"Never let your wings be stolen from you."
—Maleficent (2014)
☁☁☁☁
"I cannot believe you're making me take you shopping," Hunter complained from the driver's seat. The two were seated in his Jeep, on their way to the mall. After breakfast, Sachi had cornered Hunter and forced him into the car with a specific destination and a no-nonsense mindset to go with.
He'd been complaining the entire drive, and though it was expected, it was getting on her nerves. She barely spared him a glance, focusing instead on the tree line beyond.
"You know why we're going," she said, tapping her fingers on the armrest. "It's Elliot's birthday soon."
"Yes. Okay. But do I have to help you shop? Isn't that more Erin's department?"
She glared at him. He had one hand on the top of the steering wheel, the other resting at the bottom. He looked so relaxed, so unlike the way she herself drove with her tightened grip and her rigid posture.
"Erin is hanging out with Clare," she answered lightly. "And shopping isn't just a girl's thing. You're a guy. Elliot's a guy—"
"Thanks for noticing."
"—and you know what kind of things guys like. So, you can help me. You will probably be more helpful than Erin to begin with."
Hunter huffed a sigh as he took a left. She'd done her research beforehand, and found that the nearest shopping mall was a few miles away. Obviously she wasn't going to get Elliot to drive her, and Lola was already out of the house when she'd woken up. She preferred Hunter's company, anyway.
"How much farther?"
Ignoring the animosity in his tone, Sachi checked her phone, where the GPS was pulled up. "You'll take another right in four hundred feet. Then it should be on the right."
"This right?"
"Um..." The GPS was slower than it should've been, and she had to quickly check the street names before confirming. "Yes. Yeah, turn here."
Unfortunately, Hunter had already started to speed past, and the car curved sharply to take the turn. She latched onto the door handle, bracing herself as they sped forward.
Once she felt they were steady, she stole a glimpse at Hunter, who looked just as winded as she felt. Still, he just gulped before snapping, "You're terrible at handling the GPS."
"Sorry." There was only one sign ahead, and it was on the right. As they neared, she read the words: Crimson Mall. The parking lot definitely wasn't packed, and the complex itself didn't look large to begin with.
As Hunter found a parking spot, Sachi skimmed the list of store names. There were a few she recognized among others she didn't. Guess they'd have to explore.
The car slowed to a stop once he found a spot as close to the entrance as he could, and Sachi slid out immediately. Her feet found the ground, and she kept a hand against the door as she yanked out her purse.
It was a relief to be back on the ground again. She would be driving them back. There was no way Hunter would be in the driver's seat again.
He moved around the car to where she was standing, hands tucked away. His gaze locked on the mall, and he frowned. "It doesn't look that big," he remarked. Then, he stole a look at her, at her pale face. "You okay?"
Before she answered him, she snatched the keys from his back pocket and dropped them into her purse.
"Hey!" His hand darted out to retrieve them, but she held up a hand, stopping him. "What gives?"
"I'm driving next time." Her eyes dared her to challenge him.
And Hunter figured he should pick his battles. Shrugging, he reached behind her to shut the side door. "Fine. You're the boss."
With that, they started inside.
☁☁☁☁
"Hunter, stop playing with the mannequin."
He managed a sheepish smile before he dropped the wooden arms and made his way back over to her.
"What do you have?" he asked her, nodding at the sweatshirt she had clutched in her hands.
They'd been wandering the entire mall in search of good presents. At first, the trip seemed fruitless as they recognized none of the stores and they weren't helpful. Eventually, they started looking a little harder and found shops they did recognize, in which they struck gold.
Sachi had picked a pair of sunglasses for herself, because, well, why not. She bought a pair of aviators that Erin could give him, since he was constantly wearing a pair and she thought they suited him. Hunter had bought a beanie with his own money to give El. She wasn't sure if he wore beanies, but she thought they'd look nice on him.
Now, they'd encountered a store that had an endless supply of t-shirts and sweaters with graphics they applied themselves. She'd seen so many memes that made her laugh, along with shirts for TV shows and movies that she'd never seen but recognized.
She'd started searching through the piles and came upon something she knew would be the perfect gift.
"Look," she cheered, unable to contain her excitement. Her smile lit up her entire face. She shook the sweatshirt once so he could see the full display, and judging by the grin that crossed his face, she'd hit the nail.
After all, a black sweatshirt with the original Jurassic Park logo was the perfect gift for Elliot.
"It's perfect." He tugged at the hem, stretching out the material. "Holy shit. He'll love it."
"I know." Sachi bounced on her heels, and she was sure she'd be jumping in the air if she weren't in public. "I know, I know. I'm already so excited."
"How much is it?"
Her lips flattened, and she started searching for the price tag. "Y'know, I didn't check that. It can't be too much."
She imagined him rolling his eyes as he said, "You did this in the last three stores. Sach, when you pick out a gift, you need to see how much it costs."
"Sorry." Her fingers traced the familiar tag, and she held it up to read it. "Thirty-five bucks. Okay. Kinda pricey."
"No shit." Hunter grabbed the tag from her in case she wasn't seeing right. "Jesus. They're robbing us."
"Well..."
"Do we even have thirty-five bucks between us?" He arched an eyebrow, and she tucked her hands into her pockets.
She drew out a few crumbled bills. "I have"—she smoothened out the rough edges so she could read it easily—"twenty-five."
Sachi gave him a hopeful look, and with a look of exasperation, he pulled out his wallet. Leafing through his bills, he took out a crisp ten. "Here." He handed it over, along with a few singles. "That should cover it."
"Thanks so much, Hunter." Before he could step away, she was wrapping her arms around his neck in a swift hug. The cash was crumpled in her hand, while the other held onto the sweatshirt.
"You're welcome," Hunter murmured, stepping back. She knew embraces weren't his thing, so she was surprised she let him hold on as long as she did. "Now, go buy it."
"Right." Sachi double-checked to make sure she had all the money before making her way to the counter.
☁☁☁☁
When they made it back home, they'd hidden all of the gifts they bought in Hunter's closet. It was the safest place, since no one wanted a whiff of Hunter's smelly shoes; she'd made sure all of the purchases were secure before shutting the door.
"Okay. Now, we just wait." Sachi held her hand up for a high-five.
Her hand wavered mid-air as Hunter looked at it. He didn't make a move, though an amused smile tugged on his lips. "Really? Must we?"
"We must."
With that, their hands connected in a resounding slap.
☁☁☁☁
Sachi went to find Elliot afterwards, and she found him holed up in his bedroom. He had his laptop settled in his lap with his headphones attached to his ears. He took one out upon seeing her entry. He was still in his pajamas—well, boxers and random shirt was more like it. Today's choice had an eagle covering most of it.
"Cute," she commented. She hovered in the doorway, unsure of whether she could just enter. Normally, she would've barged in, but seeing him in just his nightclothes had her hesitating. She hadn't thought of last night until now, and it was hard to shake her thoughts away.
"Ha." He unplugged the headphones and set them on his night table in a jumbled mess.
"Erin would have a heart attack if she saw those." Sachi wandered over to his side table, and she grabbed the headphones, trying to untangle them.
"I always just leave them like that. I'm a master of untangling them in the dark."
Her mouth curved upward. "Really? Seems like an art form."
"It is," Elliot said, taking the headphones back. He kept them out of her reach where her restless hands couldn't find them again. Her eyes flicked to his computer screen where he had a movie playing. She recognized the green ogre immediately, and she couldn't help the laugh that escaped her lips.
"Shrek?" She was grinning. "Really?"
"Really." He patted the spot on the mattress beside him. "I've just started it, if you'd like to join."
"Who can resist Shrek?" Sachi scrambled onto the bed, and once she'd made herself comfortable, she adjusted the pillow supporting her back. "Do you know how many dirty jokes this film has?"
"I'm aware." His blue eyes danced, and suddenly, keeping his gaze was a harder feat than she expected it to be. She looked away. "I don't know how many, but I feel like I notice a new one each time I watch it."
"Mmm. Are you gonna click play?"
"Oh, right." He tore his gaze away from her to click play. Without the headphones, Shrek's voice resonated through the room, shaking her to the core. She tried focusing entirely on the plot, but as she did that, Elliot would shift, rubbing their shoulders together or pressing his thigh to hers.
Don't.
Sachi couldn't move away. Huffing a breath, she stared at the screen, hoping the film would capture her like it had all those other times she'd watched it. It failed. And even as Elliot started to drift away, sleep overtaking him, he was the only thing that held her attention.
☁☁☁☁
Elliot's eyes fluttered open after what felt like an eternity. Sachi was perched on the edge of his bed, staring intently at him. Hunter was at the end of the bed, his phone held in the air. Erin was standing beside him, and they all waited for the birthday boy to wake.
At the first twitch, Hunter hit the play button on his phone, and "Happy Birthday!" poured from the speakers. He'd put it on high, and the sudden noise had Elliot sitting up immediately.
"What? What?" He looked between them as he rubbed at his eyes. "What did I miss?"
At the same time, they screeched "Happy birthday!"
Elliot paused to level them with a look. "You guys woke me up to tell me 'Happy birthday'?"
"Yes."
"Their idea," Hunter interjected. The song ceased, and there was a flash from his camera as he caught the moment. "I was dragged into it."
"Hush," Sachi said to him, before turning to Elliot. "Yes, we did, but we did it because it's your birthday." She beamed. "Happy birthday!"
Elliot chuckled, and she had a feeling it was due to her enthusiasm. He rose to envelop her in a hug, and she fell into it easily. His arms tightened around her waist, and he brought his lips to her ear as he said, "Thank you."
Once he drew away, Erin was there to take her place, and then Hunter followed.
"We got you presents too, man." He clapped him on the back, in that way boys do. "So feel special."
Sachi handed the aviators to Erin, who presented them to Elliot with a pleasant smile. "I can't take credit for buying this," she said, "but it's from me. Another pair."
None of their presents were wrapped, since they couldn't find any wrapping paper, but that measly fact hardly bothered him as he lifted the shades to the light. He turned them over in his hand, like he didn't want to miss any part of it. "I love it," he told her, wrapping her in another hug.
Hunter went next. He held the beanie in the air to showcase it before tossing it. "Here. We figured you might like one."
Elliot caught it easily, and he stretched it in front of him. "A beanie," he mused. "You gave me the beanie?"
"Yeah." Hunter waved him off. "Well. If you don't like it, I still have the receipt."
"Don't worry." Elliot tugged the beanie on over his locks, pulling it as far as it would go. "How does it look?"
Just as good as she thought it would. But there was no way she was saying that out loud.
"Great," Erin assured him, offering a thumbs-up.
"Mmm," Hunter agreed, even as he brought his hands up to adjust it. He continued yanking at it, and it became too much for even Elliot, whose patience had no end. Elliot caught onto his wrists.
"Chill."
Sachi brought her gift over next, though she had it hidden behind her back. "I saw it... and I knew you'd love it." She revealed the sweatshirt, holding it out in front of her.
For a moment, Elliot's expression was unreadable, and she worried that she'd made a mistake, that she'd picked the wrong gift. But then he was grinning, and she couldn't remember a time when his grin was so wide. He stepped forward to take it from her when she offered it, and he took the opportunity to catch a closer glimpse of the logo. He ran a hand down the length of it.
"Is this for real?" His head snapped upwards, and his bright smile nearly broke her heart. "Is this mine?"
Sachi gestured towards him. "All yours."
That was all he needed before he was pulling the sweatshirt on over his shirt. While it was wrinkled, she could see it fit him perfectly. He played around with the strings while staring down at the graphic.
"I can't believe this," he said softly. "I love it. I love it so fucking much."
She didn't doubt that, because if he was swearing over a sweatshirt, he must like it. Elliot dove forward to catch her in a hug as tight and reassuring as the one before, but this time, he lifted her above the ground. It wasn't hard, seeing as she was only 5'2" and light as a feather, but the action caught her off guard. There wasn't much time to dwell on it, because the next moment, he was setting her back down.
"Thanks, Sach."
"I think we know who won best present," Hunter mumbled.
☁☁☁☁
"There's a real beaver dam?" Hunter was overshadowing one of the canoes as he untied it from around the potted plant. "Really."
"Yup." Erin grinned as she adjusted the straps to her life vest.
After breakfast, Erin had told them about a beaver dam in the middle of the lake, on some island thing that the others called Cranberry Island. Clare had shared the information, and she was itching to get a chance to see it herself.
The choice was ultimately up to Elliot as the birthday boy. He'd just shrugged and said, "Why not?" and that was how they were now suiting up to spend a day on the water.
"Clare"—she huffed as she straightened out the vest—"said it's super cool. And the island itself is small and cute."
"Great." There was no missing the sarcastic tone to his voice. "I love islands. I love beavers even more."
"Hunter." Sachi was in the middle of the buckling in her life vest, as was Elliot beside her. "Be nice. There's nothing wrong with beavers. Or dams."
"I never said there was. I love both."
Her eyes narrowed, but he just shrugged. "Are you two ready yet?" he asked. "I'm ready to go." To illustrate his point, Hunter hopped off the rocks and landed in the canoe. It shook a bit at first with the sudden weight, but leveled itself after a moment.
"Ready," Erin said. She grabbed a paddle and leapt into the other canoe.
Sachi and Elliot would be taking the rowboat since they only had two canoes. After she finished checking her straps, she jumped into the rowboat, taking the oar with her.
Once Elliot had fallen in with her, Hunter pushed off the rock with his paddle. His canoe rocked to the left as he worked at figuring out how to get him onto the water. It was his first time in the canoe, and she had a feeling it would take him a while to figure it out.
Erin, however, was at home in the canoe. She was rowing along and even past Hunter with a relaxed posture. That didn't sit well with Hunter, who couldn't seem to figure out how to steer. He tried paddling with his hand, but when that didn't work, he struggled with the oar, practically jamming it into the water.
"You okay?" she asked as Elliot brought their boat closer to him. "Want to switch?"
"No," he said through gritted teeth. She'd expected that, since Hunter had the most competitive streak she knew. Well, besides herself.
"Okay," Sachi said sweetly. She motioned for Elliot to speed up. "See you at the lake."
Despite the distance between them, Sachi still saw the way he threw his paddle into the water in frustration.
☁☁☁☁
By the time Hunter made it to the island, the three had been there for at least twenty minutes. Erin had her hands on her hips when he approached with a glower to accompany him, and she called out, "How's the water?"
"Shut up, Erin." He brought his canoe to the island's shore and scrambled out faster than she thought he could. "Sachi, we're switching. You take the canoe on the way back."
"Can't handle the heat, honey?"
Hunter crossed his arms over his chest in a stance that countered Erin's. "I could've beaten you if I'd known how to do it the first time."
"Don't you know now?"
A flicker of hesitation. "Well, yeah, but—"
"Then you can beat me on the way back." Erin turned her body halfway, facing the island. "This isn't super big; it's actually pretty small."
"What did you expect?"
"I'm going exploring." She stomped down the shore, and with a look tossed over her shoulder, Hunter followed, grumbling and muttering all the way.
"He's so freaking stubborn," Sachi remarked, watching them till they left her sight.
"Yeah," Elliot agreed. He braced a hand on either side of him, supporting his body as he basked in the sun. Sachi did the same. "He's like Donkey. Or Shrek, maybe."
"I don't know if Donkey's that stubborn," Sachi mused, with a conspirator's smile. "I think he's more Shrek. All grumpy. All bitter. You know."
"Yeah." The realization hit him a second after it hit her. "He's like the carbon copy of Shrek, if you think about it. You know, if Shrek was stuck in a teenager's body."
"Mmm." It was amusing, thinking of Hunter that way. "Exactly."
The next few minutes passed in silence, though it wasn't awkward. It felt more like the silence in which no one had anything to say, in which they were thinking of different things, but they still wanted each other's company.
Elliot still had on his beanie, and he tugged on it now, adjusting.
"Isn't that hot?" she asked. "Seems like it would be. I think Hunter picked it out with the thought of you wearing it during winter."
"Kinda. I dunno. I don't want to take it off."
Sachi nudged him with her shoulder. "Happy birthday."
He grinned down at her, then lifted his face to the sky. The sun cast a glow across his skin. "This might be the best birthday I've had in a while."
"Really?" She sounded eager. Too eager, maybe.
"Yeah. I think so." A beat passed. "Hey, do you remember that movie we saw once? We Bought A Zoo?"
She remembered it clearly. The film had resonated so deeply with her, connecting with her in a way many movies couldn't. She'd watched it with Elliot dozens of times; it became their go-to film when they weren't sure what else they felt like watching.
"'Course," Sachi replied. "That's a favorite."
Elliot nodded. He turned his face away from her, instead focusing on the water rippling in front of them. "Do you remember... the thing he said? About needing twenty seconds to do something courageous."
"Yes."
"I feel like I need those twenty seconds right now."
"Yeah?" she teased, sitting up straighter. "What for?"
"To do this." Before she could even blink, Elliot had turned his face and pressed his lips to hers. She barely gasped as he kissed her, weaving his fingers through her hair. His grip tightened momentarily, as if he couldn't bear the thought of letting her go. She couldn't process anything at the moment but—
Oh my God. He's kissing me. Holy shit. Elliot, my Elliot, is kissing me.
She hadn't even moved to kiss him back, but when she felt him start to withdraw, she cupped the back of his head with her palm, bringing his face back to hers. There wasn't any tongue, just lips and the mingling of breath, but that was all she needed for it to be the best twenty seconds ever.
Elliot smiled against her, and before she knew it, he was pulling back, but not before dragging his tongue across her bottom lip.
Sachi could only imagine how she looked: like a fish out of water, eyes wide, gaping. Elliot chuckled at seeing her expression, and said, "How's that for twenty seconds of courage?"
She couldn't even respond as she heard the sound of footsteps approaching from the other side. Hunter's loud voice followed, and he was still complaining as Erin dragged him back up the shore.
"There weren't any beavers. Why would we come to see a beaver dam without the beavers? Without beavers, is there really a point?"
"Shut up, Hunter," Erin ordered. She had her fingers wrapped around his wrist, and they slowed to a stop at their huddled forms. "Hey. You guys cool?"
"Yeah." She heard her voice crack. She smiled through it. I'm totally okay. I'm not freaking out or anything.
"Sure?" Erin tilted her head to the side. "You two look a little funny."
"Funny how?" Elliot spoke from behind her, and she was shocked at how close he was to her. Somehow, that made her heart beat even quicker.
"I don't know." She shrugged, letting go of Hunter. "Whatever. We couldn't find any beavers."
Hunter huffed.
"We just found cranberries. Lots of cranberries. Like, enough cranberries to fill the Grand Canyon."
"No wonder they call it Cranberry Island." Hunter ran a hand through his tangled hair. "They wouldn't call it Beaver Island, because it seems the beavers are never home. Come for the beavers, leave for the cranberries."
"Relax, Hunter." Sachi stretched her arms high above her head before standing up. "They're just cranberries. And they're just beavers. How would you know if they're friendly?"
"I'm never gonna find out now."
"Chill out, Shrek." Elliot clapped a hand to his back, all while winking at her. She looked away. "We'll come back for the beavers another time."
"We better. I feel so cheated."
☁☁☁☁
Erin won on the trip going back too. Hunter tried not to let his anger show; he was unsuccessful, though, as he threw his paddle into the lake and stomped into the house without retrieving it. Elliot had to dive in and bring it back.
Despite the tension that had erupted between them, she found herself drawn to Elliot. Maybe it was because it was his birthday, or maybe she wanted answers. Whatever it was, it led her down the hall, following Elliot at his heels as he entered his bedroom.
He shut the door behind her with a click before motioning her to make herself comfortable. She complied, sliding over the mattress to the farthest wall and settling in. He sat in the spot beside her, bringing his laptop over.
Sachi recognized the DVD case he had in his other hand: We Bought A Zoo. Well. It was as good a time as any to bring it up.
"Wait," she ordered, holding up a hand.
Elliot hardly looked surprised. He merely set down his computer along with the box and waited for her to speak.
Suddenly, the words didn't come so easily to her. Funny, since it was hard for her to keep her mouth shut every other moment. It was the most important times in which she lost her voice.
"I have another present," she blurted out instead.
His eyebrows rose. "Really?" Sachi pushed past him and stumbled off the bed before wandering over to his closet, where she'd stowed his last gift. "You didn't have to."
"I know." Sachi opened the closet door, and the gift stood out among the piles of shoes he shoved inside. She picked it up, blew the dust away, and smoothened out the cover. "I wanted to."
Sachi turned to him, her arms concealing the gift where it was nestled in her arms. She could see his interest as he tilted his head to get a better look, and she moved her arms to hide it better.
"I just... Don't be offended." A lump formed in her throat, but she continued, "I just know how you're always trying to read more books, and longer ones too, and I thought you might like this."
Sachi revealed the cover, the original copy of the first Jurassic Park novel. She'd scoured the mall from bottom to top in search of it, and it had taken a lot of work and energy from her, but she found it. Eventually.
She handed it over and waited for his response. As his hands wrapped around the copy, he ran a finger down the length of the cover as if to admire it. His expression was unreadable, and every second that ticked by without a reply only made her more nervous. She tapped her fingers against her thigh to busy herself.
Then, after what felt like an eternity, Elliot lifted his head. "Sachi..." He looked back down at the book, and then back at her. "I know you came in here to ask me why I kissed you. But this is the reason why. You do things like this—thoughtful, selfless things—and you wonder how I could like you when it's all too obvious to me."
Sachi bit her lip. She felt the tears forming her eyes, though she forced them back. It wasn't the right time to cry. She tried to speak, but all that came out from her mouth was an inscrutable sound.
Elliot rose to his feet, putting the book down, and he wrapped her in another one of his tight embraces. But this time, she never wanted it to end, and she was sure that this, here, right now, this was where she belonged.
"Really?" Despite being pushed up against his chest, her voice came clear.
"Mmhmm." She felt him smile against her hair, which made her smile in turn. "You're sweet. Brave. Kind. You're like a walking paradox, and that's what makes you so interesting." He pulled back so she could see his face, and she saw every possible emotion cross his face. "You couldn't hurt a fly, but you'll lash out at a bully. You laugh during a horror movie, but cry during Marley & Me. You act all hard, all tough, but at heart, you're soft."
"Wow." One tear slid down her cheek, and she raised a hand to wipe it away. "I sound really complicated."
Elliot shrugged, though he was grinning. "Maybe. But that's just the way I like you." He brushed his lips across her cheek, and she tightened her grip around his waist, never wanting to let go.
☁☁☁☁
author's note:
omg i'm so sorry it took me ages to get this chapter up, but i've been so busy these past few weeks that i seriously haven't had the time to upload
soooooo sachi and elliot ;-) what do you all think? you shipping them? i don't know what their official ship name is so i'll leave that up to you guys
share your thoughts below! comment, vote, add to your lists! thank you!
yours truly, carolina x