Eden and Bea (LGBT+)

🌳 x 26

Epilogue 

We had been setting up the school hall for most of the day and finally the moment had come to let Eden join us. 

I wandered out of the school hall, to meet her outside of it. 

"What's going on, Bea? You texted me saying that it was urgent. So, you either need food, attention, or both. What's up?" she asked again, with genuine compassion in her voice. "My dad grabbed a load of cookies from the institute- guess you could consider that a work benefit but-" 

"We can eat those inside," I said, as I quickly grabbed a hold of her forearm. 

"Wait a second. Bea- where are we going?" she asked. 

I didn't answer her question, as I pulled her into the school hall after me.

The two of us were plunged into darkness. 

"What's going on?" she asked, more quietly this time around. 

Suddenly, the lights turned on and a load of both her and my friends jumped out from behind tables of cakes, cookies, sandwiches, pizza and essentially every other party food under the sun. 

"Surprise, Eden! Happy birthday!" I said then, in unison with the other guests. 

"Thank you so much!" Eden called back to them, as a bright smile appeared on her face. She then led me over to one of the tables and started to snack on some cookies. "Did you guys steal the entire section of the local supermarket?" she asked. 

"No, we were tempted to," Axel chimed in, "But we bought all this. I helped!" he said. 

Eden smiled towards him appreciatively, then. 

"Thank you, Axel," she said. I could tell from her tone that she was being sincere. 

"Of course, Eden. Got to do what I can to help out Bea, seeing as you're her girlfriend now and all," he said. 

"Shush!" Eden and I said simultaneously. 

Axel's eyes widened at that. 

"Oh, sorry. Is it still a secret?" he asked. 

"It is at the moment," I replied calmly. 

He smiled and then nodded in agreement, before he headed off to dance with Ren. 

I returned my attention to Eden and smiled. 

"I didn't think so many people would show up for my birthday," she said. 

"So many people care about you, Eden. You belong here," I reminded her, with warmth behind my every word. 

Eden smiled at that statement. 

"As are you, Bea. You belong here, too," she said. 

"Thank you," I said instinctively. 

"No, thank you. Look at all this," she said, as her eyes scanned around the room where there was plenty of food and, more importantly, alcohol- though that had taken some convincing on Mr. King's part. "You always seem to know the right things to do," she said. 

I smiled and then took her hand in mine and led the two of us outside and into the warm afternoon. The sky had turned to a dusty pink again, as the golden sun continued to set, illuminating the scene around us. 

I turned to meet Eden's gaze and smiled at the kindness reflected in her, now golden, eyes. 

Sensing what I was about to do, Eden stepped forward and her eyes fluttered closed instinctively. I then moved forward a little, to press my lips against hers again. 

Her fingers combed through my hair and settled on my shoulders, while I gently looped my arms around her waist and kissed her with a little more intensity, tasting the subtle flavouring of cherry lipstick. 

We continued to kiss for a little longer and Eden hopped up to loop her legs around my waist. 

I gently pressed her back against the side of the school and was silently thankful for the fact that there was nobody else around. We would definitely get a warning, if we didn't get detention for PDA on school premises. 

When I needed to catch my breath again, I slowly placed Eden back down so she could stand on her own two feet again. 

"Wow," she said, a little breathlessly. "This is actually the best birthday ever. An October sixth to completely obliterate all other October sixths that came before it." 

I chuckled. 

"Is kissing me that good?" I asked her. 

The colour of her eyes warmed, becoming pure liquid gold, before she spoke again. 

"You have no idea," she replied. 

I had some idea, of course, because kissing her was essentially the best thing I had ever discovered, since I had discovered macaroni cheese was a thing. 

"I have some idea," I whispered, as I gently caressed her cheek with the side of my hand. 

Eden moved her face gently against my hand for a second and then smiled again, as she leant in to press her lips against mine, soft and sweet, as she always seemed to be. 

"I'm so lucky you're my girlfriend," she said, as she moved back from the kiss. 

"Yeah?" I asked. 

"Yeah," she said, with a genuine smile- one of the most beautiful things in all of existence. 

I took her hand in mine again, then, and led the two of us back into the school hall. 

"When's the wedding?" Ren asked, as she made her way over to the two of us. 

I chuckled. 

"Should I wear a red tie or blue?" Owen asked. 

Eden rolled her eyes. 

"Not the time, guys. Bea... come with me a moment," she said and then made her way out of the hall. 

I soon followed after her. 

"What is it?" I asked her. 

She reached into her bag, then, and pulled one of the golden acorns out. 

"Okay, now don't judge me, but I may or may not have stolen this," she said. 

She then took my hand in hers and placed the golden acorn into my palm. 

"This reminds me of a time when you taught me to be brave, so I wanted you to have it as a reminder to always be brave, too," she said, "You're the best person I know, Bea, and I love you for it." 

Her eyes grew a fraction larger, in realisation of her confession. 

"Oh my god. I wanted to be the one to say it first, I just-" 

"I love you," I replied and then leant in to kiss her again. 

When  I pulled back from the kiss, Eden smiled. 

"I love you, Bea," she said. 

I took her hand in mine and squeezed it reassuringly. It was a promise. "Eden and Bea, for now and always."