꧁ঔৣ☬✞Step 1❀Heart to Heart✞☬ঔৣ꧂
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“𝐼𝓉 𝓈𝓉𝒾𝓁𝓁 𝒽𝒶𝓈 𝓋𝒶𝓁𝓊𝑒, 𝒶𝓈 𝒶 𝓀𝑒𝑒𝓅𝓈𝒶𝓀𝑒—𝒶 𝓂𝑒𝓂𝑜𝓇𝓎. 𝒜𝓃𝒹 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉'𝓈 𝑜𝓃𝑒 𝑜𝒻 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓂𝑜𝓈𝓉 𝓋𝒶𝓁𝓊𝒶𝒷𝓁𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓈 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓊𝓈𝑒 𝓂𝑜𝓃𝑒𝓎 𝑜𝓃."
<Previous Chapter 5 Next>
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Days passed with Cove by your side. It was as if he was following you, but you shrugged it off. It was fun, and that was all you could care about.
It was just an average day in summer when you decided to head out. You didn’t have an exact place you wanted to go, but you figured that meeting Lizzie at the old park would be fine.
As you opened the door, you spotted familiar faces. You caught their attention by waving at them.
Cove waved back softly as his dad smiled.
“(Y/n), you know the market well enough, right?” He asked.
You nodded as you could visibly see his shoulders loosen. “Why don’t you show Cove where to go?”
“Oh?” You tilted your head curiously. “What are you going to buy?”
“I lost my sand pail…” Cove muttered.
He seemed embarrassed, so you didn’t want to pry any further.
“That's fine! There's a bunch down at the market near the beach. I can show you if you’d like!”
The blond man smiled as he pulled out another bill. He whispered something to Cove before leaving you two on your adventure.
The journey was quiet. The soft patter of shoes and the sounds of seagulls chirping filled the air. Soon, your own upbeat humming filled the air.
“That's nice,” Cove complimented. “What song is that?”
“Oh uhhh— I’m not sure… I heard it a long time ago,” you lied.
Technically, you weren’t lying. It was indeed a song you heard a long time ago, but it wouldn’t be released until much later.
The teal boy raised his eyebrows but decided not to ask what he was thinking. Either way, you both reached the market.
It was teeming with people—tourists and locals alike. Someone your age could easily get lost; heck, you almost did the last time you came here with your family.
You latched onto Cove’s free hand, intertwining your fingers with his. He looked puzzled at the sudden move.
“So we don’t lose each other!” You answered simply as Cove nodded. A slight smile was tucked underneath his lips.
You guided him along the sidewalk, taking in the shops’ view and the salty smell of the beach. It was hot and sunny, yet people started to crowd around.
Curious, you both decided that a side quest wouldn’t hurt, and squeezed into the crowd. Surprisingly, people let you both pass, though you concluded it was because you two were kids.
As you got closer, a familiar figure appeared. It was The Amazing Alexander in the flesh with his cards and balloons.
“(Y/n)! How is my favorite troublemaker doing?” He noticed Cove’s presence. “I can see you brought a new friend too. Don’t go and cause too much mayhem now." He laughed.
Alexander was a magician who had been performing his show for the past couple of years. One time, you pulled away from your family to watch one of his shows. Your moms were so worried about you, only to find you with a balloon in hand, still watching the show.
Alexander nicknamed you ‘troublemaker’ after hearing your past incident. Safe to say it's still stuck even after it's been a few years.
Alexander continued his show after realizing he couldn’t use up his time talking to kids—even if you were one of his favorite participants. You were fine with that, after all, Cove looked confused and awkward.
“That is Alexander, and he is a magician! He does shows every summer.” You explained, but Cove still didn’t look too happy.
He still ended up staying with you to watch the rest of the show. It was sort of endearing for him to watch, but you still felt bad that he wasn’t enjoying it.
“We can go if you want.” You offered, but Cove shook his head.
“No, we can watch,” he muttered under his breath.
“Pick a card! Any card!” Alexander showed an array of cards to a participant who was across from you two.
“Are you sure? I can go without seeing this show today.” A reassuring smile plastered onto your lips.
“It's fine, you like seeing this show, don’t you?” A soft smile replaced the frown that had been covering Cove’s face the entire summer so far.
With that, you two turn to Alexander, who was making a beeline for you two. “Oh, what's this behind these two young participants?” He reached over behind your and Cove’s ears and pulled out a card each.
Ace of hearts behind Cove’s and Queen of hearts behind yours.
“Are these your cards?!” Alexander held up the two cards in front of the audience and to the first participant.
“Yes!” They yelled out as the audience cheered.
You clapped alongside the roars of cheers and applause. Cove stood there, half-smile, as Alexander handed out three balloons for each participant.
“Don’t be too bad of an influence on your new friend here.” He winked as a hearty chuckle left his throat.
You playfully rolled your eyes. “Those days are behind me and you know it.”
Another laugh escaped from Alexander as he returned to his show. As the crowd grew, you could feel that Cove was growing uncomfortable. Grabbing his free hand, you guided him out of the crowd and into the bustling streets.
Cove, after calming down, matched your pace and walked beside you. That soft smile was still there, but he still had his hand ever so attached to yours.
It was like that for a while. Warm and comforting silence as you two made your way to the store.
“It's kind of funny how our cards were in the same suit.”
Cove looked at you, confused by the sudden dialogue.
“I mean, out of the 52 cards there were, we both got cards from the hearts suit! Coincidence? I think not!” You laughed as Cove froze.
His uncle performed with those same ‘magic’ tricks all the time during parties. Which is why he wasn’t amazed by Alexander’s performance.
But, there was something he’d also performed—cartomancy. This was the practice of reading an individual’s past, present, or future with cards like those in a tarot deck. But it could also be performed with a standard 52 deck of playing cards.
Cove cursed himself for not paying attention to his uncle’s gibberish about the meaning of each card. He was practically dying to know what those two cards meant.
“Hey, are you ok?” You asked, noticing his furrowed brows.
“I'm fine—just thinking about what you said.”
“Oh?” You tilted your head. “What about it?”
Cove chuckled as your expression grew more puzzled.
“You may be right about it not being a coincidence.” He left you speechless— not caring to continue the absolute bomb of information he dropped onto you.
“Hey! You can’t just leave it there! You gotta tell me!” You shook his hand as neither he nor his hand relented.
(Uh oh— (Y/n) and Cove know too much! Quick, abandon ship!!!)
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After some time, you finally stopped questioning him. It was no use as he was getting a kick from the attention you were giving him.
So with the short side quest completed, you two were finally getting onto the main quest. With balloons in hand, you two enter the shop where you knew that they sold beach stuff.
To the side of the building, there were shelves filled with sand pails for Cove to inspect. As he decided, the boy caught you looking at a tiny stand filled with jewelry.
He saw as your eyes wandered back to a bracelet. It was different from the others, gold/silver with seastars, seashells, gold/silver beads, and pearls as charms. There was also a bigger charm that was in the shape of a firefly.
It was strange to see a design with two different themes, but the way you gently held it up multiple times clearly indicated that you liked it.
With the yellow sand pail in hand, he went up to you.
“Is that what you want?” He asked as you glanced his way.
“Nah, it's fine, I didn’t bring any money.” You quickly placed the small bracelet down, but Cove stopped you before you let go of it.
Taking the bracelet, he placed both items onto the counter.
“It's fine, don't worry about it.” He flashed you a smile as yours quivered.
Your heart sank, immediately thinking of ways to repay his kindness. It was some sort of anxiety you had. One where you didn’t like to be in debt to people, as it meant more trouble for them.
“My dad told me to get you something, so you don’t really need to worry over it.”
That only helped you a little bit, but it still felt awful to have someone else pay for you. You gave yourself a mental note to pack emergency funds for next time. Alongside was another note to thank Cove’s dad next time you see him.
You both left the shop and moved away from the bustling streets into the sandy beach. There you both sat down, not caring about the grainy texture.
Using his one free hand, Cove started placing sand into his bucket before feeling your touch.
You had independently wrapped the balloon string around your wrists and were moving on to doing it to Cove and his balloon.
“There!” You pulled away as Cove tested the strength of your knot.
“Thanks,” he softly spoke as you moved your attention to the new piece of jewelry you acquired.
Instead of your wrists, you placed the bracelet on your ankle. Confused, Cove asked you why your ankle and not your wrists.
The answer was simple. Things on your wrists bothered you.
No matter what you placed on them, it bothered you. Those cuts—healed, semi-healed, or opened, ached and screamed in pain when touched or caressed.
Which is why you learned to opt for placing bracelets down to your ankles or legs. Your legs were completely void of your self-destructive behavior.
Although now, in your new life, your arms were clean—free from the bouts of self-loathing. Sure, you could wear jewelry and not feel the pain, but some habits die hard.
“I don’t like things on my wrists.” You halfheartedly explained, foregoing the deeper reason.
Cove glanced at the ribbon that was tied to your wrists. What you just said completely contradicts what you did just moments ago. He wanted to ask again, but the thought of making you uncomfortable stopped him dead in his tracks.
“So what do you think?” You asked, jumping up as your balloon followed your movement.
He eyed your bracelet—now anklet—and took notice of the biggest charm—the firefly. Gold/silver with bright, almost neon, yellow at the abdomen of the bug.
It was almost reminiscent of your own, current, luminescent smile.
“It suits… you.” Cove managed to say finally.
Your smile grew bigger—which Cove thought was impossible. The moment got interrupted as a familiar voice called out to you two.
“Cove! (Y/n)!” Shiloh’s voice cut through the seagulls' screech.
“It's Shiloh!” You gasped, reaching down to pull Cove up. “Come on, let's go see what he’s up to!”
Seaglass-like eyes looked up to you, then the curly-haired boy. He begrudgingly took your hand as you hoisted him up.
The three of you met mid-way in the midst of the beach. The sound of clashing waves provided a soft ambient noise that would soon be overshadowed by your conversation.
“Cove’s dad told me that I could find you guys here!” Shiloh explained.
That baffled you. Shiloh—who usually stays by Lizzie’s side—wanted to find you and Cove. You asked him about it.
Flushed, Shiloh sheepishly replied, “I actually went to the old park first before trying to find you two.”
“Wait, Lizzie isn’t at the park?” You yelped, now even more astonished.
“Nope,” the brunette popped the ‘p’. “Anyways, what are you two doing?”
Cove shuffled around, visibly uncomfortable or bored, “Shopping.”
“Oh, can I come with?” Shiloh asked.
“We finished already.” Cove’s tone was even more colder than before.
Shiloh’s cheeks flushed an even darker shade of pink. His smile almost faltered, but in the end it remained in place. An awkward silence filled the air as you glanced nervously at the two boys.
“Why don’t we do something fun? The day is still young, and we have plenty of time!” You hoped that this distraction would quell whatever was wrong between them.
“Oh, I know!” Shiloh exclaimed, reaching into his bag for a pair of sand pails. “Let's make sandcastles!”
Cove’s eyes widen, immediately showing his own sand pail with the other two.
“That sounds like a plan!” you exclaimed as Shiloh handed you one of the buckets.
The three of you took to your own section, each of which was within a small radius. Backs turned from each other, until it was time to show off.
“I'm making a sand house!” Shiloh exclaimed, showing the square building—devoid of details.
“I'm making a castle.” Cove replied, moving away to show the groups of cylinders that were also devoid of any details.
“I got a mansion started!” You joined in.
Your building was also square-shaped, but it was bigger than Shiloh's and had a fairly tall, rocky-looking platform.
With the base of everyone’s houses shown, it was time to decorate and add details. In your rocky-looking platform, you carved out what appeared to be a winding road leading up to the gates of your mansions.
Next were the windows, doors, and then the roof. Before long, all the details that could be sculpted by sand were done. All that was left was to add extra details via trash on the beach or whatever was washed up by the ocean.
An hour later, the sun started to set, but you were finally finished. Looking at your mansion, a surge of pride filled your chest. You truly outdid yourself this time. You’d even say that it was better than the mermaid sculpture you, Lizzie, and Cove turned Shiloh into.
The two boys also finished up shortly after you. The cycle repeats as Shiloh showed off his sand house first.
It was quaint and small, but that was what made it comforting. Random stuff positioned at the front that faintly looked like flowers.
“What's that on the top of your house?” Cove asked.
“Oh! It's a gum wrapper.” Shiloh shyly replied. “It looks like smoke.”
“Neat, you’re really good at this,” was all Cove replied with as you gasped.
“Now I wish I had thought of that!” The two boys laughed as you three moved towards Cove’s castle.
It had a moat that surrounded the sculpture. Colorful shells wrapped around each tower and the main building. It looked like something a mermaid would live in.
“It's so pretty Cove!” You exclaimed as Shiloh nodded furiously.
“It even has a cool moat!” The brunette smiled softly.
Now it was your turn. You grinned as the boys gasped at your work. Truthfully, they had no idea what that rocky platform was for. But as they took in the landscaping, they realized that the main mansion wouldn’t be the same without it.
“(Y/n) It looks amazing,” Cove uttered after finally shaking off the shock. “You’d be a really good architect or sculptor when you're an adult!”
“I agree! Your sand house looks amazing!” Your chest puffed up in pride once more as Shiloh complimented your work.
“I don’t think it's the same as a house.” Cove interrupted.
“Huh? Is being a house bad?” Shiloh asked, confused.
“No. But we each made our own place. Nobody is the same.” Cove flashed him a gentle smile.
“I think we are…” The freckled boy looked down. His hat obscured his facial expression.
“Nuh uh, we’re all different in our own unique ways!” You smiled softly. “We’re all different races, blood types, hair and eye color, personalities, and backstories… That's what makes us, us.”
Shiloh looked up, flushed and smiley. Cove’s smile was still there, just replaced with a grin.
“You said that better than my dad.” He laughed before looking down, frowning once more.
“He tried to get me to make sandcastles the first time we came to this beach… But I didn’t want to.”
Shiloh shifted around before opening his mouth, trying to say something, but Cove spoke up. That became the norm as Cove continued with his story about the first day he came to Sunset Bird.
Every time Shiloh tried to connect with him was only met with indifference. It broke your heart as you kept trying to include Shiloh. But every time the brunette was pushed out.
Before long Cove story concluded with Shiloh completely overshadowed, and you were torn apart with who to help first.
Thankfully, or unthankfully, Cove finally noticed Shiloh’s precedence that he had oh so pushed away.
“Yeah?” His smile brightened and his cheeks reddened after finally being included.
“Why are you always turning so red? Even when nothing is happening?”
Shiloh’s eyes widened as an even deeper shade of red attacked his face. He muttered something along the lines of “I don’t know…I guess”
“Ok. It’s kind of weird.”
This time, it was your eyes that widened. “Cove!” You yelled without thinking. But before you could continue, Shiloh found his voice.
“Why do you wear glasses? Most kids don’t wear glasses! And nobody is named ‘Cove.” He didn’t stop there, as he went straight to attacking the other based on the information from Cove’s story.
“Who asked you to come?! It was probably just your dad bugging (Y/n)’s family some more because you don’t have anyone else who’ll ever play with you!”
It was silent. Even you couldn’t find a voice to speak with.
“I-I’m sorry…” Shiloh muttered as Lizzie’s voice called out. “I’ll go hang out with Lizzie… I’ll meet you later!” He flashed you a smile, turned around, picked up the two sand pails that were his, and ran off. Probably too ashamed to face either of you two.
You turned to Cove, he looked down, probably to process what had happened. You couldn’t blame him; you’ve never seen Shiloh like that either.
“Do you want to head home? It's getting late.”
He didn’t look up, nor did he shake his head. So with no answer, you guided him back to the neighborhood in silence.
Your anklet jingled with each step as each step became heavier and heavier. The two balloons bounced with each step you two took. You didn’t know where it went wrong, nor where you could’ve stepped in and prevented the whole mess.
Guilt washed over you as you kept replaying the scene over and over again. Searching of different ways you could’ve prevented it instead of staying quiet.
But it was all useless. What's done is done, and now you’re not sure how to fix the tension between the two.
“Hey (Y/n)...” Cove’s voice interrupted your self-loathing.
“Yeah?” You answered, but it took Cove some time before he replied.
“Why’d Shiloh act like that? When I said he was all red a lot.”
“You were being rude to him.” You answered truthfully after combing through the day’s events.
Cove pushing Shiloh away from the conversation and then proceeding to call him weird wasn’t exactly the kindest thing you would do to someone.
“No, I wasn’t,” He huffed.
“It definitely looked like that to me. And it wasn’t that one thing or even just today. You’re not very nice to Shiloh.”
“I didn’t mean it like that…Shiloh is kind of weird to talk to.”
“See! That's a rude thing to say.”
“I guess…I can get it. Why he would do that…Sometimes I get really mad, too.” He looked down as if he was caught guilty.
Cove sighed once more, “Hey (Y/n)... Was Shiloh telling the truth? Does my dad… make you hang out with me? I know he talks to your moms about that a lot.”
You paused right in the middle of the street. Memories of that first summer day flooded your memories as you contemplated what to do.
You liked spending time with Cove, even if he was a main character bound to the other main love interest. But you couldn’t deny that Cove’s dad did give you that twenty-dollar bill that first day.
You had to think fast. What would cause the least damage in the long run? You didn’t want to hurt Cove even more today, but knowing that a friend was paid by one of your moms to stay with you years later would hurt even more.
Cove noticed your apprehension. He turned around, almost afraid of what was going to happen next.
“Your dad tried to pay me twenty dollars to be friends with you…” Those words flew out of your mouth before you knew it.
You hoped that this wouldn’t turn out to be a horrible decision.
Silence once more. But Cove’s expressions told you everything as it went from pure shock to sobbing onto the pavement.
“I didn’t take the money or anything! I ran away—I thought he was a kidnapper!” You tried to get closer, to perhaps comfort him with a hug or a pat, but he pushed you away.
“Go away!” He yelled, still sobbing.
Tears started to fall from your own eyes, overwhelmed, as earnest words dripped from your lips. “I'm sorry…” You reached out.
He smacked your hand away, his face still covered with tears as a door opened. You hoped that it wasn’t one of the mean grandparents to add to the scene troubling scene.
Thankfully, the door that opened didn’t belong to one of the mean grandparents, but rather, it belonged to Cove’s house door. Cove’s dad peeked outside the door, momentarily confused and looking a bit anxious.
His face fell as he saw the both of you, crying in the middle of an empty street. He jumped over the stairs and ran over to you two.
Mr. Holden cupped his son’s face with both of his hands, taking a good look at the tear-stained face.
“What's wrong? Are you hurt anywhere?” He asked but Cove still refused to answer, just continued crying.
With no other choice, he turned to you as you wiped your own tears away.
“Cove asked if you’d made me hang out with him. I just told him that you’d tried to offer me money and that I didn’t take it!” The now-wiped tears began to mist over your eyes.
Mr. Holden’s eyes widened as he pieced together what had happened.
“Why would you—” He paused, realizing what he was saying.
“No, it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have done something like that in the first place… you’re just a kid.” Those final words hit you harder than you’d expected.
But it was a reminder, once more, that you weren’t a teenager nearing graduation or even adulthood. You’re an eight-year-old kid now, coming to this revelation was like a typhoon and a hurricane mixed.
It made you lightheaded. Whatever warm-hearted moment bled into a flurry of colorful squares overlapping one another.
The sky darkened as the orange-yellow hue of the sun turned into a lime green. This scene—as horrifying as it is—didn’t faze you. But you’d be lying if your heart wasn’t beating out of your chest and hairs stood straight up.
You were used to it, yes, but it never failed to freeze you.
A sudden hand on your shoulder shocked you back to reality.
“Are you alright (Y/n)?” Mr. Holden asked, already down to your level. “Your moms tell me that you’d sometimes get like this, but you’re worrying me.”
You looked up, meeting his eyes. “Yeah, I'm fine… It doesn’t happen often, thankfully.” You lied to him with the same excuse used for your therapist.
He smiled, buying your excuse, as he continued with what he wanted to say. “Thank you for being Cove’s friend, and for being honest with him when his own dad couldn’t. Thanks for being such a good kid. I hope you’ll continue spending time with him.”
Cove came up behind you with a crumbled bill in hand. He tapped your shoulders and held the bill out when you turned around to face him.
“I stopped crying, but I don’t want this… You can have it.” He gave you a soft smile.
You hesitantly took it. It was as if you were afraid that it could catch on fire.
“Are you trying to buy my friendship back or something?” Those words came out like a tease, but also came out without you thinking about it.
Despite being consumed by the thoughts and mindset of an eight-year-old, oftentimes, your teenage self would pop out, usually in terrible timing situations like this one….Old habits truly die hard.
“And I'm not saying you are!” You quickly tried to reassure the shocked-looking Cove.
Grabbing his free hand, you placed the twenty-dollar bill in his hand. “I don’t need money to be friends with you!” You beamed as Cove looked away, cheeks flushed red.
“I-I don’t want it either…” He pushed the bill back to you and you to him again.
At some point, Cove’s dad came over and took the bill from both of your hands.
“I have an idea.” Without missing a beat, he ripped the bill in half.
You both gasped, realizing what he had done.
“Dad! We can’t do anything with it now.” Mr. Holden still had that bright grin, never once faltering.
“True, it won’t work at the store like this, but now you two can split it.”
You two didn’t reach for the halves despite them being right in front of you.
Noticing this, Mr. Holden continued.
“It still has value, as a keepsake—a memory. And that's one of the most valuable things you and use money on. That sounds pretty good, huh? Maybe I’m getting smarter.”
Without a word, you both grabbed the halves. Perhaps the sentiments were getting to you. Thinking about the fact that these two halves belonged only to each other.
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What took me so long was that I decided to finally buy and play the DLCs for OLBA :D
I CRIED during the wedding speeches and reflection moment in step 3
So yeah— lowkey I'm conflicted with Coves character since he's so babygirl, yet I decided to turn him into a yandere djbvciwdjbco
Idk, everyone else but I'm teetering towards a soft yandere
(this is the longest chapter I’ve ever written ;-;)
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