i don't do fake love (but i'll take some from you tonight)

vi.

"Idk yet."

"Oh, because you were doing more important stuff, right?" God, she'll be pestering them about it for ages afterwards. Hester let out an imaginary groan, turning her phone off. That was enough information for that day. She pulled closer to Anadil, head against her shoulder, careful to not wake her up, getting into the little bubble of comfort they have created. And Anadil welcomed her even in her sleep, turning face towards her, chin resting on her forehead. She took a mental note to absolutely not move anywhere.

She dozed off, not sleeping, just lost in thought, her body giving in to the comfort of the situation. Anadil finally started shifting, before she opened her eyes. For a second, she couldn't believe this was actually happening, but then it hit her like a truck. And then the thought of actually having to communicate now came to her, which felt even worse.

So she tried a smile and said: "Good morning." Neutral enough. Were they a thing now? Did they count as officially dating? What if it didn't mean anything? What if it was a bucket-list thing before dying? Hooking up with your best friend and telling her you love her? It seemed so silly but what if she wasn't overthinking and-

Thankfully, Hester seemed to be equally as anxious about it, blurting out: "Morning. Did you mean it when you said you loved me or were you just getting a wave of nostalgia before death or were you kidding-" Well, that was one way to ask.

"I meant it."

"Okay. Thank god." The tightness in her chest finally went away, giving her space to breathe.

"But what does it mean for us now?" asked Anadil.

"Whatever you want it to mean. I'm open to anything." That was surely true. She'd gladly marry that woman, burn the world for her, let her destroy her-

"Will you be my girlfriend then?" asked Anadil. Which felt much simpler.

"Oh. Yeah. Yes. Definitely."

They stared at each other, awkward, as if they've seen themselves for the first time, as if it was all new. And it maybe was, a new chapter in their life, one that they didn't dare open before. "May I-" asked Anadil, both of them somehow making out what she meant. They pressed their lips together, before pulling deeper, realer, because this was all happening, it wasn't just a dream, they were there and alive and with each other and it felt as if they've been reborn. And she was soft and sweet and felt just right, the way she welcomed her inside, making her feel just right, all of this being just right.

She moved on from her lips, kissing the skin of her face, just small, little pecks everywhere because there were so many places to discover, so many places that needed attention-

The door snapped open, the organisator coming in without the slightest sense of shame. Not even as he stepped on a bra, which he impolitely kicked to the corner of the room. "You're late to your programme," he said, ignoring their attempt to have a moment.

"I'm here to check whether you are alive, but I don't think that would be an issue considering the noise complaints I've received yesterday," he said, turning on his heel, rushing away instantly.

One thing they didn't have to worry about was their relationship seeming fake anymore. Unable to get enough of each other, they were commonly seen making out in places that were certainly not meant for that, thinking themselves wildly inconspicuous, then aggressively whispering praise at each other in such voice range that they could just scream at each other.

At a certain point in time, other passengers didn't find their behavior strange. It became a normal event to find them on the roof of the ship or in the janitor's closet. Or in the kitchen cupboards, which was quite peculiar even after all the time. Not that they didn't know about it, they just had their fun with trying to weird out as many people as possible. And the rest of the boat seemed satisfied with that, having their daily entertainment while trying to find them, especially if they were just behind the karaoke bar. The days seemed to be a sweet blur, full of quick kisses and rosy cheeks, avoiding the responsibilities of planning a wedding they didn't yet plan to have and enjoying the lightheartedness teenagerhood should have brought them. And life was good. They spend the nights awake, talking. And they could discuss the universe and everything in it and the words would never be enough. They watched the sun rise and fall, water clear and azure.