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Chloe’s body shook with vibrations as the music blared throughout the trashed house Kailani had dragged her into. The duo carefully stepping over tossed solo cups and loose confetti upon entering.
Flashing lights danced around as wildly as the wasted partygoers crammed themselves into the living room before her. She could barely take a step forward without bumping into a stranger. Smoke swirled through the busy bodies, making the air stale and unpleasant with the smell of fruit and nicotine.
Chloe hated all of it.
“Lani, what are we doing here? I thought we were going to the movies?” She shouted at her friend over the music.
“Okay, so I lied a little. But you should be out socialising with real people instead of moping around by yourself. Maybe even get back into the dating scene,” Kailani yelled back.
“I haven’t been moping,” Chloe muttered in denial.
Her friend gives her a look of disbelief before replying.
“You have not left our apartment- no, your room since Re-”
“Don’t!” Chloe interrupts, slapping a hand over her friend's mouth.
The song playing in the background starts to fade out, giving their ears a brief rest.
“Don’t say her name. Please,” the younger girl requested, removing her hand from her friend's face.
Kailani offers her a small smile and nod before smirking at her softly.
“Fine, you haven’t left the house since She-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named was last there.”
Chloe rolled her eyes.
“She’s not Voldemort,” she argued, crossing her arms.
“Wasn’t she?” Kailani laughed.
Chloe bit her bottom lip to hide her smile.
Truthfully, speaking down on her ex made her feel even worse. But Kailani had a habit of making things Chloe disliked seem more tolerable. The current setting being the most obvious proof of that.
Her ex.
Chloe still hated that thought.
“Look,” her friend shouted as the music started to pick up in volume again.
“Just stay here for an hour or so. Try to talk to some of our friends and have a good time. And if you really want to leave then I will happily take you home and we can watch some lousy outdated sitcom. How’s that sound?”
Chloe mulled it over for a moment. She really hated the party scene. People dancing too close to her. Flinging sweat everywhere, spilling their drinks and making themselves sick. It sounded like a nightmare to the girl. But the hopeful look on her friend's face made her decision for her.
“Fine. But if anything wild and reckless happens we’re leaving immediately. The last thing I need right now is to be at a party where the cops show up and start alerting parents of their kids' whereabouts.” She answers.
Kailani’s face beams that captivating smile of hers and she grabs Chloe’s face in her hands before placing a dramatic kiss to her forehead.
“Chloe Charming, you are the best! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go find Reyna.” The girl exclaims, turning on her heels and starting to walk away.
Before she can take a second step, Chloe grabs her wrists and pulls the other girl back to face her.
“Uh, hello? What happened to me socializing and getting myself back out there?” Chloe shouts.
“You can do that without me,” her friend replies like it's nothing.
“Since when?”
“Chloe.” Kailani deadpans.
“I’m serious! You know this isn’t my thing.”
“You’ve been to parties before, Chlo.”
“Yeah, but I was glued to your side! Or… hers.”
The air around the two seemed to freeze over. Chloe’s eyes turned glassy as she looked down at her worn-in shoes. Her stomach churns painfully as her most recent heartbreak replays in her head.
Kailani steps closer to her and gently cups her cheeks in her hands before raising her face to look her in the eyes.
“Right… I’m sorry,” the older girl whispers.
“Can I get like, fifteen minutes to find her and shoot my shot? Then I’ll come right back here and spend the rest of the night with you,” she offers, pouting her lips in a way that always gives her what she wants.
Chloe sighed dramatically.
“You’re lucky I love you.”
Kailani throws her arms around Chloe and squeals with excitement.
“The luckiest! I’ll be right back, I swear.”
Chloe smiles softly and waves her friend goodbye as the girl disappears into the crowd before her. A crowd that is getting a little too handsy for her liking.
Shaking herself of her nerves, Chloe pushes through the ocean of bodies in search for a familiar face or mostly unoccupied space she could sulk in while waiting for her friend.
Rounding the nearest corner, Chloe is greeted with a dimly lit kitchen. The counters are as messy as the living room floor. Empty beer cans and crushed solo cups cover nearly every inch of space. Save for the kitchen island that’s being wiped clean by the only other person in the space.
Stepping forward, Chloe got a better look at the other woman. Her curly hair was being kept out of her face by little silver clips. She had an eyebrow piercing that twinkled in the strobe lights bouncing around the room. Her hook shaped earring swayed back and forth with her movements. Each flex of her bicep made the sail in her pirate ship tattoo look like it was swaying with the ocean breeze.
Chloe gasped as she recognized the woman in front of her, catching her attention.
The other woman’s head snapped to the side at the sudden noise. Her cleaning is put on pause as she looks over at Chloe with dangerously captivating brown eyes. Her face breaks out into a bright smile as she gestures in front of her, inviting Chloe to join her at the kitchen island.
“Hey,” Chloe greeted.
“Hi, I’m Hazel,” the woman responded warmly, setting her perfectly manicured hands onto the counter in front of her.
“Um, yeah. I know who you are.” Chloe whispers, entranced by the other girl’s demeanor.
Hazel raised her pierced eyebrow. Her smile shifted into a smirk, revealing a slight dimple in her cheek. Chloe’s chest tightened at the look.
“Oh? Didn’t realize I had such a preceding reputation,” Hazel replied.
Chloe shakes her head, worried that she had offended the girl.
“No, no! I just mean that I’ve seen you around and stuff. Plus, my cousin knows a few of your friends so, yeah. Oh! I’m Chloe by the way,” the younger girl rambled out, offering a small wave at her introduction.
Hazel chuckles at her, clicking her nails onto the counter in a rhythm Chloe can’t quite place.
“I know who you are, Charming,” She winks, sending butterflies straight to Chloe’s stomach.
When Chloe failed to form a coherent response, Hazel continued.
“So, did you come over here for a drink? What are you looking for?”
Chloe swallows her nerves down and focuses on the beverages splayed across the counter that she hadn’t noticed before.
Hazel must be playing bartender tonight.
“Oh, I’m not sure exactly. I don’t really drink,” the younger girl replies, hanging her head in embarrassment.
“Yeah, I could tell that much,” Hazel laughs softly at her again.
Normally the thought of someone laughing at her lack of drinking participation would send Chloe into a fit of anger. Her classmates had a tendency to tease her for not enjoying the “full party experience” of getting too drunk to control yourself and acting like a fool in front of everyone. But Hazel’s smile and the amusement in her eyes told Chloe that her laughter wasn’t out of malice. Which was good enough for Chloe.
“Well, what are you into?” Chloe asks.
Hazel brings one of her elbows up onto the counter and leans forward, resting her chin in her hand before looking Chloe up and down slowly. She meets the younger girl's eyes again before replying.
“Pretty girls that are in over their heads,” she whispers through a smile.
Chloe bites her tongue to stop herself from overreacting. She didn’t expect to be dragged out of her bed tonight and thrown into the arms of yet another flirty troublemaker. Not that she’s complaining of course. This is the best she’s felt about herself in months, and she had only been single for three weeks.
She shakes her head, ridding herself of any thought of her and focuses back on the girl standing in front of her. Debating on if she should keep this game going before giving Hazel a sneak peak at her charm.
It doesn’t take long for her to make her final decision.
“I meant to drink,” she redirects, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.
“I know what you meant, just having some fun here,” Hazel sighs. Seemingly under the impression that Chloe dodged her completely.
She straightens up behind the counter and twists the neck of a random bottle sitting in front of her.
“But, to answer your question, I usually go with a lemon and gin. Unfortunately though, there’s none of that here.”
“What is available then?” Chloe asks, taking in another look of the dark bottles before her.
“A whole lot of nothing special. College boys would drink sewage if it got them drunk,” Hazel complains.
She looks back at Chloe again, wearing a look the younger girl can’t quite read. She then glances to the left and right of them, confirming the two are alone. Just as Chloe is about to ask her if something is wrong she reaches down into the cabinet beneath her and pulls a few colorful bottles out from their hiding spot.
“However, I did manage to bring in a few things of my own,” she says, waving the bottles playfully before placing them on the counter.
Hazel waves her hand dramatically at the options, her smile fading back into a smirk.
“What looks the most appealing? Pick your poison, Charming.”
Chloe takes a long look at each of her options, reading the names over and over again, dragging out her decision. Hazel's eyes never leaving her face.
The younger girl makes a show of placing a finger on her chin, mimicking someone deep in thought. Humming over her options, Chloe finally looks up at Hazel. Brown eyes meet and Chloe’s butterflies return. She removes the hand from her face and places it on the counter, leaning forward, copying Hazel’s pose from earlier before responding.
“Can I pick you?”
Hazel’s face reddened at the question, clearly taken aback by it. But, ever so smoothly, she recovered and poured two shots of a soft pink drink into a couple of cups sitting on the counter before her. Then returned the unused bottles to their hiding spot beneath her.
“You know, your sweet talking is cute. But, to be completely honest,” she starts, screwing the cap back onto the bottle in her hand and placing it on the counter in between the two girls.
She lifts a cup in each of her hands, passing the one in her left to Chloe. Their fingers brushed together lightly at the exchange, sending electricity through their hands.
“You had me the moment you turned that corner.”
Chloe raised an eyebrow and smiled.
“Lucky me,” she whispered.
Hazel raised her cup at that, Chloe’s meeting hers in the middle before they downed their respective drinks. Hazel slammed the plastic cup onto the surface between them in a second while Chloe grimaced and coughed at the drink burning down her throat.
Hazel shook her head affectionately at the girl before turning to the fridge behind her and grabbing a cold soda from it. Cracking it open and handing it to the coughing girl with a sympathetic smile on her face.
Chloe gratefully took the new drink and chased the alcohol down with it. Hanging her head in embarrassment once the burning sensation was completely soothed.
“Gods, that was awful. How do people do this?” She asked herself out loud.
“You get used to the feeling,” Hazel says, trying to comfort the girl.
Chloe raises her head and looks into the, now empty, cup. She lifts it from the table a little, tilting it towards Hazel asking for more.
“Let’s see about that.”
Hazel's eyes widened slightly in shock before pouring another shot for each of them. The two girls repeat their earlier actions and raise their glasses together before drinking. Hazel took the beverage like it was nothing once more, while Chloe still scrunched her face in distaste. Though this time, she did hold back most of her coughing.
“That’s still awful,” Chloe choked out.
Hazel chuckled before sliding the rest of Chloe’s soda closer to the girl.
“Well, to be fair, most people don’t exactly drink for the taste,” Hazel points out.
“Then what’s the point?” The younger girl asked incredulously.
Hazel leans back forward once more, bringing her face closer to Chloe’s.
“To forget.”
Chloe tilts her head to the side in question. She traces the rim of her cup with the nail of her index finger. Her chipped blue nail polish reminded Hazel of the smaller islands she frequently sailed out to.
“To forget loss, heartbreak, any kind of pain really. It helps people distract themselves.” She whispers, her eyes still following the movement of Chloe’s finger.
“I should take another one then,” the girl spits bitterly.
Hazel’s eyebrows shoot up into her hairline. She had heard around campus that Chloe and her last girl had called it quits, though she assumed they would’ve ended on good terms at least. Perhaps only separating because of the inevitable distance graduating would force between them. But judging by the fire in Chloe’s eyes and her sudden willingness to succumb to typical house party trends it seemed the breakup had done quite a bit of damage to her.
Hazel didn’t like seeing the girl like this.
“You could,” Hazel began.
She sat up from her spot and grabbed the large pink bottle she was just pouring out their shots with and moved around the kitchen island. Chloe stood up straight and turned her body to face the older woman as she got closer. Once the two were only a few inches apart, Hazel used her free hand to grab ahold of one of Chloe’s and started pulling her out of the kitchen.
“Or, we could take this to the dance floor,” she smiled.
Chloe’s eyes bulged as the other girl began to lead her out and onto the living room floor.
“I uh, don’t know how to dance actually,” she mumbled out.
Hazel turned around and smirked at her before lifting the bottle in her other hand to her lips and taking a quick swig.
“Well, this is our song now so you better learn quickly.”
As they rounded the corner Chloe had come from earlier, they ran right into a frantic looking Kailani, whose face softened as her eyes landed on Chloe.
“There you are,” she shouted, lightly slapping the girl's upper arm.
“I’ve been looking all over for you. Are you okay?”
Chloe just giggled at her friend and nodded her head.
“Yeah, Lani. I’m okay, I swear. How’d it go with Reyna?” Chloe asks.
Kailani’s face beamed with pride as she answered.
“It went all according to plan. I’ve got a date with her next weekend.”
Chloe smiled and offered her friend a quick high five.
“That’s awesome! Happy for you, boo.”
Her friend thanked her and finally turned to the other girl standing with them, who was looking off to the side to give them some privacy.
Kailani craned her neck a little to get a better look at the girl's face before dropping her jaw in shock as she realized who this other woman was. She whipped her head over to face Chloe again.
“So,” she glances down at their joined hands.
“I take it you’re all good over here? No need for me to stay by your side and babysit you,” she teases.
Chloe rolls her eyes.
“No, mom . I’m all good here. You’re free to mingle with your other friends. Or go back to Reyna if she’s still here,” was her reply.
Kailani stepped forward to give her an awkward one armed hug in thanks before turning towards Hazel, who has now turned to look at both of the girls she stood with.
“I want you to know that if anything happens to her, I will be hunting you down, Hook. We’ll see how well you and your ship hold against my ocean. Understood?” Kailani threatens.
Hazel raises the hand she was carrying her drink with in surrender and nods her head.
“Keep her safe. Got it.”
Kailani turns back to Chloe once more, who gets caught staring at the older woman.
Rolling her eyes, Kailani elbows her to grab her attention.
“You’ve still got your phone on you, right? And you’ll call if anything happens?” The girl asks, concern coating her words.
Chloe patted the back pocket that her phone was sitting in and nodded to her friend. Kailani smiled and stepped forward to give Chloe a quick kiss to her temple before walking off and getting lost in the ocean of bodies. Chloe turned to Hazel waiting to be led to the dance floor once more.
“Your friend is kind of scary. You don’t think she would actually drown me do you?” Hazel asks as the two make their way to the center of the room.
“Lani? Oh she absolutely would,” Chloe laughs. The sound getting drowned out by the speaker.
“Well, in that case, I better keep you safe and close tonight,” Hazel teases as they settle into place on the dance floor.
Chloe raises a brow and turns the girl around, pressing her back to Chloe’s front.
“I don’t think that’ll be an issue,” she whispers in Hazel’s ear, her body already moving to the music.
The bass pulsed through the floor, vibrating up their bodies as the living room lights flickered in sync with the music. The air was thick with the heat of too many bodies packed into too little space. Different colored plastic cups, laughter, and off key singing spilled from every corner of the room. Chloe and Hazel stood in the middle of it all.
Hazel’s curls bounced as she moved, eyes half lidded, the hint of a smile playing on her lips. Chloe mirrored her rhythm–sharp and deliberate, yet effortlessly graceful. The crowd around them blurred; like the two had formed their own little bubble while everyone else faded into background noise.
Hazel backed up further into Chloe, the two close enough for the younger girl to clearly smell the sea salt and vanilla scented perfume that seemed to wrap around them. Their movements became less in sync and more complementary of each other with each new song that played. With every sway of their hips and brush of their fingers the two girls lost themselves in each other more. Every beat pulled them closer, every drop of the song felt like a secret only they understood.
Time seemed to sail by at a record pace and when Hazel finally stepped forward and turned to face Chloe, the two had a thin layer of sweat coating their foreheads and dripping down onto their necks.
Hazel locked eyes with the younger woman and raised the bottle in her hands to her lips for another drink. Chloe’s eyes shamelessly followed the movement, drying her own mouth out. When the bottle left Hazel’s lips, Chloe went to reach for it herself, only for Hazel to pull it back.
Before Chloe could protest, Hazel placed a hand on the girl's cheek and tilted her head back. She used her thumb to open her lips and poured a shot's worth of the alcohol into Chloe’s mouth. Releasing her face so the girl could swallow properly.
Chloe straightened her head and downed the shot without coughing this time, finding a slight comfort in the warmth going down her throat. Someone behind the princess bumps into her, causing her to jerk forward. Once regaining her footing she whips her head around to glare at the person, who has already danced away from them.
Rolling her eyes and facing Hazel again, she catches the girl staring at her lips. With a flirty comment on her tongue, Chloe opens her mouth, only to get stopped by Hazel’s thumb, which is wiping away at a stray drop of alcohol trickling down her chin. Instead of wiping it away, Hazel licks the liquid off her finger, staring Chloe down in the process.
Chloe’s face gets noticeably pinker as she chokes on the air around her. Stuttering and playing with her fingers in an attempt to calm her nerves. Hazel just giggles at the girl's current state and grabs her by the hand again.
“How about we step outside and get you some air?” She teases.
Chloe smiles and nods as the two make their way off the floor hand in hand.
Neither of them noticed the red figure in the corner seething with jealousy.
The bass was still thumping behind the girls, muffled only slightly by the closed backdoor. The house party was still in full swing. With too many bodies, too few snacks, and just enough alcohol to make everyone think they were better dancers than they actually were.
Except maybe Chloe. Because Chloe, for someone who swore she couldn’t dance, had been absolutely tearing it up in the living room just a moment ago.
“I told you,” Chloe said, finding a seat on one of the porch steps looking out towards the large backyard, flushed and breathless.
“I don’t know how to dance.”
Hazel raised both eyebrows and blinked at her slowly, making her way over to the steps Chloe was sitting on.
“Okay. Then who was that girl in there just now? Because she looked a lot like you, and she was doing this-” she asked, breaking into an exaggerated shimmy that made Chloe clutch her stomach in laughter.
“I was not shimmying,” Chloe protested, wiping a tear from her eye.
Hazel sighed before sitting down next to her.
“Gods, I wish you were though.”
Chloe slaps her arm playfully and Hazel began to giggle.
“Oh and don’t get me started on whatever you did during that 4Town song. That was, like, dangerously confident for someone who ‘can’t dance,’” she continues.
Chloe grinned, twisting the cap off the water she snagged on the way out here.
“Look, I feel like I can’t dance. It’s a vibe, okay?” She insisted, taking a sip of her water.
“So you’re saying that your body is just out here dancing independently of your self-esteem?” Hazel asks, reaching out to take a sip of Chloe’s water bottle.
“Exactly,” Chloe nods. “I’m basically possessed with, like, the spirit of Beyoncé or something.”
Hazel twists the cap back onto the bottle and hands it over to Chloe.
“Well, tell Beyoncé I said thanks for the accidental grind sesh,” she winks.
Chloe’s face turned as red as Hazel’s top.
“That wasn’t a grind sesh either!”
“It was,” Hazel teased. “My thigh is still recovering from it too. It’s emotionally attached now.”
“Oh my god,” Chloe covered her face, laughing. “I blacked out for, like, two or three songs, okay? Anything that happened in that window is not legally my fault.”
“Good to know,” Hazel said, inching closer, a playful glint in her eye.
“So if I asked you to dance again, would you say no?”
Chloe peeked through her fingers to glance at the girl. “Probably. Out of self-preservation.”
Hazel tilted her head, her smile lazy and mischievous. “Even if I promise not to traumatize your thigh?
“That’s tempting.”
“I’m also offering one spin and a bonus wink. Limited time offer.”
Chloe gave her a look. “You’re really pushing this, why?”
“I just think it’s suspicious how someone who claims not to know how to dance somehow made this the most fun I’ve had at a party in ages.”
Chloe rolled her eyes, but her cheeks were warm again, and not just from the dancing.
“You’re such a flirt.”
“Only for you,” Hazel said, then added with a smirk, “And maybe Beyoncé.”
Chloe groaned, but reluctantly agreed.
“Fine. One more dance. But not right now, I’m exhausted.”
Hazel smiles at her and pumps her fist in celebration.
“Yes! I hope your alter ego shows up again. She’s hot.”
Chloe rolls her eyes, “She’s also clumsy and might accidentally step on your foot.”
“Eh, I’m into it,” Hazel said, winking at her like she promised.
Chloe giggled into her hands again before looking out into the backyard. Hazel turns her head to join her, letting the cool air of the night soothe her.|
The two sat in silence for several minutes before Hazel looked back at Chloe, noticing a sadness clouding her usually bright eyes.
Hazel placed a hand on Chloe’s knee cautiously, attempting to comfort her. It seemed to work, even just a little, if Chloe's small smile was anything to go by.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
Chloe sighed heavily and nodded, rubbing her hands on her thighs as if to soothe her nerves before starting.
“Just,” Hazel grabbed one of her hands, rubbing her thumb over the other woman’s knuckles. “Share what you’re comfortable with. You don’t have to give too many details.”
Chloe took another brief pause to collect herself then let the dam break.
“Earlier tonight you said that you knew who I was, despite tonight being the first time we’ve met. So, I’m going to assume that you are aware of my last relationship?”
Hazel nodded. Everyone at Auradon knew about Chloe and Red. The closest of friends, picture-perfect girlfriends. A modern day fairytale. When news got out that the two had called their relationship quits, most people thought it was some kind of prank. That maybe they were messing with everyone before announcing their engagement or something. But no such announcement came.
“Well, she and I were together for almost three years.” She paused, taking another breath.
“It was… intense, to say the least. Like, fireworks and thunderstorms intense. We were either all over each other or tearing each other apart. No in-between.”
Hazel tilted her head slightly, “That sounds exhausting.”
“It was.” Chloe laughed, not bitterly, just tired.
“It wasn’t always that way but, once things shifted, I think I became addicted to it. And not in a good way. I craved the highs especially. Red had this way of making me feel like I was the only person on Earth. But also like I was never enough.”
Hazel’s eyebrow’s knit together slightly.
“That’s a dangerous mix.”
“Yeah,” Chloe nodded, fiddling with Hazel’s hand.
“Towards the end of our relationship, she would disappear for days sometimes. Said she needed space to ‘burn bright again,’ whatever that meant. And I’d wait, like a puppy at the window. It made me forget what I wanted. Who I was.”
Chloe took a slow sip of the water they had been sharing. To give herself a moment to collect her thoughts or because she truly was in need of a drink, Hazel had no idea. But she wasn’t going to bother her with unnecessary questions.
“She left me for good about three weeks ago. And I was not okay.”
Chloe laughed at herself.
“I’m still not entirely okay.”
Hazel brought the hand she was holding into her own lap and wrapped her other hand around it too. Tracing shapes into the other girl's skin.
“Forgive me if this is out of place, because I truly don’t want my words to upset you,” Hazel begins slowly.
“But I’m glad she let you go. She didn’t deserve you.”
Chloe looked at her, surprised by how gently the words landed. There was something in Hazel’s gaze keeping her grounded. Something steady and warm.
“I’ve seen you around,” Hazel said, her voice even softer now. “You laugh with your whole face. You always help the old lady who frequents that cafe just off campus with her crossword puzzles. You bring your cat on walks like he’s a dog. You’re,”
Hazel looks her in the eye, counting the different shades of gold hiding between browns that swirl together like a mosaic of warm honey. She takes in the faint freckles that are often hidden by her makeup and the baby hairs that never seem to do what Chloe wants the rest of her hair to do.
Hazel had sailed the open waters, found the most precious of jewels hidden away on islands that would take your breath away. But not a single diamond, gold coin, or sparkle coming off the ocean water as the sun sets could compare to Chloe Charming.
“You’re bewitching.”
Chloe flushed. “Are you saying that because I just spilled my tragic queer breakup all over you and killed our vibe?”
Hazel grinned. “No. I’m saying it because I’ve had a tiny crush on you for weeks, and now I’m learning that there’s even more to like.”
Chloe looked at Hazel, really looked at her, and saw not a spark ready to burn her, but something else entirely.
Warmth. Maybe even something like peace.
And for the first time in a long time, Chloe let herself smile all the way to her eyes.
The look caused Hazel to blush and look away. As if the eye contact was suddenly too much to handle.
The older woman stared out into the yard as Chloe freed her hand from their hold in the other woman’s lap and tucked one of Hazel’s loose curls behind her ear, her heart thudding in her chest.
“Why are you looking at me like that,” Hazel whispered.
Chloe smiled, then replied slow and quiet.
“Like what?”
Hazel didn’t answer at first. She just shifted closer, close enough so that Chloe could feel her warmth. Could drown in her perfume.
“Like you’re trying to memorize me,” she whispered, barely audibly over the sounds of the party going on behind them.
Chloe’s eyes trail over Hazel's face, taking their time on the way down to her lips. Licking her own in the process.
“Maybe I am.”
Hazel begins to move closer at that, and Chloe’s stomach burns with anticipation. Their foreheads gently pressed together under the moon. Their noses bumped against one another playfully, taking their time in letting their lips meet. Their eyes held each other for a moment, electricity hanging heavy in the air as they dragged this moment out. Not wanting to rush their moment.
Fate seemed to be toying with the two of them though, as their moment was ruined by the sound of Chloe’s phone startling the two apart. Chloe groaned as she reached into her pocket, Hazel taking another sip of their shared water and pouting from her spot on the stairs.
Chloe pulled out the device and answered without looking at the caller.
“Hello,” she barked into the speaker.
“Damn, boo. Did I interrupt something?” Kailani asked on the other side of the line humorously.
“Yeah, kinda,” Chloe huffed out, annoyed with her friend.
“Sorry, Chlo. I was just calling to let you know that I’m ready to go whenever you are. My social battery is done.”
Chloe sighed and rubbed her hand over her face.
“Yeah, okay, I’m ready too. I’ll meet you in the front yard in a few minutes?”
There was a slight rustle on the other end before Kailani agreed to meet her there. The two said their goodbyes and Chloe hung up the phone, sliding it back into her pocket and standing up from her spot next to Hazel. The older woman standing alongside her.
“Heading out?” Hazel asked, voice low and warm.
“Yeah. Kailani is done for the night.”
Hazel nodded, but her eyes lingered a second too long, and Chloe felt the pull of it, like something unfinished was hanging between them.
“I’m glad you came out,” Hazel said. Her voice just barely above a whisper, sounding so different from the girl who was flirting with her unapologetically earlier.
“I’m glad I did too,” Chloe responds. “You should thank Lani for that actually. She was the one to drag me out of my room.”
“If I see her I’ll send her my appreciation.”
There was a pause, that golden kind of silence that feels heavier than words. Chloe took a small step forward, leaving just a breath of space between them once more.
“Goodnight, Hazel,” she murmured,
“Goodnight,” Hazel echoed.
Before the two lost their moment again, both girls surged forward into the other's space.
Their lips met hard and urgent. All of the tension and electricity that had been simmering between them tonight finally snapping into a flame. Hazel’s hands tangled in Chloe’s curls, pulling her closer, deeper, like she couldn’t get enough. Chloe responded with the same fire, fingers tight on Hazel’s waist and slightly slipping under the hem of her shirt. Their mouths parted with soft gasps as their kiss deepened.
It was messy, hungry, real. They molded together like they had been holding back for too long. Like this had been burning under their skin, just waiting for one of them to move first.
Despite all that led them to this moment, the kiss still felt sudden to Chloe. Sudden, but not unwanted. The kind of kiss that unfolds like a secret you’ve been dying to share with your best friend.
The two pulled apart, standing just inches away from each other, and Chloe wasn’t sure what to say or do next. She didn’t want to risk ruining their moment by speaking too soon.
Hazel’s eyes flickered to Chloe’s, searching. Lit by the glow of the fairy lights on the porch they stood on, she looked undone in the most beautiful way. Her cheeks were flushed, her lips parted and pink. Her brows furrowed like she was thinking the same thing Chloe was.
Then, without a word, Hazel reached into her pocket and pulled out a pen.
Chloe blinked.
Hazel didn’t say anything when she took Chloe’s wrist gently, like it was something precious, and turned it palm-up. Her hand was warm against Chloe’s cold hand, the heat sent butterflies straight to Chloe’s stomach for the millionth time that night.
“Hold still,” Hazel whispered softly, her pen already moving.
The ink was a deep maroon, not a shade of red Chloe was used to seeing on her skin. The color was just dark enough to stand out and Hazel’s writing was just light enough to feel like a whisper.
Chloe watched, heartbeat quickening all over again. Each number curled with purpose, etched onto her skin like a promise.
“What are you doing,” Chloe asked, her voice low and breathless.
Hazel glanced up, making eye contact with the other girl before smiling softly at her.
“Not letting this be a one-time thing.”
The words hit harder than they should’ve. Chloe looked down at her wrist. Ten digits and a little heart were doodled carefully onto her skin. Hazel’s handwriting was slightly messy, probably due to the alcohol in her system, and the ink was a bit smudged from her fingers, but it was legible.
Chloe looked back up at her and smirked, “You know, I have my phone on me. You could’ve just made your contact in that directly.”
Hazel capped her pen and slid it back into her pocket.
“Yeah,” she said. “But I wanted you to feel it.”
She lifted Chloe’s wrist again, their fingers brushing against each other.
“So you’ll remember. Not just what it says but,” she takes a pause to kiss the spot below her artwork and looks back at Chloe.
“All of this.”
Chloe stared at her for a moment, not sure whether to laugh and the cheesiness of it all or melt because she finally had someone who would act that way for her. Maybe both. The wind outside picked up slightly, pulling at their clothes, but neither of them moved. Didn’t want to. She turned her hand in Hazel’s and laced their fingers together.
“I don’t think I could ever forget,” she said.
Hazel’s smile was crooked but genuine and it brought a soft blush to Chloe’s face.
They stood like that, under the quiet stars and away from the rambunctious party that had started it all, two girls on the edge of something new. Inked digits between them. A kiss still lingering. And the kind of moment that leaves a mark long after it fades.