14 hours a day, six times a week. You chose to invest all of your time into your work, because it was so close to your heart. You worked in a Sea Animal Sanctuary. Your job, was looking after saved Whales and Dolphins from places like Sea World and helping them adapt to a much bigger scenery in the ocean.
They never deserved to be in tiny cages for the publics entertainment. They were sea animals, nothing less than that. They need a safe environment and you enjoyed every minute of looking after them.
"Y/N can you work overtime please? Sally has gone home because she's sick, Chelsea will be working with you though?" Your boss asked, knowing Chelsea was your best friend.
"Of course." You smiled. You had been there since 6am, and it was now 8pm. Overtime for you was feeding and locking everything up.
"We also have two guests coming for a night tour. They are Youtubers known as the Dolan Twins. Chelsea is in charge of showing them around but I appreciate what you're doing Y/N." She smiled at you. You thanked her and headed towards the food lockup.
"This here is where we keep all of our food for our sea mammals. It stinks in here but we do what we have to do so they can all be healthy." You heard Chelsea's voice and turned around. Next to her, where to gorgeous looking guys, around the same age as you.
"This is Y/N, she's worked here since she was fifteen, she's also my best friend. I'd say she does the most work around here, fourteen hours, six days a week." Chelsea introduced you.
"Wow, that's dedication." The one on the left with a dangly earring spoke.
"I wouldn't change it." You smiled and he seemed pretty intrigued by your job.
"If you'd like to excuse me, I have twenty dolphins to feed." You waved them off and took your walk across the decks.
"Feeding time my beauties." You cooed. Each section and had two dolphins. There were ten different spots and most of them were rescued in pairs, so they stuck together.
"Devil and Delilah huh?" A voice from behind you made you nearly drop the bucket.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." The familiar boy from earlier chuckled. He had obviously read the name tags on one of the gates.
"It's okay." You smiled, throwing some fish into the water to attract them.
"I'm Grayson by the way. I never introduced myself before. Chelsea told me that um-" He coughed awkwardly and you raised an eyebrow.
"That I'm your type?" He said more as a question and you choked on air.
"She's an asshole." You felt your cheeks heat up. Delilah and Devil appeared, wanting you to give them their extra bit of food.
"I bet she also told you to take a detour to come and find me?" And Grayson nodded.
"Well I mean I can give you a small tour myself." You suggested.
"I would like that. Ethan, my twin, he's with Chelsea anyway so I'm sure they're having fun." Grayson joked and it felt nice to have someone socialise with you while you went round feeding.
"Night night, darlings." You spoke, watching the two dolphins swim away.
"So Y/N, you've been here since you were fifteen, what intrigues you so much?" Grayson asked as he followed you to the next podium which was about a ten minute walk.
"I was always an ocean baby and with that being said, the amount of cruelty that happens to these creatures is disgusting. I work here because I want to make a difference so these guys are fully fit and well to go back to their natural habitat." You admitted and Grayson was shocked that he had met such a caring human being.
"That's amazing Y/N. I would love to have a job like this." He watched as your eyes lit up with every set of dolphins you encountered.
"Wanna help feed these guys?" You ushered to the last set of dolphins.
"Am I even allowed to do that? I'm just a guest." Grayson didn't want to intrude on your work.
"I wouldn't offer if you weren't allowed." You smiled.
"These guys were actually rescued from Seaworld after we got evidence of them being abused. It makes me sick Grayson. That place is still open and it seems that this is the fourth couple of dolphins we've saved from there in the space of a year. That's eight in total!" You realised you had ranted.
"I'm sorry for going on." You apologised.
"No it's so interesting and fascinating to listen to you Y/N, you really know your shit." You smiled at his comment.
"I know it's gross but grab two fish and just throw them." You instructed. He pulled a face, making you laugh, but he threw them anyway.
"Feeding time is their favourite time, so when they hear that drop, they swim to get more." You told him and sure enough they were there.
"You can't really ever tell a difference in the dark, but these two are Dimitri and Daryl." Grayson was thoroughly enjoying these moments with you.
"Your boyfriend must be lucky to have someone like you." Grayson complimented.
"I don't have a boyfriend." You smirked, taking the now empty bucket from him.
"And I don't have a girlfriend." He said with a cocky hint in his tone.
"Smooth." He followed you back to the food station.
"Chelsea normally feeds all the fish we have, but I always get the big mammals. So do you have somewhere to be? Or do you wanna come with me and feed some orcas?" You asked.
"You have orcas here?" He sounded so shocked.
"Of course we do! And once again, we managed to get some of them out of that fucking shit show." You cursed.
"Isn't working with them scary?" He questioned as you grabbed two tubs of mixed fish including squid. Grayson helped you carry them.
"The furthest thing from it. In the wild, there has only ever been one case where an Orca has physically harmed a human being. One. Now if you think about the multiple killings, and injuries Orcas have caused in Sea World, it's drastic. They are pushed into box like cages and are expected to live there for their whole lives. Whereas at this sanctuary, we help them before releasing them. We don't trap them, we care for them. All together we have fifty million square feet in water." You pulled out straight facts.
"No way?" He sounded shocked.
"It's crazy right." You smiled. You guys headed over to the Orca section, which was obviously way bigger then the dolphin area. The walks to each section took forever, which is why there were carts that helped you get to places quicker.
"We only have three Orcas at the moment. We managed to release four of them this morning because they were fit and ready to go!" You let him know.
"That's amazing. I can definitely tell you're one of the people that keep this place running." Grayson complimented.
"I try my best. We aren't even really meant to name them, but everyone here gets so attached." The final Orca you came across was one of the oldest. He had been there since about six months ago, and he was too unwell to be on his own. If you had let him go, he wouldn't have survived long, which is why everyone decided it was best for him to pass away in the arms of everyone who cared for him.
"This is Armani." You announced.
"He's quite sick, and old." You sighed, not even wanting to think about not seeing him there anymore.
"You really care about all of these guys don't you?" Grayson ushered to the whole surrounding.
"I wouldn't want to feel any other way. I'm passionate on making sure that if they get mistreated, we help them." You simply said.
"This might sound crazy, but I think you're the girl of my dreams."
