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He wasn't proud of the way he had treated her after the Blue Bar incident, yet it was felt as if he could no longer trust himself around her- he was terrified of the feelings she had aroused in him that evening, terrified of what it meant.

She had stopped coming to visit him at the farm; her first few attempts at talking to him after had been met with a cold shoulder and a reluctant acceptance of her thank you present (the bottle of wine still sat unopened on his dresser; it was a cruel reminder of what alcohol had almost done to his judgment.) And yet he couldn't stop himself from glancing up at her as she walked by on her way to the mine, watching as she turned a shade of pink and determinedly avoided his gaze.

He didn't know why exactly he felt the need to avoid her. He tried to convince himself that he was getting too close to her, too fast; he wasn't particularly talented when it came to maintaining friendships, and it was probably easier on both of them if she got out now before she got hurt. A small part of him knew the truth: she had made him feel things that night that he hadn't felt for anyone other than Celia- and maybe, just maybe, that scared him.

He should have known she would come to see the fireworks. A part of him felt like turning back and heading home, yet another part kept him rooted to the bench he sat on, watching her. She was barefoot and un-gloved (he brushed off the memory of taking off her boots, blushing) and staring out at the waves, her blonde hair tied up once again into a knot on her head. She had abandoned her usual overalls and opted for shorts and a t-shirt, the sun setting behind her highlighting the feminine shape she usually kept hidden (a fact that made his cheeks go crimson at the thought.) She must have felt his gaze on her, and glanced back at him suddenly. He felt himself go even redder as she began to walk towards him.

"Hey." The corners of her mouth turned up as she stopped in front of him, the hand holding her boots bumping them gently against her bare thigh.

"Hi." He couldn't think of much to say, his hands suddenly very sweaty. "You, uh, here to watch the fireworks?"

It was a stupid question but she didn't acknowledge it, her eyes fixed on a point about three inches above his head. "... Do you want to watch them together?"

He blushed again, and shrugged. "Ah... Okay."

He had been expecting her to lead him down to shore, and was surprised when she sat down beside him. The first firework fired above them, bathing the beach in magenta sparkles. His arms felt like lead on either side of him- he had never watched the fireworks with a girl before, and given the fact that he was now watching them with Claire, the very girl he was trying to avoid...

"Hey." The beach was bathed in green light as Claire spoke, her eyes fixed on his face. "I just wanted to apologize. For what happened, before.."

"Ah." His collar felt very hot.

"I don't really remember a lot of what happened, but there are a few things I said... I don't know. I'm sorry if I made things weird. I was really drunk, if it helps." Her words seemed to sooth a nervousness in his stomach that he didn't know was there, and he caught himself half smiling as he watched another firework go off, this time flashing blue.

"It's okay." He said at last, coughing slightly. He watched out of the corner of his eye as Claire turned back to the fireworks, a small smile playing around her lips.

It felt as if the show was over too soon, leaving them sitting in the darkness and watching as other couples filed out of the beach. He coughed slightly. "Do you, uh, want me to walk to you home?"

"Halfway?" She stood beside him, her boots still in her hand.

"Sure." He shoved his hands into his pockets as they walked, listening as her boots clunked together with each step she took. He still had the sense that there was something she wanted to say, her silence unnerving him in the almost pitch black darkness.

"Marlin?" Her voice rang out suddenly. He could feel her gaze on him but could barely see her, having not quite reaching the light of the lamp posts yet. "We're friends, right?" She had stopped walking as they reached the fork in the path leaving him to clumsily bump against her, his hips colliding with the fullness of her rump. The act sent blood rushing to his cheeks as she yelped in surprised, her body rocking against his for a moment as he struggled in the darkness to steady to her.

"Yeah. Uh, I mean, I guess." His voice cracked in the darkness and he felt her chuckle against his chest, struggling to find her footing in the dark. Freeing herself, he heard her tinkling laugh for what felt like the first time in weeks, his hand releasing her arm.

"Just checking. I never really know where I stand with you." He didn't have anything to say back to her, thankful that she couldn't see his blush in the dark. He felt her reach out for him, bare fingers brushing against the crook of his elbow and reaching down to squeeze his hand in the dark. "Well... Night, Marlin."

He could hear the sound of her boots banging together as she walked away, leaving him alone in the dark.