roseꨄ︎

Linda woke with the sun as she always does,

The gentle breathing of the sun aligned with her own, the rays casting a glow on her face and gently leading life into her eyes 

She let in a big inhale as she took in the heat and a deep sigh as she let out a little of freeze breath to cool her body down. 

It was 9:02 am when this happened. It was around an hour later when she finally left the bed and made the journey to the bathroom and then kitchen. 

She put her hands to work making waffles, bacon and eggs. She cut up the strawberries that she and Nia got from the farmers market into little hearts. 

When she was finished she leaned against Lena’s bedroom door. 

And for just a moment she didn’t enter, just listened to the sound of her heart at rest and her breathing even. 

Then she pushed forward and walked to her bed. She sat at the edge of the bed looking at how Lena’s hair covered her face and how her body hugged into itself. 

She patted Atlas's head and kissed Lena’s forehead and she murmured awake. 

“It’s time to get up, sunshine” Linda moved the hair out of her face pressing a kiss on her cheek “Remember we made plans?” 

Lena nodded as she slithered out of the blankets, “darlingggg-“ 

Lena’s plea was cut off by Linda’s laugh “The foods in the kitchen gets dressed”

Lena stretched and yawned and mumbled something. 

As Linda sat eating her food and reading her book, Lena got dressed into a swim suit. 

She ate her breakfast while making sandwiches for the beach. When the sandwiches were done she sat next to Linda as they talked about their plans.

 A bang at the door alerted them that the guests were here. Lena answered the door to Alex,Winn and Nia. 

“Are you ready!!” Nia exclaimed “Beach day!!”

 And Lena answered with a smile as Linda, who was grabbing the bags, yelled back in equal joy “BEACH!!!”. 

They all went into Alex’s car since it was the biggest. Alex drove as Lena sat in the passenger seat playing music, Winn and Nia both in the backseats corners with Linda in the middle. 

Alex and Lena fought over the music and ultimately settled on some hip-hop because Lena’s music was “too lovey dovey” and Alex’s was “too boring”. 

Winn and Nia talked over Linda about the latest episode of a show they all watched with Linda laughing at parts and asking at others since she had already finished the show. 

Linda also talked to Lena about small things like what they were doing the weekend or work. 

Eventually, 45 minutes passed and they arrived at the beach. 

Linda carried almost all the bags with Alex carrying a few to not damage her pride. 

“This place is gonna be packed I told you” Alex said a bit too playfully to hold any meaning. 

“Well if we lived life your way we would never go to the beach cause it would always be too busy” Nia hit her shoulder as to emphasize her point. 

“Well midvale was never busy” Alex mummered and Lena laughed 

“That’s ‘cause no one lived in midvale!”. 

They walked along the road to the beach, Winn and Nia listening to Alex’s tale of the perfect midvale beach as Lena and Linda pointed out her bias and corrected a few points. 

When Lena laughed Linda’s eyes landed on her, 

“You know it was peaceful. When I just got here I would listen to the waves to calm down” 

Lena gave her a softer smile just for her “do you still do?” 

And Linda shook her head no 

“Well what do you listen to now?” Lena asked kindly. 

Linda fake thought for a second even though the answer was as simple as breathing,

“your heart” 

Lena looked at her eyes wide open and mouth slightly open until she scoffed and playfully pushed Linda 

“of course you would say that” she muttered as she held out her hand for Linda to hold. 

Linda moved all she was holding to her other hand to hold her hand. 

Winn carried the umbrella on his shoulder as he talked to Nia. 

“You know I haven’t been to the beach since I got mine done” he patted his chest “always hated the feeling of it yk?”. 

Nia nodded “it feels nice nowadays, to get all dolled up for it” 

She did a little spin “I look good!!” 

Alex laughed and gave a whistle. Nia blushed and hit Alex’s shoulder 

“stop it you’re the worst” 

Lena rolled her eyes, 

“stop flirting raymond, you guys are intolerable”. 

The sand kissed by the sun laid hot on Linda's feet and the breeze sang through her hair. The smell of the waves and the crunch of the sand and the sound of laughter all filled Linda's heart with so much warmth. 

Nia laid out the towels while Alex set up the umbrella, Winn set up the bags in order and made sure the food wasn't messed up. 

Lena looked at Linda as she walked to the rest of the group. 

Not only did she look attractive, her muscles pressing around her top and her legs looking sinful in her shorts, 

She looked so happy so full of love that she couldn't contain it. Her face naturally broke out in a smile that Lena couldn't help but copy. 

She turned to see the others in smiles as well but nia’s was a teasing one. Lena squinted her eyes in a glare, 

"What's up with you?” Nia looked around and hummed, acting clueless 

“Me?” she pointed to herself in a fake exaggerated expression. 

“Yes you” Lena walked closer. Nia laughed

“I am not the one ogling at their” She raised her hand to make air quotes, “Best friend”. 

“I am NOT ogling! Shut up”

At the noise winn walked up, “What's up?” 

Lena covered Nia's mouth with her hand and muttered idiot. Winn wiggled his eyebrows , 

“Is this related to the staring problem both you and Linda seem to gain whenever you guys are in the same room?”

Lena sighed and released Nia who was semi chewing on her fingers at that point, 

“I hate you guys” 

The laughter that ensued after didn't help her case. 

“Me alex and linda are gonna race to the water wanna join” 

Winn asked, bouncing on the balls of his feet, nia agreed instantly while Lena denied. She laid on the towel and brought out her phone to do some reading. 

“Sunshine”

 and Lena immediately turned to the sound of Linda's voice, 

“Yes?”

Linda had a little sunscreen not rubbed into her nose and the cream in your hand. 

“You're gonna get burned” Linda teased and Lena replayed in the same sassy tone, 

“honey i tan i don't burn” And while linda hummed in agreement she still continued, 

“May I?” She gestured to Lena's back and after a nod she softly applied it to her back. 

“All good now i dont want you to get hurt thats all” her words were normal but her tone was sickenly sad, 

“I know darling I know,” Linda took a deep breath and Lena added, 

“Now go have fun. I think Alex is already planning on tripping Winn". 

Alex, whose feet were planted in the sand, was in fact planning on tripping Winn in order to win the race, of course only enough for him to stubble if he actually got hurt. Alex would feel so horrible. 

She scoffed as nia stretched and nia raised an eyebrow 

"Afraid you will lose?” 

Linda walked up behind the both of them and took her place in the race, 

“Well dont be cause all of you will”

 Winn got ready and exclaimed, 

“No powers! No foulplay! Go on go!”. 

1, Lena watched on the sidelines eyeing Linda's legs as they stretched. 

2, Alex spared a glance at Nia who was already staring at her face covered in determination then Nia winked throwing Alex completely off her game. 

3, Winn took a steady breath as he focused on the beach ahead, like Bubbe taught him, the rest of the world becoming merely the orchestra of his song. 

Go, and for a millisecond a second that no one but Linda would notice she flattered her speed, tripping herself to give the others a fair chance. 

And though alex would claim its because nia threw her off she fell face forward into the sand, 

“fuck fuck fuck”

 by the time she got up nia had already won hitting the waves with a crash. 

Winn followed shortly after jumping into nia's arms in victory and linda would come next throwing water at them and claiming cheats. 

She stomped forward ignoring the chuckles from the other right up to nia, 

“I'm gonna destroy you” 

Nia giggled and when Alex pressed forward she whispered, 

“This would be a lot scarier if your face wasn't covered in sand… or at least a lot hotter” 

A wave crashed between them breaking apart the moment. 

The crew played in the water laughing joking and living life fully, 

Winn who didn’t have his glasses because he didn't want them to fall into the ocean accidentally talked to a stranger thinking it was linda, 

Alex, who had her back to a wave because she was too cocky got a full wipeout, 

Linda heard some whispers of the mere people and whispered hi back 

And nia almost broke her nose trying to attack Alex with waves missing the jump on her and landing on the sand. 

Lena watched them and laughed until her eyes got droopy and fell asleep to the sounds of waves crashing and Linda laughing, for a second they merged completely in her ears and lena thought it 

was the most beautiful thing she had ever heard. 

Eventually with mouths dry from sea salt and shivering from the cold water they made their way back to Lena. 

Lena woke up to the sight of Linda with sand on her nose and her hair tied back. She had her arms behind her back in a stretch. 

Lena got up without thinking really and flicked off the sand from Linda's nose, 

“Thank you we could use your help reinforcing the walls,” 

She pointed to a sandcastle that looked like it was out of a cartoon with how well it was made. 

She kissed the top of Linda's nose because what else could she do other than show this woman that her every moment was the cutest thing ever, 

“Of course how would you survive without me” 

She sat next to winn, alex and nia and linda went to get more water. 

“Why didn't you come into the water with us?” Winn asked as he grabbed a plastic toy shovel 

“I don't like the water” 

He passed a shovel to her repeating her words as if to try it out 

“you don't like the water?”

“No, I'm scared of the ocean” Winn let out an audible huh sound, 

“Why?” he asked. Lena sighed, 

“You know how I can't remember a lot of my childhood, like any, I remember my mom in the water with me, I was panting, I went under and she just stared at me” 

Winn looked back at her solemnly and patted her back, 

“You're safe here, you know that right? We wouldn't let you get hurt” 

And lena nodded the focus back on the sandcastle. 

As Nia, Alex and Linda got water Nia spoke up, 

“Why do you like the beach so much Alex?” Linda and Alex thought for a moment until Linda spoke up, 

“Fred and Alex would hang out there and it was the only time I was quiet so they could actually have fun without me bothering them” 

and Alex let that settle for a moment until she spoke, 

“because when I took Linda there we wouldn’t yell at each other we would just sit there together”

Linda blinked away tears and Nia smiled, they walked back to the sandcastle. 

As they regrouped and Nia collecting seashells for the castle,

Lena was informed that this castle was an apology since Linda apparently stepped right on top of the old one Winn was trying to get to Nia. 

She immediately felt so bad that she promised Winn that she would make him the best sandcastle ever. 

And Linda true to her word did make him a better sandcastle with seaweed and seashells, a mount in the front and a little twig as its flag. 

Nia snapped a photo of all of them together around it and recorded Winn, who was given the honor from Linda, smashing it to pieces. 

Nia then promised to the sandcastle as its knight and after an epic battle ultimately its honor was returned as Winn was defeated. 

Alex was under task to bury the man alive. 

Winn giggled as Alex covered him in sand so hard that he wiggled making it harder to bury him alive. 

Nia put seashells on where his nipples and crotch would be and laughed hysterically. 

Lena and Linda then buried Nia and Alex thinking it was only fair. 

Lena who was hand feeding Winn chips because he couldn’t leave his mold and Linda who was patting a sand cover of nias legs. 

Soon after they decide to return back to the water. 

Nia, Winn and Alex went as far as they did last time floating with the waves and splashing each other, 

Linda sat by the shore as the waves lapped over her legs. 

She looked out at all of it. 

Lena walked up to her and sat next to her, holding her hand. 

“Hey you okay?” 

Lena asked as Linda stared out some more,

She was looking at Alex,Winn and Nia but also at the people around them, at the waves and the sun, the clouds and the sky and even beyond that, she was staring at the whole world, 

“Isn't it beautiful?” 

And Lena who never turned her eyes away from Linda’s staring at her blue eyes and her brown hair, her tan skin and her freckles, the way they formed around her body like stars 

“Nothing even compares”

 Over in the sea Winn choked on a mouthful of salt water, and Alex laughed, 

“hey c'mon!! You try it!” 

And Alex floated on the ocean waves only to be met by a mouthful of salt water too. 

And their laugh travelled back to Linda on the shore. 

“We should head in, it's getting dark”

 she muttered as she got up to go get them Lena stood back on the shore, 

Linda turned around once looking at Lena when she made it halfway to them, smiled and waved. 

Lena felt so loved. 

Nia pitched a game of beach volleyball as they dried off and then they could go. 

The teams were uneven but were decided to be Winn and Linda vs Alex Lena and Nia. 

Winn serve didn’t even hit the net and plopped on the sand right next to him, 

Linda then did an average serve and Alex hit it back so sharply that it hit the net, 

The game went on with Nia being the best player overall as she had the best serves and spikes leading to team “Seashells “ winning and team “bulldogs” losing by 10 points. 

The walk back to the park wasn’t quiet. 

Winn talked to Lena about the latest tech article he read and Alex and Linda bickering about old high school matches with Nia making timely jokes in both conversations. 

They entered the car laughing. 

The drive back home was shorter since it was later in the day with it only being 30 minutes, they said their goodbyes and went their separate ways. 

Winn was crashing over at Alex’s because they where gonna game a little, Nia was headed home for some much needed sleep and Linda and Lena went back to their rooms. 

They showered and then had dinner together, some pizza they ordered one side mushrooms the other side bacon. 

They cuddled around the tv until they both fell asleep under the light. 

Linda carried her to her room, with a goodnight kiss on the forehead she went to bed as well.