“You think things will be different?”

It was a sudden question, one that caught Sana off-guard. She stopped, ultimately halting the girl whose arm was looped around her own. They had only just started walking back from their anniversary date, and the inquiry was irrelevant to any of their light conversation beforehand.

“What things?” Sana asked, gently turning Mina toward her. The warm, fluorescent light of the streetlight above casted a spotlight down on them and, despite her concern, Sana couldn’t help but admire the way that Mina’s skin glowed even in the night. Her girlfriend was an unfair type of beauty, or so she often joked, but the gummy smile she loved so dearly was not where she last left it – pulling at her cheeks at the idea of Sana getting a puppy solely for the purpose of giving Ray a little friend to play with. Instead, it was replaced by a layer of worry that belonged anywhere else but on Sana’s favorite face.

Mina’s hands s their way into Sana’s, whose fingers did not hesitate to tangle themselves within her grasp. There was a tightness to her hold, and Sana made sure to squeeze back. Chirping crickets filled the silence as Mina seemed to piece together the words that she wanted to say, but Sana would wait patiently for as long as she had to.

Mina bit her lip, looking down at their hands. “I had a wonderful time today, you know.”

She was right. It had been a beautiful date that the two of them had planned together. They made a deal to surprise one another throughout the day. Mina was in charge of what they would do and eat during the afternoon, while Sana was responsible for their evening fun.

Mina kept it simple but sweet as ever; a picnic lunch at the very same national park where they had their first date and riding a tandem bicycle together along the path beside the park’s lake. Any effort by Mina to express her feelings always left Sana feeling giddy and as though her heart would burst. They had almost fallen off their bicycle and into the water at one point, but the shock and laughter that followed their quick recovery was already becoming a precious memory for Sana. Both had been laughing so hard that they had to stop and rest on the grass to collect themselves, and the warmth of Mina’s lips still tickled at her lips when the memory surfaced. Whispers of “I love you” and the comfort of one another’s hand painted themselves like a permanent picture in that back of Sana’s head.

Sana had gone with a classically cheesy choice, bringing Mina with her to the boardwalk at sunset. Arms wrapped around Mina from behind, Sana couldn’t help but feel that the world was on her side when the orange haze of the setting sun blended itself into the oncoming lavenders of the evening sky. A selfie or two was a must with such a scenic backdrop, of course. They enjoyed fried foods – Sana inevitably the stray powder from Mina’s lips teasingly – before partaking in boardwalk games and rides. The slight competitiveness at trying to win something for one another made for a night of entertainment, although Sana ultimately won only one gift for Mina; a penguin. They didn’t ride the roller coaster, but they got to ride the Ferris wheel. When they had reached the top, Sana had made sure to wrap her letterman jacket around Mina and pull her into a kiss using the front buttons. The way that Mina smiled against was her favorite part of the night.

But that smile was missing now. Sana furrowed her brow, unsure of what Mina was getting at, and there was a strong sense of unease pooling at the bottom of her stomach.

“I’m afraid.”

“Afraid?” Sana repeated, tilting her head slightly in confusion. “Afraid we can’t have another good date? I can prove you wrong tomorrow, babe.”

“I know you could.” Even Mina couldn’t resist the small smile that tugged at her lips, no matter how hard she tried to bite it back. But she continued, “I think I’m just worrying about school.”

A relieved sense of acknowledgment instantly washed over Sana, clearing away many of the possibilities that had come to mind. It was a conversation she had expected, frankly.

“Do you want to talk about it when we get back to your house?” Sana asked softly, bringing their hands up so that she could kiss the back of Mina’s. “I know you like when we cuddle and talk.”

The playful drawl of Sana’s voice toward the end seemed to convince Mina, who resumed being at Sana’s side with a head leaning on her girlfriend’s shoulder. Sana returned the gesture and looped their arms between the two of them again before continuing to walk back. The night was warm, but cool enough that Mina still managed to snuggle herself deeper into Sana’s jacket. Normally, Sana would tease Mina about the fact that she was way too obvious about smelling the fabric, but the way that Mina visibly relaxed within the jacket was enough to keep Sana’s jokes at bay.

Buy more of that perfume, Sana noted. It wasn’t long before they arrived at Mina’s place, though there was a hesitance that kept them at the door.

Mina hummed. “You think we’ll be quiet enough? I don’t want you to get caught.”

“Mina,” Sana smiled, leaning in to rub her nose against her girlfriend’s, “I’m just a girl sleeping over another girl’s house on a summer night. What’s so weird about that? I’m not some boy coming to steal your virtue in the night… Although, I suppose it’s too late for that.”

Mina rolled her eyes, an amused grin playing at her lips. “Fine, fine. You can stay over then, if you want.”

“I had no other intention,” Sana said with a wink, only to be rewarded with a gentle nudge on the arm before Mina unlocked the door and stepped inside. Ray slept soundly on a small bed by the living room, his little dog snore always a delight to hear. It was later in the night, and Sana knew that Mina’s parents slept early due to their line of work. They made sure to take off their shoes before heading up the stairs and into Mina’s room, and Sana couldn’t help but giggle to herself at the sight of Mina immediately heading straight for her bed after turning on the light. She didn’t even remove the jacket or change into any pajamas.

Sana closed the door quietly behind them and placed the penguin they won on the desk before looking back to Mina. The girl was already flat on her back, an arm over her eyes to shade themselves from the ceiling lamp. Unsure why Mina turned it on in the first place, Sana turned it back off and walked over to the window beside Mina’s bed. She pulled the string and the blinds rose to allow the spilling of moonlight into the room and against both Mina’s form and the folds of the blanket.

“No invitation?” Sana whispered in the dark, and she grinned when Mina merely patted the spot next to her with her free hand. Gratefully accepting, Sana slid her way next to Mina, who turned right away to press her face into Sana’s chest. It made Sana chuckle, and she wrapped her arms around her girlfriend. “What are you thinking about?”

Mina started to speak, but her mumbling voice against Sana’s chest was inaudible and slightly ticklish.

“I can’t hear you, baby,” Sana said softly, amused and feeling a strong sense of adoration at how cute Mina could be no matter the mood.

Mina pulled back her head, but had trouble keeping eye contact. “Our anniversary just had me realizing what the future might be like. I’m scared that school will make it harder on us.” Her voice was quiet, not unlike the other times Mina had come to worry about the things in her life.

“Is it because I’ll be far away?” Sana asked, running her fingers through Mina’s hair. This was a conversation they had to have but Sana had known she would have wanted Mina to initiate it, because it wasn’t in her nature to try and worry Mina over things that hadn’t happened yet. Sana preferred to wait to handle things as they came, but she knew that Mina had a harder time processing stress. Sometimes she simply cried from stress, which Sana could see welling up in the girl’s eyes whenever her gaze flickered her way. She was a careful thinker, worrying about the future before it even came.

Mina nodded, burying her head again but making sure to leave room for to talk. “How am I not supposed to miss you and your dumb shaking?” The words were obviously playful, vainly layered with a disappointed tone.

Sana giggled softly and pressed a kiss against the top of Mina’s head. “I knew you were only into me for my body!” She tried not to smile too hard when she felt her girlfriend shake gently against her, clearly suppressing any loud laughter. “Besides, dumb? I’ll have you know that you’re the only person I’ll shake my at, so consider yourself lucky.”

Mina wrapped her arms around Sana, pulling her more tightly against her. “I know how lucky I am to have you.”

Sana blushed, though she was grateful for the lack of light. “Then you know I’ll do everything I can to assure you that things will be okay, right?”

“I know you will.”

“We’ll talk every day, no matter what. I’ll come back on the train every weekend, which isn’t so bad, right? And I’ll make sure to spend time with you and Ray the whole time! Well, I should spend some time with my parents, but I’ll make up for it by treating you good even if that means taking up the whole ni—”

Mina cut Sana off with a swat on the arm, though her giggle betrayed her reaction. “Why are you like this?”

“I mean, I don’t have to kiss you or touch you whenever I visit, if you don’t want me to.”

Sana could practically feel Mina’s eyebrow raise. “I would fall for that if I didn’t already know that you can’t resist either of those things.”

“Oops, busted!” Sana giggled, planting quick pecks all over Mina’s head. She could feel Mina humming and smiling against her collarbone.

“Aren’t you scared?” Mina asked.

“Yes, but not because I think we can’t handle the distance.”

“Then what are you afraid of?” Mina looked up this time, making sure to keep eye contact. Sana quickly kissed a tear away that had fallen against Mina’s cheeks. It was endearing that Mina would immediately become attentive to Sana at the mention of something scaring her, too.

Sana found herself rubbing Mina’s back while whispering, “I’m scared of knowing that I can’t walk home with you after school anymore. I’m afraid of not seeing your smile and not feeling you against me all the time. I’m worried that you love me as much as I love you, which means that I miss you the second you say goodbye, let alone when you’re actually gone.” She cupped Mina’s chin, tilting her head up to find her girlfriend’s eyes watering yet again. “But mostly, I’m afraid of not being able to help you feel safe when you’re upset.”

“Sana…”

“Which is exactly why I will be coming back every weekend! To soak it all up and energize myself for the week,” Sana said, smiling down at Mina in such a way that she hoped that the girl could feel the love she had for her. “And I’ll get breaks where I can come visit! And you better promise me that you’re taking me to your senior dance, or I’ll be offended. No one can dance with you but me!”

Mina managed to smirk despite some sniffling. “And what if you can’t make it?”

“Then take Ray! He’s the only exception, so I’ll give him permission.”

“Oh my god, he would look so cute in a bowtie.”

Sana gasped. “You’re absolutely right, he so would!”

They laid there for a bit, chuckling and generally keeping one another warm without much to say. It was late, and Sana didn’t mind enjoying the silence beneath the moonlight. She liked to talk and make Mina smile, but something inside of her told her that she should respect the moment.

“Your optimism is almost reckless, you realize that?” Mina asked, suddenly.

Sana stifled a laugh. “Your point?”

Mina hummed. “I love that about you.”

“What a coincidence,” Sana said with a feigned expression of shock. “I happen to love everything about you!”

“Are you one-upping me?”

“Nope! It’s the simple truth, my love,” Sana said with a wink. There was a pause before Mina spoke again.

“I’ll do my best not to let it weigh on my mind too much. I’m going to cry when you leave no matter what, but I will try and prove how much I love you by not letting it get to me, even when I want you here more than anything. And I’ll facetime you all the time so that I don’t have to miss your face, either. We can even webcam while doing homework together, I don’t know. Whatever it takes. But I’ll do it, too.”

Mina’s determined expression could make any girl’s heart melt.

Sana leaned in, unsure of how to respond but with a kiss. The silence of the room suddenly became very loud, with only the rubbing of clothing fabric and the sound of Mina’s breathing practically blasting against her eardrum. Her grasp on Mina tightened when she felt Mina react by pulling her closer, and there was nothing more she could do other than fall victim to the way her lips tingled at the feeling of Mina’s tongue against them. She angled her head to deepen the kiss, satisfied with the way Mina smiled against at the sudden tilt. A part of her felt flushed by the mood of the moment, unable to help herself from gently tugging at Mina’s bottom lip every once in a while, and she could feel goosebumps rising along her skin at the soft but subtle sound of Mina against .

“Take off the jacket,” Sana whined against her, making sure to catch her breath between kisses.

Mina hummed against the corner of . “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

Sana’s giggled, hugging Mina tightly against her body. “It’s my jacket, babe.”

“Oh,” Mina mumbled, and Sana could feel the rising heat of her face against her, “right.”

“Come on, you shouldn’t sleep in your clothes,” Sana said softly, kissing the top of Mina’s head before pulling her off the bed. She leaned against Mina’s ear, whispering, “Want me to put your pajamas on for you?”

Mina let out a giggle that she obviously intended to resist. “I just want to see you do your dance.”

“Well, I guess you did say you’d miss it,” Sana smirked with a shrug. She began to remove her clothes until she was only left with her undergarments; lace as usual. Mina was weak for it, Sana knew. But it was time to be fun, so she turned her to Mina and squatted a bit before swaying her rear end back and forth, even going as far as to back her up and shake it against Mina, who was finding it very hard to keep her laughter quiet. Sana enjoyed the playful taps on the rump and whispered hoots that Mina gave her, before turning back around and planting a kiss on Mina’s cheek.

“That will certainly be missed,” Mina sighed, still getting out the last of her chuckles.

Sana smirked. “Consider it an anniversary gift.”

“I approve,” Mina smiled. She gently pulled Sana in by the front of her bra and gave her a quick kiss.

Sana blushed as Mina began removing her own clothes, similarly leaving on just undergarments.

“Is this a gift?” She asked. “I also approve.”

Mina bit back another laugh. “No, but I’d like to keep cuddling and talking for the night, if that’s okay. I just want to keep talking to you.”

Sana grinned, bouncing for a moment before grabbing two large shirts from one of Mina’s dresser drawers. She couldn’t quite tell what the colors were in the dark, but she wasted no time putting them on and neither did Mina. It was a look that Sana greatly appreciated for many reasons. She pulled Mina with her back to the bed, pulling the covers up for the both of them before wrapping her arms around her girlfriend again.

Mina tilted her head and kissed Sana’s jaw. “Happy anniversary, Sana. I’m confident that it’s only the first of many.”

“One in a million, in fact.” Sana beamed, pressing her lips against Mina’s neck in a soft kiss.

Mina smiled, the same gummy one that Sana loved, but only stared at her girlfriend without a word. Maybe it tugged at Sana’s heart, in such a way that she wondered if it was possible for her chest to explode. Mina had that effect on her.

“So, I’m all ears. What do you want to talk about first?”