"Woi're pretty far oiut..shouldn't we goio back?" Bubble said, jogging up to keep pace with me.

"It's not far," I reply, "just trust me on this."

"O-Oikay then.." She sounded nervous. Where is the spot, I swear it's around here! I don't want to keep Bubble waiting, especially not when she's feeling so unsure.

This has to be perfect.

Purple sand shifts underneath my feet as I walk down the Yoyleland shore. The sun is going to set soon. The pink tree should be here somewhere..

"Fanny! Fanny, wait foir me!" Bubble calls out. I turn; Bubble is far behind me, sprinting to catch up. Was I really walking that fast?

Bubble, now back at my side, places her hands on her knees, and pants heavily. "Soirry.." she heaves, "foir..being soio slow.."

Slow? "No, no. I was going too fast." I apologize, nearly stumbling over my own words. Bubble looks up, and stands upright.

"I knoiw this must be spoical to yoiu," she points toward the sun, "boiut it's goina get doirk soon. The rest of oiur toim will woinder where we went."

"I know. Just.." I glance around, but there's no tree in sight. Maybe we're in the wrong spot. And Bubble's right. I won't sacrifice her sense of security because I want to show her a place I can't find. I'll have to show her another time.

And confess another time..if I can even work up the courage again.

"Okay. Let's go back."

We start back towards the competition grounds. Bubble is off looking into the distance, a hint of wonder reflected in her eyes. Despite myself, I smile, cherishing the ever so innocent look.

"Hoiy..whoit did yoiu soiy the ploice looked loike agoin?"

"Er-" I freeze. "There's a pink tree, next to the shore."

"Loike thoit?" she points.

Like what? I look to where her finger goes, and there's the pink tree, overlooking the shore. I can't believe it! How did I oversee that?

"Yes!" I shout. I run, but pause midway. God, I hate how I act sometimes.

"You..want to come? We can still go back, if you want," my voice trails away at the end.

Bubble looks at the ground. She probably wants to go back.

"It's fine, you know. We-"

"Noio!" she interjects, then clears her throat. "Oi-Oi mean..I'd loike to see the ploice."

Huh. I thought she'd still want to go back, but I won't complain. I walk up to the tree and sit down, leaning against its smooth bark. The sand is warm and wonderful on my legs, and the setting sun casts streaks of red and orange onto the crystal water.

It's one of the few calmer places in this world. Something that I don't entirely hate.

Bubble is at my side, staring out into the ocean with wide eyes. Her shine took on a glistening rainbow, making her more radiant than she already is. It only makes sense that I'd share the place I love with the person I love.

Love..it's still so strange to me. A lifetime of nitpicking every single flaw, and accepting everything is wholly worthy of hate in some way..and along comes Bubble, someone who has flaws, but I couldn't say to myself I hated it. I always thought love was this perfect delusion; that when someone fell in love, the other person was just absolutely perfect in every single way.

And that's false. There's not a single perfect thing or person in this world. Hate was the only thing that was real to me. I think I was mistaken. Maybe love is different than what I thought it was. So what is love?

Bubble would help me understand that..I think. She's always been kind to me, right? Even if she didn't feel the same way..why am I so anxious? Do I fear rejection? Was that part of love, too? What did I work up all this courage for, just to be afraid when it actually matters? It's so stupid. This is stupid.

But I have to tell her. Do I? Is it expected of me? It's so..uncharacteristic. Does love do that, too?

"Fanny?"

"Huh?"

"Oire you oikay? You kinda zoined oiut.." she speaks.

"Yeah, I- I'm okay."

For the love of fulcrum, why am I freezing up? The words are on the tip of my tongue, but they refuse to go anywhere!

"Bubble!"

"Y-yeah?"

"Uh-" I clear my throat. "Bubble, I- I really like you." I mutter, tensing under the heat generating inside me. But I did it. Not as relieving as I thought it would be.

"Well, I really loike you toio, Fanny!"

That reply was really casual..is that supposed to happen? "Do you even know what I'm talking about? It's..it's the..love, kind of like. Love." I glance at the ground. The sand shines with pink and blue. "I love you."

"Oh!" I don't want to look at her face right now. I thought it would be easier once I said it, but I feel like dying waiting for her answer. What is she going to say? What-

A pair of arms wrap around my base. Was that Bubble?

"I loive you toio," she replied, holding me closer to her. A sigh leaves me, and all the tension flushes out. My eyes close, and the slosh of waves fill my mind and warmth fills my heart. She's so close to me.

This is nice.