---

Raven had a soft, content smile on her face as the pair made their way casually to the docks. She looked around as they walked, admiring the gorgeous beach surroundings, made even more appealing by the the light of the sunset that they were bathed in, giving everything a golden glow. She turned her attention back to the girl beside her as she started to speak, opening up about her love of beaches. Raven nodded along, listening intently as she spoke. “Yeah I get that. I lived pretty close to the beach back home. Although, I’ve always been more of a forest person.” She responded with a slight shrug. It was true. She did enjoy the beach, but she always felt more at home surrounded by trees and grass and wildlife. She wasn’t sure why, but it was always the case, ever since she was a kid.

The pair arrived at their destination after a few minutes, walking along the quiet dock, the sounds of the party being quite muffled and distant now. The sounds of the waves, and the creaking of the wooden dock under their feet were the prominent soundtrack of the pair’s conversation now. As Molly started to ask about Raven, the silver haired girl smirked a little, as she moved to sit at the edge of the dock, looking over the water. She kept her hand clasped around Molly’s softly, gently pulling her close to her as they sat. She sat the bottles of booze beside her, opening two with ease and handing one to Molly, before having a sip of her own. “Well..” She mused softly. Not many people knew much about Raven, besides her partying habits. It was a blessing and a curse. A blessing because there was no one who knew her secrets. But a curse because she didn’t really have anyone to open up to about her past.

“Hmm… I don’t know if there’s much to tell.” She spoke softly, shrugging her shoulders a little. “What do you wanna know?” She answered her question with a question, looking at her with a half-smirk. Raven was never really a private person, happy to answer whatever question she was asked, she simply was never really asked many questions. Before Molly had a chance to speak again, Raven’s face lit up like a lightbulb went off in her head. “Oh! Idea!” She exclaimed, a sly grin taking over her face. “The question game. We take turns asking questions. If at any point you don’t want to answer a question…” She gestured to the bottle of Tequila beside them. “We take a sip of tequila. You first?”

---

Molly hummed, delighted by Raven's answer. She could get behind that, really. Forests were calm and vast in ways Molly couldn't quite describe. Even though she preferred the smell of the sea, forests had something to them, too. Camping, though... Molly had never been a big fan.
As they sat down on the docks, legs swinging over the edge, Molly accepted the drink offered to her and downed a good portion it with ease. It was nice, getting some refreshing liquid into you. Well, of couse Molly knew that alcohol actually dehydrated your body faster, but it wasn't about that. It was the feeling. Just sitting next to someone she'd always been kind of curious about, one-on-one time... It was thrilling.
Opening the pack of cheese puffs, Molly took a few of them between her fingers and ate them. The cheesy, spicy puffs were nice tasting, she noticed. Molly laid the puffs down between her and Raven as the girl in question was trying to come up with an answer to Molly's question. At last she admitted she didn't know if there was really anything to tell before turning the question upside down: what did Molly want to know? Well... Good question, really. Before Molly could even come up with a question to ask, Raven's face lighted up in an idea.
“Oh! Idea!” the girl exclaimed excitedly, a rowdy grin spreading on her face, sparking curiosity in Molly as well. “The question game. We take turns asking questions. If at any point you don’t want to answer a question…” the bleach blonde trailed off before moving Molly's attention to the tequila bottle she had taken with her, “We take a sip of tequila. You first?”
Honestly, it was a great idea. At least to Molly, who was already kind of drunk -- at least at the pace and rate Raven was handing her the spirits. Molly giggled at the thought.
"You're just trying to get me drunk, ain'tcha," Molly teased with a broad smile dancing on her lips, leaning her face closer for emphasis before pulling away. God, the past 30 minutes had had so much smiling. It was like her face was getting sore or something, from all the smiling, that is. "I mean... it's working," Molly added with an entertained murmur. Then she began thinking of a question, gaze drifting to the sunset before them. After spacing out for a moment with a thoughtful look on her face, Molly returned her attention to Raven beside her.
"'Kay, so. It's the first question so I'm making it easy, yeah?" Molly warned. She didn't want to dive to the deep end straight away because she didn't know what Raven was comfortable with. Giving the girl a challenging look, as if the question at hand was going to be hard to answer, Molly asked: "What's your biggest pet peeve?" Next question was going to be a bit more... daring, for sure. If Molly had the courage.
And well, Raven had a question to ask her, too.

---

Raven giggled softly, rolling one shoulder in a half shrug. “I’m trying to get us both drunk, my dear.” She corrected with a smirk before taking a long pull of her drink. She wasn’t exactly a lightweight, so she was only just starting to feel a little fuzzy, enjoying the light buzz. Although she definitely felt like speeding up a little. She’d been going rather slow, compared to how she normally partied, not wanting to push Molly too hard. Normally she’d have drunk twice the amount in that time, and had her first pill for the night. But, she was happy to go slower, because it meant getting to spend time with the beautiful blonde beside her.

Raven tilted her head a little in thought, as she thought over Molly’s question for a brief moment. It didn’t take her long. “It’s a cliche answer, but people who feel the need to get involved in everyone else's business, and share their hateful opinions. Like, is that hard to let people live how they want and mind your own business?” She asked with a slightly exacerbated gesture. As someone with more taboo tastes, people who always shove their opinions down other people’s throats really did bother her. But she’d gotten better at tuning them out as she got older. She took another sip of his drink, before letting out a soft thoughtful sound as she started to think of her first question. “Well, I normally jump straight to the good stuff, but I suppose we can wade in…” She teased softly with a snicker. “What’s your favourite time of day?” She asked with a raised brow. Though an almost jokingly tame question, it was a legitimate question that Raven always asked. She believed you could tell a lot about a person by their favourite time of day.

---

“It’s a cliche answer, but people who feel the need to get involved in everyone else's business, and share their hateful opinions. Like, is that hard to let people live how they want and mind your own business?”
A laughter escaped Molly's lips at the answer: there was something so raw and honest about it, yet it was so true. Molly downed the rest of her drink in a dramatic movement, neck stretching up. As she brought down the now empty bottle, Molly nodded approvingly.
"Amen to that! Not that I'm a huge believer, of course. Just felt like good way to express my agreement," Molly chuckled, scratching the back of her head. "Sorry if that was offensive," Molly added genuinely in retrospect, not addressing Raven in particular, but not not addressing her, either. She didn't know what the girl believed in, after all.
“Well, I normally jump straight to the good stuff, but I suppose we can wade in…” Raven teased, and Molly huffed in mock offense, smile tugging at her lips all the while. She adjusted her sitting position on the dock, reaching for some more cheese puffs. The seasoning and grease stuck to her fingertips, which was only a mild annoyment for Molly at that moment. “What’s your favourite time of day?” Raven then asked with a raised eyebrow. Molly found her own brow raising as well at the question. She wasn't quite expecting a question like that, but it did have a nice tone to it. It wasn't unimaginitive like Molly's question had been, to say the least.
"Just because I was going easy on you doesn't mean you have to," Molly reminded with a teasing yet meaningful look. Looking back at the water, Molly swung her legs, which were hanging from the edge of the dock, peacefully. "I'd have to say dusk, though," Molly mused then, gazing at the horizon with a wistful look and a far away smile. "I've always found it peaceful and sorta merciful, really. When you've had a real shit day, you know? And you can just go to bed and leave it all behind. Just... for a while, nowhere to be, no one to please. Plus, it's really pretty, too," Molly explained, then added the last part in a witty tone. She continued to look at where the sky met the sea, lost in thought, thinking over her answer after giving it. Yeah, that had to be it. "Beautiful question," Molly complimented, her voice earnest but calm.
The smile on her stretched into a slow grin.

"My turn. Do you have a crush on anyone at the moment?" Still rather tame, but Molly didn't want to overstep. She didn't want to be... too obvious. Just... just in case. She already knew Raven probably liked her ('probably' my ass... it was pretty obvious at this point) but some part of Molly was still holding back stubbornly, telling her she shouldn't assume. She should be absolutely 120% sure that Raven did like girls before she could even think about letting herself do anything. Besides, she wanted to keep the mood light, and this was the only other question that popped in her head besides 'what's the most illegal thing you've ever done'. And it was obvious Raven had done something illegal to get the drugs. Molly didn't judge it, she just thought it would be a bit on the nose to ask such a question when it wasn't really something she was interested in knowing.
Still, it frustrated Molly that she didn't seem to be able to just let herself be who she was. Why was she holding back? It was beyond confirmed that there was something here, but Molly just couldn't keep from thinking about high school and how "she shouldn't" even though there was no reason for her not to. Maybe she'd been in the closet for too long to let go. It had been hard enough to confide in Jem earlier that day, so it was understandable... right? Molly shook her head mentally, refocusing on Raven's answer.

---

Raven chuckled a little at Molly’s response to her answer, shaking her head. “Nah, not offensive at all. I promise you don’t have to worry about offending me.” She smirked, and followed Molly’s lead in finishing her drink quickly and easily, before grabbing one of the other two and cracking it open, instantly taking a big swig. She listened to Molly’s answer to her question intently, nodding along in agreement. It brought a bright smile to her face, knowing that Molly agreed with her, and quite enjoying her reasoning. “Good answer.”

Her sweet smile turned to a cheeky grin, unable to hold back a slight giggle at Molly’s question. It was still a fairly tame question, but there were so many ways to answer it that could easily start to heat things up. She took a moment to just grin at Molly, raising her brow in a questioning look. “Really, Molly? I’m a little hurt you even had to ask that question.” She teased, caressing the back of Molly’s hand with her thumb softly, giving it a gentle squeeze. “I didn’t think I was being subtle…” Her face adopted a heavily flirtatious smirk, hoping she would get the hint.

Before even giving Molly a chance to react, she instantly changed the topic, moving on to asking her next question. “But, it’s my turn, right? Are you a virgin?” She asked nonchalantly, as if it were no bigger of a question than Molly’s. Well, it wasn’t to her. Raven had lost her own virginity a long time ago, and didn’t really regret it either. She knew her views on sex were quite different to a lot of people, but to her, she never really understood why people made such a big deal about it.

---

To answer Molly's question, Raven simply grinned.
“Really, Molly? I’m a little hurt you even had to ask that question,” Raven replied, her finger tracing the back of Molly's hand gently. Molly felt her cheeks flush at the display of acceftion, somehow a thousand times more intimate than what she'd done in her past. And let me tell you, she'd done it all. “I didn’t think I was being subtle…” Raven all but laughed, her gaze heavily flirtatious. Molly found herself unable to maintain the eye contact, the shorter girl's gaze so intense she simply couldn't. Without Raven seeing, Molly bit her lip hard to keep from smiling like a loon.
It's good to note that Molly had never been a blushing virgin. She was usually never like this, so openly nervous and a borderline mess of a person, especially not around someone she didn't know all that well. But here she was, dodging intense gazes that made her feel... things. Speaking of which...
“But, it’s my turn, right? Are you a virgin?”
Molly was just taking a sip from her new drink, mid-sip in fact, when Raven asked the question. It was done with such ease, Molly hadn't seen that coming. Maybe she should've, but she hadn't, even though she had encouraged the other girl to ask harder questions. However, the surprise made Molly almost splurt the drink out of her mouth -- and her nose. She covered her lower face with her hand, trying to not look like a bloody weirdo. She just... couldn't help it. The question was so straight-forward and to be honest a bit comical... Molly could only let out a strangled giggle as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.
"Wow, you really ain't playin' around, huh?" Molly laughed, still recovering from her self-inflicted drink splattering. This time she let out a small snort mid laugh, covering her mouth in embarrassment. She hated when she did that, it was so embarrassing.
"No. No I'm most certainly not," Molly answered with ease after she had gotten over the initial shock, "you might've noticed but I had quite a few boyfriends at school. An' those weren't the sorta blokes who'd just look for a blushin' bride," Molly revealed with a smile that was amused, yet hid a fleck of sadness behind it. There was a slight pause. That was more than enough for an answer, Molly could just leave it there. But... something in her wanted to keep going. Another part of her wanted to just leave it, not push it.
But Raven had quite explicitly hinted at her interest towards Molly. So maybe... But no, Molly didn't even know this girl so well. She really shouldn't--
"I just didn't get what the fuss was about, you know? Sex, I mean. I- I mean. It was nice sometimes -- 'specially with Sam 'cause there were no strings attached -- but all in all, it wasn't quite what I was..." Molly trailed off, getting lost in Raven's eyes in the process, "...lookin' for."
Indeed, Molly couldn't say it had been all terrible. With Sam, the friends with benefits thing had worked out. She had even enjoyed it. But she could never see Sam that way, and that's why it hadn't worked out after she realised she was gay. With her boyfriends... it hadn't worked out because they were mostly jerks. Plus there had been all sorts of strings, romance and kisses... Molly hadn't felt anything, not for them. She just didn't find her heart beating out of control whenever a guy touched her hand, didn't shake in anticipation with the mere thought of meeting a boy. That's why she'd ended it with Sam in the end, too. It all went sort of South, she did admit that, but it had to be done.
"So how about you? Wait, no, that's not my question. Forget that, I want to ask something else," Molly rushed, changing the subject abruptly. "How many people have you slept with?" Not quite the same, but still in that direction. Molly was pleased with that.

---

The way Molly looked away like that, Raven would have been a little worried if not for the fact that she hadn't pulled away from her at all. Their fingers were still intertwined, and they were still sat rather close to each other. She could see how much the other girl was blushing at her answer, relishing that reaction. It was the kind of reaction that hinted nervousness in possible reciprocation. At least, that's what Raven hoped it was. She liked making people nervous, but not uncomfortable.

Molly was just taking a sip of her drink when Raven launched her next question, and damn near did a spit take. Raven couldn't help but let out a small burst of laughter at that, giggling softly before taking a sip of her own drink. She shook her head at Molly's initial reaction, smirking at her. "Nope, we had our icebreaker round. It's time for the good stuff." Raven nodded slightly at Molly's answer, not at all surprised by it. Although, there was one part that piqued her interest a little. As Sam's name was mentioned, Molly might have notices Raven's brow raise and a curious smirk pull at her lips. Sam had never mentioned that he Molly had a thing... But your other friends with benefits isn't actually good pillow talk. She considered saying something, but thought it best to leave it for now. "Yeah, I think I know what you mean. Sex can be awkward when there's not enough feeling of some sort there."

The way Molly asked the next question made Raven laugh out loud for a moment, giving a half-laugh, half-sigh sort of thing, looking out over the water with a smirk as she shook her head slightly. "Oh, I see, just assuming I'm not a virgin?" She accused in a mock offended tone, looking back at her with a grin. "Nah, it's fair, that ship sailed along time ago..." She snickered softly, before drifting off into thought for a moment, humming thoughtfully. "The number though... Is it bad that it's taking me a bit to think about?" She asked with a slight giggle, rolling her eyes at her self. "Let's see... Umm... Off the top of my head... 13? No! 14... I think..?" She trailed off in thought again for a moment, counting silently on her fingers and mouthing words before nodding. "13. I'm fairly sure. 8 girls, 5 guys." While some people might get embarrassed at the topic, Raven seemed rather relaxed about it, not seeming at all worried about what Molly would think about her admittedly high tally. Of course, it did worry her a little, hoping that it wouldn't scare her away, but she didn't let it show at all.

Raven then took another moment to think of a question, before quickly deciding on one. "Have you ever slept with a girl before?" She asked with an intentional flirty tone, raising a brow at her with a sly smirk on her face. She figured she already knew the answer to that question, but she wanted to hear it from her, and to see her reaction to it.

---

Molly was relieved to only recieve understanding from Raven's side. It made her feel more at ease. Really, even with the Sam thing it had been just to blow off some steams. Especially school related, since that could get stressful. But they'd been besties, first and foremost. And that's why Molly was so hellbent on fixing their relationship after all this time. If Sam was up for it, of course.

Raven laughed at Molly's question, a mock offendedness to her tone. Molly grinned back in a "sorry but not really" sort of way, ruffling her curls that got all mixed up in the slight, warm evening breeze.
"The number though... Is it bad that it's taking me a bit to think about?" Raven asked with a giggle that made Molly scoff in amusement. "Let's see... Umm... Off the top of my head... 13? No! 14... I think..?" the girl counted thoughtfully, making Molly snicker.
"Show-off!" she shook her head in mock astonishment, leaning her body in sideways to bump Raven's shoulder. Molly's expression became troubled, however, when Raven continued.
"13. I'm fairly sure. 8 girls, 5 guys." Molly looked at her lap, thoughts causing an uproar in her head. 8 girls..? That should be a good thing, yes? Molly was happy, it wasn't that... it just made her realise how inexperienced she herself was. Would anyone as experienced in the area of girls ever go for someone like Molly, who had only ever done it with blokes? She had zero experience on how to flirt with a girl, let alone on how to turn them on. She might as well be a bloody virgin, that's how little she knew.
She wanted to, though. And she was sure she would be quick to learn. Molly just felt like she didn't have the opportunity to mess this one up. What this meant to her... it was infinitely more than any boy ever had. She wouldn't, nay, couldn't mess this up.
"Oh wow..." Molly whispered slowly, not in a judging tone, but not in an admiring one either. Her self-consciousness must've been shining through right then and there, something she was desperately trying to conceal.
And sure enough, as if Raven was reading Molly's thoughts, her next question was:
"Have you ever slept with a girl before?" The question Molly had been waiting for in anticipation... and with dread. A big ugly ball of mixed feelings and thoughts swirled inside Molly, and she felt a flutter in the bottom of her stomach, the kind you got just before giving a presentation or at the top of a roller coaster just moments before you plummeted into a valley.
Did she feel... embarrassed?
"...No," Molly admitted with a voice more sheepish she'd have liked, averting her eyes tactically. This bit right here felt like baring her soul, albeit indirectly, to the girl beside her. The answer in itself wasn't revealing anything, but the way she said it... it was sure to reveal that Molly thought she couldn't measure up to someone as experienced as Raven. "I've... I've actually slept with only 4 different guys I think, to answer my own question, but... never with a girl," Molly's answer faded into a thoughtful whisper, like the word last uttered was a precious one. It was. And honestly, Molly was more than anything a bit envious that Raven had had all of those beautiful experiences she wish she'd had by now.
Right after replying, Molly glanced at Raven, giving her a lopsided smile in an attempt to not seem that vulnerable. Not good enough, she decided, trying harder to look unaffected by the question.
"Almost took a sip at that one, not gonna lie. Your bedroom life has been much more impressive than mine," Molly joked. She wasn't one to judge, and she usually didn't. In fact, Molly usually encouraged people to practice healthy, consenting, and safe sexual relationships with one another. Her own score just was a bit lacking and lopsided compared to the girl beside her. It made her self-conscious, sure. Unsureness was what was eating Molly alive, plaguing her mind with dark thoughts. What if she was too inexperienced for someone such as Raven? What if she didn't know how to properly... satisfy another girl? Eww, gross, Molly. Don't go there, her mind scolded her. She wasn't even sure if she was ready to go there. She wanted to, but she hadn't even gotten to the first bloody base.
'But what if you suck at that too?'
No. She wouldn't think of that. That wasn't going to help her at all, no. She'd have to muster up courage to just... stand proud, chin up. Maybe some day.
"Biggest regret in life?" Molly asked then, almost urgent to change the subject. She wanted something else to think about, she didn't want to hear what Raven thought of her answer, certainly not what she'd hoped with that sweet flirty tone, Molly was sure... So she'd panicked and asked the first thing that sprung to her mind. A question which, ironically enough, was something that Molly herself could've answered with a full novel. Because regrets? Those she had plenty. Including her being such a fucking wuss that she couldn't help but dodge whenever Raven was making a clear move. She'd already been almost there onece, dammit. How hard could it be to let herself go there again?
At least their hands were still entwined, and that Molly wasn't going to willingly change.

---

Raven tilted her head with a curious look on her face as she noticed Molly’s response to her answer. She seemed fine with the total number, it wasn’t until Raven broke it down that Molly looked troubled and looked away. She raised arched a brow a little, watching Molly intently, studying her face and body language. Something ticked in Raven’s mind, and she started to think that she may have figured out what it was that had been bothering her all night. Molly didn’t seem to be judging, she had an almost admiring tone in her voice as she whispered in response.

Raven probed a little bit more with her next question, which all but confirmed her suspicions. So, she’d never been with a girl, but obviously she was at least curious. That explained the nervousness. Raven wore her trademark sweet but cheeky smile, her heart melting a little at the lopsided smile she was given as Molly glanced up at her as she spoke. This girl that Raven once thought of as the confident popular girl, had so much more depth than she ever would have thought, and that just made her even more attracted to her than she was already.

A slight scoff escaped Raven’s lips as she rolled her eyes a little, shaking her head. “Not necessarily… More experienced, sure, but that doesn’t mean anything.” She replied sweetly, giving Molly’s hand another soft, reassuring squeeze. She subtly shifted a little closer to the other other girl, their thighs pressing against each other now. Raven took a moment to just enjoy the closeness, keeping her eyes focused on Molly’s face, smiling sweetly at her. This girl… She honestly intrigued her more than anyone else she’d been with up to that point. It took all the willpower in her not to claim her lips right then and there. Instead, she thought it better to wait a moment, wait and see if Molly would come out of shell enough to make the first move.

Raven screwed up her nose in a thoughtful expression in response to Molly’s next question. Raven always did her best to live without regrets, preferring to believe that everything in life happens for a reason. “My fashion sense when I was 14?” She joked with a slight giggle, before lifting her shoulders in a shrug. “I dunno, really… I try not to regret things… Sure, I’ve made some decisions, but the way I like to think about…” She paused for a moment to have another sip of her cider. “It’s because them that I’m on the path I am now. All the decisions I’ve made have led me to this current moment…” She took another moment, making sure to look Molly deep in the eyes now, her voice lowering to a husky whisper. It was so hard not to kiss her, but instead, she continued to speak. “And I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else…”

---

Molly felt Raven's hand squeeze her own, the soft warmth calming her raging nerves. To Molly's surprise, the girl answered that experience meant nothing. It was oddly reassuring to hear.
Molly noticed Raven inching closer, and her heart sped up. Okay, so that's not bothering her, she concluded, feeling more comfortable in pressing their thighs subtly together. It was nice, being so close. The butterflies in Molly's stomach only got more lively. She hoped her hand wasn't sweating or anything.
Molly barked a laughter when Raven answered to her question. Yes, she could sign that statement herself as well. Her fashion sense at 14 had been so bad, she'd probably repressed that time of her life from sheer embarrassment. However, Molly's laughter died off slowly as Raven answered the question in a more serious way. Their eyes bore to each other. It was the most intense thing Molly had felt all evening, and she'd been feeling a lot of intense emotions that night. Molly listened to Raven talk, all the while the girl's intense gaze drilled into her, making the butterflies in Molly's stomach fly around and the heart in her chest want to beat out of its cage made out of ribs. She wasn't even hearing Raven's words as much as she was feeling them vibrate through her body, low and husky, rousing something inside of Molly.

Molly's blood roared in her ears, a white noise that she'd experienced earlier that evening, too. She was transfixed to the girl talking about her decisions and how they led her where she was meant to be right now. It was poetic, hypnotic and resonated deep within Molly.
"And I wouldn't want to be anywhere else..."
Before Molly noticed what she was doing, her lips were touching Raven's: a shy, tentative, butterfly of a kiss she'd initiated herself. She must've been leaning gradually closer to Raven without noticing, and then she had just acted, just...
The kiss was very brief, because Molly pulled almost instantly away, clearly disoriented and confused at her own actions, like her own body had betrayed her. Which it had. A furious blush took over her face, which was still hovering relatively close to Raven's. Meeting the shorter girl's eyes, Molly gave Raven a look of uncertainity and awe, eyes communicating the torn emotions Molly felt inside. She must've found whatever she was looking for in Raven's eyes, though, because suddenly her hand which had been shying closer to Raven's shoulder was in the girl's hair, cupping the back of her head and pulling her into a passionate, near desparate kiss. Hungry, emotional, all of it poured into the firm press of soft lips, Molly felt as if she was going to burst if she didn't get physically closer to Raven.
She felt so full, so blissful. It felt like fireworks and magic. There was nothing physically different about it than the kisses she'd had with boys, yet it had all the difference. In how Molly felt inside, that is. She felt alive, free, and just for that moment... She didn't even think about the repercussions. She simply forgot about all her worries and restrictions for the moment, and that was the greatest gift of them all.
Finally, Molly pulled away for breath. Her face was flushed and hair a mess. The longer she spent apart from Raven, the more somber she became. Regret and doubt were already starting to set in; what had she done?! It had been amazing, but... But there was such a conflict inside Molly, her feelings and mind battling for dominance. It was infuriating, and she didn't know how to act. What was she supposed to do now?

---

Raven blinked suddenly as she felt Molly’s lips against her own, not surprised, but she wasn’t exactly expecting it either. Before she could respond, Molly had pulled away again, her face an adorable shade of bright red. Raven simply continued to smile at her, giving her a reassuring look that she hoped would help to calm the girl’s nerves. It was incredibly difficult to stop herself from jumping her on the spot, but she was determined to let things go at Molly’s speed, the last thing that she wanted was to make her uncomfortable.

It wasn’t long before it became apparent that her reassuring smile must have worked. She felt Molly’s fingers entwine into her hair, pulling her into a deep, passionate kiss that nearly knocked all the air out of her. That feeling… The feeling of passion and desperate hunger that was so potent in the kiss was just as intoxicating as the alcohol in Raven’s system, feeling almost twice as drunk now. She happily pressed closer to the other girl, returning the kiss just as fervently. She’d been waiting for the moment all night, and was everything she hoped it would be. Her free hand trailed up Molly’s arm slowly before cupping her cheek, caressing slowly as they locked lips. Her other hand had moved the hand it was holding to her own thigh, before letting go and moving to Molly’s waist, her fingers lightly tracing the bare skin there.

As their lips parted, Raven took a deep gasp of air, opening her eyes and staring back into Molly’s with a goofy, intoxicated smile. “So the rumours were true…” She mumbled breathlessly, panting ever so slightly. “Molly Hartell is a bloody good kisser…” She continued with a slight snicker, leaning her face forward a little, pressing their noses together softly in an affectionate nuzzle, their lips barely an inch away from each other. She wanted to dive back in, and get lost in the moment, but she was still sticking to her plan of letting Molly have the lead. Her willpower was getting lower and lower by the moment, though.

---

Molly blushed harder at Raven's soft joke, chest heaving slowly. Her lips were parted in a silent look that was a mix of many swirling emotions.
She gave a small laughter then, letting Raven press their faces together. Molly noticed her hand had been guided to Raven's thigh. Thr way Raven's fingers traced Molly's waist... It made her shiver in something that wasn't cold. Tentatively, she returned the gesture with the hand she had on the girl's thigh, almost experimental.
"I..." Molly whispered, her breath ghosting over Raven's lips. She closed her mouth and averted her eyes slowly, embarrassed. "Sorry... I don't know if my breath smells bad," she apologised, suddenly very self-conscious and hyper aware of their closeness. Then she smiled tentatively, her eyes darting to meet Raven's.
"Tha' was nice," Molly admitted in a husky voice, her whole being gravitating towards the girl holding her. The girl she was currently holding. She must've messed uo the girl's already messy hair completely. It looked cute, Molly noted. And hot. Very hot.
In silent curiosity and awe, Molly's fingers found themselves untangling from the silver hair and coming down to trace Raven's face in soft motions. Her index finger circled over the girls lips, her eyes transfixed and exploring.
Then she snapped back to reality.
"S-sorry. I just... You're so beautiful," Molly whispered, her face rich with wonder. She removed her hands from Raven, even though they felt like ripping tightly glued objects from one another. She looked back at the party far away, swallowing. "You won't... Tell anyone, will you? I- I haven't... No one knows that I'm..." Even now, after fucking kissing a girl, Molly had a hard time saying it aloud, almost like saying it was forbidden. She was gay, and not ashamed of that. But she couldn't say it aloud.

---

An ever so soft giggle escaped Raven’s lips, shaking her head slightly, although keeping her her face nestled gently against Molly’s, wearing a bright, content smile. “Not at all,” She responded to Molly’s concern, pulling her head back slightly, to take in the gorgeous blonde sitting beside her. “It was… Very nice.” Her thumb traced soft circles on Molly’s face, as the fingers of her other hand gently started to trail up her side, exploring under her shirt tentatively. She didn’t want to move, ever. She would happily just stay in that moment forever, just taking in the warmth and beauty of the other girl, enjoying the intimate closeness.

Another cute giggle left Raven at Molly’s compliment, before her smile faded for a moment as Molly withdrew a bit, looking back at the party. Raven shifted her hand to Molly’s other cheek and gently pulled her face back to look at her. “Of course not. This can be our little secret until you’re ready.” She replied with a genuine caring smile. She understood how hard coming out can be, and was definitely not the type to push someone into it. Raven had never really “came out” herself, not really feeling it was something that had to be announced. She just slept with whoever she wanted, regardless of gender, and let people make their own assumptions. But she still understood how it would be scary for someone like Molly.

“But… Let’s not worry about that right now, yeah?” She suggested, running a hand through Molly’s hair and tucking it behind her hair gently. By now, the sun had almost disappeared over the horizon, the last rays of sunshine bathing their surroundings with the last dull glow of the day. This was definitely a memory that she would cherish forever. No matter what happened after that summer, or even after that night, this would be a memory always imprinted into her mind as one of the most beautiful precious moments she had shared with another person.

---

Molly's breath got caught in her throat when she felt Raven's hand travel ever so slightly under her black t-shirt. A shiver ran through her, and she tried not to freak out even though she was feeling so many things in that one moment.
“Of course not. This can be our little secret until you’re ready," Raven assured, and even though Molly couldn't just blindly trust this girl she didn't know well, she decided to believe her and take comfort in her words. Molly saw a thousand reasons for Raven to do this with her: to expose her to the people at the beach house, to use her for her own needs... But really, what Molly had seen so far about Raven all seemed to fight against that. She didn't have the heart to believe the girl could mean her any harm... and even if she did, Molly would've already fallen into the trap like a fly to a spider's web.
Still, Molly found herself trusting the silver haired girl before her. She had been all but patient with Molly all night, uttering words of comfort to the blonde whenever she was having doubts. A small smile tugged at Molly's lips despite herself. Yeah, this was exactly where she wanted to be right now.
Raven ushered Molly not to worry about that for the time being, hand running through Molly's curly hair. Molly could feel the faint scratch of Raven's nails against her scalp as she did so, shivering at the pleasant feeling. The blonde closed her eyes as Raven tucked the same piece of hair that had kept falling from behind Molly's ear back where it belonged. In return, Molly reached for Raven's hand on her cheek and pulled her palm to her lips, kissing it softly. Something about that gesture felt infinitely more intimate than their kissing, Molly realised, feeling odd about it. Speaking of which, she really wanted to kiss Raven again.
Molly opened her eyes to meet Raven's, a tender smile taking over before her lips parted and she leaned in to kiss the girl in question once... twice... three times. If the earlier kiss had been needy, this was slow and paced. Molly pulled back to let out a content sigh, surprised to find her breath wavering a bit. She didn't know what she was more drunk off of: the alcohol or this feeling coursing through her veins. She never wanted to stop feeling like this, nervous and bold at the same time, excited and so full of something Molly didn't dare to name.
Molly had grown a bit more comfortable in being so close to the other girl now, no doubt thanks to the alcohol setting in. Still, Molly was so caught up in the moment she simply forgot to worry. That could happen more often, if you asked Molly. She'd appreciate it for sure.
"So..." Molly's words ghosted close to Raven's lips, breath warm on her skin. "I believe we had a game going on, left on your turn," she reminded, way beyond what was considered Raven's (or anyone's, for that matter) personal space. Molly's hand had found Raven's body again, but this time instead of putting her hand on the girl's thigh, she had awkwardly placed it at her waist. Molly might've been drunk, but not so drunk she was bold enough to get back at the thigh yet.

---

Raven’s eyes were lock on the girl beside her, unable to drag her attention away from her for even moment. Not that she would even if she could. She was definitely feeling the alcohol now, feeling significantly tipsier than before. All she wanted in that moment was to continue to lock lips with the beautiful blonde sitting with her, and it wasn’t long before her wishes were answered. Molly leaned in again, their lips meeting in a much slower, more relaxed kiss the before. A kiss that Raven happily returned, pressing snugly against Molly, as her hand gently moved down her face and rested on the side of her neck, her fingers lightly caressing the back her neck.

Raven breathed a blissful sigh as their lips parted, her breathing slightly heavier. She definitely wanted more, but was content to continue letting Molly drive the pace. “Mmm… We did indeed…” She mused softly, with a sly smirk pulling at her lips. She started to lean in for another kiss, their lips barely brushing against each other, before she pulled back, with a teasing grin on her face. “Well… What is the drunkest you’ve ever been?” She asked with a curious tilt of her head, her fingers continuing to gently caress and trace random patterns over her skin.

---

It was hard to answer Raven's question when she was being so damn distracting. Molly had barely realised how touch-starved she'd been until this very night. Who knew that a simple touch, practically non-sexual, would bring her such joy. Or maybe it was just the alcohol talking. Probably both.
"Weeeelll..." Molly drew out, scrunching her nose in thought. "To be fair, the drunkest I've ever been is probably somethin' I don't remember myself," Molly admitted in a humorous tone, "although I do remember one time I was so wasted I blacked out at a party and woke up the next morning across the city. I still have, to this day, literally no idea how I got there." Molly laughed at that, remembering her utter confusion upon waking up on a unfamiliar bus station with a killer headache, miles from home.
"That was a few years ago though. I got in a lot of trouble when I returned home. I have to say that after that I started partying less, it kinda lost the appeal," Molly hummed thoughtfully, shaking her head then, as if to shake the memory away. That had been a time when she hadn't been very happy in her life. She had been lost, had no close friends and had just begun dating the school's most popular jock. Who had turned out to be a gaslighting prick, by the way. So maybe that had had something to do with her unhappy mental state. Now, however... Molly found herself quite enjoying life. This summer was a transitioning stage in her life; she could do whatever and then leave her old life behind her once and for all. She could enjoy herself and not worry about getting back into the school where everyone knew her name and face, and who she dated and when. In a way, sitting with Raven right there, right then, was bliss. Being with someone new and exciting and fresh, someone who no doubt had known of Molly, but hadn't hung around in the same circles. And Raven was indeed something special in the way she had patience for Molly's shortcomings even now when she really didn't have any reason to.
Letting the silver haired girl's soothing finger tracing on Molly's skin bring her back to the present, the blonde sighed and bit her lip. Now she looked up at the sky, as if it had all the answers in the world. Her heart had never felt more free, even though still there was a lot of untold baggage she had held on to. Just being able to be who she was and do what (or who, Molly added as a playful afterthought) she wanted made her feel so much better than she had ever felt before.
Suddenly she just wasn't able to control the bursting of emotions, so she just laughed at the sky, lips stretched into a smile so wide it almost hurt. She was so happy.
"Can't believe I actually finally snogged a girl," Molly's voice was full of excitement and awe as she sighed the words while laughing. She brought her hand to her hair and brushed it through her locks, looking back at Raven with a smile a bit more sheepish this time. "Sorry, that must sound so weird, I swear I just..." Molly trailed off, happiness bubbling inside her, feeling of weightlessness amplified by her tipsy state. "...I've wanted this for so long, you've no idea," she finished with an unbelieving laughter. To be there, next to an attractive person and being able to snog her. And cuddle. Molly did love cuddles, after all.
"...anyway, then. I believe it's my turn," Molly said then, voice lowering at the statement, lips tugged into a small smile. "If you could ask the universe any singular question and recieve the true answer, what would that question be?"

---

Raven snickered softly, nodding her head in understanding as she listened to Molly’s story, remembering a similar experience from her own past. “We’ve all been there. I once woke up in a completely different town with no idea where I was or how I get there. That was certainly interesting.” She shared with a soft giggle. It wasn't the only time something like that had happened to her, but it hadn’t happened in a while. She’d become a lot more experienced and a lot better at handling her substances.

As they had several times already, the two girls just sat there for a moment, cuddling snuggly against each other as the day’s last light disappeared over the horizon, only the pale moonlight illuminating their surroundings, reflecting off the calm ocean. It was a beautiful moment, that could never be taken from them, and Raven loved that. And it warmed her heart, knowing that she was the one that Molly had chosen to spend her night with, and share this secret that had obviously been eating her up for a long time with. And share her first kiss with a girl with. All of that made Raven feel kinda a special, loving the idea that she was helping to make a real difference in someone’s life.

"Can't believe I actually finally snogged a girl,"

Raven couldn’t help but giggle at that, her heart damn near melting at the genuine excitement, and seemingly relief, in the girl’s voice and expression. It added to the already immense cuteness of the adorable blonde. Raven shook her head with a reassuring nod and smile. “Not weird at all, don’t worry. I totally understand.”

Raven raised a brow as she heard Molly’s next question, her face taking on a deep, thoughtful look. “Wow… That’s a great question…” She mumbled softly as she thought. It actually took her a while, having never really thought about that before. She hummed softly in thought, flicking her tongue piercing against her teeth a little as she thought over her answer. “Hmm… I don’t know if there’s anything I could ask that I would actually want the answer to. There’s a certain bliss in not knowing everything, ya know?”

After another moment of quiet, blissful reflection, Raven had thought of her next question. “If you could spend a night with any person, living or dead, real or fiction, doing whatever you wanted for the night, who would it be and what would you do?”

---

Raven hummed in approval at Molly's question. The silver haired girl had to think before answering, giving Molly time to take the tequila and sip a mouthful of the nasty liquid. As if she wasn't already kind of drunk. Ciders got you halfway there surprisingly quickly, Molly noted through a hazy mind.
Finally Raven mused that she probably wouldn't want to know the answer to anything she could ask. The girl's face was thoughtful, but it looked like she'd made her decision.
"Really? Not anything?" Molly asked, surprised. Then she quieted down to think her own answer to the question, only to come up with nothing. "Or yeah... I can see why you'd say that. I've to admit I really don't want the answer to some questions either," Molly admitted, rueful. Looking at the waves that had gradually darkened as the colours of the sky had changed, Molly realised what Raven had said had an awful lot of sense to it. There were many questions Molly would've liked answered; Would she be happier if her life had gone down a different path? Would she be happy in the future? Or what would she have to do to be able to look back in life with no regrets? All of those questions, and so many more. Getting the answer was tempting, but what if the answer wouldn't be what she'd been hoping for? What if she was doomed to live a life defined by her past self's actions, unable to move forward? She didn't want to know the answer if there was a chance it was affirmative.
The haze of her first drinks had already begun to wear off, but Molly didn't mind. She slowly detached herself from Raven's embrace and sat herself next to the girl in question, sides touching, her hand firmly in Raven's. There was something awfully serene about that moment, them just sitting there and talking about everything and nothing in particular, just getting to know each other's minds. It had been too long a time for Molly to even remember when she'd felt so fulfilled emotionally and physically. Maybe life's purpose wasn't to seek some unexisting state of eternal happiness, but to reach a state of contentment where even in the hardest of times you could be happy to be where you were.
The waves washed gently against the wooden pillars of the docks, sea foam forming on the surface. Raven had thought of her next question.
“If you could spend a night with any person, living or dead, real or fiction, doing whatever you wanted for the night, who would it be and what would you do?” the girl asked, making Molly smile.
"That's too hard," Molly complained with a chuckle, leaning on the shorter girl next to her while she thought of the answer.
"Probably J.Lo, to be honest. Who wouldn't sleep with her if they had the chance?" Molly mused with an amused little smirk. "Sorry I didn't choose you. You gave me too many options to choose from," the blonde smirked with an apologetic look, squeezing Raven's hand.
"I mean c'mon, living or dead? Or fictive? There are too many to choose from. That British chick from Overwatch -Tracer, I think her name was? - Whitney Houston, or Beyoncé for God's sake, or Amy Adams... I wouldn't even mind if there was nothing happening, I'd die just to be in the same space as them," Molly threw from the top of her head as if she was trying to prove a point.
"What's the most scared you've ever been?" Molly asked, genuinely curious. Raven seemed like the kind of person who wasn't scared of anything.

---

After Molly had a sip of Tequila, Raven took the bottle and has a large gulp from it, slamming it back down on the dock with a hoarse exhale, coughing once as the harsh liquid burnt down her throat. The liquor was harsh, but it wasn’t the worst thing to drink straight from the bottle. The strong spirit topped up the drunken feeling building in her head quite nicely, a goofy smile pulling at her lips. It definitely helped that she was having one of the best nights she could remember having in a long time.

Raven giggled softly at Molly’s answer to her question, nodding in understanding. “Yeah, I guess I did make it too broad.” Although she didn’t necessarily agree with any of Molly’s choices, and was definitely baiting for the “You, of course” answer, she totally understood. Molly and Raven had always run in different circles, and probably had different tastes in many aspects, but that didn’t matter at the moment. There was definite chemistry there, and neither of them could deny it. Raven had never felt so comfortable with someone that quickly before, if even at all. It was somehow just so easy, and simple, sitting and talking with Molly, amongst other things.

As Molly asked her next question, Raven’s expression slowly started to flip, as she processed it. The more she thought of it, the more she realised the answer. She slowly, quietly, reached for the bottle of Tequila again, picking it up with a slightly pained look on her face. She started to bring it to her lips, before stopping. With anyone else, she wouldn’t have shared this story, but from everything she had experienced that night, if there was anyone she felt comfortable sharing with, it was Molly. “Do… Do you really wanna hear the answer to that…?” She asked softly, her voice barely audible, her hand starting to visibly shake as she held the bottle of Tequila, her face stared straight out over the horizon. “I’ve never told anyone this before… And I’ll share it with you… But, warning… It’s pretty heavy…”

---

Molly smiled a bit sheepishly at Raven's response, feeling more than knowing that it hadn't been quite the response she'd been hoping.
"If I had to choose from the people here, though... It oughta be you," Molly added with a mumble that she wasn't sure Raven heard. For some reason saying stuff like that made Molly a little uncomfortable. Sharing affection through words was hard when it wasn't just an easy compliment. There was so much more at stake.

In the aftermath of Molly's next question, the girl noticed Raven's sudden change of mood. She quickly realised the question hadn't been the most upbeat and blamed herself. And surely enough, Raven took the bottle of tequila and brought it to her lips. Molly was about to apologise for bringing up such a question, but Raven's soft question beat her to it.
A lump rose into Molly's throat as she saw the tequila waver ever so slightly in Raven's hold. She looked so distraught, far away gaze sending her soul somewhere beyond Molly's reach. Molly felt awful, a feeling that only amplified when she realised she was curious to know what got Raven so shaken.
Nodding with a worried, grim look on her face, Molly tentatively trailed her hand behind Raven's back, not quite touching the girl. It was silly: they'd been making out so surely it would be fine, but... How would her comfort be recieved? What if Raven shook it off, annoyed by a touch of a person who had no idea what was going on?
Bracing herself for rejection, Molly closed her hand around the silver haired girl's back, fingers coming to rest on her waist in silent support.
"You don't have to share anythin' you don't want to," Molly reminded with a soft tone. "I'm sorry for asking that question. It was... Tasteless," Molly continued with an apologetic look on her face.
"However... If you feel like sharing, I'm more than happy to listen. I'm not goin' anywhere unless you tell me to go."