Pocahontas- John Smith x Pocahontas
A low oath came from behind her, making her stop in her tracks and turn back halfway. A short laugh escaped her mouth when she saw the blond man struggling to pull a goat along with him.
"Don't laugh," he said, embarrassed and mildly irritated.
Pocahontas covered her mouth and walked over to him. "Here," she took the animal by the rope around its neck. "You have to be gentle with it," she cooed, nuzzling the goat and tugged it forward.
The goat followed, to John's amazement. "See?"
He quickly masked his admiration and sighed, walking in the direction of the village. "I can't handle animals. The only one who ever liked me is Meeko."
Pocahontas smiled, falling in step with him easily, towing the goat along.
John had returned after a long year of recovery, and had been more than happy to settle with her in the village.
Since I know you can't come back with me, I'll just stay here with you, was his simple and bizarre reasoning. She had half-believed that he was only joking, and yet, here he was, nine months later.
She shook her head at the memory, knowing just how lucky she was. Although she knew that if he had gone back to his old life, it was very likely that she would follow soon after. During his recovery process, she was going crazy, doing odd jobs and helping out around the village more than ever, just to keep her mind off him.
A cool breeze made her shiver, even though she was usually good at withstanding the cold. Of course, all her experience in the village made her more resilient, and she had already swapped her usual sleeveless dress for one that was thicker and had sleeves.
On the other hand, this was John's first winter here. A quick glance at him showed that he was not a big fan of cold weather. He was silently cursing at the cold water that he accidently splashed on himself after stumbling on a tree root.
She laughed quietly, and held out her hand for him. His expression softened and he took it without another word.
"Wow, your hands really are cold," she remarked, surprised.
"Please tell me this is as cold as it gets around here," he said lightly, a smile playing around his lips. "I couldn't handle it if it gets worse."
She bit down on her bottom lip, looking down. She could feel the worried expression on her face and she didn't want him to let in on her irrational insecurities. He shouldn't have to feel bad for a few jokes and light-hearted actions.
Fortunately, he didn't seem to notice her sudden silence- something was weighing down in his mind as well. In fact, he had been acting kind of tense during the last few days, almost… nervous? But why would he be nervous?
They passed the coast, and from the high cliff they stood on, the view looked simply breath-taking. The sun was setting in the horizon, the golden rays settling on the endless stretch of ocean, making it shimmer with life. The skies seemed to stretch on forever too, coloured with vibrant pinks, oranges and yellows.
"It's beautiful," John whispered from beside her, setting down the bucket and sitting on the ground next to it. Pocahontas followed, still holding the goat's rope.
It was too sentimental to walk away from. She stared out into the distance, letting her thoughts abandon her for a moment, feeling completely at peace.
She glanced at John, watching the way the wind played with his hair, his strong jaw lines, and the point of his nose. Her eyes then travelled to his, seeing the deep thoughts behind them. He was missing his home.
"Do you ever… think about your home?" Before she knew it, the words had slipped out.
His eyes flickered to her, and there was a short pause. "What, like going back?"
She nodded, and from the corner of her eye, she saw that he turned back to the ocean. Just when she thought he wasn't going to reply, he spoke, barely more than a whisper.
"Sometimes."
She expected as much, but didn't answer, not trusting herself to speak. So he did wish to go back, and she would let him. He was a sailor. He shouldn't be tied down to one place. She would not ask him to give up her freedom. So this was it then. They were over.
His grip on her hand tightened, and he continued. "Sometimes, I think of home, of sailing, of the adventures I used to have, and I wonder where I would be going right now, if I weren't here."
She kept her eyes steadily on the ocean, feeling the tears stinging at the brim of her eyes. She was strong. She would let him go and carry on with her life.
"I think about it," he said softly. "But I have never ever actually considered it."
Her head snapped up, surprised, and saw that he was telling the truth. He held her gaze briefly and smiled. "I came all this way, and I'm not about to give you up so easily."
She opened her mouth to reply, but couldn't find the words and closed it again. He reached for her hand with his other hand and held it for a second. She felt something cool around her finger and looked down at it.
There was a ring. A simple golden band around her fourth finger. She blinked and looked up at him again, questioning.
He shortly realized that she didn't know what it meant. "This is how we propose. The men buy the woman a wedding ring, and often, we says something like 'Will you marry me?'"
Her heart accelerated, almost painfully thudding against her chest. She gaped at the ring and then at the man, suddenly grasping the situation. It only took another second for her to throw her arms around him, laughing joyfully.
"So is that a yes?" he asked.
She grinned. "Yes, I would be happy to marry you."
The goat chewed on her hair, ruining the moment, and she smacked the animal away, making sure to save her hair. John started laughing, much to her irritation, but she couldn't stop herself from joining him.
They laughed together in the absurdity of it all, unable to help themselves and watched the sun set.
I'm sorry! I know I'm late, I know I can't write fluff, I don't know why there's a goat there, and I'm sorry! I'll get around to the other requests, I promise.
Thank you for reading!