━━━━𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒆𝒏.

   𝐀 𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍𝐀𝐆𝐄 girl paced through the
infirmary, stocking medical carts. Andy peered down to the clipboard held in her hands, biting her lower lip as she scans the piece of paper covered in pen.

"Hey, doc."

The dark-skinned girl rolls her brown eyes, turning to greet her girlfriend leaning in the doorway. Andy meets Mason's gentle smile, the raven-haired girl placing the clipboard on the desk beside her.

"How many times have I told you to stop calling me that?"

The Miller girl carries forward, moving her calloused hands upon her girlfriend's hips. The smaller teen moves her arms to rest around the brunette's neck, a soft grin curling her lips.

"Apparently, not enough." Maisie bends down a bit, lips meeting with Andy's in a gentle peck. The girls rest their foreheads together, eyes closed as they take in the warmth of each other's embrace.

"Hi." The Fisher girl whispers, playing with the ends of her girlfriend's short hair.

"Hi." The older girl greets, the pads of her thumbs rubbing subtle circles on Andy's hipbone. With a soft kiss on Mason's jaw, the younger teen pulls away, moving to sit on the withering desk behind her.

"So, what brings you here on this fine evening?" Fisher raises a dark brow, blowing a piece of her pinned back hair from her brown eye.

"What? I can't come to visit my girl when she's working?"

Andy sends Maisie a knowing look, a reluctant breath escaping the brunette's lips.

"Okay, I might've gotten a little scraped up yesterday-"

"What?" The Fisher girl immediately perks up, worries etching her features. "Why didn't you come to me?"

Placing two calming hands on her girlfriend's shoulders, Mason looks down at the girl reassuringly.

"Baby, I'm fine. It's a little cut, nothin' to worry about."

Andy takes the girl's palm into her own, leading her to a lone stool. The raven-haired girl gestures to the seat with her hand, moving over to the cart of medical supplies.

"Sit."

Maisie rests upon the rickety chair, hand rolling up the sleeve of her father's green flannel. Her girl examines the cut, rubbing alcohol at the ready. Andy wasn't the least bit surprised when her girlfriend didn't move to flinch from the sting, continuing to move quickly with the pad in her hand.

"What do you think, doc? Am I gonna make it?" Mason lets her eyes trail over the Fisher girl's delicate features, a whisper of a smirk on her lips.

"Well, it was a close call, but with a long road to recovery, I reckon you'll be just fine." The dark-skinned teen finishes wrapping a pure white bandage around the Miller girl's arm, pulling the sleeve of her green flannel to rest back on her wrist.

Andy stands between Maisie's legs, hands moving to run themselves through her dark brown hair. The older girl leans her head her girlfriend's stomach, letting herself take in this moment of tranquility.

"Still can't believe you did that." The younger teen says quietly, gently tugging on Mason's short hair in referral. The girl peers up, palms resting on Andy's waist.

"It was exhausting pulling it up every day. Plus, I've had the same haircut since I was six; I thought it was time for a new look."

"So, you took your father as a reference?" The Fisher girl chuckles, fingers raking themselves through her girlfriend's scalp.

"What can I say? I look up to the man." Maisie shrugs innocently, reluctantly stopping Andy's hands from massaging her head any farther.

"Speaking of, he wants you over for dinner tonight." The Miller girl stands, slowly making her way to the door. Glancing at the small brown leather watch on her wrist, Mason follows her statement.

"Think you could be there in an hour?"

Andy rests her palms on both sides of her girlfriend's ribcage, reaching up to meet her lips.

"See you then."

Maisie leaves a lingering kiss on her girl's forehead, stepping out into the evening spring air.

"I love you." The brunette says with love in her eyes, the dark-skinned girl grinning from the doorway of the infirmary.

"I love you too."

━━━━━━

Rushing water from the kitchen faucet filled Mason's ears, the sponge in her scarred hand cleaning the plate's in the sink. Reaching over, the teenager takes Joel's almost empty beer bottle from the counter, dowing the last gulp before tossing it into the trashcan. The sound of both her father and girlfriend's laugh brought a soft smile to her features, clutching a hand towel as she switched off the faucet. Drying her wet palms, the Miller girl leaves the kitchen sink, boots thumping on the ground as she moves to meet Andy and her father at the front door.

"Speak of the devil." Joel smiles gently at his daughter, hands in his pant pockets.

"We were just talking about you." Andy follows, pulling her jacket onto her shoulders.

"Oh, wonderful," Maisie says, a playful, sarcastic tone in her voice. Turning to her father, she raises a brow.

"What'd you tell her?"

The man shrugs innocently, staring down at his boots.

"Nothing much, just about your superhero phase when you were eight." Joel laughs at the wide eyes look his daughter gives him, her jaw going slack.

"Oh, I hate you." Mason glares playfully at her girlfriend as she giggles, gently punching her arm.

"She even used a blanket for a cape-" His daughter stops him mid-sentence, quickly ushering Andy out the door.

"I'll be back!" Closing the door behind her, Maisie takes her girl's hand in her own, lacing together their fingers. The gravel rolled beneath their feet, the breeze blowing past them peacefully.

"You do know you're going to the dance tomorrow night, right?" Andy states, breaking the silence. The Miller girl groans, head tilting back as the mere idea of the crowd of people spreads anxiety into her chest.

"You and dad are going to gang up on me, aren't you?" Mason stops in front of the Fisher household, releasing her hand from Andy's hold.

"Yall are exhausting." Her comment earns her a light slap on the back, the younger teen making her way up the porch. But before she could go any farther, Mason catches her hand.

"Think you forgot somethin'." The older girl takes Andy's jaw into her hands, the girls' lips locking. Love and passion surrounded them, a sweet moment of peacefulness that came rarely.

Maisie let herself sink into the moment, a smile overtaking her lips. She felt a warm feeling bloom within her chest, not fear, not dread.

But happiness.