#sadiezel

Hazel’s eyes burst open. Her dark gaze catches Sadie’s, and for a moment, neither girl dares to make a move. They’re caught up in the spontaneous intimacy of this moment, waiting for time to start moving again.

Then a small laugh bubbles out of Sadie’s lips. “I told you to close your eyes.”

“Not my fault that I was fearing for my life,” huffs Hazel, though an amused glimmer overcomes her eyes. She raises an eyebrow. “Thanks for catching me, though.”

A grin flashes over Sadie’s features. She takes her arm away from Hazel’s waist and slips it into her warm palm instead. “Well, now you’ve ruined the surprise.”

As if in response, Hazel’s head swivels around the area. A frown pulls at her features. “What’s the surprise? It’s just your patio.”

Sadie chuckles and brushes her thumb over Hazel’s, sending a warm shiver through the latter's body. “Yeah, it is just my patio, but there’s more to it.” She tugs on Hazel’s hand and pulls her closer to the railing, forcing the two of them through the sudden gust of cool wind that pushes against them. Sadie gestures her arm out to the scene around them and grins. “This is the surprise.”

And, truly, it is a surprise.

Ahead of them spills the various blues, purples, and pinks of a beautiful evening sky. The golden sun sinks lower and lower, drowning underneath the green-and-blue sea, and city lights begin to flicker on like fireflies throughout the city.

A cool wind brushes through the girls again, and this time, Sadie turns to see Hazel. Her dark curls whip around in a tornado around her head, and her dark eyes glimmer with awe and emotion as she gazes ahead into the gorgeous scene around them.

Underneath the reflection of the sun, Sadie has never fallen so in love with Hazel. The golden rays seep into her dark skin and illuminate her from within; her eyes turn into a liquid brown, spilling down into her soul.

She’s radiant.

Sadie smiles and squeezes Hazel’s hand. “Do you like it?”

“Like it?” Hazel murmurs, her voice seething with amazement and wonder. “I love it.” A soft smile cracks against her face, and at the sight of it, Sadie’s heart melts in her chest and trickles into the various corners of her body. “Thank you.”

Sadie wants to say something - maybe tell her that it’s no problem, or tell her how beautiful she looks. But the words get caught in her throat and she’s choking on empty air, struggling to form the right words.

She’s always left speechless around Hazel.

Hazel leans her head against Sadie’s shoulder and sighs in content. Her curls brush against the bare skin of her girlfriend’s cheek, and, as their bodies push against each other’s, Sadie realizes she can’t hold herself together anymore. She’s bursting from her seams, etching to do something, anything, to show Hazel how much she cares for her.

Her chest expands as she takes in a breath. The cold, biting air scrapes against her throat but she invites the discomfort; it makes her feel more grounded in the world around her.

“Hazel,” she whispers, “can I… kiss you?”

Hazel’s response is slow, deliberate, as if she’s tasting the word in her mouth. “Yes.”

The chill in the air suddenly dissipates, replaced by a hot tension that overwhelms both the girls’ systems. Hazel lifts her head and gazes at her girlfriend with a look so soft Sadie’s convinced she’s melting.

Sadie brushes a hand underneath Hazel’s chin and pulls her closer, inviting her warmth to Sadie’s own. They stand in an awkward limbo for a little bit, considering how to move past this wall of hesitation that has built up between them.

Then Hazel leans in, and Sadie’s world bursts into color.

A warmth pours down her throat at the contact of their lips; her stomach lurches with a passion so strong she has to convince herself that she isn’t hungry. Hazel’s lips feel soft and encouraging against hers - they feel like home. Sadie had always dreamed of what she’d feel like against her, but in this moment, all those dreams dissolve.

Kissing her is much better than anything she could ever have imagined.

Hazel’s arm glides to Sadie’s waist and they lean closer, finally chipping at the remains of the wall of uncertainty and meeting each other in the middle. They’re falling all over each other, giving up their burdens and insecurities in this one act of passion. They’re pulsing in each other’s arms.