The Roaming Animal Trader

Hm...? You have business with me? [Blog for Vaughn from Harvest Moon Island of Happiness/Sunshine Islands | Affiliated with Return to Prana]

[youaremysunshineislands]

Sick Day || Vaughn & Chelsea

[youaremysunshineislands]

Chelsea tried too hard not to make a mountain out of a molehill. Really, she did. But with the way Vaughn easily shrugged off the conversation, even when she herself had redirected it, made her feel.. hurt. She bit back a frown and instead chose to turn away from him, leaning her back against the bedside and hugging her knees to her chest.

“Mhm,” She murmured into her arms, and tried to think of her grandmother’s farm instead. The summers she spent there, the sights and sounds that were unique to the farm.. “I spent every summer there, remember? I loved doing farmwork even as a kid.”

Silence fell around them as she tried to think of something else to say, her mind still too bothered about the previous ordeal to focus on the task at hand. “She only used t’have one dog. It was a big sheepdog that loved to tackle me.”

Laughter fell from her lips as she recalled the memory. “Then, one summer, one of nana’s friends in town had a collie that had puppies, so gave one of the girls t’us. … I remember her son wasn’t too happy about it, so he was always at the farm ‘keeping an eye’ on her, but I think he just wanted to play with us.”

“I think he was one of the only friends I had back then,” She murmured, staring at the floor. “Or at least, I think we were friends. You wouldn’t hold on t’someone without any intention of letting go if you weren’t, right?”

She chuckled under her breath. “His mother had to pry him off me when he found out they were moving away. Apparently he freaked out and ran off to find me.”

[grumpyanimallover]

Normally Vaughn would have noticed her shift in attitude, but since he was sick, he didn’t quite catch it. Even when she mentioned having told him about her going to her grandmas during the summer before, it didn’t really sink in that he’d forgotten that. It just seemed like new information for the moment. Despite the return of his calm demeanor, he was still not completely well.

“Ah... Sheepdog. Yeah, those are usually really friendly.” Vaughn replied with a softer expression. He recalled most of the ones he’d transported being that way, and imagining Chel being jumped by one of those fluffy happy dogs was a cute image. However, instead of mentioning this, he simply listened quietly to her story.

A boy... Well, it was good that she had a friend at least. The cowboy could never remember having any people other than his parents that he was close to. It didn’t mean he didn’t, he just... Didn’t remember. The peaceful days when he lived on his family’s ranch were so far away now. Maybe he did have friends at some point, but after everything that happened he probably shut them out entirely.

“He must have really liked you. I don’t know if that’s normal for kids, I never had any friends like that at least, but it’s good to know you did.” Vaughn knew quite well the feeling of wanting to hold on without ever letting go however, so in that way he sympathized with the kid. Would he have reacted the same way had He and Chel been friends when they were younger? Maybe. There was no way of knowing now, but it was an interesting thought. “... I get the feeling of not wanting to let go of someone though...”

After a brief pause, Vaughn leaned lightly against Chel. He was grateful that there were people with her every step of the way when he wasn’t. Her life hadn’t been perfect by any means, but at least she wasn’t alone through the struggle. She had plenty of people who cared about her. It was something he would have been jealous of before, but now was just content knowing she didn’t have to suffer the way he had.

“... So I hope you’ll forgive me if I keep a tight grip on you.” The words spilled thoughtlessly out of Vaughn’s mouth, but his expression said he wasn’t kidding. He had no intention of letting Chel slip away. He had always been somewhat possessive, and the brunette was certainly no exception to this. If anything, she was the person he’d be the most protective of. So whether she forgave him for it or not, she was stuck with it.

[youaremysunshineislands]

Sick Day || Vaughn & Chelsea

[youaremysunshineislands]

“Mm,” The farmer made a noncommittal noise as she rested her head in her arms, content to just be near the animal dealer. It’s funny how things worked. Honestly, who knew that that chance encounter all those years ago would make such a huge impact now?

“… I didn’t think you were that bad.” She admitted after a few minutes of silence. A smile played on her lips as she lifted her head up to peek at the man. “If anything, you just didn’t know how to talk to people. Remember that fight with Denny?”

She smiled wider at the memory. Really, she had no idea what she was in for that moment she stepped into the cafe. To others, it really might have seemed that Vaughn was aiming to insult, or maybe even to brag; but Chelsea had a strong inkling, the moment she saw him interact with other people the first time, that he just wasn’t used to the nice, caring people of Sunshine Islands. Heaven knows she had had trouble with that too. (Well, maybe more surprised than troubled). Only, she was able to accept it far earlier on that he did.

…

“… I also saw you helping Sabrina out,” The brunette murmured belatedly, sinking back into her arms. Despite her better judgement, she felt her chest tightening at the memory. It was just a friendly, helpful gesture between two people. However it wasn’t just two people, it was Vaughn and Sabrina. And Vaughn is notorious for.. well, being neither of those. Mirabelle had to prompt him a few times to help her out with dragging the bags of feed back to her farm. Not to mention the whole gesture seemed sweet and.. well..

“Your dogs are cute.” She said, trying to distract herself from the surge of emotion in her veins. “They remind me of the ones my nana had in her farm.“

[grumpyanimallover]

“Guess if you had we wouldn’t be together now.” Vaughn replied thoughtfully. It was true, he only got as close as he did to Chel because of her persistence. Otherwise he wouldn’t have given her a second glance at the beginning of all this. If she had caved and left him be, or just assumed he wasn’t a good person, they’d never have gotten the chance to know each other as well as they do now.

At the mention of the argument between himself and Denny, Vaughn groaned in mild annoyance. That was... Well, the whole situation could have been handled better on both sides. Vaughn had only brought up the topic of jobs because Denny always worked so hard just to make next to nothing. It seemed like he’d have had less hardships if he did something that earned him more money. So it was pretty impressive that he loved his job enough to give that up. Really, who knew if the two men would have ever resolved their differences if Chel hadn’t stepped in and suggested the cowboy say he was sorry. “.... Yeah, I remember. Thanks for that, by the way. Saying I should apologize, I might’ve just stayed mad otherwise.”

There was a distinct pause after Chelsea mentioned Sabrina. A pause that, even when sick, Vaughn was able to notice. He only vaguely recalled the act. Mostly because of all the thank yous he didn’t want that Sabrina gave him afterwards. She hadn’t been feeling well or something. He walked her home. She seemed like one of those frail types. He would have felt guilty if he’d left and she collapsed afterwards or something. There’s a difference between being standoffish and being dangerously careless. He was not willing to be the latter.

“Walking her home was less of a hassle than getting an earful later if I let her go and she collapsed. That’s all it was.” Vaughn tried to explain that the best way he could, but who knew if what he meant came across properly. It seemed to him, or more like he’d noticed, that any time he mentioned or was nearby Sabrina made the farmer very unsettled. He did his best to not linger around the frail girl, if only for the brunette’s sake. At first it had confused him, but he understood after one day watching Chel happily conversing with Mark. It just... Didn’t feel right. It made him feel agitated in a way he wasn’t used to. It was jealousy.

The topic suddenly took a left turn when Chel brought up the dogs. Vaughn, not quite catching that she changed the conversation on purpose, just kinda went with it. He liked talking about dogs and farms far more than reliving jealous memories anyway. “Yeah, they are... I remember you saying she had a farm. Did you visit there a lot?”

[youaremysunshineislands]

Sick Day || Vaughn & Chelsea

[youaremysunshineislands]

Chelsea closed her eyes as the man planted a kiss on her forehead. It was a gesture that made her insides twist and her stomach fill with butterflies. She blushed. No matter how many weeks rolled by, she was still only getting used to being Vaughn’s girlfriend.

After he spoke, the brunette decided to lean in and placed a shy kiss on his nose. He had nothing to be apologizing for. She took his hand gently in hers and squeezed it lightly.

“Y’don’t hafta apologize, Vaughn,” She reassured, the upturn of her lips growing. “You were already dealing with a bunch of stuff.. ‘Sides, it was just a little girl who wanted to befriend a total stranger just because he looked sad.”

Although…

“.. That does explain why I was so drawn t’you the first time we met..” Her eyes widened at the epiphany. Of course. All those days where she wasn’t sure why exactly she was adamant in befriending the man made sense to her now. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she was still looking for that boy she met at the bus stop.

[grumpyanimallover]

If Vaughn had started blushing from the kiss to his nose, it was hard to tell through the red of his fever already present. However, when Chel held his hand he squeezed back lightly in return. She was always like this. Normally she was stubborn and liked to tease him about things, but when it really counted she was warm and comforting. It was just a constant reminder of how much he loved this silly farm girl.

“Well, that little girl managed to grow up and find me, even if is was by some weird coincidence. And did a good deal more than just befriend me. So, mission accomplished, I guess.” Vaughn said with a light smile, reaching up his free hand to pat the top of Chel’s head. Though his expression soon changed into a curious stare as the brunette spoke again.

“Seems like it does. I was too busy pushing people away to really notice it though. Actually...” Vaughn paused for a moment to mull something over. There had been something related to this that had made him curious before. Something that didn’t add up when he’d spoken to Chel some time ago. “There was a time, when you told me you didn’t like rude, stoic, and judging people. It really confused me, because you were literally describing me, yet there you were trying to befriend me anyways.”

“I guess, if I think about it that way, it makes more sense.” The cowboy mused. Really, it had baffled his mind how she could hate those kinds of people yet be totally fine around him. However, if somewhere in the back of her mind, she was still looking for that boy he was all those years ago, then he fit the bill perfectly. The truth was that he hadn’t changed all that much since then. Yes, he was more mature, a little more worldly, and certainly had grown, but that wasn’t much compared to the things that hadn’t changed.

[youaremysunshineislands]

Sick Day || Vaughn & Chelsea

[youaremysunshineislands]

Her heart swelled at the sound of his laughter. She rarely heard it, but whenever she did, it was as if the world grew silent for him. She smiled at him before kneeling by his bedside to watch him.

The smile was short lived, however at the knowledge that that sweet encounter quickly turned sour on his part. Oh, if she ever met his uncle… … She didn’t know what she’d do, actually. But she’d do something. He was a horrible man for kicking out his defenseless, underaged, nephew after emotionally abusing him for years.

His next words called her out of her thoughts; her eyes flickering back to focus. Her lips quirked up at the sight of his own and leaned in to touch foreheads with him; something he usually initiates when she’s being a bonehead and he needed her to focus. But right now, it was a tender gesture of affection.

“So that’s why I never saw you again after that..” She murmured, the memories playing in what she hoped was chronological order. “I waited for you everyday afterwards…”

Images of a young, 11 year old girl in white and pink standing by the bus stop flashed in her mind’s eye. She had waited diligently for the grumpy young man to come back, a single paper crane in her hands each time. And each time she did, she went home with the same paper crane.

“I thought that maybe.. we could be friends.” She admitted, leaning more against him. She laughed a little. “Something about you just seemed.. like you needed one..”

“And well, nowI know you did. But you stopped coming, and, y’know, life moved on. I eventually forgot about it.” She had no idea why, but the thought of those moments filled her with a strange sort of sadness. She paused for a while, hesitantly, before admitting, “… Sometimes, when I waited for the bus in college, I’d still kind of wait for.. someone to come by. I just didn’t know who.”

[grumpyanimallover]

In response to Chel resting her forehead against his, Vaughn simply closed his eyes, enjoying the peace between them before she spoke. His brow furrowed and his still slightly murky purple eyes opened again to stare into her bright blue hues. She waited... Everyday she waited. The thought flashed through his mind of that young girl just waiting only for him to never return. Before he might not have cared but now... Knowing who it was, it bothered him a bit.

The cowboy quietly listened to his girlfriend continue to talk on the subject. She definitely wasn’t wrong. Back then he really could have used a good friend... Though the chances that he would have accepted a friendship at that time in his life was slim. Even more slim than the chances for it to happen as the cranky adult he became years later.

Chel’s tone seemed solemn as she recalled more. Vaughn leaned against her in return, in a passive attempt to comfort her. It wasn’t like there was anything the two of them could do now to change it, and really, those events all led to them being where they were today. He slowly leaned over a bit and planted a kiss on the brunette’s forehead, then pulled back and spoke in a softer tone than before. “Sorry, for making you wait 11 years for me. Guess I’m pretty slow.”

[youaremysunshineislands]

Sick Day || Vaughn & Chelsea

[youaremysunshineislands]

The more the brunette stared at the crane in her hands, the more her heart pounded in her ears. Why did she feel like she should remember this? The nape of her neck broke out in a cold sweat as she turned it around in her palm.

Her mind was going haywire as she tried to remember… something. She didn’t know what, exactly. Did it pertain to the crane in her hand? Probably. She didn’t know. Her head began to ache a little as she racked her brain for memories. “Yeah… It is.”

Chelsea snapped her head back up to look at the silver haired man, the gears in her head still turning as she listened to him speak.

“A girl gave it to me when I was a teenager.”

She blinked curiously, a smile gracing her face before it turned into a giggle. That was a cute thought. She tried to imagine a teenage Vaughn receiving the small paper crane; his expression of surprise, the little girl’s smile, the bus stop..

The young woman blinked in surprise. The image playing in her head seemed far too vivid to be her imagination. Her eyes turned glassy as she lost herself in thought. In fact, it almost seemed.. like a.. memory?

She nearly let out a groan. It was a frustrating sensation. It was like forgetting a word that you would normally know, but now it’s just.. stuck at the tip of your tongue. She mulled over it silently as he continued to speak.

…

Then it hit her.

All at once, like a strange, out of body experience, the memories flooded back into her consciousness. The school, her walk to the bus stop, her backpack filled with little paper cranes.. It was a little hazy in her head, but she remembered the sullen high schooler that stalked up to the bus stop, remembered the one-sided conversation that took place. She remembered making a crane from one of the special papers their teacher handed out.

The brunette turned the crane over before checking under the wings of the crane. If she remembered correctly…

She let out a surprised laugh.

There it was, right there under one of the wings, was her named scrawled messily in black ink.

Chelsea A. Williams.

“Y’probably would’ve if y’thought to check under the wings.” She said, amusement heavy in her voice as she brought him the crane.

[grumpyanimallover]

The fever that had been plaguing Vaughn was slowly receding. His mind was getting less fogged and he felt a bit less miserable. Still curiously watching Chel after explaining the crane, he noticed she had a very complicated look on her face. Like she was deep in thought? He would have asked but felt like interrupting whatever was on her mind might not be a good idea, considering how much she was concentrating.

After a few moments of silence the brunette’s expression seemed to sudden change. She seemed, shock, surprised, stunned? Something like that. Vaughn really had no idea why she was so interested in the tiny paper crane. It was just something given to him years ago. He only really kept it on a whim.

The sudden laugh Chel let out startled Vaughn. Now he was even more confused. Her words caused him to tilt his head. He never really bothered examining the thing. It just sat in that box for years with all the other random stuff he had. When she approached and brought it to him, the cowboy gently lifted it up and looked under the wing.

........

As he read the name quietly to himself, a look of complete disbelief swept across his face. He sifted quickly through that memory again, trying desperately to recall what the girl looked like. Long brown hair, blue eyes, smile like the sun.... There was no mistake. That was Chel.

The moment that thought sunk in, Vaughn smiled. Not only did he smile, but he let out a light chuckle, a genuine laugh. Something that was extremely rare for the silver haired man. He glanced back up at Chelsea, not really sure what to say to this. Mulled over his thoughts for a moment before speaking. “You know... That day. That was the day my uncle kicked me out. Right after I got back from school.”

“I kept this because it was the only thing that had been given to me out of kindness in that place.” Vaughn explained, staring down at the tiny crane with a small calm smile. “It’s a little too fitting that you were the one who gave it to me.”

[youaremysunshineislands]

Sick Day || Vaughn & Chelsea

[youaremysunshineislands]

Vaughn’s dogs had taken to following her around the house, a realization the young brunette took delight in. They were adorable and she really wanted to play with them all day long. How does her boyfriend spend days away from these sweet things? She booped one of the dogs on the nose and giggled at its confused expression. 

Cute. 

She was too preoccupied with one, that she failed to notice the other move past her. A low whine broke her out of her trance, making her turn to the other one with a confused look. It seemed to be trying to sniff a piece of paper? Chelsea tilted her head in confusion. Where did that come from? Her eyes moved to the box on the closet floor.

Ah, must have been when she was taking out the ice packs.

Giving the dog in front of her one last pat, she approached the other one trying to paw at the folded paper… crane? Baby blue eyes stared down at the red thing in surprise. It was a red patterned paper folded into a crane. 

The young farmer bent down to pick up the origami crane and blinked at it. She took in the worn edges, the frayed creases. Her eyes traced over the pink sakura blossoms printed onto the red background. She frowned. It looked.. familiar, somehow?

But how was that possible? This was, as far as she knew, Vaughn’s possession. And while they have known each other for years now, she had not seen him with this in his hands. So why was it that she felt she should be remembering this?

“Vaughn?” She called out, turning around to face him. She blushed a little as she realized he was already staring at her. She held up the small folded crane to divert the attention. “Is this yours?”

[grumpyanimallover]

It seemed like Chel got distracted by the dogs again temporarily. Vaughn wasn’t completely paying attention, even though he was staring directly at her. His mind was still elsewhere. All over the place to be more exact, but that was because of the fever, which admittedly was lowering a bit thanks to the medicine.

When Chel called his name, Vaughn was still already staring and only managed to tilt his head a bit in response. She held up a small piece of folded paper. He stared at it for a moment, trying to clear his mind to remember. It certainly looked familiar. After some thought it popped into his head.

“Yeah... It is. A girl gave it to me when I was a teenager.” The cowboy replied brow furrowing trying to recall the events. It was a foggy morning when he was in high school. He was angry about something? Most likely. Back then he was usually angry. A younger girl with brown hair had been standing at the bus stop when he walked up. She was working on something. That was it. The small paper crane. Said something about having learned how to make them recently. Then after noting that he didn’t seem happy she beamed a smile like the sun at him and gave him the thing. For some reason... He kept it.

“It was at a bus stop... I don’t remember all of it but, it was to cheer me up I think. I probably only spoke to her that one time.” Vaughn mused out loud, not sure why she had brought it up. Maybe because he didn’t seem like the type to have small paper cranes? Either way he just shrugged. “Never even got her name.”

[youaremysunshineislands]

Sick Day || Vaughn & Chelsea

[youaremysunshineislands]

Chelsea, still feeling mortified at the recent confessions, had her head buried in her arms as she was still flush against her sick boyfriend. Why, past Chelsea? Why would you embarrass us like this.

She continued to lament about this in her head until she heard Vaughn call her attention. Lifting her head up slightly so only her eyes peeked at him, she listened. 

Ah, right. He was probably burning up, especially since he didn’t– The medicine! He distracted her! Well, two can play at that game then.

The brunette sat up suddenly, scrambling to grab a tablet from the side table before quickly, but gently, shoving it into Vaughn’s mouth. Well… That wasn’t how she wanted it to go down, but he.. he forced her hand. Yeah. That’s right.

Before he could even think about spitting it out, she already had the glass of water at his lips, urging him to drink. She held his head up a little off the pillow so he wouldn’t choke.

“I’ll go get the ice pack,” She said as she placed the glass of water down. A small grin on her face as she sauntered over to the closet. Now, where could that box be? She looked around and pushed some clothes out of the way before she spotted a small box towards the backboard of the closet.

It seems to be the only box in the closet, so she pulled it closer to her. Once within direct eyeshot, she lifted the lid carefully and looked inside. The ice packs weren’t too hard to spot. She grabbed those and took them out, not noticing a piece of paper falling out onto the closet floor.

The young farmer made her way out of the room to put the ice packs in the freezer before coming back to fix the box back into place.

[grumpyanimallover]

Before Vaughn could react, protest, or do anything really, Chel had shoved the medicine in his mouth. Right as he was determined to spit it out, the glass of water was in front of him, forcing him to drink and swallow. The silver haired man made an aggravated groaning sound towards the brunette, obviously not pleased with what had just happened. The scowl that grew on his face from the event only solidified this fact.

Not half a second after forcing him to take the medicine, Chel quickly got up and began her hunt for the ice pack, giving Vaughn no time to properly respond to what had happened. Instead he just laid in his bed, watching his girlfriend search the closet while he moped. Of course, he knew he should have taken the medicine, but in his current feverish state he had wanted nothing more than to chuck it out a window.

As Chel wandered from the room to the kitchen to place the packs in the freezer, it occurred to Vaughn, despite how grumpy he may have been at her a moment ago, it was nice to have someone else in his house besides just himself. (and the animals of course) Especially since it was Chel.

However, after giving it some thought he decided he still liked her house more. His place was small, the yard wasn’t very big either, and he didn’t know anyone in the area. He knew most people on the islands (even if he wasn’t friendly with them), Her house was nice, welcoming, and her yard was huge because she owned the farm. He vaguely remembered once, he wasn’t sure when, that he thought staying there might be nice. In his fever driven state he considered asking Chel about it at some point.

The cowboy hadn’t even noticed the piece of folded origami paper that had fallen out of the box. It was too low to the ground for him to see from a laying position anyways. When Chel returned from the kitchen he just quietly followed her movements with slightly dazed purple hues, still mulling over his previous thoughts.

[youaremysunshineislands]

Sick Day || Vaughn & Chelsea

[youaremysunshineislands]

Feeling Vaughn’s arms wrap around her did nothing to help the intensity of her blush, nor could it have possibly help his temperature situation. She struggled for a little while before slumping back down against his chest, knowing she probably wouldn’t be able to rival his strength, even when he was sick. So she opted, instead, to listen to him explain the events that transpired while she was sick while held close to his torso.

The more the male revealed about that day, the more Chelsea wanted the earth to open up and swallow her whole. She knew she was a difficult person when sick, but really? Hallucinating about weird animals? Out loud? She groaned to herself, resting her forehead against his chest.

“…” Her eyes widened in revelation at his next words, her mind running a mile a minute. That was right. That was their first kiss! And it wasn’t even for the reason that Vaughn liked her. Not to mention, she can’t remember it! The farmer let out another groan and pouted at the animal dealer in front of him, the confession successfully making her forget about the medicine for a while.

[grumpyanimallover]

“....” Vaughn paused for a moment. Thinking about his previous statement. His fever had probably gone up, because he was having a much harder time focusing on anything. His next words were murmured out loud, but sounded like he was saying them to himself. “No, no... That’s not right. It doesn’t count. It only counts if Chel remembers...”

After that, Vaughn groaned a bit. It was too hot. Uncomfortable. Chel was warm too, he didn’t want to let her go, but at this rate he had to. Cold, needed something cold... He had no ice in his freezer at the moment. Where else would-- Ah!

“... Chel? I have one of those ice pack things... It’s in a box in the closet over there. Can you put it in the freezer, then on my forehead?” He tried to explain the best he could what he wanted her to do, while slowly, and begrudgingly, moving his arms to release his hold on her. “It’s too hot. I need to cool off...”

[youaremysunshineislands]

Sick Day || Vaughn & Chelsea

[youaremysunshineislands]

Chelsea blinked at his reddening face curiously, concern seeping into her mind. Was he feeling sicker than before? Oh no.. He definitely needed to take his medicine. She reached out and touched his forehead with the back of her hand, frowning at the rise in temperature.

But before she could comment on it, the silver haired male spoke up. And what he said… Oh my. He did what when she was sick?? She felt her own face heat up at the confession. She barely remembered anything from that time, just that Vaughn had come to check on her and then… nothing. 

“Y-you.. W-what..?!” She murmured, her face getting hotter and hotter. His confession was extremely questionable, and with the young farmer not remembering anything from that time, many things ran through her head. Come to think of it, they weren’t even together back then. Oh Goddess. “W-hy.. what.. else did you…?”

[grumpyanimallover]

Ahhh... It was so warm. Too warm. Vaughn felt like his body was on fire. He was too out of it to notice how panicked Chel was by his comment. Somehow in his muddled state he thought hugging the brunette might fix his current problem. Being near her always made him feel better before, right? So he did, he wrapped his arms around her in a snug manner. Seeming mostly content, but it didn’t stop the rise in temperature.

When she spoke, voice stuffed with confusion, embarrassment and slight panic, Vaughn reached his hand up and began petting her hair lightly. She sounded upset, and he wasn’t sure why. The last few words she spoke caught his attention. Mostly the ‘Why’ and ‘What else’. His brow furrowed in thought, trying to remember that days events.

“You wouldn’t take the medicine... It was liquid. If I tried to force you to drink it any other way, you could have choked...” Vaughn was mumbling his words, but they were certainly loud and clear enough to be heard by Chel. “And you were so sick that you saw weird animals... I don’t remember which ones... So you had to take it.”

“After that... You kissed my nose.. Said you liked my lips... And I went to make soup for you. That’s it...” His words connected with the next question automatically. He was pretty sure that was it at least. It was hard to really recall right now. He knew he had only done it for her own good and would not have otherwise. He then paused in what seemed like deep thought, glanced at Chel and smiled a bit. “That was our first kiss.”

[youaremysunshineislands]

Sick Day || Vaughn & Chelsea

[youaremysunshineislands]

Chelsea was baffled. Don’t want it? Well he didn’t exactly have a choice in the matter, he’s sick! The young farmer blinked in surprise at his words before stifling a giggle. It was so strange seeing him this.. petulant. Usually, Vaughn was the more mature one of the two.

“Well, y’don’t exactly have a choice, Vaughn,” She started, poking at his leg in an attempt to get him to face her. Knowing this probably wouldn’t cause the cowboy to budge, she crawled on top of him and laid her weight over his lying figure. “You’re sick, moo. Please take the medicine?”

When it became increasingly obvious her lover was going to be stubborn about this, she poked his cheek and teasingly told him, “Don’t make me make you take the medicine via a kiss, Vaughn~”

[grumpyanimallover]

Despite her prodding his leg Vaughn didn’t move. He merely made a gruff groan noise at the gesture. He was not going to take that medicine if he could help it. For some reason his stubborn streak was really showing right now. Whether it was because he was sick, or because Chel was around wasn’t clear. It could have been a mixture of both.

The cowboy felt his body get heavier all the sudden, when he turned to face forward he realized Chel was now laying on top of him. If his face hadn’t been red enough from the fever, it was certainly reaching neon shades of red now. Well, if this was how she’d react when he didn’t take the medicine, then now he certainly wasn’t going to do so! He shook his head.

When the brunette poked his cheek he squinted at her. However, his eyes seemed to flash with recollection after hearing her words. His expression changed to an adamant, but slightly indignant one.

“No, you can’t. I already did that before.” Vaughn explained hazily, in a voice that sounded like he was trying to be stern. He obviously wasn’t paying full attention to what he was saying. The fever was muddling his brain and his words, otherwise he wouldn’t have brought up something like this. “When you were sick I did that to you. You can’t do the same thing.”

[youaremysunshineislands]

Sick Day || Vaughn & Chelsea

[youaremysunshineislands]

The brunette farmer lifted the feline onto her lap and ran her hand along its back while Vaughn talked. She wasn’t surprised at all when she learned he couldn’t bear to part with her, the tabby was far too lovable to let go. Hearing her purr melted her heart before a nasty coughing fit broke the moment. Chelsea grimaced, placing the cat back onto the bed before she went to refill his glass of water.

“Here y’go,” She murmured, holding the glass of water to his lips. It was a little strange seeing the silver haired man so.. vulnerable. “The medicine should start working by n–”

Her eyes trailed over to the nightstand, where an unopened pack of medicine lay. A sigh left her lips as she took one of the foil wrappers and opened it. “I gave these t’you earlier. Mind telling me why y’haven’t taken one yet?”

[grumpyanimallover]

“... Thanks.” Vaughn’s throat was definitely dry. It felt like hot sandpaper. When he drank the water Chel offered in was a cooling sensation at first, but as soon as it was gone the burning returned. It was uncomfortable, to say the least. He’d have been a lot more annoyed by it if his mind wasn’t so foggy because of the fever.

“Hm...?” The cowboy’s line of site followed Chel’s over to the medicine on the nightstand. His frown seemed to only get deeper when she picked it up and began to open it. He hated medicine. Whether in pill or liquid form he preferred not to take it unless he absolutely had to.

“I don’t want it.” Vaughn replied very plainly in response to Chel’s question, as if it was the obvious answer. Then he laid down, and turned himself on his side, facing away from her. This was very clearly an attempt to avoid taking the medicine.

[youaremysunshineislands]

Sick Day || Vaughn & Chelsea

[youaremysunshineislands]

Blue eyes met green as Chelsea stared at the cat in surprise, her hand, the one holding the spoon, suspended in mid-air with Vaughn’s hand closed over it. She slowly lets Vaughn hold onto the spoon himself as she beams at the feline. She was adorable! Her curious eyes were absolutely charming, and the way she peered up at her made the farmer’s heart melt.

“She’s beautiful, Vaughn,” She whispered excitedly, wanting nothing more than to cuddle up to the tabby and stroke its fur. But she knew how temperamental cats were. She had to let the little bundle of fur approach her first. “Where did you find her?”

Feeling her excitement get the best of her, she extended her hand a little as an invitation to the cat, her smile never leaving her lips. 

[grumpyanimallover]

The spoon Vaughn was trying to hold on his own was finally given to him when Chel‘s attention turned to the cat. He was able to eat without her help, thankfully. He soon set the spoon down after another bite or two, however, as he’d had enough for now. He wasn’t well enough to eat like he usually did.

“One of my clients found her.” The cowboy explained, watching as the cat sniffed Chel’s outstretched hand tentatively before rubbing the side of it’s face against her fingers and purring slightly. “I was going to find her a home, but I got too attached to give her away.”

After explaining how he got the cat, Vaughn erupted into a fit of coughs. He covered his mouth, the last thing he wanted was to get Chel sick too. They both had a difficult enough time when that happened before. Then he leaned back against his pillow, resting his hand against his forehead. Yup. Fever was still there. He grumbled. He really hated not being able to do anything.

[youaremysunshineislands]

Sick Day || Vaughn & Chelsea

[youaremysunshineislands]

Chelsea bit back a giggle at the expression the cowboy was making, his angry pouting reminding the farmer of a puppy trying to intimidate a bigger dog. Her smile grew wider, however, as Vaughn took her hand and guided it (and the spoon) to him, indirectly feeding himself. Even when sick, Vaughn was pretty stubborn. The young woman, despite her cheeks heating up considerably, let out a short, amused laugh at the action.

This continued on for about a few more spoonfuls before meowing caught the brunette’s attention. Blue eyes quickly snapped away from the animal dealer’s face and darted around the room, trying to find the source of the sound. 

“You have a cat, too?” She asked excitedly after a few more seconds of fruitless searching, her hand going back to feeding him. But now, instead of the comfortable silence that surrounded them earlier, the air was filled with questions about the feline, though she tried to keep it down a notch; asking slowly and quietly so as not to aggravate the man’s migraine.

[grumpyanimallover]

Now Vaughn was too busy eating to notice Chel’s giggles or blushing. In his feverish state he could only handle paying attention to a few things at a time. At the moment being chewing and guiding ((or helping)) the spoon. It was at least a good thing he wasn’t all there, otherwise he would be extremely embarrassed by this entire situation.

“Hm...?” Vaughn looked up hazily when Chel started looking around. He hadn’t heard his cat, Maple, meow, so when Chel turned to ask him about it he was a bit confused. “Yeah... She’s probably around somewhere.”

Now she was asking things. It was hard for Vaughn to answer all her questions properly but he did his best. After a few more minutes of this another meow sounded out. Vaughn heard it this time. It was very close by. In fact it almost seemed like...

Before his thought could process fully, the long haired brown and black striped tabby shuffled out from under the bed and jumped up on top of it. She sat next to Vaughn and looked curiously at Chel, big green eyes slightly wide.

[youaremysunshineislands]

Sick Day || Vaughn & Chelsea

[youaremysunshineislands]

“I can tell.” The farmer responded cheekily. She handed him the untouched glass of water she had brought in earlier, and urged him to drink. “Y’probably rolled out of bed just to feed your dogs before passing back out.”

Once she was sure the bowl of porridge wasn’t scalding hot, she took it from its position on the nightstand and began feeding the sick animal trader. Of course, she knew he could most probably feed himself (he did look to be a more capable sick person than herself), but teasing him was way too amusing to pass up. Also, she wanted to be able to help out. He did take care of her when she was sick, after all.

“Say ‘aaah’~” The brunette whispered gently like mother would to a child, lifting the spoon to his mouth. 

[grumpyanimallover]

Being handed the glass of water only caused Vaughn to stare at it blankly. For a moment he completely forgot why it was in his hands. He absentmindedly took a sip. It was cool, and smooth going down his sore throat. When was the last time he drank anything?

“Mm... Fell actually.” Vaughn corrected. That was likely part of why he had a throbbing headache. He soon set down the glass carefully and scratched his head in thought. “I don’t remember getting off the floor though.”

Chel’s attempt to feed Vaughn by hand resulted in him giving her an displeased expression that was a cross between a scowl and a pout. At first he attempted to move himself away from the spoon, but then recalling just how hungry he was. Even feverish, he still didn’t like the idea of being hand fed. Chel was his girlfriend, not his mother, he didn’t want to be babied by her.

So, instead, he reached a compromise in his not all together mind. He lifted his hand, and took a hold of Chel’s, more specifically the one holding the spoon full of food. Then he proceeded to pull it closer, Chel along with the spoon, and took a bite of the porridge. This way he was still technically feeding himself, or at least that’s how he reasoned it.

[youaremysunshineislands]

Sick Day || Vaughn & Chelsea

[youaremysunshineislands]

“No problem~” The young farmer hummed, snooping around his room for a thermometer. Once she successfully retrieved one, she cleaned it up thoroughly (who knows how long it had been sitting at the back of Vaughn’s drawer?) before getting the silver haired man to take it into his mouth. 

“Keep it in there while I go check on the porridge, okay?” She instructed with a gentle pat on his head. On the short walk to the kitchen, memories of her brothers resurfaced at the forefront of her mind. She remembered how there were times they’d be too sick to get out of bed, whining about blocked sinuses and headaches before they’re scolded by their mother for being too noisy even when they’re sick. 

Chelsea smiled at the fond memory, wondering how they were doing now. She hasn’t been home for 3 years now, after all…

Maybe I should drop by, She thought to herself as she lifted the lid off the pot. Porridge was just about ready. I’m already here, after all. Maybe I could even… 

With a sideglance in the direction of Vaughn’s room, she smiled to herself and shook her head. She’ll ask him when he’s feeling better. For now, she took a clean bowl and filled it with the hot meal, grabbed a spoon, and went back to her boyfriend’s side. She plucked the thermometer from his mouth before placing the bowl on his end table. “Careful, it’s hot.” She chided. 

The temperature on the thermometer assured her he was just running your everyday fever, nothing too alarming. She took the cloth she had brought in and dipped it in cold water from the basin, making sure to wring it thoroughly before placing it on his forehead. “Are ya ready to eat or do you want to sleep some more?”

[grumpyanimallover]

It was strange. Being tended to like this. Vaughn hadn’t been taken care of by anyone this way in.... 19 years? Something like that. Since his parents were alive at least. It was nice, but it also made him slightly uneasy. Feeling weak or powerless always did, but since it was Chel, it wasn’t so bad.

After watching the brunette wander around his room, rummaging through his drawers, Vaughn sat up a bit more resting against the backboard of his bed. He watched curiously, wondering what she was doing, but too out of it to actually ask. As she returned with the thermometer it made sense. When was the last time he even used that thing? He nodded at her request and made a light grumbling sound when she pat him.

Vaughn waited quietly when she went to the kitchen to fetch the food. He wasn’t really feeling that much better, but his bad habit of putting up a front made him try to act like he was alright. Even though he was tired, sore and a complete mess, he wasn’t about to complain or make any remarks about it.

“Mmhm...” The cowboy responded hazily to hearing about the food’s temperature. The sudden cool cloth placed on his forehead did well to snap him back to reality. “Ah... Yeah, I’ll eat something. I haven’t eaten all day.”

[youaremysunshineislands]

Sick Day || Vaughn & Chelsea

[youaremysunshineislands]

A giggle left the farmer’s lips as soon as the door gave way to reveal her silver haired boyfriend. His bed hair was atrocious, barely hidden by his stetson (which happened to look haphazardly put on, by the way.), and his vest was askew on its place over his sleepwear. She studied his droopy expression, a playful remark hanging on her lips, but his sudden coughing fit cut her off.

With a worried frown tugging at her lips, she slipped under his arm and secured it over her shoulders. Turning the two of them around slowly, she looked up at him with a slight pout on her lips. “Y’should get back to bed, Vaughn. Have you eaten anything today? I’ll get ya something to eat.”

And that’s how they spent the short walk to his bed. Once he was safely back to the confines of his blankets, she made quick work of preparing everything to help him get comfortable. A few minutes of fumbling around in his drawers and cupboards later (and getting quite distracted by his dogs u w u); she was back at his bedside with a glass of water, pills, a cool cloth to his forehead, and a pot of porridge cooking on his stove.

“So how are you feeling?” She asked while handing him the pills.

[grumpyanimallover]

A rather disapproving scowl formed on Vaughn’s face when Chel giggled at him. Yeah, he didn’t look great, even he knew that, but he wasn’t really expecting anyone to show up at his house either. In fact, he was pretty sure this was the first time Chel had ever been there.

The cowboy didn’t have enough strength to protest when she made her way inside and began leading him back to his bed. Getting there wasn’t too difficult, his house was small. Meant for only one person, maybe two at most. He never needed anything lavish or roomie anyways.

The dogs decided to follow Chel around where ever she went, excited to see a new face, while Vaughn curled up under the sheets. He could hear his girlfriend fumbling around in the kitchen, but he was too tired to address it. He drifted off to sleep, only temporarily. Soon Chel’s voice woke him again.

“Hrmm?” Vaughn sat up with a slight grunt, his eyes a bit hazy. He really hated being sick. Being unable to do anything but sit around and feel miserable. He’d rather be doing something, being productive, but his body wouldn’t keep up. “Tired. Everything feels heavy.”

While Vaughn’s explanation left a lot to be desired, that was the best he could do to describe how crummy he was feeling at the moment. The warm smell of the porridge wafted to him. He hadn’t eaten anything all day, and while his appetite was a little off from his current condition, he was still grateful to have something to eat.  "... Thanks Chel.”

[youaremysunshineislands]

Sick Day || Vaughn & Chelsea

[youaremysunshineislands]

Chelsea stared at the message with worry. Vaughn was sick. Not only that, but he was sick, and stuck in the mainland, with his pets that needed tending to. Knowing how stubborn Vaughn was, he was going to push himself out of bed despite how bad he’s feeling just to take care of them. But his dogs needed to be taken out for walks, and his cat needed someone to play with. The brunette nodded to herself before running back to her house to grab some essentials.

Someone needed to take care of Vaughn’s pets. No, wait. Someone needed to take care of Vaughn! The farmer smacked her forehead before laughing to herself. Right. Take care of the boyfriend, and then his pets. She rushed to the dock and made it just in time before the last boat leaving for the mainland left. She quickly paid for her ticket and boarded.

As soon as the ship finally docked at the port, the hyperactive farmer took off to hail a cab to the animal dealer’s house. Her fingers twitched in worry, and slight excitement at finally getting to see Vaughn’s place, as she stared out of the window, watching the buildings slip in and out of her view. She wondered if Vaughn was already asleep?

After paying the amount she owed to the driver, she made her way to Vaughn’s doorstep, contemplating on whether or not she should disturb him. Deciding it would be better if there was someone to look after him, she let her knuckles come in contact with the door.

“Vaughn?”

[grumpyanimallover]

After finally managing to send the text, Vaughn tossed his phone. It went... Somewhere? He didn’t really care. The pillow in front of him was calling to him, and now that he’d let Chel know what was going on, nothing else mattered but getting some sleep.

Some time after drifting off, Vaughn was startled awake by the sound of a firm knock at the door and the eruption of barking from his dogs not long afterwards. He groaned a bit. Who on earth was at his door? He didn’t get visitors. People never came to his house, but now, when he was sick, they decide to show up. Great timing...

The silver haired cowboy heaved himself from his bed, sluggishly pulled on his vest and hat, and approached the door. He gripped the handle while leaning a bit on the door frame for support. Opening the door to find a familiar face on the other side.

“... C-Chel?” Vaughn’s voice was hoarse and he was squinting against the streetlight outside. The two rather large dogs huddled at his sides, trying to get a good look at the visitor. “What are you--”

Vaughn’s question was cut of by a fit of coughs after which he wobbled a bit from dizziness then regained his composure. She probably came to help. Well, if anything she could take care of the animals while he rested.