( Born Janice Cox on July 12, 1983. Don’t call her that though, unless you’ve got a death wish )
CIS-FEMALE,SHE/HER. Hey, is that GINNIFER GOODWIN? No, that is just SAFFRON BOONE (Janice Cox) around Cypress Cove. I heard they are 42 years old, and their birthday is JULY 12, 1983. They rest their head in the SOUTHSIDE but they can mainly be found working as FINE ARTS TEACHER AT CYPRESS COVE SCHOOL (THE COAST ). Some say they are RESILIENT, OPTIMISTIC, PATIENT but can be COMPULSIVE, NEOROTIC, FLAKY . If they had a theme song, it would be BAD REPUTATION ( JOAN JETT ). I hear they are NATIVE, either way Cypress Cove is home and welcomes you!
Raised on Ivermere Isle in Cypress Cove, Georgia, Saffron Boone grew up in a world that always felt a little too claustrophobic for her liking. Private school, semi well- off family, two sisters who fit the mold but not Saffron. No. She was always something else entirely. A wandering soul with curly tangled hair, too many rings, and a voice that belonged on a stage, not in a classroom.
By sixteen, she’d traded expectations for freedom, forming a band, Velvet Eclipse with Saige Boone and his brother Wyatt. Indie rock with a country edge, cigarette smoke in the air, Fleetwood Mac humming through her veins. That was them. And saffy, well she was the lead singer, the heartbeat, the hurricane that blew through everyone’s lives she entered leaving love, laughter and destruction in her wake. A year later, everything changed.
Her daughter, Stephanie “Stevie” Moon Beam Boone, was born out of love, defiance, and a life Saffron chose with her whole chest. Even when her parents tried to control her, tried to take that choice away, Saffron dug her heels in and walked out. Love, to her, had always been simple: Saige, Stevie, Hell even Wyatt, and the life they built, however messy it got. She would stick by them. Saige made her feel safe. That man had a hold on her, yet she never felt tied down. He held her, but in all the right ways, never too tight, never too loose. But messy turned into survival.
When Saige was sent to prison, Saffron was barely more than a girl raising a baby alone. Bouncing between homes, fighting off her family, clinging to Wyatt’s support, and slowly slipping into the kind of coping that numbs more than it heals. She loved her daughter fiercely, soft lullabies, tired arms from soothing a fussy baby with colic, whispered promises of a beautiful life together, and she meant all of them, but addiction doesn’t care about love. And love wasn’t enough to keep her from falling over and over again.
By the time Saige came home, she was already unraveling. The blackouts. The fights. The guilt. The quiet, creeping belief that she was ruining everything she loved. So one night, she left.Not a goodbye worth remembering really, no that would have been too hard. Saffron was never good at goodbyes anyway. So with a kiss on Stevie’s forehead, a stolen flannel from her love, her five year olds drawing of their happy family from off the fridge a promise ring still on her finger, and the kind of heartbreak that doesn’t make a sound, she left.
For years, Saffron drifted. In and out. Clean, then not. Christmas visits. Birthday presents. Disappearing acts. She became a ghost in the lives she loved most, and it hurt her dearly, never stopping for long, never settling, never quite able to outrun herself.Until she hit bottom.
A church. A priest named Tarragon. Withdrawal shaking through her bones and something in her finally breaking open instead of apart. That was almost ten years ago.
Now, Saffron Boone is sober. Steady. A newly appointed teacher. Still a little wild around the edges, still the girl with the music in her veins and fire in her mouth, still in love with the same man and still very much Stevie’s mother at her core, but now she’s grounded in a way she never thought she’d be. She dresses a little more polished now, plays the part when she has to… but the rocker, the rebel, the girl who said fuck it and chose her own life? She’s still there. Always will be.
She’s back in Cypress Cove now. Not because she gives a shit about that town, but because what matters most to her is there. Saige. Stevie. Her sisters. Family. She’s missed too many birthdays. Firsts. Whole chapters of her daughter’s life she’ll never get back. And Saige, the only man she’s ever loved, he’s still there too, steady as ever, even after everything.
Saffron doesn’t expect forgiveness. She doesn’t expect things to magically be perfect. It’s like glueing back together a broken vase, it’ll never be exactly what it was, but there is hope that it can still be beautiful again. Perhaps she can still have a wonderful life with her family. If they’ll have her. She’s here now. Sober. Trying. Ready to fight for a place in their lives again.
And if the town has something to say about it? Well… they can go fuck themselves. Saffron Boone is back, bitches.
"See and that's what makes a good teacher. Parents are important but if you can't connect with the kids well they're not going to learn from you." He said. "Well a pleasure Saffron. Love Fine Arts. It's very necessary." He said before shaking his head. "Local school. I'm not really one to teach somewhere private."
He chuckled. "I like to think I can be both. I mean I don't need to have perfect order. But the kids need to learn to settle and listen when instruction is happening." he said then shook his head. "Oh if it is I'll love it. It's supposed to be engaging and fun. And you won't been the only one with glitter monsters." he joked. "I'm a second grade teacher Mr. Torres, but Lalo is fine. Sometimes I just let the kids have at it with some art based project. "
“Mr. Torres, you’re gonna have me thinkin’ you actually know what you’re talkin’ about.” She shook her head, a playful smile rising on her lips. “I agree though. Kids can spot a fake from a mile away. If they know you care about ‘em, they’ll usually meet you halfway. I’m hoping for that scenario, honestly.” At the mention of glitter monsters, she groaned dramatically.
“I haven’t even made it through my first week and you’re tellin’ me I’m gonna be findin’ glitter in my hair till Christmas?” Her eyes sparkle with amusement. “I guess it’s a good thing I like to sparkle then, huh?” She wasn’t afraid to get dirty “Second grade? That’s a fun one. Big feelings, little attention spans, and somehow always sticky. I miss when my girl was that small.” She points at him playfully.
“You can come borrow my art supplies when your class decides they need a surprise masterpiece day. Feel free to tag team with me anytime, especially if it’s a means for survival.” She winked. “ well if you’re one of my class room neighbors, I think I’m gonna like teaching here. Would it be OK if I sat with you at lunch? I think you’re the first one of my coworkers I’ve met, although I have a meeting with the principal and a walk-through coming up soon.”
Celeste didn’t actually need any more clothes but she was never opposed to exploring the clothing section. She was walking through the aisle, looking things over when she heard a familiar voice. She questioned for a moment whether or not she was hallucinating, but then she smiled. She watched as the employee approached and helped Saffron get the item she needed before deciding to approach.
Crossing her arms over her chest, Celeste pretended to look like a scolding parent. “Saffron Boone walks up into town and doesn’t even bother to tell her sister. I should use your legal name for that sort of behavior…” she teased her, smirking a bit. Of course, she was no better. She hadn’t bothered to tell Saffron she was coming back to Cypress Cove. Sometimes surprises were better.
Saffron nearly dropped what she holding when she heard her. Turning slowly, she looked at her sister with wide eyes wonder, as if she’d somehow stepped straight out of one of her memories. For a minute she thought she was imagining things.
“Celeste?” A small nervous laugh left her. The longer she looked the more a smile crept on her face. “Now hold on just one damn minute.” she pointed a finger at her, eyes narrowing suspiciously. “You bring my government name into this conversation and I’m walkin’ right back outta this store.”The warning would’ve carried more weight if she’d been able to hold her stern look for more than a minute, but the smile she’d tried to bite back was already betraying her. God, she’d missed this. Missed having someone in her corner, someone to look up to, argue with, someone who looked at her like she wasn’t the family fuck up. Just her baby sister. “Look at you… still my annoyingly bossy big sister I see.”
She shifted awkwardly for half a second, suddenly feeling sixteen again. “I was gonna call…” she admitted anxiously. “I promise I was….” She bit her lip. “After I got settled….” Her laugh was quieter this time. She wanted to be someone her sister wanted around, could be proud of. “Its so good to see you, Cece.”And she meant it. More than she probably knew how to say.“C’mere.” She gestured dramatically, arms wide open for a hug if she wanted it. “You look annoyingly good for someone who just threatened to call me Janice. What are you doing back here? I thought you escaped this place?” Saffron had admired Celeste for moving away from cypress, he’ll she’d once dreamed of doing the same, and for a while she did, but her heart and her family were here. Stevie, Saige, one friends and new. This place had a way of calling her back.
Her imitation of his face almost earned her another almost-smile. Almost. “Now that,” Wyatt said, pointing toward her attempt at copying him, “was rude.” But there wasn’t heat in it. Just tired fondness. Wyatt looked down at the porch boards for a second before answering, “She remembered that cake,” he said. “Every year.” He sighed softly. “She’d ask if we were makin’ it. And every year she would say it wasn’t as good as yours.”
When she asked what Stevie was like, he looked at her. “She’s stubborn,” he said. “Runs straight at things instead of around ’em. Always has.” A small smile flickered across his face. “She talks with her hands when she’s excited. Gets that from Saige.” He nodded at her. “And she’s got your laugh. Same one. Comes outta nowhere and fills a whole room.” He let that sit there between them for a minute before continuing. “She’s kind,” he added. “Too kind sometimes. Looks after people when she shouldn’t have to. Learned that young.” He nodded. “She grew up alright,” he said more firmly then, meeting her eyes again. “Saige made sure of that. Though, she does shut herself off a bit. She had a boyfriend, Ryder. She still won’t really talk about what happened between them.”
Her question about whether Stevie had been scared when she left made him feel protective. “Yeah,” he said gently. “She was. But kids are tougher than we give ’em credit for. She didn’t break. She asked about you for a long time. Then she stopped askin’ out loud. She didn’t stop missin’ you,” he added after a second. “Just figured missin’ somebody ain’t the same as gettin’ ’em back. If you’re stayin’, you should tell her. If you aren’t.. you should just go, Saff.”
The almost smile earned a small victory grin from from Saffron. “Well, somebody’s gotta keep you humble.” she mutters, though the joke died pretty quick when he starts talking about Stevie. Her expression shifted all at once.Every year. The words tore at her heart, her chest tightening as he went on. She couldn’t look him in the eyes, focusing on the sugar canister in her hands.Stevie remembered the cake, she asked for it, and no one elses measured up, god that broke her, Saffron’s breath caught. She covered her mouth with her free hand, blinking rapidly as tears burned behind her eyes.
“God…” she laughed weakly, shaking her head. “Of course she did.” Her girl had never given up on her. It should have been a relief but all she felt was guilt. She listened quietly after that. About Stevie’s laugh. Her kindness. The boyfriend. The missing pieces of a daughter she doesn’t know anymore. Every detail felt precious.Every word something she should’ve been there to witness herself. She vowed then she’d never miss another second.
“I know.” she agreed softly when told her Stevie had been scared. “I know she was.”A long breath leaves her.“The truth is…” she swallows. “I left because I thought I was gonna destroy them. Especially after that horrible day…” Her voice cracks slightly.“Every time I came back, I’d get clean for a little while and think maybe I could do it. Then I’d fall apart again.” She shakes her head. “I couldn’t stand the idea of Stevie rememberin’ me as the mama who kept breakin’ promises.” Her fingers tighten around the sugar.“So I stayed gone until I knew.”
This time her eyes lift to his.“I’m stayin’, Wyatt.” No hesitation. No joke.Just truth. “I got clean, I got a steady job, I came home. I got ten years sober behind me and a whole lotta people I wanna make things right with. Maybe you’re right, maybe I should’ve come home sooner. But the truth is, I couldn’t forgive myself if I came home and let them now again. I won’t let them down again.” she said it with every ounce of a mother’s conviction that she could muster.“And hear this, and know it to be true, Stevie Boone is never gonna have to wonder where her birthday cake’s comin’ from again. Or miss her mama’s. Because her mama is home, and I’m gonna make it every year until the day I die.” She let out a watery laugh.
“You better come eat some with us too. I’m makin’ enough cream cheese frosting to put half this town into a sugar coma… and I’ll prove it to you, Wyatt. You’ll see. I’m back.. for real. No more leaving, no more running… and I know I need to tell Stevie and Saige why I really left, but I have to do it when it feels right. Soon.. No more secrets, no more lies, but I’m scared… what if I tell them and they want me to leave? What if they can’t forgive me? Hell I can’t even forgive me. I don’t blame you for lookin’ at me the way you do…”
Stevie’s eyes flicked briefly to Saige when he stepped forward to take the bag from her, the apology in his voice louder than the words themselves. Her attention pulled back to Saffron almost immediately, like her brain was still trying to catch up with what her eyes already knew. Starshine. The nickname landed somewhere deep in her chest before she had time to prepare for it.
She let out a small breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding and folded her arms across her chest, a small protective gesture. She wasn’t sure how to feel when Saffron called her beautiful, especially since she said it to Saige and not her. “Yeah, I do that. Grow.” She wasn’t trying to be cold, she was just trying to process it all.
She watched the way Saffron pushed her hair back, the familiar movement that bringing a wash of memories. Pancakes in the morning, late night songs. “You’re… here,” she said after a moment. She looked at them both. “I didn’t mean to interrupt anything…”
Saffron immediately shook her head, one hand flying up to smooth her hair back behind her ear as she looked between her lover and thier grown up girl. Her family. Her heart. Saige and Stevie. Her brows dipped in a dreamy was as she grinned.“Oh honey, no! No! You ain’t interruptin’ nothin’!” The words came out a little too fast to be as convincing as she’d hoped, her cheeks flushed pink from the adrenaline of seeing her daughter again mixed with the rekindled passion, she had felt being pressed up against the wall moments earlier by Saige.
A nervous laugh slipped out of her after a minute and she looked at Saige like they had been caught with thier hands in a candy jar.. “Nothin’ we can’t continue later…” She gave Saige’s arm a squeeze that said they certainly would be. “We were waiting for you to get home actually! We wanted to surprise you! I was going to make dinner and everything...” Then her gaze dropped to the bag in Saige’s hand. “Heavenly is what they smell! I used to dream about those burgers.” She laughed. “ Maybe I could make up some potato salad to go with it? Or desert for you two? ” She offered, grateful for the distraction.
Her thumb brushed cautiously across her lipstick before she looked back at Stevie, and just… stared for a second. God. She was so grown up. The same eyes. The same stubborn little expression she’d had at five years old when she’d refuse to wear matching socks. “Grew up too fast my liking is what you did… I’m sorry I wasn’t here to see it.” Her eyes watered over, her head shaking in disbelief.
“If there ain’t enough pickles on yours, I’ll find some. Pretty sure I owe you at least a lifetime supply. You used to love it when I’d make a little smiley face of pickle pieces…” She wondered if Stevie remembered that, liking extra pickles on her burgers, or if she’d been too small. Changed too much.
“But, uh…” Her eyes found Stevie’s again. “I’m home. Not just for supper or the weekend.” A nervous smile flickered across her face. “Home, home. I’m better now. Really. I’ve been sober for long enough to trust myself with you, and I got a teaching job at the elementary school and everything. I was hoping I could move back in… I was just discussing it with your daddy.. if you didn’t mind… if it was alright with you both?”
“Oh, I brought you somethin’! i saw it and it just spoke to me, I knew you had to have it..” she held up a small drawstring trinket bag. The first of many gifts, she had a lot of birthdays and holidays to make up for. “I missed you so much..” She hesitated for just a second before opening her arms slightly, not assuming, not pushing.“Could I.. uh.. give you a hug , starshine?”
Fiona had been halfway down the next rack over, carefully flipping through a row of cardigans she absolutely did not need but kept convincing herself were “practical,” when she heard the comment about the top shelf. She looked up at the mention of climbing shelves and immediately stepped closer, smiling as she reached easily above Saffron’s outstretched hand.
“Oh no, we are definitely not having a dramatic fall in a store,” she teased as she pulled the box down and handed it to her. “I feel professionally obligated to intervene before that happens.” She gave a small, amused shake of her head. “I’ a special education teacher. I spend most of my day redirecting creative but questionable climbing attempts.” She admitted.
“For what it’s worth,” she added warmly, “you already look exactly like a respectable schoolteacher. I also find that a cardigan helps.” She looked sheepishly as she shifted the hangers on her arm slightly and smiled. “First week at the school?”
Saffron let a snort of a laugh out as Fiona reached up with ease, accepting the box with an appreciative smile.“Well now, I surely do appreciate you savin’ me from my own bad decisions.” she grinned playfully, glancing up at the shelf like it personally offended her. “Would’ve been real hard to explain the back brace from my dramatic fall that one on my first week.”She quirked a brow, impressed.
“Special ed? That’s amazing. I bet the kids love you. I’ll be teaching fine arts, so maybe we can do some joint lessons for some of the kids?” she adds lightly. “I might need redirectin’ myself some days. Like just now, so thank you again. ”At the compliment, she smooths a hand over her cardigan and grinned.
“Don’t let this fool you too much, I’ve got the mouth of a sailor, and the tattoos to prove it. I’m more of a hippie at heart.” she says, a little softer. “I’m still gettin’ used to lookin’ the part. It’s not really my style, but this is my first job and a really long time and I want to make sure they don’t regret hiring me, well, for the first week or so at least..”
She nodded at the question, shifting the cardigan in her hands. “Yeah, it is. First time teaching period actually, so if things are a little wanky, I apologize in advance for throwing off any grooves. I’m Saffron. ” She shrugs. “How about you? You been at the school long, or am I not the only new face tryin’ to figure it all out?”
Bastian was sitting at his desk grading some spelling tests when he heard the door to his classroom open and a familiar voice begin to speak. His eyes widened as he looked up and saw who it was. When he had volunteered to show the new teacher around he certainly hadn't expected to see Saffron freaking Boone.
He stood from his desk and began to make his over to her chuckling and shaking his head as she swore and then caught herself. "Not so little anymore." He teased with a smile. "It's good to see you Saffy." He said pulling her into a warm hug before pulling back and getting a proper look at her. "You look good." Much better than the last time he had seen her.
"Yeah, who would've guessed the two of us would both end up teaching here?" He quipped shaking his head with a bit of wistful sigh, he certainly never planned on it. "You're in good hands." He assured her. "Been here for..." His eyes widened as he did the math and realized just how long it'd been back since he'd returned to the town he had sworn he never would. "Over 10 years now wow. Any questions you have I have the answers, and if I don't I know where to get them." Bastian insisted. He smiled at her words, he'd always had a soft spot for Saffron since he was a kid, he'd always hated the way her family had treated her, it reminded him of the way his parents had treated Bellamy. Bastian couldn't imagine ever treating your child, any child like that.
"Oh you know, staying busy, trying to help shape the children of this town into decent people." He said "Sometimes it feels like that's easier said than done." He shook his head as a humorless laugh escaped his lips. "Anyway, what about you? How've you been? What brings you back to tiny little Cypress Cove after all these years Saffy?" Bastian asked curiously.
Saffron laughed softly as he pulled her into a hug, melting into it for a second longer than she probably meant to, but hugging him felt like home. Bastian was one of the few people apart from Saige or her sister that she felt really saw her, understood her when they were kids. She pulled back, but her her hands lingered a moment as she took him in fully.
“Yeah, yeah… not so little now, but don’t let it go to your head. I’m still older, sassier, and a biter. ” she rolled her eyes. “You clean up real nice yourself, Bas. Teacher life’s treatin’ you good I see. I’m proud. You deserve to be doing something that makes you feel good..”At his question, she exhaled, taking a moment to really thin before answering.
“I’ve been… worse.. I’m doing better now, much better.” She nods slowly, her voice a bit thick but proud none the less. “I’ve been sober for a while now, so I figured it was about time I came home and did somethin’ with myself that didn’t involve runnin’ from the ones I love any longer.”
Her gaze drifts around the classroom for a second before landing back on him.“My family, Saige, Stevie. My sisters… I didn’t miss this town, but I missed the people. My people… Missed you, if I’m bein’ honest,” she adds, a little more playful. “I wanna show up for the ones I love. Do it right. Be the mother, the fiance, the sister, friend, woman I know I can be.. drinking took so much from me, so much time.. I just.. I want to take my life back. So.. here I am..”
She tilted her head, studying him with that same easy curiosity from years ago. “I’m sure your doing a fine job of Hilton. These young minds grow up to be better than the generation before them, Lord knows somebody needs to be teaching the kids around here how to be decent. If anyone can do it, it’s you. You’ve always had that way about you with people. You’re gentle, kind nurturing. And I’m glad you’re doing good.” she hums. “So tell me, Mr. Mentor… what am I walkin’ into? These kids gonna eat me alive or am I gonna be their favorite by lunch??”
This was one of Lalo's first free days in a while. No practice. No school. His daughter and wife spending the day together getting manicures. Normally he would have gone with them he loved just spending time with his family and his daughter and the girls at the rink got a kick out of seeing him with his nails done but he'd wanted to get a little shopping done get a couple of dresses for his daughter's birthday next month and something for mother's day for his wife.
He smiled a bit hearing one of his coworkers. "Well you're in quite a pickle here." he joked. "I don't know if I want to tarnish my reputation as a school teacher." he said even as he reached to help her grab the item it being just in reach for him. "Parents here aren't too bad. Some might judge you but it all washes off in the end when you end up being their kid's favorite teacher."
Saffron let out a soft laugh as he grabbed the item. “Hey that’s good. A right pickle indeed, until you came along and saved me. Thank you.” She it from him with an appreciative smile.
“You know what , if bein’ the kids’ favorite means I gotta survive a little side-eye from the parents, I reckon I’ll live,” she added with a small shrug. “I’ve been called much worse.” She rolled her eyes playfully.
When he mentioned teaching her brows lifted curiously.
“You teach too? Small world.” She laughed. “I’m saffron, new fine arts teacher..” she asks, leaning her hip against the shelf. “What do you teach? Are you at the academy or local school? More importantly, are you one of the fun ones or the strict kind? I’m just gonna apologize in advance if your classrooms near mine because there’s gonna be a lot of glitter and a lot of singing and banging on instruments.”
Where: Wake Up Coffee
Whom: Saffron Boone
// @saffron-boone
Morning light spilled soft and gold across the windows of Wake Up Coffee, catching the slow curl of steam rising from his cup of coffee. Tarragon was sitting near the window, enjoying his coffee, the sun, and the peace of morning. His Bible was open in front of him and he was reading his daily passages. He was meeting Saffron for their Saturday check-ins. He had insisted that they could end them whenever she'd like, but he was glad that she hadn't made that decision yet. He remembered when she first stumbled into his chapel, trying to get a hold of the communion wine. He'd offered to let her have it, but only that once and only if she sat and talked to him first. She's done amazing since then. He was so proud of her.
When the bell above the door gave that soft chime, his gaze lifted up and he smiled seeing her. He rose to his feet, offering a gentle wave. "Saffron," he announced himself not loudly but just loud enough to reach the door from his table. "You are right on time." He held out his hand to the table. "I took the liberty. I think I remember your order well enough." He slowly moved to sit back down and closed the Bible in front of him, moving it to the side. "Tell me all the things. How was your first week of work?"
Saffron's head snapped towards tarragon's direction when she heard him calling for her. One hand went up in a wave.
"Am I? Well I'll be, I am on time." She grinned, setting her bag down before leaning in to give him a warm hug. "Who even am I anymore?" She pulled back, eyes dropping to the cup he's already set out for her.
"Of course you remembered" He always did recall little things like that about her, and that's part of why she loved him. "Spoilin' me as always, Father." With a wink she took a sip.
"It's been... good, I think. So far. " she admits, a hint of disbelief in her voice. "Strange, being in charge of a whole room of little kids, if you'd told me I'd be doing that, dressed in soft pastels a few years ago! would have laughed, but.. here I am, somehow I made it!" she joked, but there was an underlying emotion there, her eyes watered up thinking about how far she came. "Principal seems to like me well enough, she took a big chance on hiring me and I don't want her regret it." She admitted. "Oh, Bastian's there! Very old friend. We were kids together, he's been showing me around. So that's been... nice. I don't feel like I'm going in completely blind.
Her fingers curled around the cup. "I think I'm gonna like it." she adds, a little more certain. "They're sweet. Messy, but sweet. None of them cried or got injured on my watch, I'm callin' that a win." A soft laugh followed them she bit her lip.
"Being back's the scary part." she says more honestly. "With Saige... with Stevie." A faint smile tugs at her lips, but there's nerves underneath it. "I just... don't wanna mess it up this time. I can't, if I do, I might lose them forever. Maybe not Saige, but Stevie. I can't.. abandon her again. I've already lost so much time, I'm scared she won't let me in this time as it is.." She took a long sip of her drink. "But I'm here. I'm tryin' my damnest to be good, stay clean, and earn the right to call myself Saige's fiancé, or Stevie's mother. It's all I can do, That's gotta count for somethin", right?"
She took a breath. "What about you, hmm? What has my dear sweet tarragon been up to? Besides saving people's lives? Present company included."
This week on honesty Wednesday, we are featuring SEXY questions. Enter at your own risk. These questions are nsfw!
If you are participating, please reblog this! Remember participation is completely optional and does NOT count as activity check! Tag with #cypresscove.honesty and #nsfw.
A... B... C...
[ aftercare ] ― what are they like after sex? any specific routine they have for themselves or their partner that they like to do?
[ body part ] ― what is their favorite body part? what kind of body / parts would they like their partner to have ( e.g. big boobs, long cock, etc. )?
[ cum ] ― what does it take to make them come? can they come multiple times in one sitting or do they need longer breaks?
[ desires ] ― what turns them on? what do they like to have done to them most? what do they like to do to their partner most?
[ experience ] ― how experienced are they? how many different partners did they have?
[ first time ] ― what was their first time like? when did it happen? did they enjoy it?
[ grooming ] ― do they shave? do they have a preference for their partners when it comes to body hair?
[ horny ] ― how high is their sex drive? do they have a lot of sex or is it a more occasional thing? is sex, in general, important to them?
[ intimacy ] ― how are they during sex? do they prefer a more intimate / romantic approach or a more casual one?
[ joker ] ― tell one random headcanon that wouldn’t fit anywhere else on the list.
[ kinks ] ― what is their biggest kink? are there any kinks they haven’t tried but want to? are there any kinks they have tried but learned are not for them?
[ locations ] ― what are their favorite locations to have sex? are they a risk taker where people could walk in on them, or do they prefer to keep it private?
[ masturbation ] ― do they masturbate? if so, how often?
[ no go ] ― what wouldn’t they do? what turns them off?
[ oral ] ― do they prefer to give or receive oral? anything specific they enjoy / don’t enjoy when it comes to oral?
[ positions ] ― what are their favorite sex positions? is there something they typically default to? a special position they’ve always wanted to try?
[ quickies ] ― do they have one-night stands? if so, how often?
[ rounds ] ― how many rounds can they go before having to take a break? how good is their stamina?
[ secrets ] ― do they have any dirty secrets? if so, what are they?
[ toys ] ― do they on toys? do they use toys on themselves or like to use them on their partners?
[ underwear ] ― what type of underwear do they typically wear? do they own lingerie? is there something specific they like their partner to wear?
[ volume ] ― how loud do they get during sex? do they prefer a partner that’s louder or one that’s quieter?
[ watch ] ― do they like to watch their partner masturbating or having sex with someone else? do they like to be watched?
[ xxx ] ― do they watch porn? if so, how often? anything specific they like to watch?
[ yearning ] ― what do they typically do to get people to have sex with them? do they let it happen naturally or are there things they like to do to turn their partners on?
[ zzz ] ― how quickly after sex do they fall asleep? are they usually tired after or full of energy?
Stevie nudged the front door open with her hip, the paper bag of burgers crinkling softly in her arm as she stepped inside. “You wouldn’t answer your phone, so I made an executive decision for dinner,” she called out as she kicked the door shut behind her. She barely made it two steps into the house before she slowed. Something smelled familiar.
It wasn't her dad's shampoo or the laundry soap they’d used forever. It was a scent she hadn’t noticed in years but somehow still recognized immediately. Her stomach dipped before she even understood why. Her eyes caught on the suitcase near the hallway next. “Dad?” she tried again, quieter now as she rounded the corner and stopped.
For a second she didn’t move at all. Saige’s arms around wrapped around her. Saffron’s legs wrapped around his waist. Like no time had passed. Like this was normal. Stevie set the bag of food down carefully on the nearest surface before she dropped it. “…okay,” she said after a moment. Her eyes finally lifted to Saffron’s face properly. She was older but she was real. “…hi, Mom.”
Saffron melts into him like she never forgot how, breath catching soft in her throat at his words, at the way he’s looking at her. A quiet, almost disbelieving laugh slips out against his lips. “Almost a decade…” she murmurs, like she’s still wrapping her head around it too. “I wanted to make sure it stuck before I came back. Got my life together. A degree, something to show for myself.” She’d relapsed before and didn’t want to chance it and hurt them again.
Her eyes soften when he says this is your home. That hits somewhere deep. “I love you, Saige Boone. You will always be my home.” She kisses him with more fire, a soft hum escaping her as she wraps around him. She’s been starved for this. “Missed you… so much…god I love you…” she breathes, half-laughing, her forehead brushing his when he mentions them having some time. “Let’s make the most of it then..”
And then she hears it. The words dad from an all too grown up voice calling to Saige and she freezes.Her head turns first, then the rest of her, and suddenly she’s not wrapped up in him anymore. She’s moving away, smoothing her dress, pushing her hair back like that’ll somehow steady her.Her heart pounds against her ribs as she takes in the beautiful creature before her. Stevie. Half afraid if she blinks she’ll disappear. Even though that’s typically her move.
“Hi, Starshine.” She smiles shakily, her voice catching just a little as she lifts her hand in a small wave. “Oh my gosh…look at you… you got so big!” she lets out a quiet, almost disbelieving laugh, her eyes shining as she takes her in. “She’s beautiful, Saige..” Her eyes never leave Stevie, she’s in pure amazement their love made the woman standing before them. Addiction was hell. Time was a thief. “Im.. back.. I missed you.. so much.. how.. are you?”
Wyatt didn’t smile at the marching band comment. Not even a small twitch. But something in him visibly softened at the word family. His eyes dropped briefly to the bowl again when she said confetti cake, then back to her face when she said she’d been sober. "Well, at least you remembered that it was Stevie's favorite. He finally held the sugar out toward her.
“I know you were sick,” he said quietly. “And I know you didn’t wake up one mornin’ and decide to hurt anybody on purpose. But Stevie was a teenager last time she saw you,” he continued, gaze settling on her again. There wasn’t accusation in it exactly. Just truth. He leaned his shoulder against the doorframe now instead of blocking it. “I ain’t sayin’ it was easy and I ain’t sayin’ you didn’t go through hell. But you don’t get to disappear on people and come back expectin’ it to land soft." His eyes flicked briefly next door to Saige’s place, then back to her. “Saige’s gonna want to believe you,” he said. “Hell, he already does. And Stevie...” He paused for a moment. "I don't want to see her hurt again."
He looked at Saffron again, taking in her appearance. “Job’s good,” he nodded. “Sober’s better.” He met her eyes. “I hope you mean it. For real this time.” His gaze softened slightly. “And for the record, I ain’t ever had a grumpy look in my life.”
Saffron took the sugar hesitantly. “For the record.” she eyes him up and down. “that right there?” She imitates his expression in the most amusing way possible. “That’s a grumpy face if I ever seen one. You ain’t foolin’ nobody.” She shakes her head.“Course I remembered.” she whispered, his words cuttin deep. “What kinda mama would I be if I forgot my star shine’s favorite cake?” Pain flashes in her pathetic attempt of a smile. Her gaze drops for a second. She doesn’t interrupt. Doesn’t deflect. She just takes it.
“I know.” she says “I ain’t expectin’ it to be all smooth, but I’m trying my best. .”Her thumb rubs absently along the edge of the sugar canister. “I thought about her every day, Wyatt. I never stopped.” she adds, voice softer, steadier. “Every birthday I missed, every Christmas… all of it.” A shakeu breath. “She’s the reason I pushed myself to get clean for keeps. I love that kid more than anything in the world.”
Her eyes drift next door for just a second at the mention of Saige.“He always did believe in me more than I deserved, the broken his heart and pieced it back together more times than I can count. I just hope I’ve got enough glue to hold it… I worry he’ll go off me for good one day…” she murmurs, almost to herself, before looking back at Wyatt.
“…What’s she like?” she asks after a second. “Stevie, I mean. I haven’t gotten the chance to talk to her much yet…” Her fingers tighten slightly around the sugar. “I remember… before. When she was a baby, some things from when when she was about five.. But a lot of it is hazy…” she trails off, shaking her head. More than she wants to admit. “Was she scared? When I left? Did she.. grow up alright without me? I was afraid if I stayed I’d just… ruin her like I’d ruined me…” It was difficult to ask, to admit, to open herself up so raw.
Fallon was browsing a rack of soft linen dresses nearby when she heard the woman’s voice. She turned quickly, a warm smile gracing her lips as she stepped closer without a moment’s hesitation. “Oh gosh, of course!” she said brightly, setting down the scarf she’d been holding and reaching up on her tiptoes toward the high shelf. Her fingers brushed the box a couple of times before she managed to nudge it forward and catch it carefully with both hands. “These shelves really are out to get us, huh? Here you go!”
She handed the box over with a gentle laugh, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “And don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me. No PTA moms will ever know how close you came to climbing the shelves,” she added with a playful wink, her voice light and kind. “You’re going to be a teacher? That’s wonderful! What are you going to teach?”
Fallon tilted her head slightly, her expression open and genuinely curious, the kind of easy friendliness that made it clear she was already hoping they’d keep talking.
Saffron let out a soft laugh as Fallon successfully wrangled the box down, her brows lifting in impressed approval. “You make it look easy. I was about one second from riskin’ my dignity for it.”
She taps the box lightly against her palm, grin tugging at her lips. “I appreciate you keepin’ that between us.” she adds, leaning in just a fraction like it’s a secret. “Not that I give a shit about what the PTA moms think, I’d like to make it through my first week without them I whisperin’ about me turning over shelves and possibly I hurting more than my dignity while shopping.”
At the question, her expression brightens. “Fine arts.” she says, a small proud tilt to her chin. “Bit of everything really, paintin’, music, crafts… glitter if I’m feelin’ brave.” A quiet laugh slips out. “Tryin’ to keep the kiddos creative juices flowing.” Her fingers smooth absentmindedly over the front of her cardigan before she glances back up. “First time teaching since I finished getting my degree, So… wish me luck.” She tilts her head, studying Fallon with an easy curiosity. “What about you?”
Leilani loved to go to the clothing shop and thrift her way through things. She knew that there were so many different things that the shop had to offer, so she made sure to check in every once in a while to see if she could find something on sale. She was walking through the aisles but then saw that someone was having an issue with reaching on the top shelf.
Leilani giggled softly as she walked over to her and then looked around. Since she wasn't really much taller, she was going to have to become creative in how she helped her out. "I don't mind helping you out at all but I know that we are going to have to come up with something. "Alright, so." She said as she then looked to the side and saw one of the seats people sat on to try on shoes so she pulled it over and she hopped up on it and then she was able to get the item that the woman was looking for.
As she hopped off of the seat, Leilani smile and held out the item to the other. "Here ya go. It looks like you were able to get it. What kind of school teacher are you?"
Saffron let out a soft laugh as Leilani moved the little seat over, watching her climb up like its mission impossible. “Well damn.” she grins “Look at you! problem solver and stunt performer all in one.”She takes the item from her with a warm smile. “Thank you, darlin’. You just saved me from embarrassin’ myself in a very public, if I tried that, it wouldn’t have been half as dignified.” She laughs. “Fine arts.” she says, a small proud tilt to her chin. “So, y’know… paint, music, glitter, whatever keeps ‘em from eatin’ glue and fightin’ each other.” She shrugs.
“First year, I start in a few days. I’m a bit nervous, if I’m honest.” she adds, smoothing a hand over the front of her dress. “Tryin’ to be all respectable an’ whatnot.” Then her eyes land on Leilani. “What about you? You always out here savin’ strangers in thrift stores or am I just today’s lucky winner?”
Wyatt had heard the knock the first time. He knew who it was. Not many people knocked at his house and he'd been expecting it since his conversation with Saige in the morning. He sighed, standing there a second longer than he needed to. Years. It had been years. And somehow she was back on his porch like she’d only stepped out to borrow a rake. He finally crossed the room and opened the door, blocking it as he leaned against the doorframe. His eyes flicked first to the mixing bowl, then to the flour on her sleeve, then to her face, like he was trying to line this version of her up with the one he remembered and the one he’d seen leaving Saige’s that morning.
“Well,” he said slowly, one brow lifting. “That’s one way to make an entrance back into town.” His arms folded over his chest, more out of habit than hostility. He looked back at the kitchen before stepping back just enough to reach for the sugar canister off the counter behind him. He didn’t hand it over right away, just holding onto it. “You planning on staying long enough this time to actually bake whatever that is,” he asked quietly, meeting her eyes again, “or should I expect you to disappear again before it comes outta the oven?”
Saffron leans a little into the doorframe when he blocks it. “Oh Yeah? I thought about hiring a marching band to play but decided it might be overkill.” Theirs a subtle bite to her tone.“Got bangs.” she adds, almost offhandedly. As if it’ll weigh in her favor. She nudges a strand with her shoulder. “Figured I’d try somethin’ new. Hair, clothes, stickin around for my family…”
Her gaze drops to the sugar in his hand when he doesn’t pass it over, and she lets out a quiet little huff through her nose.“Confetti cake.” she says, lifting the bowl a touch like proof. “Cream cheese icing. Even got the name brand stuff.” She offers a sideways glance back up at him. “You can come have some if you wipe that grumpy look off your face. Might even let you lick the spoon if you behave.”
Her hand lingers there for a second before she slowly pulls it back, fingers curling lightly against the side of the bowl instead. “That ain’t exactly fair, Wyatt. I was sick, you know that. I couldn’t help it… I couldn’t cope.. I made bad choices…” she adds after a second, voice gentler, eyes steady on his. “You’re worried I’m gonna hurt them again, I get it. I know I ain’t exactly got a great track record of stickin’ around, But I’m not just passin’ through this time. I got a job.” she says, wondering if airing her business might earn her the smallest chance of grace with him. “Been sober a long while now too. Im better, Wy. For real this time.” She said it with more honestly a truth than she’s spoken in years.
“So…” she nudges the bowl lightly with her hip. “You gonna hand over the sugar or you plannin’ on interrogatin’ me all afternoon?”
Saffron paused just outside the classroom door, smoothing her hands down the front of her dress to settle her nerves. She also wasn’t a fan of wedging tights and clothes like this, but she was trying to make a good impression. The halls smell faintly like cleaner and crayons. God, it’s been a long time since she’s been in a place like this.
She exhales once, then nudges the door open. “Hi? I’m here for— ” The words die in her throat. Her brows shoot up, lips parting before a slow grin spreads across her face. “Well I’ll be damned! I mean darned! If it ain’t little Bastian. You teaching? I didn’t expect that one.” She squeals stepping further into the room. “They lettin’ just anybody teach now?”
A soft laugh slips out of her as she shakes her head. “Present Company included. I can’t believe it. Look at you…” she hums, a little more genuine underneath the sass. “You look good.” She shifts her bag higher on her shoulder. “Guess they weren’t kiddin’ when they said I’d have a mentor.” she adds, grin tugging at her lips again. “Didn’t think it’d be you. I’m glad it is. You’re one of the few people I actually like in this town. How you been?”
Saffron lets out a soft little hum as she steps inside, the familiar creak of the floorboards hitting her like a memory she didn't realize she'd missed this much. For a second, she just stands there taking it all in."God... place looks the same." she murmurs, glancing around, her fingers brushing lightly along the wall as she passes. "Little dusty though. Nothin I can't fix, now that I'm home." Her nose scrunches just a bit, but she steps closer anyway like she doesn't really mind in the slightest. Her hand lifts almost without thinking and her fingers begin walking up his chest slow and deliberate until she reaches his neck then lands on his cheek, thumb brushing just beneath his eye.
"Still at the docks.." she says quietly, something warmer in her voice now. Respectful. A little proud, even if she doesn't say it outright. "Still carryin' my bags like a gentleman... providing for our gir!.. taking care of everything.." she teases gently. "Some things don't change. "Her voice softens when she speaks again.
"I meant what I said, though." Her fingers loosen in his shirt, but don't quite drop away. "About stayin' a while. I... I'm not just passin' through this time." Her voice is sincere although it wavers a bit. "I'm sober, Saige." It comes out simple. Her eyes are clear, unwavering when they meet his, no fog, no flicker of anything but honesty.
"Been for a long while now." she adds with a small shrug, like she's trying to keep it light even though it's anything but. "Did it right this time. For you and our girl. The whole thing. Meetings, a sponsor, all that fun shit. It was hell but worth it. " She flashed a crooked smile. "Even got myself a degree. Bet you didn't have that on your bingo card."She lifts her brows. "Turns out they trust me with little kids. Terrifying, I know. I'm the new fine arts teacher." Her gaze flicking toward the empty space behind him again.
"She's really not here?" It comes out as a half whine she doesn't hide well, her lips forming a pout. "Damn. I was hopping I could surprise you both together... but I guess l'll see her when she gets back.. she's all grown up now, think she'll be happy to see me?" She murmurs, stepping in closer again, invading his space like she belongs there, because somewhere deep down, she still thinks she does.
Her fingers hook lightly into the front of his shirt this time, giving a small tug as she tilts her head up at him.Her thumb brushes along his jaw, slow, absent, like she's not even fully aware she's doing it. "For a man who smells like fish most of the time, you still know how to make me swoon. You been workin' out, or is that just me remembering how foolish I was to walk away from you..."
Saige's brow furrowed when Saffron mentioned the dust and nothing she couldn't fix. "You are going to clean my house...?" he asked her with a small smile, but deep down they both knew that this was there house. He let her back in without a second though. And then she said the words he longed to hear for a long time. I'm sober. Shock was written across his face. He stared at her for a long moment before a smile stretched across his lips. "Really?" he asked in a soft voice. "You are here to stay? You are sober?" He had so many questions, but he didn't want to bombard her, too afraid that it would overwhelm her and send her away again.
He couldn't help but chuckle. "I am surprised they trust you with kids... not because you wouldn't be good at it, but because they usually have such an intense hiring process..." He stepped toward her, reaching out for her and almost pulling her toward him. "I think she'll be... cautious at first, but I think she'll be happy to see you..." His biggest fear when Saffron would flit into town was that Stevie would be hurt. Not himself. He was a big boy. He could handle her ripping his heart out. But he also knew that Stevie wanted her mom. They both did...
"I always work out, baby..." he said in a soft voice, leaning in and planting a gentle kiss on her lips. He couldn't help it. He needed to kiss her. He needed to be close to her again. "I'm really glad you are here..."
Our house, she thinks when he asks about her cleaning, or it was, once, she leaves it unsaid but very much implied.“Yeah, I am gonna. Least I can do, considerin’ you’re offerin’ me a place to stay an’ all. Thought I’d earn my keep. Maybe make you a decent breakfast for once too.”Her smile softens just a fraction when his expression shifts. “My records been clean for almost a decade for one, but I must have made a pretty damn good impression on the principal for her to give a delinquent like a chance, huh?? Or maybe my sponsor put in a good word? What matters is I got the job and I aim to keep it.“
When he asks the million dollar question her gaze locks onto his, the whites of her eyes clear as spring water. “What, I don’t look sober to you?! Shit.” She scoffs, chin up. “C’mon, Saige. Look at me. Really look. You’ll see.”And before she can say anything else, he’s pulling her in and she doesn’t fight it. Not for a second. She leans into him like it’s instinct, like her body remembers him before her brain can catch up, lips meeting his in that soft, familiar way that still manages to knock the air out of her.
“Mm…” she hums, eyes flicking over his face, teasing. “That taste like the mouth of a woman still on the hooch to you?” She nudges his chest lightly with her fingers.“I mean it, Saige.” Her voice dips, quieter, more grounded. “I haven’t had a relapse in years. I made sure I was good before I came back. I’m tryin’ to do this right this time. I wanna be here, be a good example for Stevie.” She doesn’t try hiding her voice break this time.
“I know it ain’t gonna be easy.” she admits with a nervous sigh. “She’s… she’s grown now. I missed a lot. She has a right to be skittish, or mad as hell, or both.” Her lips press together briefly before she forces a small self-deprecating smile. “But I don’t plan on missing anymore.”Her cheeks burned when he said those words she so desperately needed. “Well.. It’s where I belong. Ain’t it? With you…“ Her fingers curl tighter into his shirt, tugging him in for another heated kiss. “How long you think we got ‘fore she’s back? Time enough to… get properly reacquainted?” Her eyes searched his face, something playful brewing in her gaze.
