Summary: Naomi is heading out to sea again for some of her work as Chancellor, and Elena is there to see her off. Prompt: Farewell. Post-series.
Naomi's appointment as Chancellor had turned out to be a bit of a double-edged sword. On the one hand, Chancellor Naomi was needed around the palace far more often than Grand Councillor Naomi had been, which meant she got to spend way more time with Elena by extension—not that they'd really needed an excuse to be together, but the closeness of their work definitely gave them fewer reasons to be apart. They'd fallen into an easy rhythm with their work, blending it between their usual banter and finding that even the most monotonous of paperwork was more enjoyable in each other's company.
On the other hand, it meant that Naomi had to travel away from Avalor on diplomatic missions far more often, which, in a vacuum, was perfectly fine. She loved to travel, and she loved having a chance to be back on the sea. The problem, then, came from the fact that Elena's responsibilities as Queen did not allow her to join Naomi on every trip, which meant that when she left Avalor, Naomi often had to travel away from Elena, by extension.
At least now, there was always the promise of her return, which made the send-offs a little bit easier to bear, but even a "see you later" meant that there did, in fact, have to be a "later." To help soften the blow, Elena had made certain that even if she couldn't be on the journey with her, she would always still take time to see Naomi off properly.
Now was no different, as Naomi found herself accompanied to her ship by her friends, just minutes out from being Cariza-bound.
"I just wish I could go with you," Elena lamented for the third time that morning. She had not let go of Naomi's hand since they'd left the palace for the docks, and she was still holding it now as she stared forlornly at where Naomi's sailboat sat, bobbing gently in the water.
Naomi offered her a tiny smile. "I know. I wish you could, too." Her smile grew into something roguish though, as she added, "Is this where I should say a sappy line about how a part of you is always with me?"
It wasn't a strictly metaphorical sentimentality—she did still have her and Elena's picture inside her compass, and the tool's hinge was starting to get worn down from how often she'd flip it open while on her voyages.
Giggling, Elena leaned in closer. "Well, I certainly wouldn't complain."
A low chuckle from further back on the pier snapped Naomi out of the moment, finally remembering that she and Elena weren't alone. "Are you two going to do this every time?" Gabe joked. "This isn't even the longest trip she's taken this year."
"Yeah, she's only going to be gone for two weeks," Mateo added, arching an amused eyebrow.
Elena gave a gasp of mock offense, drawing Naomi so close to her side that their cheeks were almost smushed together. "And that's two whole weeks she won't be here!"
Naomi snorted, her face heating up at the proximity and the attention, and she sent a fond glance at Elena before turning her attention to the others. "I didn't know you guys were in such a rush to get rid of me," she quipped, her grin broadening at how Mateo immediately began to sputter out a protest.
Gabe chuckled again. "Ah, you know we're just teasing," he said, and then elbowed Mateo in the side. "C'mon, let's give them some privacy."
Naomi watched her friends' backs as they receded down the pier before her attention was pulled back at the feeling of Elena taking her other hand.
"You'll write?" she asked, her eyes and voice both brimming with hope.
"Of course," Naomi replied, squeezing Elena's hands. "Although I'll probably be back by the time the letters actually get here," she added, not quite keeping the amusement out of her tone.
Elena rolled her eyes playfully and scoffed. "I know that, I just," she paused, her face softening, "I like knowing that you're thinking of me as much as I'm thinking of you."
Smiling warmly, Naomi pressed her forehead against Elena's. "I always am," she said, and gave Elena a soft kiss, hoping that it carried as much sincerity as her words. "Every moment," a kiss, "of every day," and another, "that I'm not here," and one more for good measure. She leaned back, satisfied at how flushed and happy Elena looked, and smirked. "That a good enough goodbye for you, Your Highness?" she teased.
"First of all, it's not a 'goodbye,'" Elena corrected, "because I'll be seeing you in two weeks. And second of all," she grinned, "I think I need one more kiss." Laughing, she leaned in again to do just that, finally letting go of Naomi's hands to loosely wind her arms around her neck.
Naomi could've stayed like that forever, but she did have important work to do, and so reluctantly, the two parted. Bidding one last, quick goodbye to the guys and another lingering one to Elena, she finally boarded her vessel and set off.
The wind was in her favor, it seemed, and it carried her away from the shore, but even as her ship pulled further and further out, Naomi made sure she turned back to see Elena still waving from the pier.
So, the alternate prompt for day 5 was "Meeting," which I knew I wasn't going to do for any of the pairings I was planning on writing, so the challenge for me then became finding out how to do a fluffy take on "Farewell." Hopefully I hit the mark. I was a little worried at the end that some of Naomi's dialogue was too sappy for what she'd actually say, but then I actually looked up the lyrics to "Everything's Fine" and y'know what? I think I'm in the clear.