Ocean Kisses

Campfire

keralis pov

As we approached the campsite, I couldn’t help but grin at the sight that greeted us. XB and Beef were sitting by the fire, attempting to roast marshmallows. Or rather, Beef was expertly toasting his, while XB looked utterly perplexed by the whole concept.

XB had skewered a marshmallow and was holding it far too close to the flames, his teal eyes narrowing as he concentrated. The marshmallow caught fire almost immediately, bursting into a little orange blaze. He didn’t seem to notice until Beef nudged him with a chuckle.

“Uh, XB? You might want to... you know, put that out.”

XB blinked at the flaming marshmallow, tilting his head like he was trying to solve a riddle. Then, as if in slow motion, the charred marshmallow slid off the stick and plopped into the fire with a soft sizzle.

Beef burst out laughing, while XB frowned at the stick, his expression equal parts confusion and frustration. “I don’t understand,” he muttered, turning the stick over in his hands. “It’s supposed to turn golden, not burst into flames. What am I doing wrong?”

I couldn’t hold back a chuckle as I walked over. “For starters,” I said, plopping down next to him, “you’re holding it way too close to the fire. Marshmallows need a little finesse, XB, not a bonfire.”

XB shot me a look, his fins—or what would be fins—twitching slightly as if annoyed. “I thought the goal was to cook it quickly,” he retorted. “Why would you waste time when the fire’s right there?”

“Because,” Beef interjected, grinning as he held up his perfectly toasted marshmallow, “it’s about the process, not just the result. You’ve got to be patient with it. Here, let me show you.”

Beef grabbed another marshmallow and slowly rotated it over the flames, keeping it just far enough away that it started to turn a beautiful golden brown. XB leaned in, watching with the intensity of someone studying a complex experiment.

“See?” Beef said proudly, pulling back the marshmallow and holding it up for XB to inspect. “Golden, gooey perfection.”

XB gave a skeptical hum, grabbing another marshmallow and carefully copying Beef’s technique. He was so focused that his tongue stuck out slightly as he rotated the stick, his brow furrowed in concentration. It was almost adorable, in a completely unexpected way.

“Not bad,” I teased, watching as his marshmallow began to take on a golden hue. “Looks like you’re getting the hang of it. Maybe next time you can graduate to s’mores.”

XB rolled his eyes, but I caught the faintest twitch of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” he said dryly. “One step at a time.”

As the fire crackled and the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in shades of pink and orange, I realized how surreal the moment was. A guy like XB, with all his mysteries and secrets, sitting here roasting marshmallows like it was the most normal thing in the world. It was almost enough to make me forget how he got here in the first place—or how much Xisuma was still watching him like a hawk.

But for now, I decided to let it go. The questions could wait. Tonight, we were just a group of friends, sitting by a campfire, sharing laughs and golden marshmallows. And for once, that was enough.

Of course, marshmallows weren’t the only culinary challenge XB faced that night. As the marshmallow roasting settled down, we decided to move on to more substantial fare—hot dogs and a steak we’d been saving to test over the campfire. Naturally, XB seemed intrigued by the concept of cooking on an open flame, though his inexperience was glaringly obvious.