Making the Most of It

"…bears come out at night, yeah?"

You pause, casting a glance out towards the darkened forest, "Uh…"

"Like, I don't think anyone's been attacked by a bear lately, but…"

You shake your head, eyeing the rusty lock in your hands. Maybe if you flipped the key this time? Or…maybe the lock was broken? You carefully line the key up once more, tongue pressed to your cheek.

"Guess they wouldn't talk about it anyway. Unless there was some kind of bear massacre or something."

"Susie, I don't think-"

"They probably wouldn't be able to cover something like that up. Be too messy."

You begin to open your mouth, brushing the thought away as the key finally clicks into place, the padlock limply hanging from the gate. You breathe a sigh of relief, letting the lock fall to the grass below.

"I bet a swarm of bears could take out ICE-E's before the police could get there. They've got the forest right behind them, so they'd probably be the first to go."

Your face wrinkles, "…a swarm?"

"…a pack? I don't know, whatever the hell you call a group of bears."

You squint back at her, blowing a strand of sticky hair from your eyes. You weren't sure hometown was particularly infested with bears. Not that you expected to see any wandering the streets as of late. Even animals knew better than to wander about in the summer heat, the sweltering temperatures having properly taken hold across town. Besides the cries of cicadas waking in the forest, the area was surprisingly quiet, most residents wisely choosing to remain in front of their fans, waiting out the sudden heatwave.

You push through the gate, back against the hot metal bars. Normally you would be hiding away as well, but tonight was a bit different. The plan was simple enough. Sneak out once mom went to bed, try to drag Susie out of hers, journey past the police station to the outskirts of town, and hope that the key stuffed in the back of your brother's nightstand still worked.

Simple.

…probably.

"Isn't there something called a murder?" Susie blankly mutters to herself, shuffling past. You squint, barely able to spot the frayed and faded coat wrapping around her, the dragoness seemingly oblivious to the suffocating heat.

You let out an exhausted sigh, "Think that's birds."

"Nah, it's something else. Like sharks. Something that can mess you up."

You allow the gate to fall back into place, "Pretty sure it's a group of birds." You mumble, brushing your hands against the edges of your t-shirt, dust coating the thin green material, "Sharks don't even go after people that much."

"Easy for you to say. I doubt anything'd want to take a bite out of someone so scrawny." Susie twirls back around, sneering, "You'd probably taste like some old jerky that's been left out too long."

You pinch the bridge of your nose, "That's how you make-"

Groaning, you fight down the words.

"Look, let's just get the lights on. I don't think they would've changed the locks or anything, but…"

You peer through the inky blackness, carefully meandering past the smug girl and over to a barely visible shed nestled in the corner. Lazily pulling at the strap on your shoulder, you swing your backpack off against the wall. After a few seconds of digging through the bag, your hand circles around a cell phone buried deep within, the device immediately flaring to life with a press of a button.

"Calling someone?"

You stretch back up from the concrete floor, "No, I just need…here."

Sifting along the phone's menus, blisteringly white light soon flows from the back, burning away the surrounding darkness.

"Hold this up to the lock."

She raises an eyebrow, eventually grunting in acquiescence. Claws circle around the device as you spin back around, examining the shining black padlock lying against the shed's entryway. You fumble with the contraption, trying, and failing, to line the key up, a spotlight cast upon your efforts.

They wouldn't have changed the locks. Why would they? It wasn't private property, and it's not like people broke in all the time.

Your eyes narrow.

Not that you were breaking in, really. You were allowed to be here. Maybe not at night when everyone was gone, but…

"What's with your phone's background? That a dog?"

You flip the key in your hand, "Uh…yeah. Just saw it somewhere. Took a photo."

Susie snorts, "You take a lot of photos?"

You freeze, the lock falling back down, "…are you going through them?"

"No! I'm just…huh, didn't realize you took a picture of us at the lake."

You grumble quietly, returning to the task at hand. Flipping the key one final time, you hear a sharp pop, the lock hanging limply in defeat. You begin to unhook it from the door before bracing yourself against the shed, a scaly hand suddenly clapping you on the shoulder.

"I remember this! You bet I couldn't eat a whole jawbreaker in…what, a minute?" Susie chuckles.

"Uh-huh."

The lock drops away as a thick cloud of musty, humid air slams into you, the door finally creaking open. The sudden burst of searing heat sends you reeling back, falling against the dragoness legs. You freeze in place, eventually risking a glance above.

"…still owe me ten bucks for that. Nice shot though, can even see it between all my fangs. Took me days to get it all out." Susie mumbles to herself, mindlessly brushing a sleeve across her nose as she flicks through photo after photo.

You stare at her blankly, scrambling back to your feet. Taking solace in small miracles, you toss the key into your backpack, leaning through the doorway, another burst of stale air burning your face.

A quiet snickering breaks the silence. You glance back, finding the dragoness in her own world, tongue pressed to her cheek.

"…does the heat even bother you?"

"Huh?" She groggily mutters, "What do you mean?"

"…the jacket? Susie, it's the middle of summer and you're…never mind."

You shake your head, strands of sticky hair clinging once more. The faster you were done with this, the less chance you had of dying from heat stroke. Taking one last breath, you plunge into the murky shed, stagnant air welcoming you into its embrace. You begin to search through the shelves along the wall, shadows dancing amongst the half-empty bottles of cleaning fluid and precariously stacked metal poles, nets hanging limply from each. You pick through the containers, tracing a finger along the washing machine-like mascot smiling back from the label, the even more obvious 'DO NOT INGEST' warnings taking up much more interest in your mind.

Pulling away from the cheap plastic shelves, you lean down, searching each corner of the room, finding little more than intricate spider webs throughout. Brushing past a stack of cardboard boxes, you find a collection of life preservers, the bright crimson stripes faded and grey from years of neglect. Mindlessly poking at the tubes, you reel back, the uppermost safety device falling from the pile. It slumps to the ground, kicking up a choking plume of dust, bits of which glimmer and dance throughout the phone's spotlight.

You grumble, breathlessly wiping a bead of sweat from your forehead, "Gotta be on one of-"

"Jeez, even got a shot of us chilling out in the forest last week. You look like a dweeb though, all smiling and crap."

Your body locks up, a knot rapidly building in your stomach.

"…huh. Kinda close. Guess I was tired or something." Susie chuckles half-heartedly, "Almost looks like I'm-"

"S-Sorry! Need this!"

You desperately snatch the phone out of the girl's hands, the white glow whipping around the room in a blinding frenzy. Hesitating, you stare at the photo, burning afternoon light painting the scene as she rests on your shoulder, a soft smile on her lips, jacket's sleeves curled around you.

You gulp, swiping the image away.

"I-I'm sure that…there!"

A metal panel flashes under the spotlight, barely visible between the yellowed shelves and a single lonely inner tube, the floatation device having been tossed to the furthest corner. You scan the surface, peeling labels clinging for dear life next to each switch.

"Entrance…path…shed…"

You stop, sourly staring at the faded words. Would've helped to have this outside the building, but-

"…found it!"

The switch clicks into place, a dull hum burning through the silence. Finally stashing your phone away, you turn back to the shed's entrance, spotting a blue glow creeping through the door. A relieved smile pulls at your lips, the tightness in your chest beginning to die down.

"Alright, think that's enough. Probably don't need the other lights right no-"

"HELL YEAH!"

A bellowing roar pierces through the thought. Glancing around the now eerily lit shed, you sigh, meandering back into the night, dragging the door closed.

"No lame kids, no dumbass lifeguard telling you what to do, nothing! Just…well, I guess there's you, but…" Susie spins around, fangs shining in the sapphire light, "Could be worse."

You roll your eyes. Sweeping the backpack up from the ground, you stash your phone away, throwing the satchel over to a nearby plastic chair without a second thought. Squinting back to the scene ahead, you watch as the warm summer breeze sends ripples along the water's surface, the pool's crystal blue depths radiating from the submerged lights.

"Still don't think you should be diving in headfirst or anything." You mutter, stretching into the air, "Not sure I'd be able to carry you to the hospital."

"Eh, you worry too much. " Susie scratches the back of her neck, allowing a claw to dance through her disheveled mane, "…you can swim, right?"

You yawn, "More or less."

Walking to the water's edge, a deep blue emanates out towards the surrounding forest, painting the trees, and your own body, in sapphire light. You breathe deeply, the smell of chlorine wafting into the air, blending with the earthy scent of fallen leaves.

"Haven't been here for a while though. My brother used to work as a lifeguard, but…" You shrug, "I didn't really like all the noise and everything. People bumping into each other, yelling, all of that. Much better coming here at night."

You flinch, the shed rattling from behind you as heavy leather boots bounce off the surface.

"You've snuck in here before?" Susie clicks her tongue.

You drop down to the tile below, "It's a public pool; we're not 'sneaking in'."

"Uh-huh. Totally. Probably just have it locked up to-"

You hear a struggle from behind you as the girl begins to grunt, cursing under her breath. After a few more seconds of commotion, Susie's jacket slams into a nearby chair, the legs screeching out from the impact. You stare at the worn purple coat, swallowing sharply.

"Ugh…whatever. Where'd you get the key for this place anyway? Steal it from someone?"

Claws scrape against the concrete as Susie settles down with a huff. You avert your gaze, staring out into the water, the sound of crickets fading, barely noticeable under the heartbeat thrumming in your ears.

"Uh…b-borrowed it. From my brother. Think he forgot to return it when he went to college."

"Damn." Susie chuckles, "Breaking and entering, stealing, sneaking out in the middle of the night…"

"I didn't steal the-" You sneer at the girl, immediately regretting the decision as your eyes meet hers.

"Ya know Kris, I think you might be a bad influence."

An inferno breaks across your cheeks as you stare at Susie, a vicious smile pulling her maw into a line of gleaming fangs and mauve scales. Replacing her heavy purple coat was now a black tank top, the straps of which swept along her broad shoulders, patterns of scales glinting under the dim blue light. The edges of the top carried down towards her surprisingly defined abdominal muscles, stopping halfway, clinging tightly to the now exposed mauve hide. Your eyes drift down, struggling to turn away. Long gone were the girl's patchwork jeans, instead substituted by equally frayed and torn denim shorts. Susie flashes you a cruel smile, only stopping long enough to blow a strand of messy hair away, her amber eyes gleaming from underneath.

You let out a shuddering breath. You'd seen her like this in the Dark World. Maybe not without her jacket…and not this close. But this wasn't any different. Just two friends spending time together like usual.

Alone.

At night.

"…uh, dude?"

You choke, "Y-YEAH?! Uh… s-sorry, what?"

"You good? Didn't mean that in like, a bad way. Just a stupid joke."

You take a deep breath, forcing your panicked thoughts down, only for the tightness in your chest to return twofold as Susie leans in, eyes narrowed.

"Y-Yeah, no, it's uh…totally! Right, a joke! Yep…"

Susie stares predatorily, watching for the slightest movement. Her amber irises burn into you, searching, waiting for a reaction, a sign to strike. Seconds feel like hours, the silence only broken by the quiet chirping of crickets, their nightly songs barely a thought in your mind.

"…o-kay." Susie leans back, playfully throwing a fist into the side of your arm, "Freak."

You blink, still holding your breath.

"Well, should've told me earlier. Thought we were going to the lake or something when you texted me." She snorts, "Could've done this instead of hanging out at your place or…studying for finals."

A splash erupts from the water's surface as Susie casually drops her legs into the pool, a spray of water erupting outwards. You sputter and cough, your mind screeching back into focus.

"Ugh…think Ms. Alphys is gonna hold us back?"

You shake your head, damp hair tossed to the edges of your vision, "I…" You clear your throat, "I-I think we did okay. You uh…only tore up one of the tests this time, right?"

Susie lets out a satisfied grunt, "Math, yeah. Screw math."

You chuckle weakly, "But you finished the other ones. Instead of tearing them up…or eating them."

Susie's legs sweep through the water, waves coursing past, "Yeah…yeah! Come on, she's gotta give credit for that!"

You quietly smile, hiding the expression under your curtain of hair as Susie's voice roars across the silent waters, only to sheepishly die down moments later. You open your mouth, hesitating, the thought fading away.

"…thanks for…ya know. Helping me study, or whatever."

You nod, "Was…kinda surprised you took me up on the offer."

Susie snorts, "It was that or sit around at home doing nothing. Besides, someone's gotta come over and make sure you're still alive."

"Wha-" You stare back in confusion, "You see me all the time! You've basically been living at my place for the past month!" You bellow, "Can't even find leftovers in my house because you're always taking them…"

A clacking sound emanates from below, Susie's claws nervously dragging along the tile's patterns, "I'm not there every day! And your mom said it was cool! Said you never finish all of it." She clicks her tongue, "No wonder you're so scrawny."

You roll your eyes, poking at the water's surface. You can't remember the last time you went a day without the dragoness throwing an arm over you, dragging you off to some new legally questionable activity. Even when you made an effort to bury yourself in study materials, she begrudgingly meandered about your house, flicking flash cards across the room and off your head, an unlucky few tangling themselves in your hair. There was rarely a moment that you were alone. Between class, diving into the Dark World, and even in your own house, the dragoness always seemed to be by your side.

…not that you minded, but-

"Doesn't matter anyway, we've got more important stuff to worry about."

You sigh, staring into the crystal blue depths, "The Roaring?"

"What? No, summer break."

"…right."

You wince as Susie lifts her leg up out of the water, immediately allowing it to slam back down, sending another wave crashing up against the edge and further soaking you. You stare down, dejectedly squeezing water out from your swim trunks.

"Only have a few months before they drag us back to school and everything sucks again. We should be out there doing…I don't know! Something exciting! Something that isn't just the same stuff we always do."

You twist the strands of brown hair dangling in your face between two fingers, water dripping down, "And the Dark World, the one with monsters that try to kill us and fountains that can just pop up anywhere…isn't that?"

"Ralsei doesn't try to kill us."

"That's not-"

"Besides, no one actually wants to fight down there anymore. Even the dojo is empty half the time."

"Well…you told the last guy you'd suplex him into Ralsei's cauldron."

Susie's bites her lip, "Th-That's not-!"

"And then you started carrying him out of the dojo when he targeted me with magic."

Her claws dig into the tiles below, "I-It's just to get them focusing on me! I can actually take a hit, and if you drop dead…"

You raise an eyebrow, watching as the dragoness seemingly retreats underneath her mane.

"No, like, other than that!" She emerges, scales a deeper shade of purple, "You know what I'm talking about! We should be doing summer stuff, like going to the beach or whatever other crap people do."

You peer out across the pool, up to the sky above, stars glimmering amid the pitch.

"…didn't think you'd want to do things like that."

"W-Well, maybe I do!" Susie grumbles, "…I mean, if you're there. O-Otherwise it's whatever. Don't have to…"

"Th-That's not-" You stutter, turning back towards the scaled girl, "I just…don't know? Or, well…" You clear your throat, "Never really been with anyone during-"

Your throat tightens.

"I-I mean, I've never really had people to hang out with during summer." You cough to the side, straining for words, "I guess we could go to the beach…?"

A quiet growl bubbles up as Susie drags her hands down her maw, "I mean, it doesn't have to be that. It could just be us…ugh. I don't know, I just don't want things to…"

You watch Susie, her shoulders beginning to slump.

Gentle waves crest the pool's edge, filling the silence. You open your mouth, only to turn away, staring down into the crystal blue water.

That's what you were supposed to do during summer break, right? Go to the beach, spend time with friends, make the most of it all before school came back into focus. You were supposed to be making memories or…something. You weren't really sure. Summer break was always just that; a break. You'd spend some time helping your dad get the summer bouquets ready for the shop, talking into the night with Asriel over the phone, or simply lying next to the lake, peering up through the trees and towards the starry sky. You never thought that far ahead; there wasn't a reason to. It was just you. Even now, balancing your forays into the Dark World as fountains erupted all over town; there was hardly a moment of peace. You would fight off some grand threat, spend days settling new Darkners into Ralsei's kingdom, and then struggle to finish whatever homework you inevitably had waiting for you.

But now you had time. You had someone to spend that time with. Someone you wanted to be around, that made you want to think about making the most of it all.

Someone that you…

You glance back towards the dragoness as she stares ahead, blankly gazing into the depths of the pool.

You had to make it count, even if you had no idea what to do.

"Susie-"

"Hey."

You feel a pull at your collar, a talon curling inwards.

"You swimming in that? Like, you know it's gonna stick super bad, right?" Susie mutters.

You pick at the damp shirt, the dark green material already beginning to cling, "…doesn't really bother me, should be fine to swim in it. But seriously, I'd be okay going to the beach with-"

"Cool."

Claws suddenly circle around your arms, panic erupting in your mind. Your lock onto the scaled girl, a now wild look in her eyes.

"W-WAIT-"

Your words are silenced as the dragoness leans off the edge, crashing into the depths, dragging you along with her. Desperately taking one last breath, you feel the water take you, sinking lower and lower as bubbles teem in your vision. You feel weightless, the world having turned to muffled silence despite the yelp that assuredly escaped your lips.

You grumble, floating in place, watching as another streak of air erupts from your mouth and up to the surface. You really should've expected this. Especially after she pulled you into the lake a month before.

…or was it last week? You started to lose track after the fourth or fifth time.

Claws slowly loosen their grip, freeing you from the now cackling dragoness, each roar of laughter sending her back through the depths, twisting and turning.

You shoot a glare back at the girl, pouting as you float down to the concrete floor.

You'd be a lot angrier right now if you weren't struggling for air.

Susie twirls back to face you, her razor-sharp teeth pulled into a wild grin.

Alright, maybe not that angry.

The pool's concrete floor feels coarse to the touch as you push up and off the bottom, streaking towards surface. As if waking from some deep sleep, you break through into the night, the sound of desperate splashing and gasping searing into your mind. You struggle for air, latching onto the slick tiled edge. Lungs burning, you turn back around just in time to see Susie burst through the water's surface, waves slamming against the sides of the pool.

"Holy shit, should've seen the look on…pleh…"

Susie begins to sputter and struggle against the dense black mane now clinging to every part of her face, angrily pulling strands of hair out of her eyes and mouth.

You watch the disastrous display with breathless glee, "Is…is that how I looked?"

Susie growls, "Shut-it!"

You shrug, forcing yourself not to laugh, "I'd normally feel worse about you suffocating in your own hair, but…"

With a gasp, Susie frees herself, the scales on her cheeks having turned a searing violet.

"Ugh…" Susie floats over to you with a defeated expression, "Whatever happened to being quiet all the time? Go back to that."

You silently stare at her.

"…never mind. Still creepy."

You limply shrug once more, allowing yourself to fall from the pool's edge, languidly floating in place, "Says the person that talks about biting peoples' faces off."

"That was like, almost a year ago!" Susie grumbles, "Besides, you know I just say that shit. Don't mean it or anything."

"Uh-huh."

"Like the other day! I told you I was going to throw you into the dumpster!"

"…but then you threw me into the dumpster."

Susie pokes the you in the ribs, "You told me to, freak."

You quietly sniff, "Seemed like a good idea."

The dragoness shakes her head, a flicker of a grin painting her maw.

You take a deep breath, beginning to float along the water's surface, bouncing away from the edge and spreading out into the center of the pool, "I thought the teachers might've thrown away some of the answer sheets. You never know what you can find if you don't look."

Susie snickers, "Think you just like trash, dude. You're always digging through stuff when we're in the Dark World, bringing it back to your room."

You spot a streak of purple out of the corner of your eye.

"Still can't believe Ralsei puts up with all that. Like, you probably didn't hear it, but that ICE-E statue you swiped from Queen's weird ass castle?"

Susie begins to float by, her maw poking up out of the water like a shark's fin, "Fuzzball was freaking out the entire time. Kept whispering to himself stuff like, 'How are we ever going to get it back?' and, 'I'll have to clean it twice over just to be sure!'"

"…you sound like Berdly."

"Eh, both're nerds." She pauses, "Ralsei's the good kind though."

Before you can respond, a wave rolls underneath you, almost flipping you over. Glancing to the side, you spot Susie towering over, stretching into the air with a soft pop, mauve scales glimmering from the water's glow.

"Alright, time to see how deep this pool is."

"…it's just a public pool. They normally don't even have a deep end." You turn, water sweeping through your hair, "I'm pretty sure it's flat down there."

"Have you checked?"

"…yes? I was kind of at the bottom just now. I didn't look around that much, but-"

"So you didn't check everything?"

You blink, "I was a little distracted."

Susie eyes you silently.

"…and suffocating?"

"You said that the last time you jumped in the lake."

"I…was also suffocating that time. And I didn't jump in, you-"

"Yeah yeah, anyway. Be back in a sec, gonna see how far this thing goes."

Water streaks through the air, scattering across the night sky before falling back down, directly into your eyes.

"Agh!"

You bounce along the rolling waves as Susie dives underneath the surface, away from sight. Blinking away the haziness in your vision, the quiet melody of distant crickets returns to your senses, dampened only by the subtle creaking of branches, wind coursing through the surrounding forest. You settle back against the water's gentle current, staring into the darkness above. Stars flicker in the distance, glimmering constellations streaking across the sky as you silently connect the points, trying and failing to remember the names of each.

A tired smile pulls on your lips. You used to know them, at least the ones your dad tried to tell you about. You were never good about listening to your father chatter on and on about what they meant; the stories each represented. Even after the dozen or so trips up to the hill overlooking town, your family piled into the car, snacks and blankets clutched tightly, you never found yourself able to remember the names of each glimmering pattern. Not that you were able to stay awake very long. Bundled close to your brother, listening to your mom and dad laugh together, staring up at the night sky…

Your smile softens.

That was a long time ago. But you missed it. You missed those moments together. There was no planning, no thought to any of it. You just went with the people you loved and cared about. Making the most of the time you had; that's all that mattered.

Your hand falls back to the water's surface.

It wasn't exactly exciting, but maybe Susie would-

"AGH!"

Scaly arms wrap from below you, pulling you tightly towards the assailant. You choke, feeling your chest being crushed in the embrace, your body being limply thrown from side to side like a ragdoll.

"S-STOP!"

"GOTCHA!"

The world begins to fade. You struggle to breathe, to even think, darkness encroaching in your vision.

This was for breaking and entering. Karmic retribution for your misdeeds, numerous as they were. You knew you'd eventually go out from a monster getting the best of you, but you assumed your death would be Dark World-related somehow. A stray bit of magic, a poisoned Dark Candy, perhaps even another set of spinning tea cups careening towards blisteringly white lasers.

…

You really expected that last one.

Your eyes begin to drift closed, only to go wide upon finding a pair of slit yellow irises staring back.

"You're alive, right?" Susie mutters, poking you in the cheek.

"…d-define…alive."

Fangs hang threateningly close, blooming into a mocking grin, "That's alive enough for me."

You're suddenly dropped, your lifeless body sinking under the waves. Shaking from the stupor, you paddle back to the surface, gasping for air.

"A-Are you…" You swallow painfully, another heaving breath sputtering forth, "Really?!"

Susie shrugs, casually resting back against the pool's edge, "What?"

You squeeze your eyes tight for a moment, drifting back over to a set of concrete steps leading up and out of the water. The breaths begin to slow, the burning in your lungs subsiding as you regain your senses.

"…I…I r-really can't tell…if you want to hug me or kill me…s-sometimes…" You flop back against the stair case, "Ugh…"

The dragoness rolls her eyes, "Not trying to kill you, freak."

You limply float along the coarse concrete. The sound of crickets and the surging waves fills the air as you stare above.

"R-Right, yeah, definitely not trying to-"

Your eyes go wide.

"…wait…were you-"

"Hey! So, uh…"

Ripples in the water bounce you from side to side as Susie rushes past, stomping up the concrete stair case.

"You bring the goods?"

You grab onto the bottom step, righting yourself before the waves flip you over, "Uh…"

A shadow creeps along the water's surface as you glance up, meeting Susie's gaze, her mane sweeping down from above.

"…backpack."

"Sweet." The looming threat meanders away, happily snorting, "What kind did you bring?"

"Just…" You drag yourself out of the water, sitting along the pool's edge, "Usual stuff."

You collect your hair into a tight bundle, squeezing as much moisture as you can out, shaking the residual droplets out into a spray, "Think there's lemon-lime, grape, vanilla, cherry…oh! They had this orange and coffee-flavored one that looked interesting."

Susie gags from behind you, digging through the backpack with reckless abandon.

"Come on, it could be good!"

Susie grunts, "Yeah? Then what kind do you want?"

"Uh…I guess vanilla."

"Thought so."

The dragoness drops down with a huff, lazily tossing a can your way, a cream-colored swirl streaking across the label. You place the can up to your ear for a moment, listening, quickly shrugging it off. With a sharp snap, the soda begins to fizz over, foam barely cresting the top before settling back down.

You tilt your head to the side, "Huh."

"What?" Another pop echoes out, Susie's claw hooking into the metal tab.

"No, just…kind of expected it to explode is all."

You glance over as the scaled girl desperately flails her hand in the air, the tab having stuck to her claw.

"I'm not…damn it!"

The tab goes flying deep into the forest.

"I wouldn't do that."

You cautiously take a sip from the soda can, the vanilla flavor coating your tongue in a briskly sweet and smooth fizz. A relieved sigh escapes your lips, the peace almost immediately shattered with the sound of a can crinkling, Susie having taken a swig of her own lemon-lime beverage. You watch in horror as the she rapidly downs the entire drink in a single go, cracks and tears appearing on the can with each gulp, before inevitably being crushed in her grip. Without a second thought, the can goes flying back into the darkness, past the gate and likely far into the tree canopies.

"Ahh…better."

You protectively cup your soda in both hands, "Did you…even taste it?"

"What? Yeah. Cherry-flavored or whatever."

You begin to open your mouth, only for it to snap shut as you shake your head. Tearing your eyes away, you stare back out across the pool, quietly watching flickers of moonlight dancing through the surrounding forest. You take another sip, smiling.

"…thanks, by the way." Susie whispers.

You nod.

"So…gonna be weird not having to go to school every day. At least for a while, I guess."

You shrug, staring down at the soda in your lap, the bubbling caramel liquid resting upon the lip, "Yeah. We'll still need to get in to meet up with Ralsei though." You chuckle, "I think he'd start to melt if we didn't visit him for a couple days."

"Think he melts anyway. Fuzzball probably starts to freak out the second we're gone." Susie snorts.

You click your tongue, "I don't know, I think he's getting better. Doesn't try to hug us every time we get hurt."

"That's your fault, ya know. You spoiled the little guy, made him think Lightners want hugs all the time." Susie leans back, staring at the sky, "Least he asks, I guess."

You let out a half-hearted grunt, placing the soda can atop the pool's tiles.

"I mean, I get it…kinda."

You raise an eyebrow, staring back at the pensive girl, "What? The hugging?"

"No! Not the…the other thing, damn it!" Susie snaps, "Ugh…no, like, not wanting us to be gone that long."

Silence hangs in the air as you wait, watching the dragoness bite her lip.

"I wouldn't want that either. Sucks to be forgotten like that." Susie's voice quiets to a whisper, "Find people you care about only for something stupid to happen and bam, don't get to see them again. That sucks. Like…now school's ending, and we've got all this time off. A-And, it's not like I want to sit through Ms. Alphys talk about math…or some weird cartoon, but-"

She freezes, soon shaking her head with a growl, "…you're there. I mean, there's other people too, but…yeah."

You tap the side of your can, struggling for a response, "…I'm not really…going anywhere. We're still going to see each other."

"I know that. But, like, without school, we wouldn't have even met. Wouldn't be hanging out or talking." Susie grimaces, "You were pretty quiet before all this. Didn't really say much or even come to class. N-Not that I cared back then or…whatever. But now, like, if there's no school, and you're gone doing other shit…"

You swallow painfully, forcing the thoughts back into silence. Susie leans over the water's edge, her mane hiding whatever expression twists in her features, blankly staring onwards.

"…don't want it to go down like that. Like you too much, Kris. I don't know if you…or, like, maybe we're just…" The words tumble out, Susie's hands coming up to her maw, stifling the guttural roar of frustration, "Damn it! I don't get it!"

Panicked amber eyes emerge from the frenzied mane, Susie's face suddenly much closer to yours.

"Like, when we we're watching movies a couple weeks ago, I just…f-fell asleep on you. And you didn't say anything. You didn't wake me up or say some stupid joke. I thought I made it weird and…you were just cool with it. Or when I got pissy the other day and you just sat with me at the lake for hours or whatever. It's always like that, it's just…easy. I don't have to be anything or act like someone better. You don't treat me like some dumbass bully. You're just…"

She hesitates, breath shuddering.

"…you stuck around. Even when you didn't have to." Susie smiles weakly, "And for some stupid reason, you keep coming back."

The dragoness sighs painfully, "It means a lot."

The sound of crickets echo far in the distance. Your heartbeat pounds in your ears as you struggle for thought, to make a connection, to come up with anything that would make it all clear.

"Just freaks me out, ya know? School's ending, and I'm thinking about you not being…there. I want you there. I…I-like having you there. Around. J-Just us. Ugh…goddamn it, I don't know! I don't know if this is just in my stupid head or if there's…"

Susie stops, barely able to meet your gaze. You watch her open her mouth, searching for the words, only the sound of her claws digging into the concrete emanating out.

She lifts her head, staring above, before taking one last deep breath, "…the hell is this, Kris? I don't want to screw this all up, so just tell me. There something here? Do you…?"

Your chest hurts. Everything hurts. Straining and burning, trying to find a direction, clarity. Something real. You want to say it, scream it, make it clear to her, to yourself. You don't want to mess this up either. You don't want to chase her away. There isn't anyone else like her. No one that makes you feel as safe, as okay being yourself. No one that makes you want to try this hard, to fight off the worries and fears twisting in your mind.

No one that makes you want to say-

"…yeah."

Susie stares into you, her expression muted, reserved. Her eyes search yours as she bites her lip, waiting and searching for any sign of doubt, of it all being taken back.

You smile.

Then, she lunges.

Your mind blanks as lips close in on your own, warmth cascading across your face as she pulls you in, wrapping tightly around you. Her breaths paint your neck, flowing down from the embrace. Her scales are soft, bending gently against your lips, fangs threatening to emerge with each moment, neither of you caring about the very real danger. It didn't matter. It didn't matter that she towered over you, that you spent longer than you ever dreamt trying to figure out a proper angle to meet, that bouts of laughter erupted between each frenzied attempt. None of it mattered. None of it was planned or thought through.

But you had time to figure it all out.

Claws uncoil from your back, reluctantly falling away. You blink back to reality, struggling to breathe, noticing the girl in much the same state, her staggered gasps of air turning her scales searing red. Or maybe her cheeks were already a fiery crimson. You weren't sure at this point. You weren't even sure how much time had passed.

Susie sheepishly pulls her hair back across her shoulder, blowing strands out and away from her eyes, now unable to meet your own.

"U-Uh…so…yeah. Cool. Cool cool cool." Her voice shakes, "Guess I…uh, wasn't going nuts then. Good. Glad." The scaled girl glances up at you, immediately staring back down at the floor, brushing a hand against her lips, "…s-sorry about…that."

You go to speak, choking for a moment before clearing your throat, "N-No, it's…it was nice."

Susie quietly gulps, managing to bring her eyes back to meet your own, "Y-Yeah? Yeah! Better have…uh, been. Freak."

You shift back towards the edge of the pool, "Does…so, are we…?" The words catch in your throat, "I-If that's what you want…unless you-"

You feel a weight on your shoulder as you glance up, Susie's maw nestling into your neck. She curls into you, sweeping an arm around your waist as you feel your heart leap into your throat.

"…r-right. Okay."

"Dumbass."

A nervous smile blooms on your face as you stare up at the sky, stars glimmering above.

"Hey."

"Mmph." Susie grumbles.

"Did you maybe want to go stargazing or something? There's a spot above the town my family alwa-AGH!"

A stray fang grazes along your neck, making you reel back, Susie's eyes going wide.

"The hell?"

"S-Sorry, it's just…" You gulp, "Your…fangs? They're kinda sharp. Almost…uh, almost got me when we were…"

Your blood goes cold as you watch the serene dragoness' eyes narrow, a low, fearsome growl emanating out.

The words start pouring out of your mouth, "N-Not that it's bad! Just kinda close? I-I actually like your fangs! They're pretty cute! Or…uh, scary? S-Scary cute?"

Susie glowers at you, eventually melting into a defeated sigh, resting a palm on your arm. You let out a held breath, smiling at her weakly. She smiles back.

Then, the world tumbles, water blurring in your vision.

You gasp for breath, once more sinking down to the bottom of the pool. You settle in a heap, lazily blowing out the remaining air as a spectacle of bubbles flow to the surface.

There was probably a better way to handle that. Or maybe this was just your fate from now on.

You stare out into the blackness above, distorted stars peeking through to the depths as you push back up off the ground, hurrying back above.

Surfacing near the pool's edge, you gasp for air, clambering back along the slick tile.

"Sup."

A claw taps against the top of your head.

"You were saying?"

You pull the hair from your eyes, red irises shining forth, a beaming smile reflected back at the girl.

"…stargazing?"

"Eh…sure." Susie snorts, "Bring snacks."

"Deal."

[Author's Note]

Yo.

Did a thing for a summer contest. Might be pretty shoddy compared to some of my other stuff, but still, maybe someone will enjoy this nonsense. Wanted to write something, no matter what. Been an uphill battle lately, but I'm forcing my way through it. Next couple things will likely be me shaking rust off too, so apologies for that. But I digress; less talk, more writing. If you made it to the end, thank you as always. It genuinely means a lot for someone to reach these notes, so seriously, I appreciate you going through this.

Ya'll take care. See you in the next one.