Their City

Velvet Scarlatina

An early autumn gave Velvet the gift of cool winds and amber leaves throughout her new home. The city of Montréal had its host of tourist this time of year as well as a new flock of college students, Velv included. She had the luck to walk down the halls of Haven Academy, a leading private university of the arts, and intended to waste two years getting a degree in photography as her father often jested.

Yet, Haven wasn't any joke. A specialized university that competed with Paris' La Ombre in big names of fashion, digital art, architecture, and on a few occasions, a small spat about who captured the best snapshot of the world. Velvet was proud to walk their green and blue halls, their rich domes as old as the city, or at least pretending to be. She had gotten herself a dorm on site, the Nikos Halls, which was graffitied all to hell with full bodied abstract portraits, French typography in chalk, and the occasional mural of a demon ape thing fighting a storm of roses, the tail end leading right to her room.

Bienvenue/Welcome Coco Adel, Velvet Scarlatina, she read off the scribbles on the door, this school's particular form of homecoming. She flashed a freshly laminated ID card on the door lock; the mechanical parts popped back and with a slight jerk it was open. She'd never seen the room before, although she had seen what it was suppose to be. This felt… smaller.

Each unit had its own bathroom, thank Christ, and two supposedly identical bedrooms separated by a paper thin walls. Seeing it now, the thing would only be good for slapping photos on and that's about it. Her room was packed full of mailed boxes. The only furniture being a twin sized bed, she would definitely be swapping the sheets for something cuter and not so...used, as well a simple desk and chair. Both were a dull brown against whitewashed walls. The only sign of personality was blue strip along the center. Very rebellious of you Haven, primary colors!

There was enough space to barely slide between the bed and desk, although they were given a pretty spacious closet. With a seconds to visualize, Velvet began to notice the corners she could shove a thin bookcase in and hidden nooks to add to her storage space. She had a fleet of stuffed animals shoved in the cardboard boxes, a few posters, and maybe something silly like a lava lamp she could buy, all to spruce it up. Nothing was really out of her budget. Despite going to school away from home, Brisbane to Canada, her trust fund was mighty. Not that she intended to abuse it.

But Velvet's room wasn't the interesting part.

"Coco, you here? It's, uhh, me?" Velvet whispered as she cracked open the twin bedroom door of her new "roommate", really just to get a little peak. This was cheating, after all. They agreed to meet in La Fontaine Park, some place covered in fallen leaves, grasses, ponds, lovely gents and ladies walking dogs and with cups of coffee. Yet, what was one look around such a small room?

Coco… she was a spender. Everything in the dorm room had been swapped for something fresh. Slick black desk with a computer. If the bed was old its frilly black sheets weren't, nor the embroidered pillows. She had painted the walls in waves of amber and dark orange, which Velvet was pretty sure they weren't suppose to do. She had found that same bookcase slot, sadly devoid of any photos. The closet was in two words, violently jammed, and the oddest thing of all, the massive sewing contraption propped against a wall with threads spilling out.

Not that weird, dummy. She's a fashion major, after all.

Velvet traced the wood of Coco's chair for any figment of her and sighed. After all this planning, she wished they could just get it over with. The waiting choked her heart with anxiety.

One more step, she reminded herself. After a year, what was a little longer?

The metro led Velvet down the path to their agreed no-man's land, La Fontaine Park. Her heart felt like a tracker, each step to the assigned bench made the beat exponentially jump. She started calm on the orange line and nearly wanted to vomit by the time she was walking the park grounds.

It was a beautiful spot with green healthy grass, trees as vibrant in color as the sun's surface, and a popular lake that ran down the avenue of the same name. Popular was the problem. Coco had scouted the location, shown Velvet the exact bench to meet her on, but beyond that, nothing. Coco could be anyone, well not anyone, unless Coco's falsetto was a hell of a lot better than hers used to be.

When Velvet arrived at the bench it was empty, just a standard wooden fixture on a cobblestone path looking over the fountains. A pair of older woman were talking on another bench in animated French, neither of them sounded like Coco. A massive asian man in solid green colors sat alone by the water, though again, low chance of being Coco.

Velvet sighed, feeling that ticking time bomb beat in her chest. It's show time. You look fine, trust her, she scolded herself before taking another step. Velv crossed the Rubicon, tossed the dice, and took a seat. Putting her purse down at first she sat patiently, tapping her foot to no particular tempo. Her shoes were nice, a personal gift from mom to fit her aesthetic, a cute little ribbon on the top to give it a feminine flare. When that bored her, she played with her hands. Even worse. She didn't like her hands, too large.

Eventually she broke and pulled out the overpriced two thousand dollar Canon she couldn't believe mom got her. Velvet was convinced Coco was fucking with her and was not taking it well. If the anxiety was going to kill her why not take the time to make a photo set while she waited in Hell's call room.

Through the lense Velvet entered her own world. Focusing on the large gentleman at the bank, Velvet twisted her position while never letting herself up from the bench. Personal challenge to get the best shot. Ideally, she'd be closer, but from here, she nailed a photo of him, his head lifted in perfect geometric compliment to the fountain spray. Another as he tilted just subtly back at the camera. Afterwhich Velv highlighted a lamp before he came up and punted her.

No one smacked her, so Velvet reverted back to the plaza and hoped to snap a quick shot of the lively conversationalists three benches over. Instead she caught a blurry close up of a girl's lips.

"Shit," Velvet sputtered, pulling the Canon out of view and aligning herself with the world.

A girl was looking down at her, hunched over to meet their eyes. She had to be low, which was a surprise giving her unusual height. She wore a mocha colored off shoulder sweater that ended angled to show off a dark brown top. Her pants were black with spots of dotted blues that matched her feathered necklace. She wore her hair short, dark brown turning coffee colored in a single lock that swirled passed her chin. She had sunglasses on, but her eyes appeared dark, some sort of chocolate color. The most flamboyant accessory though was a real baret plopped on her head, almost comically French Canadian.

Velvet's lips tried to form some words, but nothing came out. She was too close, and the thought popped into her head: Is this her? She wanted to ask, but in her own way she felt too embarrassed of either outcome to throw out the first line. So the other girl did.

"You like photography?" Her voice was rich, strong, and fairly deep with a tasty touch of French. After all she was a native. "My girlfriend's a photographer."

Velvet had dated Coco Adel for one year, five months, seventeen days, and for the first time in their recorded history, they saw each other. She was absolutely gorgeous.

For the first words they would ever share in person, Velvet went with the most idiotic, "I love it." Who could blame her, she was positively starstruck and struck again.

"Velvet Scarlatina?" Coco double checked after seeing Velvet's eyes pop like a rabbit facing a row of floodlights. Dumb question still, like there were any other confused Australians roaming La Fountaine.

Velvet sucked in a gallon of air, feeling a dozen knocks of emotion built over the last year and a half unwind at once and a handful of new ones form out of that. She smiled, eyes watering, and she couldn't even explain why.

"Yes," Velvet whispered, cheeks turning flush as her lips we pulled up about twice as much as she thought they were ever supposed to be.

Coco relaxed too, the distant apprehension from her expression faded into her own grin. Her eyes softened and she took the open spot on the bench. She slid right up to Velv, shoulder to shoulder. She never reached out to hug or touch her partner, though Velvet could see she wanted to. The girl, like a coiled spring, waited to pounce on her as soon as permission was granted. Velv really wouldn't mind it if she did.

"Why on Earth have you been hiding this beautiful visage from me?" Coco asked, hands readied to caress the face she seemed so quickly in love with. Coco knew the reason. Velvet began transitioning only months before they started dating. She had made the decision that Coco would meet Velvet first and foremost as the Velvet that would always be from now until the day she died and no version of prior. Coco didn't like it, refused to show herself in protest, but it was Velvet's decision alone. One of many reasons an LDR relationships could reshape that way, and judging from their mutual smiles—for better and maybe for worse—Coco was as happy with the result as Velvet.

Taking all those insecurities and putting them to the past where they belonged, Velvet snatched Coco's hand to caress a small part of her, feel she was real and condense all the bubbling feels down into one sly arse remark."'Cause yours is cuter."

Coco squeezed the hand that snagged hers, thumb rubbing the top for texture. "That's so lame," she mumbled with a monotone disapproval, despite the smirk on her face. "I'm going to hug you, just so you know"

"Please do—"

Coco didn't just embrace her, she picked Velvet up right from the bench. She was so strong and Velv liked the way she melted into her, weightless. They kind of blended together with their two pairs of chocolate brown eyes and matching hair, though Velvet's was much longer.

"You smell like coffee," Velvet whispered into Coco's neck. They brushed cheeks, each trying to rub off on the other. Taking the time to explore, Velvet wrapped her arms around her girlfriend, feeling firsthand the toned muscle she was being dangled by, if unfortunately with a sweater layer between them. "I like it."

"And you're a beautiful bouquet I just want to dig into," Coco said back in what Velv believed was an illegally hot, rhythmic French cadence, "but," Coco became hushed, down to the softest little nothing, "someone really needs to teach you restraint with the perfume, sweetie."

Velvet pushed out of the hug. Coco let go if only to catch her own laughs. "Shut up!" Velvet wanted to smack her, especially when she found herself unable to stop smiling. "You are so mean!"

"Can we go back to hugging now?" Coco called out, arms wide open and lips still smirking.

"No, you're too mean," Velvet joked, nabbing her purse to fake walk out on Coco. She didn't make it two feet before she shrieked as Coco snatched her up bridal style. Jesus, you really are strong.

"You're not getting away from me just yet." Coco plopped herself on the bench with Velvet still shaken in her arms. "I want some of mon velours." She kissed Velv on the cheek, twice on the nose. The cradled girl was starting to get the message.

Fuck it, she thought, it's a year overdo. When Coco started down again, Velvet pulled herself up, and kissed back on the lips. The rush made her squirm, especially knowing Coco could feel her do it. Velvet's fingers brushed her partner's face and earned her some tongue, which, given the highkey aesthetics, she was honestly shocked wasn't coffee flavored somehow. Not that Velvet wasn't starving for a taste anyways.

"Velv," Coco said directly into her lips, "I don't give a damn, but we are in public."

"Good point." Velvet pushed Coco by the chin, just to get her out of critical kissing range. She felt like a half-pound bag of feathers, the anticipatory stress replaced by their thankfully similarly colored clash of lipstick smears. If there was any question of approval, it was answered with that lovely pash.

"Before you're alarmed, cherie," Coco's eyes flashed some other mischief her way, "there is a colossal gentlemen standing next to us. He's lovely."

Velvet almost managed to jump right out of Coco's lap, had she not been reduced to a flipped turtle due to tragically underpowered abs, she might have done more than flail. The asian dude from before stood silently next to them, hand up in a wave with a genuinely serene smile that clashed terribly with the whole being a hulking, leviathan man.

"H-hello?" Velvet stuttered. She felt Coco silently giggle.

"Everything is going well I see. Nice to meet you, Velvet." He bowed his head as he spoke, refraining from shaking her hand, probably because they were busy grabbing onto Coco literally everywhere.

"This is Yatsuhashi. He's a highschool friend and my personal trainer," Coco clarified, rubbing her girlfriend's stomach to calm her down.

"That explains so much," Velvet muttered, getting both of them to crack a smile.

"He didn't feel comfortable with me going out alone to meet someone I've never seen. He was worried you'd kidnapped me. Little did he know you're a cute little rabbit at heart," Coco punctuated with a loving pat. Velvet didn't mind the comparison, not that she couldn't be fierce.

"Nothing personal, you sounded nice and all, but you never know." Yatsuhashi scratched the back of his near buzzed head and scrunched his shoulders. Velv was under the impression being considered rude was a deep source of discomfort for him, which was forgivable. Velvet just really hoped his concerns weren't based on a misunderstanding about her condition though.

"He's a worrywart," Coco excused, "You can be off now, Yatsuhashi, we've got a private adventure left today."

"Don't you think we should, you know, unpack in the dorms?" Velvet cut in.

"Unpack? I'm done, I can't be held back by your slowness." Velvet shoved Coco, a gentle joking reminder to stop being so rude.

"Alright," Yatsuhashi interrupted, "I'll be off then. See you monday, Coco."

"Wait," Velvet stood herself up, though not completely from Coco's comfy lap. "It's nice to meet you, Yatsuhashi. I hope we can be friends." She reached out her hand, which Yatsuhashi happily took. If there was a problem she intended to melt it away.

"I look forward to it," he replied, cementing a soon to be strong friendship.

"Okay, now seriously, shoo! I've got this!" Coco flicked her wrist to signal her manservant away. Yatsuhashi didn't complain, just spun around and started down the cobble path, everyone within line of sight gawking at the seven foot tall monster. Seemed like such a sweetie despite it.

"You didn't have to send him away," Velvet noted.

"It's been a year of Skype groups and texts. For once, I'm getting you all to myself."

Montréal was a city that belonged elsewhere. Its streets are marked in the native language and its architecture kin to some place across the sea. Velvet had never been to Europe, though the Scarlatina family made several trips across the Pacific to North America. This place felt like running through pages of French a travel mag. All the while Coco was dragging her by the hand as they skipped up and down the orange line, excited to show every little check box off the greatest hits page.

Velvet didn't mind. Chasing around Coco was perfect fodder for photography. They had a limitless palette of sets and backdrops gifted by such a strange place, and of course Velv had the best subject. She walked and posed like a model even when the camera was off. Coco wasn't just the fashionista she said she was, she was the gravitational pull on a lense. She made the metro stand still when she strut. She created the color outside the Basilique Notre-Dame de Montréal for its stained glass. She was the finest exhibit in the showroom at The Montréal Museum of Fine Arts.

Velvet wasn't ashamed to add half a hundred saved photos of today to her stock, most with Coco in focus. She loved the attention, which was nice. Not everyone could handle how glued the Velv could be to her camera and how willing she was to pop off a sneaky shot on an unsuspecting victim. After all, capturing reality makes for the most powerful photos in the end.

"Should we call it?" Velvet finally asked from a street café off of Av du Parc with a name she didn't dare try and pretend to understand. They had taken residence there as the light started to die in the hopes of nabbing something for their mutually empty stomachs. They were running on fun and fumes, which was liable to knock one of them out. "I kind of want to unpack some, get my bed ready. God, I have so much shopping to do tomorrow."

"My, you're adventurous," Coco heckled as she drank from her small cup of coffee, a boost to her probably screaming feet, "If you come to one more place with me, I'll let you sleep in my bed for a night."

"Don't you think that's moving a little fast?"

"I never said we should fuck, just cuddle."

"It's a twin," Velvet replied, taking a sip of her own.

"What can I say. I'm a giver."

"Of what, three inches and a bruise when I fall off?"

"You calling me fat?"

"I'm calling me fat."

Both of them had found the same rapport they had developed over a year on Skype rather quickly. In a weird way, it felt like today was a microcosm of their entire relationship and a taste of where it would go. After all, the distance was finally snuffed out. Velvet liked the prognosis she was seeing.

"Either way please, come with me for one last thing. You won't regret it, trust me, best photos you'll get all night," Coco practically begged, leaning forward on their shared table, "Does it help if I tell you that you're absolutely not fat?"

Velvet laughed, knowing it was over already, "You're incorrigible. Fine, this better be good." It certainly felt good now.

"Thank goodness, because I already got an Uber." Coco flashed her phone to prove what a smartass she was. Such a charmer.

Waiting to be picked up by some college kid in a cheapo Honda, Coco left paying the bill to Velvet, if only to watch her struggle in what French she had learned over the last month. The waitress found her best efforts cute, and decided to say so in English. On top of that a few questions asking Velv about her school and what she was studying helped turn her a little red. Yet watching Coco stew in her self made jealousy built an unintended and beautiful reversal.

In pity Velvet mercifully poked and toyed with the moody Coco the entire ride to whatever the Smith House was, trying to prod a response from her. Mostly it just made the driver excrete an uncomfortable aura as he drifted lower and lower in his seat.

"I'm so enjoying our date tonight, just so you know," Velvet mumbled as she rested her head on Coco's shoulder. Plenty of space too since Coco was positively unwilling to look at her. Velv could feel the bare skin of her collar and nuzzled away, betting this might just be a personal weakness of her girlfriend's. "It's going to be great, going to school together. Sad we won't share any classes."

"Who do you have?" Coco cracked, happy to find some cheap way to talk about something else.

"Foreign freshmen have last choice, so really I just took anything I could get," Velvet admitted. She managed to pick up intro to photography, professional math (required for all undergraduates), fashion photography, and sat on the waiting list for both nature photography and a weird class called "History of the Lense." Of course none of the teachers' names were familiar to her, but she could guess there was a reason why of a ten choices for intro, her teacher was the only one with openings. "Why do you ask? Know anything interesting?"

"I may have," Coco reached over and snatched Velvet's free hand, feeling her fingers and palm, "inquired about the photography professors during orientation. Just little bits of gossip here and there, nothing too substantial."

Velvet smiled. "You're so sweet." She turned and kissed Coco on the cheek, coloring it flush where she placed it. So you're not totally unabashed by anything, Velv logged in her head to weaponize later.

The boy driving them nearly put the pair on the floor with how hard he pressed on the brakes right after. Coco caught her as Velvet flailed under her seat belt, first thing on her mind was that they crashed.

"Sorry!" the boy's voice cracked like the two of them had just jump-started his puberty. This blonde kid was going to get them killed. "I wasn't really paying attention. We're here! Sorry, guys." Well at least he enjoyed the show, Velvet thought, rolling her eyes at the very notion.

"Jaune, right?" Coco asked, slapping down a meager tip on his console, "If you pick us up on the way back, watch the damn road tu dingue." Velvet was beginning to discover she found French really, really, hot. "Velv, let's go before the mood is ruined."

"The moods wherever you are, Coco," Velvet joked.

Purse and Canon in hand, she took a step out of the car and right into a chilling autumn wind. They had taken a very slow, but steady incline the entire drive, though Velvet hadn't really figured out where specifically yet. Only handful of clues, tree leaves the color of dawn and dusk and a blur of people walking up and down the hillside.

"Welcome to Mont-Royal, the crown of Montréal."

"It's way too cold for this!" Velvet whined, trudging down the path on Coco's behest. It wasn't the climb to the 'top' of Montréal's largest hill per se,, but damn if it didn't feel like it. And of course the winds up a steady incline got worse. The foliage was beautiful, but too tall to shield her calves. Coco had it easy, Coco had pants, because Coco knew exactly where the hell they were going for days.

"Got to move your butt," Coco prodded her with a gentle swat to the rear. She laughed as Velvet let out a nervous squeak. Shouldn't be laughing, not while she was still within Velvet's pitiful smacking radius. "We're almost there, I promise."

"Ugh, I would have brought better shoes for a hiking trip." Really, considering all the sightseeing they'd done, sneakers probably would have been the better plan anyways.

"You're not the one in high heels." Coco strutted as she walked all the time, heels or not Velvet bet, though her arches had to be screaming with those high boots. Divas were willing to sacrifice anything she supposed.

"Honestly, I don't have any. I'd have to special order them and honestly I'm tall enough.

"Why?" Coco asked, peeking over her sunglasses, "Also it's not for the height, it's to show off these killer hips."

Velvet laughed. She had known Coco was like this, but seeing it first had was a new kind of fun. "Let's just say I have rabbits feet. They just aren't agreeable."

The cobble path was vanishing beneath them replaced with traveled dirt and exposed roots, like it could get worse. Creepy too, with the sun completely vanished over the mountain peak. It occurred to Velvet that this was another first: they were alone.

Coco noticed it, too.

"I don't mean to finger an old wound," she started after checking for signs of life and Velv's level of attentiveness, "but fuck it, it's what I do. You look fantastic. Why wait till the last minute for me to see? Even before I would have handled it." Last minute was accurate. Took over a year of HRT before Velvet could even allow herself in call with Coco. To be honest, she would have extended that even longer if their future together could wait. Irrational absolutely, but very likely.

Velvet sucked in a chest full of air, fully aware this conversation was coming from the moment she got off the plane. Coco never let anything lie, in a way it was wonderful. When they fought Coco never let it grow, never let the little things that build into long term resentment last without getting settled. Velv knew what was coming, and in her heart she already had her answer.

"You can't understand. I mean, I really hope you're never able to. You knew I had started transition not too long before we met, but you never had to see the changes. I wanted to keep that mental picture you had of me when Yang said 'I know this cute girl you should meet her' as intact as possible." Not that she kept being trans secret, not with anyone she dated. It was just too dangerous to gamble that they wouldn't feel betrayed and freak out. Rejection at the start was better than possibly violent hate later in her perspective. Yet, the moments before the ghost of her body got involved, they were so addicting, "One of my favorite quotes is from The Body in Pain by Elaine Scarry, but I find it explains something that happens with being dysphoric really well. 'To have great pain is to have certainty, to hear another person has pain, is to have doubt.' Coco, I'm sure in the end you would have been phenomenal, but first thing everyone does when they find out is look for 'tells', or question the reality of it, and I just, I never wanted you to ever feel doubt about who I was, even a little. It's so nice now. The less you saw of before the better."

Velv ended her rant and finally caught her breath. Wasn't as bad as she feared, talking candidly between them. There was more trust between them than Velvet thought Coco realized.

"Forgive me, but that's absolute crap," Coco replied with an ill-fitting gentle tone and hopeful smile, "Nothing you could show me would have 'casted doubt' for me"

"You think so, huh?" Velvet laughed, knowing it was easier said than done. She was too world weary to fully believe in that level of bravado, but Velv would be lying if she didn't love hearing Coco sound so sure of it.

"Yep," Coco snaked her arm around her girlfriend, sucking her in close. She was warm to the touch and Velvet was happy to lean into the walking embrace. "Plus, where else am I going to find a photographer girlfriend. I'm a model and fashion designer, do you have any idea how fabulous a power couple we make?"

Velvet chuckled and dared to close her eyes as they strolled together. "Oh, so this is your plan for market domination, free modeling photos?"

"That's just the beginning. Our brand synergy will be ungodly." Coco gave her a squeeze to encourage further nuzzles. It was working.

"Number one thing they tell photographers, you know what that is?"

"No, what?"

"Never do anything for free!" Velvet nudged her a little in the ribs for emphasis and Coco just gripped harder.

"Oh god, I feel so extorted. I was your model all day!" Velvet could hear the city start to come up from the distance. A few chattering voices as well, their little private moment was ending and Velvet couldn't be bothered to look, "Velv, open your eyes, we're here."

Velvet's eyes flicked open to a beautiful city. Towers of light in every direction, power flipped on as the barest sunlight remained. They weren't at the top of the mountain, but a beautiful little forested alcove with a handful of other native citizens. It still felt like the peak of the world, just without the crowds.

"Hold on, I need to take this before the light's gone," Velvet started, snatching up the Canon and flipping the switch to start her up. She wanted to catch the last glow before it vanished, get something a little more unique than a city skyline shot. This could be a magazine entry if done right.

"Wait," Coco nabbed her hand before she started staring down the viewfinder, "I want you to be in this one with me." She spoke hushed in tone, knowing full well the standard response Velvet had for that request all day.

"I don't really take pictures of myself." Not that she hated them the same way anymore just an old habit that wouldn't die.

"Please?" Coco didn't let up, but the light was fading. Velvet was bargaining for time she simply didn't have. What's one picture, she thought, only one.

"Okay, fine."

Coco nearly jumped, trying and failing to keep her cool-headed composure. She practically skipped over to one of the girls there. Radiating over such a silly little thing. Velvet snuck a photo of that, just a blurry snapshot as Coco explained things to the girl in French.

Before Velv could turn her sights back to the view and sneak another photo, Coco was in tow with a girl named Octavia. She took the camera with the professional skill of a tourist with a plastic disposable. Didn't need to be professional for Coco's needs, and she hardly complained.

"Come on, let's do this." Velvet was pushed to the cobblestone knee high wall that made for the hill's steep border. Coco stood behind her, embracing from the back, arms crossing under Velvet's chest and holding on tight. Velv clasped onto those strong arms and smiled for the photo.

They had to redo it twice after Octavia fumbled with the flash.

As soon as she handed Velvet the Canon, Coco was hounding her about the photo. "How do you like it? We need to show the others, god everyone's going to freak over how cute you are."

Never was there such an amature picture taken on a camera so expensive, though Velvet was definitely intrigued. Where the two of them stood vaguely parallel to the brightly lit skyscrapers of downtown. Crimson and tan leaves entered the shot on both sides, blocking some of the ring of sundown's last light that bottomed out at horizon's edge. Part of her wanted to edit some of the foliage out, tilt the angle to make them match exactly with the tallest structure, maybe get branches to outline the top somehow? The other half of her pressed save and kept the precious gift it was.

"Thank you," Velvet mumbled to the girl, eyes locked on the photo.

For the first time ever, Velvet saw herself next to the girl she'd fallen for. Coco dwarfed her, which was a magnificent feeling. Her chin nicely rested on Velv's head as she hugged the rest. Velvet's hair looked great, the photo actually captured the brown locks catching some wind as they passed her shoulders, drawing attention from their broadness. She liked the way her open tan jacket meshed with her white dress, the fabric snug to her chest and extremely hard earned subtle curves, while the jacket kept her warm and color rich.

Final internal assessment, Velvet looked amazing and felt so, too. Didn't mind the way Coco lit up her red cheeks either. It brightened up her chocolate eyes beyond the fray of bangs. Coco made her glow.

"Alright," Velvet conceded, too busy thinking where she'd put this picture of them and their city to muster a complaint. Center on her photoboard, she decided, absolutely. "I admit it, we look great together."

"Cherie," Coco embraced her again. Velvet could feel their unsynchronized heartbeat, Mount Royal's rare stillness in a living city allowed for it. "We will always look great."

***Well this finished a lot sooner than I though! I actually wrote this while the edits of the last Summer's Vale was still underway. It was super fun to write. As much as I love White Rose and Bumblebee, writing the Cocobun relation dynamic was very fresh and a little more open to interpretation given their minimal time on screen.

So this kind of ends my LDR series Their World, at least for now. I've kind of gotten to cover a lot of different LDR moments. Each chapter was basically 1 LDR specific plot idea combined with 1 unrelated subject matter. Their Island was basic and high school/class difference. distance, Their island which was the thrill of visiting (and the stress of leaving) as well as talking about verbal abuse and upliftment. This one was two interesting LDR idea, never seeing your lover, and the end of the LD in LDR with the extra subjects being trans-characters and photography (Edit:just in time for Trans awareness week), the former being something I've always wanted to write more about, but been too nervous to. I kind of owe the very flawed but very good webcomic Rain for kicking my ass into doing it.

Of course, thank you to LazyKatze for editing again. As you read this me, her, and Tigerlilly are suffering through Nanowrimo and god that's going to be intense. See you on the other side!