TW: Drunkenness

Title: ~It Didn't Seem Like A Far Walk~

The cool air in the muggy summer night blessed the tall trees with force to sway their limbs, unknowingly dancing to slurred out squeaky tones. Stars as the spotlights and sleepless animal as the audience, the singing pair rung out their improvised duet. They shared each other as a crutch, balancing out to keep a level path home.

“No, no, you have to do the back up! I’m the lead singer!” Nano snickered with the frantic wave of her hand, her other arm giving the man a shake as it lay lazily along his shoulders. “Now I’m going to count us in.”

Bouncing his head in drawn out nods Lalna listened to the numbers, not even registering when the count continued past five.

“Oh! Lalna!” She gave him another shake, “I can’t remember if we’re starting on three or five!” Nano gurgled out a groan and let her head fall back, her feet still moving with Lalna’s direction.

With a mischievous chuckle Lalna practically lifted Nano off the ground with one arm, “You’re not falling asleep on me before we get home!” Nano squealed when she felt her heels hover away from the dirt path, “Keep singing and we’ll be home soon!”

“Put me down! Don’t make me do it Lalna!” Nano’s voice cracked as she tried to return to her regular walking pace, “Because I most certainly will!”

Shaking his head with a laugh Lalna stared down at the threatening woman, easing his arm to allow her feet to touch the ground again, “Do what?” He tried not to edge her on as his curiosity pined to see what action Nano was speaking of.

“That’s it! I’m doing it!” Throwing out her arms in an instantaneous gesture Nano stopped right in her tracks, “I’m going rag doll.”

Both eyebrows jumped on Lalna’s forehead, “Wait, what are you doing?” Before he could even turn around to ask Nano the question to her face she went limp and without any cushion fell to the ground.

Dropping to his knees Lalna’s immediate reaction to check her head was thwarted as Nano cemented herself to the ground, refusing to inch. “Nano come on,” Flicking hair out from his eyes Lalna tried to look over the motionless woman, her eyes tactfully shut.

“If you don’t get up soon, I’m going to have to tickle you…” Lalna teased with a ring to his voice.

Scrunching her face Nano tightened her frame again, “You wouldn’t dare.” Her intimidation lost power as she ended it with an escaped hiccup.

“Hmm, I wonder,” With a gentle finger Lalna traced along Nano’s brow, pushing away a strand of hair, “Would you be most ticklish… on your ribs?” His hands dove to Nano’s sides, scattering his fingers in frantic motions.

Nano buckled in an instant, throwing her arms to wrap around her sides in defense as she tucked her leg up. Her endless giggles broke out in skipping pitches as she feebly tried to roll away, “Lalna stop! I’m gonna pee my pants!”

Both still laughed as Lalna mercifully let Nano escape and hop to her feet, shaking her body to shoo away the leftover itching sensation. “Ugh,” Nano expelled a large puff of air and threw her arms up to the sky, “Lomadia!” She cried gazing off at the stars, “Why do you have to live so far away?” Her question went unanswered by the empty night sky as Lalna stood back up.

“Does make visiting friends hard doesn’t it?” Lalna chuckled as he helped Nano rest her arms back to her sides, “But it’s not too bad.”

Lulling her head from side to side Nano sniffed in the calm air, “We would be home so much faster if we remembered to put up the portal…”

“A walk is good,” Patting the petite Nano on her back Lalna let her lean into his shoulder, “This way if we have to barf we don’t have to do it in a plant pot at home. Besides, can you imagine us flying in this condition?”

Their snickers matched as they thought about the multiple ways the transportation could back fire. “I would probably get stuck in a tree.” Nano laughed as she pictured herself hanging from a glider till the sun rose.

“I would most likely hit the side of a mountain.” Lalna nodded along as he nudged Nano to pick back up their walk home.

“I could see that,” Letting her voice drop an octave Nano tried to mimic the man’s sound, “Wow! That mountain side was so smooth I thought it was air!” She deflated her impersonating appearance and dropped her shoulders as she could hear Lalna almost double over in laughter.

“That’s exactly what would happen!” Timing out a slow pat to Nano’s shoulders, Lalna gave a full sigh as he could make out the glow in the distance of their home. Nano still found her impression hilarious as she couldn’t help the popping laughs with each breath.

As a thought crept onto his mind Lalna’s smile grew even wider, “You know what?” He gave Nano another friendly shake to rouse her from her slow blinking eyes.

“Hmm, yup I’m awake don’t worry.” She tried fixing her hair with her unsteady hands.

The blonde buzzed his lips as he held back another laugh, “No not that. You know what would be fun?” Nano’s hands stilled at the top of her hand as she waited for Lalna to finish conveying his idea, “How about you be my glider?”

The pulled back face Nano bared was enough question for Lalna to explain, “Like, I put you on my shoulders and-” Lalna couldn’t spit out the rest of his words as Nano’s feet already scrapped his pants, helping her scale his height.

“I heard the offer of a free ride! That’s all I needed to hear!” Her soft flat shoes scrubbed against the white lab coat as she tried to keep her arms that were slung around Lalna’s neck from choking him.

As he swayed back with the shift of weight Lalna gave his arms to Nano to boost her up. The lightness of Nano still threw off the blonde’s balance as he tried to adjust, lurching from one direction to the next as Nano swung her legs over his shoulders. “Almost got it!” Her hands dug into the blonde hair to help keep her still, receiving a grumbled whine from Lalna.

“You settled yet?” He titled his head to the side, trying to shake Nano’s grip from his hair. His wide palms held steady at Nano’s knees, acting as a safety restriction to keep her secure.

“Yes! Got it!” As one hand stayed buried in Lalna’s constantly messy hair the other was flung into the air, “Hi-yo Silver! Away!” She cheered loudly, eyes focused forward.

Lalna jostled the woman on his shoulders gently, “That’s not what a glider says!” He laughed as he tested out his first few steps, calibrating how fast he could go without losing the cargo. “Gliders say something like whoosh!” Lalna tried desperately to keep steady as he quickly remembered how greatly his own footing was impaired.

“Whoosh! Whoosh!” Nano answered back, straightening her arms to the side and steering around, “Go where I lean!” She commanded with another squeaky giggle.

“The glider doesn’t lead the person!” Lalna’s boots had begun to plod nosily as his paced quickened, feeling his excitement trump his precautions, “This way!” Ducking a sharp left Lalna tried to steer both of them successfully past an old oak tree to keep Nano’s face from hitting the bundles of leaves, “And now this way!”

Nano roared with laughter as she could feel the wind pick up and sweep under her arms, her body dangerously titling from side to side, “Cow off the port bow!” She pointed with a flux covered finger.

“We’re not a ship!” Lalna joked as he deviated off the path to dodge the grazing animal. He could barely hear Nano continue her rushing air noises through her constant laughter and soon realized she wasn’t actually trying to produce the wheezy sounds. “Hey remember to breathe up there Miss. Giggle-Pants!”

Craning his neck Lalna tried to look up, noticing how red Nano’s face was, “We’re almost home now just-”

“Tree!” Nano’s eyes shot wide as she pushed her arms up to shield herself.

Jerking back in an instant Lalna veered to evade too quickly, his legs giving up under the pressure and throwing them both into the tall grass. In the moment of panic Nano’s feet kicked Lalna straight on his nose as Lalna’s hands tried to hold her still as they fell.

They groaned holding their heads, scrambling to sit up as they assessed the damages. “At least I didn’t hit the tree…” Lalna failed at lightening the mood as Nano listlessly pushed at his shoulder.

“You were right; we are not fit for any driving of any sorts.” Nano’s arms swept drastically as she spoke, more than welcoming the grass as she lowered back down. Her eyelids dropped as she turned onto her side, using her hands to pillow her head.

“Hey no,” Lying back down as he untangled his goggles from his hair Lalna bumped a leg against Nano, “You can’t sleep here. What if ants carry off your shoes?” He chuckled spotting the small single bare foot that was nestled in the grass.

Puffing out a quiet scoff Nano smiled, “They can borrow it for a bit.” She rubbed at her nose as her hair slipped past her face, “Can’t we just say that we’re camping?”

With a drawn out sigh Lalna scooted himself closer and patted his chest, “We can camp for ten minutes, but after that we’re walking again so don’t fall asleep.”

Quickly catching onto the gesture Nano met the man the rest of the way, softly placing her head on the rising chest. “Okay…” She tried to stifle a yawn but couldn’t help herself as she stretched her face to breathe in the warm air.

Sneaking an arm out from his side Lalna pulled her closer, resting his hand on her back. Only after a moment Lalna recognized the familiar gradual breathing but stopped himself from shaking Nano awake. Even as he wished he could be home in a comfortable bed he could feel his own mind drift off, staring up at the night sky, rubbing Nano’s back as she continued her small snores.

“Camping…” He repeated the word with a lifeless chuckle. Dawn wasn’t far away, they would both stir soon with the rising sun and as the ten minutes finally depleted he pretended he didn’t notice. Instead, he quietly buried a subtle kiss into Nano’s dark hair, “Sweet dreams Nano.”