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Heart In The Clouds (BL)

Green Eyed

Green Eyed

May 02, 2020

Two hours later they finally reached the edge of the glacier and managed to hitch passage down from a cloud port to the city of Trolvbard.

From there, they had elicited the help of an ice breaker ship to clear a path for the Akashi to be rescued. It would cost Captain Shin dearly but at least the ship’s crew wouldn’t die of starvation or freezing. Plus, it meant they would make the northern fur markets on time.

Upon all being reunited Captain Shin had held another big meeting detailing the sailing route of the upcoming journey. After that, Drift had requested to speak to him and the two had been locked in the captain’s quarters for about half an hour before the other boy remerged and said they were spending the night ashore.

Cove sat sandwiched in between Fletch and Hanzo in the middle of a thriving tavern. The ale was flowing freely and the entire crew was in a celebratory mood. Several men had already disappeared to rooms upstairs with tavern girls and cheeky winks back at their mates.

Cove was probably the only shipmate not to be enjoying himself.

Instead, Cove was glaring across at where a certain blue haired boy was sat with some big bosomed wench on his knee. Since they had entered the tavern the local women had buzzed around Drift like flies. It was pathetic, Cove thought bitterly. The other boy wasn’t that handsome with his stupid hair and jaw and muscles.

“Hey kid,”

Cove jerked his head round to look daggers at Fletch.

“You’re staring,” Fletch shrugged.

“He’s jealous,” Robbo laughed, making Cove freeze, ice cold dread prickling down his neck. There was no way he had been that obvious. “He wants a pretty girl to be sat on his knee too!”

Cove relaxed, his heart reattaching itself to his ribcage where it belonged.

“That smug bastard always gets all the prettiest barmaids,” Robbo huffed, gesturing towards Drift.

Ugh, the nasty clawing feeling in Cove’s gut was back again. It made him feel strange, like he wanted to pounce across the table and shove the woman and her sticky paws clean off Drift.

He didn’t want Drift to be happy, that was it. Drift was such a jerk he didn’t deserve to be wearing that shit eating grin sitting in some cosy warm tavern with adoring girls hanging off his arms.

It’s not like Drift had any interesting stories to tell for god’s sakes. Cove had heard them all! All the stupid tales of far off lands and exotic spice routes the Akashi had navigated. Wind whirlpools as big as cities and sky sirens that lured you in to thunder traps with their songs.

It was all a load of rubbish that Drift probably brought out every time he wanted to impress someone.

“We can get you a girl kid?” Fletch offered with a far too knowing smile for Cove’s liking. “What’s your fancy? There’s a red head in the corner there, or the blonde over there looks bored of Morris already, don’t see any with blue hair though…”

Cove jabbed his elbow back as hard as he could into Fletch’s side without anyone else noticing. Fletch choked on his pint, spitting half of it across the table.

“You little shitter,” Fletch snarled as Cove stuck out his tongue and jumped over Hanzo’s legs to the safety of the other side of the table.

“Hello darling,” soft arms wound their way around Cove’s chest, causing him to squeak in surprise. “Did I hear you’re looking for company?”

The girl was pretty, with golden ringlets, plump lips and brown sugar freckles, she only looked to be a few years older than Cove.

“Not him,”

Cove looked over in surprise to see Drift shaking his head and reaching out to hold the girl’s hand, pulling her gently away from Cove.

“Oh?” the girl pouted. “But he looks sad?”

“He always looks like that,” Drift snorted, still not meeting Cove’s eyes.

“I’m fine – stay,” Cove snapped, feeling irritated. He linked his fingers with the girl’s other hand and tugged her back towards him.

“You know what to do with a woman do you?” Drift laughed cruelly, catching the attention of the other men at the table.

“Shut up,” Cove snapped, his face heating up in a way he knew was noticeable.

“That’s okay sweetheart,” the girl cooed, petting Cove’s head and threading her fingers through his hair softly. “I’m always happy to teach new ones.”

“I wouldn’t bother,” Drift snorted, letting go of her hand, shoving the other woman off his knee and taking a large swig of ale. “Brat’s a slow learner; I’ve been trying to teach him manners for months.”

The other men began to laugh, clinking together their tankards and glasses as Cove felt his mouth go dry and his eyes stung with tears of humiliation.

“I hate you,” he hissed at Drift, before reaching over to grab the nearest pitcher of ale and throwing its contents full force over the other boy.

There was a furious shout as Cove scrabbled up and sprinted towards the door of the tavern and out into the night air. His boots, now with the spokes removed, thudded dully against the frozen cobbles of one of Trolvbard’s back streets.

Cove ran until he reached the edge of the city, the waist height stone walls separating the town from the crashing ocean below. Cove had never seen the ocean before coming to Trolvbard. It was somehow scarier than the sky, darker and immense in its mysteries.

“You going to jump overboard again?”

Cove flinched, wincing as he recognised the last voice on the planet that he wanted to hear.

He turned round gingerly to see Drift standing a few feet away, the other boy’s chest was heaving in and out with exertion, clearly he had also been running.

Drift was drenched, the thrown ale sticking to his clothes and dripping down his arms. Where it had seeped into the fabric the liquid had already started to form frost crystals upon exposure to the cool breeze.

“You deserved it,” Cove snapped before Drift could start to yell at him.

“Yeah,” Drift nodded, making Cove’s eyebrows jump up in surprise. “I know. I’m sorry.”

“You- you’re what?” Cove stammered, reaching back behind himself to hold onto the cold iron railing that ran along the top of the stone wall.

“I was horrible,” Drift replied miserably, casting his eyes down at the floor. “I never mean to say these things to you but they just keep tumbling out before I can snatch them back.”

Cove opened his mouth and promptly closed it again. He had no idea what to say to that.

“I,” Drift sighed and seemed to slump in on himself. “I didn’t like the thought of you going with that girl.”

“Why?” Cove’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Did you want her?”

“No,” Drift shook his head with a bitter laugh. “I don’t want any of them.”

“Then what do you want?” Cove asked, his heart starting to beat faster. He didn’t know what answer he hoped to hear. He couldn’t make sense of the jumbled thoughts spinning around his head.

“I want,” Drift looked up to stare hard at Cove, “I want to not be covered in ale freezing my fucking ass off.”

Cove laughed before he could help himself, eliciting a sheepish responding smile from Drift.

“I’m going to go back to the ship and change, maybe get some shut eye in my hammock,” Drift stated. “You can keep running away if you want or you can walk back with me?”

“I’m not allowed to run away,” Cove huffed, “Shin owns me remember?”

“Not anymore,” Drift shrugged, reaching into his pocket and drawing out a scroll of paper and throwing it over to Cove.

“What’s this?” Cove frowned down at the sheet; it was some kind of contract.

“Well, before some brat drenched it in ale, it was a certificate of acquisition,” Drift rolled his eyes, smiling softly.

“You, you bought me?” Cove looked up in horror.

“No,” Drift shook his head vehemently, “dear god no, you couldn’t pay me enough to take a pain in the ass like you on. Nah, I just bought your freedom instead.”

“How?” Cove whispered, his voice crackling in the stillness of the dark. The street lamps over head were flickering with orange flame.

“I made a deal with Shin,” Drift coughed, looking awkward, “I gave him all my savings and promised my wages for the next few months.”

“But why?” Cove asked, suddenly feeling very small and cold.

Drift shrugged, “guess I got fed up of always being legally obligated to save your sorry ass.”

“I see,” Cove swallowed tightly. “So how exactly are you going to feed yourself without any coin for the next three months?”

“I’m sure I’ll be able to persuade Gordy to give me some scraps,” Drift replied, rubbing thoughtfully at his chin.

“Gordy doesn’t like you,” Cove shook his head with a small smile.

“Yeah,” Drift huffed a grim laugh, “there is that.”

“He likes me,” Cove offered quietly. “Perhaps…perhaps I could stick around. Just for a bit I mean, to get in his good graces on your behalf?”

“You could,” Drift bit his lip and looked amused.

“I still don’t like you,” Cove snapped. “And you have to stop calling me ‘brat’.”

“Hard ask, but I’ll try,” Drift nodded, looking like he was trying not to laugh.

“And stop embarrassing me in front of the other crewmates,” Cove added.

“Okay,” Drift agreed.

“And stop saying I’m weak!” Cove interjected quickly before Drift moved away and he lost his chance. “And no more toilet duty, or climbing up the rigging – I don’t like it.”

“I know,” Drift smiled softly, his eyes crinkling.

“And stop calling me naive – I’ve seen things!”

“Have you now?” Drift’s shoulders were shaking with silent laughter, making Cove flush red with irritation.

“Stop – you’re meant to be taking me seriously!” Cove whined, folding his arms and pouting.

“Of course, your highness,” Drift schooled his face back into a serious frown and gave an exaggerated bow as Cove huffed and rolled his eyes.

“And don’t call me that anymore!”

“Why?” Drift narrowed his eyes with a smirk. “You seem to like it.”

“I hate it,” Cove hissed.

“I’m starting to think that word doesn’t mean what you think it means,” Drift grinned, showing his teeth as he stalked forwards toward Cove like a predatory animal.

“What – what are you doing?” Cove stammered, shuffling further up against the wall.

“Aren’t your feet tired from running across town like a madman?” Drift asked innocently. “I thought I’d help and carry you back to the ship like the first time we met.”

“Don’t you fucking dare,” Cove ordered in his most authoritative tone. “We’re not friends Drift so don’t get the wrong idea – plus you’re covered in ale!”

“And whose fault is that?” Drift raised an eyebrow.

“Yours!” Cove shouted, jabbing his finger out to poke Drift hard in the chest.

“Yeah,” Drift grinned, snatching Cove’s hand and using it to drag the younger boy forwards before hiking him shrieking and yelling up over his shoulder.

“Drift! Drift you rotten scoundrel what are you doing?”

“Kidnapping you again,” Drift laughed, turning to start stalking towards where the Akashi was moored.

“I hate you!” Cove shouted as they disappeared into the blackness of the night.

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XiaoBambi
Bambi 斑比

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Valkyriekat
Valkyriekat

Top comment

Cove is just trying to be difficult now. I can see right though it 🖤

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Heart In The Clouds (BL)
Heart In The Clouds (BL)

49k views623 subscribers

Drift is a tall, tanned and muscular shiphand onboard the skyjunk Akashi. With his good looks and pirate know-how, he's doing pretty damn well until Captain Shin tells him to go and pick up a new recruit.

Cove is a stroppy, whiny, silver-haired seventeen year old boy with a filthy mouth and a temper to match.

Basically, Drift surmises, the kid's an absolute brat and his life just got a whole lot more problematic. Especially when the Captain decides to take them north through the treacherous cloud glaciers for the winter. Read more
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24 episodes

  • An Aquisition
    Episode 1 An Aquisition
  • A Load Of Junk
    Episode 2 A Load Of Junk
  • And They Were Bunkmates!
    Episode 3 And They Were Bunkmates!
  • What’s Up Doc?
    Episode 4 What’s Up Doc?
  • Sweater Weather
    Episode 5 Sweater Weather
  • In Every Port
    Episode 6 In Every Port
  • Spicy
    Episode 7 Spicy
  • Go Stew In It!
    Episode 8 Go Stew In It!
  • Groggy
    Episode 9 Groggy
  • Blue Needle
    Episode 10 Blue Needle
  • Ice Ice Baby
    Episode 11 Ice Ice Baby
  • Are We There Yeti?
    Episode 12 Are We There Yeti?
  • Do You Want To Build An Abominable Snowman?
    Episode 13 Do You Want To Build An Abominable Snowman?
  • Snuggles
    Episode 14 Snuggles
  • Green Eyed
    Episode 15 Green Eyed
  • Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship?
    Episode 16 Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship?
  • Morning Driftwood
    Episode 17 Morning Driftwood
  • Pokerface
    Episode 18 Pokerface
  • Shatter Me
    Episode 19 Shatter Me
  • Cold Shoulder
    Episode 20 Cold Shoulder
Ep. 15 Green Eyed

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Green Eyed

Green Eyed

1.9k views 157 likes 4 comments


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