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cinderswrites · 6 months ago

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Daffodil Dreams :: Spring Blooms

A Coral Island Fanfic

Playlist || Cover Art || Mood Board

Themes: Slice of Life, Romance, Fluff, maybe some Angst, maybe some Smut (not too graphic but graphic enough)

MDNI || OC x Rafael mainly, OC x Twins (friendship only), other characters featured here and there || WC: 3,338

The briny breeze of the saltwater wound itself through her thick cerise waves, whipping them around her face as the boat continued driving through the ocean water. A smile spread across her face, her golden eyes shining with excitement, and her heart raced in her chest with anticipation.

Her mind thought of everything she had left behind: a fast-paced, awful-paying job in ‘customer care’, the few co-workers she could almost call friends, and her grandparents. The latter was probably the only thing that hurt to think about, but she knew they were well taken care of and they would send her mail often as they promised. She sold everything when she left, taking nothing but a bag of her clothes and some mementos close to her. One of which was a photo of her as a child with two little blond girls.

The twins, Alice and Suki, had been her friends for as long as she could remember. More Suki than Alice these days, but she was excited to see them both nonetheless. “Aye, it’s been a while since you last visited, hm?” Wataru’s grumbling voice called to her from his position by the motor.

She turned around, nodding and smiling at him. “Yeah, it’s been years. Can’t wait.”

He nodded at her and gestured with his free arm to something in the distance. She turned back around, seeing the peak of the mountain and the pier more clearly now that they were closer. She clasped her hands together, trying to hold in her excitement. A tangy smell hit her senses as they got closer, causing her face to scrunch up. She could see the tar-colored effects of the recent oil spill as well as giant black roots that seemed to be creeping toward the island like an ancient sea monster, slowly sucking the life from it.

Her chest felt a pang of sadness. The island was still beautiful from where she sat, but the oil spill had certainly done a number on it. Besides the smell, there wasn’t much clean water near the shore that she could see, and its inky blackness seemed to creep everywhere. Soon enough, they reached the pier, and as Captain Wataru pulled up and started tying off the boat, an older gentleman with a hat on waved at her. “Hello!” he called, his voice booming as the motor of the boat died down. “You must be Cinders, right?”

On steady legs, she exited the boat, grabbed her suitcase, and stepped onto the dock easily. She smiled at the older man, who had a rather profound belly and gentle eyes. “Yes! Cinders Snyder. It’s nice to meet you!”

She stuck out her hand and he shook it with gusto. “I’m Connor, the mayor of Starlet Town. Let’s go see your new farm!”

She nodded with another grin and followed along after bidding farewell to the captain. Her steps were light and bouncy, and she had a swelling feeling of anticipation in her chest that drove her onward.

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

Later on in the evening, after settling into her cabin and planting her first crops for spring, Cinders walked down Garden Lane towards the inn. The twins knew she was coming and they were waiting for her. Cinders stretched her arms behind her head as she walked, enjoying the cool spring breeze on her skin. Her muscles were burning with the effort of the day, but she’d never felt better. She had cleaned up a bit before going to the inn. Being in her old overalls and t-shirt didn’t feel like a proper way to meet old friends. She dressed up in a gray flowy blouse and a pair of jean capris, wearing her usual slip-on sneakers. She brushed out her hair and it flowed around her shoulders and past the middle of her back, shiny and bright.

As she walked up the dock and towards the front doors of the inn, she could hear the chatter inside. Anxiety peeked its head out, making her heart feel jittery for a second as she hesitated outside the door. Taking a calming breath, she stepped inside. The bright lights illuminating the lobby of the inn almost blinded her, the feeling of the warm air and smell of someone’s dinner hitting her nostrils made her feel more at ease.

“Cinders!!”

She barely had a chance to turn towards the familiar voice before she was wrapped up in strong arms, crushing her against another soft and feminine body. “S-Suki!” she coughed, having had the wind squeezed out of her. When Suki let her go, Cinders grinned and put her hands on the blond’s shoulders. “Oh, jeez, it’s been ages, huh? Look at you! All grown up!”

Suki waved her hand dismissively with a laugh, “You sound like your grandmother!” she remarked jokingly. Her blue eyes met Cinders’ golden ones with fondness and she pulled her in again for an albeit gentler hug this time. “I missed you so much! You’ve grown up since we last saw each other, huh?”

Once they parted, another flash of blond hair tumbled its way into her arms: Alice. “Cinders!” she squealed, holding her just as tightly as her sister had done. “It’s been so long! You’re here and I still can’t believe it!”

“Oh, Alice! It has!” Cinders hugged her back before finally the three of them stepped away from each other.

Cinders ran a hand through her thick hair, a soft flush creeping on her face as she realized their reunion had an audience. A little girl with long brown hair peeked around the leg of a tall rather burly man who stood nearby, an uncertain smile on his face. Next to him was a shorter, leaner-toned man who shared some resemblances with the taller one. The shorter man had a grin on his face as he stood with the confidence of a preened cockatoo with his arms crossed over his chest.

The little girl must have remembered Cinders from her previous short trips to the island, because she bolted out from behind the tall man’s leg, startling him, and barreled herself towards Cinders with amazing speed. The young woman was almost knocked off her feet with the force of Valentina crashing into her midsection, squeezing her with her small arms. “Aunty Cindy! You’re back!”

“Hi, Valentina,” Cinders said with a laugh, her hand smoothing the girl’s beautiful brown hair. “I missed you.”

“I missed you, too!” The girl nuzzled her face into Cinders’ soft belly before she let her go and clung onto her hand. Cinders grinned at her before looking up at the twins.

Suki glanced over at the men and back at the new arrival before the light bulb clicked on. “Oh! I’m sorry, how rude!” she laughed a little and gestured to the men. “These are the Sanchez brothers. That’s Rafael,” Suki pointed at the taller one who smiled a little and nodded in her direction. “and that’s Pablo.”

The leaner man strode forward, smiling dazzlingly as he reached for Cinders’ hand, bringing it up to his lips and kissing the back of it softly. “We’re Valentina’s uncles,” he added as he lowered her hand. Cinders saw Suki roll her eyes, an action that was repeated on the taller man’s face. “Your name is… Cinders?”

She nodded, pulling her hand back quickly and smiling with a hint of discomfort. “Yes, Cinders Snyder. It’s nice to meet you.”

Pablo smiled again before stepping back. The taller man walked forward with quiet steps, holding his large hand out. “Um, hi, I’m Rafael,” he said in a quiet voice.

Cinders looked up into his soft brown eyes, feeling her heart skip a beat, and she could feel the heat return to her face. “Hello,” she said, smiling as she reached forward to take his hand. Despite his rugged demeanor, his hand was soft, warm, and comforting all at once. “It’s nice to meet you, too.”

“Um, you too,” his smile was still small and uncertain, and he let her hand go and stepped away as well.

Suki clapped her hands, “Alright! Everyone’s met everyone, yes? Who’s up for some dinner?”

A chorus of agreement responded to her and Cinders was pulled along towards the inn’s kitchen by an eager Valentina who rambled on about how she wanted Cinders to sit with her and tell her about everything before moving here. She laughed and followed after her, her golden eyes glancing at Rafael as he and his brother Pablo trailed behind. She noticed how Rafael smiled at the little girl’s antics fondly, and her heart skipped another beat.

Valentina made her sit in the middle of the table while the little girl sat on her left side, still holding onto her hand, as if she were to let go, Cinders would be gone forever. The tall man, Rafael, sat on the other side of Valentina. Pablo sat across from him, with Alice on his left, and Suki on hers. Suki spread out the dinner, which was a spread of seafood dishes, freshly caught that morning and cooked for tonight.

The conversation was sparse as everyone reached for their favorites. Cinders helped Valentina get a couple of fish tacos that she loved so much, and after that, she reached over for the sashimi. Her hand collided with Rafael’s, who had been about to take the dish. He promptly dropped it, and it clattered loudly on the table’s wooden surface.

“Oh!” she gasped, looking over at him, “I’m sorry.”

“S-sorry,” he replied, putting his hands in his lap. “Please, help yourself first.”

Pablo, who had been talking with the twins, looked over at them when the dish was dropped. He grinned at his brother, a curious look in his dark eyes. “Everything alright, Raf?”

Rafael nodded but avoided anyone’s gaze.

Cinders smiled a little to herself as she grabbed the dish, picking off a few pieces with a fork before she reached over to hand it to the taller brother. He noticed immediately and looked up to meet her eyes. A small smile returned her own as he grabbed it and served himself. She sat back in her seat, taking one of the soy sauce bottles.

“So, Cinders,” Pablo said after a few minutes. She glanced up at him as she was chewing her food. “What brings you back to Coral Island? It’s quite a move from the city.”

She swallowed, taking a drink of water after. “It’s not much of a story, really,” she said with a soft laugh. “I was working in a call center and taking care of my grandparents. I lived with them at the time. Grandma Ina saw how I brought her garden back to life in the backyard and told me about her and Pappy’s old farm here, and she said they’d sign over the deed if I wanted it. She mentioned that the mayor here contacted her recently about purchasing it if no one was going to take over.”

“And you just packed your bags and moved?” he seemed incredulous, his eyebrows raising in surprise.

Cinders shrugged, “I was tired of the city life and needed a change.”

“You weren’t worried about leaving anyone behind?” he continued with his prying questions. Cinders noticed Rafael’s look of disapproval towards him from the corner of her eye.

She smiled and shook her head quickly, “No, the only people I left behind were my grandparents. One of my cousins moved in with them in my place, so they’re still being taken care of. Much better than I could, since she’s a nurse.”

Suki leaned her chin in her hand with her elbow on the table, sighing dramatically. “And here I thought you missed me so much, you wanted to come back,” she said in faux upset.

Alice giggled while Cinders rolled her eyes in response. “Oh, of course, how could I forget you, Suki?”

Valentina tugged on the sleeve of her gray blouse. She leaned in conspiratorially, holding up her hand to her mouth. “You actually came back for me, right, Aunty?” she whispered loud enough for everyone at the table to hear.

Amidst the gentle chuckling, Cinders nodded, wrapping her arm around the girl and squeezing her against her side. “You saw right through me! I did promise you after my last visit.”

Valentina giggled and her megawatt smile shone brightly. Dinner continued on amiably, the twins recounting their experience running the inn so far. Suki didn’t mention her recent divorce, but from her letters, Cinders knew that it bothered her something fierce. As dinner was ending, everyone moved from the dining room to the lobby. Cinders stayed behind to collect the plates and put the food away, cleaning up after everyone.

Rafael had wandered back in, pausing in the archway, watching her in surprise. “You shouldn’t clean up after everyone,” he said after a moment. “You’re the guest tonight.”

Cinders looked up from washing the dishes. She smiled, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her pierced ear. “Oh, I don’t mind. Suki and Alice know how I am.”

He strolled up next to her, opening the dishwasher and placing the rinsed-off dishes inside. “I’ll help you then,” he said as he did so. Soon enough, the kitchen and dining room were cleaned.

Cinders dried her hands with a towel after they were done, folding it over the handle of the oven. She leaned back against one of the counters, nodding to herself as she looked over the long room with a sense of pride. Rafael silently settled next to her once he started the dishwasher. It wasn’t an awkward silence, though, it was the kind of silence that was comfortable and warm, like a soft blanket on a chilly evening.

“Cinders,” he said after a moment passed. She looked up at him curiously.

“Yeah?”

He glanced at her before ducking his head and rubbing his neck, “S-sorry. It’s just… I’ve never heard someone named that.”

“Oh,” she laughed softly. She shrugged her shoulder, looking back at the room, “It’s unconventional for sure, and most people just call me Cindy, which I’m fine with.”

“Did your parents tell you why they named you it?” his tone was curious.

“No, they didn’t name me. I guess I named myself?” she said, her voice lilting as if asking a question. “It’s a little convoluted, I suppose. My grandparents raised me from birth, and my grandma wanted me to have a name that I was proud of. So around the time I could talk, I finally told her I found a name. I must have been about five or so.” His eyebrows pinched together, “What did they call you until you decided? And how did you decide on Cinders?”

She giggled and looked down, scuffing the tip of her shoe on the tile, “They called me Jane, like Jane Doe, until I figured out I wanted to be called Cinders. And I found that name in a book about cats, funnily enough. It just sounded so… me, and that’s what I wanted. I’ve never had regrets.”

He smiled, chuckling softly. “That’s a very interesting way to find a name,” he commented. “It’s… nice. I think it suits you.”

She looked up at him again with a friendly smile on her lips. “Thank you, Rafael,” she replied. “I think it does, too.”

“How was your first day on the farm?”

She blew air out of her mouth in a heavy sigh. “Goddess, it was tiring!” she laughed, “Like I mentioned earlier, I restored grandma’s garden back in the city, but that was like training wheels compared to farm work. I’ll definitely be sore in the morning.”

“What are you planning for the plot overall?”

“Mm… ideally, I’d like to focus on flowers and honey, maybe make some mead eventually. I know the Duckorns are the main vineyard here, and I don’t want to step on any toes, but I do love bees and honey. I figure I’ll start with a little bit of everything until I’m settled enough to change to the flowers,” she explained, reaching up to rub her chin thoughtfully as she spoke.

He nodded along as she talked, visibly interested in what she was saying, which made her feel happy and noticed. She was used to talking to people, but not feeling like they were actively listening. After she finished, he spoke again, “Wow, that’s quite a plan there. What about ranching?”

“Oh, I’d love to get goats eventually, but I don’t think Jack has any right now. There’s still a lot of things I need to do before that anyway, especially clearing all the debris,” she groaned. “It’s going to take ages.”

“I bet it’ll go faster than you think,” he had a tone of confidence. “Maybe—“

Before he could finish his sentence, Pablo walked into the kitchen. “Hey, Raf, what’s the hold-up?” he asked casually. He looked around the kitchen and dining room, “Wow, did you two clean up in here?”

Cinders nodded. “Sure did,” she said, her tone even and friendly. Then she turned to Rafael, “Am I keeping you?”

Pablo answered for him, “We do need to get going before it’s too late. Shutting off the furnaces takes a while.” he reminded his brother before he left.

Rafael rolled his eyes. He looked down at Cinders with a sheepish smile, “I suppose I’ll see you around.”

She walked with him to the lobby. “It was nice talking with you, Rafael,” she told him sweetly just before they walked to the others. “A-and you,” he replied, his voice shy again. The three women and the little girl bid a goodnight to the brothers and watched as they left.

Cinders felt Suki’s elbow in her ribs the moment the door closed. “Gettin’ kinda cozy in the kitchen with Rafael, weren’t you?” she said slyly.

Alice giggled, as did Valentina, while Cinders blushed fiercely. “Mind your business, nosy,” she retorted playfully. “We were just talking.”

“Sure, sure,” Suki said, raising her hands in mock surrender. “Whatever you say.”

Cinders rolled her eyes hard enough that they felt like they were going to roll back into her brain. “You’re a menace,” she laughed. “I should get going, too.”

Valentina wrapped her arms around her midsection again. “Nooo!” she whined tiredly. “I don’t want you to leave, Aunty!”

Cinders looked down, patting the girl’s head softly. “Aww, sweetheart, you can come visit me anytime. And I’ll be around town, too. I’m not leaving this time.”

Suki pulled the small girl off, hoisting her up in her arms. “Come on, Val, she’ll be back around when she has time. I’ll make sure of it,” she added, holding two fingers up in an ‘I’m watching you’ gesture.

Valentina rubbed her eyes sleepily and nodded, giggling at her mother’s antics. “Okay. Goodnight, Aunty Cindy.”

“Goodnight, Valentina!” Cinders waved as Suki carried the girl towards her room.

Alice yawned and stretched beside her, having been silent throughout the exchange. “It was real nice seeing you again, Cinders,” she said gently. “We really missed you around here. Suki, especially. She hasn’t had a close girlfriend for a while.”

Cinders looked at her, searching her face. “Yeah… I missed you all, too. I should have come sooner, honestly,” she sighed. “Twenty-eight and starting life over? Feels like a… I don’t know. Something.”

Alice reached out and patted her shoulder comfortingly. “Hey, don’t worry about that, yeah? I mean, look at Suki. She started over recently, too.”

Cinders nodded, “You’re right.”

“Have a good night and a safe walk, okay?”

“Yeah. Good night, Alice.”

The pink-haired farmer smiled at her one last time before walking to the door. She opened it and stepped out into the cool night air, feeling the chill raise goosebumps on her arms. She rubbed them as she began walking off the dock and towards her farm, ready to settle into bed after a long and exciting day. The nocturnal song of the crickets and river bubbling kept her company as she walked.

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