Chapter Text
Weeks passed by, and fairly soon Linc realised his father was very content to stay on the island. After continuous pleading, he was finally able to enrol in the nearby school. When Scary found out she was distraught, because it meant he finally learnt her step-dad, Terry, was teaching there.
By the time Linc had even vaguely started getting the hang of being a student, the summer solstice rolled around. The entire town was organising preparations to celebrate and the school was no different. For the entire week leading up, Scary would complain to Linc about all of Terry’s agonising over the upcoming student’s dance.
The night of the solstice, the town was shining with light. In the centre of the square, a bonfire glowed with torches lining the connecting streets. On either side stood girls and boys, neither too enthusiastic about the practised dance.
Linc watched carefully as Scary tried to sneak away from her crowd and into the nearby alleyways - but Terry was doing the same as him and caught her each time. She was placed back in her spot, her frown growing deeper with each attempt.
He’d never seen her dressed like this before. Most days she was drowning in dark and dramatic jackets and buckles, but here she wore a clean bright dress like the rest of the class. Her hair was pulled back and braided with various flowers. It seemed she at least had some choice in that, as they were all purple and blue. Most of the girls wore reds, yellows and any other shades they could find, so she’d made an effort to find her own and stand out.
If he didn't know her, he’d say she was pretty. Not to say that she wasn't usually pretty but she looked anxious, wound-up - uncomfortable. She didn't look like his Scary.
Trying not to linger on that thought, Linc resolved to get them both out of there soon as he could. When the band began, he made a beeline for Scary and grabbed her hand to pull her into the partnered dance.
“What the hell are you doing?”
“Shush! I’m gonna try to get us out of here, just play along.”
Scary was too embarrassed to shake him off, so the two swayed into the set steps. As Linc looked for an opening, they moved to the rhythm. In the weeks they’d spent together, Linc noticed Scary had a knack for music. Whether it was humming, tapping, or listening to it, she seemed to always be surrounded by it. This was natural to her, and it made everything else fall away.
“Ow! My foot!” Scary yelped, pinching Linc’s side with her hand. “Look where you’re stepping idiot!”
“Oh, sorry! I’m just trying to keep a look out for how we could escape.” He lied, his face was burning hot.
She hissed as his foot pressed her toe again. “Fuck! Okay eyes on me.” Linc met her gaze.
“When the band finishes the song, we can use the switch up to slip into the crowd. I’ll move us to the edge of the square - just try not to crush my feet.”
Linc nodded, and gripped Scary’s hand a little tighter. Under the orange hue of the fire, it was hard to tell if Scary’s face growing a tinge darker was just a trick of the light, or not. He tried not to pay it any attention, too focused on keeping the rhythm.
Finally, the bandplayer’s tune reached its end. The crowd erupted into applause, and Linc felt himself yanked into the surrounding people.
The pair walked down the trail to the harbour, the sounds of festivities easing out into the soft lapping of water. Their usual spot was the bridge where the Odyssey was anchored. If they jogged a bit further up, they could almost imagine it was just them and the sea.
“Do you miss sailing?”
Scary broke the silence, plucking a flower out of her hair and throwing it into the still ocean. Linc joined her and sat on the pier, feet dangling over the water. When he stretched his toes, they almost touched the gentle waves.
“A little. There’s so many more rules in the village and it hurts my head trying to keep track of them all. I still don't think most people see me as part of the town. Maybe they never will.”
“Well I’ve lived here my whole life and refuse to be a part of it.”
“I know.” Linc grinned, and Scary threw one of the petals at his face.
“Wanna see who can throw a flower the farthest?” She stood up, her hair now completely undone from the braid. In her palm were a few more purple flowers, crushed velvet between her fingers. Linc picked a couple out. “Sure.”
There was barely any wind, but the two of them struggled to throw the petals far at all. They drifted only a little bit away from the pier. Scary grew impatient, and noticed a small rock peeking out of the water. It wasn’t until she’d already put her entire weight onto it that Linc noticed her move.
“Wait, Scary!”
The water had made the stone wet, and as Scary moved to throw her last flower, her foot slipped.
Linc moved to catch her, and her hand clasped around his lapel, but he wasn't strong enough to hoist her up and they fell into the sea together.
Splashing to stay above the water, Scary managed to gasp in some air, Linc still pulled close. As soon as she noticed, she tried to shove him away - but not being able to swim she held onto his shoulders again.
“Did you hit anything? Is your head okay?” Linc treaded the water as he held her head, moving her fringe out of the way to check for any bruises or blood.
“I’m fine! Stupid rock’s fault.”
“You decided it would be a good idea to step on it!”
“I thought it’d be okay! It's not like anything bad happened.”
Linc groaned, resting his head on her shoulder in exhaustion. She was warm where this water was not.
“You're going to be the death of me.”
“Maybe. We should probably get out of this water though.” Hesitant to acknowledge how close they were, Linc awkwardly swam closer to the pier and hoisted himself up, scrambling to keep a grip on Scary. He held out a hand in offering for her, and she took it.
As the two of them sat there, wringing the seawater out of their clothes, Linc started to observe again. She was all he could focus on.
It was like all the previous stiffness from the dance had been washed away from her. She’d retied her hair into the two buns, braid forgotten, and was already fastening her dagger back into her skirt. Under the moonlight, where her eyes shined brighter than they did most days, she was beautiful. She’d always been pretty, Linc realised. But, when she was sitting smiling across from him, relaxed and happy, she was beautiful.
Sure, Linc had made friends since he’d arrived here, but it dawned on him like a rush of cold water that this was different.
He'd brushed it off as how it felt to have a real friend, one that he could call his own. But if he wasn't near her, if he didn't feel her presence at his side it was a different ache to the others. He wanted to pull her closer, rest his head on her shoulder and not care about whether they'd get a cold in this weather. Instead, he was just horribly nervous, and soggy.
“Fuck! My journal got soaked.”
Scary grimaced as she tried to press out some of the water from its pages, and Linc huddled a bit closer to assess the damage.
The notes were blurry but Linc could make out some letters that almost spelt his name. Looking closer, a smudged ‘handsome’ seemed to follow it. He was no longer concerned about getting a cold when his whole body lit up with a blush.
“What? Wait, shit-” Scary slammed the journal closed, her face nearly glowing red in the moonlight.
“Handsome?” A grin started to grow on Linc’s face, as he pointed at himself.
“I was just trying to be scientific - or observational!
“Since when do you care about science? What are you talking about?” Linc laughed incredulously, enjoying teasing her. It let him get the upper hand a bit when his whole brain felt like it was screaming.
“You are! It's not my fault I tried to tell the truth.”
“I’m what? Say it, say the word!” Linc drew closer, pointer finger now directed at her.
“I’m not gonna say it! If you say anything more I swear to God I will shove you back into the sea where you belong.”
“What are you afraid of Scary Marlowe? One word?”
“You're so obsessed! That's it, in the sea you go.” Scary moved as if to push him, but he couldn't stop giggling. “It’d be so easy, you're not even putting up a fight. Look! You can't even stop laughing to combat this.”
“This is evil!”
She hoisted Linc up by his arms, but was unsuccessful in dragging him off the pier. Exasperated, she collapsed back down, Linc’s body leaning on hers with dead weight.
“You're such an ass.”
“Maybe. A handsome one though, apparently.”
Scary knocked her head into his, “Shut uuup.”
Linc slid down into her lap so he could look up at her. The stars sparkled around Scary’s head, and he smiled.
“What?”
“I like you.”
The sky stopped spinning, it was just the hush of the night. For a second, Linc considered rolling into the sea and sparing himself - maybe the fishes would accept him as one of their own. The dolphins seemed friendly.
“That's. I- You can't say that.”
He didn't expect that.
“What? Are you really being pedantic right now?”
Scary spluttered for a response, looking for anything in the sky to help her out here.
“You can't like me! I’m mean and awful and I made you fall into the sea!”
“I chose to try and catch you. You're kind, thoughtful, and care about your family. I mean it's fine if you don't feel the same-” Linc started to try and get up from where he was laying across her legs, but got firmly pushed back down.
“See but now you're putting words in my mouth, which is annoying, by the way.”
“So? Is that a ‘me too’?” Linc raised an eyebrow, keeping insistent eye contact. He was going to get an answer out of her.
“This is too hard.” Scary muttered, before putting one hand over his eyes, and the other over his mouth. “You keep looking at me weird and it's making it hard to think so just shut up for a second.”
“Mmph.”
“I…. think. You’re okay.”
“Hmph!” Linc huffed through the palm on his face, and even if he couldn't see it, he heard a slight smile in her voice as she spoke.
“Fine, fine… I like you too. I like you like that. It is ‘like that’, right?”
He nodded as best he could. One hand was lifted from his mouth, the other still over his eyes.
“Hey, Scary, can I see now?”
Above him, he felt Scary lean closer. Loose, damp hair strands just barely brushing his forehead.
“Not yet, just.. Could I kiss you?” Her voice was more vulnerable than he’d ever heard it before, he took it as a gift. So he just nodded, hardly able to say anything else.
It was horribly awkward and quick. But, to Linc, it was so precious he wished he could hold onto the moment with both hands. Watch it glitter like a jewel and keep it by his bedside.
Finally, Scary parted her fingers and Linc could see through the gap. She was grinning, desperately trying to push it down into a frown but he knew she couldn't. He was probably mirroring her smile as well.
Scary Marlowe had stolen his first kiss. What a thief.