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aggressivenesswhilecrying · 9 months

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Home on sea, lost in the land

Summery:

In of which the crew are simple people, dedicated lives. Species don't mean much, not really, and in thus tail, we focus on the world our love sick pirates live in

Featuring martyn being a little shit, a bustling sea town, and absolutely no plot

No trigger warning that I'm aware of!!

Not beta read or edited!!

(This is a Christmas gift to @chocolate-cake-enthusiast!! I'm sorry it's so late in the night, I ment to post it earlier, but the Google docs wasn't working, and it was a disaster!! Check the end of the fic for a little note afterwards<3)

It's only normal these days to wake up to swaying floors and messy noise. Light peaking through every little corner of the living quarters, lighting the room up like a second sun, directly into his eyes. With squinted eyes, and tired moments, he slrolled over, over, sat up in the center of his hammock, he sets his feet on the wooden floor, feeling as it sways, as it tries to knock him over. With a yawn, and the wave of his hand, he stumbles to the closed door, avoiding all his shipmates sleeping positions, some beds already empty. Slowly creaking open the door, he let warm sunlight reach his eyes. Let the salt reach his lungs.

The as he stumbled out to door, his shoulder slammed into the doorway, causing him to hiss and curse in pure pain. But he managed to keep his nosies of pain down as he stumbled onto the deck. The image of the fae captain, scar, and his first mate. A human named grian, leaning against the rials softly chatting made a small grin spread onto martyns lips. The longing for sea in his dried scales bothering him just slightly, his spices calmed and smoothed against his skin.

Slow and soft steps across the deck let his mind wake just slightly. Glancing up he can see jimmy in the crows nest, the siren no doubt feeling like he's cooked alive as birds try to nip at him. Martyn couldn't imagine being up straight in the sun all day and most of the night. He could already feel his tail flicking at just the idea.

He finds himself also drifting to the rails where grian and scar are, the soft conversation making his heart swell with joy.

"I don't know, I'm thinking that the harvest port would be the best to stop at, its a little far, but if im right cleo has some family there? And no one else has family around the area" Scars said, voice a soft whisper that barely reached martyns ears. Arms folded on the sturdy, but throughly well loved arm rails.

Grian hummed voice unsure as his fingers tapped along his forearm. A steady rhythm that almost sounded like music.

"I don't know, harvest is a little too close to the capital...going there would mean the risk of guards spotting us, and I'm not too comfortable with that.." grians brow scrunched bitting at his lip. Which in turn made scars own brow scrunch at grians worry. There was a reason grian was the first mate. Scar wasn't the best captain. He was great at it, yes, but he lacked that sort of thinking ahead.

Scars hand started to reach for grians face, and martyn decided it was time to ruin the moment, as they clearly hadn't heard him or saw him walk up.

Leaning his own arms on the rails quickly, almost slamming into them and turning to be leaning just over them to be loking at Scar. Startling the two. Scars hand jerking back, and turning a light blue in the cheeks, grians own lightling up slightly.

"What are we talking about?" Martyn asked in a normal tone with a chuckle. Face scrunching as he started at the two with a smug almost knowing smirk.

Grian slid his arm down to his side, where scar couldn't see it, and flipped martyn off, which in turn got him slapped by the mers tail.

"Oh, just where we're stopping next, with the hoildays coming up, we were thinking of stopping somewhere to celebrate, unsure of where." Scar said, voice laced with humor and charm that had martyn not blaming grian for his fancy towards the man. His captins coat open showing the large gashes across his chest in the form of Scars. The large star like cuts under where his breath once where displayed proudly. Martyn had actually been the one to help make the Scars look that way. After having them removed, one day after drinking far far too much, scar had told martyn he wished he had cooler top Scars, and well, the rest was history, now wasnt it?

Nodding simply martyn looked back out to the sea. "We could stop at the timber tide port? That's where me, Jimmy, lizzie, and Scott are from? We don't have any family there, but it's almost completely filled with mer people, and they have a large parade for the middle of winter. Lots of dancing, shopping, shows of magic, all sorts of things." He suggested, slightly rambling about his home, but he doesn't think the two mind when grian nods. Thinking about it for a second, still narrowed. A large pin holding the front of his hair back so they can see the way his forehead wrinkles as he starts to nod a little more, turning to scar.

"I thought you guys were from alice town?" He turns to martyn, face still scrunched, tiltung it at him slightly with a confused look. His sleeveless shirt barely even hanging onto his body. Letting the almost cold air pass through. His brown pants lose and holding on just by his hips, far too long and bunched around his ankles, and they looked big enough that martyn would even say they seemed to be scars. "No, that's just where you found us, we never actually told you guys" Martyn chuckles, watching as the man nodded looking back to the sea, as if the open water will tell him the answer and let him know the future. Empty silence filling the area as grian brought back up his hand, tapping away.

"it's in a swampy area, so there is almost no way gaurd will be there?" Martyn couldn't exactly tell you where that logic made sense, but It felt right on his tongue. In all honesty, he didnt remember much about the area, but Ren was supposed to be there, hidden away in the crowd. And grian seemed to give him an almost knowing look as he turned to scar. The captain smiling brightly, and with a nod, grians full of thought eyes looked right at martyn, and with the way he stared right through his very soul, martyn can't believe he's human.

“We'll talk about it. No promises.” Grians voice was almost stern as he the scared man nodded to the door just across the deck, the doors to the captain's quarters. Rolling his eyes martyn pushes off the rails, dramatic sigh leaving his lips as he walks to the nearest sail post, webbed hands reaching down and holding the still wet thing of rope.

By the time martyn walked back, the two were gone. Which isn't very surprising. And with the morning sun oh his back, and the sounds of the crew waking up, martyn tied one end of the too long rope around his waist tightly, the other end around the rails of the ship. With a huff, martyn looks out to the bright colors. The clouds drifting across the almost cotton candy sky, rich with morning moisture, and making martyn feel far too dried out.

Attempting to wiggle out of his thin night shirt, Martyn could hear the quite talking coming from somewhere on the deck. And yet he paid them no mind as he tossed his shirt onto the deck, and sent himself hurdling off the edge of the ship, rope coming with him.

Starting down at the map, grian and scars eyes didn't leave the nearly secluded area. Days worth of travel away from ant other civilization, even on horse, I would take near a weak if ridding. A sea cliff city. A small port on a lower bay, then at least an hour of hiking to even make it to the city itself.

“I mean…it's not a bad place..?” Scars voiced sounded almost amassed as he glanced up at grian. Green eyes far too unusual. But still just as enticing. The far having the sort of magic around him that almost made you want to agree with everything he said.and grian could almost huff at whatever kind of attempt scar was making.

“Yeah, but martyn also has a thing going on with the king…Ren could very well be there waiting.” grian weakly chuckled, almost as amassed, but still focused. He couldn't count on his fingers how often martyn swayed scar to stop at a port. And then the very next day they saw the poorly disguised king clinging to martyn like a young women who just found her first sailor. Drawn to the distance, and the danger of a pirate.

Scar was silent for a second, the boat slowly rocking, eyes wrinkling, before turning his head up, a determined grin on his face. And grian knew they were doomed. “Yes…but have you heard of the festival? Ive met sailors desperate to go see it back in the navy. But the waters are too dangerous for even most navy ships, and they don't get much of a break.” The captin chuckled, slowly coming to stand up straight, his attitude not changing, as he reached to his side with nimble hands, pulling out a dager with a blade made out of quartz. It wasn't all the usefully, but it certainly was a fancy way to mark a map.

Scared and tanned hand set it on the table, and even with the pink on grins cheeks, he let out an almost disappointed sigh, mostlywith himself as he grapped the danger. Hand fitting comfortably around the handle as if it was made for him to hold.

“Whatever you say, captain.” And the dagger dug right Into the thin paper. Right over the small sea side village.

And honestly? Grian didn't expect it to quite look like this. The towering clif to be carved with what looks to be ancient religious text. For little mers, with big round eyes, and thick and spiked tails, and fins larger then their head to be diving off the cliff that would almost tower over the Castle itself. The doc covered in boxes of fish, and even more crates, a few small fishing ships passing in and out. The mer folks chatting.and sone even with wet hair in the chill temperature. All the crew out on deck. Large grins, and with small bags of coins.

With years spent with the 4 mers aboard the same ship, grian had come to learn of the antifreeze deep in their blood. Even as the crew themselves started to wearing thicker clothing, and keep the inside of the boat heated, well. Lizzie stood against the railing, clawed hands digging into the wood, and for a second grian is almost scared it's gonna break. The lure hanging from her forehead giving off a soft white that grian can barely see, white and cloudy eyes look directly at the land coming closer. The small fins inplace of her ears folded back, and gills fluttering around her neck. Hands tap along the rails of the ship, and grian is a little worried she’ll jump overboard, but with how often martyn does it, he can't say he's actually tooworried. And thin, silky fabric, bunches around her waist.

He was told it was a cultural dress, giving to all members on that day they “grow into their fins” he doesn't question but stares slightly at the tealfabric, flowing down, but cutting off at her ankles, a hole in the back designed with lizzies short, almost triangle tail in wind. Sewn on shell causing her dress to clank with each turn. The top a slightly less see-through pink, the sleeves acting more like a scarf then anything else. And with grians scarft tight around his neck, and his wool under layers on, grian almost wishes he could just feel so comfortable in such little clothing.

As the island comes into view, it's clear all their in their town clothing. Outfits clearer then they've been in months. Hair brushed. just looking at the mers of the ship, it seems like they scrubbed each individual scale. Etho and joel seemed to have brushed their fur like their lives depended on it. Cleos stiching looks brand new. Scar is actually qearing a shirt under his coat. Bdubs looks like someone helped water him these last few day with how green his coat is, and yet grian cant see a single area where the vines peek out of his clay mold. And grian won't deny they all look good, when they aren't somehow covered in dirt, sea water, and smell of week old sweat.

Scar manning the wheel, and grian barking out orders to help with the docking as they pull into the harbor. Easily the biggest ship there. They lower the red, yellow, and green flag as everyone makes work.

Salt in the air is something the burns, but grian can't taste it, as the cold bites even harder.

Martyn can't express thr joy he feels as he reaches the gates, having ran ahead of the group the second it came into view, out of breath due to the uphill run, he turns around only for jimmy to crash into him, leaving him giggling loudly. They almost tip over, but martyn manages to stop the fall, arms wrapping around jimmy as he squeezes tightly shaking the man.

They don't say anything more then loud, unbelieving laughs as they hold and shake each other as hard as possible.

Looking up and meeting Jimmy's eyes, brings not a single butterfly to his stomach, as his hands reach out, grabbing Jimmy's face and kissing for just a moment out a pure joy, he can hear the crew snickering back just a little bit down the trail, before a nether born and a fellow mer start shoving martyn away, a laugh on their lips as tango and Scott continue to elbow him from both sides. Making martyn sway, he eventually puts his hands up and backs up.

“Hey, now come onnnnn, rhats just meaaannn, especially since we had that four-” martyns teasing words are quickly cut off by tango kicking him in the balls, a high groan of pain leaves martyn as he doubles over, grabbing his spot of pain, looking at jimmy in betrayal, as the flustered siren hides his face, and laughs loudly at his pain.

“Martyn. Judt shut up.” Scott giggles out as he layers an arm around Jimmy's waist, pulling the much taller siren to his side. Scotts fins flaring out, as jimmy cant help but laugh more falling onto scotts side, hunched over with his head on his shoulder, back curved as he laughs loudly, tail flicking across the dirt in joy.

Tangos hair roars, and martyn can see how the ground around his feet is slightly scorched.

Martyn ends up walking in, flipping the rest of the crew off as he decides to wander to the market, coins at his side. And spikes along his spin poking up, as his small tail looks to be a slight danger, semi puffed up. Leaving the groups snickering.

Martyn quickly finds himself an inn. Making sure to reserve a room for the next few nights, before he hits the town. The sun has started to set, leaving it all painted in sweet yellows as a few mers go around, lighting up lanterns.

Now, martyn is aware most people aren't aware, but fish are most active at night, or early morning. And so. The two market is just starting to fill with stalls, and lights. Martyns shoes tied around his waist as so he could walk bare foot. His clawed and webbed feet making it all the more easier to enjoy it.

The moon cast a loving glow on the town and its people, and martyn can see the gentle glow of some of his scales. And as he looks around. He sees others, in the cool winter air, also glowing.

His hands drift along the small metal piece. A decoration that goes around your jaw, made to look like wolf teeth. A truly stunning silver color.

Martyn doesnt hesitate as he talks with the seller in an almost deamy state, he finds himself almost getting land sick with how often he's on sea. But he doesn't say anything as he slides over the far too many coins. And gently slips on the garment. It fits nicely, a bit lose, but he can't help but feel excited to wear it.

Martyn will argue with you to the death about it, but he most definitely buys far too much jewelry, and gets his shoes shinned, and buys the local newspaper, and gets a set of tiny little wolves made out of bone. And maybe he stopped at the tavern. Made he let himself have a nice drink. And maybe his coins for the day is almost out. But when his shoulder hits a man wearing a red cloak in the passing streets, he's very aware he isn't a mer. Nor apart of his crew. Throwing himself around, he's met with a sight that take his breath away, standing there, seeming to have planned it. With his commoner clothing on, and a shirt far too open, is Ren. His king.

Martyn can't say he remembers much of the night, but he knows Ren tasted like home. And felt like heaven. Every last bit of him.

Grians breath catches in his throat, he had been at the town, for maybe two days. Two days of seeing the village's wonders, two days of spending far too much money, and two days of not seeing a wink of most of his crew. He'd seen jimmy about three times, having spent the c first day with Scott and tango, spending the second with lizzie, joel, Scott, and this one of the town they all aparently knew, a clown fish mer named Owen.

He'd seen mumbo quite a bit tho, the first half of the first day, mumbo was on his own, before the rest of the time he hung out with grian and scar, not wanting to go anywhere. Etho was off an on, hed seen etho with almost everyone, bdubs normally following.

All in all, grian was completely alone in his stay at an inn. No one else from the crew staying there. The inn keep had told him at half down to come in, yo come in, hang out, and wait for the sun to set.

In which he had busied himself with a sewing needle and a torn shirt. It would probably be best to ask cleo to do it, but without a book, or much of anything, sewing seems like the best bet.

Suddenly, he can hear music, between the thin walls, something loud, happy, they makes him wonder just how beautiful it's gonna be. The entire trip Martyn had talked up the festival. Not shutting up about just how beautiful is is.

Slowly steps down the stairs, creaking every few moment. It wonky take a second for him to reach the bottom of the stairs. The door to leave the inn wide open. Letting grian see the glimpses of the festival.

Of bright colors across the streets, of everyone in thin silky dresses, dancing, and twirling to the music.

And grian almost hesitates. Almost. But slow easy steps leave the inn. Walking into the the streets as the sun sets.

The lanterns that once hung all around the roads, now with stained glass, lighting up the town.and grian leaves his shoes at the door. Walking out into the midst of the dancing, that seems to fill every road.

He feels under dressed in the middle of it all. As bright colors fill his vision. He slowly walks down the path to the market place as he feels his mind spasm with pure awe.

Everyone moves to naturally, like this is where they belong, in the fast moments, music louder then the ringing in grians ears. And grian almost swears he's in a fantasy novel, as people turn.

Some are as wet as can be, and they laugh so loudly as water goes flying. Some women has her hair in what seems to be bubble braids as she stomps, kicking and sending dirt flying with a smile.

Everyone is glowing, the lanterns not the only thing lighting up the sky.

Some little boy about half grians height with glowing pink eyes breaks his trance. The octopus mer having 8 arms, and horizontal slits in his eyes, grabs grians hands, pulling him into the spinning.

And grian laughs. Of course he does. It's high, and near a shrill as the young boy spins grian. The boys pink dress fanning out as he let's out a similar laugh. Grian feels himself bump into someone, about to apologize, untill they take him as their dance partner, before leading him stumbling into someone else.

Grian isn't quite sure how long he dances, but at some point, he knows all the words, and he can feel his voice wearing down.

(Hi!! You made it!! Listen cake, I'm aware we haven't known each other long, but you have very quickly become an important part of my life<33 I'm sorry most of the time I text you, I'm tripping, it's not ment in ill intentions!! It's just that I generally feel safe enough with you, to talk, and call, and all that, with you, when in that state. When I'm lonely, and everything feels weird, you're the first person I think about. Also, I really liked that cowboy hat you showed me, I don't think I expressed that!! It was a really cool hat!! I generally enjoy talking to you, and when you ranted to me after a breakdown, it made my heart soar. I really hope you know, you're not a secondary friend of mine, even with my girlfriend, you place super high up there, as someone I'm close with<333)

(I'm sorry I spoiled most of it that one time, but I hope even with the slightly changed plot, you like it<33)

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yacinthemorning · 1 year

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A Nestcommunication

Summary: Tango wants to make his new soulmate comfortable in their new home. the problem is, Tango knows nothing about avians.

Ships: Jimmy/Tango (romantic)

Warnings: Miscommunications

Despite knowing several, Tango didn’t know much about avians. Sure he knew the general things one might know, they have wings – duh – and they need to preen those wings. There was something about being protective of their feathers, which affected preening, at least he thinks so. They could sing like birds, or was it a language? Tango rarely heard it and the few times he had Grian seemed notably embarrassed as though it were involuntary.

He knew the vagueries, was the point. About as much as anyone else knew about netherborn.

What he did know was that his new soulmate - his rancher – was an avian, and that there was nothing else in the world he wanted more right now than to make sure he was comfortable and taken care off.

Tango had cost them their first life, had generally made a fool of himself really, and their neighbours were not making their lives any easier. Yet Jimmy still turned to him with trust and a smile. And what a smile. Like being hit with concentrated sunshine. Physically impossible to say no to- which he didn’t. Not when Jimmy asked him to build them a house and not when he pleaded to get a horn before they’d even sorted out their basic necessities.

He certainly didn’t think twice about handing over his boots (Just iron, not gold. Not that his insistence stopped Impulse’s teasing and pointing out he was a weirdo anyways) when he found Jimmy with nothing. Nor when Jimmy – nervously plucking at the scales on his ankles - vaguely mentioned a tower would be nice and Tango immediately started collecting the resources.

Okay, so maybe Tango was already in a bit deep.

It was fine, probably. Maybe. He just wanted to make his rancher happy and comfortable, that’s completely normal. What would make him happy?

It hadn’t escaped Tango’s notice, the hesitance in Jimmy, whenever he did something avian. Like it was embarrassing, like he wanted to apologize. Not always was it very noticeable, but it was something he was beginning to pick up on after spending so much time together. It was strange. On hermitcraft they had so many hybrids and odd creatures, the attitude was quite simply that everyone else could deal with it. That was evidently not the environment Jimmy had been in. Or maybe it was because of his curse. All Tango knew was that his chirp was quite possibly the cutest thing ever to exist in all the realms, and it was heartbreaking to see Jimmy curl up in shame like he’d just reveal some deep dark secret any time one escaped. (Even if that, too, was one of the cutest sights Tango’d ever seen.)

So, Tango decided he must make the ranch – their home – somewhere warm and safe, where Jimmy can be comfortable being himself.

Except Tango didn’t know much about avian.

What did he know?

Nests. Avians built nests. Not that he’d seen one. He knew Grian had one, because Scar and Mumbo mentioned it. Jimmy never built one, though. Not in the ranch. He’d thought that was what the tower was for, but despite all the time he spent up there it remained empty. It was probably what he was used to sleeping in, right? Certainly they had enough supplies now that their sleeping arrangements could use a bit of an upgrade anyways.

Armed with the loosest of knowledge, Tango got to work.

They had plenty of feathers for the cushions, just enough wool for the curtains and mats. He tried his best, and he thought he did a pretty good job all things considered.

“I have something for you.” Tango told Jimmy when he returned home. Nervous excitement vibrated through his tail.

Just the mention of a gift seemed to make him perk up. “Really?”

“Yeah, just inside. C’mon.”

Tango expected a lot of things. He expected that maybe Jimmy would look at it and not even recognize it was supposed to be a nest. He imagined Jimmy tearing it apart and rebuilding it. Or maybe he would politely thank Tango, because he was too nice to tell him it was all wrong.

What he didn’t expect was for Jimmy to set his eyes on it, and his face immediately bloom bright red as his wings puffed up behind him. “That…”

“Sip-surprise…” Tango made jazz hands. “I, uh, I made- well, tried – I tried to make-”

“A nest?” Jimmy’s voice was a squeak. His eyes darted between the nest and Tango so fast the blazeborn could hardly keep up.

“Yeah! Yeah, uh, I did my best. I know it’s not great but…”

Jimmy gulped, pointing towards it. “This is… our nest?” Tango was starting to feel his own face heat up in embarrassment. Did he mess up?

“I mean… If you want it to be. I mean it doesn’t have to be if you don’t-”

“No! No, that’s… It’s lovely. This is just really… No one’s ever… I- I didn’t even know if you… Our nest, Gosh.” His hands clasped together as he took a deep breath in. A long trill came back out instead. “U-um. Uh, I’m sorry, could you give me a minute. I just- I-” With another trill he suddenly fled back out the door.

Tango stood in the ranch, listening to Jimmy run right into the barn. His tail jerked across the floor as he worried his lip. Was that a good reaction? He did say it was nice. Glancing between the nest and the door, he wasn’t sure what to do now.

In the end he busied himself and waited for Jimmy to get back. Hoping Jimmy would come back, really, because he still wasn’t sure he’d somehow screwed something up. More than once he considered taking it apart and perhaps just giving the supplies to Jimmy so he could build it himself.

He was along for another several hours, smelting copper, tending to the animals, eventually working on the wall. Anything to keep his mind preoccupied. The only interruption he received was a most curious whisper from Pearl of all people.

‘Look at you, mister speedy over there ;)’

Tango raised an eyebrow. He looked around until he spotted the avian woman waving at him from Cleo’s bridge. He gave an unsure wave back, for which he was rewarded with a thumbs up. Then Jimmy came barrelling out from Scott’s house and dragged her inside, holding his sister on his left like she was a shield. Tango turned attention back to the wall. Was he really working that quickly? Or was she teasing him for scaring off his soulmate already? It’s not like she had room to judge. Then again, at least she was at her soulmate’s house, while his was… well, also there. He glanced back up at the hideous little box and foot tower. Maybe he should try to spruce it up?

In the end he found himself doing his best to place down a few flowers out front.

That was where he still was when Jimmy finally returned. Tango almost didn’t notice, with how quiet he was being as he poked his head through the gate, then shuffled up the path. He had his hand clutched to his chest, refusing to look at Tango even as he approached.

“Well howdy there.” Tango tried to alleviate some of the tension. It didn’t seem to work.

“Hi…” Jimmy’s wings folded tight over his shoulders. “Could we. Sorry, could we go inside?”

Tango was already pushing the door open. “Of course.”

Jimmy seemed to tense as he went through the entryway, eyes immediately landing back on the nest. His face turned red once again, but with an oddly determined glint in his eyes he marched over to it. Sitting down seemed much harder for him, taking several seconds just to breath, but eventually he was propped up on the edge. One hand ran along the pillows and sheets. Tango joined him a moment later.

“Sorry- sorry about earlier. I was just.” Jimmy sighed. “No one’s ever done that- built a nest for me.”

“Really? That’s hard to believe.” Admitted Tango, rubbing one of the thinner sheets between his fingers.

The avian’s ears couldn’t possibly turn darker as he curled in on himself. “I mean, I guess I thought I might make one with Scott, but that never really… happened… Anyways. So, I, um, I’m sorry for running off. It was just… sudden. Unexpected.”

“It’s fine! I probably should have asked first.”

Jimmy shook his head, tightening his fist. It was then that Tango realized there was something poking out of it, hidden within his grip. Slowly his hand unravelled. “Um, I was- I wanted to give you… this…”

In his hand was a feather. Not too long, but bright - almost glowing – and clearly groomed to perfection. At the end was a small piece of metal clutching the quill, with a second loop pointed out. Tango let it be placed in his palms, where he carefully cradled it in awe. “This is…”

Jimmy let out a chirp as his wings flexed, still not quite looking at Tango.

“Are you- Really? I can have this?” More so than even Grian Jimmy seemed terribly protective of his feathers, keeping all the ones that fell out or broke somewhere not even Tango was completely sure of. Though, last time he preened he seemed hesitantly okay with Tango watching.

“Yeah… yeah. If that’s okay. If you want it.” His eyes finally flicked to Tango, hopeful despite the way his shoulders and wings had both tensed.

Tango swallowed, giving the avian a slow nod as he brought the feather close to his own chest. He hid it safely in his vest. “Thank you.”

When he looked back up Jimmy was close. Closer that Tango expected. The look in his eyes was almost too intense for Tango to bear as it ran across his face. They stared at one another, the silence dragging out while Tango’s heartbeat quickened. Finally, when he almost couldn’t take it any more, Jimmy let out a distressed chirp. His face dropped, burying into Tango’s shoulder.

“Sorry, I’m sorry! It’s just… A lot.” Jimmy said with a voice that was several octaves too high.

Unsure what to do, Tango recovered enough to give him a nervous chuckle and pat the avian on the back. “It’s okay. Today was… long. You wanna go to sleep for tonight?”

“Yes please.” Was muffled by Tango’s vest. His wings fluttered, fluffier than Tango even knew was possible.

Smiling down at the top of his rancher’s head, Tango moved to make room. “Alright, then. Let’s go.”

That night Jimmy clung to Tango. It wasn’t that odd, they’d always made a habit of cuddling in their tiny single bed, but he seemed particularly gleeful about it. In the morning he also seemed different. Peppier, openly singing a tune while he laid out breakfast. His wings fluttered happily behind him when he saw Tango get up, and again several times while they ate and talked. Tango mentally high fived himself. His birdy seemed far more comfortable, the hard work and nest were working.

Still, there was something… off. His face had seemingly taken on a permanent pink tinge. Tango thought he might be sick until he saw it fade as he went to chat with their neighbours. He almost seemed to dance around Tango after that, fumbling over his words more. Jimmy also seemed oddly determined to keep touching him, hugging him for the smallest reasons and bumping their shoulders together. It wasn’t bad, but it made Tango nervous anyways. Was what he did really worth this much attention? It felt like he was still barely making up for all the trouble he’d caused.

By the mid-afternoon Jimmy’d been forced to go off and find iron – one of them had to - and Tango ran off to try and trade Grian and Scar for their sugar cane. Instead he found himself sat down for tea, listening to Grian complain about Scar’s pandas for thirty minutes while Scar made excuses.

“So, how are you and Tim doing? He finally asked instead, clearly done with Scar’s backtalk.

“Good? I think?” Admitted the netherborn, placing a hand over the pocket where Jimmy’s feather was safely hidden in.

Grian raised an eyebrow. “You think? Everything okay?”

“He’s just been a bit off ever since I built the nest-”

“You built WHAT!” Grian’s head suddenly snapped, eyes wide. Behind him Scar whistled.

“Tango, you dog. Congratulations!”

Tango pinned back his ears, nervously glancing between the two. “Uh, thanks?”

The shock on Grian’s face morphed into a glare. “You built a nest for Tim? Already? And you just go around telling everyone? Tango I thought you were better than that!”

“What?” Tango sputtered. “What’s wrong with that!”

Scar chuckled. “Not everyone’s as private as you, Grian.”

But Grian’s glare had given way to confusion, and then horror. “Wait, you built it? How do you know how to build a nest?”

“I-I mean I don’t really. I just sort of… winged it .” Tango whispered the last bit. ��I just thought it’d be nice, you know? He’s my soulmate, I wanted the ranch to be comfortable for him.”

Silence fell over the table, even Scar’s face falling slightly while his besweatered companion dropped his face into his palms.

“ Oh gosh. he doesn’t know.”

Tango’s hair was beginning to flicker. “What? Is it- am I not allowed to? Is that an avian thing only?” Jimmy seemed more than fine with it, did it matter if it was?

“Tango.” Grian groaned. He leaned over the table, nearly knocking over his tea, so he could look the blazeborn straight in the eye. “Tango, think. Why do you think avians and birds build nests to begin with?”

“To… sleep?” He shrugged, hunching down into his chair like a scolded child.

Grian exploded. “To nest , Tango! To court a mate ! So that they can-“

“Wh- wait, hold up!” Tango squeaked as he fell back, shoving the hysterical avian out of his face. Scar stepped in, picking Grian up and pushing him back down into his seat against Grian’s own protest. Silence once again fell, this time a glare and apologetic smile baring down on Tango as the cogs in his brain began to turn. With each passing second his face darkened, until he had to bury his face into his hands. “Wait. So. When I-“

“ Yes .” Grian hissed.

“And so he thought-“

“So it seems.” Wisely nodded Scar.

A squeal like a cross between a steaming kettle and a balloon escaped Tango as it all clicked into place. “Oh no… Wait, so, then what-” He fumbled with himself for a second, eventually managing to open up the pocket of his vest and pull out the little feather.

Grian let out an unholy noise only a dying parrot could hope to make. “ WHAT!”

“Um, he gave it to me last night when he came home. I-is it- That’s probably another, um, important thing, isn’t it, then?” He tried to smile, but cringed further back as Grian let out another screech.

“I swear to the void Tango if you don’t go find Jimmy right this second and clear this up with him before he gets any more wrong ideas I’m going to shove a golden apple down your throat and end your game right here myself-”

“ What Grian means to say ,” Scar shouted over top of his soulmate. “Is that you should probably go find Tim sooner rather than later and have a bit of a talk.”

“Y-yeah…” Tango scrambled to his feet, still clutching the feather close to his chest. Grian didn’t seem to like that much either, but Tango was too much in a state of shock to worry about him anymore. He muttered a goodbye and started the dazed walk home, mind both running a mile a minute and also completely unable to retain a single thought. What on earth was he supposed to say in a situation like this?

He got home and sent Jimmy a message to come back before he could chicken out. Sooner rather than later.

With his newfound enlightenment he couldn’t bring himself to linger on the nest he made for them. Instead he kept his attention on Jimmy’s feather, carefully twirling it between his fingers, examining it far closer than he’d gotten the chance to last night.

It really was a beautiful feather, though Tango would argue all Jimmy’s feathers were gorgeous. It was clear though, that it had been carefully selected, lovingly preened, and the metalwork on the end was delicately shaped. Jimmy had let him know that morning that it was so he could choose how to wear it himself. How long of his time out yesterday was spent preparing the little gift?

Tango didn’t know he was smiling until the door creaked open and interrupted his thoughts. “Tango?” Called Jimmy, eyes darting around the room until they landed on the blazeborn sat at their dinner table. One of those blinding smiles stretched across his face, joined by a glow to his cheeks that Tango was starting to think he enjoyed just as much.

Then enjoy it while it lasts. You’re probably about to wipe it all away.

Void, he really couldn’t stop messing things up for his soulmate, could he?

“Hey, sunshine.” Tango croaked out as he stood up to meet his rancher. He got a whole armful as Jimmy wrapped him up in a big hug, as if they hadn’t seen each other in weeks. With a bit of hesitance Tango returned it, melting a bit at the soft chirp Jimmy made when he ran a hand along his back. Reluctantly they parted, and the hard part began. “Could we, um, sit down?” He tilted his head towards the nest he still couldn’t quite bring himself to look at.

Jimmy’s smile faltered, seemingly finally picking up on how tense Tango was. “Sure. Is… Everything okay?”

Tango nodded as he guided them to sit down. “Uh, I mean it’s not bad but... There’s just some things I wanted to talk about. About yesterday and… This.” He waved noncommittally towards the nest.

All at once his wings tensed in towards his body while he pulled his hands away from Tango. He resisted the urge to reach out for them. “Oh…”

“Yeah… Yeah, um-“

“I’m really sorry.” Jimmy stammered out, no wringing his hands. “I, um, I know I probably messed up the moment.”

Tango’s eyes widened, “Wh- no-“

“It was just a lot, you know? All at once. Gosh, yesterday morning I didn’t even know that you- I… I never thought there was any way you would feel the same way as me. It was overwhelming.”

“No- no, I get it. That’s not-” Tango let out a frustrated growl as e tried to calm his panicked heart. “You don’t have anything to be sorry for, I should have asked you first before I made something like this. I wasn’t even…”

Jimmy quirked a smile. “I know you probably weren’t expecting to go very far right then and there. But I was too fried to even kiss you.”

“That’s not it, Jimmy. I didn’t know what I was doing when I built it, I didn’t mean it that way.”

The avian’s smile fell away, head shooting up to look at Tango. He could see Jimmy working through his words, could see as those thoughts began to go dark, and rushed to explain.

“I just- No, no, I do! I do like you! Maybe even- but I wanted to make you feel safe and happy, and I thought- well, I didn’t think, I guess. I don’t know much of anything about avians, but I wanted to make the ranch more of a home and I just made it cause I thought that’s what would help. Not that… I mean not to say I mind. Man, do I not mind . I just… I wouldn’t have wanted to just drop that on you without asking first and… You know, make you think I wanted to go from zero to a hundred out of nowhere.”

Tango ran his claws through his burning hair and sighed. “So, yeah, I’m just an idiot. I don’t know if that’s better or worse than what you must have thought of me. Probably worse, I’m sorry.”

Jimmy had gone quiet, staring into his own lap. At some point his wings had sagged out across the nest. Tango waited, trying desperately to calm his sparks while the silence dragged on. A hand rose up, holding itself out towards the blazeborn. It took him a moment before he realized it was intended for the feather he was still clutching in his one hand. Tango throat tightened up. He willed himself not to make a further fool of either of them, giving the feather one last press to his chest before relinquishing it to its rightful owner.

Jimmy brought it back down to his own lap, examining it for a second before his talons got to work smoothing out the barbs frayed by Tango’s rough grip. Once it was again pristine he finally raised his head up with a shaky breath. “Okay then.”

His whole body turned in towards Tango as much as it could, and pulled forward Tango’s far limb to turn him in as well. Jimmy’s gaze was fragile - eyes a bit too glossy and trying to keep the quiver out of his lip – but he kept it locked. “Tango.”

“Y-yeah?” His voice cracked.

Jimmy took another deep breath, speaking a bit too fast. “I know we haven’t been soulmates for very long, and there’s still a lot we don’t know about each other, but I want to. You’re so sweet and kind to me. You don’t make jokes about me, you’re so encouraging, even when neither of us know what we’re doing, and you never let me feel alone in my stupidity. You’re so smart and even though we have barely anything you make it feel like we have everything in the world. I really like you.”

Tango swallowed the lump in his throat.

“I- I think I might love you.” Jimmy barely managed to squeak out. “Or… Or, at least, I could.No, I do. I think I do.”

He nodded, “I think- I think I love you, too, Jimmy.”

His rancher’s face lit up. “Okay… Well, Okay. Okay. Then, um…”

He held up the feather. The poor plume was shaking in his grasp. “Well, Mister Tango of the non-avian variety-”

“Hey!”

“- In avian culture we have this tradition.” Jimmy’s voice gave way to a laugh, instantly easing the tension. Tango dares to quirk a grin. The rest of his words seemed to come a bit easier. “Where if you care for someone and would like to court them, you give them the first feather.”

“The first?” Tango asked, eyebrow raised.

“Yes, the first feather. Avian’s wings are, um, I think Grian would call them sacred, but that seems like a rather scary term for it. They’re important, is the point. And so, so are the feathers. The only ones who can touch them are flock, and mates treat each other’s feathers like their own. So, this is the first shared feather, the first of hopefully many.”

Jimmy licked his lips, wings flitting for emphasis as he held the feather out. “So, uh… Would you- Could I please give you this feather? As part of that.”

Sucking in his breath, Tango hesitantly laid his hand over Jimmy’s. He grasped the feather, but did not take it right away. “Are you sure? That you want to give this to me, even after… All of everything?”

For the first time in what was likely only minutes but felt like centuries, that sunshine smile returned to Jimmy’s face as he nodded a bit too vigorously. “If you’ll still have it, you’re the only one I would want to give it to.”

And Tango took the feather. This time he didn’t wait, searching his inventory until he found string and tied the precious yellow plume around his neck. He stared at it for another second more before fully turning all his attention on the preening birdy in front of him.

Asking permission with an outreached hand which was eagerly accepted, Tango pulled Jimmy in close. This time Jimmy happily- and eagerly – closed the last gap. It was a short kiss, hardly more than a peck, but one Tango didn’t know how much he’d been craving until he had it. It was punctuated b a small chirp that made Tango respond with a similar little noise before going in for another kiss.

For a while they sat there holding each other, not saying much of anything, enjoying the relief while the adrenaline of two days of too much washed out of them. Only when their eyes began to droop did Tango interrupt. “Uh, I should… I guess maybe I should clean this up?” He said, nodding towards the nest.

Jimmy gave it a once over, then shrugged and pulled Tango closer before flopping both down onto the sheets. He smiled. “It’s fine, it’s better than that tiny little thing we had before, and you worked so hard on it.” His smile turned a bit cheeky, a bit shy. “Besides, um, Well, one day it might be more fitting, I hope.”

Tango smirked back. “Grian is going to have a fit if he comes over and sees it.”

“Sounds like more than a good enough reason to keep it, then.”

“You’re not the one he’s going to clobber!”

“I don’t think he has much choice given his own game mechanic.”

Soft chuckles quickly faded as both men began to doze away. Tango pulled Jimmy closer, burying his nose in his rancher’s shoulder. Tomorrow, he decided, he would ask more about avians, and maybe explain some nether things as well. He could already feel the itch in his hand to make. For now, he just let himself dream about all the things they would share.

#tangotek #jimmy solidarity #team rancher #rancher duo #trafficshipping #mcyt #traffic series #double life smp #fanfic #fanfiction #fluff #comedy #hurt/comfort #sharing a cupcake

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