Quick Info~
I'm so excited to present Chapter Three! It's 1:50 AM right now and I have been editing and working on this chapter all week. My perfectionist curse comes into play all-too-often when I'm trying to write... Anyway, the amount of love and encouragement that you guys are all giving this story and me is completely baffling. My fear of writing chaptered fics is fading by the day and that's all thanks to you wonderful people! It's a bit of a cliffhanger, but I assure you that you'll like what I have in store. ;) Also, the horse's name is Millie because of my recent obsession with an anime called Code Geass. What's a fanfiction without a little bit of weeaboo thrown in?
As always, I hope you enjoy the chapter and please don't hesitate to let me know how I can improve/what you liked/etc. :)
Annie had a hard time sleeping the next few nights. She did her best to avoid going into town as much as possible, only emerging from her farmland when she needed to sell things.
She did, however, keep a watchful eye on a few specific crops for when Raeger inevitably returned to collect his ingredients. Just looking at them grow was enough to send her stomach into a frenzy of butterflies.
When her alarm sounded, she slapped her hand over it to make it stop. She had been awake for hours by that point, staring at the ceiling and waiting for what seemed like an eternity for rays of light to finally break through her curtains and shine on the walls. It must have been around five in the morning when she realized that the sun wasn't going to be shining that day. The pitter-patter of raindrops peppered her roof and a cool draft emitted from her door and windows.
Stretching, she walked over to the mirror and took a brush out from the drawer underneath the sink. She yanked at her hair with the brush, trying to rid it of all of the tangles. A wet braid was the last thing she needed and, although she had a personal vendetta against wearing her hair in all of it's full, frizzy glory, she figured wearing it down for one day wouldn't kill her.
When she opened the front door, the rain was coming down in drops larger than usual, hitting the ground with a sound similar to hail. She glanced around her property, grateful that she wouldn't have to water her crops. Then, amidst the loud splattering sound of raindrops hitting the front porch, she heard a whinny.
She snapped her head to the side, immediately fearing what she knew she would find. Millie, her horse, was standing in the rain, water droplets pouring down her sleek mane and onto a plot of waterlogged grass. She braced herself as she rushed across the farm, her feet splashing mud onto her nightgown with every step.
"I'm so sorry, Millie!" Annie said, flinging her arms around the horse's neck and resting her head against Millie's long snout.
Grabbing the reigns, she led Millie towards the barn. As she threw the door open, she felt her shoulders tense, a sinking feeling settling in the pit of her stomach.
Her sheep were resting in a fluffy mass and Millie made her way to the feeding trough. But Hanako, her cow, was nowhere to be found. Annie's eyes darted around the barn, praying that she just overlooked Hanako and that she was merely snuggled up in some hay or something.
"Hanako!" Annie called desperately, standing on her tiptoes to rifle through the bin of cow treats. "If you come out I'll give you a treat!"
When Hanako didn't miraculously appear, Annie felt her heart begin to race. She had to find her. Not only was Hanako Annie's first animal, but she originally belonged to Eda. Losing her would be like losing one of the last few traces of Eda's memory.
Sprinting back out into the rain, Annie shielded her eyes from the droplets and squinted. Hanako couldn't have gone too far in weather like this. She was probably just searching for a place to escape the rain, since Annie had been too stupid to remember to bring her animals in from the previous day.
Eda's old farm. Yes. That's probably where she went.
Except she wasn't. Hanako wasn't in the forest or by the lake. She didn't seek solace with Fritz, Georgio, or Elise. It was like she vanished off the face of the earth.
Annie was soaked to the bone and shivering by the time she finally made into town. Her hair was drooping in stringy, limp strands and her nightgown clung to her body like static electricity. But still, she pressed on.
"Annie?"
She didn't respond. In fact, Raeger wasn't sure she even heard him.
"Annie?!" he yelled, hanging his head out of the door to his restaurant.
She eventually heard him and whipped her head in his direction, half hoping that he somehow stashed Hanako away in one of the booths.
"I can't talk right now," she yelled back.
"What are you even doing?"
Annie shook her head as her throat began to tighten. She felt tears prickle at the corner of her eyes as she let the fear that was slowly bubbling inside of her explode. "Hanako ran away!" she eventually managed to say, her voice cracking as she choked back a sob.
Raeger nodded, seeming to understand the gravity of the situation, and closed the door behind him. Annie hesitated, wondering if he was going to help her or force her to take shelter until the storm ended.
Thankfully, it seemed to be the former.
"Where have you looked?" he asked as he attempted to shield them both from the rain with his arms.
"Pretty much everywhere. The trade depot and one of the fields up near my farm are the only two places I haven't looked," Annie said, her heart beating so hard against her chest she felt like she might double over.
"Then let's start with the trade depot since we're right here."
Raeger led the way and Annie was grateful for his sudden but convenient volunteerism. Any awkward feelings she had towards him were lost in the sea of worry that her brain was churning around like a hurricane. Right now, he was just a friendly face willing to help.
When Hanako was nowhere to be found at the trade depot, Raeger instantly whisked Annie off to the next location. He wasted no time dawdling or panicking—he left that up to Annie—and instead took on a role of leadership and support.
She watched him, wide-eyed as he confidently pushed through the rain. Somewhere along the line she vaguely noticed his fingers slip through hers. When she glanced at their intertwined hands, she felt a surge of heat press into her palm and up through her veins.
"Hanako," Annie said, breathless as they stopped near one of Elise's many fields.
Hanako looked up at her with large, brown eyes and continued to eat the crops growing in the plot. Raeger let go of Annie's hand and she sprinted towards the cow. Throwing her arms around Hanako, Annie buried her face in her wet fur.
"Don't ever disappear on me like that again," Annie whispered. "I'm so sorry I forgot to let you inside."
Raeger stood back and smiled, watching Annie talk to Hanako like they had been friends for forever. In some ways, they had been friends forever.
"I don't want to break up your reunion, but this storm is getting worse. We should be heading back," Raeger said, attempting to traipse through the muddy grass.
Annie nodded and grabbed the rope around Hanako's neck, tugging gently to get her to move. Hanako was obedient since it was Eda that trained her; it was pretty impossible to even attempt to disagree with anything Eda wanted.
When Hanako was safely back in her barn, Annie invited Raeger inside her house to escape the rain.
"Do you want some coffee?" Annie asked, flipping on the light switch and heading towards the stove.
"Yes, please," Raeger said, shaking his head and launching droplets of water all over the carpet.
Annie swallowed hard. Now that the panic had settled, thoughts of her strange feelings towards Raeger came screaming back into the front of her mind. Shakily, she stuck the kettle underneath the faucet and turned on the burner.
"Where did you manage to find coffee grounds?" Raeger asked, almost immediately at her side in the kitchen.
"Silk Country," Annie said. "They're pretty expensive and only make a few cups, but when you wake up at six in the morning they're sort of a necessity."
Raeger nodded. "My grandfather never drank coffee, but when I turned fifteen and tried to juggle school with working full-time, he knew that I wouldn't be able to function without it."
"Smart man," Annie said, standing on her tiptoes to try and reach for mugs she kept inconveniently on the top shelf.
"I've got it," Raeger said, reaching above her and grabbing the mugs with ease.
Annie had to admit that despite the strength she gathered from farming, she was probably one of the shortest people on the island. She clocked in at a measly 5'2, while Raeger was easily 6'0.
"Thanks, but I could've gotten it," she muttered.
"I know," Raeger said, the lightness in his voice catching her off guard. "But sometimes it's okay to ask for help."
"You've already helped enough with finding Hanako. Go relax," Annie said, pointing to the couch.
Raeger held up his hands in defeat. "Alright, alright. But if you forget that the water is boiling it isn't my fault."
Annie opened her mouth to retort but decided against it. Instead, she turned her back to him and continued watching the kettle. There was no way he was going to let her melt into a puddle of goop that easily.
"I know it's not very decent, but is there anywhere I can put this shirt before I catch pneumonia?" Raeger asked.
Annie froze, unable to answer him or even move. She knew the second that she turned around what she would find, and if the slack jawed look she gave him wasn't going to give away her little crush, her sudden muteness definitely would. Instead, she thought of her conversation with Lillie and mustered up all of the courage she had to face him.
Sure enough, he was holding his dripping shirt in one hand while the rest of his torso remained completely exposed. Annie tried not to gawk. After all, she had only seen one man on the island shirtless before. The freckles that covered Fritz's shoulders were definitely adorable, but didn't even come close to how Raeger looked.
His olive skin was shining ever so slightly with rainwater. He had impressive broad shoulders with two perfectly symmetrical collarbones. His abs were visible, but not prominent—natural and just enough to match his slender frame. His body was almost completely devoid of hair, except for a little trail traveling from his belly button down to his…
Annie stopped and forced her eyes to stay locked on his eyes. He didn't seem to catch her staring, though, so she let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding in.
"This isn't a problem is it?" Raeger asked, holding out his arms and looking down at his chest.
"What? No, no! Not at all!" Annie said, and then quickly cleared her throat as Raeger glanced up at her with mischievously raised eyebrows. "I just mean that I wouldn't want to be the reason why you caught a cold or pneumonia."
"Well your nightgown isn't exactly dry, either."
He sat absently on the couch and began to run his fingers through his hair in an attempt to tame the strands that were starting to awkwardly half-curl. Annie glanced down and realized that not only was she wearing a nightgown that barely covered her butt, but that the middle of the gown was see-through. She clutched her stomach in embarrassment, but it didn't matter. He was entirely uninterested in it.
"Let me go change," Annie said quietly.
She emerged from the closet a moment later with a large sweatshirt and plaid pajama bottoms. Her hair was drying in long waves and almost engulfed her tiny frame with its volume.
She sighed and sat beside Raeger before turning on the television.
Lillie was standing enthusiastically behind a map of the town covered in green splotches. Rain.
"And it seems like it won't be letting up any time soon! So don't forget to lock up your animals, lock up your loved ones, and snuggle in for a long, stormy night," Lillie said, gesturing to the giant green patch and smiling a dazzlingly white smile.
Annie chewed her lower lip nervously. Raeger couldn't go back out there. She wouldn't let him. If something happened to him she would never forgive herself. But if he didn't go back home, then he would have to spend the night with her…
She had to act fast. Make the conversation as casual as possible while still refusing to let him try and make it back to the restaurant. It shouldn't be that hard, right?
"I know it's not very big, but there will be space enough for the two of us for one night," she said clenching and unclenching her fists on her thighs.
"I'll take the couch," Raeger said.
"No way." Annie shook her head. "I got you into this mess, so you get the comfy bed."
"Or, you know if you were comfortable with it, we could both share your bed," Raeger suggested, and his nonchalant tone paled in comparison to the gravity of his words.