Sugar and Spice

She wanted to be anywhere else but here. The sun beat down on her, the salty sea breeze suffocated her, and the sand dug into her. Not to mention her hair was a pink and yellow bird's nest; it hadn't looked any better down, so she tied it up just so she could pretend it wasn't there.

"Having fun, Mitty?"

She turned to Kyra, who sat opposite her on the beach towel. Unlike Mitty's black tank top and shorts, Kyra wore a navy swimsuit, like she was actually planning on going in the water. Her green hair was also done up, but where myriads of stray hairs poked out of Mitty's ponytail, Kyra's bun was neat and orderly.

"What do you think?" Mitty grunted as turned her gaze to the 'sea'. Ace and Gui were currently trying to drown each other, though Ace was doing a better job of it. Mitty tried not to smile.

"Come on, cheer up. Alexis will be here in a bit." Kyra patted Mitty's shoulder, who stiffened at the contact. "Yeesh, you are grumpy."

"Is that new?"

Kyra gave her a look, and Mitty bit her lip. Right. Forgot I'm not doing that anymore. "Ugh, whatever. Sorry," she muttered. Great job, Mitty. Gold star. "Um. Aren't you going in?" She pointed sharply at the water.

"I don't want to leave you alone.”

Mitty looked down, drawing a shape in the sand. Her tail didn’t know whether to wag or bristle, so it twitched awkwardly at her side. She grunted noncommittally in response, ignoring the spike of heat that had definitely come from the fake beach air.

“Not a fan of the water?” Kyra asked.

“No,” said Mitty curtly, because that was the easiest option.

“How come?”

Mitty sighed deeply, digging her finger into the sand. This time her tail did bristle slightly. Why is she so nosy? “Don’t like the salt in my fur,” she replied.

“Sure, but a good shower washes it right off, and you feel like a new woman afterwards!” Kyra stretched as it to emphasise her point, and Mitty’s eyes were drawn to the girl’s slim body, the navy of her swimsuit contrasting nicely against her strawberry colours.

Mitty turned sharply away, her hand hovering over her stomach. Once she noticed where it was, she dug it in the sand, the fine grains burning her. “Don’t want to go through the trouble,” she mumbled.

Kyra hummed, but thankfully Mitty was spared from further interrogation by the arrival of a blue angel in yellow. Her face lit up with a smile she was barely aware of, her tail kicking up sand on the beach towel as she watched Alexis stumble towards them.

Alexis wore a canary yellow sundress that billowed in the breeze, one hand tightly clutching the matching sun hat threatening to fall off her head. The light framed her perfectly, highlighting her soft figure, and in that moment Mitty thought feathered wings would not look out of place on her.

“Hi guys–gyah!” Alexis tripped on the sand and almost fell on top of the beach towel. She managed to right herself in time, but her hat now sat askew and blocked half her face. “Phew, I forgot what it’s like to walk on sand.”

Mitty snorted and stood up. “Hey, klutz,” she said, fixing Alexis’ sun hat and enjoying the blush on the girl’s cheeks.

“I’m not a klutz!” she protested. “It’s just been a while.” She pouted, and Mitty laughed, causing her cheeks to puff up with indignation. Mitty only laughed harder.

“Hi, Alexis.” Kyra’s voice reminded Mitty they weren’t alone and she shut up instantly. “You look lovely in that dress!”

“Thank you!” Alexis beamed, joining Mitty as she sat back down on the towel. “You look great too! Where’d you get that swimsuit?”

Mitty tuned out the conversation, happy to just watch Alexis chat. Her grey eyes sparkled in the light and her lithe tail wagged a mile a minute. Mitty didn’t even mind when it hit her. She idly thought about petting it, but settled for watching it swing back and forth, back and forth, back and...

“What do you think, Mitty?”

“Huh?” Mitty’s eyes shot up as Alexis addressed her. She hoped she hadn’t been caught staring.

“Swimming. Now that we’re all here.”

“Uh…” She blinked.

“Oh, did you not bring a swimming costume?” Alexis tilted her head, her sun hat almost falling off again. That thing appeared at least one size too big. “We can just relax here too.”

“No!” Mitty protested. “Um, I, uh. I did. Bring it. The swimsuit, I mean.”

Alexis’ huge grin was almost worth it. “Great! Then let’s go!”

“Um.” Mitty kicked the sand with her tail. Great. She was stuck. How was she going to get out of this?

You’ve already gone this far. Come on.

“What’s wrong?” Alexis asked, putting her hand on Mitty’s arm.

Mitty would have smiled at her gentle touch if she didn’t feel walls pressing against her. “Nothing,” she said, tugging on her tank top, and it was all she could do not to bristle when she caught Kyra’s eye.

Alexis kept her head tilted slightly, her large eyes blinking. Mitty tried not to shrink under her gaze. There was nothing powerful about it, but through it Mitty could see Alexis piecing things together, and as her eyes fell on Mitty’s hand at her tank top, Mitty blushed profusely. How was she so easy to read? Even as close as she was to Alexis, it still felt wrong to be seen.

“Um, Kyra, if it’s okay, could you, um…” Alexis turned to the rabbit-girl, who had very much not moved away despite the awkward atmosphere. Alexis cleared her throat and tried again. “Do you mind if I talk to Mitty for a second?”

Kyra sighed and stood up, dusting the sand off her pelt. “Sure, no problem.” She grinned. “I should probably help Gui before Ace really drowns him.”

Alexis giggled and waved the girl off before turning back to Mitty. “I’m perfectly happy to just hang out here and watch,” she said. “Knowing me, I’d need a lifeguard as soon as I got in the water.”

Mitty didn’t know what she’d done to deserve Alexis. Certainly not whatever she was doing now. “You should go,” she said. “Look, Ace is waving you over.”

Alexis waved back at the drenched Lucive, whose white hair was completely plastered over his eyes. Mitty wondered how he could see. “In a minute, maybe,” Alexis replied.

Mitty licked her lips, her mouth suddenly dry. She sighed. Swallowed. Flicked her tail over the sand.

Alexis watched quietly.

The Beachhouse wasn’t overly packed, but there were quite a few Vistians taking advantage of the artificial sun on what would otherwise be a dreary winter day. Plenty of children and adults alike played in the water, with volleyballs, inflatable unicorns, and floating mats bobbing on the water’s surface, which glistened under the light.

Alexis deserved to go join them.

Mitty bit her lip, any fight she might have had draining out of her. There was no way Alexis would leave her here. She had to suck it up and do this. “I did bring a swimming costume,” she mumbled.

“Yeah?” said Alexis, watching their friends play with a stray volleyball.

“I just…”

“Is it embarrassing?”

Mitty kept her gaze on the sand.

“I understand, I’m a little nervous about it too.” Alexis chuckled faintly. “I mean, I haven’t worn a swimsuit since high school, I probably don’t look good in one anymore.”

Mitty snorted, but refrained from protesting.

“But no one here’s judging me, I know that. We’re all just here to have fun, who cares what we look like?” Alexis pointed discreetly to a Vistian in swimming trunks so bright they would blind a cockatrice. “I can’t stand out any more than that guy.”

Mitty grinned. “I guess.”

Alexis took off her hat and fiddled with it. She glanced briefly at Mitty before looking back at the sea.

Mitty figured she wasn’t going to get any more encouragement than that. Alexis would never push. The only thing she could do was accept her fate. She just had to make sure Alexis signed a contract never speaking of this later.

So she stood up, slowly, examining the grains of sand stuck to her tail. She’d have to take a good shower later. She ran her hands over her top, trying not to wince.

“Mitty?” Alexis said.

Mitty gripped her tank top, fingers digging into the cotton. No going back now. If she stopped, Alexis wouldn’t press, but Mitty couldn't disappoint her. Besides, no one was staring. No one. Was. Staring.

She repeated that thought again and again as she ripped her tank top off like a bandaid, revealing her pastel pink one piece swimsuit and round body underneath.

“Ooh!” Alexis gasped before slapping her hands over her mouth. “Um, I mean! Um!”

Mitty wanted to die. The swimsuit was nothing compared to knowing Alexis was seeing her body; her graceless, formless body. She wasn’t slim like Kyra, or petite like Alexis. She was just an awkward girl who hid under black jackets. Even the waitress uniform had an apron to hide her figure; this was just… this was…

“I like your swimsuit,” Alexis piped up. “Is… is that okay?”

Mitty’s eyes widened, the heat on her face abruptly doused. “Why wouldn’t it be okay?”

Alexis fiddled with her hat again. “I just, I know how you get about your cuteness.”

“M-my–?” Mitty almost short circuited, her blush back in full force and threatening to melt her. It took her several seconds to get her bearings. “You did that on purpose!”

“What? No!” Alexis waved her hat, clearly trying not to smile. “I wouldn’t tease you about that.”

Mitty grabbed Alexis’ hat, almost taking the girl with her. She paused. Blinked.

Alexis hadn’t mentioned anything about her body. In fact, Alexis had called her cute, like always.

Mitty abruptly slammed the hat on top of her head and pulled it down to hide her face before Alexis could see how red it was.

“Hey! I need that!” Alexis protested.

“No you don’t,” Mitty mumbled behind the hat.

She heard Alexis hum before the girl replied, “Alright, fine. You look cuter in it, anyway.”

Oh, you fight so dirty. Mitty couldn’t take the hat off now that her face was ablaze, nor could she keep it on because then Alexis would know what she’d just done.

Before she could think of a smart reply, Alexis spoke again, her voice losing its teasing edge. “So we’re going in?”

Mitty sighed. “Yeah, we’re going.”

“Okay. Give me a second.”

Mitty removed the hat and set it down on the beach towel. She turned back to see Alexis slipping off her sundress, and she couldn’t help but watch as the girl revealed her own swimming costume–also a one piece, but navy with white polka dots. Alexis rubbed her arms, her tail curling over her slim legs.

She’s so cute…

“Mitty?”

Mitty turned away to hide the fact she’d been staring. Once her hands found the waistband of her shorts, however, all pleasant thoughts of Alexis flew out the window.

She was thankful Alexis didn’t press her. She knew the girl was waiting. She probably wasn’t even watching.

With that in mind, Mitty removed her shorts and folded them neatly on the beach towel. She stood up as straight as she could, fighting the impulse to claw at her arms, and turned back to Alexis, displaying her stupid, ugly tree trunk legs–

If Alexis hadn’t been watching before, she certainly was now. It had been barely a second, but Mitty caught the girl’s eyes on her legs before they flicked up to her face.

Mitty wanted to die all over again. Maybe someone here could crash the fake sun into her. Maybe she’d let Ace drown her. Perhaps she could bury herself under the sand. For now, her large tail worked well to hide her legs.

“You look lovely, Mitty.”

Mitty snorted loud enough to attract attention, and she wanted to throw herself in the sea. She fell back on her usual death glare, putting extra fire into it, until everyone looked away.

“I’m serious.” Alexis frowned, and Mitty almost believed her only because she rarely saw that expression on her. “You have an amazing figure.”

“Please.” Mitty tried hard not to glare at her. “I’m a lump.”

Alexis opened her mouth, but was quick to close it and look away. She simply sighed.

Mitty’s ears flattened against her head. She didn’t want to sour the mood even further. “Let’s just get in.”

“Mitty, if it’s too much, I really am fine just hanging out here. We don’t have to be in our costumes.”

Mitty’s heart dropped. She didn’t want this. She was supposed to be on her best behaviour, keep her friends happy, or at least not upset them. She already failed step one.

Shut up. You didn’t fail anything. You can still fix this.

She fixed a smile. “Nah, I’ll be fine. We can go in.”

Alexis, seeing Mitty’s smile, gave a hopeful one of her own. “You sure?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m sure.”

“Okay.” Alexis removed her glasses and set them aside. Mitty realised this was the first time she'd ever seen Lexi without her glasses. Her grey eyes sparkled even more somehow, and it was like Mitty was seeing a different side of her–one that was squinting a little, admittedly.

"Why don't you wear contacts?" Mitty asked.

"Ah." Alexis rubbed the back of her head. "I can't stand stuff going in my eyes." She furrowed her brow. "Do I look better without glasses?"

"No!" Mitty blurted out, then glared at the sand. "Um, I mean–oh, you know what I mean," she grumbled.

Mitty expected that to be the end of that, however Alexis' thoughtful hum stopped her in her tracks. "No, I don't," she said.

"What?" Mitty looked sharply up at her and found the blue Fillian grinning from ear to ear. She frowned. "Oh, ha, ha. You're having way too much fun."

"Maybe." Alexis giggled behind her hand.

"Keep it up and I'll drown you."

Alexis nodded as though that was a given. "So? Shall we go?" She held out her hand, the sun once more beaming behind her and catching her elegant figure in its glow.

Mitty could only smile and take the girl's hand, letting her lead them to the sea. They stood by the water, watching the waves lap at the shore and carry the sand away in brown hues. The sound of laughing children and adults jingled around them, as well as the various squeaks and splashes of inflatable beach balls.

Mitty took a step forward, her feet sinking in the wet sand. When was the last time she felt this? She wasn't sure she liked it, but it wasn't exactly unpleasant. Just... nostalgic, maybe. As she trudged further in, the cool water lapping at her ankles, she felt a slight tug from the girl at her arm.

She looked back to see Alexis tiptoeing as best she could into the water, one hand trying and failing to hold back her waterfall of cobalt hair. "I forgot to bring a hair tie," she said as her locks kept spilling out.

Mitty rolled her eyes, unable to stop smiling. "Of course you did. Do you ever tie your hair up?"

"No."

Mitty didn't have any spares this time, so she shrugged and smirked. "Have fun with your salty hair, then."

Alexis pouted, and for a split second she looked genuinely indignant, before she smiled. "I will. And you have fun with yours. A little hair tie isn't going to spare you, either."

Mitty ignored the fact that she was right and led Alexis further in until the water came up to their knees. Despite the cold water surrounding her legs and the sun beating down her back, she was still most focused on the warmth of Alexis' hand in hers.

Then she caught Alexis squinting at Kyra and the others playing volleyball.

"You can't see, can you?" she said.

"I can see shapes and stuff!" Alexis protested. "I'm not blind."

Mitty wasn't going to tease her over that, but she'd keep looking for an opening. There was no way Alexis could constantly have the upper hand. Whatever the reason, she was happy to hold Lexi's hand, even if she wouldn't admit it.

"Are you two finally coming in?" Kyra asked, just in time to get smacked in the face with a volleyball.

Mitty snorted.

"Oh, Kyra, I'm so sorry!" Gui exclaimed as he swam over to her while Ace fished for the volleyball.

"Don't rush us," said Mitty, walking further until she had to suck her stomach in from the coldness surrounding it. She stood like that for a bit, waist-deep and shivering as she got used to the temperature.

"My dear Mitty, you know the best way to get used to the water?" said Ace, swimming over to her and using the volleyball as a buoy.

"I know, I know, just dive in," she replied with a roll of her eyes. "Too cold."

She did not realise she'd made a terrible mistake until she caught Alexis and Ace exchanging glances (as much as he could through his hair, anyway). Before she could so much as blink she was hit by splashes of freezing water on two sides. She leapt back with a rather undignified yelp and a gasp of, "Shit!" and rounded on Alexis and Ace with all the righteousness that finger pointing demanded. "You–you... Ace, fine, okay, but Alexis, I can't believe you!"

Alexis' cheeky smile wavered and her ears lowered just a smidge, but enough for Mitty to notice. She immediately regretted yelling.

She rectified this by retaliating, two lightning fast splashes hitting Ace and Alexis square in the face.

Alexis squeaked and let go of Mitty's hand while Ace grinned, wiping water from his face. He twirled the volleyball on his finger like a basketball. "Glad to see you getting in the spirit of things. Now, come! Let us play a volleyball game for the ages!"

Mitty hung back a bit instinctively, but Alexis took her hand again and they went to join Gui and Kyra.

What followed was indeed a game for the ages, mostly because of Ace. He lived up to his name, never missing the ball and hitting it back with enough grace to make a ballerina jealous, even striking a pose now and then. Everyone else just struggled to keep up with him, with Gui managing the easiest while Alexis and Mitty were out of breath within minutes. Despite that it wasn't long before Mitty was able to let go of her reservations and just enjoy tossing an inflatable ball back and forth with her friends. She didn't even care that her hair was wet.

The game carried on for a while, and by the time the group called it quits, Mitty's arms were starting to tire. She had a fair amount of stamina thanks to baking–whisking wasn't easy–but if she was struggling, she figured Alexis must be even worse.

And she certainly looked it. She appeared to have two noodles where her arms should have been, flopping about like fish as she floundered for the volleyball. She swam close to Mitty, her panting audible, yet her grin was wider than Mitty had ever seen it. It made her grin, too.

"Think we'll stop there today," she said as Alexis batted at the volleyball like a cat.

"Aww! But I can keep going!" Alexis insisted, grabbing the ball.

Mitty gently nudged the ball. It slipped right out of Alexis' weak grasp and floated away. Her point proven, she simply raised an eyebrow.

"Fine," Alexis mumbled, sinking so only her eyes were above the water.

"Damn, Ace, I forgot how good you were," said Kyra as the group swam closer to each other.

"I am good at everything," replied the Lucive, and he was the only one not to look even remotely out of breath.

Gui rolled his eyes and splashed his brother, who just flicked a bit of water back at him.

"That was so fun!" Alexis announced as she jumped in the water. "I haven't played volleyball since... um, ever, I think!"

"Technically it's not actually volleyball. We need nets for that." Kyra glanced over at the shore, where a group were playing volleyball properly. She turned back and winked. "But I think our way is more fun."

Mitty couldn't deny she'd enjoyed herself, and her unabashed grin showed it. It felt good not to hide it away, and she figured she'd probably be too tired to bother, anyway. Speaking of such, her legs were starting to ache. "I'm gonna rest for a bit," she said and swam to shore.

Taking a spare towel, she dried her fur off as best she could before sitting on the beach towel, letting her heavy wet tail take up the spare. She closed her eyes, drinking in the sounds of excited beachgoers, and leaned back on her hands, her head raised to the light. Now that her fur was damp, the warmth was pleasant rather than oppressive. She felt like a sunbathing stray, and was almost tempted to lie back on the towel. If there was no one else around, she would. Cool water dripped from her hair down her back, making her shiver slightly, but it wasn't unpleasant.

She perked her ears up at the sound of Alexis laughing, swiftly followed by various splashes and spluttered protests. An easy, lazy smile spread across Mitty's face. So long as Lexi was happy, so was she. She cracked an eye open to peek at Alexis–

"Enjoying yourself?"

Her eyes snapped open to see Kyra standing in front of her, blocking some of the light. "Oh," she said, trying to grab a semblance of nonchalance. "It's you."

"Expecting your girlfriend?" Kyra asked, and smiled cheekily when Mitty glared at her. "Sorry to disappoint." She took a towel and dried herself off.

"Not disappointed. I'm glad she's out there." Mitty tried to ignore the flutter in her stomach at the mention of her 'girlfriend'.

"Oh, good." Kyra took a seat beside Mitty. "Seriously, though, are you having a good time?"

Mitty considered Kyra's curiosity as she pushed down her snark. Kyra was just looking out for her, she knew that. She just... had to get used to it. "Yes," she replied slowly. "Why'd you ask?"

"Well, I know it must've sucked being rejected from Bramble's. I was hoping this would take your mind off it."

Mitty once more ignored her instinct to bite. She furrowed her brow, averting her gaze to the sand. Kyra was right. She'd been so busy playing in the sea she hadn't thought about Bramble Publications at all. The sting came back, but duller than before. Manageable. Her rejection wasn't anything worse than a minor setback. She was already bouncing back.

She hoped Alexis was, too.

"You were right," she replied. "It did take my mind off it."

"I'm glad." Kyra smiled and put her hand on Mitty's arm.

Mitty flinched away at the contact, barely stopping herself from shaking Kyra off.

Kyra sighed. "Sorry."

Mitty sighed, too. "No, I'm sorry. I just don't... I have personal space issues."

"You're fine when Alexis does it."

Mitty really wanted to shake Kyra's hand off now. Luckily the girl removed it herself. "Yeah well, Alexis is–nevermind." She wondered why Kyra put up with her. Any sane person would have been driven off by now. She already knew Kyra was strangely persistent and nosy, but was that all?

For probably the first time, Mitty looked at Kyra properly. She saw the weirdly capable, mature busybody with a patronising streak. She saw the patient girl underneath. She saw the curiosity that shone in her blue eyes and swallowed her existence.

She still wasn't sure what to make of it.

"Can I ask you something?" she asked.

"Of course."

"Why me?"

Kyra hummed thoughtfully. "Why not you?"

"Because I'm a grumpy ass." Mitty snorted. "I don't know why you'd deal with that if you didn't have to."

"Hmm. Honestly?" Kyra stared right back at her, her expression firm. Even without her glasses she looked like a stern librarian. It was an odd look, and Mitty wanted to hide from it. "You're interesting."

"I'm–" Mitty hadn't known what to expect, but it certainly wasn't that. "What? I'm interesting?"

"Yes."

The longer Mitty stared, the harder Kyra stared back. All of a sudden Mitty felt like she was under a microscope, and she drew her tail over herself as tightly as she could. The sounds of the beach melted away under Kyra's intense eyes, until it was just the two of them, locked in something Mitty did not know, and she fought the instinct to retreat.

There–that familiar spark, that discomfort–she latched onto it quickly and fanned the flame, seeking shelter in it. It was all she could think to do.

"You're angry," said Kyra, and she sighed as though she knew this would happen, which only made the flame stronger.

"You don't say," Mitty muttered. "What do you mean, I'm 'interesting'?"

"Well, I'm curious about you. You're unlike anyone else I've met."

When Kyra did not elaborate, Mitty's eyebrow jerked upwards. "Uh-huh."

"Like, see, right now. Normally you tell someone they're interesting, maybe they're flattered, perhaps a little put-off, but not downright angry."

"You want to know why I'm angry?"

Kyra shrugged. "Because you're defensive."

Mitty clawed at the hot sand. "Yeah, and what?" She knew she was proving Kyra's point and she hated it, but what else could she do when daggers stood ready to launch from her mouth? She had to focus on keeping them at bay.

"I don't mean it in a bad way," Kyra went on. "I just want to help–"

"Break me out of my shell?" Mitty finished for her, nearly spitting the words.

Now Kyra looked slightly uncomfortable, and Mitty revelled in her victory. Kyra rolled her shoulders and said, "Is that so wrong?"

"Am I some sort of project for you?" Mitty ignored her protest. "Is the reason you want to be around me so you can fix me?"

"No, of course not." Kyra raised her hands in a placating gesture. "Mitty, this is getting out of hand. Please listen to me."

Mitty did, but only because she couldn't storm off or Alexis would ask questions.

"Look, I admit I want to help you, but it's because I want to be your friend. Despite your temper, I do like you."

"I haven't given you a reason to," Mitty mumbled.

"Well, that's not entirely true. I like your passion for writing. That and your attitude drew me to you."

Mitty eyed her warily.

"Is it so hard to believe someone likes you?"

Mitty snorted. "Yes."

Kyra raised a hand as if to protest, then put it down with a shake of her head. "Why are you so self-defeating?"

"That's for me to know."

Kyra clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes. "Mitty, this has to stop. Do you even hear yourself?"

"'Has to stop'? Is that right, 'Mum'?" Mitty glared at her, keeping the fire in her chest alight only because the cold hand of dread threatened to smother it.

Kyra crossed her arms. "Sorry, I know I'm setting you off, but seriously, stop for a second and just listen to yourself."

Mitty didn't have to, but before she could retort, Kyra went on, "I'm sorry, but you need to hear this stuff." She looked away and Mitty followed her gaze to their friends still playing in the sea, and their eyes settled on Alexis, blissfully unaware of what was happening on the shore. Mitty's chest tightened as Kyra spoke. "Does Alexis challenge you?"

Mitty didn't have to ask, but she did anyway. "What do you mean?"

"Do you like Alexis because she doesn't call you out?"

Mitty thought back to the first time they met. How scared Alexis looked, shaking under Mitty's withering stare. How she drew into herself any time Mitty so much as glanced at her. How that timidity made Mitty feel safe knowing she would not be judged, because Alexis would never dare say anything.

No, no. Mitty liked Alexis because she was sweet. Perhaps too sweet.

Mitty knew. She knew deeply, far too much, that she deserved to be reprimanded a hundred–no, a thousand times over. And she knew Alexis would never do that.

"She isn't scared of me anymore," she protested weakly.

"Oh, no, I'm sure she isn't," said Kyra, and at least Mitty could take comfort in how sincere the girl sounded. "But she is a little scared of confrontation, I think. Which is normal. Nobody likes it."

"You seem to." The fire was gone, leaving behind only a flat remark.

"I'm used to it, is all. And I know sometimes you kind of like, have to do it, because if you don't..." Kyra gestured to herself, then to Mitty, "then you'd just let stuff fester!"

With her anger gone, the venom also left her. Mitty simply snorted, her tail finally uncurling back onto the sand. "Ugh. You're annoying."

"Unfortunately, sometimes I have to be."

"Because you find me 'interesting'."

"Yes."

Mitty tried not to let it bother her. She'd been trying for Lexi's sake to be nicer. A slip-up or two was going to be inevitable. After all, Kyra had a point, loath as she was to admit it. She could not keep going like this if she wanted to be the best person she could be for Alexis, and for herself.

It was just so annoying.

"You know, you could at least sugarcoat some stuff," she said.

"Oh, I do. But sometimes you have to be a bit mean." Kyra giggled. "I'm sorry, though, really. I know it sucks."

Mitty sighed deeply. She supposed she was grateful to Kyra for keeping her in check. If she ever snapped at Alexis like that, she wouldn't forgive herself. Perhaps it was worth feeling like some sort of experiment if it meant her bad habits got kicked.

"I get you," she said to Kyra, "but I still don't really like you."

Kyra shrugged. "That's fair."

"That doesn't bother you? Not being liked?"

Kyra smirked, and again she looked at Mitty in a way that set her on edge. "I wouldn't get anywhere if it did."

Mitty wasn't quite sure what to say to that. There was clearly something else to Kyra she was missing, but she didn't want to dig too deep. She wondered if, had she applied herself earlier, they would have been rivals rather than strange acquaintances.

She noticed Alexis and the others approaching and filed away her thoughts, until Kyra spoke one more time. "Be good to Alexis, yeah?"

Mitty's instinctive defence rolled on her tongue, but instead of protesting she just furrowed her brow slightly, ignored the pit in her stomach, and weakly replied, "Yeah."

***

Mitty and Alexis walked along the shore. Though they were indoors, the fake sunlight had dimmed to a pinkish sunset, the rosy orange colours glittering on the waves. The real sun had probably set hours ago. The Beachhouse was quiet with departing patrons. It was mostly the lazy stragglers left, the uni students who didn't believe in days ending. For once Mitty was among them.

Kyra, Ace, and Gui were slowly packing up, and Mitty and Alexis had taken the chance to find some peace before they joined them. It had been a fun day of tossing balls and eating ice cream and getting fur ruined by sand, but Mitty was about ready to call it. She hadn't gone swimming, and one look at Alexis' dripping fur told her she'd made the right choice. She smirked as the droplets left a trail in the sand.

"What is it?" Alexis asked as she caught Mitty's amusement.

"I didn't know you liked swimming so much," Mitty replied.

"Oh! Well, yeah. When I was a kid we used to go to the beach every summer." Alexis smiled fondly. "My mum used to joke that I was part fish."

Mitty grinned as she imagined Alexis with a fish tail and shells in her hair. How adorable. "Makes sense."

"Do you think we'll be able to go again?"

"Here, you mean?"

"Yeah."

Mitty remembered her upcoming exams and her rejected application to Bramble's and her shifts at the cafe and her future application to Bramble's and that graduation was now something to prepare for rather than just look forward to, so she said, "I don't see why not."

The future was no longer this intangible thing and it lapped at them like the waves on the shore. Sooner rather than later they would be at the mercy of the sea as it crashed upon them in graduation gowns and job applications and moving houses.

The sea air stung Mitty's nose.

They walked in silence for a time, at the mercy of the waves' gentle hushes. There were some people around, but for the most part they were surrounded by sea and sand, so Mitty found it easy to just focus on the beach itself, and of course, on the girl beside her.

Alexis' hair was straight and damp and clung to her face like seaweed. The fur on her tail was a waterslide for droplets, constantly dripping no matter how much she wagged it in an attempt to dry off. Her glasses were slightly askew and one eye was partially covered by her hair. Despite looking like she'd drowned, she was smiling from ear to ear.

Mitty's heart warmed, but suddenly it ached, too, and she stopped for a second as she remembered; "Be good to Alexis"; and her breath trembled under the weight of those words and the waves continued lapping and she wanted to flee.

"Mitty?" Alexis turned back once she realised Mitty wasn't next to her.

"Yeah?" Mitty quickly joined her again. "Sorry. Got caught up in something."

"What?" Alexis' eyebrows twitched for a second. Such a faint expression, but Mitty saw it.

And because she saw it, she did not miss a beat and replied, "You."

"Me?" Alexis giggled and rubbed her arm. "Wow, that's very forward of you, Mitty. Are you okay?"

"Yes," Mitty replied. "I just, you know. Felt lucky, suddenly. To see you so happy."

"Really?"

She wasn't lying, at least. She felt incredibly lucky to be with Alexis. And that was why she swallowed the ache and dug her heels in the sand, ignoring the looming waves. "Yes."

Alexis brushed her hair from her face and looked away, still smiling. By the Dragons, she looked beautiful. "Well, um, me too. For you. You know." She looked back at Mitty. "At least, I think you're happy."

"Yes." Mitty gently nudged Alexis, who nudged her back. "I'm happy." That wasn't enough, though. Without giving herself time to think, she put her arm around Alexis, pulling her close so the two of them stood side by side and watched the sea.

Alexis twirled her tail around Mitty's and put her arm around her waist. It didn't matter that Mitty had never been held like that before; it felt right, somehow. Even the dampness of Alexis' fur didn't bother her as they pressed against each other. Mitty felt only warmth.

"Thanks for putting up with me," Alexis murmured.

Mitty poked Alexis' shoulder. "I'm not 'putting up with you', silly." She was glad Alexis was looking at the sea and not her. "If anything, it's you putting up with me."

That earned her a poke in return as Alexis pouted. "If I don't get to put myself down, you don't get to put yourself down either, okay?"

"Fair enough," Mitty mumbled.

Alexis pressed herself tightly against her. "Who'd have thought I'd ever be hugging big scary Mitty," she said quietly as she watched the waves. "Or that we'd be on the beach… at sunset…" She giggled.

For once, Mitty wasn't mortified by the atmosphere. It wrapped her in a comforting blanket, pleasantly warm and relaxing. Her worries about the future didn't seem so serious now. So long as Alexis was here, it would work out. They would be able to do this again. She'd make sure.

"Hey," she said.

Alexis looked up at her, and their eyes met. The waves splashed quietly, hypnotically, drawing the two of them even closer together. The sun continued its slow descent, catching them both in its light. Alexis' eyes sparkled in a way Mitty had only seen a couple of times before. They were so close, now. If either of them moved, their noses would touch.

So Mitty moved. She lowered her head slowly and bumped noses with Alexis. Her nose was soft and damp from the sea and it twitched from the contact, but she didn't shy away.

Instead, she asked something that made Mitty's heart jump. "Can I kiss you?"

Oh. Oh Vacerus. Is this actually happening? Mitty swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. "Yes."

With that, Alexis closed the final distance, and their lips met.

Her lips were soft and warm and new and all at once they left Mitty's as Alexis drew back with wide eyes and shuddering breaths.

"Oh my gosh," she breathed. "Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh."

Mitty put a finger to her lips, hardly daring to believe Alexis' had only touched hers a second ago. Even with her limited kissing experience–that was to say, none–she knew that was barely a peck at best. She’d barely had time to feel anything.

But it was enough for her to cover her face in her hands as it dawned on her that Alexis had kissed her.

It looked like that realisation had not missed Alexis either. She was still chanting and shaking, her tail twitching. "I can't believe we kissed. I can't believe we kissed!"

Even though she had no room to talk, she felt Alexis' reaction was a little strong. "Are you gonna be like this every time we kiss?" she asked.

"Am I–what do you–you aren't even looking at me!" Alexis protested. "Hypocrite!"

Mitty looked up from her hands. It seemed like she would have to keep fighting her embarrassment. "It was just a kiss," she said, trying to keep her composure since one of them had to.

"Well, I've never kissed anyone before." Alexis looked away. "This is a pretty big first for me." In fact, she looked everywhere but Mitty. "Did I do it right?"

"What, you think I've kissed before?" Mitty raised her eyebrow. "I, um. I don't have anything to compare it to, but I think you did well."

"Oh?" Alexis finally smiled back at Mitty. "Yay!"

Mitty snickered. Buoyed by Alexis' high spirits, she pressed on. "We could try again. So I do have a comparison." By Freya, what am I saying? She's going to think that's weird… even though she was the one who asked first.

"Oh! Um. Okay! Sure!" Alexis looked like she was vibrating. "Lay it on me!"

Mitty couldn't help laughing again. "Lay it on you?"

"You know!" Alexis clearly tried to frown, but her smile was too big. "Kiss me!"

Mitty's stomach leapt in the most pleasant way upon hearing those words and she couldn't suppress it–by Vacerus, she actually giggled. Girlishly. Ridiculously. She felt lighter than she could ever remember, to the point she didn't even care how she sounded. "Okay, okay. Come here."

Alexis closed the distance between them, putting her arms around Mitty. As Mitty returned the gesture, she could feel Alexis trembling in her arms and gave her a squeeze. She looked down at those beautiful grey eyes, and slowly they bumped noses once more.

Alexis smelled of the sea. Somehow it was the sweetest thing Mitty had ever smelled, right next to Alexis' lavender shampoo. This time, she was the one to close that final distance, and she kissed Alexis.

Her lips carried the taste of the sea, salty and warm and wet, and she didn't shy away this time. Mitty kept a tight hold on Alexis.

It finally happened. Mitty's heart soared to the heavens as she kissed her girlfriend, so caught up in her elation and the realisation that Alexis was her girlfriend and she was kissing her that she pressed her lips more firmly, wanting to feel as close to Alexis as possible. To her delight, Alexis reciprocated and hugged Mitty tighter.

And all at once it was over again. They slowly broke apart and stared at each other. Then Alexis giggled and hid her face in the crook of Mitty's neck. "Oh my gosh," she said, her voice muffled.

Mitty laughed freely. By Vacerus, did it feel good. "You really are gonna do that every time."

Alexis looked up bashfully. "No! I'm sure I'll get used to it."

Mitty's stomach danced again at the implication. She grinned and poked Alexis' nose with her own. "Sure." She wanted nothing more than to stay in that moment, but she was suddenly aware of how much time they'd spent away from their friends. She didn't want them getting any ideas that may or may not be correct. "We should get back to the others," she said, withholding a sigh of disappointment.

Alexis nodded. "Yeah, we should." She reluctantly untangled herself from Mitty. "But, um, thank you."

Mitty blinked. "For what, kissing you?"

"For liking me enough to kiss me." There was that familiar little smile that Mitty liked so much, this time tinged with bashfulness.

"Of course." Mitty returned the smile. She felt she had more to say; there was always so much she wanted to say when it came to Alexis; but she couldn't find the words. She settled for giving Alexis' shoulder a squeeze. "Let's go. Hopefully we didn't keep them waiting too long."

They left the shore, hand in hand, as the sun continued to set.