So Replaying Our Life: Beginnings & Always (Again) I Thought:

So replaying Our Life: Beginnings & Always (Again) I thought:

Well, Covah, likes to wear dresses and skirts sometimes.

Wouldn’t it make sense if he encouraged Cove to try a dress at least once?

So I wrote a tiny drabble for that! And drew a pic for it cause I had to. 

This would take place between Step 2 and 3 when the two are 16. And they’re still mutually pining morons who don’t think the other feels the same. 

Drabble that goes with this under the cut (not beta read) - Enjoy!

"Ugh," Covah leaned his head back, eyes pinched closed, "It's hot."

Cove looked from where he was knee deep in the ocean, running his hand through his growing hair. It was long enough for a small ponytail now- which is how he'd done it today. And every day since it became long enough. Kept it out of his way. 

He squinted up at the sun himself, using his hand to shield his eyes, "Yeah. It is."

Covah got up from his gothic spot on the sand (complete with dark umbrella and dark towel to lounge on/under), and dusted any errant sand particles off of himself, "This was a bad day for full pants. I'm gonna go change and get some water."

"Probably a good idea," Cove hummed, "Mind if I come with? Just for water."

"Sure," Covah  smiled, and waited for Cove to get out of the water and dry off the best he could with his own haphazardly placed towel, and then put his glasses back on.

They hiked it up the hill to Covah's house, and entered. Covah sighed in relief at the feeling of air conditioning on his face.

Honeysuckle perked up from where she lay on the floor when she heard someone enter, tail wagging happily. Covah hadn't brought her to the beach, thinking it too hot for the poor pup. She got up and padded over to Covah, angling for pets. 

Covah smiled and patted her head gently, giving a small, "Hey, girl, miss me? I'm only here for a minute." 

Honeysuckle licked his hands happily in reply.

Covah chuckled before walking over to the fridge, sticking his face into it, "You actually want water, Seabird?" He grunted, "I have this weird fruity drink monstrosity mom got everyone- it doesn't actually sound good to me."

"What's in it?" Cove hummed, dusting sand off of himself at the entryway to the house. He’d clean it up the best he could, knowing Covah’s moms hated sand in the house.

“Uh-” Covah pulled the offending bottle out of the fridge and read the label, “Orange, passion fruit, guava-”

“Guava?” Cove snorted at the name.

“It’s a fruit,” Covah motioned, over his shoulder, “Really sweet tropical shit.”

“Sure, I’ll try it.” Cove hummed in interest, “I like orange juice, so it shouldn't be too bad.”

Covah closed the fridge and walked back over to Cove, passing him the bottle of juice and having his own bottle of water. Covah opened his bottle and chugged the whole thing in three long gulps.

Cove purposefully looked away from the bobbing of Covah’s Adam's apple, fiddling with the plastic wrapping around the lid of the drink he had.

“Ah- better-” Covah sighed in relief, tossing the empty bottle into the recycle bin, “Now come help me pick out an outfit.”

“You really need to pick out a whole new outfit just for going back to the beach?” Cove asked, even if he already knew the answer. 

“No, but I want to,” Covah shrugged, “You don’t have to help if you don’t wanna.”

“The beach is gonna be boring without you though,” Cove shrugged back, "’Sides, I should cool off and drink my drink before heading back out."

Covah nodded, "Good idea. Come on then."

They walked together up the stairs, Honeysuckle following after them like… well, like a lost dog. They made it into Covah's room, Cove plopping into Covah's desk chair while Covah opened his closet with a hum. 

Honeysuckle sat in front of Cove. Cove smiled at the goofy dog and leaned forward, scratching behind her ears. She panted happily at the sensation.

"Hm," Covah thought aloud, "I could do a dress-" He fingered one sundress, a white sleeveless thing, "But I don't-" A hand went to his right arm. Where his scars were.

Cove frowned. Covah was always self conscious of his arms. Thought people would stare at the horrible wounds raked across him- which only seemed to grow and worsen with age. Unlike Cove's own scar. "Don't want to today?" Some days Covah was confident and could wear sleeveless things or t-shirts. Others….

"Yeah," Covah sighed, sounding defeated.

"You could throw a jacket over it," Cove suggested, pointing to the pile of jackets Covah had.

"Too hot for that," Covah hummed, "No, I think-.... Ah-!" Covah smiled and pulled out a short, blue denim dress. It had long sleeves, but they were off the shoulder, white, puffy things. They looked thin and breezy. "This should work. And then-" He went to his dresser with a hum, putting the dress over his arm so he could use both hands to dig through his drawers. 

Covah gave a small "ahah!" after a moment and pulled out some thin, sunflower patterned white tights. "These and some boots. Maybe my sun hat. Perfect." 

Cove smiled at Covah brightening at the prospect of putting on a cute, breezy outfit for the day. It almost never failed to cheer Covah up to put together something nice to wear.

"I'm gonna go change in the bathroom," Covah hiked a finger across the hall, before pointing at the bottle Cove still hadn't opened, "You drink your juice."

"Yes officer," Cove smiled sarcastically as Covah left the room. Honeysuckle laid down as soon as Covah left, staying with Cove. 

Cove opened the drink as soon as Covah left and closed the bathroom door, taking a sip-

"Oh that's weird," Cove looked at the bottle of juice with a cocked brow. 

"Yeah?!" Covah called from the bathroom, still able to hear Cove from there. It was just across the hall, after all. 

"Not a bad weird!" Cove called back, "Just- Different!" 

"Different how?!" Cove could hear the jingling of zippers as Covah moved in the bathroom.

"It's like-" Cove took another sip, "Tangy but also sweet at the same time."

"Huh-" There was a shuffle of fabric, "But good?"

"I like it," Cove nodded, taking another sip.

"Good!" the bathroom door re-opened, "I'm glad you like it." Covah re-entered the room, having fully changed and carrying his old clothes over his arm. "What you think?"

Don't say cute- Cove blushed as Covah's dress moved with him, "Looks good!" He squeaked out, giving a thumbs up.

Covah giggled- giggled- as he set his old clothes in his laundry bin. That did a number on Cove's heart. "It's nice and breezy too," He moved so the skirt of the dress swished gently, "Perfect for today."

Cove smiled, "Definitely looks breezier than pants," He motioned to his own swim trunks. 

"It's too bad you don't wear dresses, Seabird," Covah hummed, moving to his jewelry box to change out pieces. "It's really freeing. I always feel really pretty and rebellious wearing this stuff."

Cove laughed shyly, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly, "Oh- y'know I've never tried before- and I don't know if I'd even like it." He laughed again, more disparagingly, "I probably couldn't pull it off as well as you do-"

Covah stopped mid putting on an earring, slowly looking over his shoulder at Cove. His gaze was unreadable.

"Wh-What?" Cove swallowed, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Covah very slowly finished clasping the earring, before stepping over to his closet with purpose. His gaze was determined and… almost angry.

"Covah?" Cove fidgeted with the torn up arms of Covah's desk chair as Covah went through his dresses carefully. "What are you-"

Covah, in one fluid motion, pulled out a dress and pushed it against Cove's chest. "Change. Now." His voice was flat and low. Almost dangerous with how jaded it was.

"Wh-What?!" Cove went red again in surprise, "I-"

"You-" Covah poked Cove's chest with each statement, "Are going to put on this dress. You are not going to look until you're fully dressed. And you are going to see how you feel about it."

"What you are not going to do-" Covah poked him again, harder, "Is stop yourself from trying something just because you think someone is better at it," He was practically hissing now, he was so worked up, "And you- Cove James Holden- Are going to figure out if you like to wear dresses. Right here. Right now."

"I-" Cove squeaked, not used to seeing Covah his worked up towards him, "I don't have any underwear-" 

"Put it on over your swimsuit." Covah was leaving no room for argument, arms crossed now and face hard. 

Cove looked at the dress that had been pushed into his lap. It was majorly white but, at the bottom was three rows of differently colored "waves" of "ocean". There were a few "birds" flying in the waves and above them. 

He swallowed thickly, clenching his fists shakily.

"If you truly feel uncomfortable, I won't push it," Covah quietly added, "I just… Think you should try it. Not hold yourself back, y'know?"

Cove nodded shakily, "Y-Yeah I…" He nodded again, "I guess… I should try it once, yeah? Just to see if I really… Don't like it."

Covah smiled a supportive, comforting smile, "And I'm right here if you get overwhelmed." 

Cove nodded again, smiling shakily up to Covah, "Y-Yeah…. Thanks." 

He stood up from the chair, careful to step over where Honeysuckle lay still, watching Cove curiously, and unzipped the back of the dress slowly. He made sure to face away from the mirror Covah had in the room, since Covah said to not look until he was done. 

Cove looked at Covah's intent gaze, "Can uhm-" He rubbed the fabric of the dress between two fingers. It was soft- "Can you not look until I'm done, too? I think I'll chicken out if you watch-" 

Covah only nodded and put a hand over his eyes. Blinding himself to what Cove was doing.

Cove swallowed. It was just him…. And Honeysuckle. "You think your dog will judge me for being so nervous? She's probably seen you do this a hundred times-"

"Honeysuckle doesn't judge people. She's too good of a girl to do that," Covah hummed.

"She is a really good girl-" Cove laughed nervously.

Honeysuckle made a small "boof" noise in reply.

Cove swallowed. Okay. He could do this- Just step into the dress (shakily, he had to try getting his foot into the thing three times).... Reach back…. And zip… it… up…

"O-Okay-" Cove nodded once the thing was all zipped up. He'd closed his eyes tight at one point during the process. "I'm- yeah." He nodded, keeping his eyes shut. He didn't want to see Covah's probably disappointed face when he- "You can look."

He heard Covah gasp after a beat. A small, tentative, emotional, "oh Seabird-" came from Covah.

"Is it that bad?" Cove grimaced, fists clenched into the skirt of the offending fabric. His eyes were still shut tight.

"No- You look-" Covah sounded… Happy? "You need to look! This is- Wow. I picked a good one for you."

Cove startled at that sentence. He looked-? He turned heel to look in the mirror, eyes snapping open to see-

"Oh."

It was… cute! 

"I-" He smiled wobblily, face reddening for a new reason now, "I like it."

"Yeah?!" Covah bounced in excitement.

"Yeah-" Cove nodded, voice cracking, turning every which way to look at the dress from every angle he could. It was flattering- Showing off his form nicely while being breezy. He thought he still preferred pants- knowing he didn't want to dirty himself like he likely would while being this cute- but it was… Nice. For days he wanted to be… Cute.

"Y-Yeah," Cove nodded again, "I think-" He smiled shyly, "Maybe… I'll keep it on? And we can… Go back outside? Maybe uhm-... walk on the beach?" He looked at Covah, "If uhm- that's okay. Our uhm… Stuff is still there, after all."

"You can keep the thing forever if you want!" Covah grinned, leaning forward to grab Cove's arm and pull him outside, "Come on-! Oh- I'm so proud and excited for you-! I'm- Proud-cited-! Ex-oud? Proud-cited sounds better."

Cove laughed as Covah led him back outside and to the beach quickly. 

Cove ended up keeping the dress after that day.. 

And wearing even more after his mom insisted on getting him a variety to wear.