's then, you feel as if you've struck gold.
"Can I practice on your hair?" Tamarack raises a thick eyebrow. She's stopped plucking them recently, no longer self-conscious about how they look. "My braiding, I mean." Before your girlfriend can smartly argue about the heat, you already present your counter arguments. "We can stay in front of the fan without it rotating! And I'll only take out the parts I'm working on."
Tamarack's face scrunches thoughtfully before she ultimately relents. "Only as long as you don't take everything out," she smiles lightly.
Yes!
A press of a button to stop your fan from moving about the place and you're too happy to be running your fingers through Tamarack's hair. It's always been soft, carefully maintained by her grandmother. Now that she's old enough to care for it herself, Tamarack's haircare is still delicately maintained.
Maybe I should run my model Tamarack idea by her again, you think humorously. Nothing will come of it. It's merely a long-standing joke between you both. Modeling is a career you both know wouldn't make Tamarack happy in the slightest. It's for the best. All the other models would be out of work if Tamarack was there.
"I don't feel any braiding," Tamarack notes in a sing-songy voice.
Guilty as charged, you grin, "I'm just making sure I've got the right amount of hair for this section, that's all."
Tamarack's playful hum of disbelief is her only response before you begin.
a request from @luv-indigo that sounded really adorable so i wanted to give it a spin as something set between steps 2 and 3. autumn is personally my favorite season, so i love that's the season that olnf is perpetually set in. but i do get curious as to what life could be like in the mountain down during a different season and thought this scenario was the perfect excuse for it! (disclaimer: this is something written pre-release of olnf)
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