The Fleece Job (Olympus Drive Chronicles)

Chapter 11: We set sail

Jason

I rise first. Hugh is a very light sleeper. He begrudgingly lets me go up on deck to get ready to set sail. Penny proves to be invaluable in that she does in fact know how to steer a boat. So she gets that job. We set sail before the others are even awake.

Reese wakes next and goes to his many musical instruments. He says he wants to greet the sun.

You know how I said Hugh is a light sleeper? As in most things wake him up? Well, we found out the hard way what happens when somebody who sleeps clutching a baseball bat is woken up by a fourteen year old singing 'All Star' at the top of his lungs.  Thankfully, Reese blocked the bat with a soundwave so we're all still alive.

Ev and I keep Penny company up on the top deck. Ev is fidgety and content to eat several hot pockets. I sip a cup of tea. Penny wants coffee and a bagel with cream cheese (not toasted?) which Ev gets for her.

"I trust you slept well?" I ask Ev.

"Not at all," Penny says. Hugh Uber'd himself and Penny coffee before we set sail. They have the same taste in coffee apparently. Black, no sugar, no cream, the boldest roast they can manage. All else is for the faint of heart apparently.

"It wasn't bad," Ev says, shrugging and staring out at the water.

I nod. I didn't actually sleep.

"Do you not live with your personal dad anymore?" Ev asks, kind of gently. Okay, this is kind of bad of me I know but I've been trying to figure out if they were born male or female.

I get that they identify as neither and that's cool. But. I kind of—just—want to know. It's idle curiosity. That feels very disrespectful and I'm not about to ask. But I can't figure it out. They're taller than I am, easily six feet or six one, and they're muscular, though not overly broad. When I met them they were wearing a skirt but now that we're on the job and doing things they've worn men's jeans. They always wear tank tops, and a jean jacket, also with the sleeves cut off. They wear copper bracelets on each wrist, that's it, and like me good running shoes. I think that's the only thing we got from our shared dad. Love of running.

Ev has their hair in an under cut, with triangular designs cut into the shaved sides, and the top long and died rainbow colors, though now the top is braided and tied up with a little rubber band. Their face is pretty, but not strictly feminine with prominent cheek bones, a soft chin, button nose, and sweet hazel eyes. Their hands are calloused and practical. But they have black fingernail polish that's cracking on their nails.

Past one of the tank tops I thought I saw bra straps, and truthfully Ev isn't necessarily flat chested. But. I can't tell if that's padded or natural. And their pants are always men's, and they seem to hang appropriately if that makes sense, not like a woman wearing men's pants where they're far too loose and hang oddly on the hips.

So, anyway, I can't tell. But I want to. I want to know. Was this the son I was supposed to be? The one that was worth coming around for more? The one that didn't get left at boarding schools? 

"Sorry, what did you say?" I realize they asked me something.

"Your personal dad, do you not live with him?" Ev asks.

"No. I don't. I left," I say, flatly.

"I'm sorry. I'd miss my mom. She's my best friend----I mean, our shared dad wasn't around, no. But I'm glad he left me with her," I say.

"My personal dad is fine we're just---not seeing eye to eye right now," I say, shrugging.

"Hey, here," Hugh walks up and throws a t-shirt at me. He does the same to Ev. He sets one by Penny politely saying, "You don't have to wear it if you don't want to."

"This is red," Ev says. They are wearing a green tank top that says 'Error 404 gender not found', with a little they/them button on it.

"Why did you give me a t-shirt with 'Argonauts' written on it?" I ask, slowly.

"Because that is what you are wearing. Instead of sleeping last night, I was figuring out how not to lose you little shits. And then it came to me. Bright t-shirts. I can spot you in a crowd. If you get arrested I know which little people belong to me. Beautiful system. Put it on."

"We are ditching him right?" Ev growls, getting out a knife to cut the sleeves off.

"How come she doesn't have to wear it?" Reese asks.

"Because she's a girl, stupid. We're nice to girls," I hear the sound of Reese being wrestled into his.

Meanwhile, the twins: "Hey! Free clothes!"

Ev and I go to our cabins to put ours on. We both do so yeah I don't learn anything.

We then return to Penny who tied hers around her waist (he got her long sleeve).

"We are ditching him right?" Penny asks.

"Yes," I sigh. "You don't have to wear them."

"I think we do," Cassian says, coming up to try to take my tea when he thinks it's coffee.

"No. You don't, because once we ditch him then we're gonna put on normal clothes," I say.

"He threw our shirts overboard," Peter says, "While we were changing."

"Yeah he's lost his mind," Reese says.

Ev thinks this is funny.

"Those were Tommy Hilfiger," I growl.

"Watch me care," Hugh says, leaning against the rail and drinking his coffee.

The twins don't actually seem to care. Ev mostly is amused.

"He thinks this will stop us from doing ridiculous shit. He's clearly never met a Neman," Ev laughs.

"I like the shirts; you two look alike," Penny tells us.

Ev and I frown at each other.

"Everyone says I look like my mom—except I have hazel eyes like my dad," Ev says.

"I look a bit like my personal dad," I say.

We are like that, leaning against the railing, staring out at the waves. Ev and I occasionally making idle chatter. Penny mostly just steering. Passing the time in general.

When lo and behold our shared dad appears, also leaning on the railing. He's carrying a bag of Cheesecake factory, and looking generally pleased with himself like he does, namely when he's eating.

Ev and I both kind of stare at him. He looks from one of us, to the other, as though adding up that we found each other.

"Hi, Dad," Ev and I say, in unison.

And of course, at that, he vanishes.

"Way to parent your kids," I growl.

"That was typical," Ev says.

"He left the food," Penny points out.

"It's how my dad and all my uncles parent. They feed people," Reese skips up to look at the food. "They say it's all they know."

"That's all our dad does," Cassian says.

"Take it," I know it was for me. He knows I love cheese cake.

"Does he do that often?" Peter asks.

"Pretty much," I say, shrugging, "Take the food, I'm sure it's fine."

"It is," Reese says, shoving cheese cake in his mouth. "Is there anything you would like me to play?"

"What you like—take requests?" Cassian asks.

"Yeah. Ask me anything."