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The bus rolled in on gravelly pavement, the type thats withered away from years of monsterly use, cars, rain—waves.
The salty scent hit Noelle's nose first, the waves smell the least of her worries right now.
Susie, seated right next to her—playing with her phone. It seemed like some sort of Piano game, Noelle's cheeks flushed, she shouldn't be peeking.
The aquarium must be close, because from the back of the bus came a squaking sound Noelle could never mistake—berdly. Kris was sat next to him, only because Alphy's decided picking partners was up to her today.
Noelle looked over her shoulder at the blue bird who's face was pressed against the window, looking at a huge building.
Kris looked as if they were about to perish right there and then. and something about that look made Noelle feel a little bad.
"Kristafer! octo-dad incoming!" Berdly exclaimed, wrapping his arm around Kris's neck.
Noelle snickered to herself, then her eyes Met Susie's—accidentally of course! if anything Susie was looking at her—susie.. was looking at her?
Her face turned a dark shade of red and she froze. "Hi?"
"uh.. hey." Susie seemed to be just as red, maybe not.. Noelle wasn't the best with—this stuff. but she knew for a fact Susie wasn't either. "Kris looks like they're about to explode." She added quietly.
Noelle took a glance back at Berdly and Kris, she giggled. "Fahaha, you're right."
The bus hissed to a halt, and everyone lurched forward slightly. Noelle’s antlers bumped the window as she scrambled for her bag.
"Alright, out!" Alphys called from the front, her voice only slightly muffled by the laminated map she was anxiously flipping through.
Students filed out. Berdly made a loud squawk and launched himself off the steps like a parrot freed from a cage. Kris followed with the slow gait of someone hoping the tide would carry them far, far away.
Noelle stepped onto the pavement. The wind coming off the ocean whipped her scarf into her face. Susie followed behind, hands jammed into her hoodie pockets. Their eyes met again, quick and awkward.
“Guess we’re partners,” Susie muttered, tilting her head at the aquarium building. “Unless you, uh… don’t wanna.”
Noelle blinked. “N-no! I mean yes! I do! Wanna! …Partner.”
Susie chuckled, her sharp teeth catching the sunlight in a way that didn’t look scary this time. Just... warm. “Cool.”
Inside, the aquarium swallowed them up in blue light and cold air. The sounds of bubbling tanks, muffled voices, and distant whale calls created an underwater hush. Groups split off, and soon it was just the two of them walking beneath the curved glass tunnel of the main tank.
Noelle’s eyes were wide, drinking in the sight of fish the size of bikes drifting lazily overhead.
"That one's got a face like Berdly," Susie said, pointing at a pufferfish. Noelle stifled a laugh, her shoulder bumping into Susie's for just a second longer than necessary.
"You know," Susie said after a pause, "You always seemed like you'd be into this stuff."
"Huh? What stuff?"
"You know. Animals. Nature. Sparkly water garbage."
Noelle giggled. “I do like sparkly water garbage.”
Susie grinned. "Knew it."
They wandered into a quieter exhibit—the jellyfish room. It glowed violet and blue, soft and slow like time was stretching. Jellyfish pulsed gently in the tanks, floating like dancers in slow motion.
Noelle looked at them, then at Susie, whose face was lit with a soft blue glow. She was quiet. Peaceful.
"You’re different here," Noelle said, before she could stop herself. Her eyes flickering.
Susie blinked. "Huh?"
"I mean—not bad different! Just..." She fidgeted with her scarf. "I guess I always thought you were kind of... scary?"
Susie huffed, but she didn’t look mad. “Yeah. I get that.”
"But you're not," Noelle said quickly. "At least, not to me. Not anymore.”
There was a silence. Not awkward. Just full of things neither of them knew how to say.
“You’re not what I expected either,” Susie finally said, staring into a tank. "I thought you were just some shy deer girl who cried during gym class."
“I did cry during gym class.”
“I know,” Susie snorted. “But you also hit Berdly with a dodgeball so hard he saw stars.”
Noelle laughed, covering her mouth with both hands. “That was an accident!”
“Best accident I’ve ever seen.”
They laughed together, the sound bouncing softly off the glass walls. And then the laughter faded, and they were still standing close.
Noelle looked down at her hands. "Do you, um... want to share a hot chocolate later? They have a little café upstairs."
Susie looked surprised. Not like she was gonna bolt—just like no one had ever asked her that before.
“Yeah,” she said after a beat, her tail flicking once behind her. “I’d like that.”
Noelle hadn't quite noticed the movent, Susie let out a relieved sigh.
They didn’t hold hands, but they walked closer together after that. Just enough that their sleeves brushed now and then, and neither of them pulled away.
Outside, the ocean roared quietly. Inside, the world felt like it was floating.
The café was tucked into the second floor of the aquarium, half-hidden behind a wall of postcards and dolphin-shaped magnets. It overlooked the jellyfish tanks from above—soft blues and purples still casting their glow even this far from the water.
Susie nudged open the door with her shoulder, holding it just long enough for Noelle to slip in behind her.
The café was small. Warm. A little fogged up from the ocean air. The hum of the hot chocolate machine filled the space, and a sleepy seal plush sat on a display shelf beside a “no outside food” sign.
Noelle ordered two hot chocolates before Susie could even reach for her pocket.
“Hey, I was gonna—”
“It’s okay,” Noelle said quickly, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. “I wanted to.”
Susie raised a brow but didn’t argue.
They picked a table near the window. The tank below was glowing dimly now, and the jellyfish floated like living lava lamps.
“So,” Susie said, cradling the paper cup in her claws. “This is kinda weird, huh?”
Noelle blinked. “What is?”
“This. Us. Sitting. Being… normal people?”
Noelle smiled. “I don’t think we’ve ever been normal.”
“True.” Susie took a sip. Her face scrunched slightly. “Hot.”
“Careful,” Noelle said, laughing softly. “You’re supposed to wait.”
“Yeah, well, I like living dangerously.”
They sat in a silence that felt like it was waiting to be filled—but not urgently. Just… comfortably.
Noelle traced her finger along the lid of her cup. “Did you have fun today?”
Susie looked up, surprised. “Yeah. I did. Kinda didn’t think I would.”
“Why not?”
Susie shrugged, eyes drifting toward the glass wall. “I dunno. Thought I’d just spend the day making fun of Berdly and maybe getting yelled at by Alphys. Same old stuff.”
“But instead you got stuck with me.”
“No, that’s not—” Susie stopped. Groaned. “Okay. Lemme try that again. I meant it’s not bad. Being with you.”
Noelle looked down quickly—ears twitching. Her cheeks were heating up again.
Susie rubbed the back of her neck. “I mean, like. You talk to me. Not like I’m gonna snap your head off. And you laugh at my dumb jokes. I dunno. It’s nice.”
Noelle peeked up at her, eyes soft. “You’re not scary. Not when you’re like this.”
Susie’s eyes flickered. She stared into her hot chocolate like it held the answers to the universe. “Guess I like being ‘like this’ then.”
Noelle giggled.
Another pause.
“You, uh…” Susie started, her voice a little too casual. “You got anyone you like?”
Noelle choked on her sip of hot chocolate.
“Whoa! Geez—!” Susie leaned forward, passing her a crumpled napkin.
Noelle fanned her face. “Wh-why do you ask that?!”
“I dunno!” Susie said quickly, her voice cracking just slightly. “Just making conversation! Like normal people!”
“Well—what about you then?!” Noelle countered, voice squeaky.
Susie froze.
Both of them looked everywhere but at each other. The jellyfish tank. Their cups. A penguin-shaped cookie in the display case.
“…Maybe,” Susie mumbled finally.
Noelle blinked. “Huh?”
“I said maybe,” Susie repeated, a bit louder. “I dunno. Depends.”
Noelle hesitated. Her heart thumped loud enough to drown out the background music.
“…On what?”
Susie’s eyes flicked toward her. “On if she likes scary lizards with bad posture and worse conversation skills.”
Noelle’s lips parted slightly. Her whole face turned red.
And then—softly—she smiled. Her hand reached across the table, just barely brushing against Susie’s.
“…I think she might.”
Susie stared at their hands. Her tail gave a flick beneath the chair—earning another startled grunt from Noelle—she'd heard something! did that dream—
“Cool,” she said, like it wasn’t the best moment of her life, though her cheeks were flushed.
They sat there a while longer. The hot chocolate cooled. The jellyfish pulsed below. No one said it out loud, but something had shifted—a little bolder than before, a little more real.
The café stayed warm, even as the day began to dim outside. Neither of them rushed to leave.