#scrbachelorettes

Midnight moonlight illuminated your body as you walked into the pond in the Cinderswap Forest. It was a usual occurrence, each morning and night, you took a dip, wanting to get rid of the grime after farming. In winter, you used the spa, preferring the lake in warmer seasons due to privacy. Or at least, you thought you had privacy. 

You felt warm water lick at your ankles as you dipped from the short dock. You yawned before jumping fully in, your lower form fully submerged. You lowered yourself to dampen your body, hands moving to dip your head fully in. A scoff from the forest was muffled under the water but you lifted your head either way. Your eyes narrowed at the sound, hair wet and heavy on your temples (my bad if you're bald). Darkness surrounded the quiet forest, water barely moving under you. After a beat of silence, you shrugged, turning back to the pond as you splashed water on your shoulders.

Haley sat stiffly behind a bush, Abigail's hand covering her mouth tightly. Both of them listened for any discrepancies in your usual bathing routine but heard nothing. Haley glared at Abigail but didn't make a peep, her fists clenched at her lap. Abigail met that glare with her own, her head turned to the side. Leah stood behind a tree, her form tense. She looked barely irritated, her form seamlessly blended into the shadows. 

Maru sat on the other side of the bush, looking through the leaves with her shoulders hunched. She held binoculars in her palms, eyebrows furrowed. Maru pursed her lips, waving her hand dismissively at Haley. Abigail finally let her hand fall away from Haley's lips, wiping the lipstick on her jeans. Maru then lowered her binoculars, her eyes darker than usual. 

"She didn't seem to notice," noted Maru, her shoulders finally straightened. She passed the binoculars to Penny, who immediately stuck to them, smiling giddily at the sight of your naked form. Maru instead turned to Haley, her eyebrow raised.  "You need to stop arguing so loudly, if you get caught all of us will too," whispered Maru with a warning. 

Haley wanted to scoff at her but kept her distate back, her nose scrunched in annoyance. "If Abigail wasn't such a creep while watching farmer, I wouldn't have called her out," Haley muttered quietly, making Abigail's head snap back to her. Abigail wanted to argue back but Penny gently interrupted her. 

"Farmer is arching her back," Penny said simply, making all of the bachelorettes turn to watch you in the water. 

Water trailed down your chest, catching on the curve of ribs and swell of stomach as you arched to wash your hair with soap. Your eyes were squeezed tight, fingers massaging your scalp as your nipples pebbled under the cold night air. Penny seemed glued to the binoculars, wishing the water would lower just a tad to see your lower form. Her fingers squeezed the plastic, breathing heavier than usual. Maru watched through the leaves of the bush, her eyes narrowed in curiosity. Leah's hand tightened on the tree bark as she followed the droplets of water, feeling sudden thirst, wishing she could lick the path down your stomach. Haley bit her lower lip, stifling a whimper as she dug her nails into her palms, watching the curve in your back. Abigail couldn't turn her eyes away, her hand playing with her spiky bracelet. 

Something snapped overhead, pulling the women from their hungry stares. A form fell from the tree, landing in Leah's grip, startling her only for a second. Caroline, as surprised as others on the ground, sat in Leah's arms, her eyes wide. Abigail's mouth opened as she stared at Caroline. 

"Mom? What the hell?" Abigail hissed, confused before hearing movement from behind. Robin easily climbed down the tree, her eyes both annoyed and worried for Caroline's fall. Now it was Maru's turn to stare, her lips parted. 

"Mother?" Maru asked, her eyebrows raised in surprise. Robin only waved awkwardly, showing a lopsided smile. 

"Goddamit, Caroline, I told you not to lean forward so much, you old pervert!" scoffed Jodi, climbing slowly down the tree. She then held her back, wincing. "Can't climb around as much anymore," she muttered under her breath. 

All bachelorettes stared slack-jawed at the three older women, their eyes wide. Penny only looked around briefly before continuing to stare into the binoculars, whispering something about hoping her mother wasn't involved. Leah looked between Jodi and Robin, letting Caroline down gently. After a beat of silence, Leah sighed. 

"Farmer is too popular for her good," Leah murmured, her eyes shifting to you bathing in the pond. Leah blinked before growling out a name. "Emily."

Everyone turned in time to see Emily casually chatting with the farmer, her form sitting on the dock. You smiled as you talked to Emily, barely worried about her staring pointedly at your boobs. She then turned and waved her fingers at others hiding in the bushes, making you turn to look at them. You waved excitedly, making Jodi, Caroline and Robin sigh in worry at your cluelessness. Haley didn't stand from her hiding point, her eyes narrowed at her sister. Penny waved back just as excitedly, while Leah shook her head. Maru huffed out a laugh, nodding at you from the bush. Abigail already ran to the dock, wanting to talk properly with you. 

Haley turned to Jodi, Caroline and Robin, her eyes suspicious. She pointed an accusing finger at them, her lips upturned into a snarl. 

Usually, people didn't think of you as strong or built. It wasn't rooted in a mean spirit, rather, it was an assumption people automatically made from your sweet attitude and cute clothes. Bachelorettes made the same mistake of an assumption, too, mostly because the obsessive streak already made them awfully protective. 

Leah seemed overwhelmed with happiness whenever she was with you, her mind constantly winding up to protect you from even the smallest of dangers. You were a shorter, chubby ray of sunshine and it made her protective side worried about you. In her eyes, kind people like you are an easy target, so she doesn't expect you to be that strong. It was a rude (but ultimately hot) awakening for Leah when you easily heaved her up your shoulders to help her reach the apple. Now, Leah was a big girl, in all senses of the word. Tall, broad and strong from years of sculpting and carrying said sculptures. So to lift her up, like it's nothing, too, was a feat not meant for everyone. For a few seconds, Leah would sit silently, her thighs cushioned against your warm, plump shoulders. She wouldn't know what to say except to mutter a thank you. Something awakened in Leah at that moment, her legs slightly shaky against the subtle muscle of your shoulder blades. Leah would never ask you outright but if you ever lift her up again, you would see a dopey smile on her face that you rarely ever notice. 

Maru generally doesn't care about physical strength, preferring to strengthen her mind first and foremost. However, it is still a plus for her when her beloved farmer is strong in every aspect. She was working on her robot, screwing in loose plates, her form stretched to reach the head of the machine. Suddenly, you walked behind Maru, lifting her up by the legs, and your arms circled around her knees. Maru yelped, her one hand settled on your shoulder. She turned to look at you, her eyebrows raised in surprise. She hadn't…expected this. But certainly welcomed the helping embrace. Maru's lower stomach flipped, the corners of her lips upturned. She finished working on her machine but hadn't rushed to ask you to lower her. Instead, she settled on your chest, her fingers carding through your hair. 

"Well, now that I know you can carry me, you are stuck with me in your arms," Maru noted simply, her glasses flashing from the overhead light before her crimson eyes met yours. 

Penny would be a little too delighted, constantly asking you to lift her up. Penny would spend hours in your arms if she could, her eyes lovingly staring into yours. Before the day when you lifted her to check out a book on a high shelf, Penny didn't really think of your physical strength. She understood that you were a farmer, so obviously you would be strong but she hadn't expected to be thrown up like a feather. She liked it, maybe a bit too much. Penny won't ever let you live that down, though, so be prepared to carry her around town. An apple too high on the tree? Penny will wait for you to lift her up, all while giggling like a schoolgirl. Too many books for her to carry alone? Penny will sigh and exhale while waiting for your help, even though she didn't really need ten books for today's lesson for Jas and Vincent. It took you one show of muscle for Penny to be completely enamoured. Prepare for a lifetime of being a knight in shining armour. 

Haley didn't think much about your physicality, except maybe in the middle of the night when alone in bed. Still, she loved your adorable fashion sense and soft curves, because despite saying rude stuff when she met you, she never commented negatively about your body. That was below Haley and she made sure to drown you in compliments after becoming obsessive enamoured. One day, when you both had to meet up she ran to your arms for a hug. She expected to sink into a familiar pillowy chest or at least to feel warmth surrounding her. What she didn't expect was to be lifted up into the air over your head. Haley squeaked, to her great disdain, her hands automatically holding onto your shoulders. She didn't expect you to basically throw her up in the air like a beach ball, her eyes wide as saucers. Haley felt something bubble in her stomach, a nervous laugh escaping her mouth. She will definitely ask you to carry her like a princess from now on. 

Abigail is a short queen, at least in my eyes. Despite being lean and strong, she still knows that it is possible to lift her up. What she didn't expect was for you, a sweet ray of sunshine, to easily lift her up and twirl around like she was a cat. Abigail was a bit intimidated, to be honest, not only you picked her up but then danced around with her full body weight. What the hell. Still, she smiled happily at your giddiness, holding onto your arms a bit too tightly. Abigail would make it her mission to lift you up too, both of you taking turns just throwing each other into the air. Once, both of you accidentally scared Evelyn when you tried launching Abigail across the river. 

Emily is delighted, she never assumed anything about you. So when you, a person who is two heads shorter than her, picked her up, she only laughed and settled comfortably in your arms. As comfortably as an over 6' something woman could fit in your arms. Emily is lanky but tall enough to piss off Haley, taking away all family height. Emily doesn't really need help getting something, frankly, she is used to be the one who helped others reach the highest shelves. Instead, she prefers to sit in your arms when her legs ache or she is too tired to walk home after working in Stardrop Saloon. It makes her incredibly happy to be cared for, even if it looks like she covers you fully when you carry her. As a thank you, she always gets you anything from the top shelves. 

The day started with the rain, the glass of your windows fogged up as the pitter-patter of water ran down them. You knew you should have worn a coat at least, or maybe covered your head, but alas, whether from laziness or forgetfulness, you went out uncovered. That should have been the first red flag for the women in the valley. Your idle sneeze should have been the second. Unsurprisingly, the next day you fell ill, form swaying and nose running. 

Emily saw you prance through the rain like you were a mermaid. Well, you weren't, so the next day she sat by your bed with a knowing grin. Emily might be a bit crazy, but she is still quite caring. She will tuck you into bed, doting over you as if you were a hurt parrot. Her palm was gentle as she checked your temperature and brought you water. Occasionally, she would even dance for you, making you smile and making your sickness more manageable. Emily will make sure to put her magical stones around you, gifting you energy to recover. What you wouldn't notice is her taking your hair while you slept, tucking it away to further mix it with the healing ritual. 

Maru will make sure to check your vitals and health, taking on a 24/7 role of a nurse. Maru would give you pills and check your temperature, all the while acting cold and focused. At some point, she would stare at you quietly, hand pressed to your damp forehead, eyes worried. She wouldn't admit it, but she was scared for you, not wanting you to overexert yourself. If you tried to sit up or move, she would immediately push you back down, saying resting was 'doctor's orders'. 

Haley broke into your house again when she saw you lying on your bed with a fever. Haley scoffed, her eyes irritated at your audacity to not look after yourself. "Unbelievable," she would mutter, sitting by your side. Haley doesn't usually look after someone, but reluctantly, she did make sure you get well quicker. She cursed you out, of course, trying to heal you through care. Deep down, she feels fear, worried she is losing you. She couldn't lose you. 

Penny is not the type to hide her fear, no, she will cry over you for hours. It doesn't really matter that you are okay, fever isn't commonly lethal. She would hiccup while checking your temperature. Cooking you soup and changing your clothes. Expect to eat gallons of soup, which would probably worsen your state. Penny wouldn't leave even for the night, sleeping by your side, her eyes red. 

Leah is quiet with her worry but she doesn't hide it. She will pat your feverish body with a warm, wet cloth and clean your sweat. Leah wouldn't shy away from looking after you, even offering to help you take a bath. Leah will use all herbs known to yoba to heal you, silently rubbing ointments on your nape. Leah will scold you when you get better, smiling at your health. 

Abigail is panicking, badly. She isn't particularly careful, and your illness makes her jumpy. If you as much as grunt, she will be around you in an instant, giving you water and worryingly asking you thousands of questions. She will go out of her way to check up on you, asking other bachelorettes for help. Abigail would fight the rain if she could, that would be easier than watching you rest helplessly. She will sit by you night and day, tucking your hair behind your ear while exhaling shakily. 

Bonus:

Heat ran through your body, uncomfortable dampness clinging to your skin. You rolled side to side in your bed, eyes heavy with exhaustion. Somewhere between the dull ache in your head, you heard the door open. Three silhouettes came by, one kneeling on the floor as she looked at your face. Another already rummaged through the kitchen while the third silhouette palmed your forehead. 

"…sick," you heard someone say through haze, worry etched into each word. Someone nodded, standing up. You felt warm and steady hands lift you into a comfortable position as another hand brought a bowl to your lips. The steam curled over your nose, smell dull from the illness. You parted your lips weakly, feeling warm broth enter your mouth. It was pleasant and tasted heavenly against your parched throat. Someone cooed into your ear, teal hair tickling your nose. 

As you drank the broth, warmth settled into your weary bones, your body curled against the hard planes of Robin's body. She tucked your hair behind your ear, gently patting your cheek. Your bleary eyes focused on the honey brown hair, gentle blues holding your gaze. You blinked, your head finally calming its migraine. Warm palm cupped your face, Robin's thumb rubbing your cheekbone. Caroline already tried to tug your clothes off. 

"Huh?" You managed to squeeze out, eyes blinking. 

You have been running errands for most of your week, collecting some money. So on friday you decided to finally treat yourself to a cold beer. You rarely drank this much, though, gifted the beer by Gus. Before long, you started feeling lightheaded, smile growing dopey. Poor Gus realised something was wrong when you started flirting with Emily just a few minutes in. Your face grew red, form swaying as you tried miserably to climb over the bar counter.

Emily was faster, jumping in a clean arch to steady you in place, her palms pleasantly cool against your burning skin. You smiled and nudged your nose into Emily's neck, feeling her hug you closer. Emily made a delighted sound, something between a coo and a laugh as she let you lean into her. Needy and drunk. Somewhere in the room, a heavy presence stood up, Leah appearing from the shadows by your other side. Leah said something to Emily, her eyes narrowed. Emily laughed, light and teasing, sharply retorting with something that made Gus's eyebrows rise. Leah scoffed, jabbing a finger in Emily's direction and quickly pointing to the door after. When both of them seemed to reach some sort of conclusion, Abigail appeared out of nowhere, pressing you to her.

You leaned into Abigail, palming her back as you hugged her, happy to feel warmth. Now, both Leah and Emily were arguing with Abigail, the purple-haired woman, smug as she lifted you up into her arms. She, however, felt Haley pull away her attention, now both of them arguing loud enough to part the haze of alcohol around your head.

"You want to take advantage of her!" said Haley, her words sharp. You instinctively pressed into her side, feeling her hands settle on your hips possessively. Abigail only scoffed.

"Look who is fucking talking!" sneered Abigail, lips parted.

"Abby, language," sighed Maru, appearing beside her. You deftly swirled into her arms, hearing her breath hitch. She held you close, lips pressed to the crown of your head, mumbling something about 'awfully affectionate'. Abigail gasped, pointing at Maru with a huff.

"You are thinking of it too!" Abigail retorted, making Maru's lips twitch.

"Too?" asked multiple bachelorettes, staring at Abigail. Abigail blinked before visibly deflating. Then the arguments started again, loud voices startling you. Soft hiccup left you, startling the young women in turn. Pillowy arms suddenly reached to pat your head, pulling you into an equally soft chest. Immediately, you calmed, nuzzling into Jodi's sternum. She cooed gently, calming you, fingers threading through your hair. Robin and Caroline swam in your vision, hushed chastising coming from them. Dangerous, planned properly. Maru tried to argue with her mother but the older women already pulled you out of the saloon, leaving both Maru and Demetrius confused behind. Though the two of them were confused for different reasons.

Chilly air lapped at your burning cheekbones, stars winking down at you through blurry gaze. Robin managed to lift you into her arms, holding you curled in her strong arms. Muscles shifted beneath you, fingers cupping your nape gently as Robin whispered something to you. You couldn't make it out, nudging your face into her shoulder. Someone's fingers lifted your head, Caroline's shadowed gaze meeting yours as her slender digits pressed into your chin. She smiled reassuringly, moving your head side-to-side.

"…weight?" she asked, her words muffled from the pounding of your head.

"Mm?" you asked back, eyes hooded.

"Are you lightweight?" Caroline repeated, following Robin, who held you like you were the most precious thing in the world.

"Yah," you grumbled, head pressed to Robin's shoulders heavily. She shifted her hold, letting you rest more comfortably against her. She clearly enjoyed your affectionate side, her nose pressed to your temple.

"You shouldn't drink so much then," chastised Jodi, though she didn't sound too mad. You heard a creak of a door before feeling the soft bed under your body, your bed. Robin set you down softly, though you didn't want to let her go fully. Instinctively, you reached for her neck, hugging as if your life depended on it. Robin heaved out a startled grunt, body leaning into you awkwardly. Jodi and Caroline stayed behind, waving goodbye at you behind Robin's shoulder. Moonlight flashed in the dark sky over their features.

"Hun," she tried gently, her hands cupping your elbows. You didn't budge, peaceful in her hold, warm. Robin didn't push back at all, enjoying the touch a bit too much. Only when footsteps approached the bed did Robin pull back, if only a tad too fast.

"You look guilty, Mrs Robin," said a soft voice, Penny's words weirdly cold. You turned in time to watch Robin scramble to put a respectable distance, Penny tucking you in. "I can take it from here."