flora
"Koa’s never been this much of a dipshit before," Flora mutters, picking at a loose thread on the edge of her swim bottoms like it might unravel the whole damn mess if she tugs hard enough. "He does stupid things, sure, but usually with purpose. The flowers, all that…I really thought it was him being bold. Romantic." She sighs, shaking her head, curls falling into her eyes as she recalled the hopelessly sweet and thoughtful things he'd once done for her. "I thought he was buying time to do something big for her. It never even crossed my mind he might’ve been stalling. Why would it?" Her voice dips with bitter amusement. "Wasn’t like I knew you were out here planting chaos."
She draws in a breath, then lets it out slow. "And yeah. Neither of us is uncomplicated, but…" Flora trails off, then shifts enough to glance at Kaisel. "What he’s doing to Sohalia? It’s exactly what I did to him. Only difference is, when I did it, there was someone else. Someone I was already halfway in love with and didn’t know how to say it. He’s doing it for nothing but indecision. And that…" Her voice wobbles before she catches it. "That’s worse. That’s so much worse."
But then Kaisel is shifting, and the arm around hers—the slow tangle of fingers in the spaces between hers—undoes her. Not in the loud, shattering way heartbreak does, but in something quieter. More disarming if only because of the unexpected rush of emotion it provides. Her breath leaves her like he’s stolen it, soft and surprised, her fingers tightening instinctively around his before she even realizes what she’s doing. He speaks, and gods, she wants to believe him. But her insides twist at the word shine.
"Maybe that’s why they invented sunglasses," she says softly, gaze fixed on the horizon. "So people could look at bright things without getting burned."
Her throat works around something she doesn’t say. Jack’s words echo too easily in her head—accusations he’d made that she’d pretended didn’t land. Some of them hadn’t been wrong; she had put the person she loved most at risk. Had risked his secrets for the greater good. Flora shifts again, this time using Kaisel's shoulder to brace herself as she stands, mumbling, "brb."
Her footsteps are light across the deck as she disappears below. When she returns, the Sugar Tide’s sun-drenched queen is dressed down—an oversized, soft cotton shirt slipping off one shoulder and a pair of short-shorts that still leave plenty of leg bare but it's worlds more fabric than she had just been wearing. Her curls are tousled, cheeks flushed not with heat, but something quieter. Sadder.
She approaches him slowly, feet bare against the deck, and holds out her hand. "Can I have a hug?" she asks, voice smaller now, the bravado drained away. Just Flora—sun-kissed and tired, wearing enough clothes to hopefully not make her friend combust, and trying not to fall apart.
She draws in a breath, then lets it out slow. "And yeah. Neither of us is uncomplicated, but…" Flora trails off, then shifts enough to glance at Kaisel. "What he’s doing to Sohalia? It’s exactly what I did to him. Only difference is, when I did it, there was someone else. Someone I was already halfway in love with and didn’t know how to say it. He’s doing it for nothing but indecision. And that…" Her voice wobbles before she catches it. "That’s worse. That’s so much worse."
But then Kaisel is shifting, and the arm around hers—the slow tangle of fingers in the spaces between hers—undoes her. Not in the loud, shattering way heartbreak does, but in something quieter. More disarming if only because of the unexpected rush of emotion it provides. Her breath leaves her like he’s stolen it, soft and surprised, her fingers tightening instinctively around his before she even realizes what she’s doing. He speaks, and gods, she wants to believe him. But her insides twist at the word shine.
"Maybe that’s why they invented sunglasses," she says softly, gaze fixed on the horizon. "So people could look at bright things without getting burned."
Her throat works around something she doesn’t say. Jack’s words echo too easily in her head—accusations he’d made that she’d pretended didn’t land. Some of them hadn’t been wrong; she had put the person she loved most at risk. Had risked his secrets for the greater good. Flora shifts again, this time using Kaisel's shoulder to brace herself as she stands, mumbling, "brb."
Her footsteps are light across the deck as she disappears below. When she returns, the Sugar Tide’s sun-drenched queen is dressed down—an oversized, soft cotton shirt slipping off one shoulder and a pair of short-shorts that still leave plenty of leg bare but it's worlds more fabric than she had just been wearing. Her curls are tousled, cheeks flushed not with heat, but something quieter. Sadder.
She approaches him slowly, feet bare against the deck, and holds out her hand. "Can I have a hug?" she asks, voice smaller now, the bravado drained away. Just Flora—sun-kissed and tired, wearing enough clothes to hopefully not make her friend combust, and trying not to fall apart.
I want to be when you fall on me like night
I wanna kill the lights
I wanna kill the lights
