Archive of Our Own ^beta

It took until the end of the summer for Sebastian to realize that the farmer might actually give him a chance.

When Casey arrived in the spring, everyone in Pelican Town had welcomed him with open arms. His easy charm and infectious laugh had won folks over, even George and his endlessly sour expression. Abigail and Sam loved to play team games now that there were four of them, and invited Casey everywhere they went. The ladies loved how thoughtful he was for a young man, and the men loved how reliable he was with helping around town. And now, standing on the dock, watching the pale glow of the approaching jellyfish, he was starting to think that maybe this city boy had gotten to him, too.

The air was cool over the surf and smelled like hot sand and salty froth from the high tide, but the respite from the heat was just a small part of the appeal of the night. The whole town turned out for any excuse, honestly, because not too much truly happened. But Sebastian liked to think that the Dance of the Moonlight Jellies was the best-loved of all, and that was why they swarmed his private thinking space. To see the majestic glow and be caught up in the wonder of life below the surface.

The dock creaked beneath familiar boots, pulling Sebastian out of his thoughts. “Hey,” he said, not lifting his eyes from the worn wooden planks and the jellies just past them.

“I saw you were alone, so I thought I’d come spoil that for you.” Again, Sebastian didn’t even have to look to know what he’d see, identifiable by the sound. Casey, wearing a shit-eating grin, eyes glimmering with mischief as he prodded at Sebastian to get a rise out of him.

“Joke’s on you, I like your company.” Too honest. “When you’re quiet, that is.” Much better.

“You wound me, good sir,” Casey chuckled under his breath, leaning against the nearby railing to look out at the sea. He stood there, watching the jellies in silence long enough that Sebastian worried he might have actually hurt the other man’s feelings. It couldn’t hurt to stand closer to the edge, and maybe seeing Casey’s face would actually help in this case, so with a groan and a stretch he closed the distance between them, leaning against the railings so their elbows brushed.

“They’re my favorite. The jellies. I used to pretend they were showing us how happy they were to see us when they glowed, that they loved to see us pressed up to the surface as much as we loved to see them.” He kicked a stray bit of debris off the edge and watched the ripples send the jellies scattering in slow motion, their lights blinking as they left.

“That’s really sweet. I don’t think they have eyes- ouch!” Casey laughed, wincing at the sharp elbow that jabbed his side. “I’m no marine biologist, it’s just a guess!” Sebastian glared for a few seconds before it melted, his cheeks heating when he realized that Casey had shifted closer so they were fully pressed together against the chilly sea breeze.

“When I was a kid in Zuzu I didn’t know which spots in the sky were stars or planes or just lights, but I pretended they all were my secret friends. I’d talk to them on the balcony of our apartment, and trace shapes.” He shot Sebastian a rueful grin, leaning into him. “One day I told my science teacher my favorite constellation was Bolton, named of course for Troy due to the “T” shape. She told me it was a cell tower.”

“No!” Sebastian gasped, turning his face to Casey to see if he was playing around. But Casey’s wide eyes were serious as they reflected the glow of the jellies, fixed on his. Searching.

Apparently he liked what he saw, because he smiled again, batting his eyes like a southern debutante. “Absolutely, yes. See, before I was a country bumpkin, I was a foolish city dreamer. It’s part of my charm, how good I am at being bad at things.”

Now was Sebastian’s turn to nudge Casey, the two of them swaying just like the creatures below. “You’re good at lots. It’s annoying, but it makes everyone like you.”

“Everyone?”

“Everyone.”

“Even you?” Casey had turned his sea green eyes on Sebastian, locking him in place. His heart stuttered in his chest, and for that moment it felt like it was just him, Casey, and the sea of jellies. This wasn’t what he’d expected when he’d left his house in the mountains this evening. But it also wasn’t what he’d expected when Casey’d arrived in town in the spring, either. His charm, and his skill, and his wit, and his smile, and those eyes, god. He’d never expected Casey.

He swallowed and it made a strange sound in his throat that he hoped was swallowed by the rush of the surf. “Especially me.” Even as he said it he felt his face flushing from his cheeks to the tips of his ears, and he tugged his fringe back into place to have something to do with his hands.

When he rested his palms against the worn wood again to steady himself, a warm hand brushed his before settling on top with a gentle squeeze.

“I think everyone likes you, too. But, like, mostly me,” Casey giggled, then reached across Sebastian to point to the other side of the docks. “We’ve got witnesses.”

Sure enough, Abigail and Sam had the pair locked in their sights, Abigail with a smug grin and a side eye, Sam with the subtlety of a fire engine siren. Casey winked at them as Sebastian rolled his eyes, and the two settled into a comfortable silence as they watched the jellies pulsing glow under the waves, hand in hand.