Stare at anything long enough, and you can find yourself lost in the details.

In Alex Chen’s case, there were more than enough in the lakeside view. As she sat at the end of the dock, her mind wandering in a million different directions, she let her eyes soak in all the random little details of the scene before her.

Bubbles under the water, about twenty feet in front of her. I wonder what kind of fish they have here. I bet Duckie could tell me. A half-smirk formed on her lips. I bet he’d spend an hour doing it, too. Life’s too short.

A bird above her, soaring over the lake, drifting in lazy circles. A… red-tailed hawk? Ryan would know.

Though I’m not really inclined to ask him right now. She’d gotten Ryan’s apology for not believing her during the town meeting, but she still wasn’t sure how she felt about how he’d essentially betrayed her trust.

Nor was she ready to think about it in that moment.

A deer, barely visible, drinking from the far side of the lake. Alex watched it for a few minutes, enjoying the peaceful serenity of the scene.

… I’m stalling.

And I owe her an answer. Even if it’s only been a couple of hours.

Despite the decision she’d made on the rooftop earlier, she was still struggling with how she felt.

What if this doesn’t work? We’ve only known each other for a month or so.

What if she resents me for holding her back? I know how badly she misses touring.

What am I even going to do here? I want to stay, but I can’t freeload in the apartment forever.

… shit, can I even stay there anymore? Her heart skipped a beat at the new thought. Jed was the one who gave me permission, and he’s in jail. I don’t have any kind of lease. I don’t even know what’s going to happen to the Black Lantern now. I think I’m technically squatting.

Okay, one thing at a time. She let a slow breath out through her nose. That’s tomorrow’s problem.

I’ve spent enough time here. I need to find Steph. Putting this off isn’t going to make it any easier.

Alex sighed as she slowly stood up, brushing off her jeans before she turned and headed back down the main street. It was abnormally quiet, the usual traffic missing; she supposed that with the Black Lantern closed, the diner not quite open yet, and all the recent news, people were staying inside. She took her time, slowly gathering her thoughts as she strolled along the brick path.

It wasn’t long before she got to Rocky Mountain Record Traders. She stood in front of the door, hesitantly looking inside.

Okay. She squared her shoulders. Just… go in and tell her what you want.

And make sure that she wants the same thing.

And try not to fuck all this up.

Steph – never Stephanie unless you wanted a punch in the stomach – was lost in her own details inside the radio booth.

Or detail, singular. She stood in front of her control panel, watching the record spin in front of her as she tapped her foot nervously.

Seventy-four minutes until the bus leaves. She checked her watch, before itching her hair. How much time does she need?

Doesn’t matter. Steph tried to ignore the butterflies in her stomach as she checked the equipment. While taking deep breaths to try and calm herself down. You dropped a lot on her. She needs time.

Shit. Maybe I dropped too much. She clutched at her elbows nervously. God, fuck. You’ve known her for a few weeks, and you went all “you’re my everything” on her. You’re such an idiot.

Seventy-three minutes. Steph bit her lip as the song slowly began petering out. She flipped to a new one without any kind of comment on the air, which was unusual for her. But at the moment, she couldn’t concentrate enough to form any kind of witty statement.

… fuck it. I don’t care. If I didn’t tell her how I felt, then I would’ve regretted it for the rest of my life.

Seventy minutes. She tried to focus on the music, but it didn’t help. Though she did will herself to stop tapping her foot. Dammit, Alex… I cannot believe how much I need an answer.

Sixty-nine minutes. She couldn’t help the smirk. Nice.

The song began ending. But before she could do anything, she caught movement from the corner of her eye. Steph turned to see Alex as the black-haired girl came into view at the window. She immediately smiled, grabbing the record she’d pre-positioned at the table beside her before flipping on the microphone. “All right, Haven Springs, that was Ugly Frogs by the up-and-coming punk band Suicidal Redheads out of Salem. An odd name for a group that is neither red-headed or suicidal, at least as far as I know, but who are we to judge.”

She flipped the new record onto the turntable as she continued to talk. “Up next, maybe you love it, but I’ve spent years trying to nail this song on Guitar Hero and I still suck at it. We’ve got Through the Fire and Flames by Dragonforce.”

Alex couldn’t help but smirk as Steph left the booth. “Odd choice,” she remarked. “I didn’t know you were a fan.”

“… I’m not,” Steph admitted, as she closed the door behind her. “Like I said, it’s been the bane of my Guitar Hero experience. But it’s seven minutes long, and I don’t want to keep running between you and the booth.”

“Right.” Alex took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. “Appreciate it.”

“You made up your mind then?” Steph asked hopefully.

“Yea. I did.”

“… well, don’t keep me waiting, Chen.”

Alex bit her lip, looking at the floor as she kicked her feet.

I don’t even know how to start.

“I, uh…” Alex picked her head back up. “I never had a home before.”

Steph furrowed her brow. “I thought you lived-”

“I mean I never had a place to call home,” Alex clarified quickly. “Someplace where… I don’t know, I was happy to be. Where I felt like I was meant to be. Until I got here, I always felt like I was either temporary, or a burden, or unwelcome.”

A pained look came over Steph’s face. But the brunette continued to listen quietly.

“And… fuck. I’ve only been here for a few weeks, but it feels like I’ve been here forever.” Alex glanced back outside. “All these people accepted me, barely even knowing who I was aside from Gabe’s little sister.”

“He did hype you up a lot,” Steph offered.

“I heard.”

“So… you don’t want to leave.”

“But you do.” Alex phrased it as a statement, not a question.

“Alex-”

“I know you do. I heard the excitement in your voice when you told me that you were going back on tour.” She thumbed towards the front of the store. “And I saw the boxes.”

Steph grimaced internally, as she remembered that there was a small stack of hard cases by the register. She’d packed her drum kit in them the night before.

“I don’t…” Alex swallowed. “I don’t want to be the one that holds you back. I-”

“No. Stop.”

Alex fell silent, as Steph took a tentative step forward. The brunette reached out, taking one of Alex’s hands.

“Yes. I was excited to go back on tour,” she agreed. “But I told you that I wanted to do it with you. And I specifically said that if you wanted to stay here, then I wanted to stay here too. Do you not remember me tearing up the bus ticket?”

Alex nodded. “That… was pretty incredible,” she admitted. “But-”

“You’re not holding me back.”

“I don’t want you to feel that way in a few months.”

“I won’t.” It was Steph’s turn to swallow. “If I can’t have you with me… then it’s not worth it.”

Alex had an extremely worried look on her face as she met Steph’s gaze. “… do you really mean that?” she asked quietly.

Steph took another step forward, until she was nose-to-nose with Alex, and both of her hands moved up to cradle the black-haired girl’s neck before she slowly and deliberately planted their lips together.

They held the kiss for several seconds before they finally separated. “Now, tell me what I’m thinking,” Steph whispered.

Alex hesitantly shifted her focus, letting herself see the colors surrounding Steph. A white-gold aura began convalescing around the brunette’s smiling figure, and she reached out to feel it.

I want you, Steph’s voice whispered in her mind.

Whatever I do. Staying in Haven Springs or leaving to tour the world. None of it matters.

The only thing I care about is that I have you with me.

Alex’s lower lip trembled, and she blinked rapidly as moisture collected in her eyes. “You’re serious,” she stated.

“Dead serious.”

Steph held her silently, as Alex took fast breaths and tried to get her emotions back under control.

“You’re gonna have to help me unpack, though,” Steph finally added. “The drums are kind of heavy.”

Alex snorted as she quickly wiped her eyes. “I, uh… wait, does that mean I can touch the drums now?”

“You already touched the drums,” Steph reminded her coyly. “But yes, you now have official drum-touching privileges.”

“… dammit, Ryan,” Alex swore under her breath.

“Ah, don’t blame him. I threatened his manhood when I saw the smudge on my cymbal.” Steph smirked. “But I had already decided that I liked you, so you got a freebie.”

Alex raised an eyebrow. “That quickly?”

“Well, you’re cute, and there was a chance you liked girls.” The brunette shrugged. “Not like you broke anything.”

The dark-haired girl chuckled quickly, wiping her eyes again. “You’re really not mad about staying here?” she asked hopefully.

Steph raised an eyebrow. “Do I need to kiss you again?”

“I certainly wouldn’t mind.”

She smirked as she lowered her head. Steph could feel Alex close her eyes as the other girl stood up on her toes to meet her halfway, as they kissed again. This one lasted much longer, as the butterflies in Steph’s stomach went away.

“Oh, crap,” Steph breathed, finally pulling her head back.

“What?” Alex asked immediately, a look of alarm coming over her face. “What did I do?”

“Nothing, you didn’t do anything,” Steph assured her quickly. “But I have to do something really quick. Wait here.”

Alex watched, puzzled, as Steph darted back into the radio booth and adjusted the controls in front of her.

“Alright, Haven Springs, I think we’ve had enough of that,” she started as the song ended halfway through. “I’m getting bad memories of late nights with bloody fingers and too much pizza.”

She watched Alex smirk from behind the glass.

“But I’m afraid I do have some unfortunate news. Mostly for those of you who were interested in taking my job when I left.” She cleared her throat. “I regret to inform you all that there will no longer be an opening for a new disc jockey, as I have recieved a much more favorable offer to stay in town from…”

She paused, then looked at Alex and smiled slyly.

“… some chick.”

Alex burst out laughing. Steph was disappointed that she couldn’t hear it from behind the glass.

“With that out of the way, let’s get back to the good stuff.” She flipped through her music before selecting a song. “Here’s That Burning Feeling by Seattle’s coolest post-punk band, Angry Clam. Any double-entendres are products of your own dirty minds.”

She left the booth to see Alex standing with her arms crossed, a coy look on her face. “Is that all I am to you?” she asked, tilting her hip. “Just some chick?”

“I mean…” Steph stepped close again, looping her arms around Alex’s neck. “I could come up with worse nicknames for my girlfriend.”

Alex blinked, a look of surprise taking over her face. “… girlfriend?”

“Well… yea.” Steph paused, her heart practically stopping at the look on Alex’s face. “I mean… right? Unless you don’t… um…”

The black-haired girl let her struggle for a few more seconds, before she adopted a smug look. “Gotcha.”

“Ugh,” Steph gasped, putting a hand on her heart. “Not cool.”

Alex grinned, though it slowly faded. “I’m… not great at the girlfriend thing,” she admitted. “You, uh, promise not to judge me if I fuck up?”

“I do.” Steph smiled at her, as she looped the arm back over Alex’s shoulder. “You wanna dance and make out a little to celebrate?”

“… maybe not to a song that’s a synonym for gonorrhea,” Alex admitted.

“I’m pretty sure it’s actually a synonym for chlamydia.”

“Yea, that’s not better.”