Lunch, but outside

Another day at Ammo Knights. Peppermint sighed as she screwed the case back onto the e-liter she’d just reassembled, taking it through to the testing range. Hefting the heavy charger over one shoulder as she went around to the side of the room with moving targets, she backed up as much as possible and took aim, waiting for the slow shot to charge. Firing at the furthest dummy target, it burst immediately. Charging another shot, she waited for all three of the moving dummies to line up, then let loose the shot, shattering the whole trio. 

Satisfied that it was fixed and firing as powerfully as it should, she wandered back to the shop front, storing it beneath the counter and pulling out the repairs log book and signing it off as completed. Taking the work mobile from next to the log book, she sent a text to the number left by the customer to say it was ready to be picked up. Technically she was meant to call them, but… there hadn’t been any complaints from customers she’d texted instead yet. Putting the book and phone back beneath the counter, she drummed her fingers on the surface for a moment. Sheldon was nattering at one customer while another looked up at the displays on the wall. She was probably supposed to go over and ask if they needed any help, but…

The bell above the door let out its familiar chime, announcing a new arrival into the store. Peppermint glanced over and quickly broke out into a bright smile as Badger waved to her. Excusing herself from behind the counter, she walked over, pulling them into a hug. Badger leaned against her gladly, hugging her tightly before reaching to clasp their arms around her neck, pulling her down for a kiss. Peppermint happily reciprocated, purring gently. As she straightened up, she heard Sheldon tutting slightly but ignored him. There’s nothing that needs doing anyway.

“Hi,” she said softly, smiling.

“Hey,” Badger replied, still reaching up and now tracing small circles on her neck.

Peppermint said nothing more, simply holding Badger close to her and swaying gently as she purred. Badger was similarly quiet for a moment, happy to be in her arms. Interruption came in the form of Sheldon finishing up with the customer and throwing a crumpled receipt at Peppermint.

“Stop getting distracted on the clock.”

“But I finished with the charger anyway…”  Peppermint said, pouting slightly.

“You’re still at work,” Sheldon chided. “That means you’re meant to work.”

“Fiiine…” Peppermint reluctantly let go out of Badger, sighing. Badger chuckled.

“Hey Pep, I thought of somethin’ we should do. You free on Saturday?”

“Oooh. Yeah, I’m free,” Peppermint replied, curious. “What for?”

“Hmm. I could tell you, or I could leave it as a surprise…” Badger said, giving a cheeky smile.

“Hmm…” Peppermint murmured thoughtfully. “I do want to know… but if I don’t know then it’s more exciting…”

“Well, if you decide you want to know you can always text me beforehand,” Badger said cheerfully. “Guess I’d better go before you get in trouble.”

“If you must,” Peppermint sighed, leaning down to drop a kiss on the tip of Badger’s nose. “Take care.”

Badger ruffled her hair as she did so, holding her there briefly to give her a quick peck on the cheek. “Will do. See you later.”

Peppermint waved as Badger left the shop, still smiling as they went. Sheldon shook his head at the pair of them.

“I’m starting to wonder if I should have a word with the other agents about them. Frankly, I think I deserve compensation for all the stolen work time,” he said sternly.

“Aww, it’s not like they stay for long. Even if you did add it all up it wouldn’t be much,” Peppermint pointed out.

“I suppose,” Sheldon said dryly.

Saturday morning arrived to see Peppermint waking early. She felt anticipant for whatever Badger had in store for her, and the excitement left her restless even when there was nothing for her to do regarding it in the meantime. Over the course of the week Peppermint had heard little more from Badger about the surprise, knowing only it was something Badger had thought of that she probably hadn’t done before. She had asked if there was anything she should do or bring, only told that they’d be going outside and she should probably bring a drink. Unable to sit still, she ended up adding slightly to her daily exercise routine twice over just to keep herself occupied, showering after. As she came out of the bathroom, she saw Lavender was awake now.

“Morning!” Lavender chirped.

“Good morning,” Peppermint replied.

“Today you’re going out with Badger, right?” Lavender asked as she passed.

Peppermint paused on her way to her bedroom, smiling. “Yep.”

“Are you gonna wear anything nice for it?”

Peppermint thought briefly. “Um… I didn’t think about it…”

“Since you don’t do that much, it would be nice to do that for something special like a date, right?”

“Yes…” Peppermint trailed off thoughtfully. That was definitely a good idea. In some of the TV shows Lavender watched she had seen people in formal clothing and had definitely ended up thinking about how it would be to see Badger in some, and now found herself wondering if they ever thought the same about her.

“Do you have stuff like that?” Lavender asked.

“I’m not sure,” Peppermint confessed. “Maybe, in the stuff I don’t really wear…” She had certainly found what she preferred most out of the clothes she had ended up with, and there were a number of things from the shopping trip with Callie that had been left hung up in the wardrobe gathering dust. Peppermint headed over to the wardrobe in her room, largely disused aside from the drawers at the bottom. Opening it up, there were a couple of button-up shirts hung up, and very little else. She hadn’t bothered to buy any more clothing herself since then, so her options were limited. 

Unsure which to pick out of the two, she pulled on a vest in the meantime, then noted the one other thing in the wardrobe, the singular skirt she owned, a green wrap skirt with floral print, never worn aside from when she tried it on in the clothes store. It wasn’t really that she was opposed to it, but she just found jeans comfortable – and they covered more of her skin, concealing the abnormal green that drew so many stares. She did have some leggings – in the coldest months of winter she’d worn them beneath her jeans for extra warmth – so she could wear those with it… 

She tried it on, pulling out the leggings to put on beneath. She wasn’t sure about how they looked together – this kind of thing wasn’t really her forte… Turning her attention to the shirts, one was pastel blue, mostly plain aside from gently ruffled sleeves and an embroidered cherry blossom motif on the breast pocket. The other was a deep navy blue, made of a silky material with a wide collar. She had… no idea whatsoever which would look better with the skirt. Lavender seemed to have a little more aesthetic sense, maybe she could help.

Pulling the two shirts off the rail, she walked though to the living room with them. Lavender had acquired a bowl of cereal and sat on the sofa with it, already folded back up for the day. She looked up as Peppermint walked in, soon smiling.

“Ooohh. That’s such a nice skirt!” Leaning forward, she set down the bowl on the coffee table, standing to see properly.

“Mm… I’m not sure which of these shirts, though…”

“Hmm…” Lavender held one hand to her chin, thoughtful as she surveyed both options. “Well, I’ve heard people talk about dressing for the season, and it seems like softer colours get associated with spring, so I think that one,” she said, pointing to the pastel blue shirt.

Peppermint nodded, laying the other shirt over the arm of the sofa and putting on the one indicated over her vest. Lavender clapped as she finished buttoning it up.

“Ooooh, that’s super cute!” she said, clearly delighted. She looked Peppermint up and down once again, humming slightly. “Are you sure about the leggings though? They’re a bit dark compared to everything else.”

“I just put them on to cover up…” Peppermint said quietly. Unlike herself, Lavender had never seemed particular fussed about covering up, or at all fazed by people thinking their skin colour was unusual. Perhaps it was due to being more socially inclined, or better at understanding people thanks to her studies, or more happy to talk about it, who knew – all Peppermint was sure of was that it wasn’t something she wanted to draw any attention to on herself. Though… People hadn’t seemed to be staring at her quite so much lately. Maybe the residents of Inkopolis had gotten used to seeing her after almost a year there, or maybe she’d been the one who’d gotten used to the odd looks. Maybe it would be fine not to wear them…

“Ohhh, okay,” Lavender said, nodding slightly. “That’s fair. Hmm…” Still smiling, she paused thoughtfully. “Have you ever thought about doing anything with your hair?”

“No…”

“It might be cute to try tying it up. Here-” Lavender paused, reaching to rummage in her bedside cabinet next to the sofa, pulling out a singular plain lilac hair tie and holding it out to Peppermint, who took it uncertainly, not really sure what to do with it. Was there any specific way to do this? She’d definitely seen Badger tying up their hair in the mornings after staying over, yet now that she tried to recall she had no idea what it entailed.

“Actually, it might be easier for me to do it,” Lavender offered, then patted the sofa next to her. “Sit down and I’ll try.”

Peppermint handed it back to her, sitting down. Lavender put the tie on her wrist and hummed for a brief moment, thinking. “I think… If we leave the ones at the side of your face and put the rest in a ponytail that would be good. Let’s try that. …Gosh, your tentacles are so long! Okay, done. Look at me?”

Peppermint turned to face her and she quickly appraised her work, breaking out into a wide smile. “Just as I thought, you’re cute as it gets! Go look in the mirror,” Lavender said cheerfully, standing and near enough pulling Peppermint up off the sofa. Going through to the bathroom to look at her reflection, Peppermint found herself smiling. She did look good. She’d never really put much thought to her appearance aside from her self-consciousness about her unusual traits, but… Seeing herself looking back in the outfit she wore, she felt she agreed with Lavender, maybe a little. She did feel cute. Bashful at the thought, she felt a slight warmth rise on her cheeks.

“Soooo? What do you think?” Lavender prompted.

“I, um… Yeah…” Peppermint mumbled uncertainly, her voice a little lost. “Th-thank you.” She pulled Lavender in for a tight hug, taking solace in the fact that she could express herself with her actions over her words if she needed to. Lavender always seemed to understand when she did so.

“Aww, you’re welcome!” Lavender said happily, hugging her back. “Can’t wait to see when Badger sees you now.”

Not sure what to do with the remainder of the time, Peppermint went back to her room, flopping down on the bed. It had never occurred to her that it would feel so nice to have put on a few different clothes, do something slightly different with her hair. To feel pretty. Even if she was different… She could still be pretty. Lavender’s words echoed in her mind, and after a moment she sat up, coming to a decision as she pulled off the leggings. Today she would go without. She could leave them behind and see how the day went.

The buzzer went off and Peppermint immediately felt her hearts leap, more excited than ever to see Badger now in her current state. She rushed to let them in, waiting anticipantly by the door. Lavender appeared from the sitting room, smiling broadly, and it wasn’t long for the knock at the door to come, Peppermint opening it quickly to see Badger. They’d changed up their own look slightly, the green jacket left behind today, now wearing a grey short sleeve button up shirt with red patches here and there along with a pair of jeans, two black bracelets on one wrist, their usual cap absent. A backpack hung over one shoulder, looking pretty full. They looked up at her as the door opened, blinking slightly as their eyebrows pulled up in surprise. For a moment they stared in silence, a light blush dusting their cheeks as they slowly opened their mouth, Peppermint waiting for the inevitable stunning eloquence to follow.

“H-hey,” Badger stammered.

Peppermint beamed, laughing slightly. I love them so much. “Good morning,” she hummed, leaning down to kiss their cheek.

“Aww, c’mon, you can say more than that,” Lavender said, grinning.

“Uh… Y-yeah,” Badger said quietly, reaching to caress Peppermint’s cheek, kissing the tip of her nose. “Oh… jeez. Pep, you’re… stunning.”

Peppermint nuzzled against them briefly before straightening up, wrapping them in a tight hug. Badger hugged her back, leaning against her and letting out a dazed breath. Peppermint trailed her hand down their arm as she let go, lacing her fingers through theirs.

“I thought I might swap things up a bit for the warm weather but I guess you’re ahead of me there,” Badger said sheepishly. “You look amazing…”

Peppermint smiled happily, squeezing their hand before bringing it up to press a kiss to the back of it. Badger blushed slightly as they always did when she did that. It was very endearing, and one of Peppermint’s favourite things to do, on the odd occasion when the thought struck her.

“…You look good too…” Peppermint said, trailing off. She didn’t know much about clothing or aesthetic, but what Badger wore certainly looked good – even she could tell that. It gave off a slightly different vibe, though she wasn’t sure how to describe it. Still very Badger, but maybe a fresh side of them. “It suits you. It’s very…” Peppermint paused thoughtfully, wondering what the right word was. ‘Cute’ didn’t seem quite right, but she wasn’t sure what was accurate. Her brow creased as she frowned slightly. “I’m not sure…” Failing to work out the words, she instead hugged them tightly.

Badger gave her a soft smile, pulling her down to boop their noses together before kissing her, brief and sweet. Peppermint pressed her forehead to theirs, purring happily.

“Soooo, are you going to go out on this date you both dressed up for or are you just going to stand here being cuties in the doorway?” Lavender asked, giggling slightly.

“Mmm… I do want to see what it is we’re doing…” Peppermint said, straightening up.

“I s’pose we should,” Badger agreed, shifting their backpack slightly and reaching to take Peppermint’s hand. “All ready?”

“Mm-hmm,” Peppermint said, stepping out of the flat with them before looking back to Lavender. “See you later!”

“See you then!” Lavender replied, waving before shutting the door.

Walking outside with Badger, Peppermint drew in a long exhale, taking in the scents of spring. The flower patch in the shared courtyard of the flat had bloomed, and a hint of the smell of freshly mown grass blew in from a neighbouring garden. It was a bright day, sunny without being too hot, only a few clouds dotting the sky. Badger led her through the city centre to a train station, getting tickets to go somewhere outside of the city. Peppermint felt her anticipation rise, always excited to see more of the world, eagerly taking a window seat once they got onto the train and looking out as the urban scenery slowly turned greener, taking on more rural notes. Half an hour later, they alighted, finding themselves on a platform much smaller and quainter than Inkopolis’, a lone stand outdoors compared to the huge sprawling station of the city.

The roads here were small, lined with hedges, some without any pavements to walk along. The houses lining the broader streets were less frequent than Peppermint was used to in the city, all with lush front gardens, some well-tended with tidy flower beds and vegetable plots while others were rife with weeds. Wild flowers grew along the sides of the hedges, and occasionally they passed gates leading to wide, open fields, filled with crops gently swaying in the breeze.

“Figured it’s about time you got to see some proper countryside,” Badger said, stopping at one of the gates. Next to it was a stile and a wooden post sticking out of the ground with a green marker on it. Badger patted the post as they passed. “These mean it’s a public path and fine to go in. If it doesn’t have one you probs shouldn’t go in the fields, but if ya see one of these it’s all good.”

Peppermint followed them over the stile into the field, now able to see a path along the edge of it, slightly raised and left without crops growing. Dotted along it were a few other people, also out to enjoy the good weather. Walking away from the road, she could see ahead of them a hill, at the top of which stood a stone structure, the remains of a lone tower stretching into the sky, ancient and crumbling.

“What’s that?”

“The tor, I think,” Badger replied. “Uhh… unless that’s referring to just the hill in general… Honestly, I’m not sure. You can’t really go in it ‘cause it’s closed to the public since it’s falling apart anyway. There’ll be info thingies to read up there, though.. If I remember right there’s even an info thing about what people think is another info thing but from human times.”

“Oooh.”

Making their way along the path, Peppermint looked out over the growing crops, watching the ripples that ran across the field as the wind gently brushed through, marvelling at the way the plants gleamed slightly as they caught the sun, bent at just the right angle for a fraction of a second as they swayed. As they walked Badger talked about the farmland, times they had been here before with family, outings to similar places with their parents as a child. Peppermint listened eagerly, glad to hear more about Badger and garner snippets of what life with parents was like.

Rising up the hill, various other visitors were wandering around the ruins while some sat on the hillside in the sun. The deteriorated remains held little of their original design, but looking into it there was evidence of what would have once been beautiful architecture, worn and dulled by the years gone by. A simple rope fence sectioned it off, keeping the sightseers at a safe distance. An outdoor lectern stood near the fence - curious, Peppermint went over to read it. Apparently this stone structure was thought to have been there for a long time even by human standards, estimated to have existed for several centuries even before the planet’s prior occupants’ extinction. It further detailed how it was thought during the rise in sea levels that wiped out most of the previous land life the entire spire was submerged, leading to most of the current damage. To one side was an artist’s depiction of what it may have looked like before.

As Peppermint read, the wind blew through the ruins noisily, whistling as it slipped through the cracks. It was stronger atop the hill, enough to feel slightly cold despite the warm sun. Badger seemed to wobble slightly in the bluster, having to lean against the gale slightly to keep balance. Once Peppermint was done reading the two of them wandered around the ruins, leaning over the fence to try and peer in from all angles. On the opposite side to the path and where most of the visitors gathered was another strange something sticking up out of the ground, clearly unnatural in origin but not the same stone as the spire. Next to the rope by it was another lectern speculating on what it was, saying there had been found traces of the same ink used in writing in many human relics, and suggesting it had once served a similar purpose to what she read now.

“So, pretty neat, huh?” Badger asked.

Peppermint looked down at them, squeezing their hand slightly as she smiled. “Pretty neat,” she agreed. “It’s so strange to think these rocks have been here for thousands of years… Set up by a completely different species. Another set of intelligent life that came before everyone now…”

“Yeah. I wonder what they were like,” Badger mused.

“Umm… I did get taught a bit about that…” Peppermint said softly, looking aside thoughtfully. “Although not in specific detail… I suppose if anyone would’ve learned about their behaviour I guess it would be Lavender. But I learned some of the history… They had a lot of wars… and some of the significant events were about undoing wrongs they previously set up themselves. It seems like humans were very… um. Contradictory, I suppose? Some of what I learned was awful, but then at the same time, while going through those awful times, they pulled together to put an end to it too.”

“Huh. Guess they were a bit of a mixed bag.”

“Mm. I think so.”

“That aside… We haven’t gotten to the main event yet,” Badger said, grinning.

“Ohh?” Peppermint asked, eyeing them curiously.

“The first order of business on that end is to find somewhere nice to sit,” Badger announced, glancing around quickly before gesturing grandly over the scenery visible from the hilltop, ending the sweeping motion by taking Peppermint’s hand and pressing a kiss to the back of it. “Choose wherever takes your fancy, my sweet.”

Peppermint giggled slightly. She’d learned enough of Badger’s family to know Viola enjoyed acting, a regular performer at the local theatre group, and she wondered if Badger may have inherited some of her enthusiasm for that. It wasn’t unusual for them to add flourishes to their actions, although not so much when there were many people around. When they were comfortably secluded and feeling relaxed, though, that energetic over-the-top side of them started to shine through. Seeing Badger displaying a little more of themself always filled her with joy, and she loved getting to discover new aspects of them to adore.

Drawing her attention back to the task at hand – clearly a very important one – she thought as she looked over the hillside. “Hmmm. Sitting for what? How long will it be?”

“Food,” Badger replied. “’S getting to about lunch time.”

“Ohh. What will we eat, then? I didn’t bring anything…”

“No problem. I got it all right here,” Badger said, gesturing over their shoulder at the stuffed backpack they wore.

“I see,” Peppermint said, smiling. If there was anything that could get her into an even better mood, a good meal would do the trick. “Hmm… It’s really nice in the sun… But it might get a bit warm when we’re not all the way up here…”

“If you’re worried about gettin’ too toasty we can find a tree to sit under. That way we can set up where it’ll be half in the shade so we can sit underneath if it’s too hot.”

“Oooh. Let’s do that,” Peppermint agreed, looking out over the grassland again. “Oh. How about there? There’s no-one over there,” she said, pointing to one tree atop another neighbouring hill, lower than the one they stood on.

“Don’t think I’ve been over there,” Badger said. “We’ll have to check if it’s still public access. If so, a brand new spot for the both of us.”

They smiled up at her as they took her hand, marching towards the spot she’d picked. The next hill was sectioned off with another hedge, forcing them to look for the gate between the two and passing over another stile, but it was marked to say it was free to go there. Once they’d left the larger hill with the rocky ruins behind them they were alone, no other sightseers around, and Badger began swinging their clasped hands as they walked, taking long strides. Peppermint smiled happily, able to keep up with ease.

“Here we are!” Badger said cheerfully as they arrived at the top of the hill, dappled spots of sunlight peeking through the canopy of the tree as they stepped into the shade. “Does it meet your expectations?”

“It does,” Peppermint said, laughing slightly.

“Then it’s picnic time,” Badger said, swinging the heavy backpack off their shoulder and laying it down on the grass, unzipping it.

“Picnic?” Peppermint echoed.

“Yup! Guessing you haven’t been on one. It’s basically just sitting outside for lunch when you go out somewhere. During fab weather like this, it’s great,” Badger explained, pulling out a tightly rolled blanket and flapping it out to lie flat on the ground. “Now, I’m no culinary expert, but hopefully the food should still be pretty good. Mum helped out with some of it, and I got her to make some brownies too.”

“Brownies!” Peppermint lit up at the mention of those. Viola’s were excellent, deliciously chocolatey and sweet, and always cooked just right so they remained slightly squishy in the middle. Peppermint thought they were best when still warm, but certainly wouldn’t turn them down when cool, either.

Badger smiled at her exclamation as they pulled out the rest of the contents of the backpack, numerous plastic containers that they took the lids off of and lay out on the blanket. Sandwiches, pastries, salad and mini quiches were put on display before accompanied by a pair of plastic plates. Sitting down for lunch, Peppermint didn’t wait to dig in, taking a bit of everything to try. The food was good, Badger telling her about making it all together with Viola, Peppermint keen to pick up on their mother’s cooking tricks. Viola’s food was always delicious, after all. Badger seemed to be emanating a proud aura as Peppermint ate, and she was more than happy to tell them how good it was. Beaming at her praise, Peppermint couldn’t help but think how adorable they were - even if they withheld the brownies until the savoury food had been eaten first.

“A pretty good lunch then, huh?” Badger asked as they started packing up the empty containers, grinning.

“Delicious,” Peppermint reiterated.

“And now my backpack gets to be nice and empty for later. I’m glad I managed to make the right amount of food, I was kinda worried about making too much and having to carry stuff back in case it ended up getting all banged about it in the walk,” they continued. “I mean… It would still be edible even if it got a bit bashed about, but y’know.”

Peppermint laughed slightly as she handed them the last of the things to go back into the backpack, Badger seemingly struggling to fit everything back in as they had been before.

“How does Mum organise everything to fit so perfectly…?” they muttered. “This is like playing Tetris. I was never good at Tetris.”

Peppermint had no clue what Tetris was, but it didn’t stop her from smiling fondly as she watched Badger zip up the backpack for now, not quite full but looking like the blanket would be a tight squeeze later.

“That’ll have to do,” Badger muttered, soon leaving it aside. “Weird that it’s so much lighter but still packed full. Guess because it’s just all air now.”

“Not having to carry any of that terribly heavy lunch,” Peppermint said, a hint of mischief in her voice.

“Oh, psshh. It’s not like it was actually heavy,” Badger scoffed. “Just appreciate a lighter load either way.”

“Hehe. This must be why I’m the one who gets to pick you up and not the other way around,” Peppermint teased.

“What! I could totally pick you up,” Badger huffed.

Peppermint snickered. “I distinctly remember you trying to hold me up before and falling over.”

“When was that?” Badger asked, frowning slightly.

“That time we went through the kettle…”

“Oh.” Badger flushed slightly as they remembered. “That doesn’t count, I totally did catch you and just got thrown off balance by the momentum. If it weren’t for you falling I woulda been fine.”

“Is that so?” Peppermint teased lightly.

“Of course it is,” Badger scoffed. “Remember the first time you met Marina and Pearl? I carried you then too.”

“Hmm, you did,” Peppermint conceded.

“And I can do it again,” Badger said.

“Is that a request to try?” Peppermint asked.

Badger blushed slightly. “…Maybe,” they said quietly.

Peppermint laughed gently. “Then by all means, sweep me off my feet.” She stood up, brushing herself off and looking over at Badger expectantly.

“Oh. Oh, we’re doing this,” Badger said quietly, eyebrows raised slightly in flustered surprise. They scrambled to get up, wandering over. “Uh. Uh. I’ve never picked up a person like this before. Uh.”

Peppermint giggled slightly at their uncertainty, wanting very much to hug them again but instead waiting patiently as they tried to figure out where to start, moving around her and putting one hand on her back.

“Um. Okay. Lean back for me.”

Peppermint did as they asked, leaning back against their hold, and a moment later she felt their other hand at the back of her knees, then heard Badger grunt slightly in exertion as her weight lifted, her feet leaving the ground, her hearts leaping slightly with them.

“See! I can do this just fine!” Badger said triumphantly.

“Congratulations,” Peppermint said, beaming. “I’m proud of you.”

“Hell yeah,” Badger said, grinning down at her. “No problem at all.”

“Not at all, hmm?” Peppermint asked, snickering. “Even if I do this?” She wriggled, leaning over away from them, and they promptly lost their balance and fell over, the pair of them falling onto the blanket.

“Aww, come on!” Badger whined, arms still around her as they fell on top of her. “That’s cheating. Also, are you okay? I got a soft landing, but…”

“I’m fine,” Peppermint said, grinning and wrapping her arms around them in a tight hug. “I am more than fine, actually. I am feeling quite wonderful.”

“You big dork,” Badger said, laughing before they kissed her. “I’m feeling pretty great, myself.”

“Well, now it’s my turn, I think,” Peppermint said, shifting to sit upright.

“Hmm?” Badger asked.

Peppermint repositioned until she was sat on her haunches, then picked Badger up in much the same way they had her, slowly but steadily managing to rise to her feet and stand with them in her arms.

“Jeez, Pep, you make it look like it’s nothin’,” Badger muttered, blushing. “And you pick me up all the time!”

“Not like this, though,” Peppermint replied, smiling. “Hmm… This is nice and all, but I prefer the other way. I can’t easily kiss you like this. Or cuddle you.”

“Both very important things,” Badger replied. “Then it’s decided. Pick-up hugs are better. The council has spoken.”

Peppermint set them back down on their feet, leaning down to press their foreheads together. Badger wrapped their arms around her neck, pulling her down for another kiss. Soon enough they were sat back down on the blanket, Peppermint pulling Badger into her lap as they looked out over the countryside, content to let the time meander past as she held them, dropping occasional kisses on their cheek.

“Y’know, now that I think about it, have you ever danced?” Badger asked after a while, thoughtful.

“Hmm?” Peppermint replied, pausing to think. “No… I suppose not.”

“Wanna try it?” Badger smiled up at her. “Ain’t got fancy speakers, but I have music on my phone, ‘s better than nothing.”

“Um… Maybe…” Peppermint trailed off bashfully. “I doubt I’d be any good at it…”

“Naw, don’t worry about that. I’ll be terrible too,” Badger assured her, pulling out their phone. They soon put on some music, something Peppermint recognised, one of the bands Viola often played at their house. Setting the volume to max and leaving the phone on the blanket next to the backpack, they started dancing to the music, and to their word in a way that was definitely far less graceful than the dancers on some of the shows she’d seen on TV. Peppermint couldn’t help but laugh at their awkward wiggling to the rhythm, and when they thrust out a hand to her she hesitated only briefly before taking it, trying to move in time with the music as Badger whirled around them. She felt like her own performance was somehow worse than Badger’s, fumbling and nowhere near as fluid and smooth as anything one might consider aesthetically pleasing, but she couldn’t deny it was fun, and she found herself able to simply enjoy her flailing attempts with good humour, laughing it off. Badger beamed, clearly delighted, and the two began singing along to the familiar songs, only laughing more on the occasions they fumbled on the lyrics or sang off tune. After one particularly bad fudging of a line Badger seemed to decide to ignore the actual words to the song, making up some of their own as they went. Peppermint couldn’t read their mind for what they’d say next so instead listened to their improv, laughing at the silly alternate lines they came out with.

“Incredibly poetic,” she said as the song drew to its end, Peppermint pulling them into a hug as their movement slowed. “A vast improvement on the original.”

“I do my best,” Badger replied, grinning. They flopped back down onto the blanket then, looking up at Peppermint as she joined them. Sitting down next to them, it wasn’t long before Badger reached up to put their hand at the back of her neck, prompting her to lean down for a kiss. She gladly obliged, and it wasn’t long after their lips met that she felt Badger’s hand move to cup her face, their thumb gently rubbing over her cheek. Peppermint felt her hearts seem to swell at the sweet gesture, having to fight not to let the smile spreading on her face interfere with their kiss. Pulling Badger into her lap, she held them close as they kissed, lying back on the blanket once they broke off. Badger happily nuzzled against her, purring gently as they rested their head in the crook of her neck. Peppermint often felt herself amazed at just how comfortable she felt when she held Badger in her arms, closing her eyes contentedly as a rumbling purr of her own started up in her throat. Quietly enjoying being together, they lay there, Peppermint idly drawing one of Badger’s hands to her lips to press little kisses against.

“I love you,” she said softly, giving them a slight squeeze.

“I love you too, Pep,” Badger replied, and she could hear the happy smile in their voice. “More’n anything.”

Peppermint beamed, glad to simply stay there with them, purring together in a quiet harmony. The time passed easily, the breeze brushing past, the summer day perfectly temperate. Peppermint wasn’t sure how long it had been by the time Badger reluctantly sat up, checking their phone.

“Guess we should head back… The trains from here to Inkopolis stop pretty early, we don’t wanna miss it,” they said, clearly not particularly inclined to get up despite their words.

“Hmm… I suppose…” Peppermint said slowly, exaggerating her reluctance with a smile as she pushed herself up, leaning to give Badger another kiss. They grinned, and Peppermint could only marvel at the sight – definitely one of her absolute favourites. Badger stood up then, offering her a hand to help her. She took it gladly, if only for the sake of holding it, even if briefly before they picked up the blanket to fold up and stuff into the backpack. Returning it to their back, they offered their hand once more before beginning to walk back down the hill the way they’d come.

“What d’ya think then?” Badger asked, smiling up at her. “Good day out?”

“A wonderful day out,” Peppermint confirmed happily. “Picnics can definitely be added to the list of ‘Things That Are Good’. …And dancing, and deliberately singing things wrong.”

“Excellent,” Badger said, their smile widening as they seemed to puff up proudly, then taking on a softer tone. “I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

“I always enjoy time with you,” Peppermint replied, lightly booping their nose.

“Same here,” Badger said, looking up at her with a loving gaze. “You big softy doofus.”

Peppermint beamed as Badger leaned against her, somewhat awkwardly as they walked, but she was more than happy to have them near. Soon enough they arrived back at the train station, and on the way back Badger continued to lean at her side, nuzzled against her as the scenery rushed by. Peppermint found her attention drawn away from the countryside going past as it faded to the familiar urban of the city, instead looking down at Badger next to her fondly. Their eyes were closed, but she got the feeling they weren’t asleep – just comfortable, content there with her. Certainly that would be a scenario familiar to her, always so happy to be with them, filled with a certain confidence and a sense of security when they were together. How wonderful, to look at someone she loved so dearly and know they felt the same way towards her.

How lucky she was to have them. Perhaps they felt the same way about that, too.