Candy clouds? He never thought of it that way. Nolan laughed, "i guess you can say that. Who knows," he titled his head back a bit and watched the sky, "the clouds up there could taste just as sweet." And soon enough, Ray had agreed to join them.
The trio went from stall to stall and Nolan ended up buying a new apron and a giant stuffed bear that was too cute to ignore. He'd keep it safe then give it to Annie, she loved stuffed animals and before he left he promised he'd come back with souvenirs.
If he returned empty handed, well, it wouldn't be a pretty sight. Nolan laughed at the memory.
* * * *"So...you're really going, aren't you?" Annie jabbed a finger at his chest, eyebrows drawn together and lips pulled into a pout.
He kept his eyes on his feet. "Only for a little while, I'll be back, you know I'll be back."
"You're just going to leave, and I'll worry everyday!" She threw back her hands but instead of yelling some more, she quieted down and sighed. "You'll be extra careful, won't you, Nolan...I swear, if anything happens to you I will kill you!"
He laughed at the last part then placed an affectionate hand on her head. "Of course I'll be careful, Annie. I'll be back with souvenirs and everything, and I promise you, I'll be back in one piece." He drew an x over his heart and beamed.
"You better though," the corners of her lips quirked up into a smile, "I wouldn't mind battle scars here and there."
"Oh, wow..." The cook arched his eyebrows.
Annie smirked, "what? They're kind of sexy, Nolan. You have to admit that." She laughed when his ears went red. He fumbled with his collar for a moment, mumbling about souvenirs and she leaned in and gave him a peck on the cheek.
* * * *Gosh, he really missed home. Nolan was snapped out his thoughts when they ran into the captain and Luro. His mood dampened the moment his eyes landed on his crew mate, and it didn't help that it was starting to get dark out. He was thankful that Luro's opponent arrived and began talking to him. It meant he only had to focus on the captain. She gave him a chef's hat and he beamed. "It matches the apron I bought," he pulled the captain into a thankful hug.
Most of the crew mates were starting to become like family. Like brothers and sisters from far away.
He took a bite out of his cotton candy as the others talked and soon it was dark out. They mentioned fireworks and the thought of watching them from the boat was nice. "Hey captain, I saw one stall with a bunch of pirate hats, I thought you might like to know about it." He nodded at Alicia's direction in greeting. "Congratulations on winning, your sword skills were very impressive."