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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Aug 1, 2020 19:54:15 GMT -5
Sol chuckled. "Oh, I think not. It will take time, I'll teach you how to put up a good fight. Not enough to win, not with the time we have, but I can make sure you last more than two minutes." He paused, realizing this wasn't something he should, or could, force on him. "That is, if you want to."
~ • ~ • ~ Seth watched her, head canted curiously. "So you do know he likes you. Does that mean you two have talked about it?" he asked, avoiding her own questions.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Aug 1, 2020 20:07:53 GMT -5
"A chance to learn how to annoy my sister's boyfriend? Hell, yeah, I want to learn," Parker said with a cheeky grin. "If nothing else, maybe I can keep from getting captured by slavers again, so either way, it'll be beneficial to know."
~*~*~
"No, he's just obvious about it," Anya told him. "He's even tried to get Parker to ask in a subtle way what I felt for him. Parker told him I was interested, but he's still been trying. He never does anything bad or anything. Parker would have taken care of him if he did anything like that, but it's just painfully clear that he's hoping he'll get out of the friend zone."
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Aug 1, 2020 20:55:10 GMT -5
"Nah, I'll be here," Parker said. Despite being up so late now, the day's work hadn't been enough to wear him out. Now, though, he should be able to sleep a little better.
~*~*~
Anya shrugged. "I mean, I've tried to tell him this as gently and subtly as I can, but I don't think he can really take subtle hints," she said. "But you still haven't answered why the two of you don't get along."
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Aug 1, 2020 21:48:14 GMT -5
"Yes, sir," Parker agreed. While he finished drying off with the towel and placing it with all the other towels needing to be washed, he watched the play fight the dogs found themselves in. Smiling, he followed them out of the training room, heading off to find his hammock once more.
(Time skip a couple of days until the flirting starts? Or did you want something else to happen before then?)
~*~*~
Anya just matched the look he was giving her. What did he mean by that? "Apparently it is, because I have no idea what you're referring to," she told him.
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Aug 1, 2020 22:23:29 GMT -5
( I can. Uno momento! )
~ • ~ • ~ ( LOL, okay. xD )
Seth tipped his head back to stare at the ceiling for a moment. Then he took a deep breath and met her gaze again. "Anya —"
The door opened. Aidan came in, humming a faintly familiar tune that stopped abruptly as he picked up on the tension in the room. He may have been young, but living on the streets for so long made him very aware. "Uh oh. You guys aren't fighting, are you?"
Seth sighed, relieved and disappointed in equal measure. "No, buddy, we're not fighting."
( Also, here you go: I did this one day when I was bored. xD )Sister How do you know he loves you? How do you know he's yours?
Brother How do you know that he loves you?
Sister How does he show you he loves you?
Both How do you know that he really, really, truly loves you? How do you know that he loves you? How does he show you he loves you? How do you know that he really, really, truly loves you?
Sister It's not enough to take the one you love for granted He must remind you or you'll be inclined to say: "How do I know he loves me?" (How do you know that he loves you? How does he show you he loves you?) "How do I know he's mine?" (How do you know that he really, really, truly loves you?)
Well does he leave a little note to tell you you are on his mind? Send you yellow flowers when the sky is grey? Hey He'll find a new way to show you, a little bit everyday That's how you know That's how you know He's your love
Brother He gotta show you he needs you Can't treat you like a mind reader Each day do something to need you To believe he loves you
Sister Everybody wants to live Happily Ever After Everybody wants to know their true love is true How do you know he loves you? (How do you know that he loves you? How does he show you he loves you?) How do you know he's yours? (How do you know that he really, really, truly loves you?)
Well does he take you out dancing just so he can hold you close? Dedicate a song with words meant just for you? Oooo He'll find his own way to tell you, with the little things he'll do That's how you know That's how you know He's your love He's your love
That's how you know he loves you That's how you know it's true
Because he'll wear your favorite color just so he can match your eyes Plan a private picnic by the fire's glow Oooh His heart will be yours forever, something every day will show
Both That's how you know That's how you know That's how you know That's how you know That's how you know That's how you know He's your love
(That's how you know that he loves you That's how he shows you he loves you)
That's how you know
(He gotta show you he needs you Can't treat you like a mind reader)
That's how you know
(How do you know that he loves you? That's how you know that he loves you)
He's your love (It's not enough to take the one that you love for granted)
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Aug 1, 2020 22:41:58 GMT -5
The next three days passed uneventfully. They got some rain and some angry waves on day two, but nothing truly worthy of bring called a storm. Beyond that, the weather was mostly good, making for decent sailing. The Comet was moving swiftly, and Sol anticipated they would reach their first destination ahead of schedule.
After that first day in the training room with Parker, the attitude of the crew toward him changed drastically. They stopped giving him the cold shoulder, started including him in more activities beyond usual ship work, and they no longer glared threateningly. There were a few who were still reserved around him, but many of them were like that with everybody, so it was nothing personal. Sol noticed that Apollo gravitated to him a lot too. The crew had noticed this as well, and kept shooting glances Sol's way whenever they were both on deck. Sol always ignored it.
On the morning of the fourth day, Sol was in the training room before Parker, as he had been the last three days — even day one when they were both up late the night before. Parker had been improving well, mostly because Sol had been focusing him on rebuilding his strength and muscle mass more than any actual fighting. And when they did work on the fighting, it was mostly defense, and Sol had started teaching Parker proper blocking movements.
~ • ~ • ~ Aidan looked up at Seth. "But you're still going to tell me the story right?"
"Of course. I promised, didn't I? Come on. Get in bed, and get comfy."
"Okay!" Aidan scrambled into bed, instantly making a mess of it, and got comfortable under the covers. "Ready!"
Seth chuckled and moved to sit on the edge of his bed. "Okay. An adventure story, right?"
Aidan nodded eagerly. "Yes, please!"
( Good. 😂 )
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Aug 2, 2020 12:16:07 GMT -5
Parker was beginning to adjust to life aboard the Comet. It was still a rolling death trap, but one that he was starting to get a little more familiar with with each day. The sea sickness still came and went, but it was manageable with the tonics and tea he got from Jess.
The interactions with the crew was sorting righting itself again as well. Each day, he noticed that more and more of the ship's crew was speaking to him on a more pleasant level now that he was proving himself with his work. He was buddy buddy with any of them yet, save for maybe Quill, but they would ask him to be part of conversations and small hangouts when not working. Only Sol kept his distance during the day, which was understandable since he had to manage the while ship. At least Apollo came to see him often.
By day four, Parker had regained a good bit of his physical capabilities and was feeling like his normal self. There were new muscles which were sore from never using them before, but it was a good soreness that meant he was doing something right. Currently, he was running through the paces with Sol, as usual, working on his to properly block the punches the captain threw his way. Two out of five he could block, three if he got lucky. It wasn't much progress, bit when his opponent was Sol, he considered that pretty good.
~•~•~
While Aiden and Seth got settled in for that story, Anya walked over to her own bed. Seth wouldn't need her assistance in telling whatever story he had planned, nor did she figure either one of them would be staying up too late tonight. In the morning, if the storm was gone, they'd all have an early day.
(We can skip whenever.)
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Aug 2, 2020 13:36:15 GMT -5
By the end of that mornings session, Sol was hot and sweaty. And that, more than anything, was a sign of Parker's progress. It meant Sol actually had to work a little harder to hit him (he always pulled back at the last second so he didn't leave the poor boy black and blue). It also made him realize it had been a ling time since he sparred with another person instead of a dummy. Several of his crew had the skill in hand-to-hand combat to go up against him, but on a ship it was very hard to make their schedules line up — especially when Sol was such a workaholic that he only found time to train in the middle of the night, when he should have been sleeping.
When Sol called a halt, he ordered Parker to start his cool down stretches and went to fetch them water and towels. He placed both on the floor nearby and, after the briefest hesitation, yanked his shirt off. Then he joined Parker in cool down.
~ • ~ • ~ ( I was going to have Seth tell an actual story, but my brain is being stubborn so I'll just say it was great and ended in Aidan begging for more before Seth convinced him to go to sleep. xD Where shall we skip to? When Parker was supposed to return/they learn of the broken bridge? )
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Aug 2, 2020 14:42:48 GMT -5
Sol had noticed how Parker's gaze tended to follow him around after their sessions. That, more than anything, had surprised him. Sol wasn't blind, and he had access to mirrors. He knew what he looked like, knew how he turned heads whenever he was on land. Usually it was just women, but sometimes he would catch other men looking too. The first time that happened, he had been so surprised,he passed it off as a fluke. The second time he noticed a male checking him out, he was still surprised, but also intrigued. And by the third time... well. That's when he learned it wasn't just women who did it for him.
Sol had known Parker's preferences from day one. It didn't surprise him anymore, but he hadn't expected the seasick landlubber to develop an actual attraction to him. It had Sol watching him more often than he did the other rescues. Sol was just better at being subtle about it.
When he finished his stretches, Sol dropped the subtlety and watched Parker finish his, curious. Parker only stared when he thought Sol wasn't looking, and did his best to avoid glancing his way when he was. Which meant he was either shy... or he hadn't realized he wasn't the only guy on this ship who liked guys. Sol wanted to know which.
~ • ~ • ~ ( Haha, will do. xD Okay, no rush! ^^ )
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Aug 2, 2020 18:47:19 GMT -5
(Parker's so obvious, it hurts. XD)
Parker felt Sol's gaze on him as he stretched, but he forced himself to ignore it. He was probably just watching to make sure he was doing the stretches right. After all, he had stressed the importance of these cool downs. Yet, as he neared the end of the procedure, Sol was still staring at him. He turned his head to see what was up. "Am I doing something wrong?" he asked, pausing. From the look on his face, it didn't look like he was finding fault with his stretches.
~*~*~
A couple of days had passed, and the harvest of the Dorreh's fields were completed. Everything had been picked and cut down, hay baled and left by the barn to dry a little longer before putting them in the barn. Now came the long process of canning the vegetables and storing the grains and what not for the winter months ahead. Thanks to the return of Anya and Corrik, along with the extra help Seth and Stel brought with them, they had finished well ahead of schedule. The storm had taken its toll on the crops, but the damages were minimal compared to what they already had put away.
However, the damaged crops weren't the thing they were worrying about. It was Parker. The youngest son was supposed to be back yesterday, but he had yet to show up. It was a long way to Carzan, yes, but he had went alone. Maria had tried to talk him into going with someone else, but he had assured her he would be fine. So his late arrival was causing his mother to worry.
"What do we need to go do?" Maria asked Marcus while the family had gathered for breakfast. It was one of the rare mornings where Trenton and his wife and child joined everyone for meals. Normally, they showed up for dinner, but with the late return of Parker, they decided to join the conversation of discussing a plan of action.
"You will stay here," Marcus answered calmly. "Trenton and I will head up to the bridge and see if he's out there. That storm has the river over flowing, so he might just be stuck on the other side. We'll go out and see if he's there. If so, Corrik can go pick him up."
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Aug 2, 2020 19:37:50 GMT -5
( Its cute. And funny. xD )
Sol bent one knee and used it as a prop for his arms. He ignored Parker's question and asked his own. "What's waiting for you at home? Besides your family. A girlfriend?" He gave him a knowing look. "Or maybe a boyfriend?"
~ • ~ • ~ Over the last few days, Seth had worked harder than ever in an effort to make up for his day off. He had also been looking for a good time to finish his conversation with Anya, but his working extra didn't leave a lot of time. He was still waking up before everyone for his morning workout, and that, along with long days in the field, left him exhausted by the end of the day. Now that the harvest was done, maybe he would have extra time.
That thought didn't last long.
Seth stood in the corner of the room with his arms folded over his chest, having opted not to sit so none of the Dorrehs would be forced to stand. Plus, he wasn't part of the family, so he really had no business being part of this discussion. That didn't stop him from staying close to Anya, or offering to go with Marcus and Trenton when they left to look.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Aug 2, 2020 20:19:36 GMT -5
The forwardness of the question caught off guard. Color rose to his face at the look Sol gave, and he had to look away to. Shit, did he know he had been staring? Was he mad? He hadn't really done anything wrong, but had he still offended him? "Um, n-no," he said, clearing his throat. "No, I don't have anyone else waiting for me."
~*~*~
"Why not just send Corrik and I?" Anya asked. She was sitting in her normal spot, holding Trenton's two month old daughter. She had been excited to see her new niece when they had returned and she was going to take every opportunity to hold the little girl as much as she could, even in this serious of a time. No one was more worried about Parker's absence than she was. It wasn't like Parker to be late for anything.
"No, you can stay and have a day off with your brothers and Seth. You've all been working hard, and deserve a break. It shouldn't take us long to find him," Marcus said.
Anya didn't share her father's confidence on the matter, but she guessed he was right to tell them no. They were still in hiding from Genevieve, so having a Dragon flying around the place might cause word to get back to Ilirea. Still, she wanted to at least go with them to the bridge. In the end, she was told to stay, and there was no changing her father's mind. So, when breakfast was over, she stayed seated with her niece while Trenton and Marcus left the house.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Aug 2, 2020 20:45:26 GMT -5
"Well, if you speak with Anya, she'll tell you I am," Parker said, trying his hardest to grab hold of the easy banter he had used every one else, but it was a little hard to do when he was still flustered. "But I just really hadn't found anyone that... that shared any of the same interest." He wasn't sure why he was hesitant in talking about this now. He knew that it wasn't some huge scandalous secret, but the last time he had openly declared his interest in another man, it hadn't gone well. That, and this wasn't a topic he'd expected Sol to have started after a training session, which only further lead him to believe that he had a problem with Parker's lingering stare.
~*~*~
Anya lifted her eyes from the table before her to meet his gaze. She didn't look so sure of it. "Seth, I have a horrible feeling," she said, shifting her niece into a better position and gently bounced her. "He should have been back by now. What if he's hurt?"
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Aug 2, 2020 20:57:31 GMT -5
Sol rested his chin on his forearm. "Does that statement include women, or just men?" He knew he was making Parker nervous with his blunt questions, but he really wasn't one to dance around a question when he wanted an answer. Plus, he had found that being blunt made it harder for people to lie, especially if they weren't expecting such forwardness.
~ • ~ • ~ Seth opened his mouth to reply, but shut it again without saying anything. He didn't have any personal experience when it came to twins, but he had noticed growing up how much closer Isla and Benji were than most other siblings. They were almost inseparable when they were younger, and even when they did start branching out and spending more time apart, they always seemed to know where the other was. Sometimes it went so far as they knew what their twin was feeling, both when they were together and apart. Seth had seen enough of Anya's relationship with her own twin to know they weren't much different, so he wasn't willing to just dismiss her feeling. He took a deep breath. "I know your dad told us to stay, but if you want I can take you to Carzan here and now. Just say the word."
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Aug 2, 2020 21:18:19 GMT -5
(Although he started out as being bi, it has come to my attention that, no, Parker is very much gay, and gay alone. XD It's very weird trying to picture him with a girl now. XD)
"J-just men," Parker murmured, his blush creeping ever upward on his face. Then he shook his head. "Look, if this is about me watching you, I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable or weird. I promise, it won't happen again. I'm sorry." The apology escaped more due to his nervousness than anything. He might have jumped the gun, but he didn't want to risk screwing up the fight lessons just because of his wandering eyes.
~*~*~
Hope sparked in her eyes at his offer. She hadn't thought about Seth being able to take them to Carzan. They could be there and back in seconds, and no one would ever see their dragons. "Can we?" she asked. All day yesterday she had had a knot in her stomach, dread making her feel sick for no clear reason. Since everything at home was fine, her next thought was Parker. It wasn't uncommon for the two to know when the other was upset or hurt. It was hard to hide anything from each other, for the other always seemed to know before the other said anything. Now was no different. Something wasn't right, and she knew she wouldn't be rid of this feeling until she saw her brother was safe and sound.
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Aug 2, 2020 21:30:39 GMT -5
( Fine by me. If anything, he tried dating a girl once, and once was enough to know he wasn't really attracted to them. xD )
Sol arched his brows. "You don't have to apologize, Parker. I don't mind your staring." He shifted into a crouch suddenly, bringing their faces a little closer together. "Oh, and your search is over, by the way. Your brave rescuer shares your... interest." He grinned, snatched his shirt, and stood up. "You're free to have a shower today if you want," he said casually. "The water is getting low, but we should reach port in another day or two."
~ • ~ • ~ "If that's what you want," Seth answered sincerely. "We can go whenever you're ready. We have the day off, so we can tell your mom we're going for a walk. Which, we kind of are, so it won't even be a lie."
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Aug 2, 2020 21:49:46 GMT -5
(Lol, like a rebound attempt from his first crush, and it just went wrong. XD
Dang, Sol, just throw him into the deep end. XD)
Things went from zero to sixty real fast. Maintaining his bluntness, the closer proximity, and that grin of his, Parkers could only stare at the captain in dumbfounded silence. His face thoroughly turned bright red. It took an embarrassingly long amount of time for him to recover his wits. "Oh. Yeah, I think I'll go do that after dinner," he said quickly. He stood as well, gathering up his towel and quickly draining the water he had been brought.
~•~•~
"Yes, please!" Anya replied. She remembered the trouble they had ran into at Carzan. Parker would be safe, she was sure, since he wasn't a Rider, but a part of her still worried. He was there for deliveries and he wouldn't be looking for trouble. Still, now she wished she hadn't let him go alone. "We can go now."
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Aug 2, 2020 22:15:38 GMT -5
(Too good. XD)
After Sol and the dogs left, Parker remained where he was for a few minutes more. What the hell had just happened? Sol had brought up the subject if his dating preferences out of nowhere, only to confirm that he shared them. That wasn't a coincidence, was it? Had he wanted him to know? Did he just wanted to prove he had noticed his staring? It couldn't have been an attempt to flirt. He was the captain of the ship, and he was just some landlubbers, as everyone still referred to him as. Was it an attempt to flirt? Should he have tried to flirt back?
The back and forth was making his head hurt. Parker shook his head, a bit more than he needed to, in order to chance those thoughts away. He could sort that out later. Right now, he had work to get to. He hoped that by the time he reached the main deck, his face would have returned to normal.
~•~•~
Anya nodded and carefully stood up. She found her sister in law talking with her mother in the living room. Handing her niece back, she explained that she and Seth would be going for a walk.
"Be careful," Maria told them. "And don't go too close to the river. You heard your father; it's still up higher than normal."
"we'll be careful," Anya promised, then led the way outside.
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