Where Every Scroll is a New Adventure
As someone from the south my southern accent comes out STRONGLY when I’m tired so I can just imagine leo talking with a deep drawl after a game or on the bus ride home LOL! You’re so amazing and I love ur work so much pls never stop
This was actually a really cool prompt, because I got to do some research on NOLA accents! They're kind of similar to NYC ones in many ways, and distinct from the stereotypical Southern US ones. I noticed, particularly, that the way that lots of people pronounce '-ing' is not necessarily with a hard 'n' sound like '-in', nor a hard 'ng' sound. It's kind of like in the Northeast, where we don't really touch our tongues to the roof of our mouths right behind our teeth, but don't touch the back of our tongues to the back of our throat- it's a mix between the two. It's like a soft '-ing' sound with the same casual feeling of '-in', if that makes sense? It also depends on the starting sound of the word following the word ending in '-ing', so I also tried to represent that when I as writing. There was a lot of talking to myself, haha!
There's also obviously a bunch of different NOLA accents, depending on the area of the city you live in, your economic class, and your race, so I tried to emulate Leo's based on what we know about him and the characterization of him and his family in the SW universe. I hope I did it justice, and if I didn't, please let me know so I can learn more!
All credits to @lumosinlove !!
Leo turned up towards to the Louisiana sun and took a deep breath. It was warm on his face and neck, and the air smelled like home: slightly salty, heavy, and a little humid in the midday heat. He smiled and looked out over the front of the boat. His cove was up ahead, all secluded and shadowed, as if waiting for him and his boys. He realized they weren’t beside him, and turned around to look at the seats. They liked to sit there and watch him, they said, Finn usually with Logan in his lap or an arm around his shoulders. After a few minutes, Logan would inevitably come up to stand beside Leo and kiss his shoulder, just like he had the first time they’d gone out there. Finn took a photo every time, without fail. He had a special album on his phone, Leo knew, and the most recent one was his screen saver.
But when Leo turned around fully, they weren’t there. He jerked his head around. They weren’t anywhere. He furrowed his eyebrows, confused- he’d definitely undone the ropes with Logan, he was sure of it. And Finn had definitely squeezed his hips and pressed a kiss to his cheek in thanks after Leo helped him on the boat. All of their lifejackets were still there, too, nestled up right where they normally sat, in case of an emergency. Panic rose in Leo’s throat, and his breathing started to quicken. Where were they? They couldn’t have gone overboard, Leo would never forgive himself if-
Soleil.
Leo jerked his head up. Logan’s voice, like a whisper on the wind.
Soleil, réveille-toi, mon amour.
“Logan?” Leo asked. He tilted his head up to the sky. “Lo. Logan, where-”
Sh, sh, it’s alright. Open your eyes for me, mon coeur.
With a start, Leo jerked awake. His face was squished in the pillow, his hipbones pressing into something soft underneath him. “What-”
“Bon matin, Le.”
Leo squinted, and then a face came into view. Green. Green eyes. Leo gasped. “Lo.”
Logan was laughing softly. “Salut, mon coeur.” He was stretched out beside Leo on their bed, athletic and strong body all on display for Leo to gaze at. “You were talking in your sleep.”
“I- what-” Leo stammered. He shifted his body, feeling the mattress underneath his hips. “I been- been lookin’ for you for ages.”
Logan shuffled in closer and put a hand on Leo’s back. “Quoi? Why were you looking for us?”
Leo made a distressed sound low in his throat. “You left the boat.”
Logan’s brow furrowed. “Quoi?”
“You left the boat,” Leo continued. “We were gonna pass by my cove, ya know? Was thinking ‘bout-” He interrupted himself with a yawn. “Was thinking ‘bout kissing you- give you a passion mark.”
“A what?”
“A passion mark.”
“Soleil, I have no idea what that is.”
Leo huffed. “Ici,” he said, tugging at Logan’s arm. Logan shifted even closer and hissed in surprise when Leo leaned in and began sucking on his neck. He was propped on his elbow, hovering over with Logan’s head underneath him on the pillows. Logan reached up with his outside hand to scratch at Leo’s curls and hummed into the sheets. Leo in turn made a noise against his skin, hand running down Logan’s soft torso. He pulled off gently and surveyed his work. “Bon.”
“Soleil,” Logan said, face smushed a little. He was laughing. “Soleil, I’m stuck.”
“Hm,” Leo replied. “Can do somethin’ ‘bout it, honey.”
Logan laughed even harder as Leo straighted their twisted bodies by rolling over completely and flopping on Logan’s chest. Logan scratched his nails gently up and down Leo’s back. “Your accent always sounds so much stronger in the morning, mon coeur.”
“So does yours,” Leo retorted from his place against Logan’s neck. He placed his mouth back against the skin and sucked gently. Logan’s chest rose and fell with a content sigh, his hands still working their way up Leo’s shoulders.
Suddenly, the door to their bedroom opened. Leo didn’t remove himself from where he was, but he could hear Finn’s breath hitch when he saw them.
“Yeah, mom,” Finn said. He must have been on his weekly phone call with his parents. “Yes, I’ll tell them you said that.” A pause and a scoff. “Nuh-uh, we feed him, too.” Finn let out an exasperated sigh. “Yes, mom, okay. Okay, yeah, send it to me. I can work a stove you know.” Leo peeked his eye out to look at him. There was more chatter on the other end of the line, and then Finn laughed. “Yes, I know. Okay. Okay, I love you. Tell dad I say hi. Love you, ‘kay, bye.” Finn hung up and then let out a big sigh. His gaze on them was tired, but he was smiling. “Oh man, I need to lie down.”
Logan laughed. “You’ve barely gotten up.”
“No,” Finn said. The bed shifted as he crawled under the covers. “I’ve been up since the early morning, but some people have been being sleepy-heads.”
Logan shoved him slightly. “I was up with Leo.”
Finn turned his adoring eyes on Leo and leaned down to kiss his forehead. “I know, I’m sorry baby. Trouble sleeping?”
“Mm-hm,” Leo said. He settled down with his cheek against Logan’s shoulder, closing his eyes and moving into the feeling of Finn’s hand stroking his hair back. “Kept havin’ weird dreams. Lost y’all when we were passin’ by my cove.”
“When we were what?” Finn asked. His voice sounded confused.
Leo huffed slightly. “When we were passin’ by my cove. On the boat.” He opened his eyes again. “How’s your mama’n’em?”
Finn smiled. “Oh, I see. You’re that tired, hm? Last night's game wear you out?” Leo just blinked slowly. Finn kissed his forehead again. “Oh, you’re really exhausted, sweetheart. Why don’t you go back to sleep, huh? We got a day off.”
“Non,” Leo said defiantly. It was a little like what Logan would say, lovingly grumpy. “Non, I wanna stay here and talk.” He yawned. “Don’t wanna lose you on the boat again.”
Logan grinned into the top of his head. “Non, soleil. You’re not losing us on a boat.”
Leo kissed his chest, then looked at Finn again. “So, how’s your mama’n’em?”
“Well,” Finn started. “No ‘n’em’ today, just mom.” He settled himself firmly against them with a leg thrown over their bodes. He took one of Leo’s bouncy curls between his fingers. “She said she’d send me her bolognese recipe. Said it was ‘foolproof’, and that I should cook you dinner tonight because you feed me too much.” He scoffed. “I told her I know how to work a stove. And that I do feed you- sometimes.”
Leo smiled. “Ouais, you do. But I like cooking for ya.”
“Ouais,” Logan said. “Mais, we can do it for you.” He nuzzled Leo’s head. “Let’s treat you today, hm? Go for a walk around the park that you like, outside the city. Go swimming in the swimming hole.” He paused and squeeze Leo tighter. “How does that sound, mon soleil?”
“Yeah,” Leo nodded. “Yeah, okay.
“Sounds perfect, baby,” Finn said. He leaned in for a quick kiss from Logan. When he pulled back, his eyebrows furrowed, then a smile broke over his face. “Looks like somebody already got to you this morning, huh?” He leaned down to kiss over the mark that Leo had left.
Logan made a happy little sound. “Ouais. It’s a- what did you call it, soleil?”
“A passion mark,” Leo sighed. He snuggled further down into Logan. “‘Cause I love ya. Love ya both.”
“Je t’aime.” Logan settled back into the pillows. He sounded like he was half asleep again.
“Love you,” Finn whispered. He buried himself in next to them. “Love you, love you, love you. My sexy boys with sexy accents.”
Leo and Logan just laughed, shaking the bed beneath them. The day ahead felt a little less tiring now.