For Peppermint-Jackies.

Aloha Beach, the golden hour.

The waves crash against the shores as the setting sun paints the sky with an orange hue, shining its twilight rays down the untainted paradise of sand as the day approaches its end. The warmth from a fresh night's campfire burns bright, and everything is rather silent on this hill.

A flock of gulls flies overhead of young Sam Sharp, briefly distracting her from her current reality for a short moment. They're quite peaceful, much like this quiet beach away from the noise pollution of strange faces who don't know her, who don't care to. People she honestly doesn't think much about either.

Not that she needs to. She's got Luna Loud by her side tonight.

They say it's funny how some distance makes everything seem small. For the most part, Sam liked to agree with that sentiment. When things got the best of her, she liked to step away and make her world a little smaller, leaving just enough room for her and her loving girlfriend. It wasn't the worst problem to have, no, but it was one that troubled her quite a bit sometimes. And tonight the music seemed so loud, she wished that she could lose the crowd. She also knows that's why Luna suggested a quiet outing on the beach tonight for a date in the first place.

And yet, she notices that Sam isn't smiling as much tonight. She hasn't been joining in to sing with her, she hasn't made any jokes about Chunk's nose ring, she's just been… kind of quiet tonight.

Not even free lunch and a Coke seemed to help her out much.

Even so, the blonde haired girl with a bolt right out of the blue smiled. Not the kind of smile that comes with laughing or dancing, but the kind a person puts on when they feel like they have to. The kind where they conceal, don't feel, don't let it show. Luna's seen it one too many times, enough to know how to approach it. Maybe it was having a blue lucky pick in her possession, or just enough experience listening to Lori talk about Bobby or Luan talk about Maggie… Heck, maybe it's just having chemistry.

But Luna has a little hope inside her. Enough confidence in confidence alone to just go about this her own Luna Loud way.

"Hey you," she simply says to get her inamorata's attention, and it works. Her baby blue sweet child o' mine eyes look back to her, trying to hide the feelings behind them with another one of those weak smiles.

"Hey," Sam softly says back as she brushes some of her hair away from her face.

Gosh, she really is quite beautiful. Looks like these made Luna remember just why she fell in love with her in the first place, or why she sent her a certain letter that somehow changed their whole lives (literally, as Lori would say), forever.

At the same time, the true blue behind blue eyes takes precedence. She's gotta get down to business.

"So… Today was really great," Luna starts, somewhat nervously. "I thought so at least," she adds, kind of regretting it afterwards.

Fortunately enough, it doesn't seem to bother Sam any as she just lets out a little chuckle. "Heh, I really thought so too."

Dang, this is the part where she won't say anything else, and the conversation (if it can be called that) will be stalled by awkward silence. Five seconds into her attempt at charming this Sharp snake, and Luna's seeing the other side of the bullet.

However, it seems she's jumped the gun a little getting so anxious as Sam laughs just a little more. She looks to her shoes before fixing her eyes back to Luna, still wearing a little smile on her face as she speaks up again. "You know what the most fun was?"

Luna raises a brow, putting a little grin on her own face with the realization that maybe not all hope is lost. "What?"

Sam can hardly keep a straight face as she recalls just what had them in stitches earlier. "I almost died when you kept making bald jokes about your dad. Make him bald, ding dang it!" she says, breaking into a little laughter.

Luna has to laugh a little too before picking back up on the good humor that had them so amused at the time. She clears her throat, and slips into a little British accent…

"Oy. Make me bald, dang it. Make me bald!" she says, pinching her nostrils to imitate a nose ring.

It makes Sam belly laugh. "Oh my gosh, stop! You're gonna kill me!"

Seeing her having so much makes it hard to relent though, so Luna keeps going a little more. "Oh, I'll have you blowin' chunks by the time I'm done with ya, love," she jokes.

Sam loses herself a little more, but her laughter begins to die down, and she wipes a single tear from her eye as she looks back down to the sand.

"You sure are a regular Luan," she teases, her cheeks pinkening a little as she brushes more hair away from her face. "You'd make her and Chunk both proud."

Luna slyly nods. "Yeeeeah… I mean, time spent with my favorite people has that effect on me, I guess."

Sam playfully rolls her eyes. "Hmm, I'd ask if I'm one of your favorites… but I already know I'm not."

Luna shakes her head a little, loving the way this flirting is going. "Okay, but you don't see me going around and telling Carol Pingrey she's pretty," she teases, stretching her hand out a little as an invitation for Sam to do whatever she wants with it.

She takes the bait as she rests her hand over top of Luna's, smiling widely. "No. And I don't think you feed her any peaches either."

Luna giggles. "We have so many stupid inside jokes…"

"Yes, yes we do," Sam agrees. "But they're some of my favorite things about you."

Luna can't help herself. It's almost like she's being asked to sing the following. So she puts on a cheeky grin…

"These are a few of my favorite things!"

Sam actually rolls her eyes now before teasingly nudging her elbow against the brunette. "You can't go one day without talking about that movie, can you?"

"How could I not?! We had like, the most fun ever watching it!" Luna excitedly recalls.

Sam nods with approval. "I'm pretty sure Simon cried. Like, I know he said he didn't, but if you just… listen really carefully… you can almost hear him sniffling out in the distance…" she jokes, putting her hand to her ear and acting like she's doing just that.

It's so goofy and charming, and it makes Luna melt like butter. How could she get so lucky finding a girl like her? A girl she waited for that made her wanna know what love is.

Not that she can complain, but like Joe Walsh sang, sometimes she still does.

Like cold November rain though, nothing lasts forever, and the same can be said for the blissful moment they've just shared. The mood lingers in the summer air a little while longer as Luna looks into the fire she's built with Sam to keep them warm as day bleeds into dusk, but soon enough, the quiet becomes less than comfortable.

She looks back over to Sam, who seems to have rediscovered the same lack of enthusiasm she had before as a winded sigh escapes her.

"Dang it, things were going good. Come on Lunes, don't let her down easy now. Carry on, wayward son," she thinks.

The brown eyed girl fixes her gaze on her lover, trying to read between the lines and look into her eyes for a simple explanation. Of course, she knows it isn't so easy. There has to be a tell tale, but it's going to take a little more than Parker luck. Even with a subtle sadness, Samantha manages to be spellbindingly gorgeous, though. She wasn't like other girls, but Luna loved that about her. The earrings and blue streak in her short hair were just a few of things that helped her become smitten the first time she really noticed who she was.

It was a hot June night when she saw the light…

A little chuckle escapes her, prompting Sam to look her way again. And again, she puts on one of those save-face smiles.

"What?"

Luna amusedly shakes her head. "Oh, I uh… I was just kind of thinking about our first date."

"You mean the Astonishing Quest?" Sam asks.

A smirk grows on Luna's face. "Naw. I meant the night we met up at that concert."

The smile on Sam's face changes into something more sincere upon hearing that. "Oh… You mean our 'first date.'"

Luna meets her alluring little quip with approval. "I mean, pretty much. That's the night that made me realize I'm super into you..."

Sam Sharp was one of the first people to show up for the Mick Swagger concert. She had bought a stylish new blue jacket just for the occasion, and made sure to learn every word to every song on his new album (even the secret bonus cover of Drops of Jupiter) for her special date.

The only thing missing from her date was… well, her date…

Her name didn't matter anymore, what mattered was that, Sam had really been looking forward to finally having a special night like this. One that she could brag to her friends about the way all the other, uh… normal girls could. One she could go home and be congested with tummy butterflies over before drifting off with slumberland's pillow for sweet OTP dreams.

Sadly, there wasn't even a call or text to say she wasn't coming. She just decided to stand Sam up in the cruddiest way possible. And she tried to give her the benefit of the doubt. Maybe she was just running late, or she was saving phone battery for the concert, or something happened. But about an hour into waiting, and with the finish of the opening band's last song (they were called the Sea Pass, and their cover of Let It Go sucked), she realized the truth...

Part of her just wanted to go home then and there. Call Dad and let him know she really was a big loser, the way she knew deep down she was. But, what was the point of going home to wallow in self pity and rejection? She could just do that here where the sounds of her tears could be muffled out by a bunch of careless whispers from unforgiving strangers.

(And the ticket was expensive.)

She let out a heavy sigh as the lights dimmed all around her. Good. Maybe no one would notice her crying after all…

But strangely enough, her burning desire to let her tears crash around her faded as a steadily rising purple fog began to emanate all around her feet. Pounding blares from amplifiers all around her seemed to make her racing heart tremor with every bum bum. She raised her head to look up on the stage, and that's when she saw him there in his British, disco pants wearing glory.

Mick Stinkin' Swagger.

He had his back turned to the audience with a statuesque superhero like pose, then quickly turned around to grab hold of his microphone, much to the pleasure of his adoring fans.

"It was a hot June night when she saw the light! Up until then she didn't know what was right! She showed up at the show, all confused and alone... She had no idea what was about to unfold!"

His voice was passionate, his energy was raw, and the guitarists and drummers accompanying him played with the sickest of bombastic rhythm.

And while she wanted to love it, she really did… there was still an overwhelming sense of loneliness lingering in her mind. Her foot didn't tap, her head didn't bang. She just stood there, staring at and watching him for a little while before allowing her eyes to wander around to the strange faces all having the time of their lives. They all seemed so happy to be part of something greater, something where they could all feel like they were safe, free, happy, and accepted among a group of peers who were all here for the love of the music, man. And while she wanted nothing more to feel the same way, she just couldn't. She just… couldn't…

Her cloudy thoughts were almost opaque enough to keep her distracted from a sudden commotion just a few feet away, but only almost. She raised her head to look over to a gaggle of groupies all cheering and woo'ing out of sync with those enjoying guitarist James Sunderland's righteous mid song solo, finding that they were taking turns doing traditional stage dives from the side stage.

First to go was a portly gentleman with a purple cap and a nose ring, and, to Sam's amusement, everyone caught him. Dude had to be near three-hundred pounds, and they made it out to be like he was as light as a feather.

It really fascinated her, but not as much as the girl to put herself in the metaphorical spotlight next.

In the very moment Sam first laid eyes upon her, she knew there was something remarkable about her. The way she smiled wide with confidence as she steeled herself, the way she wore what looked like a tattered purple dress as rocker garb (she pulled it off very well, too), but maybe most notable of all, the way she shamelessly yelled out "I'm ready for the mosh pit shaka brah!" before taking a leap of faith into the sea of fans.

Forget Mick Swagger. This girl was the star. Sam could only watch with awe as the concert-goers floated her on okay, shouting things like "Cool threads!" and "That chick is so rock-n-roll!" Whatever it was that made them so happy with carrying the purple clad rock queen couldn't be some kind of fluke, she was worth every person holding her up high.

She was in such a trance watching it all happen that she didn't fully realize just how the girl was being carried in her direction, soon being gracefully dropped off right before her almost like there was rhyme and reason behind what was highly likely to be mere happenstance. She feels herself tense up with the sudden sight of her just inches ahead, her heart pounding her chest harder than the echoes of the amplifiers ringing in her head.

The girl lets out a sigh of relief before feasting her eyes on Sam, and her soft smile becomes one of mirthful delight as she recognizes the blonde's presence. For a moment, Sam just looks to her with a paralyzed, baffled expression, her glossy eyes more dilated than they've been in ages. And as for the girl, she just kind of smirks before simply saying…

"Hey."

Poor Sam could barely even gain the composure to fix herself, let alone say anything back, but she miraculously managed to snap back to reality and muster out a "Hey" of her own… despite her face turning red and almost choking on that single word.

The other girl let out a weak little laugh before reciprocating some of the trepidation, but took a breath before following up with, "I'm Luna. I like your hair."

That really made Sam blush. "Oh, uhm, hi Luna. I'm Sam. And… I like your… uh… everything," she stammered in response, making Luna giggle a little like a sweet child o' hers. Dang it, that really didn't come out the way she'd hoped. But the girl was so stinkin' pretty, and peachy, and just made her forget words.

"I mean like, uhm, your uh… this uh… purple you've got going on," she said in an attempt at a smooth recovery.

Luna looked down to her wardrobe and let out another little chuckle. "My sisters ripped up a dress and I made the most of it. I try to be stylish," she gladly explained.

In what had to be some case of divine intervention (because this kind of thing just never happened for her), Sam epiphanically thought of the perfect response to that. She felt some apprehension about whether or not she actually wanted to voice it, but with their current mental synchronization, she decided it could have but one explanation.

So, she braved forward and said what she was thinking. "Well, you do it well."

Oof, now that it was out there, she realized just how stupid it sounded. If that didn't make Luna cringe and walk away, nothing would.

But to Sam's pleasant surprise, she just smiled at that.

"Well, thank you. You're pretty stylish yourself."

The words were pretty great, but what really made Sam's chest flutter with proverbial butterflies was the way she looked at her while saying them. Not only did she seem to mean it, but she seemed… happy to be here with her. It was going well. Really well...

"So uh, you here alone? I'd hate for your boyfriend to get jealous of me or something," Luna asked with a little nervousness. It was too cute seeing her be so bashful, almost enough to distract her from the question she asked.

Either this girl's gaydar was broken and she didn't understand the sheer lesbian energy Sam radiated, or this was a sly attempt at a pass. Judging from her astuteness to put together an outfit from a torn up dress though, Sam chose to believe it was the latter.

That, and she just really hoped she was into girls too.

"I'm uh… yeah, I'm here alone. A girl I was supposed to come with didn't make it," she answered, feeling a little saddened to be reminded of that.

Luna's enthusiasm ebbed upon hearing it. "Oh, dang dude. I'm sorry."

"It's okay, I guess. She wasn't worth my time apparently," Sam said with a curt shrug, almost as if to shake off the dust of worn out relation. "So what about you? You just here for the mosh pit or what?" she then asked Luna with a little teasing in her tone.

Or flirting, maybe.

"Well, I was with my roadie. But I think he's having a little too much fun without me," the brunette answered with a newfound grin as she pointed over to the portly man with the nose ring. He was chugging both a Dr. Pepper and a Coca Cola, all while two skinny dudes who probably spent too much time on Discord cheered him on. One was handsome, at least. But only one.

The sight slightly amused Sam, but only with a passing glance. The more pressing matter was the gorgeous belladonna with a little bit of Stevie Nicks and Pat Benatar eyeing her up and down m, a generous smile encroached on her face.

Part of it intimidated Sam. She was already convinced just from the aura to her that she was good company, so she was cool trusting her to be chill tonight. But that only made this scarier with the anxiety of just how new this whole thing is. At least when she was alone, she couldn't possibly screw anything else up. She could just go home and cry herself to sleep after the concert, maybe watch some She-Ra on Fletnix while eating some Zebra Cakes.

But now, if things escalated any further, there was the chance of letting not only Luna down, but herself. Again.

Even so, she had to admit, this girl would be hard to say no to. She was just irresistibly charismatic, irrefutably charming, and from the looks of it… she really loved her rock music. That alone was more than worth the price of admission, but the other stuff made her almost too good to be true.

Was love at first sight a real thing?

"I've got an idea. Come with me," Luna eventually said to Sam, disregarding all of the noise and excitement going on around her.

It caught Sam off guard, mostly because she was daydreaming about this girl being the Bubblegum to her Marceline for a spell. "Huh? To where?" she asked once she removed her blonde head from her derriere.

"I wanna show you the best seat in the house," Luna told her, extending her hand for her new friend to take it.

This was something out of a fairy tale. Girls like this one didn't exist in real life. They didn't look as beautiful as this and say such nice things without turning out to be some Mr. Jefferson creeper. It just didn't happen. And yet… she couldn't help but wonder if maybe someone once gave Luna a chance like this. Someone to reach their hand out to her and then whisk her away to…

"Transformation!"

Maybe it was a bad idea. She didn't know her, she knew things could wrong, and she could just end up even more upset and heartbroken than she already was with the first lyrics of…

"Transformation!"

But looking into those big, beckoning brown eyes of hers… Sam couldn't help it. If everything could ever feel this real forever, if anything could ever be this good again, the only she'd ever ask of her is: she'd have to promise not to stop when she said when.

And so, with one last "Transformation!" Sam took her hand and smiled. "Lead the way."

Luna gladly allowed the girl to clasp her hand in hers, and then she began leading the girl with the Billie Jean jacket through the crowd.

"Uh, bear with me, it's a little dark," she let her know as she did her best to head in the right direction.

Sam giggled at that. "Never mind the darkness. We still can find a way."

An astounded brow raised on Luna's behalf at that clever remark. "You a Guns N Roses fan?

"They're my favorite," Sam softly, yet proudly stated.

"I like AC/DC myself," Luna bashfully replied before focusing on her path again.

The next few moments seemed almost like a blur for Sam Sharp as this beautiful stranger pulled her up a dark flight of stairs and up to the rafters above the stage. They weren't supposed to be there, she knew they'd get in trouble if they were found. But frankly, she didn't care. All she needed was a friend to lend a guiding hand, and there she was in the form of a girl with the name of the moon.

Here, they could sit atop and watch Mick and the Italians (and Meow the pianist), do what they did best; rock out with their socks out. The acoustics were perfect up here, just like the view.

Especially when Sam was actually watching Luna.

She found herself staring at her, really studying the nuances of her face with the beams of strobe lights perfectly angling to touch her, offering her optimal shine to properly visualize and retain every wonderful feature of her freckled face. It would be pretty weird (as her old soccer buddy Paula would say) if she noticed the way she stared at her though, so she tried to turn away and listen to the band. However, the creeping sensation of eyes looking back at her made its way into her mind, and she risked looking at Luna again.

Her intuition turned out to be right, because she discovered Luna was indeed looking back to her, if only for a moment. Because like Sam, she hurriedly tried to look away too. It was no use though. They both realized they were being totes creepers, and decided to concede and just look at each other without any pretense. Their eyes met one another, and for a short while, it was like the rest of the world ceased to matter. Where Sam was able to become familiarized with the freckles and curves of a lovely smile before, she could now only fall deeper and deeper inside of Luna's irises.

It brought her a feeling she'd never known. And for the first time… she didn't feel alone.

They smiled at each other, exchanging this sense of compassion and understanding with and without words.

"I think this could be the start of a beautiful friendship," Luna said to her, quite content with that thought.

And Sam? She couldn't agree more, letting the shameless radiating smile stay on her face to really let it show.

"Rockin'."

With that simple statement, she said all she needed to, and the two girls finally broke the magically mutual gaze to look back down to the band playing below, ready to enjoy what would turn out to be one of the most amazing nights of their lives.

Luna lets out a sigh of relief, finding nirvana in nostalgia. "I can't believe it's been almost two years now since that day," she says, smiling at Sam with a new orange glow beginning to form on her face thanks to the fire.

Sam returns the gesture with one of her own. "I can't believe it took you so long to make a move," she jokes.

"Well yeah, of course I had to. I actually had the guts to send you that letter. Unlike you," she teases back with pride.

Sam isn't impressed. "Mhm. Sure. Nothing says guts like an anonymous letter."

They share a little laugh at that, and even after their laughter dies down, they can't help but find comfort in each other's eyes for a little while. Soon enough, Luna decides to take another step forward, creeping her hand over to her girlfriend's to invite her to join them. And of course, Sam doesn't shy away.

Which is great! That means she's starting to feel a little better, right?

"Great work Luna," the purple clad rocker thinks to herself.

And for a little while longer, the two girls sit in pleasant silence as they enjoy the feeling of their hands joined together, sharing much more than the simple grip of one another's hands. If she only holds her tight, they'll be holding on forever. That's what Luna believes as she looks to the fire once more, taking time to appreciate its beautiful shine with the darkness that begins to cast upon it.

Her reverie is broken by the sound of Sam contently sighing, and she glances back over to her to see her skittishly preening her hair with her free hand.

"What?"

The blue eyed girl softly shakes her head. "Nothing, nothing… I was just thinking about how crazy it is the way time flies."

"Are you reelin' in the years?" Luna quips, earning her a little glare.

"Yes," Sam curtly responds before returning to the point she was trying to get to. "I was actually just thinking about our actual first date. And, you know… how far we've come."

She looks away from her for a moment to take her own look at the fire burning bright, then looks back to Luna with some newfound sneering.

"Why do you always have to make things so sentimental?" she playfully jabs.

It only makes Luna more proud to be holding her hand, and she happily tells her, "Something about discovering new things together."

They both found themselves curled up laughing on the dough-ridden floor. Sure, they had made a mess of themselves thanks to their lack of baking skills, but they were able to laugh it off without a care in the world for the mess they were covered in.

Just before, they had gotten out of a discussion about whether they were truly meant to be. They didn't seem to have many interests in common outside of music, and they found themselves in all sorts of mishaps along the way. It almost seemed as though they'd have to accept the bitter conclusion that they weren't meant to be anything more than friends.

To their surprise however, it was finding something they didn't like that helped them finally align. That mental synchronization when they both said baking wasn't their thing was the start of their relationship being born anew. They were assigned to bake an apple pie, and both fumbled with the instructions. It was hard to focus, especially when Luna found herself retreating with a whole slew of emotions as they brushed hands over the sticks of butter. That short electric burst of both happiness and anxiety she felt from the touch, that was a sign that the passion of the sun and moon between them was never actually gone.

It seemed as though Sam was on the same page, as they both put their heads up and took a glance at one another. One look into each other's eyes and they knew... things might work out after all.

They were barely even paying attention as the mayor announced the winning team, whom obnoxiously cheered and scooted out the place. They brushed themselves off as they stood up and faced each other with soft grins on both of their faces.

"Well, we didn't win, but I had a lot of fun today," Luna began. She put a hand on her arm as she turned away, a somewhat somber expression overtaking her. "I know we don't have a lot in common, but maybe we can discover new things we both like. You know, like, together." A hopeful smile crept on her face at that.

Sam put a hand behind her head and glanced away as well. "I'd really like that," she agreed. "And next time, I'll try not to hit you with any lasers," she added as she made shooting gestures with her hands, finishing with a quick wink.

"And I'll try not to spit any juice on you," Luna said, rolling her eyes and putting a hand on her cheek.

Another soft giggle was shared between the girls before they gazed into each others' eyes once more. They reached in towards each other and they locked into an embrace, feeling each others' warmth, assured of their prospective futures. There was so much left to explore, so many things to experience. That was just the beginning...

"Man, I never imagined we would seriously meet up in a Burpin' Burger of all places," Sam commented.

Sam and Luna found themselves sitting across from each other at a table in the fast food joint. It's not like they were at a five star restaurant or anything, but they could surely do a better job maintaining this place. The seats were littered with crumbs, there were a few spilled drinks on the floor, and there were a few lights which buzzed and crackled, as if they could pop at any second. Without eleven Loud children to storm the place, it was surprisingly empty today, and they could hear the cashiers sigh to themselves as they played on their phones during what had to be the most boring job in existence.

"I can't believe I agreed to this…" Sam thought aloud.

In front of them was a tray stacked with a set of two burgers and fries, both glistening with oil and grease next to the sun-lit windows. Beside them were two large fountain drinks, clearly labelled with sharpie by Luna's request. Today, they would be taking on a challenge that they never thought possible before.

"How long has it been since I drank that… thing?" Sam asked.

"C'mon, it can't be that bad!" Luna encouraged her as she reached for a burger. "Can't be any worse than that kale juice from the other day," she muttered to herself before taking a bite.

"I heard that," Sam said, chuckling softly at the memory. "But seriously though, how do you stand eating this all the time?"

"What, they're great!" Luna said while chewing.

"I mean, yeah, they're alright," Sam admitted, a smile slowly creeping on her face. "But what do you know, I'm talking to someone whose favorite food is mashed potatoes and green beans!"

"And bacon!" Luna corrected her, chuckling as well.

"Yeah, like that's gonna change anything about eating a tasteless carb-infested mush…" Sam said with a smirk.

"I'm talking to a health nut that drinks fish oil every other day," Luna grimaced slightly at the thought.

"I'll take fish oil over regretting my terrible eating habits at a Burpin' Burger every other day."

They both started laughing at that. Sam and Luna knew each other well enough to make fun of each other, yet they were totally comfortable with it. What kind of relationship would it be if they doesn't make jabs at each other once in a while?

"Man, we always end up goofing around before we actually do what we're supposed to," Sam pointed out.

"Aw, what's the harm? We have fun. We get to spend more time with each other, it's great!"

"It's also a good stall tactic so I don't have to drink that sludge," Sam muttered to herself.

"I heard that." Luna pushed a fountain drink directly in front of her significant other. "Come on. Drink up."

Sam rolled her eyes and chuckled at that. "Alright, here goes…"

Luna stared intently as Sam picked the drink up and moved the straw up to her mouth. There was a dramatic pause as Sam raised an eyebrow and stared at the drink she held in her hand, as if she was contemplating just what terrible choices she made to end up in this circumstance. Their eyes met briefly, and Luna tilted her head down at the drink, gesturing her to actually take the sip.

So, she finally did. Sam put the straw in her mouth and took a drink. Luna's eyes widened slightly, almost as if she didn't actually expect her to follow through with it. She could only twiddle her thumbs and shift her eyes from side to side in anticipation for her inevitable reaction.

Sam's eyebrows furrowed and she moved the cup away before glancing ahead at her girlfriend.

"Well? What do you think?" Luna asked.

She paused to think for a few seconds, putting a finger up to her chin and staring off into the distance with an audible humming noise.

"Eh, it's pretty decent," she finally said.

"NO!" Luna suddenly exclaimed, causing Sam to burst out in laughter.

"You sure they're gonna like me Lunes?"

"Positive." Luna tugged at Sam's arm in front of her house while she struggled to hold on to her bag that she packed for their sleepover.

"How many siblings did you say you have again? Seven?" she asked with a nervous hilt.

"There's eleven of us. It's a full house. Everywhere you look, there's a heart, a hand to hold onto," Luna chriped.

"How do you handle all this? The thought of it is already making me dizzy…" Sam commented, not even speaking in hyperbole.

"Uh, you get used to it," Luna responded, concern filling her eyes. She did her best to be assuring, but it seemed like nothing was good enough to get through to Sam. She seemed to be spiraling into a small panic of sorts.

"But there's so many of them, and what if they don't like me?" she sullenly said, hanging her head a little low at the thought.

"Relax! You'll be fine dude," Luna stopped in front of the door to reassure her with a warm smile. "Trust me, they're excited to meet you. You're gonna love them. And more importantly, they're gonna love you."

Hearing those words brought a new relief to the guest, and she smiled too before taking a deep breath to steady herself and ready herself for the daunting task at hand. "Okay. Let's do this..."

Luna placed her hand to the door, and carefully began twisting it before taking a moment to look back to Sam with one more thought. "My dad's the coolest. He plays cowbell, just so you know."

Sam nodded with approval. "Gotta have more cowbell."

"Here we go," Luna said as she opened the door, revealing the rest of the Loud siblings sitting around the family couch with their various activities. Lori and Leni took selfies and played on their phones while Luan cracked some jokes to her dummy Mr. Coconuts. Lynn bounced a tennis ball against the wall while Lincoln read comics books. Lucy performed a seance, Lana groomed Charles, Lola put on makeup, Lisa read a book, and Lily aimlessly crawled around nearby.

To Luna, this was nothing more than an everyday shot of her siblings. But to Sam, the pressure was real.

"Oh hey, you must be Sam!" Lori glanced up to see the new girl and stood from her seat to greet her.

"Uh, hi," Sam waved with a sheepish grin.

"Well what do you know, Luna's future wife is here! She seems sharp!" Mr. Coconuts said before Luan covered his mouth. "Heh, sorry about that. He's a little stiff with newcomers," she chuckled.

The siblings all got out of the couch and started crowding around the couple, all eager to meet the one they only knew by name for so long.

"Welcome to casa Loud, how tough are ya?" Lynn asked.

"Well uh, I ate at the Burpin' Burger earlier," Sam answered.

"So?"

"Without any milk," she continued.

Lynn's face turned white as she backed off and gestured towards the stairs. "Uh, right this way," she said.

Sam and Luna giggled a bit at that. Seeing this as an opportunity, Leni snapped a picture of the two standing together, catching them by surprise.

"Awwww, you guys look totes adorbs together!" she complimented.

"Heh, thanks," Sam said, rubbing the back of her head.

"Alright guys, I know we're all excited to meet her, but did anyone take the time to ask how Sam is doing?" Lori pointed out.

"I was going to," Lincoln somewhat petulantly interjected before returning to his usual friendly form. "How are you doing? What do you think so far?"

"Now, it's gonna be alright," Luna whispered to Sam. "I have an escape plan if we need to-"

"Seems like a lot of fun!" she responded, interrupting her girlfriend.

Luna smiled upon hearing those words. She knew Sam would fight right in.

"If you don't mind, I'd be interested in hearing a brief biographical profile of yourself regarding how you acquainted yourself with our third eldest sibling," Lisa said, adjusting her glasses.

Sam glanced at Luna for reassurance, to which Luna tilted her head over to the crowd. "Tell them a bit about yourself," she encouraged her.

Seeing this, she nodded and turned her attention back towards the group which eagerly awaited an answer. Whatever doubts still remaining within her completely dissipated as she put on a confident demeanor, ready to show them what Sam Sharp was really made of.

"Well, it was a hot June night…"

"Isn't this gorgeous? The cinematography is just really breathtaking," Sam commented, really letting herself be excited.

"Yeah, it does look pretty sick," Luna agreed, throwing up an 'ok hand.' She took a glance at her girl next to the couch before focusing her gaze back to the TV screen. It made her so happy to see Sam being so careless and free, and she wasn't going to dare do anything to spoil that.

Lights off in the living room, the couple could appreciate the full glory of the aerial shots taken in Switzerland up front. There was a soft orchestral tune accompanying it, just barely noticeable, but enough to add to the atmosphere.

This wasn't their first time watching The Sound of Music. They had both watched it a few times when they were a lot younger. But it was years since they last watched it, and the songs had always stuck with them all these years. But now, getting to watch this movie together... It was a recipe for an unforgettable night.

The tune was picking up now, and the screen was now projecting a very familiar shot of an open grassy hill. The camera slowly zoomed in, and Sam and Luna glanced at each other briefly before turning to face the screen again. They both knew exactly what was about to happen.

"You ready?" Sam asked.

"Rock on, dude!" Luna excitedly confirmed.

The camera was finally close up to Maria as she spun around with spread arms and started singing. With that, Sam and Luna joined and sang in unison.

"THE HILLS ARE ALIIIIIIIIIVE WITH THE SOUND OF MUUUUUUSIIIIIIIIIIC!"

"Alright, you ready for this?" Sam eagerly asked as she booted up her brother's Playstation 4. (She liked to tell her friends that it was hers… and that she was the best guitar player in the world.)

"I've been ready!" Luna cheered as she inserted the disk into the game console. The TV lit up with a background depicting a beautiful autumn day over a quaint bay town, soon to be umbrellaed by the words: Life is Strange. With proverbial blue butterflies swirling in her tummy, she immediately retreated to the couch to settling in next to her special friend. Gosh, everything about the game was gorgeous. The aesthetics were absolutely marvelous, trance inducing even. The graphics and music harmonically put her into a peaceful, almost nostalgic bliss. It was so calm, so serene, so-

"YES! In your face Rusty!" a boy suddenly yelled from behind. "I won the build battle without sniping! That's what you get for third partying!"

"Lincoln, go play your game upstairs!" Luna called out to him.

"Ooh, sorry about that!" He ran upstairs with a sheepish grin, leaving the duo alone in the room again. They had gotten so used to him yelling about his games that they didn't even bother commenting on it.

Eventually, the episode started up, and they watched the recap of all the previous episodes before. From the very beginning, Luna played this game with Sam by her side. She wasn't really much of a gamer, and Sam made sure to make fun of her for not knowing how to use a controller, but those moments only added to the life-changing experience that was Life is Strange.

The opening scene loaded up, and they were greeted with a relaxing acoustic tune that imbued Luna with this odd feeling of serenity and peace. The bright orange sun shining its golden rays down the beach, where the wildlife was scattered around the beached whales that found themselves stranded ashore. In the distance, they could see Max Caulfield and Chloe Price slowly pacing across the boardwalk with each other by their sides.

"This game honestly has the best soundtrack ever," Sam commented. "I listen to it while drawing sometimes, it's super relaxing."

"Yeah, I can see that," Luna agreed. "You know, someone should write a fanfic about this sometime. Maybe I could-"

"Alright, shut up so you can pay attention!" Sam scolded, trying to contain her enthusiasm.

So they did. Luna continued to make choices in the dialogue, and the narrative of the story slowly unfolded before them. Throughout, not once did she crack a joke or make references about Roy (who's David?). By the end of it, when the duo on screen turned to return home, Luna found herself with this empty feeling inside. Like she just lost something dear to herself that she took for granted.

"Man..." Luna sighed. "I can't bear to see Chloe like this…"

"Yeah…" Sam agreed. "It's just not the same, y'know?"

They both sat in silence for a few seconds as the game moved on to the next scene. Images of the scene from before still played in Luna's mind. The music, the gorgeous visuals, the tone, they all came together to create an emotionally moving masterpiece.

"Do you think we can have what they have?" Luna asked.

Sam met her with a look of uncertainty. "What do you mean?"

"You know… Max and Chloe?" Luna clarified, an almost beseeching, somber tone in her eyes.

Sam thought it over with deep sincerity. She could make a joke, or be teasing… but the way Luna looks at her now, she knows she needs to keep it serious. And so she does.

"We already do," she answered, a warm, promising smile coming to her.

Luna smiled too, feeling those butterflies inside of her once again.

"I'm not sure if I can do this."

Luna had her head hung down as she held her guitar in her hand to the side. They were at an open mic night for Le Odorous Clam, and the place was bustling with the restless crowds all cheering the performers along.

"Why not?" Sam asked while tuning her guitar.

"Well, uh, this is just super new, y'know? I'm not sure if I practiced enough or-"

"What about all the other times you played up in front of people?" Sam interrupted. She turned the guitar over and carried it on her back before facing Luna.

"I mean, yeah I've played for bigger crowds. It's just…" Luna hesitated and glanced away. "It's my first time playing on stage with you."

"Ohhhh," Sam said with a little chuckle. "Don't worry about it! You'll be fine!"

"But what if I mess up? Or what if I forget-"

Sam stopped her with a comforting hand to her shoulder, being sure to fix her gaze on her brown eyes to convey the same level of consideration. "What's that one thing you tell me all the time? Something like... 'It's not about being the best, it's about-'"

"It's about having fun," Luna finished for her.

"Hey, I'm nervous too. We're both nervous," Sam reassured her. "But we'll be fine. You hear me?"

Luna took a deep breath, wandering her eyes around a bit before meeting Sam's again. "Okay. I'm chill. I'm chill…"

For a moment, they were quiet… only until Sam started fighting to contain her laughter while staring at the hand she had rested on Luna's shoulder.

"Hey," she said, finishing with the intent of an inside joke pertaining to a certain film about blonde girls rocking cool haircuts and putting hands on shoulders. "Hey."

Luna rolled her eyes. "You are such a nub," she flirted with a little laugh, and Sam laughed again too before getting back to business.

"For real though, we said at the scavenger hunt that we're not perfect and we won't have everything in common. Shouldn't we just enjoy being a mess on stage together?"

Luna thought to herself for a few seconds before turning her head up to meet Sam's gaze. "You're right," she admitted.

"I knew you'd come around," Sam winked and nodded as they both walked up the stage. A surge of confidence busted outwards from Luna that would have her singing in sunshine and rain. She mirrored her smile as well, and she repositioned the guitar within her arms, ready to shred it to bits on stage.

"Play it Loud?" Luna said to Sam.

"Play it Loud," she agreed.

With that, they started a legendary performance that would be the talk of the rest of time!

Or at least the remainder of the evening.

Jim Croce once sang that there never seems to be enough time to do the things you want to do once you find them. But for Luna, she found the one she wants to go through time with.

"Gosh, it's only been a little over a year too…" Sam longingly sighs, resting her head on her girlfriend's shoulder with her hand still in hers.

"Yeah it's crazy. Feels like we've known each other for so much longer…" Luna affirms.

And it was true. Luna wasn't sure if the idea behind having a soulmate was something to take seriously, but that all changed with every level of Life is Strange, or every song sang together, or every moment where Sam made time to be a welcome guest in the Loud family home. All those moments just remind Luna what she feels to be certain now: that Sam isn't just a girl to spend her time with as she figures things out, she's the one. She likes to think that Sam feels the same way too, even with the joke she makes next.

"I know, what am I doing hanging with a jerk that killed Toriel?" she recalls.

"Dude, you stuck your hand inside a waste-basket for a used pregnancy test!" Luna retorted. "You didn't even bother rewinding either!"

Sam raises her head from Luna's shoulder to gawk at her with playful petulance. "Okay, but nothing will ever top that one time we made Simon stick his hand inside a toilet. Poor kid didn't even know how to use the controls."

They both shared a hearty giggle at that. Yeah, there were some things they would never live down, but they just made for so many fun times in the present.

"Hey, we've done so much in just a few months, imagine what could happen in a year? Five years? Ten?"

"Oh, we've talked about that a few times, huh?" Sam remembered as she turned her head away from the burning fire to look to the restless ocean… the perfect blank slate to let her thoughts wander...

"You're voice was the soundtrack of my summer, do you know you're unlike any other? You'll always be my thunder. And I said… Your eyes are the brightest of all the colors, I don't wanna ever love another… You'll always be my thunder," Luna will be singing on the couch of their new apartment in Great Lakes City. She'll know that Sam can hear from the kitchen as she unpacks boxes full of pots and pans for all the cooking she'll learn to do in the weeks leading up their move, and she also knows that, while she won't say anything, she'll be smiling like an idiot knowing Luna sings about her.

When she gets to the final verse, playing as loudly (and obnoxiously) as possible, Sam will start to laugh, and she'll be forced to cover her mouth with her palm to stifle the chortling.

"THIS IS GETTING CRAZY! DON'T SAY IT'S OVER! SAM I KNOW YOU LOVE IT! SO JUST SING IT LIKE JULIE!" she'll teasingly play.

And that'll be what gets her to finally break. "You are such a goon! Stop!" she'll laugh.

Suddenly, they'll get a knock on their door, and they'll quiet down as much as they can to address the abrupt cacophony amidst their commotion. They won't have to wait long to see just who it is though…

"Knock, knock!" the giddy voice on the other side of the door will echo, and Luna and Sam will both roll their eyes.

"Just don't say anything and maybe she'll go away," Luna will tease, earning her a little playful scowl from the blonde.

"I said knock, knock!" the chipper voice will call out again, and Sam will be generous enough to take her bait and indulge her.

"Who's there?" she'll respond.

Luan won't even be able to stop herself from giggling before answering. "Omar!"

"Omar who?" Sam will say with a grin as Luna shakes her head.

Said giggling will return as Luan is able to muster out the punchline of her joke. "Omar goodness! Let me in, already! Hahahaha! Get it?!"

Sam will laugh, and even Luna will get a little chuckle from it before putting her guitar to the side to stand up and get the door for their third roommate.

Once she opens the door, she'll see Luan's overly amused self carrying an enormous box of party gags and novelty toys, and a special friend of hers wearing both Hot Topic and a rigid frown accompanying her.

"Do you see what I have to put up with?" Maggie will remark with her usual brand of dissatisfaction.

"Dude, I've dealt with it for nineteen years now. Preachin' to the choir here," Luna will reply as she gestures the other two girls to make their way in.

Luan will keep laughing her proverbial keister off as she finally brings the box into the apartment, and then she'll wipe a tear from her eye before speaking up again. "Oh man, classic Omar jokes," she'll get out of the way before looking around to study their new abode. With a bit of a wistful sigh, she'll put her usual tomfoolery to the side to meet her new roomies with what they like to call 'real talk.'

"So… this is it, huh? The place where we'll come home for steak dinners after fighting to get bookers to notice us?"

Luna and Sam will take a look around too, taking in the energy of the new place where they'll finally live together with the most intimacy and privacy they've ever had as an adult couple. There are only so many pictures they can hang on the wall, and it will be rather quiet in a dull sort of way compared to 1216 Franklin Avenue.

But when their gazes lock with one another again, it will remind them just why they're here in the first place. Not just to help Luan pay her rent so she can stop livin' on a prayer, but also because they all want the best for each other. Stand up comedy routines, guest spots on podcasts and radio shows, concert gigs for country clubs, weddings, casinos, and maybe even Chasefield Stadium one day…

The sky will be the limit for the sun and moon, and they'll be ready to face that together.

With a smile, Luna will simply tell her sister… "Yeah, this is it."

The sun will be setting down in a star speckled sky, creating a gorgeous hue of purple to match its radiating glow. The autumn air will be a little cold for their comfort, but it won't matter. The excitement and energy they feel, paralleled by their being able to share such an experience together, will be more than enough to keep them warm.

The contagious pep of the pride rally will keep Sam and Luna both whistling, humming, and singing along to their favorite songs. They won't mind the wind trying to blow them out of their coats, they won't mind the way things will be for people with nothing good to say about their love outside of their comfort zone. All that will matter is being together to share all of these fantastic feelings of euphoria bringing them to life.

Luna won't be able to ignore the colorful little pieces of confetti stuck in her girlfriend's hair; if anything, they'll just accentuate the awesomeness of her blue streak she wears with those same feelings and more. She'll stop singing to watch her baby blue eyes dance along with the tune she hums as she wags her fingers back and forth, but only until she realizes Luna is being a creeper.

"What?" she'll ask with a chipper little tone.

And when those damn eyes of hers meet back with such wonder and joy swelling inside of them… it will make Luna break. She won't be able to fight the tears much longer.

"I just… I'm the happiest I've ever been in my life right now, Sam Sharp. You have no idea how much I love you," she'll shamelessly tell her, all the fears, insecurities, and forlorning behind her thanks to the atmosphere and the drops of Jupiter in Sam's hair.

Then, she'll drop down on one knee, pulling a little black box out of her pocket as her heart begins pounding harder and harder in her chest. She'll try to pretend she doesn't notice Sam fighting a gasp as she covers her mouth, just so she can focus on looking her in the eyes as she opens the box to reveal a sapphire ring resting inside.

"I can't imagine spending another day of my life without you in it, Sam. You mean the world to me. You've actually, actually changed my life in so many ways. You've given me friendship, courage, and love like I've never known. I… I don't know how else to show you. I just…"

She'll try so hard not to choke up, but feeling how real it all is, having this wave of emotions come to her… it'll almost be too much. But in Sam's smiling face, she'll gain that same courage she spoke of. She'll find it in her to muster out the scariest, all the while most exciting words she's ever had to say.

"Sam… Will you marry me?"

And Sam will be taken a little by surprise, but not because of the things she was told. No, it will be because that's just what she's secretly been pining to hear all evening. The affirmation that her love isn't unrequited, that her passion is something to be matched. Hanging on in quiet desperation was well enough, it was what she signed up for. But seeing the little tears welling from her girlfriend's brown eyes will be enough to make her smile the widest, glossy eyed smile she'll ever know.

"Yes!"

Luna will stand back to her feet, and they'll lose each other in an all too familiar way. Forget the colder weather, forget their curfew, forget everything that ever made them feel doubt. They'll be fine just being here together, proud to be in love.

And they'll signify that with a powerful embrace, one where they don't worry about holding on loosely. No, they'll squeeze tight, not even concerned with the way tears of joy stream down both their cheeks and onto each other's shoulders. For once, they can be free to. They'll have the excuse.

Love will find a way.

Most weddings happen in a church. The parents of the brides or grooms will spend all of their hard earned simoleons on fancy catering featuring finger sandwiches and champagne, as well as Billy Joel wannabes to sing to the typical playlist of love songs from Forever to I Will Always Love You. The chapel gets decorated with pristine white streamers and Ranunculus, and everyone arrives wearing the most expensive, dapper outfits in their wardrobe for the ceremony. That's what happened with Rita and Lynn, that's what happened with Lori and Bobby, and that's what Leni will think she's getting into when she's asked to plan Luna and Sam's celebration of holy matrimony

Boy will she be wrong.

Ketcham Park will be rented out for a whole day to ensure as much time can be spent into preparing for what will be, quote-unquote, "The most rockin' wedding Royal Woods has ever seen." The traditional white on white color scheme will be set aside for shades of every color in the rainbow, with a little bit of emphasis on purples and blues. Enough to make Sappho herself smile down from the stratosphere.

No Lionel Richie will play over the PA system that Bobby will work buttholes and elbows on to get perfected, but instead, 80s and 90s power ballads from Def Leppard and Tesla will grace the summer air of the park for all attendants to hear. Attendants all wearing totes fashionable tuxedos and dresses designed especially for such an occasion, featuring tatters and tears in the slacks and sleeves to match the sporadic spikes, zebra stripes, and dew rags tailored for mosh pits and headbanging.

And while Bridal March won't be forgotten by Chester Chunk Munk, he won't play it dully and deadpan on some ancient piano. No, he'll break out his double neck McCarty to perform it with the precision of Bret Hart's Sharpshooters as a little girl makes her way through the drapes of an arch, showing herself to a sea of loved ones, who all "Awwww" in unison upon seeing her.

Lily will smile and wave before gleefully making her way down the aisle, making sure to toss little petals of roses out of her basket to bless the ground they all occupy with positive energies. Her father will already be freaking crying (because of course he will), and all of her sisters and her only brother will be proud to see that their youngest sibling has grown so well.

When she finally makes it up to the altar to join her oldest sisters Lori, Leni, and Luan as bridesmaids, a little boy with blonde hair will make his way through those same drapes, carrying a fluffy pillow blanketing two rings on his way there. Mr. and Mrs. Sharp will smile and wave at their only son Simon with tears in their own eyes, but only with about half as many as Lynn Sr…. who will really have a hard time dealing with such an overwhelming sense of happiness for his second daughter to become betrothed.

And once the ring bearer's black slides have planted firmly on the altar, a palpable air will form around the park as everyone eagerly anticipates the arrival of the first bride.

Chunk will really kick the gain and overdrive up as the girl he's proclaimed as one of his goddaughters makes her way through the drapes, carrying a bouquet of blue Morning Glories to compliment her soon to be wife's dress. She won't be able to help but let a few tears escape her, the happiness she feels will almost be numbing. She'll take the time to look to all of her friends and family in the crowd one at a time, thinking to herself how lucky she is to have such amazing people in her life, all willing to indulge her and her love for a certain girl.

It will almost be like floating on a cloud until she makes it to the side of her bridesmaids and best friends, as well as the tall, almost villainous looking gentleman that will be chosen to officiate her wedding. Her mind and soul will be compromised by nebulous with the freezing sensation of anticipation, something she's never felt before, and may never feel again. Part of her will want to hold on to it forever, to maybe even keep the clock from turning forward… But she'll be more anxious to see her one true love step out of the arch, dressed and ready to rock like the angel Luna sees her for, ready to take the next big step in their journey as soulmates. For better or…

No. 'Worse' isn't even a possibility. She just knows it.

And that will all be confirmed as Samantha Sharp will make her way out for everyone to see her, her long blonde hair coiffed perfectly in a bun behind a veil, her hands holding purple Crocuses. Everyone will be speechless except for the ringing of Chunk's guitar as she slowly steps her way down the aisle, bringing everyone to the edges of their seats.

Her eyes will be welling with tears too knowing all of the things Luna's feeling, and it will make it that much more powerful as she steps to her lover, ready to face her and accept their declaration of love.

"Hey," she'll whisper behind that veil.

And Luna will slowly raise her hands to flip it back, revealing her perfect face for her once more.

"Hey," she'll whisper back.

Then, they'll take each other's hands as they'll turn to face the official, and he'll say all the words that will go in one ear and out the other for the two, because they'll be too busy thinking about how lucky they are to have found someone like Sam, or someone like Luna.

Vows to forever love and cherish will be exchanged, and more tears will be shed as they're given the spotlight to display for everyone around, but especially each other, just how much they really care.

And finally, with all the words spoken, the official will turn to ask Simon…

"May I have the rings?"

He'll just nod as he positions the pillow for his sister and sister-in-law to take them, and they'll take turns carefully sliding their wedding rings around each other's fingers before interlocking their hands once more…

"Luna Loud, do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?" he'll ask her.

She'll look into those baby blue eyes of hers… the same ones that so many times have begged for her to fall deep inside and never come back up for air. But in them, she'll find everything she's ever wanted and more.

"I do."

"Samantha Sharp, do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

And with those brown eyes doing the exact same thing to her, she'll have no other words to say except…

"I do."

Satisfied that the business has been taken care of, the official will happily say to them, "Then by the powers vested in me, I now pronounce you wife and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

The two women, now married, will turn to face one another, and as the crowd of loved ones all applaud with nothing but support and happiness (and even more bawling from Lynn Loud Sr), they'll find what they always know they can discover in each other.

True love.

And with that, they'll share a true love's kiss, the most important and most remarkable one they'll ever get to share together.

But even with one door closing on the past behind them, a past where they could have been called into questions and shrouded with doubt… another one will open. Their journey will be far from over.

Sam will be trying to practice playing her guitar a little bit before she heads off to work. Collecting fish eggs and making sure they aren't dead isn't exactly luxurious, but she'll have to do something to help her wife pay the bills and keep dust off her marine biology degree.

Two hours commuting and nine hours at work will make it hard to find alone time, especially given her living situation, but she won't let it stop her from making some time for her first true love…

"Come here you," she'll say to her dark blue Ibanez, one she affectionately calls Baby Blue, and she'll make the sure the beat up box is in tune before finally forming her fingers in a D shape, taking a deep breath to clear her airwaves, and-

"Mom!" a little girl with brown pigtails and a pretty blue bow in her hair will shout as she barges into her door.

"Dang it," Sam will utter with a cringe before facing her daughter. "What is it, Libra?" she'll calmly ask, doing her best to be patient with the six year old.

And her beautiful baby girl will petulantly frown with a huff as she crosses her arms. "Orion keeps picking on me!"

Sam will roll her eyes at that with the sound of a second pair of feet stomping into the bedroom becoming unavoidable. A twelve year old boy in a beanie and Chucks will make his presence felt at the door…

"Don't listen to her. She's just trying to get me in trouble because I wouldn't play stupid tea party with her!" he'll try to convince his mother.

Again, Sam will try to be understanding. After all, so much time parenting will have taught her some things.

"Alright, alright. Sorry Blue," she'll tell the guitar as she accepts defeat and puts it to the side of her bed. "Libra, what did your brother do?"

The children will take turns blowing raspberries at each other before the little girl gives her mother her attention once more. "He was saying my high notes sound like SpongeBob's laugh! They do not, Mom!"

Neither Orion nor Sam will be able to keep all their laughter stifled, but Sam will have an easier time fixing herself (and shooting a glare at the boy to make him stop too). "Honey, don't listen to him. You're doing very well with your violin practice," she'll be sure to tell her. "And you should be more focused on your pageant tonight. You don't want Aunt Lola yelling at that one judge again, do you?"

"You mean Sunderland? The old fat dude who's always being weird around Miss Pingrey?" Orion will clarify.

"Be nice," Sam will tell him.

"Yes master," he'll quip.

Sam will meet her children with a warm smile as she places her hand on Libra's shoulder. "Alright, now can I please get five minutes to practice? I really wanna learn this song for your mom," she'll whisper.

"You're learning a song for yourself? That's so conceited," Orion will tease, much to his mother's amusement, and his sister's scorn.

"You're such a nub!" she'll cuss.

"Yes, he's a nub," Sam will playfully agree. "But he's my nub, and your nub."

She'll then pick her guitar back up, and meet the two with a lovingly impatient glare. "Alright, I've dealt with you boogers enough. Go get ready for school already."

"Yes Mommy!" Libra will chirp before happily dancing out of the room.

Orion will play it cool, rolling his eyes at that. "Have a good day, madre. Love ya."

"You too, kiddo. Stay out of trouble," Sam will tell him, knowing full well what he'll say next.

"Trouble always finds me though?"

"Just go already," she'll egg him on with a grin, and he'll meet her affection with a smile of his own before leaving her to practice.

She'll take a deep breath and rub her temples, "I'm getting too old for this crud," then focus her energy on the guitar once again. Like before, she'll give it a little strum to make sure the hot momma sounds good, and when she's sure she's ready, she'll put her fingers in the shape of a D chord, and-

"Saaaaam…"

"Son of a-" she'll start to curse upon hearing that familiar raspy voice.

"Saaaaam!"

With a sigh, she'll put the guitar to the side again, then stand up to make her way to the living room. "Coming! I'm coming…"

She'll walk into the living room, where she'll find her loving wife sitting on the couch watching an old Mick Swagger documentary on their TV, while also wishing their children a good day at school.

"Orion, you better get a better grade in science, or I swear I'm grounding you from Discord. And I mean it this time," she promises.

"But Mom-"

"Don't 'But Mom' me.' Just try your hardest, please?" she'll ask before turning her attention to her daughter. "And Libra?"

"Yes Mommy?" the self proclaimed princess will follow.

Belatedly, Luna will tell her… "Come give me a kiss before you leave."

Orion will smile and shake his head as the little girl practically skips over to their mother to plant a kiss on her cheek, but the abrupt feeling of her hands pressing weight down on the couch cushion will rock the proverbial boat for Mommy Luna.

"Oof…" she'll moan.

"Oops. Are you okay?" Libra will ask.

"Yeah, yeah… I'm fine," Luna will answer before looking to her tummy. "You try being eight months pregnant and not getting a little uncomfortable here and there."

Sam won't be able to help but watch on with nirvana at the sight before her. Seeing the people she cares so much about all being loving and supporting of one another… it's everything she's ever wanted and more.

"Okay, you guys go before you miss the bus again. I love you! Have a good day!" Luna will be sure to holler as they make their way out the door.

"Love you Mommy!" Libra will gladly yell back.

"Love you. I promise I'll bring home an A+!" Orion will assure her.

"She better be willing to rub my feet," Luna jokes as she rests her hands on her aching stomach, and with that, it will just be her, Sam, and the two unborn babies swimming around in her belly.

Her wife will approach her with caution as she'll take a seat beside her. "You rang?" she'll greet with sweetness in her voice.

Luna will smile back at her. "I'll love you more than anything in the world if you buy me some Ice Cream Fudge Pop Tarts on your way home today," she says to her. "The kind with the white filling."

Sam will laugh. "Even more than Chocolate?"

Luna will playfully think it over. "I mean… I really like chocolate…"

Sam will keep up the act by turning away from her and folding her arms. "Hmph. If that's how you want to be, I'll just buy some Pop Tarts for myself."

"Huah! You wouldn't…" Luna will gasp.

"Oh, I so would," Sam will keep up, trying as hard as she can not to smile and break character, and failing.

Luna will have to smile back though. "You're tearing me apart Lisa!" she'll joke to finish the chain of dumb witticisms, making her wife laugh.

Sam will then carefully hover her hand over Luna's belly, gently resting it on top to feel the life growing inside. "I can't believe we're gonna be moms… again…"

Luna amusedly huffs. "I can't believe I was dumb enough to agree to it… again."

Sam will smirk at that, all while marveling at the amazing thing she gets to be a part of with her hand on her pregnant lover's stomach. Inside, two new souls wait to be brought into their world, completely unaware of the magical wonders they'll get experience having two very loving, very caring mothers like Sam and Luna.

"Well, I'm really happy you did," she'll sincerely say, looking to deviate from the usual sarcasm.

Picking up on that, Luna will move her hand to rest it on top of Sam's, meeting her with yet another warm, loving smile. "I really am too, babe. I really am too… I just can't wait for them to come out already!"

Sam will deviously grin in a way that would put the Grinch to shame. "I bet that's what your parents were saying about us."

Luna will have to laugh at her joke, because it's so stupid and funny, but also probably true. "Shut up!"

Their shared laughter will echo around the room, permeating it with same sense of happiness and affection that will often brighten up their home. The same brightness that will come from being there to help their daughter and son to grow into happy, healthy, and safe adults, and the same brightness that was all too familiar from Luna's childhood home.

It's the way their lives will be, and it's truthfully all they could ask for.

And they wouldn't trade it for the world.

For a while, the girls sit in silence as they gaze into the distance, watching the sun slowly set and disappear beyond the horizon. An orange tint is all that remains as it is slowly overtaken by dark blue. The campfire continues to burn, softly crackling and shining a brighter light on the girls sitting in front of it. Here, they can take solace in appreciating the calm natural beauty of the world with just each other as company. Being here together is all they can ask for.

Luna turns to steal a glance at Sam once more, who continues to stare intently at the descending star. She can just barely see a slight down curve to her expression, the only sign of any emotion from her in the moment. This wasn't like her. It was so unusual to see someone as upbeat and positive as her be so reserved and distant.

"Hey," Luna asks, breaking the silence. "You alright?"

Sam doesn't bother turning to face the girl beside her, instead forcing a smile on her face. "Don't worry about it."

There's that same convincing facade that she sported all day. Sure, there are plenty of jokes and fun moments for Sam to smile at, but that doesn't change the increasingly obvious truth that there is pain lurking within. She can tell something isn't right.

"You sure? You've been kinda quiet lately," Luna probes further.

Sam doesn't respond this time. The last of the orange tint in the distance fades, and the sky is now its darkest shade of blue. She hangs her head down at that, resting them on her head and glancing away.

Luna's gaze softens as well, and she grips a little bit of sand as she contemplates her next move.

"Sam, I'm really worried about you."

"But why?" Sam finally says.

A few seconds of silence pass between the two as Luna carefully considers her words. Especially now. These questions are never easy.

"I care about you Sam," Luna says. "A lot."

"I don't wanna ruin the moment…" Sam's voice trails off. "We're supposed to be having fun…"

Another few seconds of silence, and another few seconds for Luna to think.

"Look dude, I've had an awesome day today," she starts. "We jammed to some sick tunes, we laughed at all our inside jokes, I even enjoyed just sitting here talking about our favorite memories, our future, everything."

She reaches over and puts an arm around Sam's shoulder, putting a reassuring smile on her face. "None of that matters without you, though," she continues. "You make this all possible. Out of anyone I could do this with, I'd do this with you every time. I'd trade Arcadia Bay for you. But right now, I think you need to rest your weary head. I want you to have a good time. Everything I do, I do it all for you. Listening is the least I can do. You know you can talk to me right?"

They remain in silence for several seconds as Luna awaits a response. She has said her piece, it was now up to Sam. A part of her gets really anxious to hear what she says, anxious to hear what's been bothering her all this time, but also anxious about her own ability to help. But she has to remain strong for her. She's so worth it.

"I just…" Samshiftes in place as she finally breaks the silence. "I don't know if I deserve all this…"

Luna continues gazing reassuringly at Sam, prompting her to continue.

"Luna, you're one of the sweetest, kindest, most awesome people I've ever met," Sam starts. "You've always been there for me. Ever since that time at the concert when you came to me... You're the one that wrote the love letter for me…"

She pauses for a moment to gather her thoughts, uncertain if she really has the confidence to continue forward.

"I'm always taking so much from you. You've given me so much, you've saved me so many times… What do I ever do for you? What have I ever done to deserve this? Why do you try so hard? Why do you always play 'she talks to angels?' Are you just sorry for me? What do you see in me Luna?"

Hearing this outpouring of heart shocks Luna. How can someone as wonderful as her even say this about herself? How can someone like her ever feel this way?

"That's not true," Luna agrees, turning her head down slightly. "I see a lot in you. You do so much to make me happy, Sam. I don't think I can just… say how much."

Sam now fixes her eyes and stares at the shoreside glimmering underneath the moonlight, with Luna watching along with her. For now, it was nice watching the waves crashing softly in the distance as she collects her thoughts.

"But I'm gonna try to tell you what I think you need to hear," Luna starts again. "Every time I'm with you, my knees get all shaky and my heart gets all achey. God, I'm such a nervous wreck!" she chuckles softly to herself. "But you make it hard not to be," she adds, regaining her composure. "How do I even compare to you? I knew from the first time I saw you at the concert, you were just… perfect! I don't know what I did to get so lucky meeting you…"

Sam's head shifts a bit, she glances at Luna's direction, but soon turns her attention back to the sea again. She'll stare at the edge of the water for as long as she can remember, never really knowing why. Even so, it can't stop Luna from fighting to show her just how much she cares.

"You know that love letter too? I didn't know what you were gonna say or how you felt about me. All my other siblings gave out their love letters and sent their signs, but I didn't at first. I thought you were way out of my league. I didn't wanna ruin the awesome friendship we already had. I knew we had something special, I swear every morning that it's a crazy fever dream. But I just couldn't ignore the call. I had to listen to my heart. I had to take another leap of faith. That's all it is Sam, a leap of faith."

"I try so hard dude. I try because you're worth it. You're the funniest, sweetest, kindest, most adventurous, amazing person ever. You always seem so excited to see your friends and ask how they're doing, you're always so excited to try new things and see everything this crazy world has to offer. Your jams are seriously super sick, you always seem like you're having so much fun and really love what you're doing, you're not afraid of what anyone else tells you… You're just… just…"

"Please don't tell me I'm perfect," Sam retorts, a graveness in her gaze. "It's a lie, and I can't take hearing it anymore. I'm a wreck, Luna. You're so much better than me…"

Luna takes a deep breath at that. "Yeah, well… I kind of thought the same way about you…"

For a while, they sit in silence as Luna studies Sam's expression, who seems to have stared at the beach all this time. She notices how Sam's head tilts down and her eyes glance away from the shoreline. She just keeps her eyes fixed on the waves, and Luna can tell her words aren't getting through to her.

The silence around them was peaceful at first, but now it's become overbearing. In it, she understands that she's failing, that if she doesn't say the right things soon, this night will be tainted forever. One step closer to a ledge she might not be able to save Sam from falling off of…

Dammit, for someone with so much time spent listening to the deepest, most meaningful lyrics… she sure sucks at comforting the girl most important to her. She can't be like Mick Swagger and sing away her blues…

Or maybe she can.

As her eyes nervously wander around for something to maybe inspire a latent miracle inside of her, she's serendipitously fixes them on her guitar...

That's when she realizes what she needs to do.

Without a word, she reaches behind for her acoustic guitar and props it in front of her. She gives it a light strum to make sure it's still in tune, and once she's sure it is, she makes herself comfortable… as much as she can with the swirling storm inside, that is.

She forms a G shape with her fingers, and begins arpeggiating the strings to create a familiar sound of music.

Hearing it, Sam becomes stirred with curiosity. She isn't so sure the tune can bring her out of her sadness, but she recognizes it, and more importantly, she finds some serenity in the melody.

Luna sees this, and she takes a deep breath before she finally starts singing:

"Edelweiss… Edelweiss… Every morning you greet me..."

Her voice is soft and delicate to contrast her usual radiant and passionate energy. This isn't about playing it loud for everyone else to hear, it's about being sure that Sam can see what she truly feels. This isn't a cheer in a crowd or a break of the guitar's neck, this is about the will and desire to do anything for the special someone sitting beside her.

"Small and white… Clean and bright… You look happy to meet me…"

She glances at Sam, who still remains motionless up ahead. Her expression remains unchanging, her demeanor still concealing and unfeeling. But Luna continues playing on, hoping that somehow she'll get through to her.

"Blossom of snow, may you bloom and grow… Bloom and grow forever…"

Sam finally sits herself upright, hugging her knees with her arms. She focuses on Luna's hands as she picks along the brass with her fingers, creating the beautiful song that makes her feel… more at ease. Almost like the song from a music box.

It really is a beautiful song, and the fact that it's her favorite from a movie that they hold near and dear to their hearts… It speaks to her. Maybe more than she'd stubbornly like to admit.

"Edelweiss… Edelweiss… Bless my homeland forever…"

As she continues her serenade, Luna allows her eyes to meet Sam's, and a soft smile slowly creeps up on the girl's face. Luna gestures towards her guitar with a tilt of her head, to which Sam nods along. No words, they know exactly what to do.

"Edelweiss…" Luna continues to sing.

"Edelweiss…" Sam joins in, letting her seldom heard singing voice grace her girlfriend's ears.

"Edelweiss…"

"Edelweiss…"

"Every morning you greet me…" they sing together. She didn't like to sing much; she just didn't feel like anyone really wanted to hear her. More importantly, she didn't like hearing herself. But Luna gives a reassuring smile, encouraging Sam to continue. She'll give her confidence in sunshine. She really loves this song, and she really loves what Luna is trying to do for her.

"Small and white… Clean and bright… You look happy to meet me…"

The way their voices harmonize brings crimson warmth to both girls' cheeks. Almost like some sort of magic, the feeling of a dark cloud over them seems to dissipate with every lyric and note.

"Blossom of snow may you bloom and grow… Bloom and grow forever..."

The more they sing, the more Sam's solemn expression is overtaken by newfound courage and confidence to open up and show Luna a side of herself she's been so reluctant to unveil. What started as a soft murmur becomes a shameless, proud singing as she meets Luna's pitch, smiling as her eyes well with emotion.

"Edelweiss… Edelweiss…"

Their voices become softer again and the guitar chords start to slow down, signifying the approach of the end. Soon enough, the trance they find themselves in will disappear, but they will cherish this moment they had between them for the rest of their lives.

"Bless my homeland forever…"

Those final words linger in the summer air for a passing moment as the ringing of Luna's guitar quiets down. She isn't brave enough to look to Sam just yet, instead looking to the water again.

But Luna hears a sniffle as she puts the guitar to her side, and she finally works up the courage to look at Sam once more. She wipes away the last tear to fall from her eye. "That was beautiful, Luna," she tells her.

Almost like an epiphany, Luna finds it in herself to respond with: "You're beautiful."

Jeez, she always knows just what to say to make her blush.

"Shut up… That's my favorite song, you know?"

"Yeah, I know," Luna simply responds.

And for a short while, the two lose each other with a familiar silence. Not the one that worries them, though. More so the kind that they looked to find here at Aloha Beach with the shadow of day embracing the world in grey. Eventually though, Luna's feelings get the better of her again.

"Look… Maybe I'm not the best with words. That's why I ask Lucy for help with my lyrics," she jokes before getting serious again. "But… You know… I really love you, babe. I really do."

Sam softly, warmly smiles at Luna. "I know Luna… And I love you too. I guess that's why I get so scared sometimes. I just worry one day you'll wake up and realize you're too good for me."

"Ehh, you know I'm no good with lying eyes," she assures her. "Seriously Sam, how do you think I feel sometimes? Sometimes I worry you're the one who's too good for me."

Content to just let herself actually feel good about this, Sam puts all of her self doubt and insecurity aside to relent. If not for her, then at least for Luna "I'm no good with lyin' eyes…"

Luna can't help but laugh a little at the way things have unfolded. "And this is the part where it turns into a circle of you and me being lame like Lori and Bobby and basically just saying 'I love you more' over and over and over again until we both drive each other crazy."

Her heart cascades with melting warmth as she hears Sam's lovely laugh again. Somehow, some crazy way, she managed to pull this off. Her vibrant smile and glistening eyes, the ones that shine brighter than the night stars, make this more than clear.

"Fine, I'll be nice and stop being nice first," Sam teases. "But only because I love you more, baka."

It makes it easy to lose each other just one more time.

"Come on," Luna says to break the passionate pause, standing up and reaching a hand out for Sam. "Let's go get some nice cream."

Sam nods without hesitation, "I'd really like that," she answers, and she accepts her hand. For the first time in forever, Sam has the strength to stand upright and put her doubts beside her, with Luna to help her along the way. She is never going back, the past is in the past.

Without another word and their hands still held together, they start walking along the horizon, leaving the campfire to continue burning behind them. The waves crash and the fire crackles underneath the starry night sky as their date slowly comes to a close.

But unlike the fire they leave behind on this beach, their love will continue to burn brighter and stronger with future days that promise all things worthwhile. And no, they can't all be perfect. Chances are there will be some hiccups, be it because of doubts or baking cakes. But one thing is unquestionably certain…

They'll blossom and grow together.

THE END.

Orion and Libra are Jackie's OC kids for Luna and Sam, not mine. Threw them in here because we love her.

Thanks for reading true believers.