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differenteagletragedy · 5 months

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Cove isn't the stepdad, he's the dad who stepped up, Part 3

A third part (lol) to a story in which Baxter gets you pregnant during his summer in Sunset Bird and then ghosts you. You eventually get together with Cove and fall in love and you're getting maaarried, but Baxter is the wedding planner and isn't that awkward?

Here, you get into the planning process and wouldn't you know it, there are some hiccups with this massively uncomfortable plan.

Part 1 here aaaaaand Part 2 here

When it came to you, Cove was accommodating to a fault -- to the point where you're pretty sure you could murder somebody and he'd say, "Well, I'm sure you had your reasons."

That's why it wasn't a surprise to you that when you had a heart-to-heart on what to do about Baxter, he was comfortable leaving everything entirely up to you.

"I trust you," he said simply. "I'm with you with whatever you want to do."

And then, after you'd called the main office where Baxter worked and they'd told you that it was wedding season, they didn't have anyone else available and you wouldn't get your deposit back if you broke your contract now, he was just as understanding.

"Look," he told you quietly, keeping an eye on Dylan playing with his soccer ball as he stroked your back. "We can make it work. We always do. He can be our wedding planner ... or if you want, he can be more."

"What do you mean?"

Cove paused, scrunching up his mouth a bit, then said, "Like if you want him to meet Dylan. If you want him to know him. That's ok if you want that."

You groaned, but when your son looked up at you curiously, you put on a smile for him.

"I'll just see if he'll still be our planner, I guess?" you said. "Not really loving the idea of losing the deposit."

He laughed and squeezed your shoulder.

"It'll be fine, I'm sure of it."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A couple of days later, the two of you were back at Baxter's office, waiting for him to show up for your appointment. You'd texted him, all business, and he agreed to go forward with the planning without another word about Dylan.

You were starting to think that this may actually work out as you sat by Cove on the couch, giddily whispering about your wedding, but when Baxter came in the room, it was almost like all the air left when he closed the door behind him.

"Hello again," he said curtly, sitting in his desk chair without meeting your eyes. "Are we ready to get things underway?"

"Yeah," Cove answered, then glanced over to you. You nodded.

"Very well," Baxter said, then leaned over to his desk to grab a notepad and a pen. "I have a series of questions to ask you about your plans for the ceremony, we can take care of that today, when we'll go from there if that sounds agreeable."

He was definitely holding you at arm's length, which was fine. But every now and then, you could tell how much that pained him.

Like when he brought up the topic of surnames, and Cove explained that he wanted to take yours so he could share a last name with you and Dylan, that earned a barely perceptible bristle.

Or when your soon-to-be husband described proposing to you on the beach in your old neighborhood -- you caught his hand shaking slightly when he took a quick break from taking notes to smooth out his jacket.

"One of the services I offer for my clients is dance lessons leading up to the reception," Baxter explained at one point. "It's a bit of an edge I offer over competitors, if I'm being honest, but I do understand if you'd rather not --"

"We'll think about it," you told him, cutting him off before he could actually say how awkward things were, and he nodded.

"About the dance though," Cove began, looking at you pointedly.

"Hmm?" Baxter asked.

Knowing where Cove was going, you put your hand on his leg and spoke up for him.

"We want to have our son come in for the first dance, towards the end," you said. "And we want him to stand with us during the ceremony too."

Baxter did look at you then, really looked for the first time that day. Again you were taken aback by how much of Dylan you saw in his face, how your little boy's eyes were a perfect match for the ones staring at you now.

"Charming," he said shortly, looking back down at his notes. "I would advise then bringing him to a rehearsal so you all can get a feel of what that would look like."

"He'll do great," Cove said, almost defensively.

"I'm sure he will."

When Baxter got all the information he needed -- or when the room got too stifling to bear, you weren't really sure what came first -- he stood, bringing an end to the meeting. He offered his hand to Cove, who looked at it for a moment before accepting the handshake. He then held the same hand up to you.

He had a tiny little mole low on this wrist, you saw. You couldn't remember if you'd noticed it back then, but Dylan had one in the same spot.

You shook his hand, not expecting it to be as hot as it was.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

And that's how the next few planning sessions with Baxter went. They were never exactly comfortable, but they got a little less weird, and you always found a sitter for Dylan. Whenever you had to speak with Baxter over text messages, you both kept things strictly business. Beyond that first day, there was no mention of the little boy that bonded you together.

The wedding kept creeping closer and closer, and one day, about a week before the big day, Cove brought up a difficult subject while you were washing dishes together after dinner. Your son was off for a sleepover in Sunset Bird -- a preliminary sort of thing to get him ready for the few days you and Cove would be gone for your honeymoon -- and you had to admit, the whole thing felt a little orchestrated.

"So, I've been thinking," he began, then trailed off.

"Is that the whole story?" you teased.

He gave you a playful glare, then cut right to the chase.

"I think it would be a good idea to have dance lessons. With Baxter."

"Huh?" was all you could manage.

He rinsed the last dish and set it in the drainer, then wiped his hands on his pants and turned to lean against the counter and look at you.

"It'll probably be awkward, I know that," he said. "But ... it's our wedding. I can handle an awkward dance lesson so I don't look dumb when we dance together."

"You wouldn't look dumb," you said quickly -- you were fast to defend you darling soon-to-be husband against anyone, even himself.

"I really would."

You took a moment to gather your own thoughts, drying your hands on a dish towel. You wanted Cove to have the dance lessons if he wanted them, of course, but you couldn't figure out a good way to explain how it made you feel to think about either of you spending extra time with Baxter.

"It's not just that it would be awkward," you said finally. "It's just such a complicated kind of dynamic, you know? What if he wants to know about Dylan? What if he asks to meet him?"

Instead of answering, Cove surprised you again with "I think you should take a dance lesson too."

This time, a "huh" wouldn't even come out of your gaping mouth.

"You don't have to if you don't want to, obviously," he said, moving to take you in his arms. He pulled you close to his chest and rested his chin on top of your head. "I won't either if you don't want me to."

"Where's this coming from?" you asked.

"I just think ... we're about to be married. Forever. And I don't think it's a good idea to leave anything unfinished."

You pulled back to look at him, bewildered and a little bit mad, if you were being honest.

"Cove, things between me and Baxter have been finished for a long time," you said. "You know that, right?"

"Yeah, I know, I don't mean like that," he told you, cool and confident enough that you didn't have trouble believing him. "I just mean for Dylan. I know it's hard, but you need to talk to Baxter about him. What if when I try to adopt him he fights it? What if he tries to go to court or something?"

You hadn't thought about all of that.

"We should just get it out of the way, I think," he continued. "So we can move on without having to worry about it."

As much as the idea bothered you, he had a point.

Later that evening, Cove held your hand, and you texted Baxter that you'd be taking him up on those dance lessons after all.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Baxter had planned it so that both you and Cove could have individual lessons with him the same day -- he'd work with Cove in the afternoon for a few hours, then you'd come in in the evening.

When the day came, you dropped Cove off at Baxter's office building, then you and Dylan were off to run errands. Later, while you were taking your lesson (and maybe having a heart-to-heart with your ex-boyfriend days before you got married), they were planning on a visit with Derek.

"Mommy, is it almost time for the big cake?" Dylan asked as you pushed him in a cart through the grocery store, stocking up on a few snacks you needed for home.

"Almost, baby," you told him -- the concept of a wedding wasn't very interesting to the four-year-old, but the big cake? Yeah, that was worth a countdown.

"Is Daddy gonna sneak me a big piece?" he asked next, obviously not very concerned about the concept of sneaking, either.

"Probably, yeah."

Your son smirked proudly at that, and you felt a little tug on your heart.

Baxter disappearing at the end of your summer together was hard, having his child while he wouldn't even answer your calls was harder. But having this precious little boy that you loved more than life itself sporting that smug smirk that his biological father probably could have patented?

Well, that was a special kind of difficult.

When you drove back to Baxter's office building to switch off with Cove, you found felt anxiety begin to really gnaw at you. You tried to put it aside as he hopped in the passenger seat for a moment and turned around to greet Dylan, but Cove knew you better than anyone.

"It'll be all right," he told you softly. "We'll be back before you know it."

You looked at the clock. Time to go.

After telling Dylan goodbye, you got out of the car to switch places with Cove. He hugged you and gave you a kiss on the forehead and told you he loved you, almost like you were going off to war.

It wasn't that dramatic, but it did sort of feel like it.

You made your way to the room where Baxter had told you to go -- he'd given you directions and they weren't difficult to follow. You came to a set of doors, pushed them open and saw him standing by himself in a large room, looking over some papers.

"Hey," you greeted softly, your anxiety only growing.

"Hello," he replied. He gave you a small smile you could tell was genuine, if not a little nervous -- a good sign, at least.

Without further discussion, he pulled a remote out of his pocket and turned on a stereo system somewhere in the room. A slow song started playing, and he wordlessly offered you his hand.

All at once, it was like you were transported five years back in time. You were 18, didn't have a care in the world, and a weird but adorable boy had moved in across the street for the summer and stole your heart in the process.

It wasn't that you wanted to be with Baxter -- Cove was the love of your life, you'd never been as sure about anything as you were with that. And you wouldn't take back the little family you'd created together for anything.

You just wished that parts of it -- like this part right now, reconnecting with Baxter -- weren't so hard.

You took his hand, and he pulled you closer, placing his other hand on your back. You put your free hand on his shoulder, and away you went.

After a few moments of not-so-comfortable silence, you asked, "So how did Cove do?"

"Splendidly," he answered, looking up from your feet to look you in the eyes. "You're very lucky. Both you and your son."

And there it was.

"Why did you have to leave like that?" you asked, the question out of your mouth before you really had a chance to fully process what you'd said.

He took in a shaky breath and you felt his body tense, but he answered. It was more of the self-flagellating insecurities you remembered him being filled with back then -- he didn't want to be important in your life, he didn't think he was. He thought that he could have a nice fun summer with you and that it wouldn't matter to you if he left without a trace.

You'd hated it then, and you hated it now, but this time there was an extra layer to it.

"I honestly don't know what I would have done if I'd known ... about him," he said, moving you around the room as a bit of an afterthought. "I've been thinking about it, and I'm not sure. Part of me likes to believe I would have stepped up as Cove did, but Cove is a far better man than I am. So if it's any consolation at all, I do believe I would have failed you both either way."

"It's really not," was all you could think to say.

"Yes, I didn't suppose it would be. Still, I'm left wondering, as I'm sure you are, where do we go from here?"

You looked at him deeply. It was a good question.

"You're going to meet him, I guess," you said. "At the rehearsal at least, or at the ceremony."

"I've thought about that," Baxter admitted. "I won't do anything you're uncomfortable with, of course. I do find myself interacting with children when they're involved with the ceremony, but ... if you don't want me to speak with him, I will respect that."

Tears sprung to your eyes at the thought -- you knew that since Dylan was going to be in the ceremony, he'd at least come into contact with the wedding planner. But seeing everything come together like this, being faced with the reality of it all, was even harder than you'd anticipated.

"He doesn't know anything about you," you told him. "He doesn't know that Cove isn't ... he's his dad, that's not ... he doesn't know that there's anything to know, I guess is what I'm trying to say."

You'd meant to clear the air with Baxter -- to actually talk about things, really talk about them, and settle them once and for all. But instead, you found yourself dancing around an empty room with him, crying while he held your hand a little too tightly.

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avalordream · 21 days

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Prompt: Imagine an MC who gets a tattoo that goes all around their ankle so that they always have an "anklet" for Cove.

Pairing: Cove Holden x GN!Reader

Tags: fluff, Cove getting his anklet fix, mostly fluff tho

Word count: 4.7k

A/N: With this newfound will in me, ALLOW ME TO INDULGE YOU IN SOME LOVELY COVE JAMES HOLDEN- Also! This fic was intended for fem readers but it can be taken as gender neutral!

Now seeing as the age to get a tattoo is roughly 18 years old, let's assume this is Step 3 Cove we're talking about

At this age, Cove and you haven't quite gotten into a relationship yet.

In fact, you're stuck at the crush stage

Even so, you and Step 2 Cove had the talk of what you both were into during the Roadtrip moment. (Y'know- the beige eyes and anklet conversation)

That particular conversation was surprisingly difficult for you to initiate, considering your rather quiet nature

That didn't mean you were shy! No no!

It was just...

Awkward.

It wasn't the "normal" type of conversation you usually had

Maybe it was because of the fact that it was so different that made it so difficult to talk about.

In any case, that led to you thinking over the anklet attraction Cove had, trying to understand it as you lounged around on your bed in the middle of a hot summer day

It was the sort of day where the California sun shone exceptionally hard, the heat making it so nothing really stood out to you. You could almost remember this exact type of day from when you were younger... When Shiloh was still around...and when Cove had just recently moved in.

You were currently lazing about on your bed, soaking up the sun's rays shining through your window as the AC worked to cool your room and a nearby fan rotated slowly, its blades providing an ample amount of background noise. It was truly the staple sound of summer. Your eyes blearily blinked as you stared up at your ceiling fan working overtime to beat the summer heat. Normally your moms weren’t so keen on cranking up the AC but today was an exception, considering the high was a 90. Even the water was warm which meant that even walking along the shoreline - forget it, the sand was practically steaming - wasn’t appealing.

That left you in your current condition, leaving your mind to wander and daydream about everything and anything in the quiet. It was already noon but there was no rush to go out. While it wasn’t the norm for you to be alone, usually hanging out with Cove or even Terri or Miranda., today was an exception though because of the heat. And in any case, you relished the feeling of just…coasting through the day with nothing to do… free as the birds in the sky…

A few soft knocks on your door blinked you out of your sleepy stupor as Ma stepped in after you had hummed an affirmative. Her eyes softened as she seemed to take in the sight of you: Curled up yet sprawled out in a cocoon of light blankets and pillows, the sun shining brightly through the window and you relishing it all in the center, having the time of your life. “You doing ok, hon?”, she hummed in turn, trying not to break the peaceful trance you were under as you simply nodded, tucking your hair back as you smiled at her. You loved your ma more than anything, even now as she came close to sit by your head, gently stroking your hair as she eased your head into her lap while you leaned into her hand. Guess today she was feeling pretty lax too… Figures…

You felt your eyelids drooping as she continued, her ministrations cooing you to sleep before her voice, a quiet whisper, kept your attention from waning. “No plans for today?”, she hummed as you yawned, stretching before getting comfy again, nuzzling your nose against her thigh.

“No…not yet at least…”, your voice came out slowly, humming as the fan faced the pair of you, sending a refreshing blast of cold air into your hair. “Just…thinking…You ok, ma?” There had to be a reason why she entered right?... Or…maybe there wasn’t one. That was ok too.

Ma chuckled in some amusement as she shook her head, taking her hand away as you whined, audibly wishing for more. “I’m doing just fine, kiddo… Nothing to worry about. Just wanted to check up on you before I get started on lunch. Do you want anything specific?” You told her your current crave fix before she left the room again, offering another head pat before you were left to your devices again, decidingly more lucid than before as you sat up to stretch and work out the kinks in your back.

You checked your phone just to let your friends know that you were alive and hadn't up and left them- As if Cove would let you anyway, you thought with a chuckle. A funny thought but you weren’t that evil.

Tossing your device back to the swath of blankets, your mind wandered to the past few years- gravitating back to Cove. It didn’t surprise you as much why now than when your feelings had begun to simmer but the fear of possibly destroying what you already had always stopped you. A worry that proved to damper down on your interactions, restricting them ever so slightly rather than how freeing they used to be. You had become close confidants to one another since the moment he moved in at the ripe age of eight. Given your rich history, it was reasonable to worry that taking such a big step could tarnish what you had and…quite frankly, you weren’t ready to risk it all just yet.

You sighed, feeling the familiar trill of heat flitting over your cheeks as you rubbed them furiously to wipe them away just as fast. Until you figured out what to do with yourself- and- everything- Then the plan was simple: ACT NORMAL. Whatever your new normal was anyhow. You had a feeling Liz knew just by looking at you when Cove was over, judging from the smirk she would send your way- not to mention the teasing remarks! But…you hoped that until you were ready to tell Cove (if you ever did), that…he wouldn’t know.

It surprised you a little that he hadn’t knocked on your window yet or made his arrival via the door but apparently, judging from the text he had sent you three hours ago, he was helping his dad with the scuba shop. You appreciated the heads up so you knew where to go in case you needed to reach him.

Your thoughts followed you as you made your way downstairs to get started on lunch- or brunch as mom liked to call it. A smile crept on your face despite the mild joke, appreciating the play on words as your lazy state decided to pull for some cereal, chewing slowly and thoughtfully as you remained quiet. You were more so or a thinker rather than a talker. You preferred to listen rather than start a conversation. It made things easier. With the friend group, you were the same; going with the flow unless it was something you wholeheartedly refused to do. It had never gone to that point before since the group respected your opinions and were quick to pick up on your preferences…one more so than others…

Right as you were washing the dishes, your thoughts wandered again- this time to that anklet discussion all those years ago. You’d be surprised you still remembered it but the entire road trip itself was a memorable experience and would be…rather hard to forget anyhow. (More so for Mr. Holden getting his lunch snatched away by a stray bird but you digressed.) The discussion itself… you still felt a little bad for pushing it onto Cove to answer your questions, even if he had tried to console you when you made it known to him a week later, saying that he didn’t mind since you were only curious. Even so, you never really thought he actually liked anklets all that much… or beige eyes. You already had quite a few anklets you got from Hot Topic that were pretty neat but you never really found the time to use or wear them. It became a sort of…rare occasion kind of thing. Though- you already had the beige eyes- which made you hopeful that he liked you in some capacity??

You shot that down quick with a grumbled shake of your head, consoling Ma when she asked if you were ok.

Your mind was quick to pick back where you left off, sighing as you focused on scrubbing a particularly difficult splotch of cooking from a pan. Anklets…you might not understand entirely why Cove liked them but you gathered that it had to do with the aesthetic of them that appealed to him so much. Maybe. Even so, you enjoyed making some yourself and had gifted some to Cove already, much to his delight. He tried to wear them as much as possible, but after nearly losing one to the ocean, you didn’t see them as often- unless it was too cold to go in the water. At this point, Cove lived and breathed the salty ocean breeze… One time, you had joked that if Cove wasn’t a human in this life, he was definitely a mermaid in his last which was nicely reciprocated with a very flustered Cove with his familiar wobbly smile.

But unlike him, you lost so many of your precious anklets, that also being why you nearly abstained from wearing them entirely. The weight would grow familiar but then you would forget about it until much later. By then, the anklet was long gone and you had gone to too many places to retrace your steps to find them. You remembered one particular time where you had lost an anklet that Cove had gotten you as a birthday gift and you had worn it everywhere. Until the inevitable happened and you had lost it, inconsolable as even Liz had been roped into helping you find it. Mr. Holden did end up finding it in his shop but that was the final nail in the coffin for the entire anklet business. From then on, you kept most of your anklets under lock and key unless it was a special occasion like going to the Cypress’ dinners or such.

What you needed was a way to wear one without losing it…you wouldn’t mind as much if it were one of your own- but if it was one that someone gave you… At that point, you figured you should buy a display for them. There wasn’t a point for them gathering dust in the wild…

“Hey baby sis- You done over there?”

Liz stood behind you with a caring smile, a smile on her face but her eyes held a little concern as you followed their gaze to the now pristine pan in your hands- as well as the time. “You must’ve been really focused, huh?”, she chuckled with a conspiratorial tone as you quietly rinsed the pan and put it aside, segwaying into a classic Liz interrogation as she pick-pocketed your brain… to which she had a solution.

“Well…”, she started as you wiped your hands on the drying towel. “How about a tattoo that looks like an anklet?” Feeling your questioning stare, Liz held out her hands. “Here me out: Firstly, I’m not saying to go and get a tattoo on a whim. Think over it- Obviously. Removing it costs at least twice or three times as much so give it some thought. But…in a way… You’d still be wearing an anklet and you’d never lose it, right?” The more she talked about it, the more it made sense to you. Obviously, you had to promise her (and your moms ‘cause they were listening) not to get that tattoo right away if you wanted to- and if you did, to at least let them know. No matter what you chose, they made it clear that they’d support your decision either way and loved you very much. As per usual, this brought a smile to your face and it never failed to make your day.

You didn’t end up getting that tattoo until around a week later, having taken Liz with you as moral support. She joked that you took her because Cove declined but that wasn’t the case. Instead, you wanted to try to surprise him! It was a very out-of-the-blue sort of thing for you to try but it was new and you were curious about the entire process. While it wouldn’t be the same as wearing an anklet, at least you’d never lose it! Besides! You still had all the anklet shrine to refer back to if you ever needed it.

The tattoo shop wasn’t near the neighborhood shops or district, meaning Liz had to drive you into the city. It was…surprisingly pretty cute, judging from the pictures online! Which was…not the aesthetic you expected. It was also a little close to Mr. Holden’s shop if you and Liz wanted to walk over to say hello. Speaking of, Cove was supposedly hanging out with Terri and Miranda so as far as you were aware, there was very little chance for your paths to cross so everything checked out!

As for the anklet in question… you decided to go for a (intricate/cutesy/simple) design with (floral/beachy) aspects. If you decided on floral aspects, you pulled up pictures of the white poppies behind your house for the tattoo artist as a reference as well as asking for some fireflies to be floating around them. The hill behind your house was where you met him after all…and the memories behind catching fireflies with you, him, Liz and Shiloh were important to you…

If you decided on beachy aspects, you pulled up a picture of your favorite orange seashell, the same one that Cove was drawn to in your collection on your first playdate, and the dolphin keychain that he got you when you went to the shops together. The tattoo artist had nodded and gave you the rundown of what was going to happen. You pointed down to the ankle you wanted the tattoo on as your sister stayed by your side, taking her role as your moral support incredibly seriously.

Once you decided on what the design would look like, they got right to work. The first few pin pricks of pain were easy to bear but as time went on, your grip on your sister’s hand tightened as she tried to make you feel better by pointing out how great it’d look after- and Cove’s face when he saw it. Despite her laughter at your blushing face at the thought, that little comment did help you pull through and before you knew it, it was over.

You finally let go of Liz’s hand who didn’t complain one bit the entire time so…you were grateful to her for putting up with you. The area where the tattoo was sensitive, the tattoo artist told you. They also said that tattoos typically took two to four weeks to heal on the surface, but it could take three to six months to fully heal. It usually involved a week of redness and oozing, followed by two to three weeks of itchiness and peeling. They had already told you this before getting you set up to get a tattoo but they wanted to remind you again, just to be sure you’d take extra care of your skin during that process. You were quick to reassure them, making a mental note to be extra kind to yourself in these upcoming months.

After the talk was over, they saw you back to the front, finalized the payment and sent you on your merry way as you couldn’t help but awe over their work. The (white poppies/seashells) were beautiful and they had stuck to your original design well, considering what you asked for. Your skin was holding up fairly well and you loved the colors on it so much, Liz had to stop you from accidentally bumping into everything.

“If you like it so much, take a picture of it! It’ll last longer! And you could send it to your lover boy!~”, Liz laughed teasingly although you knew she was trying to keep you safe. “He’s not my lover boy…”, you sighed, shaking your head as you tried to walk away from her to look for a bench, ignoring her laughter as she followed. “Not yet!~”, she warbled, obviously taking amusement in your half-hearted misery. As soon as you sat down, you quickly aimed your phone at the tattoo and sent it straight to Cove. Sure, you meant to keep it from him just a little longer but- crush aside- he was your closest friend and you told everything to each other. It was a habit you fully indulged in- except for the crush part. Obviously.

_______

MC: Hey

MC: Look what I got :D

Cove: Thats a tattoo

Cove: Wait

Cove: THATS A TATTOO

MC: Ahuh

Cove: YOU GOT A TATTOO

MC: Yup

Cove: Since when??

MC: Like

MC: Five minutes ago

MC: Got it at a tattoo parlor in the shopping district with Liz

MC: And Liz says hi

Cove: Where

MC: Down past art gallery

Cove: Stay there

MC: Wait why

Cove has gone offline

_______

Huh. That was weird.

Liz had noticed the confused look on your face, accepting your phone once you handed it over to see what her thoughts were on it. Your older sister stifled a bark of laughter before passing it back over with a grin. “Don’t worry about it!~ Tell you what: How about I scour around for a snack before we head back?”, she cooed teasingly, patting your shoulder as you huffed quietly, crossing your arms as she stood up. You offered to go with her but she shook her head, saying she’d be fine and that she didn’t need a chaperone.

You did ask if she could get some (strawberry ice-cream/pretzels), making a mental note to share in case Cove did end up stopping by. Thankfully, Liz didn’t comment on the gleam in your eyes and playfully rolled her eyes before walking down the street. No matter how many years passed by, you made sure to watch your sister as long as you could before she turned a corner. It never failed to make you anxious being utterly alone in a space, given that you were always with someone throughout your entire childhood. There was safety in numbers, you guessed.

You didn’t have to wait long before the buzz in your pocket alerted you to a text, distracting from your plight as you pulled it out. It was Cove.

_______

Cove: Im at the shop

Cove: Where are you?

_______

That was your cue.

You got up from the bench and stepped back on the main street to look back where the tattoo shop was. And right there was a familiar mop of seafoam green hair looking up and down the street. Couldn’t imagine why.

“Cove!”, you called out, watching his eyes widen and look for the source as you (waved/shouted again/stepped into sight) to get his attention. Seeing how his face visibly brightened just by seeing you alone never failed to make you smile. He was quick to join your side, offering a hug which you easily accepted, snuggling yourself in his warmth as his arms curled around you softly, resting his cheek on your (head/shoulder).

Just as fast as he had come, came your realization as you pulled your head back to look at him. “Wait- How did you get here so fast?,” you started as Cove tilted his head slightly with a small smile, catching up to the speed of your words. “I sent that text not even five seconds ago!”

Your neighbor was quick to blush lightly, rubbing the back of his hair as he seemed to look anywhere but at you. “The hangout with Terri and Miranda was cut short so I asked if they could drop me off at dad’s shop.”, he chuckled, finding his eyes drawn back to you as you listened with a nod. “I would’ve drove myself but I wasn’t driving everyone around this time.” His hand found its way back to your back, keeping you close although you certainly didn’t mind. “That’s when I got your text and decided to walk here to meet up. Where’s Liz though?... You told me she said hi.”

You figured it probably didn’t settle right with him, seeing you all alone and by your lonesome with your sister nowhere to be found. You pat his arm, offering a smile to try and alleviate his worries as his worried frown persisted. “It’s ok! Liz offered to grab some snacks while I waited for you. And I didn’t stray far anyway. The plan was to stick by the bench until (I found you/she came back)!” He seemed to accept the explanation, sighing even then but grateful that nothing bad happened to you.

“Ok cool. How about we head back to that bench? We can talk and- Oh!” His mouth opened in shock as he realized what he came here for. Cove looked down at you, a determined look on his face as he tried to properly word his thoughts into something coherent. “Were you being serious about the tattoo? That…wasn’t a joke, right?”, he asked hopefully, barely to stay still, judging from how he let go of you to fiddle with the bracelets on his wrist. You knew it’d probably shock or catch him off guard so you decided to play coy, putting a finger to your lips and skipping on back to the bench as you left Cove in some confusion. It took him a minute to react before quickly following you like a lost puppy, a sentiment you kept to yourself, trying not to giggle at the thought of it- although it didn’t go unnoticed by your precious neighbor.

As soon as the pair of you sat down, Cove was quick to ask about the tattoo. It was why you were here anyway and he seemed a bit more interested in the fact that it looked like it was around your ankle. The (skirt/pants) you wore covered it up so he couldn’t even get a sneak peak at it- if it was real at all. Sure, you liked to joke around and tease him from time to time but Cove didn’t think you’d go so far to joke about…a tattoo. It just didn’t rub off of him right. And if you did… Well. He didn’t want to go down that route. It was why he was here anyways! You were close by and had a tattoo he needed to verify!

Thankfully for him, you weren't the type to deny him much (of anything.) You spoiled your neighbor rotten too much already- what was one more going to do to him? You pulled up your (skirt/pant leg) slightly to show off the tattoo as Cove’s eyes widened, the (fireflies flitting around the white linen poppies/ dolphin keychain diving around the orange seashell and coral reefs) catching his eye as he inhaled sharply. “Can I…?”, he barely whispered, his voice reduced to almost nothing as his fingers were a breath away from tracing the (eccentric/adorable/simplistic) designs. You were (quick/slow/hesitant) to nod as he took the initiative to take extra care not to irritate your sensitive skin, easily in awe and appreciative of the colors splashing across your skin-kissed canvas. He was already going down the memory lane, judging from the tears that bubbled up in his eyes. “Surprise?”, you offered, giving a sheepish smile as your ocean-loving lover boy (Liz would cry tears of laughter if she heard your thoughts) looked up with one of his iconic sappy smiles.

“It must be my birthday…”, he whispered, sniffling as your hand moved to wipe his tears away. Cove leaned into your touch with ease, his wobbly smile evident even when he tried to cover it up. He would always be touched by sentimentality; the reaction to something small meant volumes- it was truly the memories behind those items that held the most meaning to him. Your existence was paramount to his growth and he would always be ever so grateful to you for being his favorite neighbor.

“But…did you get for yourself or me?”, Cove continued, his smile replaced by a worried frown. Judging from the look his eyes, it was pretty discernable to guess where they stemmed from. It was the same concern Liz had indirectly brought up when you were washing the dishes a week ago: Getting a tattoo was a pretty huge decision and it wasn’t something to decide on a whim. While you knew that your family and Cove would support whatever decision you chose, you guessed you had to reassure him that, yes, you chose it for you but you also chose it for him…mostly for you though!!

“Cove James Holden,” you started, which easily startled him as your grip gently squished his cheeks, drawing out a pout from him. He knew that you knew that you were being serious but having way too much fun messing with him. And also- you never really called him by his full name? Actually…when did you find out his full name?? “I promise you that I got this anklet tattoo just for me and that I was 100% sober while doing so. Nobody made me do it except me, myself and I.”, you vowed in a rather (silly/serious/exasperated) voice, making sure to exaggerate quite a bit just to see him try and fail to fight off a snort of laughter.

“Alright, alright! I’ll lay off!”, he chuckled as you finally let go of his face, satisfied even as he struggled to hide his blush. “You know you’re adorable right?”, you spoke up (with a smirk, teasing him shamelessly/shyly, bashfully trying to hide your own blush/with a soft smile, being as honest as you always were). It always ended up the same way- Cove started blushing up a storm and tried his hardest to vehemently deny any and all allegations while you would laugh and easily bring up every moment where he was. This would prompt him to flip the tables onto you and you would be on the receiving end of compliments galore, to your (amusement/embarrassment/surprise). In the end, you both had come to the agreement that you both were equally deserving of praise despite not outwardly agreeing to those allegations, much to both of your dismays.

Unbeknownst to you, the tattoo had affected Cove more than he let on. Yes, it nearly reduced him to tears, seeing how you managed to tie key points in your conjoined childhood into a tattoo that was on your skin for…forever-! But… there was a part of him that was…relishing in the fact that you not only got in the form of an anklet but that it was just as much as it was for you as it was for him. It meant the world to him that those pieces of your childhood were just as important to you as they were for him. Although Cove didn’t like imagining a world without you in it, he was grateful he had you in his life. You were there when he needed you and… Well, before he knew it, the waterworks bubbled over again, trailing down his face as your fingers held his face again to wipe them away.

“What’s wrong, Cove?...”, you (whispered, gentle and soothing/hummed, direct and straight to the point) as you always were.

“Nothing nothing…”, he whispered, content to simply be with you for as long as he could. “I’m just…really glad you’re in my life.” His aquamarine eyes focused on you, offering a wide smile as you returned with ease, (hugging him through your own tears/ruffling his hair with a grin/holding his hand with a comforting squeeze). One day he’d tell you just how much you meant to him but… not right now. He found comfort in familiarity but he couldn’t hold it off forever.

The more things change, the more they stay the same…

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