Vanille

I always knew I liked girls. Looking at boys was so boring for me, but girls...

I had a girlfriend, back home. Her name was Jess. She was very crass, and she never stepped down from an argument. I cleaned countless scrapes and bruises on her knees and elbows, and I almost had to stitch her face. We dated for a month.

When I met Fang, I was kind of worried. I saw so much of Jess in her I almost told her to get lost. But she's not what I thought she was at all. Whenever I look at her, I see... something. I don't think she even knows that it's there, but it is. I always thought maybe it was a soft side that she wouldn't let people see, but it's always there. And the more time I spend with her, the more I see it. And sometimes I can almost place what it is, that light in her eyes, the curve of her lips...

"What're you lookin' at?" There she was, smirking down at me, the tiki torch behind her illuminated her figure and she looked like she was torn right out of a Renaissance painting.

"The love of my life?" I spread my hands out on my thighs, giving her a weak smile.

"I'll take it. Now scooch." She sat, and bumped her hip against mine to move me over. I scooted a little, but I didn't want to be too far from her. I liked to be touching her. Our knees, our fingers, elbows, shoulders. There was a sort of thrumming electricity everytime we touched and it sent my heart racing.

She poked my leg. "He's got some sort of ale stuff, you wanna try it?" She had a bottle in her hand, I just realized. She twirled it and thrust it at me. I gingerly took it. I wasn't a huge fan of alcohol. Mainly because I've never had friends that drank it, and there was almost never any alcohol in my house. It wasn't a taboo thing, it just... wasn't.

I brought it to my lips and took a small sip. It tasted about as good as urine, I figured. I made a face, and Fang laughed.

"You don't have to drink it," she said through a snort. I handed it back to her, swiping my hand across my lips.

"Sorry," I said, embarrassed.

She shook her head. "Don't be. It's shitty but it gets the job done." She tipped it back, and I could hear it sliding down her throat. Some even dribbled down her chin. This was who I've chosen to love.

"Hey, lovebirds!" Light walked by then, tying a red flanned around her waist. She was dripping wet, her black tank sticking to her skin. She motioned her hands at herself. "Snow had a watergun. I took care of it."

Fang twirled the bottle again. "Keeper of the peace. Our hero." She placed her hand over her heart and tilted her head.

Light bowed, and then at the sound of somebody pumping a watergun, took off in the opposite direction from which she'd come.

I laughed. "If he comes over here with that thing, you'll protect me, right?"

Was that a blush? "O-of course!" She heaved herself from the ground and made a fighting stance. "Snow, I swear to god, you stay away from my girl!"

My heart fluttered.

"Wouldn't dream of it, Fang!" Snow's voice came loud and clear, echoing through the beach. A stream of water flew from the direction his voice came from and hit Fang square in the chest.

She was frozen for a second, then she threw her bottle to the ground and rolled up her sleeves. "You're dead, Villiers!" She took off after him, kicking up dust. I screamed and held my hands up, protecting my face from the sand.

"Get him!" I called, pumping my fist in the air. Sand hit my back, and I turned to see Light skidding to a halt in the sand, ducking behind me. She gripped my shoulders and peered around me, trying to get a peek of the action.

"Shoulda known he'd have more..." She was sweaty and breathless, but a sly smile was pulling at her lips. "You done with that bottle?"

Considering it was empty and not even mine, I nodded. She nodded her head towards it, eyes still on the direction Fang had run off to, and I handed it to her.

"Do not stab him," I said.

"Of course not, mate," she replied in a mock Australian accent. She took off, disappearing into the darkness.

Just then, a feral scream came from the beach. I leapt from my spot in the sand and my eyes searched the shore.

"No, seriously, don't-!" I realized then that it was Snow who had screamed, and I noticed two figures wrestling in the waves. Fang was dunking Snow's head underwater.

I snorted and it turned into a loud laugh. At that, she looked up and smiled. Snow took his chance then, and kicked her legs out from underneath her. She toppled over and disappeared in the water. Snow rolled away, jumping out and racing in my direction.

"You're just gonna leave her there?" I said as he skidded to a halt. He waved his hand, digging through the ice chest.

"Tch, who drank all the ale?" He kicked the sand.

"Here, it's shit anyways," Light said. I looked down. She had taken my spot. She handed the bottle to him and he tossed it back, taking a few chugs before his eyes opened wide.

He spit it out, and wiped at his mouth. "Dude, what the he-!"

Light threw her head back and laughed, more of a cackle, really. I heard Fang's laughter and I whipped my head up to see her making her way back over, wringing her hair out and tossing it back over her shoulder. Her clothes were soaking and clung to her skin; her shorts were hanging a little lower and I could see a sliver of her hip. I bit my lip.

"Serves you right," Fang said, slapping Snow's shoulder as she walked by him. She plopped down next to Light and patted the sand next to her, looking up through her dripping hair at me. She wasn't allowed to do that, I decided. She wasn't allowed to look so hot while others were around.

I sat down next to her and huddled my knees to my chest.

"Hey, where's my water gun?" Snow was looking out at the surf, eyes squinted.

"Broke it," Fang said. She leaned her head back and looked up at the stars.

I poked her arm. "What're you thinking about?"

Her eyes slid over to look at me. "Nothing, really. Just that I don't have to work tomorrow."

I smiled. "Me neither."

LIght sighed and leaned back, folding her hands behind her head and closing her eyes. "Suck my dick. I have a ten hour shift tomorrow."

Fang laughed through her nose, but she didn't say anything. She was still staring at the sky, the light of the tiki torches bouncing around in her eyes.

Snow sat next to me, stretching out as far as he possibly could, and flopped back against the sand. "I got extra duty tomorrow. Weekend, yunno?" He sighed. "Serah'll be in class, though..." He did truly sound disappointed and I felt kind of bad for him. They haven't had much time to be together since Serah started school, and it was eating at him, that much was obvious.

Fang nudged my shoulder with hers then. "Wanna do something tomorrow?"

I looked up at her with a chirp. "Like what?"

"We could..."

"Want to come to my place?" She looked surprised. We'd always gone to hers, but she'd never even stepped foot in my apartment. But maybe, then, I could...

"Yes!" She looked extremely determined. I laughed.

I looked down at my hands and tried to hide my smile. "Cool," was all I said.