Apples & Horses
Pairing: Bon Clay x gender-neutral reader
Genre: platonic fluff
Word count: 1810
Warnings/Tags: fluff, friendship, platonic soulmates
Summary: Bentham and you haven't seen each other in years. He's a busy criminal, and you happen to live on opposite sides of the world. When he is finally able to drop by, you both are reminded of the strong bond you share.
A/N: requested by vivian-von-truce
Sorry that it took me so long. I hope you like it 😊
Read it on AO3
Cover by: Mygiorni
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With mud on your boots and a smile on your face, you return home. Your clothes are messy, and the wind hasn't done your hair any favors, but your soul feels free and light. You go to the bathroom, turn on the bathtub faucet and let the water run as you prepare to take a long, reinvigorating bath after spending most of the day taking care of your horse. The job is far from easy, but you are so passionate about it that you don't pay much attention to such trifles. You step into the water and feel its warmth slowly flooding your body. Leaning your back against the tub, you close your eyes, immersing yourself in a pleasant moment.
Purupurupuru. The sound comes like an echo coming from the depths of your mind, and you try to ignore it, believing it is just a product of your imagination. Purupurupuru. There it is again, louder and more distinct this time. You open your eyes, internally cursing at whoever is interrupting your peace. When you see the red lips and green makeup under your den-den mushi's eyes, your heart skips a beat. You jump out of the tub as fast as you can -being careful not to slip and break your head- and run to answer the call.
"Bentham!" you exclaim as you pick up the handset. The tone of your voice doesn't hide the excitement of getting a call from someone so important to you.
"Y/N!~ It's been a long time, huh?" The voice on the other end of the line is no less happy than yours, and a big smirk graces your face.
"Say, honey. Are you going to be home tomorrow?" They say before you storm them with questions.
Their words catch you off guard, and you have to sit. Is he planning to visit you? Just thinking of seeing them again after so many years almost makes you jump with joy, but you wait for them to confirm it before celebrating.
"Wha- Uh- Yes. Why?" you reply, blinking quickly and trying to ignore the butterflies in your stomach.
"See you tomorrow, then!~" That's the last thing you hear before the characteristic gatcha, indicating that the call is over.
Staring at the floor, you try to process what happened. If you had won the lottery, you would certainly feel less excited and -at the same time- nervous. After that conversation - if that brief exchange of words can be called that - returning to your daily life without getting lost in nostalgic memories is almost impossible.
A gentle draft from the open window in your room reminds you of your nakedness, and you grab a towel from the cupboard to dry the drops of water on your skin that still refuse to evaporate. The night will be long, and you take a deep breath to calm down. It's been ten years since you last saw your best friend, and now all you can think about is running to them and hugging them so tight that it makes up for all the time you've been apart.
*****
With a gasp, you open your eyes wide. The sunlight coming through the window blind you for a moment, and you cover your face with your hand as the fog of sleep fades away. Fearing you've overslept, you jump out of bed with your heart racing, smiling in relief when you notice it's still early. Bentham should have told you when exactly they were planning to come by. It would have lessened the anxiety.
After taking a shower, you stand in front of the closet with your towel wrapped around your body. Crossing your arms over your chest, you concentrate on imagining the perfect outfit, smiling to yourself at the fact that if you had a date, it would have taken you much less time to find the perfect combination of clothes. Several moments - which may or may not have been more than an hour - later, you pose in front of the mirror with your chest heaving and a triumphant smile.
Your internal caffeine meter reminds you that you still haven't had a cup of that bitter-tasting and smoky-smelling liquid that makes your every cell overflow with energy. With only one thought in mind, you walk to the kitchen, fill the coffee machine container with water, grind the dark brown beans to a fine aromatic powder, and fetch your favorite cup while the device prepares your elixir of life. The shrill ringing of the doorbell almost makes you drop the empty cup. In the blink of an eye, you are opening the door to your house.
The words choke in your mouth, and your eyes fill with tears as you jump into your friend's arms, to give them a bone-crushing hug. Neither of you speaks for a long moment. Only soft sobs can be heard as you both refuse to let go of the other.
"I've missed you so much," you hoarse, stepping back to get a better look at them. You could swear they are much taller than the last time you saw them.
"I've missed you more," Bon-chan answers in a trembling voice as they wipe the tears from their face; before pressing you against their chest once more.
"You want some coffee?" you offer, stepping to the side and beckoning them into your house.
******
Hours go by between cups of coffee and desserts, between laughter and stories. Sitting on the fluffy carpet in your living room and with a cheering playlist of your favorite childhood songs in the background, you both try to compact the events of the last ten years into short stories, taking the time to answer each other's curious questions. A warm feeling takes over both of you as you realize that despite the time that has passed and how much you have changed physically and mentally, your bond is so strong that even distance can't break it.
With nostalgia, you remember your childhood together, the nights dancing until your feet ached and your legs cramped. Or when the other boys in town tried to tease you for being "weird" only to get their asses kicked by Bentham, who has always got a talent for turning his body into a weapon.
"Wanna see my horse?" you ask once you get your breath back after telling a funny story. You have no doubt they could perform to perfection a couple of acrobatics aid with that natural grace and elegance they have always possessed.
"Sure!" They reply, jumping to their feet and offering you their hand.
The two of you leave the house and walk hand in hand to the barn. It would be so nice to stop time or at least make everything stay like this forever, you and your best friend having fun together again like you used to do so long ago. But you know that nothing ever quite works out how you want it to, and you decide to make the most of this short visit. Although you fear that now that Bon-chan is one of the most influential and powerful members of Baroque Works, visits and calls will be even more sporadic.
Finally, you see her, your majestic black and white horse, waiting for you in the comfortable space you built for her, sheltered from the weather.
"Oh! What do we have here?" Bentham says, squeezing your hand as you both walk closer to her. "She's gorgeous! What's her name?"
"Shady Lady," you reply, trying to keep the pride of having trained such a beautiful, healthy animal from going to your head. "Come on, girl! It's time for a little show," you say, pulling her out of the stall. "Let me show you what we can do," you turn to wink at your friend, and they wiggle in excitement before strutting over to a bench.
"I'm ready whenever you are~," Your friend says, almost bouncing with excitement while you mount your horse.
As soon as you climb up, you enter some form of trance. Your movements have the fluidity and precision that only years of practice can give, immediately capturing your friend's attention. Bentham watches your every move closely, holding their breath when you attempt a dangerous stunt and applauding merrily when you execute it without making a mistake.
"So that's what you've been doing all this time!" they joke, but you know they're proud of you. "Hats off to you. You're wonderful Y/N," they say, blowing you a kiss and offering you a wide smile.
"Thank you, Bon-chan," You reply, unable to stop your cheek from turning red. "Would you like an apple?"
Your question confuses them, but they still nod. A few yards to the right of Bon Clay stands a huge apple tree, the crimson color of its fruits forming a beautiful contrast to the deep green of its leaves. You steer your horse towards it, then stand on her back to reach a high branch where the best and juiciest apples hang. You cling to it with one hand while the other grasps the red fruit, pulling it until its thin stem breaks. The triumphant smile on your face fades as soon as it shows up. Shady Lady has other plans and leaves before you can sit back on the saddle.
Bon Clay rushes to your aid, putting their arms around your legs just before the branch breaks.
"Now, that was a nice trick!" They joke, bursting out laughing despite the not-so-amused look on your face.
"Shut up," you snort, playfully elbowing their side as soon as he puts you down.
"Why don't we have some apples... From the lower branches, of course," he jokes. "And bake one of my famous pies that you liked so much," his eyes light up with the memory of old times, and you can't refuse.
Carefully, you climb onto their shoulders and begin plucking a few apples, dropping them on the ground around you. "You're not going to walk away and leave me hanging here, are you?". You joke, reaching out to grab a specially large fruit.
Your joke makes Bentham remember the look on your face when your horse decided she had better things to do. Unable to help themselves, they let out a loud laugh that forces them to their knees while you struggle not to fall. Their laugh is infectious, and you join them, losing your balance and causing you both to end up on the ground.
And there, rolling on the grass with tears in your eyes and a sore abdomen, you feel like children again. Maybe you won't see each other for another ten years. Maybe even longer. But for such a strong bond, distance and time are not a threat. You both know that no matter how far away you are, what binds you together will never disappear.
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