Birdgirl

13 - To New Friendships and Cherished Ones

Kensi skipped her way towards the main entrance of Palm Grove High -a contented smile playing on her lips. It had only been two days since she and Lia made their relationship official and with barely forty eight hours of trying to let everything sink in, Kensi was still on a high. She felt as if she was walking on air with an upbeat soundtrack playing in the background.

Gracefully descending the concrete stairs, Kensi took a deep breath while admiring the weather. Everything seemed to have been exaggerated in terms of beauty. The clear blue skies couldn't be brighter, the smell of the ocean couldn't be more refreshing and the songs of birds couldn't be more soothing.

Leaves of palm trees swayed with the gentle warm breeze, creating rhythmic rustling along with the lively sound of Miami traffic. Kensi's dark brown mane was swept haphazardly over her face, prompting her to brush a hand through it and yet, she still wore that smile.

"What took you so long? Diana and Janiah are already at the ice cream shop." Amber chastised as soon as Kensi was within hearing range. She pushed herself off of the hood of Kensi's car. Folding her arms, she sent her friend a disapproving look. "And I hate that smile. The least you could do is pretend to be regret being late."

Amber and Lia's birdboys were scattered about over at the parking lot with Kensi's car in the middle of the three that the varsity athletes drive -Landon's red Cadillac ATS was to the left, Ice's white Nissan Titan to the right while Trevor's silver Camry was behind, perpendicular to Kensi's. While the boys were in the safety of their vehicles, Amber opted to stand underneath the blazing afternoon sun - stubbornly and begrudgingly waiting for her friend.

"It's nothing." Kensi lifted her hands in surrender, jogging to the group. "I'm sorry." She halfheartedly mumbled. "Let's just go."

"Hold up!" Amber drew her head back to a good scrutinizing distance. She pointed at Kensi's face, circling her extended index finger around the area. "What's that smile for?"

"It's merely a smile, Amber." Kensi countered defiantly despite trembling internally, desperately trying to avoid her friend's gaze by fishing for her keys in her tote bag instead. Amber could easily see through her friend and it is never a good idea to hide something from Amber. "Where's Jaron? I n-"

"Am I dreaming?" Ice interrupted incredulously, peering at the two girls from his rolled down passenger window. He plunged his wayfarers down the bridge of his nose and looked at the green-eyed girl with raised brows with that arrogant smirk of his. "Or is Kensi Lancaster calling my name?"

Every pairs of eyes were on Kensi, even Landon climbed out of his car to inspect the situation further with slightly parted mouth and knitted brows. Apart from Ice's clearly amused look, the other three were nothing short of baffled. Everyone knew of Kensi's blatant dislike of Ice and none of them had any clue as to what the green-eyed girl would need from him apart from her dropping various critical comments.

"Can we talk?"

Ice straightened in his seat, clearly taken aback by the question. He paused for a moment, trying to catch up on what he was clearly missing. "Yeah, sure."

Upon recovery from the initial shock, he quickly rolled the open window up and scrambled out of his car. He was just by the hood of his car when Kensi tossed her blue Las Vegas casino chip key ring to him which created a mild clank as it traveled the trajectory. Ice easily caught the item, nodding at the girl in cognizance.

"Drive. We're going together." Kensi commanded. "We'll come back for your car later."

Ice pursed his lips, shrugging. "Fine by me."

The boy was as curious as everyone else. With the rarity and the hostile tendencies of their previous dialogues, he was growing increasingly intrigued. Kensi was not sending him her infamous scowls or rolling her pretty green eyes, she wasn't even close to scoffing or subtle mocking. She was actually pleasant for once - pleasant with a hint of coyness.

"Okay." Amber mumbled dubiously, raising her brows along but raised a hand in surrender of trying to piece everything together. She trudged towards her boyfriend's car with the boy chuckling his confusion away, as expected. Everyone else were piling into their designated cars -Landon still with his uncharacteristic frown.

"Are you finally asking for my advice?" Ice lightheartedly teased as he descended to the driver's seat of Kensi's black Challenger. Pulling the lever underneath the seat, he probed the distance to provide ease and comfort for his significantly longer legs than Kensi. He strapped himself in and proceeded to adjust the backrest, side and rear-view mirrors, mouth slightly parted with his tongue prodded over his bottom lip.

"Keep that up and I'll make sure you remember this day well into the future, cringing like it happened the day before." Kensi warned in her idiosyncratic tenacity while securing herself to the seat and then moved to rummage through her purse for her cellphone.

And cringing Ice went. He was aware that Kensi's threats were never empty. The green-eyed girl would follow through with anything and everything that flow out of her mouth -admirably remaining true to her words. He apprehensively kept his hazel eyes on his right hand while he inserted the key to the ignition while the other was unconsciously over his clothed member, protecting it. He was silently thanking the heavens for the automatic transmission.

Kensi snickered through a seemingly permanent mischievous open-mouth grin. She tossed her purse to the back seat and sat back, typing a text message to her girlfriend.

I'm just reminding you you have a girlfriend now and she does not share. Behave, Casey. Understood? I'm kidding...or maybe not. You'll never know. ;) I love you! See you in an hour!!

By the time Kensi finished, they were out of the school grounds and cruising down the main road on a steady speed with trees, people, buildings and cars alike swooshing by. While she wore a satisfied grin and cradling her phone in both her hands, Ice was still perceivably tensed with his hand still hovering over the middle of his legs. His eyes were glued onto the asphalt road with white and yellow streaks.

Chuckling, Kensi raised an incredulous brow as she glanced from the boy's hand and then his straight face. She was enjoying the boy's distress. It was refreshing sight from his usual arrogant demeanor. She reached for Ice's shoulder and tapped it twice.

"Relax, I'm not touching that." The green-eyed girl brushed a hand through her hair and looked straight at the road, her amused expression slowly dropping. "Dating Duke only made me realize I'm gay as hell."

"You don't have to like it to break it, Lancaster." Ice teased in a halfhearted, cautious laugh. "I assumed you liked girls but I didn't think you were gay gay, you know?" He emphasized with a nod.

He was slightly relaxing and slowly immersing himself in the alien connection with the girl. Establishing he liked it, Ice smiled. Ice was still unable to fully comprehend what was happening. They were laughing and it was genuine.

"How'd you last a year and a half with him then?" He tried, curiosity overpowering his fear. He slowly sank his foot down on the brake as they approached a red light, gradually coming to a stop -an impressively smooth stop.

"I was waiting on your Birdgirl to make a move." Kensi clarified, huffing in frustration. She glared at the road ahead, as if blaming the inanimate object. "And she didn't." She begrudgingly spoke as she dropped her shoulders.

His breathing halted abruptly, arching his brows. He glanced at the girl momentarily before focusing back on the road. "Wait. So, you like Casey?"

Kensi scoffed in her fake grin. "'Like' is an understatement."

"I called that!" Victorious, he balled his hand in a fist and jerked it with pride gushing through his veins. "I'm sorry if I kept annoying you. I wanted Casey to see wh-"

"Thank you, Jaron." The green-eyed girl interrupted -a sincere toothless smile playing on her lips.

The boy mirrored her expressions just after he snapped his gaped mouth shut, puffing air out in a combination of amusement and delight for his friend and new friend. "As much as I like this version of you, I mostly did it for Casey but I like you for her."

"I know we never really got along. I really thought you were just trying to rile me up." Kensi shrugged, inhaling deeply. "I mean, the best way to annoy me is through Lia. I'm very protective of her. She acts all tough and all but you can tell she's hiding something, especially at the start of summer."

Ice nodded in agreement, easing them back to the speed limit. "You and I both."

Kensi propped her elbow by the window with her hand supporting her head. "So, where would you take a girl on a first date?"

"I was thinking I'll take Diana to my house." He extended his finger, halting Kensi who gulped a lungs-worth of air, ready to protest. "I'll set up a picnic right in front of the fireplace in the patio out back and cook for her. That should be good enough for a good girl, right?"

The green-eyed girl nodded with pursed lips, contemplating. She was undeniably intending on expressing her detest for the boy and his bright idea, assuming he was planning on turning the date into something more s****l than romantic.

"You don't know me, Lancaster." He reminded her, furrowing his brows in a feigned show of arrogance. "I might just become your best wingman."

Meanwhile, Lia forcefully yanked a chair to sit on with her eyes dead set on the pale blue ones in front of her. They were silently challenging each other with Lia bearing such disdain for the boy while Jeremy possessed sheer conceit. The combined smell of musky old books and crisp new ones along with the nauseating smell of fresh paint and various fragrances cloaked the small corner where the two sat. The supposed cold breeze provided for by the industrial air conditioning quickly became dense and a thin layer of sweat grazed the girl's forehead in her anger.

"Aren't you the girl who hangs out with those jocks?" Jeremy scoffed, sitting back on the wooden chair.

"Yes, those jocks are my friends." Lia raised a brow, leaning deeper into the table with unwavering confidence. The mention of the boys reminded her of the predicament the blue-eyed boy posed for her girlfriend on the first day of school. "They're nice, protective guys who would do absolutely anything for me. But I heard you tried to pull the moves on my Kensi." She barked in a low, intimidating voice. Her teeth gritted with eyes practically murdering the boy repeatedly. "If I hear one more stunt like that, I'll make sure it'd be the last d**k move you ever do."

The boy's resolve crumbled right before his eyes. The sky blue hues flagrantly displayed fear. He bowed his head down and averting the infuriated brown irises, resigning himself to failure. His heartbeat had never been that quick and that forceful, it seemed as though it was being chased by vicious carnivores, determined to devour him.

"Sorry." He timidly mumbled, far from his typical manner.

Lia straightened in her seat, satisfied with her triumph. "It's fine. We won't have a problem if you keep those little hands to yourself." She slightly bowed her head down, looking at him through intense hooded eyes. Maliciously lowering her voice, she muttered through gritted teeth, "Do we understand each other?"

Jeremy frantically nodded, praying for the conversation to end. He had never been more eager to learn that in that moment. He clasped his hands together in his lap, occasionally glancing up to the girl in front of him.

"Let's just stick to the studying, shall we?" She twisted in her seat, freeing herself from the straps of her backpack. She reached in for a notebook and a small pouch containing her pens and pencils before setting the bag aside on the far end of the table. With a pen and the opened notebook before her, she was ready for the tutoring session.

"Sure." He sighed, pushing his English essays and quizzes at Lia with noticeable red marks grazing the pages.

"What are we studying for?" Lia accepted the sheets of paper, blindly situating them right in front of her, over her notebook.

"Three classes but we're only doing English today. I have a paper to turn in on Friday and Mr. Rutherford told me I needed to improve on my sentence construction - whatever that means."

The younger girl nodded, fighting the urge to scoff. She finally let her eyes wander down to the top most page of the small pile of paper and picked it up. Lia skipped the grade encased in a circle to the top right corner of the sheet. She inattentively inspected the various little details that Jeremy scribbled over the dotted lines, his name, year level and the date before setting her eyes on the first sentence. She wasn't expecting much, but her eyes instantaneously bulged out in shock and utter confusion.

"Seriously?" Lia protested disbelievingly. "Is English not your first language? Where were you in grade school?" Exceptionally worked up, she was easily breathless just because of the grammatical errors she spotted. The more she read into the paragraph, the worse her headache grew and she initially had the lightest feeling in the confines of her skull.

Lia easily spotted the most common grammatical errors on the first few sentences. She trusted her English teacher's judgment but was dumbfounded at how most of her peers could not fully grasp the disparities of the words that are being thrown on a daily basis. Setting the paper down forcefully, she bit her lips to prevent herself from spewing even more demeaning words. She was huffing and puffing in utter frustration.

"That's why we're here, Casey." He bemoaned irritably yet shrinking in shame.

"First of all, drop that attitude and second of all, I get to say whatever the hell I want or you march your whiny ass down to the Principal's and ask for someone else." The brown-eyed girl's words were sharp and dripping with venom. She pointed to the direction of the office, swiftly standing up, the legs of her chair dragged loudly against the tiled surface. Her face was rock hard and condescending. "I would appreciate the free time. Your choice."

"Fine. Fine." Jeremy heavily sighed, shaking his head. He swallowed his pride despite the relentless tug at his gut. If only he wasn't desperate. "I'm sorry."

"Good." Lia sternly proclaimed. Demanding for his attention, she stared at him in the eyes. The ruckus created by the vibration of her phone deep in her bag caught her attention but put it off considering what she was talking to Jeremy about was crucial. Deeply frowning, she implored, "I will only explain this once and I'm begging you, please pay attention." A wary nod from the boy prompted her to continue. "'Than' with an 'a' is used for comparison while 'then' with an 'e' is practically 'next', 'after that' or 'in addition to'. That is the easiest explanation I can give you. Please tell me you got that." She looked to the blue-eyed boy expectantly, desperation seeping into her.

"Okay." Jeremy looked up to the right, processing the new information. He loosely used the two terms interchangeably up until that point. There had always had an apparent confusion when red circles would enclose the two words.

"So, what would you use if you compare my pen and the notebook," The girl began, scrutinizing the boy with the intensity of her gaze but was literally and metaphorically on the edge of her seat. The suspense she felt caused her already agitated heart to pound harder. She raised her pen along with her tensed brows. "This pen is smaller than or then the notebook."

"Than?" He apprehensively answered, hopeful yet filled with doubt. When his tutor gave him an unimpressed look, he cleared his throat and mustered his composure. "Than. It's 'than.'"

"Good." Lia commended, a small smile making it to her lips. She had always felt a sense of pride whenever her students learn from her. Reading the boy's essay, she arched her brows. "Exactly what do you mean by 'should of'?"

The more Jeremy listened to his tutor's angered ramblings, the more intrigued he was of the girl. He was quickly warming up to her and had admired how learned she is. There was a certain command to Lia's words which evidently showed how impressively intellectual the girl is. More importantly, he was amazed at how the girl made things significantly comprehensible. He was hoping that she could make life a little more understandable, too. He had been lost for years.

For some reason, he had no urge to hit on her. The girl just demanded respect even without her blatantly speaking it. She shut him up for once and she was not jabbing at his deficiencies or the label that hovers above his head, the reputation that Lia was implying, a philanderer.

And that smile, that small smile. He told himself, unconsciously smiling.

"Are you paying attention?" Lia snapped her fingers repeatedly in front of his face. Weirdly enough, her words had no trace of hostility. Surprising herself, the brunette was oddly...playful. She was actually enjoying the subtle banter. "Should have and should of, O'Neal."

Chuckling, Jeremy lightly swatted her hand away. "I might need you to explain it to me, Casey." He cutely scrunched his nose up. "Just so we don't waste any more time."

"Fair enough. We have quite a lot to go over, unfortunately." The girl easily relented, lightheartedly rolling her eyes. "First of all, it's 'should have'. Think of it this way -you have done one thing and there was a better option. Hence, you should have done it instead." Hands and arms flew to different directions as Lia explained with determination in her eyes. "'Should of' is ridiculously incorrect. Whoever invented that phrase will get a word or two from me. 'Of' means 'belongs to', 'linked with', or 'related to'." It's not you of done, Jeremy! That's complete and utter nonsense. Why are people so confused with this?" Her features crumpled, showing just how passionate Lia was. She was panting even.

"I don't know." Shaking his head, Jeremy bit his lips and shrugged. There was a stubborn smile creeping into his lips and it wasn't an arrogant smirk.

Lia attached her hands onto her head, her fingers combing through her silky dark brown hair. Ragged breaths and heavily beating heart, she looked up to connect eyes with the boy. Despairing brown orbs looked to the amused pale blue ones, exuding her utmost urgency. Her desire for the boy to understand, just like her other students, was commendable.

There were many reasons as to why most of the student body preferred to be tutored by the brown-eyed girl. Lia had a way of simplifying things and in turn, making the lesson easier to understand. She also had a gift of quelling their various anxieties, cracking light jokes or flagrantly encouraging them.

Furrowed brows and down-turned mouth, she asked, "Do you get it?"

"I do." Jeremy flashed his tutor a proud grin which caused the girl to let out a relieved sigh. The sound of his laughter filled their significantly lighter environment.

Lia narrowed her eyes at him, pointing with her pen. "If I see these errors in your paper, I will stab you."

The little warning only intensified Jeremy's laughter. Sitting back, he clutched his belly as his chortling contracted his muscles repeatedly. "That ought to keep me on the right track, a threat."

"I'll take anything." Lia chuckled as she dropped her hand down. "What will you be writing about?"

"Alfred Tennyson."

"English poet." Lia hummed inquisitively, momentarily tearing her eyes from the boy. "Do you want to have a go at it? We'll go over it after."

With a go sign from Jeremy, the brown-eyed girl took the time to fish for her phone and finally see the message that had been waiting for her for a good fifteen to twenty minutes. A smile quickly made its way to Lia's lips as one particular name flashed on her screen. The name alone caused her heart to stumble for a second before picking up its pace and rocking her entire chest cavity.

The things Kensi does to her.

The tug at her lips strengthened, exposing a broad grin when she read the playfully composed message. Staring at the screen, Kensi's mischievous grin made its way to Lia's thoughts. Butterflies were quick to invade her frozen yogurt-yearning belly while her lips tingled, craving her girlfriend's.

She was quick to type a response, her thumbs jumping into action.

Lol! I love you, baby! I am behaving. When have I not behaved? Don't u trust me? I can't wait to see u! The hour is almost up.

Kensi's reply was lightning speed. The green-eyed girl didn't care if she seemed too eager. She had waited for the reply long enough. More importantly, she waited many years to be with Lia and she was done waiting.

You're telling me I should trust the infamous Birdgirl? Fat chance, babe. That wingman has kissed so many girls, I think the girlfriend needs some sort of compensation. I think make out sessions will do. I trust you but I'm not kidding about the kisses :p

Shaking her head, Lia set her phone down to her right. She was reluctant but she did. Replying was not an option, considering if she did, the string of text messages would go on and her tutoring job would be suffering. Her heart was swelling with a distinct bliss that only Kensi could give her and her cheeks were hurting terribly but nothing could wipe that smile off her face.

"Somebody special?" Jeremy asked, looking up from his notebook. He had only managed to write a sentence and was not particularly willing to continue with his work. There wasn't much to squeeze from his brain, he was still unacquainted with the poet he was writing about.

"Very much so." Lia answered vaguely yet the smile on her face was unmistakable.

The brown-eyed brunette decided to discuss other common grammatical issues. Jeremy was more than eager to hear more, given that it was a distraction from his homework. Taking notes, he would occasionally ask questions. Lia suggested that he research more about the world-renowned man - suggesting that they e-mail each other if he had any more questions. They were supposed to meet again by Tuesday and the boy was undeniably ecstatic about it.

The hour had finally passed and Kensi was standing right outside of the library with her black motorcycle helmet dangling from her hands. Seconds had never felt as long as when she was waiting for her girlfriend. Light footsteps soon grazed her ears, each tap seemed to have been synchronized with her heartbeat. The anticipation dried up her mouth and smothered her lungs but she was giddy, she definitely was giddy.

To her dismay, it wasn't her girlfriend. It was probably one of the people she was most repulsed by. The anxiety he had caused her on that fateful first day was etched in her head. She couldn't understand why she didn't stand up for herself when she was obviously capable of it. What was it about him? What was it about Jeremy?

Surprisingly, the boy immediately looked away right as their eyes met. Head bowed down, the boy went around the building to the main exit, out of Kensi's way. The green-eyed girl didn't understand it but she liked it.

"Hey!" Lia's raspy voice filled the almost deserted place, echoing from every corner and crevice. She skipped towards her girlfriend, grinning happily.

"Hi." Kensi retorted, slinging her arm behind the girl and urgently collided their lips.

Lia instinctively set her hands on either side of Kensi's neck, gently guiding her girlfriend to her. Breathless, Kensi drew air in as their lips moved together. Fireworks shot up to the sky, giving Kensi's world a show before disappearing forever. As for Lia, she was instantly lightheaded and she could have sworn she could see those pesky yellow birds that loop around a cartoon's head. Hearts were beating uncontrollably, forcing their lungs to keep up pace.

"What about the others?" Lia whispered, leaning her forehead against her girlfriend's. She wrapped her arms around Kensi's neck, drawing her near.

The green-eyed girl grinned proudly, pecking Lia's lips. "I already looked. The coast is clear."

Eyes closed, Lia sighed contentedly. "I'll never get used to this."

Kensi chuckled. "Trust me, that's a good thing."

The younger girl nodded, slowly pulling away and reaching to mesh her hand with Kensi's free one. She tugged at her girlfriend slightly, coaxing her to start walking towards the front entrance.

Remembering the helmet, she looked at Kensi questioningly. "Why do you have that?"

Kensi lifted the specific safety gear, jerking it slightly. "Oh, this? We're taking your bike." A hint of insecurity overclouded Kensi as she remembered how she obtained the helmet. She scrunched her features up as if bracing for impact, shyly meeting her girlfriend's eyes. "I hope you don't mind but I broke into your locker."

"There's a reason why you know my combination." Lia's chocolate pools spoke of her love and adoration for the girl, especially her uncharacteristically timid disposition. She tightened her hold on her girlfriend's hand, reassuring her. "I trust you, Kensi."

The three words sparked Kensi's confidence. She stood straighter and her lips, they molded into her adorably annoying smirk. "Well, then. I'd like to see that trust." She lifted her chin up in a display of arrogance. "Will you go out on a date with me?"

"I thought we didn't need to go on a date." The younger girl looked at her incredulously, narrowing her eyes.

Kensi huffed, c*****g her head slightly and beaming at her girlfriend. "Yeah, well, I thought my girl deserved a date."

"So, I'm your girl?" As calm as Lia seemed, her insides were in the best kind of uproar. The word of possession sent ripples of whirling excitement to dance in her belly.

"Pretty much."

They were close to the front steps, Lia's Harley held upright by its kickstand. A particularly striking color resting on the motorcycle's narrow dashboard caught the younger girl's eyes. It was blue. It was misplaced, a noticeable disparity from the black vehicle. She couldn't seem to decipher what the item was given that they were still quite a distance away. However, something else caught her attention, gasping.

"Wait, I'm only wearing this?" Her hand circled the entirety of her body, gesturing at the regular clothing she was wearing. She raised her free hand to block the setting sun's rays from her eyes.

Kensi sighed, halting them right at the top of the front steps. She slightly swiveled to block the glaring afternoon sun. "I wanted to go on a date with the girl who happens to be wearing the clothes and not whatever those clothes make the girl."

An abnormal warmth made its way to Lia's cheeks, tinting the soft skin a deep shade of red. She ducked her head down, lightly pushing her girlfriend by the shoulder. "How come I didn't notice this side of you before last Friday?"

The green-eyed girl chuckled, taking a step back. "That's cause you refused to see this side of me."

"I'm sorry, babe." Lia frowned, bashfully meeting those intimidating green eyes. Kensi immediately waved the apology off, and the younger girl decided to switch to a more pressing subject. "Where are you taking me?"

"Do you mind if I take you to one of my favorite places?"

The younger girl beamed at her, eyes ever so affectionate. "Not at all."

Lia was too ecstatic to see this "favorite place" and to finally discover the blue item that caught her eye. Careful not to trip, she pulled girlfriend towards the Harley, basking in the warmth of the sun. Little streaks of white fluff accentuated the pale blue sky. Her entire body cringed at the thought of falling face first on the rough surface of those front steps. It soon changed when her sight dropped to the blue figure, finally seeing it up close. Her breath hitched with her heart scrambling to compensate for her feelings for her girlfriend and the surprise that surged through her.

A blue rose. Lia told herself, smiling as her delicate hands made contact with the silky surface of the lush petals. Enthralled, she let go of her girlfriend’s hands and gently picked the flower up with both of hers and exposed its long stem that was free of thorns. Lifting it up her nose, she sniffed it, smiling as her eyes hid behind her lids.

"Why blue?" She asked quietly and finally meeting Kensi's expectant yet jubilant eyes. "I'm not saying I don't like it because I absolutely love it but knowing you, there has to be a reason -a symbolism."

Kensi set the helmet on the seat, the other one still dangling off the bike's handle. She positioned her hands on the younger girl's waist, offering a small smile. With a sigh, Kensi began, "Blue portrays tranquility but it also represents depression and sadness. I had not really thought about this before but when I saw it today, I realized it holds much more meaning than I thought." She raised her hand and brushed the back of her fingers over at her girlfriend's jaw before cupping her cheek.

"I know this is conflicting but a blue flower represents you in my life. I find peace and serenity in you, babe. No matter how horrible I felt, how hard I cried - when you're there, everything just magically falls into place and it wasn't just this summer. It was for the whole four years that we've been friends. You are the first person I run to because every single time something good or bad happens, there's always this little voice in my head saying 'I have to tell, Lia'. You single-handedly took care of me the entire summer that I was a wreck and you're the reason why I smile today.

"I want to share my happiness with you just as we've shared my burdens and I want you to know, and again I will say it, you have always had me and you will continue to. You know I'll listen to you if you have a lot of resentment to unload, my arms will be wrapped around you if you decided you want to bawl your eyes out -and I'll be there if you want to do something for the heck of it.

"Blue is the color of the ocean and the skies, and from here, they're vast and endless. If there was a person to embody that metaphor, that would be you. Every day, I find something to be thankful for because of you, and I know I will keep discovering little pieces of you, every single one of them I'll be grateful for. And even then, I might still not be able to find every puzzle piece that make up the amazing person that you are. But I know who Lia Casey is - she's a beautiful person and she's passionate about everything she does.

"I know I can't always have peace or happiness because life doesn't work like that. But as long as you're there, I'm not complaining." She shook her head and swallowed hard, mustering every control she had in her body. "There's one more thing about Lia Casey that you need to know though."

"What's that?" Lia whispered, choked up by the ambush of affectionate words. Her eyes were brimming with tears and she had lowered every wall that blocked everything out. She was so close to tears and she was not holding back. Those tears and her vulnerability barely make an appearance and yet whenever they do, Kensi is around.

Kensi tenderly smiled at her girlfriend, lifting the other hand to Lia's cheek. Her green-eyed coated with moisture that still could not hide the sincerity in her words. "Kensi Lancaster is endlessly in love with her." Her voice wavered, overwhelmed by her emotions. "I'm sorry. I still can't believe we got here."

"We took your car this morning." Lia jested just as tears began to stream down her cheeks with Kensi ready to wipe them away.

Rolling her glossed eyes, Kensi grinned. Droplets tumbled down from her eyes just as Lia stood on her toes and eagerly locking their lips together, taking time with every delicate movement. Breathing had never been as hard as when they kiss. Pulling away, both girls were sniffling messes. They wiped each other's tears with soft giggles escaping their lips. The blue rose still cradled in Lia's left hand.

"Babe," Lia mumbled, lovingly studying her girlfriend's features. "I need you to tell Kensi Lancaster, Lia loves her so, so much and that she could not be any happier that they made it to wherever the hell they are. Tell her that Lia couldn't imagine a life with a different person. Kensi is unfortunately stuck with her." Lia's lips unearthed a playful grin and yet the warm brown eyes reflected her sincerity. "Thank you, Kens. This and you, especially you, are beautiful."

With one lasting kiss, Kensi decided it was time to leave for their date.

"Here." Kensi reached for Lia's helmet and helped the girl slip it on. She knocked at the hard surface, beaming with pride. She slipped her own helmet over her head and swung her leg over the motorcycle with her girlfriend following suit.

The green-eyed girl was ecstatic and nervous about the date. She was taking her girlfriend to a place where a crucial part of their friendship took place. Quaint and simple yet profound was what she was aiming for. However, she feared that what she had planned was lackluster and it was supposed to be their first date. And yet, it was too late to back down.

Revving the magnificent beast that is the Harley Davidson, Kensi took a deep breath and slowly let go of the brakes.