Work Text:
The velvety night sky was sprinkled with stars, a clear but chilly night. You hadn’t been this far out of Pelican Town since you arrived here. It was a change to get out of the Valley. A gentle glow filled the sky to the north, the faraway lights of Zuzu City.
When Sebastian told you he had a motorbike, and what’s more, offered you a ride, you found it hard to say no. Your farming existence was hard going, and the chance to leave it behind for a night was too good to turn down.
“You know,” Sebastian mused as he lit up a cigarette, still seated on the bike, “Those lights over there, they were always my dream. Get out of Pelican Town and start a new life in the city. I thought it was everything I wanted, glitz, glamour, city life. Now? I don’t know, something has changed.”
He glanced your way, gauging your reaction.
“Oh yes?” You replied, staring intently at the yellow lights of the city, “That’s funny. I couldn’t wait to get out. Hated the traffic, the crowds and the rush, people constantly hurrying to get nowhere from no place.”
Seb sniggered quietly, “You make it sound poetic.”
"Hmm."
There is silence again, both of you lost in your thoughts.
“Heard you went to Gridball with Shane.”
You stay quiet. Your mind rushing back to that disastrous trip out with Shane. For some reason, 1) he’d thought it was a date and 2) he’d taken you to a gridball game, not even bothering to enquire whether you liked sports or not (you didn’t). After a few beers, he’d tried to kiss you and you had demanded to go home. He hadn’t spoken to you since. You didn’t know whether to be offended or relieved.
“Yeah.” You turned to him, “I won’t be going again.”
Seb breathed a stream of smoke through his nose, “Good.”
“Yeah, I don’t know what I was thinking, and Elliott too!”
“Wait.” Seb turns to you in surprise, “You went out with Elliott?”
You laughed softly, “Yeah. He took me out in his boat.”
Seb was quiet, he was thinking. Then the penny dropped, “You have a phobia of water.”
You laughed, “Yup. Total disaster, I was so terrified, we only got a few metres out and he had to take me back.”
Sebastian offered you a toke on his cigarette, you shook your head.
“Right, I didn’t know you were dating other people.”
“Oh no, I’m not dating them, I think they imagine there’s more to our friendship, just because I give them gifts and chat to them. There’s nothing more to it.”
Seb threw his cigarette on the ground and stepped on it, watching the embers glow bright before dying in the dust.
“So um.” He started and then stopped, “Wh - what about us?”
You were taken aback, “Us?”
Seb ploughed on avoiding your gaze, “I've been thinking, what if I gave up my dream? Didn’t move to the city -stayed here – with you?
You hadn’t expected this. You looked into Seb’s earnest eyes, he was serious. You hadn’t realised, you hadn’t realised with any of them. Each of these young men wanted more than friendship, Alex had surprised you with dinner at the Saloon, but then ordered a salad for you, insinuating that you needed to what? Eat healthier? You had left without waiting to hear Gus’s violin serenade. You had never been so embarrassed in your life.
Until now.
“Seb, I-“ You began.
You enjoyed spending time with him, Sam and Abigail. Loved your nights of Solarion Chronicles, and listening to the band playing, making suggestions for songs and lyrics, but you never once thought that there could be anything romantic between you.
“Ah! Got ya!” Sebastian mumbled. He could see the expression on your face, “Just messing with you farmer!”
You laughed weakly, “Oh yeah! You got me good!”
But Seb wasn’t listening, he’d already put his helmet back on. “We should go.” He pointed to you to do the same, “‘Sgetting late.”
You rode home in silence. When Seb dropped you off at the farmhouse you barely had time to dismount before the engine roared and he rode off into the night.
Your heart hurt. There were plenty of eligible people in town, why was everyone interested in you all of a sudden? Wearily you retrieved a piece of mail from the mailbox, trailed up the porch stairs to your huge, empty farmhouse and clambered into bed, to dream of motorbikes and embarrassment.
~~**~~**~~
Meet at 5 o’clock at the train station the note had said.
You held on tight to the lucky rabbit’s foot in your pocket. Waiting at the tracks for – what?
Your heart was pounding.
And there he was. You could tell he was nervous by the anxious look on his face, which broadened into a relieved smile when he spotted you.
“Oh, you came! I was worried you wouldn’t want to spend any time with me.” His moustache drooped.
You smiled warmly at him, “What made you think that?”
Harvey, the town doctor, looked at her, “Well, it seems that you’ve turned everyone else down? They’ve all told their tales of woe in the saloon… I thought that…”
His train of thought was interrupted by the large shadow of an enormous hot air balloon landing with a gentle bump behind him.
You watched as he greeted the balloon operator and gave him some gold. You met his eyes as he returned to you, “I thought you hated heights?”
He chewed his lip for a moment before answering, “I do, but I figured if you could move here and take that farm on all on your own, I could put my anxieties aside too. About everything.” He said meaningfully.
“But you mustn’t feel pressured!” He added quickly, “If you’re not feeling it, I completely understand!”
You came very close to him, pulling on his tie a little, He gulped, “Harvey,” You murmured, “Why do you think I turned everyone else down?”
You waited for a moment for him to come to an understanding of what you meant. Once he did, his green eyes sparkled and he seemed to grow taller. He stooped at lot of the time, his anxiety making himself smaller, but at your words, he straightened subconsciously.
He reached out a hand to you.
“Would you care to join me for a flight?”
Without hesitating, you grinned, grabbed hold of his hand and followed him into the Grapefruit Skies overhead and your future.