Summary: Mari remembers how a dauntless blue haired kid stepped into her life to offer her the freedom she didn't know she needed and made her defy her parents for it and for her love...
Kanan/Mari

Freedom

The soft singing of the birds fills the air, mixing perfectly with the timid rustling of the trees as the light chilly morning breeze blows, eliciting a smile from a certain blonde who far from being bothered by such weather in a summer day, can't help but wrap her pale yellow cardigan around herself tighter, walking closer to the edge of the cliff she's at to enjoy the wonders that the landscape before her offers.

She admires enchanted the sight at her feet, the way the waves dance in perfect synchrony and harmony before coming to break against the cliff, timid and lost water drops wetting her bare toes while eliciting a giggle from her, before she gazes up at the sky, the sun being slightly covered by some clouds that Mari knows they will soon move to let the bright star bath everything with its golden light and bring out the vivid colors of her surroundings.

A small flock of birds crosses path with her gaze, and Mari, far from envy them like she used to do in the past, can only smile widely and fondly at them, closing her eyes to imagine herself becoming one of them, to remember how thanks to a certain dauntless blue haired girl she also managed to enjoy such a similar freedom.

As another wave comes to break against the cliff wetting her toes slightly once again, Mari can't help but go back in time to the days in which she was a mere kid, particularly to a day in which she decided to sneak out of the confines of the four walls of her bedroom at the hotel, to go and enjoy the beach.

She remembers watching the waves come to die to the shore, wetting the sand of the beach, before going back to repeat the same movement once again, making her be unsure of letting her feet sink into the wet sand and the cold water or not, before another kid's voice broke her off her musings.

- It isn't cold, you know?

The kid said, making Mari gasp surprised upon not being alone, before she turned to the kid's voice, seeing a girl around her age with her hair as blue as the sea and bright amethyst eyes smiling happily and welcoming to her.

- Do you want to go in with me?

Said girl offered her while holding out a hand to her. Mari could only stare at her small hand hesitantly, before the girl's smile invited her to grasp it tightly while the both of them got into the water, their sweet laughs filling the quiet air.

Soon enough, she found herself running along the large length of the shore hand in hand with the blue haired girl, laughing as they felt the waves coming to greet them and wet their toes, tickling them from time to time, and sometimes even wetting their clothes too.

A soft smile spreads across her lips as she recalls those days, tucking a lock of her blonde hair behind her ear as she accidentally touches the purple and yellow seashell hanging around her neck, grabbing it in her hand to remember then the first gift that her new friend gave her years ago.

It was in one of those days in which Mari sneaked out of the hotel to meet her dauntless blue haired friend and enjoy together the feeling of the water splashing at them and wetting their toes, when Kanan took her on a walk to the end of the beach where they found the purple and yellow seashell that Mari has around her neck in a necklace, a reminiscence of her favorite color and her blonde hair together.

- Here, for you.

Kanan offered her the colorful seashell with a smile on her face. Mari could only watch it with distrust, before Kanan giggled at her expression and took a thin cord of the pocket of her pants to tie it around the seashell so her blonde friend could wear it as a necklace, smiling even wider once Mari let her put it around her neck, getting a tight back hug that made the blonde blush while Kanan simply giggled happily unaware of what she made her friend feel.

Mari then couldn't help but look at it in awe, touching it with a timid smile playing on her lips, seeing the fond smile Kanan gave her and that unintentionally made her heart flutter, before a wave came to wet their toes by surprise and they began a water splash war.

The blonde can only giggle upon thinking how that small dauntless girl was the reason she lost the fear to defy her parents and also the reason of why every day she sneaked out of her four walls to go in search of new adventures along with her.

Of how she made her discover what freedom was, the relief or the love she felt whenever Kanan put her arms around her to give her a tight hug that made her feel like everything was going to be okay. That made her feel as if she was able to do anything she set her mind to, even if they were oceans away…

A shaky sigh escapes her lips as she opens her eyes again to watch the birds flying high through the clear blue sky, twirling around as if they were dancing, before a gust of wind obliges her to wrap the light cardigan tighter around herself.

Soon enough, she feels a pair of strong arms wrapping her tighter from behind while pulling her into the warmth of said person.

- You're going to get cold, my birthday girl.

Kanan's soft voice whispers in her ear, leaving a kiss on her bare neck that does nothing but send shivers down the blonde's spine as a smile spreads across her lips. This only elicits a giggle from her companion as Kanan tightens her embrace around the blonde.

- Come on, I've already spread out the tablecloth and got the food ready for our picnic lunch.

Kanan tells Mari giving her a light squeeze, before she pulls away and takes her by the hand.

Mari can only smile softly at this, her heart fluttering as she follows Kanan happily to the improvised picnic she prepared under the shelter of a robust tree, once again surprising her with her romantic ideas, before she tugs at her hand, making her halt to steal a kiss from her, seeing a hard but adorably blush adorning Kanan's cheeks.

Mari giggles at how cute the serious blue haired girl can be, their smiles widening as they sit down and begin to eat the lunch the blue haired girl made especially for the birthday girl, giggling in between bites, and the blonde can't help but love how that dauntless blue haired kid stepped into her life to offer her the freedom she didn't know she needed, and made her defy her parents for it, for her…