A/N: More of a semi-standalone fluff, rather than the ongoing story of the last three chapters.

Kate slipped into her jacket and wrapped the scarf around her neck, inspecting herself in the mirror. She shouldn't be vain, she knew, but it wasn't like she was trying to look good for herself. She was trying to look cute for Max. Max, the girl she was dating. Max, the girl that she, also a girl, was dating. Oh God.

Pausing for a moment, Kate took a few deep breaths. It had been one week since she and Max had kissed and decided to try and make this work, and her panic attacks were getting further and further apart. That first evening, she'd alternated between eagerly nuzzling and smooching with Max to sobbing into the other girl's shoulder, apologizing for being a temptress. Since then, things had been getting better.

In her more lucid moments, Kate had reconciled loving Christ and loving Max, but she'd been told for most of her life, both implicitly and in plain terms, that God's plan for her, and really for every person, was for them to stay chaste until they married someone of the opposite sex in a church, then proceeded to have reasonably frequent, procreative sex. It would take more than a week to get past that.

It wasn't like they were doing anything dirty, though. One day, maybe they would make love, but for now Kate was fairly content just cuddling and sharing tender kisses. Baby steps.

Satisfied with how she looked, Kate stepped out into the hallway to wait for Max. After a few minutes, the brunette joined her, dressed in a wool sweater. Upon seeing her darling, Kate bounded to her and gave her a tight hug, cheerfully nuzzling her cheek against Max's fuzzy, wool-covered shoulder.

"Hey, Kate," Max greeted, putting her arms around the sweet little blonde and gently pressing her cheek against her forehead. Feeling Max's soft, warm skin against her own was always wonderful, and Kate closed her eyes to savor the moment. Whatever doubts she'd been having minutes earlier disappeared.

"Are you ready?" Max asked after a moment of standing there together. Reluctantly stepping back from their embrace, Kate nodded and gingerly took Max's hand.

"It's a little nippy," Kate remarked as they stepped out of the dorm, "I-I'm glad I thought to wear a scarf." She could feel Max's eyes on her as they walked out of the gate, but it wasn't the same as when other people watched her. Then, it was like needles, or sometimes a crushing weight. Max's gaze was safe and comfortable, like a warm quilt.

"I'm just glad you're warm enough," Max remarked as they turned onto a tree-lined street, "Plus, it's a really cute scarf." Kate blushed and smiled, the way she did whenever Max paid her a compliment. Their conversation carried on pleasantly as they meandered down the street, enjoying the Spring weather and one another's company.

At length, they came to the lighthouse on the hill. It was a favorite spot of Max's, Kate knew, and she felt honored to have been brought there. It was public property, of course, but still, it was a special place for Max, which made it doubly special for Kate.

The two of them sat down on the bench at the cliff side, relaxing from their walk and watching the waves roll gently onto the shore below. Eagerly, Kate cuddled up beside Max, leaning into the brunette and sighing. In return, Max put her arm around Kate, holding her close and gently rubbing her shoulder.

A cool breeze blew around them, and Kate cuddled a little closer. In light of the wind, she would have liked to feel warmth radiating from Max, and to share her own warmth in return, but their jackets made that hard to manage. It was still nice to cuddle, though. Then Kate was struck with an idea.

Hastily, Kate unwrapped the scarf from around her neck and shifted up a little, trying to put her and Max's heads at relatively the same height while staying as close as possible. Max looked at her curiously, but remained silent, letting her work. Holding one end of the scarf at her neck, Kate wrapped the other around Max's neck and then brought it in front of both of them. By the time she was done the scarf was wrapped twice around the pair of them, with the loose end hanging down in front of Max's chest.

"This was a good idea," Max remarked, turning towards Kate, who could feel the warmth of the words against her cheek and neck. Kate turned and smiled up at Max.

"Thanks," she murmured, "I, um, didn't want you to get cold."

"You are so sweet," Max said, leaning in a little. Kate could predict what was about to happen, and her stomach was filled with butterflies. A few paltry inches separated their lips, a distance which was rapidly shrinking. Shutting her eyes, Kate leaned a little closer to Max, closing the last inch and joining their lips.

Whenever they were kissing, Kate felt like everything was perfect. There was nothing else in the world. No fear, no cruelty, no oppressive gaze, no expectation. All there was was her and Max, suspended in a moment of soft, blissful heat. If God had not shaped her lips and heart for this, then for what?

When they finally broke the kiss, Max rested her forehead against Kate's, blue eyes gazing into brown. Kate wondered if Max could hear how loud her heart was pounding in her chest. She wondered if Max cherished these moments as much as she did. She wondered whether Max wanted more from her, and if she was just being patient and kind. She wondered if maybe she wanted more, too.

"Was that, um," Kate fidgeted a little, trying to find the right words to express herself, "Am I, er, doing a good job?" Max looked at her quizzically, and brought a hand up to stroke her cheek.

"You're perfect," she murmured, her warm breath breaking against Kate's face. The words and heat made Kate blush and beam, and she wrapped her arms tightly around Max's waist. Contentedly, she nuzzled into Max's neck. Someone thought she was perfect. Max thought she was perfect.