Vanessa was not a fan of waking up. Most mornings, her first thoughts upon waking up were regret that she was done sleeping. Still, it was easier when she slowly returned to consciousness with her body resting atop a blanket, with the sand below contouring to her shape, and most importantly, with Gina beside her.

It did not just feel comfortable; it felt right. Maybe even undeniably right. But was that okay? They were happy being friends, even with the slight complication of Vanessa’s recent dating history, but what would Gina say if Vanessa just went for it? The glorious it; admitting to what she was feeling, confessing her affection, and asking Gina for more. It was a big step, but it was going to be hard to resist if she kept putting herself in situations where she was so close to Gina.

Her eyes fluttered open and she glanced down at her body. The way they slept would come at the cost of half her body being decidedly tanner than the other, but it was a price she was willing to play. She liked the way Gina’s body was pressed against hers.

Gina was already wearing her sunglasses, which signified she was awake. A shiver ran across the grey girl’s body that Vanessa could feel thanks to their proximity. With a sheepish grin, she wrapped her arm around Gina’s back and pulled her in closer. ”The night starting to creep in on you?”

Vanessa sat up and waited for Gina to follow her lead, but she kept her arm around Gina’s back, being conscious of her wings. ”I didn’t bring a jacket, so all I can offer is my body.” A pause. ”For heat. I can offer body heat.” She had plenty to spare, and could already feel some congregating in her cheeks.

Staying close and cozy with Gina, Vanessa looked out over the water. She was unaware of when Gina woke up, but by the time Vanessa followed suit, the sun was already barely peeking out over the water. The beach faced south, so the sunset was not as perfectly set as it might be on a West Coast beach, but it still added purple and red hues that were beginning to fade into night. Vanessa immediately realized how much she would want to share a proper California beach sunset with Gina, which only reaffirmed that they needed to talk.

Where did she start? All she could think was to begin somewhere honest. ”Gina.” Vanessa rested her head on the grey shoulder of her friend, her eyes still out over the water. ”I’ve really liked spending so much time with you lately. I liked it a lot. Like… I am not sure I remember being this happy in a long time.” Whatever came next, Gina made Vanessa’s life better; she was sure of that.

Gina breathed an “mhmm” at Nessa’s inquiry, smiling apologetically. Transitioning from night to day was always rough, since the drop in temperature usually meant that the stonelike young woman, too, grew colder. It was no worse than someone with poor circulation, but still-- she probably felt like an icicle snuggled up against Nessa.

>> ”I didn’t bring a jacket, so all I can offer is my body… For heat. I can offer body heat.”

The apologetic expression on the gargoyle’s face melted away-- she couldn’t help it, a laugh escaped her, an honest and open thing. Wordlessly, Gina seconded the sentiment-- she could offer her body. Though not for heat.

“Sorry,” the gargoyle said, quieting herself. She sounded like she meant it but also didn’t. Unless Vanessa meant it in an innocent way, in which case, Gina needed to crawl out of the gutter and back onto the sidewalk with the rest of the people. It shouldn't have been that funny.

>> ”Gina.”

“Hm?” the gargoyle replied, absently inclining her head to make more room for Vanessa to nestle. Her heart stuttered. It was the pregnant kind of utterance, that usually preceded something big.

>> ”I’ve really liked spending so much time with you lately. I liked it a lot. Like… I am not sure I remember being this happy in a long time.”

Be cool, be cool. Maybe it wasn’t. Like-like. Maybe it was just… having fun? Be cool, Gina. BE COOL. A warm smile stretched across her face in spite of herself. She rested her cheek against the crown of Nessa’s head.

“That makes me… so happy to hear,” the gargoyle confessed, “I’ve really liked it, too.”

Gina graciously accepted Vanessa’s less-than-graceful offer of body heat. They were cuddling up next to each other, looking out at the water as the day faded away. It was one of the few moments in her life where Vanessa thought things were “perfect.” She could have left things at perfect and rested quietly, wrapped around Gina’s arm.

But no, Vanessa wanted to push her luck. She wanted something more than perfect, and she was letting herself break the silence with honest words. Her heart was thumping hard in her chest in preparation for what might come next. Nerves were fighting to get the better of her. Since when did a girl ever give her nerves? Since the girl was Gina. Vanessa was not the one to develop crushes that she held close to the chest until she got too invested in them.

But Gina was not some girl. She was something new and special, and Vanessa was finally ready to accept that. It did not change how scared ****less she suddenly was.

A cool cheek pressed against her head, and Gina gave her a small window. They were both enjoying their time together, but anyone could see that. Vanessa had to press forward. ”I just mean… Gina, you’re becoming really special to me. I think I’m happy because you make me happy.”

There was a small pause, and Vanessa’s own words were starting to sink in. Oh God, she really just said all that. She put herself way out there because she assumed they both wanted to be more than friends, but she was hit with the sudden worry that she misinterpreted Gina’s thoughts or actions. Be cool. Play it cool! ”So, yeah. I just wanted you to know.” So cool.

Pop-pop! Pop!!

Vanessa’s eyes glanced up toward the darkening sky as the first of the fireworks started snapping and cracking. ”Fireworks,” she muttered nervously, thinking she might be best off shifting the focus from their conversation.

Gina listened as Nessa spoke, her breath catching. Special? Made her happy??? How couldn't that take her breath away. The gargoyle felt the flush creeping into her neck and in her cheeks. For once, she wasn't smiling, but only because her mind was slowly processing the words her friend had uttered. Gina was special. She made Nessa happy. Her head felt like it was full of static. Signal lost. 404, brain not found. Kaput. The sun was almost entirely set. It had dipped beneath the horizon. As such, the gargoyle used her free hand to remove her glasses, and tuck them behind her horns. The first fireworks went-off over head. 

>> "Fireworks."

"Yeah," the gargoyle acknowledged, lifting her chesnut gaze. It was still a little too bright, but not enough that it'd give her any problems. Absently she grabbed for her shorts-- maybe it'd be warmer if she had more fabric on? The gargoyle fussed with the worn jeans, averting her gaze again to find the front. She didn't want to get up.

A pastel ticket poked its way out of the shallow pocket. 

Redeemable for any one thing...

Gina rolled her lips and turned her attention skyward again, her hand toying with the edge of the pocket. 

Silence stretched between them and time charged past, the sky deepening to reveal the brilliant colors of the fireworks. Gina was quiet, noticeably so, spare her occasional outburst of appreciation for a particularly beautiful firework. Her hand never strayed from the shorts or, more specifically, the ticket. 

In a lull between the noise, the gargoyle found her courage--

"Hey, Nessa?" her voice had an edge to it. Gina gathered the ticket into her hand, and held it out to the other girl, "I... I think I know what I want... for the ticket..."

Maybe it was dumb... it was probably dumb. She shouldn't ask for dumb things! She should take it back while she could. Ah, crap, no, she'd already said she'd wanted to redeem the ticket and backpedaling wasn't an option now.

"I-I-I mean, it'd really make the moment if we- that isn't to say that-" the gargoyle sputtered, her face flushing under the attention that she was now receiving. She was allowed to request anything she wanted! That was the deal! No take-backs!

"W-what if we-" the gargoyle trailed, "-kissed?"

Her gaze fixed on Nessa for a moment, the pop of fireworks filling the space between them. That's what she wanted. A kiss. It was kind-of a selfish thing to ask for, especially if Nessa hadn't meant that Gina was "special" like that. But... that's what she wanted... a kiss. Shyly, the gargoyle glanced away. It was a very selfish thing to ask for.

Vanessa was an idiot. A dumb idiot. The kind of idiot who ruined a wonderful night by getting greedy and presumptuous. Her eyes were focused on the sky as explosions lit up the night with vibrant colors and patterns. It was beautiful in theory, but Vanessa was too preoccupied to fully appreciate the display. They were just a means of not looking at Gina, who clearly thought she was forward or crazy for jumping to conclusions. Her mind was churning, trying to think of a logical escape plan. If she just walked out into the ocean and kept walking until she was officially lost in the Atlantic Ocean, that might be a far enough to outdistance her embarrassment. She just had to remember to leave the keys so Sophy could get home from the beach.

>> "Hey, Nessa?"

Gina’s voice drew Vanessa out of her own thoughts. She had spaced out while Gina evidently grabbed her cut-offs, since the article of clothing had moved to her side. Vanessa’s body was tense, wondering how the other woman would answer her pathetic display.

The last thing Vanessa expected was to be staring at a lone arcade ticket in Gina’s outstretched hand. She had to sort through the nervous thoughts in her head before she realized Gina was offering her “one ticket redeemable for anything.” The dots were still not connecting, but reality was slowly finding Vanessa as she realized Gina’s voice was tinted with the same nerves she was experiencing.

Looking up, Vanessa noticed the most significant change that happened while she was in her own little world: Gina’s glasses were away from her eyes. The grey girl’s thoughts were clearly on display as they locked eyes. She was trying to work toward asking for something, and she was convinced her request was dumb. What request?Vanessa thought in frustration, but telepathic communication was sadly not in her skillset. All she could do was sit in heightened anticipation, waiting for Gina to put together the words so she could ask for…

A kiss.

A kiss! Gina wanted a kiss! Had she ever received a request she longed to fulfil as much as that one? She doubted it. Vanessa could feel her heart like the rat-a-tat-tat of a machine gun in her chest. They were both nervous because they both wanted more and that was the first thing to make her less nervous and more excited.

Gina looked away, but Vanessa smiled, reaching for a soft grey cheek through a head of corkscrew curls. She gently pulled Gina back to face her and, wordlessly, Vanessa pressed against Gina’s lips.

The kiss was tender and Gina’s lips were soft and full and fit perfectly between her own. Bursts of fireworks bathed them in reds and greens and purples, and Vanessa was certain her heart was mimicking them in its own joyous burst.

They eventually pulled away, but Vanessa did not go far. She pressed her forehead against Gina’s, careful of her horns. Her lips curled into a smile, still close enough to brush against Gina’s lips with every minute move. ”Can we do this again?” she asked, giddiness in her voice. ”Like, a lot? And often? A-as girlfriends?” And it was out there. Vanessa could not take the request back and she was sure she did not want to anyway.

The gargoyle was putty in the older woman's hands. Led by a hand caressing her chin, she found herself guided into a kiss. She leaned into it, a smile curling at her lips. Sure, she'd kissed plenty of people, but it'd been a while since she'd felt that spark. One hand steadied the gargoyle, but the other lightly touched Vanessa's neck. This was exactly what she wanted.

Gina didn't want to stop kissing. Most of the beachgoers' were watching the fireworks show anyways, who could be bothered by two girls making-out. They couldn't very well be "that couple". Nessa broke the kiss, much to the gargoyle's chagrin. But that didn't quell the smirk upon her lips. Their foreheads were pressed together, breath mingling, hearts hammering. Gina didn't move the hand on the side of Vanessa's neck, so she could now feel her friend's leaping pulse. At least she wasn't the only one who felt like this.

>> "Can we do this again? Like, a lot? A-as girlfriends?"

Gina's breathed a laugh, not at Nessa's expense, but in disbelief. They kissed. She'd asked Gina out. It felt so surreal. Was she even awake right now. The gargoyle pinched her own arm, and the corresponding twinge confirmed that, yes, she was awake. Every fiber of her body was urging her to say yes-- just say yes-- any excuse to kiss her more because God knew Gina really, really wanted to kiss Nessa again. Right now, in fact. But her rational brain tugged at the reins of her heart.

Nessa was a dear friend, but also Becca's ex. That had to break some sort of friend-code. Then again, Becca was the one that cheated... And she really liked Nessa's company, and let's say they didn't work out... that'd be one new friend, lost. Her mind was racing. The pause felt pregnant but in reality maybe a few seconds had passed.

"Yes," the gargoyle finally breathed, "I mean, yes, please. I wanna give it a shot."

Another breathless laugh. She kissed Nessa's cheek.

"Let's give this girlfriend thing a shot."

To Hell with Becca. This was what Gina wanted.

With her words out in the open, Vanessa could only watch Gina’s eyes to occupy the silence her laughter left behind. It was a lot to think about, and Vanessa should have looked away, but if she did that, the waiting would feel like hours.

She wore a slight smile as she watched Gina consider everything, trying not to give too much away. She really pinched her arm. Too cute. They were both evidently still coming to the realization that yes, that all really happened. Gina wanted to say yes and she wanted to kiss Vanessa, which filled her with more confidence.

And then Rebecca’s name flashed through Gina’s thoughts and Vanessa felt her stomach sink. It had been the reason she had steered clear until they crossed paths in the mall. Some girls said there was no “code” in the queer community when it came to avoiding exes; the pool was too small to limit further, or something like that. Still, Gina was obviously going to consider it. She was Gina; possibly the nicest person Vanessa had ever known.

There was also the thought that a breakup could ruin a wonderful friendship. It was comforting to see they both shared the same fears. Still, was there any relationship made without a risk like that?

Before Gina could even think the word yes, it was passing her lips. Vanessa was elated, realizing her risk had been rewarded and she suddenly found herself nestled up to her new girlfriend. She wrapped her arms tightly around Gina’s shoulders, pulling her in for a hug. ”Good. Then as your girlfriend,” she said, moving herself back toward the proximity of Gina’s lips, ”I propose we should be the kind of obnoxious couple that makes out happily under the fireworks.”

Vanessa pulled Gina in for a string of kisses she hoped would never end. It was a decidedly happy Fourth of July for two girls sharing a blanket on a beach.