Thalia leans back against the kitchen counter, fingers tapping the screen while she browses for accessories online - something Juniper refers to as her 'online shopping addiction.'

She doesn't bother to tilt her head up when the sound of the guest room door opening reaches her ears.

Sensing the presence of Finn standing there, awaiting her greeting, she sighs and looks at him with a feigned smile. "Have fun last night?"

His face turns a shade of red as he begins avoiding eye contact. "Oh... uh, how did you-"

"The door was locked." Thalia shrugs, putting her phone down on the island counter.

Finn clears his throat, and Thalia can feel his discomfort as he wastes no time to switch the topic.

"Anyways, these next 4 days I'm solely dedicating myself to doing crazy shit with you."

The realisation strikes her at his words. Finns leaving in four days. Her eyes drop down. "You better."

"Number 1 on the crazy shit list," he begins with a smile, "have you ever tried special brownies?"

She raises an eyebrow. "Special?"

He nods, waiting for a moment before she catches on.

"No, but I would like to."

"Great. I've got the special ingredient covered. The guy whose place I crashed at before running into you let me borrow some."

"That's a good friend." She chuckles. "I don't have any ingredients to make brownies though."

"No worries, I'll go grocery shopping." He smiles, running a hand through his hair before rushing out of sight.

Just as Thalia reaches for her phone again, someone she had desperately hoped to avoid making conversation with comes into view.

"Hey! Morning." The dark-haired girl beams, receiving nothing but a nod of acknowledgment from Thalia.

Camille settles onto a bar stool in the kitchen with her eyes fixed on Thalia, who is engrossed in her phone screen.

Thalia absentmindedly taps numbers into the calculator app, doing anything to avoid small talk.

"Hey, uh..."

With an almost audible sigh, Thalia lifts her head up and feigns a smile. "Hm?"

"Did he... say anything about me? I'm sorry for gushing over your friend, he's just so amazing-"

"He went out. We're making brownies later." She cuts off Camilles blabbering, avoiding her question in the process.

"Brownies?" She grins. "That sounds nice."

"They're not regular brownies."

Thalia bites her tongue, wondering why she just revealed that to a stranger.

"Oh! Isn't that... illegal?" Camille nervously chuckles, her eyes crinkling up.

An irritated look spreads across Thalias face. "What are you? A cop?"

She lifts her hands in defence. "My bad."

With an eye roll and a scoff, Thalia feigns another small smile. "It's fine."

The kitchen falls into a deafening silence, the distant murmur of construction work bearing the only escape.

"Well, I'm gonna stop bothering you now. Enjoy your brownies." Camille smiles, rising up from the stool.

As she heads out, Thalia slouches against the counter, emitting a low groan.

From a distance, Thalia couldn't fully see Camille the other day. It's evident why Finn is attracted to her, anyone would be.

She possesses a rich cocoa complexion, accentuated by her figure; her statuesque frame is adorned with legs that could rival those of a model. Her sleek raven hair falls in elegant waves, framing her face and draping gracefully over her shoulders.

Her infectious smile radiates warmth, capable of lighting up an entire room, while her brown eyes add a captivating depth.

Perhaps if she wasn't so perfect in every conceivable way, Thalia could convince herself this wouldn't last.

The smell of baking wafts through the air, masking the faint aroma of weed as the pair stands amidst the serene kitchen.

Thalia eyes the oven, "If only we could bake away our problems."

Finn chuckles. "This won't solve everything, but it's a good start."

"True." She hums, pivoting around to face him. He sports an apron adorned with flour and cocoa powder, a few specks finding their way into his hair.

Thalia bites back a smile; He looks adorable.

Ding!

Sprawled out on the living room floor, surrounded by a soft cloud of pillows and blankets, Thalia and Finn are entangled in a web of distorted thoughts.

Their eyes are fixed on the ceiling, which seems to be spinning.

The absence of light leaves the entire house bathed in the slightest glow, courtesy of the fairy lights scattered around Thalias living room.

Thalia speaks to break the silence, gaze fixed on her hands. "Have you ever looked at your fingers? Like, really looked?"

Finn giggles. "They're like little sausages with nails."

The pair abruptly breaks into a fit of laughter, echoing through the room. They attempt a high-five, missing each others hands by a lot.

As their laughter dies down, a comfortable silence surrounds them.

Thalia shifts slightly, and Finn mirrors her movement, unintentionally bringing them closer.

Now facing him as they lie, she whispers with a secretive tone, "should we call Jun?"

A gasp escapes Finns mouth as his eyes light up, resembling the warm glow of the fairly lights.

"We so should."

"I genuinely feel like I'm babysitting right now."

Juniper sighs, glancing back and forth between the pair, both high as kites.

"What do you mean?" Finn whines, "just join us you mood killer."

"Yeah!" Thalia tosses a ball of paper at them. "Mood killer!"

Juniper stares in astonishment, releasing a slight chuckle. "I should record this for later."

They set their phone up against a vase of flowers on the coffee table, smacking their lips in annoyance at the quality.

"Can I go switch on at-least one of the lights?" They sigh.

"No!" Both Thalia and Finn respond at once.

"But, the fairy-lights are way too low, and my video-"

"Screw your video, mood killer!" Finn tosses another paper ball towards them.

Scoffing, Juniper reclines back on the sofa and simply watches the show go down.

"Finn." Thalia deadpans.

Ignoring her, Finn keeps an intense focus on the floor with his eyebrows furrowed.

"Shhh, the floor just said something."

She smacks him far too hard on the chest, Juniper laughing from the couch as he stumbles over in agony. "Finn, listen."

Clutching his chest, he responds through a low groan. "Hm? Yes, what?"

"We should get married."

Finn pauses, gazing at her for a moment as if considering the statement. Then, he nods.

"You have my approval."

"To marry you?"

"Yes."

Thalia smiles broadly as she grabs his hand. She removes one of her diamond rings, slipping it onto his ring finger.

"I now pronounce us husband and me!"

Juniper sighs, rising from the couch to grab Thalia by her hand and drag her away.

"What are you doing, Thalia?"

Thalia leans her hand on the counter to gain balance, blinking as she darts her eyes around this new space.

"The kitchen is spinning too? Oh my god, I have to move."

Suppressing a laugh, Juniper shakes their head.

"You don't have to move, your house is fine. Just... tell me why you're trying to hit on Finn right now?"

"You mean the Finn I just got married to?"

They lightly smack her on the shoulder, grinning as she gasps with dramatic effect.

"You can't hit me! I'm a married woman."

"I know you're flying right now but please, just avoid dangerous territory. We both agreed that it's not alright to go after him right now, didn't we?"

With an eye roll, she nods. "Yes, we did."

"Good." They pat her on the back. "Now, let's return so I have some footage to blackmail you with, if needed."

Juniper had exited the house within a few hours, leaving Finn and Thalia cuddling on the couch with blankets enveloping them.

As the effects of the weed dozed off, so did they.

Finn lies beside her, his arm draped around her waist as she snores peacefully with her head on his chest.

His free hand, instead of dangling off the couch, is tangled within her dark-brown locks.

She awakens first, shifting against him as her half-conscious mind brings a hand up to his face and drops it on his cheek.

He rumbles in his sleep, the sound causing a light chuckle to escape Thalias lips.

"Morning." She whispers, lifting her head up to meet his half-lidded eyes.

Finns heart skips a beat once he notices the position they're in, and just how immorally close their faces are.

It's as if his eyes break free from the forces bounding them shut, and they widen.

His face flushes once she leans closer, only seeming to increase the issue. His doe eyes meet her razor sharp ones, a certain glow present within them.

Finding himself at a loss for words, he swallows his breath.

"Hi." That's all he says.

"Hi..."

Thalias gaze drifts from his eyes to his slightly parted lips, almost sensing an invitation.

"We should get up."

Feeling herself sink at his words, she nods in understanding but not quite agreement.

She bites back a scowl while detaching herself from the safety of his hold.

Just as they sit up, the deafening buzz of Finns phone reaches their ears.

Thalia gazes down at her lap, tapping her fingers on her thigh while listening into the conversation; It's Camille, inquiring about their next meetup.

She grimaces as Finn attempts explaining how he wants to spend his remaining four days here with his best friend.

Chewing on her lower lip, Thalia senses the lack of appreciation from the other end of the call as Finn anxiously rises from the couch, striding toward the balcony.

She sighs, dropping her head back. There's been this one tantalising thought poking at her since last night, since it took place.

Pierre deserves an apology.

Glancing towards the balcony to observe whatever drama is unfolding there, Thalia stands up from the couch and strolls away.

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚

The door swings open, revealing the blonde with his hair tousled up.

Thalias heart pace quickens as he keeps his gaze on her, awaiting her words. She swallows a lump in her throat before finding the courage to speak.

"Can we talk?"

He silently nods, allowing her to enter.

Her legs guide her to the nearest couch while Pierre settles on the chair that's facing it.

"I owe you an explanation" she sighs, "I literally just took off last night without a word and didn't answer any of your calls."

A look of anticipation laces his features as he bumps his legs up and down - a nervous habit.

"You're an amazing person, a breath of fresh air. I don't want to lead you on or hurt you. I just have a lot of personal stuff going on that I need to work on by myself."

"It's pretty late to say that you don't wanna lead me on." He shrugs, his voice soft.

"I know, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have started something that I knew I couldn't commit to."

He releases a prolonged sigh prior to meeting her eyes. "At least you came to apologise."

"I really am sorry, Pierre."

"It's alright, I understand." He smiles, bringing a sense of relief over Thalia.

"I hope we can stay friends, if that's not asking too much. I totally get it if you don't want to-"

"Of-course we're staying friends!" He interrupts, catching Thalia off guard.

Pierre stands up, bringing her into a quick hug before fixing his disheveled hair.

A wave of relief washes over Thalia seeing how well he took it, and that he's still behaving like his usual chipper self.

Stepping into her home feels like entering a scene from a horror movie, one where the audience is about to be hit by a jump-scare.

"Finn? Hello?"

Thalia stumbles towards one of the switches and lets there be light.

The newfound visibility allows her to locate the guest room, entering it in search of an unmistakable doe-eyed presence.

"Finn?" She calls out once more, brows furrowing at his absence. It's not like him to be out at this hour.

In the pitch black room, Thalia fumbles for the light switch in the corner, sighing in irritation when she can't find it.

Just then, a pair of cold hands slide onto her waist from behind.

Her breath hitches. "Uh... Finn?"

She feels his head rest on her shoulder, palms remaining fixed on her waist and not daring to let go.

"Hm?"

"Did you have more brownies while I was gone?" She emits a nervous chuckle, trying to avoid the heat in her cheeks.

Finn hums once again, leaving Thalia to take that as a yes.

She removes his hands from her figure and turns to face him, crossing her arms with a glare.

"Well, it's clear from whatever stunt you just pulled that you had far too many."

Finn remains silent, nodding while Thalia chuckles under her breath. "You know, going to the beach with your mind like that might be a fun experience."

As he nods his head again, she furrows her eyebrows. "Did you get so high that you forgot how to speak?"

He nods.

Finn stumbles over the sand, eyes glazed and pupils dilated. Thalia follows closely, making sure he doesn't veer too far off course.

The soft glow of the moonlight reveals the intricate patterns of sand beneath their feet.

Finn giggles uncontrollably, finding amusement in the simplest of things. "Lia, did you know that the sand is like a bajillion tiny rocks?"

Thalia smiles. "Yeah, Finn, it's like that."

They eventually settle down on the cool sand, the waves playing a gentle lullaby in the background.

She gazes at the horizon with a million thoughts swirling in her mind, while Finn lies back, staring at the stars.

"Lia," he mumbles, his voice soft, "do you think stars get bored up there?"

She turns her head towards him. "Bored? Up in space?"

"Yeah, like, they've been up there for so long. Must get boring, right?"

Thalia bites back a chuckle, extending her hand to gently sweep aside a few strands of hair that fell across Finns face.

"Finn, stars don't get bored. They're too busy being, well, stars."

He frowns, reaching for a handful of sand and letting it slip through his fingers like grains of time. "You're so smart, Lia. You're like, the smartest person I know."

She smirks before tousling his hair, causing him to slap her hand away with a scowl.

To Thalias surprise, Finn repositions himself so that his head is lying on her lap.

She smiles, continuing to run her fingers gently through his hair as his eyes remain fixed on hers.

"I don't wanna leave you."

The effects of the weed are evident in his mumbled words, and yet they still manage to make Thalias heart flutter.

She only hums, unsure of what to respond.

The soothing melody of the waves envelope them as they linger, alone with only the stars to accompany them.

As time passes, Finns eyelids gradually become heavier until they finally shut. It takes Thalia a moment to realise he's fallen asleep on her lap.

A faint smile graces her lips.

Gazing into the horizon, she continues to stroke his hair, deciding against waking him up for now.

AUTHORS NOTE

Let's go to the beach-each
Let's go get a wave 🤪