Agnes sighed. How long had it been since she and Jasmine broke up? She was not entirely sure. One day it seemed like years, the next it felt like seconds. The knowledge that she had betrayed and hurt someone who trusted her so much was agonizing. Though Agnes was slowly beginning to realize that their break up was for the best, that did nothing to really ease the pain. She had hurt someone she cared about so deeply…all because she was having an intense attraction to someone who was not even interested in her. That was the rub of it all.

Sitting on the garden that she normally tended to, Agnes inhaled the scent of the night blooming flowers, and hugged herself close. The cement bench that she sat on was cool thanks to the air of the night but the discomfort was completely lost on the young runaway. She was more than happy to simply sit there and deal with it, as her mind was completely preoccupied.

Jasmine was gone, on her way to Japan now and completely removed from her life and she hadn’t seen Rebecca in days. It was not that Agnes was upset with the young Scot, simply that she felt bad to be around her. She knew it was not fair to carry on an affair with the young woman in her head that would never return her affections. Rebecca never displayed any interest in her so why was she still fantasizing? She should have known better than that by now.

But she could not help it. She thought back to those few moments, a stolen kiss in the dark, honey laden ones, all of them replayed over and over in her head as she searched and sought for any rational explanations for them that would prove Rebecca was not interested and she could simply move on. That kiss at her parent’s house, that was simply because the redhead slipped, nothing more. The kiss when she was going through her change, that was all fueled by her mutation. Rebecca was merely a victim of circumstances and nothing more.

Then again, in each of those instances, Rebecca never once acted disgusted or repulsed. It was those small fragments that Agnes could not help holding onto. Why did Rebecca never pull away or flat out tell her that she was not interested?

Argh, the whole thing was just far too confusing.

Agnes shook her head. She was more than tired of running these scenarios through her mind. She wanted peace of mind and tranquility. She liked Rebecca, as a friend and nothing more! Or…so she hoped…

Rebecca returned from her date with Drew with clarity; not the clarity she expected when she set out on the date, but for the first time, she felt like she knew what was going on in her head and her heart. Drew had proved to be the perfect person for her to take out that night. She expected a date that would unclutter her thoughts, but he ended up being like an older brother, showing her that what was on her mind was not clutter at all; it was what she wanted, but she was just too scared to see it as such.

She returned to her room to place the flower Drew gave her in a vase with water. He might not be a romantic exploit anymore, but the flower was still sweet and she wanted to keep it nurtured. She hung her pocketbook on the doorknob and tossed herself on her bed. Laying there on her back, she grabbed her notebook and reread the poems she had written for who she now understood was the object of her desire.

It was not going to be easy, and there was still the risk that Rebecca was about to complicate or even destroy a friendship, but she could not put it off any longer. Even if Jasmine still had Agnes, Rebecca could not keep what she was feeling a secret any longer. Filled with determination, Rebecca got up from her bed and ventured out into the hallway.

Her first logical stop was Agnes and Gina's room, but her knocking went without reply. There was no light coming from under the door, and she could hear no rustling from within. There were no peepholes, so even if Agnes was avoiding her, there was no way for her to assume it was Rebecca at the door.

The next place Rebecca was going to check was the kitchen or the living room, but then a memory flashed through her mind. Even if it was a longshot, Rebecca's legs were now working on their own, carrying her out of the mansion and toward the place she first met Agnes: the garden.

Initially, she found nothing, but that was not a surprise. The garden was large and almost maze-like in nature. It took some time, but Rebecca eventually locked on to a small magnetic disturbance coming from pieces of jewelry. Surely enough, she took a turn to find Agnes sitting on a bench alone. She slowly approached and sat down next to her friend, terrified out of her wits, but she hid it well. "Havnae seen ye in a while," she pointed out calmly.

Agnes enjoyed the night air. It was cool, it drifted all around and it promised the coming of a new day. Most people were afraid of the night. Agnes used to be, when she was living on the streets. One never knew what to expect from the darkness but there were times when even the night had its beauty and majesty. It was because of this that ever since Agnes began to settle in at the mansion that she became more of a night person. The night meant the end of the day, the coming of new things, new times, new hopes. Agnes always loved the idea of holding out for new hope. Especially right now.

Adjusting her seating a little, the young runaway continued to hug herself as she peered out into the dimly lit garden. Crystal blue eyes attempted to pierce through, trying to spy whatever secrets were sure to be hidden there. But she was utterly alone right now. None of the students were out strolling, which she thought was odd. The garden was the perfect place to be alone and she thought that would for sure be a draw for many of the young couples.

But, unfortunately, it seemed as if she were all by her lonesome. Maybe it was better that way. The last thing she wanted was to explain to people why she was sitting out here by herself.

A soft breeze blew through and the rustling of the leaves above her made the young girl smile a little sadly. Nature sounded so beautiful, especially when one was looking for some way to cease the achiness in their heart. Casually she brushed her hands over her rough, blue jeans and pulled down the sleeves of her turtleneck sweater to cover her hands.

She was a little cold, but she would go in later. She just wanted a few more moments of peace…

But it was then that she felt the presence of someone approaching. Agnes did not turn to look, thinking maybe it was just some passing student. Maybe someone other than her finally did decide to take a stroll as she imagined they would. But as she sat there, eyeing the dark and trying to make herself invisible, she felt that presence inch closer before finally sliding into the seat next to her.

She stiffened up as she gradually began to realize who the interloper was…

>> "Havnae seen ye in a while,"

Agnes blinked before she slowly turned to address the new person. And indeed it was Rebecca she was looking at.

In that instance she began to feel sad that she had been ignoring Rebecca for so long. Ever since that incident with the honey, she had not wanted to trust herself around the enticing redhead. Her break-up with Jasmine only added to that need to separate herself. She couldn’t really risk her heart again like that…could she?

She sighed as she gave Rebecca a small smile and turned back to facing the darkness in front of her.

“Sorry, I…I’ve just been a little busy,” Agnes responded. “H-How’ve you been?”

>> “Sorry, I…I’ve just been a little busy. H-How’ve you been?”

Rebecca knew that Agnes had not just "been busy," but she just shrugged the excuse off with a shake of the head. Of course Agnes was not going to just come out and say exactly why she had been avoiding Rebecca all this time. Instead, she simply looked up into the starry night that Agnes was already focused on. "Ah've been fine." Not exactly the truth for most of the week, but a bit more accurate at that moment.

There was a short pause while the two girls sat there, eyes set on the night. The silence felt like it was dragging out time-- like each second was passing at an agonizing pace. She had to find the words she had been so ready to say, but it was still scary. All it would take was one mistake-- one wrong sentence, or even word-- and everything could fall apart. How would she start.

She took a deep breath.

"Ah went on a date wi' Drew tonight."

>> "Ah've been fine."

Agnes nodded. Her attention was not fully on the night sky. The twinkling stars, the endless expanse of darkness, the large globe of a moon that glowed with a pale hue, all of it just seemed to cast this net of relaxation over her. It kept her calm in place of the rampant heartbeat that she knew wanted to course through her veins. Just being this close to Rebecca had begun to set her nerves flaring with both anticipation and fear. She simply just did not know what to do about Rebecca anymore. She was a glorious friend, one that she would hated to lose. But she knew she could lose her if she didn’t get her emotions under control.

Rebecca was off limits. She needed to understand that. Even though Jasmine was not in her life anymore, that was not the issue. The fact of the matter was that Rebecca had never really and concretely shown interest in her as more than just a friend.

She needed to stop playing around with fantasies and focus on the reality of her situation.

Quietly she continued to sit next to Rebecca, not daring to cast her eyes over to her. She just wanted to wrap herself up in the peace of the moment and not think of anything or anyone that could possibly disturb that. Even with the young redhead next to her, the person with whom she was supposed to be her best friend, whom she was supposed to be able to trust, Agnes could find peace in the fact that she was finally almost ready to move on from thinking about her…

>> "Ah went on a date wi' Drew tonight."

…Or not.

For a second or two, Agnes was silent. Not an angry silence or a disturbed silence, just a silence of someone trying to figure out the right thing to say. In the back of her mind, she smirked a little, happily. Drew was a nice guy, very protective and sweet, of course Rebecca would fall for someone like him. It was like a match made in heaven.

Putting on her best brave face, she smiled as she nodded to her.

“That’s fantastic,” she whispered. “See, there you go? I told you the guys would be fawning all over you. And…you already wrangled the best of the crop.” It took her every ounce to keep on her smile and to play happy for Rebecca. She would have to make sure that the redhead never found out about how she really felt about her. She wouldn’t ruin another relationship. “How was it?” she asked, referring to the date.

>> “That’s fantastic. See, there you go? I told you the guys would be fawning all over you. And…you already wrangled the best of the crop. How was it?"

Rebecca sighed, shaking her head. Agnes was being so supportive of the date, which, considering how the date actually went, almost felt awkward. "Agnes... Ah wasnae finished." She did not like to cut someone off, much less her best friend, but for this to work Rebecca had to be able to get everything off her chest now.

She took another deep breath, crossing her hands on her lap, hoping to calm her nerves when she knew nothing would. "Ah went on a date wi' Drew tonight... because Ah had something Ah needed tae figure out. Ah have 'ad something on mah mind fer weeks, and it's left me confused an' unsure."

Rebecca turned away from the sky, her eyes now focused solely on Agnes. She placed her hand on Agnes's cheek and turned her friend's face so their eyes could meet. "Ah went on the date tae figure something out, and Drew helped. Ah think Ah get it now though... an' everything makes more sense."

She wanted to just come out and say it; it was on the tip of her tongue, but instead, she asked a question. "Did ye ever find th' poem Ah left for ye?"

Yes, Agnes was very happy for Rebecca. She wanted the young Scot to know that she was happy. This was the perfect step for her to start moving on. With Rebecca attached to someone, and so clearly interested in boys, it was enough for use to move on. She could finally stop thinking about Rebecca in a romantic sense and work purely on their friendship. That was most important, right? Agnes didn’t want to give Rebecca up as a friend, she wanted to still have her in her life. There was nothing saying that they could not be friends now that the redhead was clearly dating someone…right? There was every possibility that Agnes feelings would finally stop.

She would pine for a bit, but at least that meant that their friendship would not end up in ruin. But before Agnes could continue with her congratulations, Rebecca paused and interrupted her…

>> "Agnes... Ah wasnae finished."

“Sorry,” Agnes said apologetically. Maybe she was heaping on the praise a bit quickly and much? Made it seem too much like she was trying to force her excitement for Rebecca’s date? She knew she needed to tone it back a little.

>> "Ah went on a date wi' Drew tonight... because Ah had something Ah needed tae figure out. Ah have 'ad something on mah mind fer weeks, and it's left me confused an' unsure."

A while ago Agnes had turned her attention back to looking at the stars. That beautiful blanket of twinkling lights so high above her head proved to be an excellent distraction for her at the moment. Though she was glad that Rebecca had found someone, that did not mean she did not still feel a little bit of hurt in her heart. After all, she was holding onto those fragments of moments where she thought that maybe, just maybe Rebecca MIGHT have a small attraction to her. She needed a moment to lament that.

But before as Agnes continued, suddenly she felt the warmth of the young Scot’s palm pressed tenderly against her cheek. Slowly she turned her attention back to Rebecca and she found herself staring into those mismatched eyes. Instantly she felt that flare up in her heart that she had been trying to quell this entire time…

>> "Ah went on the date tae figure something out, and Drew helped. Ah think Ah get it now though... an' everything makes more sense."

Agnes tilted her head curiously. The palm against her cheek had felt like fire, a fire that she did not want to shy away from anymore. But as much as she loved that touch, she knew that it did not belong to her. She already lost Jasmine and she would be damned if she was going to lose Rebecca’s friendship as well. She could not handle losing both of them from her lives. That was simply not going to be an option.

But still, sitting there, she could not help what she thought she saw in Rebecca’s eyes. A nervousness and a tension that Agnes felt inside herself. A feeling that left her….so confused…

>> "Did ye ever find th' poem Ah left for ye?"

Crystal blue eyes began to sparkle as tears slowly began to find the corners of them. She muffled a small sigh as she turned her attention down to looking at the once green grass, now turned black by the pressing night. Nervously she squeezed and clutched her hands as she tried to wrap her mind around what was being said it. It was almost as if Rebecca were really trying to get something off her chest but Agnes was too afraid that she would misinterpret anything that might be going on here.

Meekly she nodded.

“I-I did. It was…It was beautiful,” she whispered. She remembered reading that poem who knows how many times, trying to decipher its meaning. There were clues, but again, she didn’t want to get herself worked up. “I…Umm…w-what…inspired you…?” she cautioned to ask.

Her heart was racing a mile a minute, to the point that she was not sure what would happen with however their conversation would follow…

>> “I-I did. It was…It was beautiful. I…Umm…w-what…inspired you…?”

Agnes's eyes were evasive, turning away to the ground, to the sky. She would have cast her eyes on the ocean if it was within sight. Any body that was land or water or sky, as long as it was not her body. Maybe it was the thought of Jasmine that was filling Agnes's eyes with guilt just at the sight of her, but even the thought of Jasmine was not going to deter Rebecca from getting her feelings off of her chest. If anything, Rebecca was growing aggravated, as though those crystal blue eyes were being kept away from her, just out of reach.

The frustration got to her, and she acted.

She took Agnes once more, but not by the cheek. She placed her hand behind Agnes's head and pulled her in, until Rebecca's lips locked with hers.

There was a calm in the air and everything was quiet and still, waiting until she finally pulled away from the kiss.

Softly, worried she was on the brink of tears, Rebecca replied, "Th' poem was aboot ye, Agnes... ye fool."

Realizing what just happened, it was now Rebecca who turned her head away, looking at the grass and flowers found at ground level. In a cracking whisper, she continued. " Ah know ye hae Jasmine, an' thes is nae fair... but Ah've had these feelings fer ye Ah didnae understand. Ah wisnae sure if whit Ah felt was jist coz of how much ye cared abit me... sae that's why Ah had tae go on 'at date. Ah had tae compare whit Ah was feelin' tae somethin'."

She turned her head just enough to see Agnes out of the corner of her eye. "But it didnae compare... nae to ye."

Agnes sniffled as she sat staring at the world around her, trying to find anything that was distract her from her current situation. She did not want to be rude to Rebecca and completely ignore her, but she really did not know how to carry on from her. Her heart was beating so rapidly that se feared that it would burst out of her chest and that was only proving to keep her on the edge of her seat. Something seemed so odd about the situation tonight. It seemed liked her young friend had so much to say but she did not know how, or maybe Agnes was just being far too dim to realize it.

Whatever the case, Agnes was at a loss for words. Part of her just wished that this meeting between the two of them was over so that they could both move on with their lives. But another part of her, the part that was distracting and screaming at her from behind her eyes, was telling her make this moment last forever.

Maybe that was why she found herself wordless, because the whole time she was trying to stall. Trying to hold onto this moment when she and Rebecca were still only friends with a possibilities…

At least that was what she thought until she felt that small, freckled hand slipped past her cheek and tenderly cup the back of her head. Agnes found all her strength and will suddenly leave her body. In that second she ceased all thoughts as she turned her gaze onto Rebecca and found herself slowly being leaned down to meet those pretty, pursed lips.

In that millisecond that her eyes remained open, Agnes saw absolutely everything around her. The grass at their feet, the coarse surface of the bench, the dark shadows that clung to the tress all around them, she saw all of it because her sight was eclipsed by the Rebecca’s presence. Then, unable to control herself…Agnes closed her eyes.

Their lips touched. The air then left her lungs. Her heart thundered in her ears. The entirety of the world melted away and Agnes simply did not care. In this moment when the cool air of the night brushed against her bare skin, when chill in her bones began to evaporate from the warmth she absorbed through her lips, Agnes felt like a bubble of time formed around both herself and Rebecca. In here…all that mattered was each other.

Her body was on autopilot as she kissed the redhead with as much tenderness as she was being given. Then, before long, she felt those lips pull away from her own and Agnes founder herself reluctantly leaned back and away from the kiss.

Agnes took a second to catch her breath as she slowly opened her eyes and watched as Rebecca averted her own gaze.

>> "Th' poem was aboot ye, Agnes... ye fool."

Her eyes were dotted with tears; Agnes could see them clearly. Rebecca seemed terrified by what she had just done. Agnes could definitely understand where that was coming from…

>> " Ah know ye hae Jasmine, an' thes is nae fair... but Ah've had these feelings fer ye Ah didnae understand. Ah wisnae sure if whit Ah felt was jist coz of how much ye cared abit me... sae that's why Ah had tae go on 'at date. Ah had tae compare whit Ah was feelin' tae somethin'…But it didnae compare... nae to ye."

Her heart literally fluttered in her chest like a trapped bird that simply wanted to be free. It was as if everything that Agnes had been wishing for, fantasizing about, was finally beginning to come true. She had kissed Rebecca and it was not a kiss brought on by panic, subterfuge, or her mutation. Instead in an innocent and true kiss that was meant to show how they felt for one another. It was the kiss she had been imagining about for so many days now and…her fantasies paled in comparison.

Suddenly very shy, Agnes’ cheeks blushed as her wings inadvertently fluttered in the moonlight. Shakily she watched Rebecca, eyed those tears in her eyes and knew that she had to tell her the truth.

She sniffled as she turned to looked at Rebecca’s profile…

“R-Rebecca…I…um…I…” she stammered before she finally felt a calmness settle over her. “I…need to be honest. For…a bit now…I’ve…been having feelings for you too.” Then it was like a tremendous weight had been lifted from her shoulders and she could not help the small smile on her lips. “And until…right now…I was scared to admit it. But…” she sighed and just shook her head. “Oh…***k it,” she cursed as she suddenly leaned forward and returned the kiss with just as much tenderness that Rebecca had shown her. And it was a kiss that she had been waiting to give her long enough...

>> “R-Rebecca…I…um…I…I…need to be honest. For…a bit now…I’ve…been having feelings for you too. And until…right now…I was scared to admit it. But…Oh…***k it

If Rebecca was able to speak, she would have been at a loss for words. Thankfully, she had no need to worry about that, since her mouth was preoccupied. Agnes had pulled her in for another kiss, returning the affection. This was not like the kiss stolen in a closet, unsure and scared, and it was not like the honey kisses, filled with crazed passion. The kiss was sweet, and soft, but wholly given. No longer able to think, Rebecca resigned to the kiss, placing a hand on Agnes's waist, alleviated by the contact. This was real. This was not like any kiss she felt before, from any other pair of male or female lips.

This kiss resonated in her heart.

The moment was everything; on a cold bench with her bottom sore and a full moon hanging in the sky, she would gladly stay there, kissing Agnes, for eternity.

Eventually, her eternity ended and she pulled her lips away, but did not move. Instead, she pressed her forehead against Agnes's and found herself somewhere between laughing and crying, her breath shaky. "Wow... b-but whit aboot Jasmine...?" As happy as she was, she still felt guilty kissing another girl's lover, regardless of how right it felt."

Agnes didn’t know what possessed her to suddenly kiss Rebecca in the way that she did. Maybe it was because Rebecca had shown such bravery in being the first person to kiss her, or maybe it as simply becaue Agnes was just tired of waiting. She had been wanting to kiss the young redhead with such tenderness for a long time now. She hardly counted those other kisses because those were dictated by the circumstances. This kiss, though, this one was different. This was not done out of a panic that they were going to die or because of mutant powers, it was done purely for the sake of attraction and nothing more.

And it was at that point, the point at which she felt her breath escape her, that Agnes realized that this was exactly what she had wanted to do with Rebecca for so long. To kiss those lips, to feel her hand pressed against her waist, to feel the closeness that the pair of them could share, that is what she had been wanting this whole time.

It was only the urge to breathe again that forced Agnes to finally stop. She removed her lips from Rebecca just as the redhead did and sighed, both relieved and tearfully, as she pressed her forehead against the Scot’s. Tenderly the palm of her hand cupped Rebecca’s cheek as she softly stroked away those stray tears with her thumb in what had to be an extremely loving gesture.

But, eventually they would have to talk again. And talking would of course lead to the million dollar question…

>> "Wow... b-but whit aboot Jasmine...?"

Eyes closed, Agnes pressed her forehead against Rebecca’s, trying to think of the easiest way to say this. She didn’t want her to think that the break-up was entirely her fault. In reality it had little to do with Rebecca and everything to do with the fact that both Agnes and Jasmine’s relationship had reached a point where they simply were not meant to continue together. That did not mean that Agnes completely let herself off the hook for her part in the break up. That was something that she would live with and eventually get over.

But this moment, these stolen kisses, this private time with Rebecca was the proof she needed that she could achieve happiness again.

Another sigh and she finally decided to speak up.

“J-Jasmine and I…we…we broke up,” Agnes said with a small wince. “A week ago. I…I couldn’t hide what I felt anymore. I tried to ignore it, I tried to mask it, I tried to rationalize and forget about it, but in the end, I always wanted you…” she whispered. “All along…all this time…I’ve just been waiting for you to walk into my life.” She sighed, finally getting all this off her chest. “I mean, I didn’t even imagine that you could possibly be interested in any girls, least of all me. You seemed so interested in Drew on your birthday. I…I just thought you were straight. But…that didn’t change how I felt about you. And…I finally had to tell Jasmine. So…we ended things…”

God, she hoped that Rebecca was not going to blame herself or be upset with Agnes for this. But tonight seemed to be the night of honesty. So, honest she would remain. Carefully, slowly, she lifted her gaze to meet Rebecca’s to see how she was processing it all…

>> “J-Jasmine and I…we…we broke up. A week ago. I…I couldn’t hide what I felt anymore. I tried to ignore it, I tried to mask it, I tried to rationalize and forget about it, but in the end, I always wanted you… All along…all this time…I’ve just been waiting for you to walk into my life. I mean, I didn’t even imagine that you could possibly be interested in any girls, least of all me. You seemed so interested in Drew on your birthday. I…I just thought you were straight. But…that didn’t change how I felt about you. And…I finally had to tell Jasmine. So…we ended things…”

And there it was, out in the open: Agnes was no longer Jasmine's, and Agnes's feelings toward Rebecca played no small role in the relationship ending. Rebecca felt like she should be wrought with guilt, because her presence ended a relationship. Maybe she was an awful person, but whatever guilt she was feeling was overwhelmed by her joy knowing that Agnes had been feeling the same emotions Rebecca had been plagued with. She wanted to feel like a bad person and a homewrecker, but knowing Agnes was no longer someone else's left Rebecca's heart fluttering. It was the same feeling she felt any time Agnes felt almost within her grasp, but this time, there would be nothing left to pull Agnes just out of reach. Agnes's hand was resting on Rebecca's cheek, and no one else's.

Agnes did mention the words she was expecting to hear: the confused assumptions that Rebecca was straight. The belief was not unfounded; if a two-month younger Rebecca sat and witnessed this scene, she would have made the same accusations. The first time she even heard that Agnes was a lesbian, Rebecca became awkward and uncomfortable. Older and wiser now, she placed her own hand on Agnes's tear-stained cheek.

"Ah dornt like girls. And Ah dornt like boys. Ah like you, Agnes. Ah like who ye are. It's nae because yoo're a girl jist as much as me nae feeling anything wi' Drew was coz he's a boy. Agnes... Ah want tae be wi' ye, whether yoo're a lass or a lad. Ah like ye fer being Agnes, an' that's all Ah need."

Rebecca wrapped her arm around Agnes's waist and rested her head against Agnes's shoulder. She was not straight and she was not gay; gender did not matter. She was so concerned with how to label what she was feeling that it took her so long to realize it did not need a label.

The proximity to Agnes left her content, and her confession was such a release that she was almost drained of energy. Softly, Rebecca asked, "Agnes... woulds ye be mine?"

Agnes had laid everything out on the line. For a second there she had felt like maybe she was ust going to continue ambling on and on about what happened between herself and Jasmine, about her feelings for Rebecca, but she found her voice had failed her after she had admitted that things with Jasmine were over with. Agnes never blamed Rebecca for anything, but she could not ignore her feelings for the young Scot. Being around her simply made her heart palpitate, her head fuzzy, and nerves to wreck havoc throughout her body. It was obvious, even if Agnes didn’t understand it at first, that she had wanted to be more than just friends with Rebecca.

The confession that Rebecca had liked Agnes as well was indeed a shock. Agnes was so sure that the redhead was not of her own persuasion, especially since she had never seen any evidence of it. She had always assumed that Rebecca was simply someone that would always be out of her reach and she simply had to get over it. But that was apparently not the case here.

Earnestly and sweetly, Rebecca responded to Agnes’ rambling…

>> "Ah dornt like girls. And Ah dornt like boys. Ah like you, Agnes. Ah like who ye are. It's nae because yoo're a girl jist as much as me nae feeling anything wi' Drew was coz he's a boy. Agnes... Ah want tae be wi' ye, whether yoo're a lass or a lad. Ah like ye fer being Agnes, an' that's all Ah need."

Listening to those words caused every last drop of air to be pulled out from her lungs. The words were so sweet, so endearing, that Agnes could not help the feeling of weightlessness that began to envelope her. A thin arm curled around her waist and Agnes sighed softly as she felt Rebecca place her head upon her shoulder. Every gesture, every touch since she heard those magical words only succeeded in adding to the fluttering in her chest.

So drained was Agnes now that she exhaustedly placed her cheek against Rebecca’s head as she rested against her shoulder. Gently she wrapped her arms fully around her friend’s shoulders (should she even still call her a friend?) cooed like a little lovebird.

>> "Agnes... woulds ye be mine?"


In the wake of Agnes break-up, in the revelations of feelings for one another, it seemed as if the two girls were finally going to get that chance to explore this aspect of their relationship. The fantasies, the intruding thoughts, the tension, all of it would finally be pushed out of the way for a chance for them to experience the reality of it. There was nothing in their way now, nothing to really cause guilt or fear. Both had exposed themselves…and both would be able to explore this terrifying new territory together.

Small tears of happiness and relief began to roll down Agnes pale cheeks. But she didn’t care if she was crying right now.

Instead she simply nodded and gently stroked the length of Rebecca’s hair.

“Yes...of course” she whispered with relief and a smile on her lips. "Will you be mine?"

>> “Yes...of course. Will you be mine?"

Rebecca's lips had never formed a wider smile as they did at these words from her girlfriend. Agnes was her girlfriend. "As long as ye'll hae me... I want tae be yours."

The admission was followed by a sheepish yawn. She had expended all of her excitement and anxiety and all she had left now was peace. There was nothing to add anymore. Soon enough, they would return to the warmth of the Mansion as a couple for the first time. They would eventually share this with Gina and Drew and Darren and their other friends, and it would be real to everyone else, but there was no rush to do that.

They would be everyone else's thing soon enough; in their own moment, on a slightly uncomfortable bench, under a sky freckled with stars, with the pale moon bathing them with light, and only silent flowers looking on, they belonged to no one else. Agnes was only Rebecca's and Rebecca belonged solely to Agnes.

They had waited so long for this moment, and Rebecca would enjoy it for as long as it was willing to last.