Work Text:
Raven
Relief washes over me, I’m so glad Robin understands what I’m talking about and seems genuinely excited to help. I had no idea what I’d be walking into when I inherited the farm, it’s been abandoned for decades, left to the wildlife and natural decay. The house structure stands intact, but is overgrown by vines and moss, calling it a shack would be generous. All the outbuildings were reduced to piles of moldy lumber and stone long ago, even the greenhouse in ruins. Robin was obviously embarrassed by the state of the place when she first met me at the farm gate, and is willing to do whatever I need to clean it up, but repairing a decrepit farm requires resources. A lot of resources. And money.
Robin closes her catalogue with a smile and nod, it will take me some time to gather everything she needs to repair the house and build a chicken coop. I return her smile but feel a sinking sensation in my gut. Moving here was not the most well-planned of adventures, and an earlier run-in with a total jerk on his way to the saloon and a red-haired girl who seemed terrified of me did nothing to boost my confidence. -sigh- I suppose I’ll head back to my drafty excuse for a home, maybe stop by the saloon for a ginger ale on the way. Head down, I step around the corner directly into a pair of boots. Black leather with heavy soles, buckles across the instep… jeans, also black, the fabric thin at the knees, but clean… a dark hoodie, zipped, hands shoved firmly in the pockets… frayed hoodie strings leading up to chin-length hair, dark, well-kept… then… gray. Blue-gray, slate, the color of the sea before a storm or the sky at dusk just as the blue is fading away.
Blink.
Air rushes into my lungs, I must have been holding my breath… oh god, I hope I wasn’t staring long, though it might have been forever. “Hi… you must be the new farmer…” a soft, low voice touches my ears, a sound that perfectly matches the velvety gray eyes. My lips twitch into a smile, I can’t help it even though I look like a fool.
“Yeah, I’m Raven. I just moved here, but you obviously already know that. Robin was showing me her catalogue and all the buildings I’ll need for the farm, it’s sure going to be a lot of work. I had no idea how run-down the place was before I got here…” Stop, stop talking… please stop… My brain is pleading with my mouth to shut up, but once I’ve started, there’s not much to be done but wait until the words run out. Heat prickles my neck, rising to my cheeks, this is ridiculous. It’s not like I haven’t found a man attractive before.
“I’m Sebastian… sorry, I forgot you have no idea who I am. Robin’s my mom.” Sebastian glances away for a moment, then back, he looks like a shadow caught in the light, wanting to melt back into the dark but unsure how to escape. “I’ll let you go… n-nice to meet you,” his voice wavers with uncertainty, the low resonance gentle in my ears, then fading away. I realize I’m blocking his path and quickly step aside, watching as he moves, disappearing down the hall. I suck in a breath and turn back toward the door, catching a glimpse of Robin as I step over the threshold, her eyes wide with a look of pleasant surprise. As I close the door behind me, I smile to myself. I won’t be leaving this place any time soon.
Sebastian
Thank god this project is nearly done, debugging the code has been nothing but mind numbing tedium for the past three days. And I’m starved, must have forgotten breakfast. Again. I reach over my head and back, stretching the cramped and complaining muscles in my shoulders. I really need to remember to stretch more. Maybe I’ll walk out to the lake, might as well grab my boots just in case. Watching my feet, I open the door and start trudging up the stairs from my basement bedroom… honestly, I prefer living in the basement, I get a bigger room that way and it stays cooler in the summer heat. Quieter too, and I can stay out of sight for the most part. Two… three… four… I unconsciously track the number of stairs, an old habit with no real purpose.
As the toe of my boot scrapes the next step, I freeze… did I hear voices? Wait… that’s not Abby, is it? I really don’t want to deal with her drama right now. Six… seven… eight… It’s a female voice, definitely not Sam… doesn’t sound familiar. Must be someone from out of town with a project for Mom. That’s good, she was just saying she wanted more work. Ten… eleven… twelve… The voices have stopped, the woman must have left. Fourteen… fifteen… shoes. Work boots, sturdy with heavy stitching… what… why? I look up and meet a pair of eyes, bright emerald with flecks of gold framed by wind-blown waves of deep reddish-brown hair. Green eyes blink and she gasps slightly, did I step on her toe? No, but I am standing very close. Wait, she was here first. I think. I should say something… Uh, crap… “Hi… you must be the new farmer…” the words are out before I can think. Shit. Obviously she’s the new farmer. I forgot she would be coming over to talk to Mom about the buildings. Idiot.
I force myself to look back, she’s smiling… god, she has a great smile. Aren’t farmers supposed to be weathered and tired? This girl… her skin is bright with freckles sprinkled over her cheekbones, the breeze from the open front door lifts her hair a bit and light glints off the gold flecks in her eyes like stars in a field of green. The cool air prickles against my hot skin. “Yeah, I’m Raven. I just moved here, but you obviously already know that. Robin was showing me her catalogue and all the buildings I’ll need for the farm…” Her voice is bright but not sharp, fresh and shimmering like a brook on a warm spring day. I just listen to her talk, torn, wanting to escape but captivated by the vision in front of me. She stops talking and tilts her head, her eyes spark, cheeks slightly pink. Oh hell, I forgot to tell her my name.
“I’m Sebastian… sorry, I forgot you have no idea who I am. Robin’s my mom.” That was awkward. Story of my life I guess. She steps aside, I attempt a smile before I flee toward the kitchen. If Sam ever finds out about this, I’ll never hear the end of it. But… I hope I see her again. Maybe next time I can speak a coherent sentence. Something to make her smile, even laugh. Raven.
“Oh, Sebby! Can I talk to you for a minute?” Mom’s voice snaps me back to the present… crap… wonder if I can make it back to the stairs before she corners me…