Mud Puddles [Jim Hawkins x Reader]

Chapter 13

The task of packing her stuff was bittersweet and (Y/N) relished every minute of it. It was likely to be among her last ever moments at the academy.

As she packed, she fondly evaluated each item. Her worn combat boots, which had faithfully served through even the toughest of terrain; the faded canvas military cap she claimed from the cabin drawers, undoubtedly abandoned by the previous occupants. Then there was her sketchbook. Absentmindedly, she flipped through its pages, watching the technique improve over the years. A soft laugh escaped her lips when she came to a particular page filled with angry sketches of Jim -- each one more unflattering than the last. (Y/N) carefully placed the book into her suitcase.

Whilst the girls were packing their belongings, tales from their time at Port Ivy Academy bounced around the room.

"Remember that time Sarah slipped down the front steps in front of an entire platoon?" Ezree Molphar chuckled, but soon dissolved into tears. She grabbed a tissue to blow her running trunk. "I almost died laughing."

Sarah Trast laughed at the memory.

"I was so mortified at the time, but looking back, it was hilarious."

"And when Jim and I got paired for the war history project," Sagern Mink sighed wistfully. "I'm gonna miss him. I wonder if we'll get assigned to the same crew?"

The rest of the girls groaned. One thing they would not be missing is Sagern's very vocal yearning.

"I wouldn't set your heart on it, Mink. Besides, I think he's interested in someone else." Julie Parsons said. Thankfully, Sagern missed Julie's glance at (Y/N) for the latter sentence, too engrossed in her wistful thinking.

(Y/N) rolled her eyes at Julie's words and suppressed a smile.

But despite Sagern's annoying spouting of unrequited feelings; it had got (Y/N) thinking. This might be her last chance to talk to Jim. To tell him --

No.

She couldn't. Even thinking about it was giving her crippling embarrassment. What if he didn't feel the same?

But what if he did?

(Y/N) audibly groaned and hit her head against the wall.

'Maybe I'll just find him to say goodbye, and if a good opportunity comes up I'll tell him.' She thought, but frowned a moment later. A good opportunity is a myth: she needs to grab the moment while it's still there -- one of the pearls of wisdom her father had instilled into her.

So, after zipping up her suitcase and hugging her friends goodbye, she walked out of the door and towards the boys' cabins.

~~~

"Ugh, how'd your socks get in my bag, Hawkins? Talk about cross-contamination!" Petar Zygon groaned and threw said socks across the room to hit his laughing cabinmate.

"Haven't washed them in so long, maybe they moved in there themselves." Jim gave his friend a cheeky grin. Petar frantically wiped his hands on his trousers. "Joking."

Like the girls, the men in Cabin B2 were also packing their things to leave. But, unlike the girls, the process involved a few less tears.

"Good job on the lieutenant position, man. Must've almost killed you having to put up with Miss Know-It-All!" Gene Lockhart laughed, elbowing Jim in the ribs. Jim gave him a brief thin smile.

"She's not that bad." He muttered under his breath as he stuffed the remainder of his belongings into his case.

"But hey, at least you would've had a nice view with her up the rigging, right?" Gene carried on. "If you and me swapped placed for the test, I'd've sent her up there every day."

The rest of the boys cheered at Lockhart's words, but not Jim. A silent rage grew in his chest.

"Could you not be an ignorant asshole who only sees her as a piece of meat? Jeez, I'm glad that she wasn't partnered with you." He barked. The laughter stopped and an awkward silence entered the room.

"Sorry man, didn't realise you two were... together or something." Gene rubbed his neck awkwardly before turning back to his packing.

"We're not -- ugh." Jim sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He opened the door.

"I'm going to the bathroom." He lied, before descending the steps and closing the door on the stunned faces of his bunkmates.

Not two minutes later there were three knocks on the door. Petar opened the door to find a woman on the steps, suitcase resting at her feet.

"Is Jim around? I need to talk to him." She asked, peering into the dark room. Almost instantly she recoiled at the smell. Yes, this was definitely a male's cabin.

"Uh, he, uh, just left." Gene's voice cracked from the back of the room. His face looked flushed, embarrassed, as if she'd caught him red handed.

"Oh, ok." Her face dropped. Picking up her suitcase, she briskly said goodbye.

After the door shut there was another stifling moment of awkward silence, until Quentin Mudhorn scoffed:

"'We're not dating', my ass."

~~~

Ironically, Jim was knocking on the females' cabin door at the same time. The door swung open to the large trunk of Ezree Molphar.

"Is (Y/N) in?" He asked. Somehow, the elephant-looking woman appeared to get even bigger.

"Well if you're here to insult her, you can buzz off!" She huffed, and was about to slam the door but he stopped her.

"I just want to talk. No tricks."

"She's not here." A voice called from deep in the cabin. Julie Parsons' face appeared at the door. "Probably went looking for you, actually."

"Oh, thanks." Jim's eyebrows shot up. (Y/N) was looking for him? That's promising.

Just as he was about to close the door, another figure jumped into the doorframe.

"Goodbye Jim!" Sagern chirped, batting her eyelashes. Jim turned around before she saw his eye-roll and waved without looking back.