Stargayzing

Badger made their way into Ammo Knights. They’d never spent all that much time there before, already knowing what their preferred weapon was, but lately it had become routine to drop by whenever they passed, if only to see Peppermint. The bell above the door announced their arrival, and they spotted Peppermint easily enough. She was wiping down the shelves with her back to the door, and Badger walked over.

“Hey, Pep,” they greeted. Peppermint turned as they spoke, lighting up with a bright smile as she spotted them and putting her cloth down to wrap Badger in a warm hug.

“Hi,” she replied softly, resting her head atop Badger’s. Apparently they were the perfect height for that, as it was something of a habit of hers. That was fine. It was comfortable, how well they fit together.

“How’s it going?” Badger asked, returning the hug and leaning into the embrace.

“It’s okay. Normal work day.” Peppermint nuzzled against them, and they felt her purring gently. The quiet sound of her contentment elicited a similar response from Badger, producing a slight rumbling in their throat.

“What was that, ten seconds from entering the shop to all snuggled up purring at each other? Is that a new record?” Sheldon asked, wearing that irritating smug grin of his.

“Oh, shut up, Sheldon,” Badger said, miffed. He was so annoying when he wanted to be. And even when he didn’t, when he was nattering on about weapons too much. He was just incredibly good at being annoying in general.

“I should probably be more bothered about you coming in here and distracting my staff so frequently, but when you make it this easy to bug you, it’s too funny not to.”

“Ugh.” Badger rolled their eyes, deciding it would be easier to just ignore him. “Hey Pep, you still interested in going on that camping trip?”

“Hmm?” Peppermint paused, idly twirling one of the tentacles of Badger’s ponytail around one of her fingers. “What exactly does camping involve, anyway?”

“Camping’s good fun if you like being out in nature. Basically you just grab a tent and overnight stuff and go pitch outside somewhere, and just chill out away from the city for a while. It’s best in the summer when it doesn’t get too cold out overnight. ‘S why I brought it up, if you wanna give it a go we should do that while it’s still good weather for it.”

“Oooh. Okay.” Peppermint squeezed them a little tighter for just a moment before letting go and picking up the cloth again. “That sounds nice, let’s do that.”

“Neat. You free this weekend?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“Wanna go then? Mount Nantai has some great views, and I can get camping stuff for us.”

“Sure.” Peppermint tilted Badger’s cap aside, leaning down to press her forehead to theirs, smiling. Badger blushed, bringing one hand up to gently brush her cheek. She was always so earnest in her affections. Pep’s far too cute, it is completely unfair. 

The two still hadn’t done too much together, aside from lengthy snuggle sessions on Peppermint’s sofa on occasions when Badger went over in the evenings - not for lack of wanting to, certainly not, but given Peppermint’s inexperience in the world it felt best to let things happen at her pace. Though given how easily Badger felt their hearts hammer at their chest whenever Peppermint pulled them close, maybe it was for the best for them, as well. No need to rush. This little camping excursion would be some nice quality time together, getting to show Peppermint some more of the joys of the world. The curious wonder she displayed at things new to her was a precious sight to behold.

Peppermint sighed slightly as she reluctantly pulled away, getting back to wiping down the surfaces. “When I first got here, it was nice to have something to do, but now I don’t want to work so much…”

Badger smiled wryly. “That’s the sad reality of adulthood - having to do things you don’t want to.”

“Sounds terrible. I’d much rather be cuddling.”

Badger laughed as Peppermint smiled at them, then stood away from the side. “Guess I shouldn’t linger, I’m meeting up with the others for turf war. Lav’s gotten pretty solid with that undercover brella. I think Eight’s encouraging her to try out ranked soon.”

“Okay. Have fun,” Peppermint said, giving them a brief one-armed hug.

“Will do,” Badger replied, squeezing her tight before making their way out of the shop, waving as they went. “See ya!”

“See you later,” Peppermint replied, waving.

Heading over to the lobby, Badger found Lavender and Eight waiting outside for them. Lavender waved cheerfully as they approached and Eight noted the direction they came from with a knowing smile.

“When do you think will you stop waving and start blowing the kisses?” Eight said, grinning.

“Oh my cod, not you too,” Badger groaned, feeling heat flood their face. “I already had to deal with this from Sheldon today, can’t the two of you, like, co-ordinate or something so I can catch a break sometimes?”

“You are both so cute! It is sweet,” Eight said good-naturedly.

“I agree!” Lavender said, smiling brightly. “Super-cute. You’re both so happy when you’re around each other, it’s so precious.”

“You see? Lavender understands,” Eight said. Badger looked away sheepishly, still feeling the blush on their cheeks.

“Dooooon’t,” they whined. “C’mon, let’s just go do turf war.”

“It is even more cute, that you are so embarrassed,” Eight replied, following them to be sorted into a match.

“Right? And how you’re always smiling after you’ve seen her. It’s the sweetest thing.”

“I’m gonna get myself on the opposite team to you two if you don’t quit it,” Badger said, pulling their cap down over their face. “Leave me ‘n my stupid gay feelings alone.”

Eight laughed. “Okay, okay.”

Saturday morning arrived and Badger made their way to Peppermint’s flat, a backpack of overnight things on their back and a tent bagged up in hand. Knocking on the front door, it didn’t take long for a response to come, Peppermint opening up.

“Morning,” Badger greeted, smiling and waving with their one free hand.

“Good morning,” Peppermint hummed, leaning down to grab her own bag of things and the sleeping bags Badger had left with her in advance.

“Got everything you need?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“Neato. Shall we get going?”

“Sure.” Peppermint leaned down to nuzzle against Badger’s cheek briefly, and Badger felt heat flood their face immediately. Smiling brightly as she straightened up, Peppermint turned back to call into the apartment. “Bye, Lavender! I’ll be back tomorrow!”

“Okay! Have a good weekend!”

Peppermint shifted to hold both the sleeping bags in one hand, freeing up the other to take Badger’s in it. Still caught off from having Peppermint’s face so close to theirs just moments prior, Badger felt their hearts thumping in their chest as they led the way out of the building and towards the city centre’s main bus station. They chatted on the way, Peppermint telling them about her work and the repair jobs she’d been given, Badger talking about their recent patrols with the captain and escapades in ranked matches. Catching a bus going out to Mount Nantai, Peppermint settled in a window seat, happy to stare out at everything going by. Badger found themself distracted by a buzzing from their phone, pulling it out to see a notification for a message.

Dorktopus: have fun on your date (≧∇≦)/

Badger blushed immediately, groaning internally. Of course Eight knew. No doubt Lavender had told her.

Badgerific: is2c i will block u

Dorktopus: I only send you good wish!!! (;へ;)

Spending several minutes typing and retyping texts, Badger failed to find a response that was quite what they wanted to say and gave up, sighing slightly and leaning back against the seat, pulling their backpack onto their lap. Looking up at Peppermint beside them, they watched her expression changing as they passed the new scenery. Peppermint seemed to notice, turning to smile at Badger and wrap an arm around them. Badger leaned against her, content.

It was strange to think they’d only known each other for a short space of time. Whatever the relationship between them was at the moment, it had developed so rapidly. It was… frankly, it was intimidating, and Badger felt well out of their depth. They’d never been socially savvy, and didn’t really have many close bonds - only the one really, Adrian, who’d been a friend of theirs for about as long as they could remember. And on the romantic side of things… Well, they were about as experienced as Peppermint there. Sure, they’d had a few crushes, that in hindsight maybe weren’t really crushes but just a result of teenage confusion, but had never even so much as gone out with anyone. Though apparently, that was about to change, if Eight’s interpretation was anything to go by.

That hadn’t really been the intention when they suggested it. The very first time they mentioned it, it was just in response to Peppermint’s admiration of nature. They had only thought to bring it up again after an off-hand comment from Viola about making sure the sleeping bags were cleaned before being put away over winter. Of course Eight had to go and put it like that and make them unnecessarily nervous about it.

Was that what this was? Was it, was it not? Badger did the mental equivalent of shaking their head, trying to dismiss the thought. Maybe it could just be whatever it was without any need to distinctly name it.

They got off the bus at the base of Mount Nantai, and Peppermint wore a joyful smile as she looked around at their surroundings, dense foliage and trees surrounding the roads and pathways. It wasn’t long before she took Badger’s hand in her own again, lacing their fingers together.

“I like it already. Which way are we going?”

“That way, we’ll take that path up the mountainside,” Badger replied, hooking the tent bag over their shoulder to allow them to point in the relevant direction. “It’s not too steep, so carrying all this up shouldn’t be too bad. And there’s a good spot not too far up, one of Dad’s favourites. There’s a little plateau looking out over the forest. We’ll have to go off the track for a bit to get there, but I know the way.”

Peppermint let them lead her along the path, quietly looking out through all the trees around them, eyes darting as she spotted birds and other native life. Badger glanced up, watching her stare at a patch of wildflowers they passed before shifting her attention to a butterfly floating past.

“There’s so much to see out here,” she murmured, a sense of wonder pervading her voice.

“Sure is,” Badger agreed, though their gaze remained fixed on Peppermint, fondly observing her curiosity.

“And it smells different to the city, too,” Peppermint continued. “It feels really… clear. It’s nice.”

“Yeah. This is what people mean when they talk about going out and getting some fresh air. Only not really, since people’ll say that even just about standing outside a building, but… this is, like, actually fresh air.”

It occurred to Badger that this may be the first time Peppermint was ever this far from… not civilisation, since the test centre was pretty isolated, but from buildings and machinery. When they’d gone through some woods on their way out of the city with that octoling boy before, that seemed to have been her first experience out in nature, and limited to only a short while, but even then she’d commented on liking it. From the looks of things, that was still true enough. She wore a serene expression of contented wonder as they continued.

Once they had walked far enough up the path, Badger recognised the point at which they had to turn off, guiding Peppermint through the tangled undergrowth away from the beaten track and sadly having to pay more attention to where they were going, carefully picking their way through the roots and bushes so as not to trip. The work boots they favoured were solid and sturdy enough to have no issue walking through, but they’d swapped their usual leggings for a pair of jeans, thicker and less likely to get loose threads caught on thorny vines. They’d made sure to advise Peppermint on what to wear for this beforehand, and she had on jeans too, and a pair of black boots that looked like they’d seen better days, scuffed and dusty.

Conversation fell quiet as they made their way through the foliage, the two of them concentrating on finding the best path until they came out into a clearing. A flat plain lay before them, grassy but free of trees and bushes. On the opposite side to them the grass fell away to a sparse rocky outcrop, giving a magnificent view of the dense green forest below. Peppermint wandered forwards, staring out over the thick trees as Badger dropped the tent bag and their backpack on the grass.

“It’s… beautiful.”

“Not bad, right?” Badger walked over to stand beside her, admiring the picture of nature painted so marvelously over the canvas of the earth.

“I’ve never seen anything like this before…”

Those words brought a mixed bag of feelings to Badger. They were happy to get to show Peppermint the wonders of the world around them, but the reminder of how her life had been spent formerly, the thought of her cooped up in the test centre, alone for all those years… It stung. It made Badger’s hearts ache with sorrow, made them want to do everything in their power to make up for that lack of childhood. Peppermint was so sincere, and kind-hearted. Cod, she was so soft that she couldn’t even bear turf war just because people got splatted. She deserved so much better.

They were torn out of their thoughts as Peppermint put her own things down and swept them up in a tight hug, lifting them up off their feet and holding them close to her. Caught by surprise, they felt their heart rates skyrocket as a teal stain spread on their cheeks.

“Thank you for bringing me here,” Peppermint said appreciatively, smiling and taking off Badger’s cap so she could press their foreheads together.

Flustered, Badger couldn’t think of any words to say as they wrapped their arms around her in return. Oh no. Oh cod. She’s so precious. I wanna kiss her so bad and her face is Right Here Next To Mine and it would be so easy to just lean forward and- 

Peppermint giggled, and it did not help, the adorable sound resounding in Badger’s ears. Feeling overwhelmed, Badger shied away, hiding their face against her shoulder. The action only made Peppermint laugh more, and she propped the cap on her own head to free up her hand, bringing it to stroke Badger’s hair. This is too much. She’s too cute. I’m gonna die. My hearts are gonna explode and I will die. 

They felt Peppermint moving, still carrying them as she walked over nearer the edge of the plateau. It was remarkable that even after carrying everything up here she wasn’t too tired to just pick up another person and carry them around, but Badger had seen her exercise routine after work and all the push-ups she did, so wasn’t too surprised. They weren’t exactly weak in the arms themself, used to swinging rollers around as they were, but were still feeling relieved at being able to put down the tent.

Eventually Peppermint did seem to tire, putting them back down with a sigh. She was always so disappointed to let go of them. She still held them close, though, and Badger leaned back against her, looking out over the forest with her. They quietly gazed at the scenery for a while, warm in the ending summer’s sun and each other’s hold as a breeze blew past, keeping the temperature moderate. Once Badger’s nerves had quieted and their pulse gone back to reasonable levels, they remained still for a while, enjoying the proximity before eventually squeezing Peppermint’s hand to get her attention.

“We should get on with setting up the tent.”

“Okay.” Peppermint unlinked her arms, freeing Badger of her hold and returning their cap, then following them back over to where they’d dropped their bags. Badger pulled off their jacket and tied it around their waist, then unzipped the tent bag, pulling out the pegs and tent poles and handing one of the folded poles to her.

“Here, connect these all up together so it’s one long one,” Badger said, demonstrating with the pole they still held. They worked together on setting it up, Badger showing Peppermint the best way to angle the tent pegs into the ground and pull the wires taught, and it wasn’t long before their shelter was up on a soft grassy patch nearer the treeline. It wasn’t a huge tent, not anything fancy, but it could comfortably hold two people, maybe three at a push. Putting their bags inside, Badger pulled the sleeping bags free of their tight confines and laid them out, the puffy material soon expanding with access to air.

“There we go. All set for the night,” they said, stepping back to admire their handiwork. “It won’t be as comfy as a bed, but it’s not too bad. Small price for enjoying time outdoors.”

“I doubt it can be worse than napping on the top of a broken tower,” Peppermint said. “Now what?”

“Now we do whatever. Take a nap, enjoy the view, go for a walk, whatever you feel like,” Badger said, smiling up at her. “Though…” Reaching into one of their jacket’s pockets, they pulled out their phone to check the time. It displayed another notification for a message from Eight, and that it was past midday. Ignoring the message, they put it away again. “How about lunch?”

“I can agree with having food.” Peppermint went into the tent, rummaging in her bag. She brought out a box from on top, then emptied the contents of the bag to get at the bottom, pulling out a round tin carefully placed beneath everything else. Bringing both tin and box out along with a water bottle, Badger noted she was careful to keep the tin level as they went through the inside pockets of their jacket where they had stuffed their own lunch, a modest meal of sandwiches and some snacks that was humbled further by the fact they’d gotten squished on the way. They went to sit out on the rocky plateau to eat.

Peppermint placed the tin down between them and took the lid off, revealing a small chocolate cake, already cut into quarters. “I made this for us to have,” she said, smiling as she took out a piece, using the tin’s lid as a plate.

“Heck yeah, cake!” Badger said, though eyed the way she got it out so quickly with slight suspicion. “You’re not gonna eat that first, are you?”

“...Um.”

Badger laughed. “Pep, eat the savoury bits first.”

“Fiiiiiine…”

“And put it away with the lid on in the meantime or it’ll attract ants.”

Peppermint reluctantly put the cake away again, opening up the other box she had to reveal her lunch. She had also opted for sandwiches, packing them neatly alongside some fruit, an oat bar and a packet of crisps. They sat and looked out over the forest as they ate, sharing snacks.

“It’s so nice here. It’s… It’s not really quiet, because there are all the birds and things making noise in the woods, and the wind rustling the trees, but… it’s not like the city at all. It’s noisy but in a nice way,” Peppermint mused.

“Mm-hmm. Peaceful, right?”

“And there aren’t any people around but it still doesn’t feel empty or anything. It’s so full of life…” She smiled down at Badger. “It’s wonderful. Thank you again for showing me. I definitely want to come again.”

“‘S my pleasure,” Badger said, returning the smile with a soft gaze. “Glad you like it.”

They made their way through their lunches and Peppermint was more than enthusiastic to get the cake out again, handing a slice to Badger before taking one of her own. Even with the cake being a fairly small one, a quarter of it was still a very generous amount, and Badger found themself laughing slightly. Pep really needs to learn some level of restraint when it comes to desserts…

The cake was delicious, adequately moist and not too firm. It was perhaps a little overly sweet and the amount of icing on it was not at all reserved, but the chocolate flavour still made it through very well. After already eating lunch, Badger couldn’t finish the slice Peppermint had given them, and ended up handing it back to her. She was more than happy to finish it even after her own slice and all of her lunch. The sheer volume of icing involved made it somewhat messy though, and by the end of it Peppermint had a notable amount of it on her hands, and a little had even gotten stuck on her nose.

“You’ve made a little bit of a mess there,” Badger said, chuckling as they crumpled up the wrappers from their snacks into a ball to stuff in their pocket.

“...Maybe just a little,” Peppermint agreed bashfully, blushing lightly as she licked the excess off her fingers. “Um… I guess there aren’t any sinks around…”

“Naw, no toilets or anything unless you go back to the base of the mountain,” Badger said. “But if you just want a quick rinse, there’s a stream going down not too far off.” They stood, heading back towards the trees. Peppermint soon followed, but not before making sure to put the lid back on the cake tin and put it safely back in the tent. Picking their way through the underbrush again, Badger led the way back to the path they’d come up on and down a branch off to the side slightly further up it. It wasn’t long until they could hear the running water, and they strayed off the track again to go down to the stream. Peppermint washed the sugary mess off her hands, then lingered on the bank for a while, looking down into the water. Badger leaned against a tree, listening to the sounds of the forest as they watched Peppermint stare down curiously at the stream.

I’m glad she’s having a good time. Badger was quite content to just hang around, only wanting to see Peppermint enjoy herself. Peppermint sat by the water for quite a while before standing again, making her way over to Badger and drying her hands off on her shirt.

“I’ve never heard water running like that. There’s so much here that I’ve never seen or heard or smelled before…”

“A whole new world, eh?” Badger straightened up, taking their weight off the tree. “Wanna go for a walk, then? Explore a bit?”

“Mm-hmm!” Peppermint’s eyes sparkled as she nodded in agreement. Badger offered their hand, and Peppermint gladly took it as they headed back to the path. They followed it further up the mountain, and every so often when they came to places Badger was familiar with they’d lead the way off the path to another clear spot where they could see everything below them. It was a bright, clear day, and the further up they went, the further out they could see. Peppermint marvelled at just how far around them they could look, past Inkopolis and the area around it to far off on the horizon.

“Hey, check it,” Badger said, pointing to a spot lower down on the mountain. “There’s our tent.”

“Ooh.” Peppermint followed their direction, looking down. “It’s so tiny from here. Everything’s so small from up here.”

“Just imagine. Compared to everyone standing down there, you are so tall right now. Instead of bein’ like, one foot taller than everyone, you’re a hundred feet taller instead.”

Peppermint laughed. “Does it make a difference if they can’t see me anyway?”

“You decide,” Badger said, smiling. Looking out over everything they could see, they squeezed Peppermint’s hand. “Inkopolis is just one little place. There’s so much world out there to explore.”

“How much have you been to?”

“Um…” Badger paused, thinking. “Probably more than a lot of people, if only ‘cause of the agent work. I’ve been to lots of places just on patrol with Cap. But still not that much. Everything I’ve ever seen we can probably spot from here, I reckon. And this is still just one tiny little part of the world.”

“Mmm…” Peppermint pulled them in for another hug. “I want to see as much as I can. With you.”

Badger blushed slightly, returning the embrace. “...Sure. I’m down for that.”

They wandered around the mountain all afternoon, Badger showing Peppermint all of their favourite spots. Peppermint took the opportunity to try climbing a tree for the first time when they found one with enough sturdy low branches, and Badger went up with her. The branches weren’t big enough for them to sit together, having to perch on two different ones, but they sat and chatted in the tree for a while, and Peppermint enjoyed running her hand over the rough bark. When they went back down she wasn’t quite as confident, and took a little while to get back to the ground, Badger helping her where they could.

When the sun began to sink in the sky, they started making their way back to the tent. They’d wandered pretty far, and by the time they made it back they were growing hungry, the sun hanging low on the horizon. The forest below was blanketed in a golden hue, brilliant oranges and pinks streaking across the sky.

“Oh good, we made it in time for dusk,” Badger said, going to their backpack to get the dinner they’d packed.

“It’s so pretty,” Peppermint said softly, staring out at the colours painting the world before them.

“This is my favourite time of day.” Pulling out a thermos flask full of soup and another sandwich, Badger waited for Peppermint to get her own food out before they sat on the rocky outcrop again, this time going to perch on the edge. The pair ate in silence, the quiet between them comfortable as they watched the light changing, the soft pinks darkening as the colours faded, subdued as the sun sank out of sight.

“I never knew the world was so beautiful before,” Peppermint said quietly.

Badger was silent, not quite sure what to say as that same aching sorrow rose in their hearts.

“I saw a little of it… when I first climbed up the tower. But I was so exhausted and scared, I don’t think I really looked at it properly,” Peppermint continued. “When I was at the test centre, I got to learn about the world, but… I never got to experience it. I… I know the theory of this. I know the sky at sunset is more orange and red than other times of day because the light has to travel through more of the atmosphere and experiences more scattering. But I never actually saw it. I had no idea just how amazing it is.”

Badger set their flask aside, shuffling over next to her and wrapping an arm around her. “Well… There’s plenty of time ahead of you to go out and check out whatever you like. Can’t do much about the past, but we can make the most of our present, right?”

“...Yeah.” Peppermint looked down at them, the gentle smile on her face just barely visible in the dying light. The bright blue irises of her eyes seemed almost to glow against the dark, and Badger found themself drawn in. Peppermint’s unusual eyes were always a source of curiosity for them. Even with their own right eye exposed to some of the same discolouration, Badger’s wasn’t as light, the blue still closer to that of their regular eye, duller. It made their iris almost invisible against the darkened sclera, but the distinction between the two in Peppermint’s eyes was much clearer, with a much stronger contrast.

Badger didn’t realise they were staring as Peppermint held their gaze, not until Peppermint brought a hand up to their face, softly stroking their cheek with her thumb. They felt their hearts leap at the gentle touch, their breath catching in their throat as Peppermint leaned down, their noses almost touching. She paused there briefly, close enough that Badger could feel her breath on their skin. The hammering in their chest was starting up again, thumping heavily at its confines.

“Badger… Is it okay if I kiss you?”

What?

Everything in Badger’s mind came to a grinding halt as they tried to process that question, suspended by disbelief. She hadn’t… really just asked that, had she? Had she? Was this real, or had they ended up falling asleep at some point and this was just a dream?

The seconds ticked by in silence, and Peppermint’s expression changed to one of uncertainty. That kicked things into gear, Badger realising they had to say something, and hurry up and do so quickly before it became too awkward. Screw it, whatever, even if this is just a dream let’s make it a good one.

“Y-yeah,” Badger stammered out, squeezing Peppermint slightly with the arm they had around her. “Yeah. Sure. Absolutely.”

Peppermint lit up immediately, a wide smile spreading across her face. Her hand on Badger’s cheek held just a little more firmly as she reached to move the cap aside, closing her eyes along with the gap between them, and as their lips met Badger was sure their hearts were about to explode out of their chest. The kiss was brief, somewhat awkward and fumbling, and Peppermint looked aside shyly after she drew away.

“I, um…” She trailed off, then seemed to decide on a better way than words to explain herself, taking hold of Badger’s hand and pulling it up to rest on her chest. Badger could feel her pulses, wild and erratic beneath the skin.

“S-same here,” they stuttered, doing the same and bringing one of Peppermint’s hands to feel the heavy beating of their hearts.

“Oh. That’s even more than me,” Peppermint said, surprised.

Heat flooded Badger’s cheeks and they drew back, hiding their face in their hands. Even Pep now? “I really can’t catch a break…”

“Hmm?” Peppermint sounded confused, and Badger felt her gently place her hands over their own, prying them away from their face before tilting it up to look at her. Embarrassed, Badger’s eyes tried to find somewhere else to look but she head leaned in again, too close to avoid. Once they made eye contact with her, she smiled again, such a brilliant, radiant smile, then kissed them once more, holding it longer. With more time to respond and a slightly less nonfunctional head, Badger leaned in, feeling Peppermint’s warmth, the softness of her lips, the interruption of the texture where her prominent fangs poked out.

It was getting hard to see in the growing darkness, with no artificial light sources out here on the mountain, but as they broke away Badger was sure Peppermint continued to wear that wonderful smile. Still feeling a little dazed, Badger’s head seemed fuzzy and disoriented as they looked up at her, her outline distinct against the sky peppered with stars. They leaned against her, then felt her arms around them, pulling them into her lap. The movement saw their legs scrape against the rock for a moment and they abruptly remembered where they were sat, on the rim of the rock.

“We should probs move away from the edge now it’s dark,” Badger said. “Don’t wanna end up falling off or anything.”

Peppermint hummed a quiet note in response, turning briefly and struggling to find a way to stand without letting go of the inkling on her lap. She let out a disappointed sigh as she realised the near-impossibility of the maneuver, loosening her hold so Badger could move. She’s so cute. What the heck, this isn’t fair. Badger pulled their phone out as they stood to use the torchlight on it, finding their way back to the grass. Peppermint followed, finding Badger’s shoulder and trailing her hand down their arm on her way to linking their fingers together. After a brief moment she brought their clasped hands up, planting a soft kiss on the back of Badger’s.

TOO CUTE. WHAT THE HECK. 

Struggling to maintain higher brain function as thicker clouds rolled into their mind, Badger stood in awkward silence for a moment before looking up at Peppermint. Behind her, the sky was clear, and the stars shone brightly against the night. Badger wondered how much Peppermint would have learned about them.

“Hey, Pep. Look at the sky again.”

They saw her outline shift, turning her gaze upwards, and Badger heard her slight gasp.

“Ooh.”

“You ever seen the stars before? They’re not really visible in the city.”

“I haven’t…” Peppermint stared up at the twinkling above. “They’re so pretty. And so many of them…”

Not as pretty as you. Badger immediately felt embarrassed for thinking such a cheesy line, feeling blood rush to their face again. At least in the dark it wouldn’t be noticeable.

Peppermint watched the sky in silent wonder for a while, still holding Badger’s hand. The temperature was dropping, and as the breeze blew past they shivered slightly.

“Time to get ready for bed, I think,” they said quietly. Peppermint didn’t respond, still staring out at the stars, and Badger gently unwove their fingers, pulling their hand free - admittedly with some reluctance - to go into the tent.

Pulling a small battery powered light out of their bag, they hung it up in the tent, providing enough illumination to see inside. They got their pyjamas out - a thick warm pair, navy blue with a picture of li’l Judd on the shirt - and changed into them, pulling their jacket on over the top. Untying their hair, they got out their toothbrush before they went back over to Peppermint.

“You warm enough?” Badger asked.

“It is a little chilly now,” Peppermint admitted, but made no motion to move.

“C’mon, go get into PJs. We can get all bundled up in the sleeping bags and look out from the tent.”

Badger poked her in the direction of the tent and she slowly pried herself away from her staring, going and rummaging in her bag. Badger stayed outside for a moment, giving her some privacy while she changed and brushing their teeth, spitting in a bush and washing the residue away with a little water from their water bottle. When it sounded like Peppermint was done changing they went back in, the little light hung up showing her now in a pair of white button-up pyjamas with a pink spotted pattern. Badger handed her the toothpaste.

“Um… Where do I brush if there’s no sinks?”

“Just spit out in some innocuous spot in a bush, if you rinse it off with a bit of water it’ll be gone soon enough anyway.”

Peppermint looked a little uncertain about the prospect, but did so anyway, and Badger got comfy in their sleeping bag, zipping it back up as Peppermint came back into the tent. She followed suit, and the two lay down next to each other, looking out of the tent over the rocky outcrop to the horizon.

“They all look so close together from here,” Peppermint murmured. “But they’re all thousands of millions of miles apart from each other.”

“Did you learn about the constellations?” Badger asked.

“Mm-hmm. I didn’t see the actual stars, but I did learn about maps of them.” Peppermint scanned the stars briefly, then pointed to one section. “That’s Ursa Major. And there’s Ursa Minor, and Polaris.”

“Wow. You know more than I do, and I’ve seen ‘em plenty of times. I only recognise the Big Dipper.”

“What's that?”

“Another name for Ursa Major, I'm pretty sure.”

“Ooh.” Peppermint paused thoughtfully. “There are lots of things you know that I don't, though. Like that.”

“Guess so. I've got more colloquial knowledge.”

Badger stared out at the night sky, quiet. A moment of calm silence fell between them until Peppermint shifted, the rustling of her sleeping bag interrupting the stillness as she fidgeted onto her side, then wrapped her arms around Badger and rolled over onto her back, pulling them along to lie on her. Surprised, a small squeak escaped them, and Peppermint giggled.

“Badger.”

She spoke with such a warm fondness, and to know it was directed at them made Badger’s hearts soar. Caught out by the sudden repositioning, Badger only managed a slight mumble in response.

“Mmm?”

They felt one of Peppermint’s hands drift up their back to play with their hair, running the loose tentacles through her fingers. “Badger.”

Was I too quiet? “Yeah?”

“Badger.”

“W-what?” Confused, Badger stared down at her, searching for an explanation. She simply wore a contented smile.

“Badger. Badger Badger Badger.”

Badger didn’t respond, trying to work out what she was doing. Suddenly a look of mischief broke through onto her features.

“Am I… Badgering you?”

The words took a moment to sink in, but as soon as they did, Badger snorted, laughing. “Seriously? Oh my cod.”

Peppermint laughed with them, and they felt the way it shook through her as she hugged them tight, then pulling them down for another quick kiss. Badger felt fireworks in their chest as their lips met, leaving them breathless even after the two parted again, emboldening the inkling.

“Well if we’re doing name puns, I guess I’d better pepper you with smooches,” they said, leaning down to drop kisses all over Peppermint’s face, starting on her nose and moving up to her forehead, then down her cheek. Peppermint giggled, beaming happily as a deep rumbling purr started up in her throat. Drawn to the contented thrum, Badger moved towards it, leaving more kisses along Peppermint’s jawline before nuzzling into the crook of her neck. They gladly listened to the tranquil noise of her happiness as they joined in with a more quiet, gentle purr. Peppermint grew louder, holding Badger close and stroking their hair. Badger pressed another little kiss on her collar before shifting slightly, getting more comfortable.

The two didn’t speak for a while, the contented rumbling of their purring competing with the noise of the forest, the cicadas chirping and leaves rustling in the breeze serving as a background for the sound of their shared happiness. The evening wore on, growing colder, and Badger found themself grateful for Peppermint’s warmth as they yawned, interrupting the vibrations in their throat.

“‘M about ready to sleep,” they mumbled. “How ‘bout you?”

“Mm-hmm,” Peppermint agreed, yawning herself and giving Badger a little squeeze.

“Mmkay. Gotta zip up the tent, then. Keeps out the dew.” Badger reluctantly wriggled out of her hold, moving to the door of the tent to close it up and turning off the hanging light. As soon as they shuffled back down next to Peppermint she wrapped her arms around them, pulling them close. Badger leaned into her embrace, snuggling comfortably. “G’night, Pep. Sweet dreams.”

Peppermint nuzzled against them, leaving one last kiss on their forehead. “Goodnight. Sleep well,” she hummed.

No doubt I will. Surrounded by Peppermint’s gentle warmth, Badger’s mind easily drifted, and the two soon fell away from the waking world, content in each other’s arms.