HIRAETH // Captain Puffy X Reader

29

There was a door in the back of Puffy's cabins that led to a little balcony off the back of the ship. It was small - barely enough room for two people side by side, but secluded - tucked away from the activity of the rest of the ship. Here, it was just you and her and the sea.

You leaned against the railing, looking out over the ocean. "I didn't know this was back here."

Puffy shut the door behind you gently so as not to wake Tubbo, and leaned against the wall, her hands falling neatly in her pockets. "Well, I don't use it that often, so."

You hummed, turning back to watch the sunlight dance on the crests of the waves, expecting Puffy to keep going, as she had been the one to bring you out here in the first place. She didn't though, and it was silent for a moment until you turned back again, asking, "Puffy?"

Puffy pursed her lips. "Right." She sighed. You could see her hands fiddling around in her pockets, working herself up. "I'm not very good at these sorts of things, but... you're really something, Y/N."

Your heart fluttered at her words, and you turned around to face Puffy fully, intending to tell her again that it was nothing, the least you could do - but she wasn't done yet.

"I'll admit that when you first got here, I didn't really like you." She said, staring off into the sea. "But then you befriended Tubbo, and I thought 'what's the worst that could happen, you know?'. But then you started teaching him, and taking care of him while I was busy, and I saw how much he really likes you... you're great with him. I think that's when I started to like you."

Puffy was still looking out to sea, but her words made your nerves thrum. You couldn't help the soft smile growing on your face as she kept talking. 

"And then there was that night when we were all celebrating and you looked so good in the moonlight." She said, that pink tinge returning to her face again. She smiled to herself. "When you said you would join the crew, you don't know how happy that made me."

"You were very smiley that day." You said.

Puffy laughed a little. "Yeah, I was, wasn't I?" She paused as a breeze whisked by, ruffling through the cloud like locks of her hair. "You joining the crew might just be the best thing that's ever happened to me, since you pretty much saved everyone now." Puffy's eyes found yours now, and she smiled. "You really are something, Y/N."

Your heart swelled full as she looked at you, and suddenly you felt a little teary. "Puffy..." It was the nicest thing anyone had ever said to you, and you could tell that she really, truly, meant it by the wealth of emotion swirling behind her eyes. A rush of affection flooded through you just looking at her - this woman that you had hated at the beginning of this journey and now meant so much. She had become more than just a captian to you, she had become a friend.

"I just thought you should know that I'm desperately in love with you." Puffy said, still looking at you. Her hands fidgeted in her pockets and she broke eye contact after a minute, looking back to the sea. 

This was one of the only times you had seen Puffy truly anxious about something. And she had just told you that she loved you.

Reaching forward, you gently pulled Puffy's hands from her pockets, interlacing her fingers with yours and clutching her hands in yours. Her eyes drifted back to yours as you leaned down and pressed your lips to hers - gently, hesitantly. It took a moment for Puffy to relax into the kiss, but when she did, she pulled you closer by your still joined hands, and you could feel the corner of her lips twitch up into a smile.

When you pulled back, Puffy didn't let you go far, still holding onto your hands. Her eyes fluttered back open to look at you, and you let go of one of her hands to cradle her face, unable to stop the smile forming on your lips. 

"Yeah?" Puffy asked. 

"Of course." You replied. "Puffy... how could I not? You're wonderful - so hardworking and determined and the way you care about people so much that you would sacrifice everything for them... you're amazing, and I will never regret joining your crew."

"Oh god." Puffy said, the edge of a laugh in her voice. "You're going to make me cry."

You leaned back in for another kiss, moving your hand from Puffy's cheek to wind into her hair, running the soft curls between your fingers. You pressed little kisses all over her face - her forehead, her cheeks, the tip of her nose - before falling on her lips again. "No crying." You said. "You're supposed to be the strong captain now, c'mon."

Puffy chased after your lips when you pulled back, tugging on your hand again until you leaned back in so that she could kiss you. She hummed, "Can't help it. The person I've been pining after for weeks now just told me that they think I'm wonderful."

You grinned, still working your fingers through her hair, just playing with the curls. "Well, it's true."

Puffy made a little happy noise and leaned her head into the palm of your hand more, sliding down the wall and taking you with her. Leaning against the side of the ship, your feet dangled off the edge of the balcony and over the sea, the spray landing on your ankles. Next to you, Puffy dropped her head in your lap, letting you run your hands through her hair, winding the curls into little braids and just playing with the cloud like locks. 

You smiled, and leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead. This is what you had been missing.