Hopelessly Devoted ~ Garroth x F!Reader

Ch 44: O'khasis Ranch House

*quality control: this chapter needs to be rewritten*
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"Eeeee~ Zoey~Chan? Can't you just try to make Kawaii~Chan's tail stop itching?" Kawaii~Chan wailed in agony.

"Shh, keep it down. No one here can know you're a Meif'wa. I know it feels suffocating in there, but I'm still exhausted from helping Travis," Zoey replied sympathetically.

***

It had only taken about an hour. But even if it had taken longer, you wouldn't have minded, because you weren't bored at all. Lord Aphmau, Kawaii~Chan, and Zoey had taken you and Aaron to a Cafe, and you were starting to get to know them. The deck you sat on was directly outside of the cafe and had the perfect view of both of the group's entrances, so you didn't have to worry about anyone getting lost. The cafe became crowded with villagers from Phoenix Drop, so a lot of people were redirected around the corner.

Once the last pairing came in, everyone huddled closer, creating one big condensed hall of people. Hopefully the crowd didn't look too conspicuous, but you figured it didn't because a crowd in the highly-populated O'khasis had to be normal. You gathered back into your group, almost passing Garroth—who you forgot wore a helmet—without a second glance.

The town was losing daylight, and it showed when the guards came out to ignite the street lamps and usher the regular townsfolk inside their homes. You followed Garroth, who followed Katelyn, who was followed by group after group.

"Katelyn, are we getting close to your dad's ranch? We don't want to draw attention to ourselves with a mob out passed curfew," Garroth urged, even though Katelyn already knew.

"Not much we can do but pick up our pace."

***

Katelyn's dad's house was hard to make out on the night's black background. It sat on its own plot of countryside, away from any street lamps. His house didn't end there—it had a ranch and a barn off to the side. This must have been one of the biggest properties in O'khasis.

Katelyn approached the front door of the sturdy farmhouse and knocked. A man with blue hair identical to Katelyn's stood in the doorframe, revealed when the front door swung open. His mustache and blue beard formed a circle around his mouth, which you thought would probably be very itchy.

"Sugar Pea? Is that you?" Her dad asked, and Katelyn responded by nodding her head to confirm his questions. "Why are you here? And at this time?" He bombarded Katelyn with more questions before his eyes grew wider. "And . . . Good Irene! How many people did you bring?"

Katelyn just shrugged her shoulders. "A lot. Can we fit them all in before the guards take us away?"

"Yes, yes. Quickly, come."

Katelyn motioned her hand, and the wave of people came crashing in.

***

"So let me get this straight. That village you stayed in is gone now, you want to make a new one, and you need some of my horses?" Katelyn's dad asked, just trying to wrap his brain around the concept of the last few days.

"Exactly. So . . . Can we?" Katelyn asked innocently, hoping her 'daddy's little girl' charm could persuade him.

He sighed. "I . . . suppose. And keep the horses, there can't be that many of you."

You tried to lay low and keep listening to bits and pieces of everyone's conversations, but mostly concentrated on the one in front of you.

"Are you sure? Someone could always bring them back after we've settled into our new location." Katelyn offered, not liking the idea of having to ride on her father's support. (Pun Intended)

"I'm positive. It'd be more trouble than it's worth. Plus, the horses are starting to overpopulate and the markets won't buy a single thoroughbred I own. Now, I'm not saying I'll give you my best stallions, but the ones I've been breeding lately will surely do the trick. I've been out riding and I've discovered that they have higher stamina than my others; they're perfect for long journeys." Katelyn's dad said. Katelyn was relieved, and whether she knew it or not, you were too.

You sat down on the couch and looked at the pictures on the walls. A boy much younger than Katelyn—who, again, had pale blue hair—peeked his head outside of the opening in the hall way, gawking at all of the visitors in his home. It must have been one of Katelyn's brothers she had told you about.

Katelyn's dad stood up and tapped a glass with a spoon, making a clacking ping that silenced the room. "We don't have very many spaces in the house for you all to sleep tonight. We can squeeze some on the couch and several can share the two guest beds upstairs. The rest of you will have to sleep in the barn with blankets."

After this long journey, sleep was sleep. When Dante's and Laurance's groups were picked to sleep inside, you weren't all that discouraged to be sleeping in the barn.

***

You got situated in the loft above the horses, which was scattered in so much hay that it masked the scent of horse droppings. The area was generally well-maintained, so the only occupied space was by the tools and piles of wheat. You held tightly to your wool blanket before laying it out onto the ground and propping your pillow up against a hay bale.

Garroth emerged from the trap door in the flooring, holding it open above his armored head while standing on the ladder. "There you are," he said through the sound-muffling metal, pulling himself up. He lifted his helmet off and held it in the crook under his arm.

Seeing his face after getting used to staring at a helmet for so long was like seeing it for the very first time again. His features really were so perfectly sculpted. You examined his tan face, resting on the protrusion of his lips. You touched your own lips subconsciously, remembering how his felt on them. You cleared your throat, fiddling with your index finger. "Shouldn't you be spending the night inside with the other leaders?"

"And leave you out here?" Garroth tilted his head to the side, a smile playing at his lips. He found a hay bale near a tool rack and placed his helmet there.

You sat down on the makeshift bed you'd created, but couldn't get comfortable. Every time you moved, the blanket would slide off one of your body parts. If you tried to readjust it at all, another section of your body would be left uncovered. You missed the soft hotel bed from the previous night--it was luxurious compared to the one in your shared hotel room, and nirvana compared to the splitting-wood surface you now splayed out on.

"Here," Garroth approached with a few unused saddle pads, then stuffed straw underneath them and folded the sides over. He grabbed his own blanket from where he'd set it down, spreading it out on top of the DIY mattress he'd created. "If you add your blanket . . ." he started, then crawled onto the cushion. "It'll probably almost feel like a real bed."

With the combined size of your blankets together, you could both fit under the covers with plenty of extra loose space. You sidled up next to Garroth as he wrapped an arm around your shoulders.