Annie's face turned sour and she stopped to turn and throw a glance after the elder. Giselle copied her. All of a sudden her heart went heavy. A scene flashed back into her thoughts, Ian and her went out for dinner. They found a place downtown in front of a small Italian restaurant that had quite a commotion inside. Ian and her had been on a road trip up north and they stayed overnight in a smaller city built around an early Gothic cathedral. On that particular night, a group of maybe 30 people, most of them men, had reserved the interior of that place. In the centre of the commotion was a gay couple, surrounded by a cheering and celebrating crowd. As far as they could make out, it was their wedding evening or maybe stag night, it wasn't quite clear. Eventually they spotted a man wearing a black dress holding the hand of another man in a pink, expensive looking suit. Both Ian and her started to slag the odd couple off. While it got old quickly, Giselle remembered it to be quite mean. That she couldn't even remember why they started doing it, made her feel even worse now.

"I'm not laughing anymore, Annie. I promise, I won't", she finally said sincerely. As her hand tugged her friend to continue walking, she sighed and let her head sink down to glance at the concrete beneath their feet. The blonde eventually squeezed her hand and wondered, "What's gotten into you? You don't seem like yourself". The question made her grit her teeth and scowl even more. They crossed the street together and walked through a line of huge concrete blocks that outlined the pedestrian only zone in the centre of Blackwater. "I've done that to other people. Slagging others off, I mean. I didn't even consider how they felt", she admitted softly. Annie raised an eyebrow and shook her head, "I wonder why I have to tell you these things, but we all make mistakes. As long as you learn from them, they are nothing more". "Thanks for not yelling at me", the brunette tried to smile, but that didn't work and judging from her neighbour's response, her facial expression must've turned into a scary grimace.

Compared to their first meetings, when their conversations chased one topic after the next, this walk had been quiet and reflective. Giselle felt her hand being held tightly and a flood of memories returned to her. All those feelings that she suppressed into a corner of her mind when she tried to get Ian back. After leaving this part behind earlier, the permission to resurface had been given. The excitement of meeting someone. The spark of romance. The calm of sinking into a snug embrace. Suddenly she stopped her friend and turned to look into her blue eyes. "What!", Annie smiled up at her, still being slightly shorter, even more so with Giselle wearing heels. Instead of responding, Giselle kissed the woman in the middle of the street. People passed by them, left and right. Their conversations were a blur, the world around them sunk into a mist that swallowed everything except them.

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"I've missed you, Annie", the brunette whispered after they pulled their lips apart. Those blue, crystal eyes stared into hers and the woman put on the brightest smile she had ever seen on her. It forced her own lips to curl and mimic the smile. Annie's hand reached around her neck and pulled her down, pressing their lips together a second time. The ferocity of their lips could rain death upon a battlefield. The softness of their touch could calm a storm. The flame of passion in her heart pushed the air out of her lungs. She had never felt anything like it. It was breathtaking and gave her goosebumps.

An eternity passed until the noise of the street returned to her. She smiled at her neighbour sheepishly, but found no words. Quiet, still, yet with trembling hands, they stared at each other again. Annie found back into reality first, offering a shy laugh. She pulled Giselle along the street and happily looked up at the clouds. "You know, you better be serious about this. This kiss… it doesn't end well if you aren't serious", the blonde said playfully and squeezed her hand tightly. She radiated a newfound happiness. The brunette was still recovering, but offered the best answer she could muster, "I am serious about you". "Good! Otherwise I'll make you pay for dragging me onto this roller coaster". Giselle's head jerked in surprise, "I dragged you onto a roller coaster? Don't put all the blame on me!". Her friend whistled and her eyes rolled, "Giselle, you need to be a little less serious. It was an expression!". The cogs in her head turned and she realised that the humour of her neighbour sometimes was so weird, she had no idea how to deal with it. She brushed it off and changed the topic, "Where should we go? Do you want coffee?". Annie nodded and grinned mischievously, "Let's go have coffee in the Pink Apple". "I've never heard of that, Annie". "I am not surprised! It's where all gay and trans folks hang out these days!", the blonde smirked and watched in amusement how Giselle's facial expression changed from uncertain to scared to agreeable.