Chapter Text
Olivia could feel the warmth of a thousand suns burning across her face as she stared at Scott. She was trying to get ready to leave for her date with Semeru. Scott showed up, He started panicking about the idea of her night diving and then…
The gentle pressure of Scott’s forehead resting against hers caused her to close her eyes once more. How was she supposed to reply to all of this?
“I care about you too much to let you keep getting hurt for my dream. Please don’t do this,” he quietly pleaded.
Olivia opened her mouth to speak but closed it as no words formed. She wasn’t quite sure what she was feeling. Everything happened so fast. Despite all their time together, she hadn’t truly considered the extent of her feelings for Scott.
Was it appropriate to even entertain the notion of that possibility, considering the whole reason she was standing here at the end of the docks, was to prepare for a date with Semeru? “Scott, I…” She started and failed again, causing her to turn away which caused him to move back enough to look at her properly.
“I suppose, I kinda sprung all this on you,” Scott replied instead as the silence started to eat away at his confidence. “I meant what I said, I’m not trying to put pressure on you. You don’t have to say anything right away,” With that, he let go of her and stepped back so he could gesture down the dock, back towards the island. “But for now, let me walk you home?”
Olivia glanced over at the boat where all of her things had been packed, and kible was waiting. She then looked in the direction of the island and took a deep breath. “Kible. Return to previous waypoint.”
“Returning to previous waypoint,” Kible repeated before leaving with the boat.
“Now I can’t take the boat out to sea,” Olivia stated before walking over to the changing booth to collect her clothing. “I’ll head home. I need time to think.” She stated while avoiding eye contact. “Alone.”
Scott quietly nodded. “Understood.” With that he took a step to leave. “I hope you have a good night.”
“Thanks, you too,” She replied and for a short time, walked alongside him. Until they reached the end of the dock and they both went their separate ways. Olivia went on her way to her farm, while Scott walked towards the beach.
Scott grimaced as he walked across the sandy shore and over to the stone steps that led into town. That. Could have gone better.
What the hell was he thinking?!
He wasn't. He panicked. What was he supposed to do? ...Well. Probably not that.
Oh god he completely screwed this up, didn't he?
As his spiraling thoughts continued their descent, his walking led him into town, around a corner and down a set of wooden steps where a comforting warm glow leaked from the windows of the local tavern. Scott took a deep breath before pushing the doors open and looking around.
Empty chairs and tables greeted him.
Right, he was early.
"Scott, good to see you," Frank greeted from behind the bar and waved for Scott to come over. "What can I get started for you?"
Scott ambled over, glancing at two of the bar stools as memories forced their way through.
Olivia hummed before looking at Scott. “I guess we’re looking for cocktails?”
“If it’s what you want, It’s my treat.” Scott replied.
“I wouldn’t know what to order,” Olivia admitted through a sense of embarrassment as Scott chuckled.
“Hm, well, would you trust me enough to order for you?” He asked as a playful smirk pulled at the corner of his lips while he turned to face the bar properly.
“You know what. Sure,” Olivia agreed. “Don’t make me regret that, okay?”
“Never,” He then looked to Frank. “One sidecar and one clover club.”
Scott shook it off before focusing on Frank again. "Clover club please."
"Ah, is Olivia showing up soon?" Frank asked with a raised eyebrow. "Seems like that's all she orders these days."
"No." Scott scratched at the back of his neck while looking away. "Could you add a slice of red velvet cake to that order?"
Frank paused as his brows furrowed, and mouth scrunched in concern. "Comfort cake at this hour? Take a seat, let’s talk."
Scott seemed to melt into the nearest bar stool in one smooth movement. Holding his face in his hands, only allowing muffled mumbling through them.
"What was that?" Frank asked as he started gathering supplies for the requested drink.
"I kissed Olivia."
"Oh. Okay." Frank froze up upon hearing this and nervously glanced about to confirm no one else was around. He had a feeling he knew how this story ended but, "so, how'd that go?"
Scott slumped further onto the bar. "She said she needed to think about it."
"That's not a no," Frank replied as he went back to working on the drink.
The pouting archeologist looked up from his hands to stare at Frank with a deadpan expression. "It's not a yes either." He sighed. "I donno how many times I can go through this Frank," Scott quietly admitted as he fixed his posture to sit at the bar properly and rubbed at his face with one hand while the other rested on the bar to prop him up. "You'd think after so many rejections I'd get numb to it. I was rejected plenty back in the big apple and even more so here... Ugh, three failed relationships." admitting as much caused an uncomfortable thought to resurface. "Am I the problem?"
"You're not the problem," Frank insisted as he put the finished drink down in front of Scott. "Are you a little quick to be friendly sometimes? Sure. But that's not a bad thing." He added before busying himself with cleaning the bar. "You just got a lot to give and you want to share it. Nothing wrong with that." Having said that, Frank raised an eyebrow. "what's got you so worried she'd say no? The two of you seemed pretty close from what I've seen here."
"Her roommate," Scott grumpily replied. "It's not like I have room to talk since I live with a roommate too but. The guy is always hovering around her and sending me dirty looks." as he thought it over, he covered his eyes with his hand. "That and I completely messed up meeting her parents. I didn't realize her dad was with her at the time, so I was trying to make a good impression on her mother and that backfired."
Frank winced as he listened. They weren't baseless concerns, but that's not what he needed to hear right now. "Okay so maybe things didn’t go perfectly with meeting her parents. Life's messy and that’s how you get some fun stories to tell later," Frank replied before thinking it over. "And honestly I hardly see her with that Semeru guy. I think they've come in all of once and they didn’t show up together. It was some sort of BoS gathering so they weren’t alone either. I think you've got a solid shot." with that he put the cleaning rag away. "Don't count your chickens before they hatch sure but, don’t act like they won't before giving them a chance to hatch. What happened, happened, all that’s left is to wait for the results."
A meek smile started to form as Scott listened to the friendly pep talk. "Thanks Frank."
"No problem, how about I go get that slice of cake for you? On the house," he replied before walking away.
---
What a nightmare. When Semeru had asked to be her escort to the merfolk festivities, she'd thought that he actually wanted to spend time with her. She'd been excited to get to experience the merfolk culture as one of them now that she'd gotten her new form.
Instead, Olivia stayed by his side in silence, waiting and watching the crowds. Glancing over to the Merfolk captain who was now wearing a helmet and deep red sea silk with his usual armor. Despite her own efforts to dress the part and be a good date, part of her wished she'd just stayed home instead of using the warp pillar to get here.
She wasn’t sure how long had passed when movement in the distance caught her attention. Merfolk were pairing off and moving in time to music produced from a quartet of strange instruments. As she watched this, her mind wandered to their time by the beach. He’d danced with her before.
Her smile returned as she moved to float in front of Semeru and offered her hand. “Would you like to dance with me?”
She could see him turn his head to look away from her. “I’d rather not.”
“Right. Sorry,” She quietly apologized before returning to his side as she mentally repeated in her mind that he needed to be professional and that was just different from what she was used to.
Why did he even ask to spend time with her?
Confusion plagued her as the night blurred along. Courteous conversation would strike up with visitors every so often but even then, it seemed that the others would prefer avoiding them. Sure, she understood that this wasn’t going to be a purely ‘fun’ event but did work really mean they had to stand here like ornaments and wait to speak until spoken to?
He seemed excited before. What changed?
“Hey Semeru?” Olivia eventually spoke up as the crowd began to thin out. “I think I want to leave.”
“Understood,” He replied before motioning ahead of them. “After you.”
The curt response only caused her heart to sink further as resolve weakened. While weak she clung to it all the same as she led the way out of the throne room, away from the castle and into town.
“Your warp point is the other direction,” Semeru reminded as he watched her take a left instead of a right. “Where are you going?”
So he could speak. “The barracks, I figured I’d stay the night since it’s getting late. I still have a room there, right?” Olivia asked as a pinch of hope swelled as his words seemed to return.
“Do what you want,” He replied and went back to following her.
And just that quickly the hope that bloomed, faded once more. Silence remained as they entered the barracks. Not a single word was heard as he swam past her to head to his own barrack.
“Semeru,” She called with what little confidence she had left and to her relief he stopped and faced her. “Thanks for asking to spend time with me. I would have been lonely without you,” She admitted as she clung to the idea that everything was okay. “That is to say.” She fumbled to open her bag to try and get to the little box it held. She'd finally allowed her fins to relax and move as they pleased, which turned to a weak fluttering that announced hopeful affection.
His face contorted in pain and disgust as he saw this. Semeru tilted his head enough so he could reach over his helmet and remove it with one hand, allowing him to glare at her unobscured. “Do you enjoy toying with me? Is that what this is? Some twisted game?”
“What?” her digging stopped as her fins folded back in a self-hug. “I don’t understand.”
“Oh, cut the act,” He venomously retorted. “I know about you and Scott. I saw you both at the docks.”
Oh goddess no. He saw that? “I didn’t. I can explain-”
“You have some nerve.” Semeru cut in as his quiet words finally flowed freely. “Was it not enough to push your way into my life and challenge everything I thought I knew; just to be content with never seeing me again? Noooo. No. You had to go and get me to actually care for you. To-” He cut his words short this time as just the thought of finishing the sentence felt too painful. “I had thought land dweller cruelty had some form of limit, but you’ve certainly proven otherwise.”
“Will you please listen to me,” she pleaded in whispers to avoid waking the resting guards.
“Why should I?” he snapped. “I know what I saw.”
Flames of anger began to sear away any last pittance of affection. “You want to talk about cruel? Fine by me. How about you? jumping to conclusions without being willing to listen and publicly humiliating me at every turn at an event YOU asked to attend with me that I couldn’t leave out of obligation.” She listed off in return. “I needed you. I don’t know what I’m doing down here and I trusted you.” Olivia pushed herself to maintain eye contact even though she just wanted to leave. “And even than I was dumb enough to believe that maybe you understood something I didn’t and that you were just doing what was best…”
Semeru could feel his jaw slacken as the pain in his chest twisted. Oh goddess. He messed up…
Olivia fished the box out of her bag with one hand, while the other took the wrist of his free hand to pull on it enough that she could force the box into his hand. “Here.” She let go of him and backed away a few paces. "Considering everyone attending had to watch your blatant contempt for me, it can stay and I'll go."
Panic set in as he watched her turn to leave, looking from the helmet in one hand and the box in the other. His grip loosened on the helmet allowing it to clatter to the ground as he reached to catch her hand.
To his surprise and relief, even if she didn’t turn to face him, she stopped. Though he continued to hold onto her for dear life. He wasn’t going to lose her again. not from some stupid mistake like this where the only person he could blame was himself and that little demon of cowardice that always seemed to rear its head at the worst possible time no matter how much he tried to force it down.
“What is this,” he whispered.
“Does it matter?” She asked in return.
“Please.” He paused as his thoughts slowly formed words. “I’m sorry. I will listen.” Semeru slowly lessened his hold to give her the freedom to leave if she wanted to. “What is it?”
"It's proof I'm innocent. And that’s all it ever will be now." She insisted while glaring at the driftwood box she'd worked so hard to make, that held the jade locket she'd spent weeks, on to months restoring. "So do me one last favor and leave me the hell alone."
Despite every ounce of him screaming to do otherwise, he let go of her hand.
And so, she left for good.
---
Tears were nothing more than another drop of water to the ocean but on land the water fell freely. getting caught on pillow cases and stray tissues throughout the passing days.
To her relief her request to be left alone had been respected by both parties. Scott had stopped visiting the docks to check on her and Semeru hadn't shown up to help with the mines. Even then, each day she did as little as possible to test her luck. She'd go outside, to water her crops and collect the harvest for shipping then tend to her animals. usually stowing away in the barn or inside her home after that to have peace and quiet to process her own thoughts. Thoughts that were plenty loud in their own right.
How on the goddess's green earth had she managed to be that stupid?
Why did she think it was a good idea to go on a date with someone who actively threatened her when they first met?!
Was she really that distracted by a handsome face that she'd put on blinders and rose-tinted glasses to ignore red flags?
Olivia sighed as she collected a bundle of hay to carry over to one of the barn's feeding stations and spread it out. As she did so the yellow hue of the hay caused her mind to wander to the golden accents of the Jade pendant that she'd put so much of her time into. Hours spent staring at it while meticulously cleaning and repairing it.
"Whatever," she muttered before shaking her head and moved on to collect another bundle of hay from the silo shoot. What other purpose would it have served? giving it to someone else when she'd put that much thought into it for one person in particular would be... sloppy at best. Olivia spread out the second bale of hay only for her fluffy sheep, woolbert, to trot over and nudge into her side.
the not so gentle push caused her to stumble out of the way with a laugh. "Well hello to you too." His fur was getting a bit long. "I'll go get the sheers." She added before walking over to her bag that she'd left by the barn door. As she dug through it for her sheers, her hand nudged her phone out of the way, activating the lock screen which showed a smiling group picture. One of Her, Scott, Mayor Connor and Millie from the launch of the pickstarter campaign.
Distracted by this, her hand picked up the phone instead and stared at the smiling blond it showed. As much as she wanted to be mad about what had happened. There was a whisper of gratitude in her heart that she was able to finally see that side of Semeru before she'd gotten too infatuated with him.
Thoughts continued to drift through memories of getting to know Scott. The unintentional insults of their early friendship. Nights at Fishensip where Scott would teach her the ropes of pool, never getting upset or frustrated even if she didn’t do it right. Early morning coffee with him and Charles.
The time he carried her to the clinic when she was too sick and could barely feel her legs. How he kept tabs on her after and listened as much as he talked. The random moments where he'd pull her into a dance. The little laughs and jokes that made time seem infinite and fleeting in the same instant. His million-watt smile and open honest bluntness.
A soft chuckle escaped her as she pushed the unlock button on the side of her phone to keep the picture on the screen.
her mind wandered to one night in particular where he'd asked to order for her at the bar.
“I hope you don’t think I’m a clown or anything. I know I can be full of it sometimes, but trust me there’s more to me than that.”
Through rose tinted glasses, even green flags look black...
"I'm such an idiot..." Olivia muttered as she tried to suppress the building sense of regret. She'd waited a week to say anything. Was she too late?
She wouldn’t know if she didn't try. Right?
---
Scott sighed as he gently dusted and scraped away at bone stuck in a near concrete clump of earth.
"14," Eleanor said after, causing Scott to perk up and look over his shoulder to glance at her.
"Pardon?" he asked as he cocked an eyebrow.
"Thats the 14th time you've sighed like that since you came in to work. If you're tired you should get to bed at a more reasonable time," Eleanor chided.
Amusement and even a pinch of relief caused him to weakly smile. "Right, sorry. I'll keep that in mind."
Eleanor watched as Scott went back to his work, waiting a few minutes longer before looking towards the entry way of the research room. "It's been a while since Olivia has stopped by to drop off a new donation. I wonder if she's having a hard time finding things now."
Hearing this caused Scott to tense up slightly. "Yeah... maybe." Or maybe she was avoiding him...
The sudden sound of his phone vibrating against the desk behind him caused him to jolt, thanks to his tension set shoulders. Again, he sighed as he put down his tools to go and check it.
"15," Eleanor counted.
"Sorry," Scott replied as he picked up the device, only for his eyes to widen as his expression turned blank. Reading and re-reading the text.
[Olivia] Hey, when you're free can you meet me at the docks?
A rushed text was sent in return before pocketing his phone. "Hey Eleanor, I'm going to go get some fresh air."
"Alright dear. Feel better," she replied and waved as Scott hurried out of the research room on stiff legs that were trying too hard to walk casually.
Brisk, restrained steps broke into a sprint the second he was out of the museum. Stone walkways were replaced with dirt, then wooden planks as he slowed his steps at the stairs down to the docks. He could do this. Act casual. Like nothing happened.
"Hey," He called while waving, though his face was pale as a sheet and nerves ate away at his stomach the closer he got. "What's up? Did you bring in a large catch?" He asked as he stopped in front of her.
"Not exactly." Olivia replied while looking away. "I um," she took a deep breath to calm her nerves. “Look, last time we were here... I." Come on she could do this! Olivia pushed herself to look Scott in the eyes. "Do you think we can try that again?”
Stunned silence plagued him as his jaw went slack. Was he understanding that correctly? Did he imagine that? A smile chased away prior fear and hesitation as he stepped forward and put one arm around her waist while the other held the side of her face. He paused a moment, just in case he really did misunderstand. Yet she didn’t push him away.
So he leaned to close the remaining gap, forcing back his smile so he could kiss her, and to his relief, this time she kissed him back. The joy this brought made his grin too difficult to suppress, forcing him to break away as jubilant chuckles bubbled forth. Joy that turned to action as he shifted his hold around her to pick her up just enough to spin with her and cheer from relief.
For the first time in a long time, he wasn't rejected by someone who'd captured his heart and stole away his every spare thought.
Olivia happily laughed and clung to him until he put her down and even then, she maintained her hold on the best person she'd ever met who she'd almost lost sight of. The friend she'd grown to love so naturally she'd hardly even noticed it happened. "Theres so much I've wanted to tell you. I just," Olivia started only to stop as she felt the soft yet prickly stubble of Scott's face nuzzled against her cheek.
"We have all the time in the world for that and then some," Scott happily insisted while keeping her as close as possible. "For now, I just want to enjoy this."
The simple comfort the closeness provided eased away any last fears and worries that tried to cling to her. "Me too," She quietly agreed before kissing him again.