Gehenna's Gate

Caramel

"The helmet didn't mess up my hair, right?" Vena's first sentence the moment she'd gotten off the bike and taken the thing off pulled a laugh from Xiao's lips.

"Still perfect." He confirmed, turning to lightly brush down a few stray hairs before cupping her cheeks with his hands and bringing her in for a gentle kiss.

Again, the girl couldn't help but smile, returning his kiss as the butterflies went wild in her chest, a feeling that very well may never grow old.

"You seem less bothered by the bike rides?" It was a question, one the girl playfully scoffed at once they'd started their walk down to the beach.

It was still early, maybe around eleven in the morning, and the others had all agreed to meet there at noon, so the two only had a little less than an hour to wait before everyone else started showing up.

The corner of Xiao's mouth was lifted, obviously amused, remembering all the times before that she'd protest taking rides on the thing and how she'd hated it.

"Maybe it's growing on me." Vena finally admitted, Xiao's hand slipping in to take hold of her own, intertwining his fingers with her's as they began to walk down the wooden steps toward the beach.

The waves could be heard even from that far, and the sound somehow calmed the girl's nerves, always finding comfort in the sound of water whether it be the waves, or the rain.

Maybe you're growing on me, actually.

In the back of her mind, it still felt a bit odd. She'd never in a million years pictured herself here, both figuratively and literally. Vena actually allowing someone else this close to her? Willingly holding another person's hand and finding comfort in the feel of their skin against her own? Finding happiness in the exact shade of another being's eyes? It was still foreign, but it didn't cause her to recoil in disgust like before. It didn't make her want to run in the opposite direction and never look back or physically feel ill at the thought. It was going against everything she'd ever believed in for herself of thought she'd be capable of, yet here she was.

Walking side by side with another living being that looked at her like she was the most valuable treasure in the entire world.

Sure, things were complicated to say the least, but for once, it felt right. Like at least in this little corner of the world, she was safe and sound.

"Did you put on sunscreen this morning?" Vena's head whipped back to face Xiao, mind working a million miles an hour as always, immediately jumping from one thought to the next, causing the man next to her to chuckle yet again.

"ARE YOU INSANE?" The purple haired girl visibly cringed and recoiled, wasting no time removing her bag off her back and proceed to unzip the exact compartment where she kept her own.

Xiao's chuckle only deepened, pausing their walk because he knew she wasn't going to allow him another step until his skin was accurately protected from the sun's rays.

"Listen, UV radiation is already bad for you normally, and we're walking on sand at a beach, meaning those rays bounce off the water and the sand, making it even worse. Sunscreen is super important!" The girl chastised her boyfriend, beginning the task of dispensing product onto her own fingers to rub into his face and exposed skin the same as a doting mother would her children, all while the man maintained his smirk and took his lecture happily.

"I'm sorry, baby. I won't let it happen again." The apology was sincere, despite the amused smirk always hanging on his face, causing Vena to narrow her eyes skeptically at him for a few moments before turning back to put her sunscreen away.

Who knew if angel's skin even worked the same as a humans, for all she knew, it didn't, and Xiao was just humoring her. Either way, she was satisfied with the outcome and felt much more comfortable knowing he wouldn't get a sunburn and that his skin was protected.