Chapter Text
"Sealand? Do you have those finance reports my boss gave me yesterday? I can't seem to find them," asked Seychelles as she looked through her desk.
"You put them in your filing cabinet! The one near your door! It should be in the first file in the middle drawer," Sealand's voice called out from the other room.
Seychelles walked over to the filing cabinet and opened the middle drawer. There in the front was the report. "Yes! Thanks Sealand!" she called back.
It had been three months since that dinner confession and Sealand was still living with Seychelles, helping her around her house and with her reports. The two set up a routine and soon it was like they had been living together for years. She hadn't been this happy and had so much fun in ages. There was never a dull moment with Sealand around. He drove her bosses nuts but he was also super helpful. If he put his mind to stuff, he knew how to help her with her reports and nation duties. 'I wonder if the others knew this? Or if they took the time to know he could help them? Probably not.'
Seychelles would also have to admit that when Sealand said he was lonely she agreed with him that she was lonely too. It had been far too long since she entertained at fellow nation, or in this case, a micronation, in her home. She knew that she could never force the child to leave because she would be alone again too.
She clutched the files in her hands against her chest. She also admitted to herself that she feared the day he would leave her on his own. 'I'll have to enjoy him while he is still here.' She took a deep breath and left her office to find Sealand.
It didn't take long. Around this time of day he would be in kitchen making a simple lunch of peanut butter sandwiches. And there he was at the table spreading peanut butter on a slice of bread. She stood in the doorway just to watch him. His skin was tanned from being out in the tropical sun for so long and his blond hair looked lighter. She knew as nations, this was temporary but he looked good and healthy like this to her.
Sealand looked up from the sandwich at Seychelles and gave her a bright smile that warmed her heart. "Oh I see you found them!" Seychelles walked in, grabbed one of the finished sandwiches and collapsed in one of the chairs.
"Yeah I did. I am glad I didn't lose them. That would have sucked!" Seychelles took a bite of one of the sandwiches. "God, this hits the spot."
"What do you need them for?" Sealand asked as he went back to making another sandwich. "Do you have a meeting with your boss about them again? He has been on you about them for past two weeks about those things!"
Seychelle grimaced thinking about those long meetings with her boss. There were times she would be there for hours. "No, thank god. Germany wants them for the world meeting at the end of the week."
Sealand froze and his smile fell. "There's a meeting?"
Seychelles sighed. "Yeah, he called one out of the blue." She then looked at the Sealand. "Are you going?"
He shook his head no. "No, why should I? I'm not a nation." And a little softly, "And I don't want to see them yet."
"You know they are all probably worried about you. You haven't talked to anyone except me and the humans on this island in months."
"No, they aren't. They are probably glad I'm gone." With that Seychelles got up and made Sealand look at her. His eyes looked misty with unshed tears.
"You listen to me Sealand. They are probably worried about you but if you don't want to go to that meeting and don't want them to know where you are then you don't have to. Like I said, you can stay with me as long as you want and my lips will be sealed at that meeting. If asked, I'll say I don't know."
Sealand wiped his eyes. "Really? You won't?"
"Nope! My lips are sealed. Now," she grinned at Sealand. "How about we eat our lunch at the beach? I'll go pack out swimwear, you finish these sandwiches, and we'll have fun there for the rest of the day?"
A bright smile appeared on his face. "Okay! I'll finish these and then we can have fun!" He picked up the butter knife and went back to making the sandwiches.
As Seychelles walked out of the kitchen she thought to herself, 'Yes, I won't tell. To keep you smiling like that, I'll hide you from the rest of them forever if I have to. I don't want these happy days to end.'
Ten minutes later, there was basket full of sandwiches, fruit, and water packed and ready for the walk to the beach. Sealand was dressed in a white t-shirt, swim shorts, and sandles while Seychelles was in a skirt and a blue bikini top.
She grabbed the basket of food while Sealand grabbed the beach bag and they left her home. "Hey, let cut through the garden," she said.
"Garden?"
"Yes, it grove of coconut trees but I call it a garden. It is very beautiful and would protect us from the sun until we get there."
"Oh cool!" Sealand jumped off of the porch. "Let's go!" Seychelles only chuckled and walked to the garden with Sealand at her heels. The dark grove seemed to suck them both in….