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[seekingmiracles]

After the few days of being a female, Zia found himself grateful to wake up in his own usual body. Things felt like they were right again, and he had a feeling Mikal felt the same way. Helping her get to the know the island had been put on hold because of what happened, and he thought it'd be a good idea to start it up again in a different way this

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[sink_nor_swim]

After the first few times she'd asked and gotten no response, Mikal had given up on trying to figure out where he was taking her. She hadn't seen all that much of the island so far, after spending a few days keeping to themselves as much as possible when they'd been the wrong genders, so it wasn't like there were any conclusions she could have reached for herself.

It was almost a relief when they stopped walking, though she didn't have any idea why he would have taken her out to the beach. Before she could ask, he spoke, and obediently, she tipped her head up, drawing in a deep breath when she saw what he obviously meant her to. "The stars," she murmured, the corners of her mouth lifting in a smile, eyes remaining fixed upwards for a long moment. It felt like it had been forever since she'd seen a starry sky like that. Finally, she looked back at him, her smile widening a little. "They're beautiful."

[seekingmiracles]

He'd picked a good night, it seemed. The sky wa cloudless, and it made for an even better sight than the last time he'd come out to the beach t look for a while. There'd been little things he even missed when they were dead. He knew Mikal had missed these, too.

"I was going to show you earlier," he explained, looking a little sheepish. "But then this place's bad sense of humor happened."

It seemed only right she see this when they were both normal again.

[sink_nor_swim]

"It's definitely nice to be back to normal," she said by means of agreement, grinning over at him before she looked back up again. Grasping his hand, she headed forward a few steps as if without warning, beckoning for the dog to follow so she could lead them down the beach a little, farther away from the edge of the trees and closer to the edge of the water, if only to get a better view of where they were. It was peaceful down here at night, only making her like it more.

"You wanna sit a while?" she asked after a moment's hesitation, turning back to glance at him again. To some extent, she still wanted to be careful with this, to do it right, and she didn't want to just assume he'd been intending to do any more than show her the stars. With as nice as it was, though, she wasn't in any hurry to start heading back.

[seekingmiracles]

Zia had been thinking the same thing. It there was ever a good time to just had it be with them, it was this.

"I was assuming we would," he replied, shooting her a grin. After the walk they had, it would be a waste to go back immediately anyway. "You want to pick a spot, or is here good?"

[sink_nor_swim]

As if in response, she dropped to the ground, sliding off her shoes before stretching her legs out in the sand. "This is good," she replied, and tipped her head up to grin brightly at him. "I mean, the beach is the beach, right? No reason to keep walking when it's so nice right here."

[seekingmiracles]

He eased himself into a seat next to her a few moments later, Watching Eugene plop into the sand by them, panting like he was tired out. The walk must have done him in. One of them would probably have to carry him back.

"So, good surprise?" he asked, looking over at her. He couldn't see her too well in just the light of the moon, but it was enough to take in her reaction.

[sink_nor_swim]

Mikal's expression softened a little at the question, and she shifted so she was facing him better, though with her legs still out in front of her, weight back on her palms. There was a time she'd thought, or tried to think, that what she'd liked about him was just how different he was from the other people in the afterlife. Here, though, nothing had changed. Even something as simple as taking her down to the beach meant a lot.

"Great surprise," she replied with a nod, looking over at him almost fondly. "You know, I hardly remember the last time I saw stars. I think it's the kind of thing you have to lose to really appreciate, you know?" There was that, of course, but the sky aside, it was just nice being with him like this. The obvious reminder of the last night they'd spent on a beach together was hardly an unpleasant one.

[seekingmiracles]

"I felt the same way when I first noticed them," he admitted, looking up again at them. He knew he'd thought about her, too, if only because she'd been the person to make him notice the absence in the first place. He hadn't done a lot of stargazing back there before she joined up. He hadn't done much at all, really.

"Yeah, I know," he admitted, his attention back on her. "I couldn't even get this view back home, either. Too many lights."

[sink_nor_swim]

"Yeah," she murmured in agreement, head tilting up again. There were so many of them here, and while she hadn't ever gotten used to their being none, it was almost startling to have a view like this. "You know, even with all the weird things it does, this place really is nice."

She wasn't going to try to pretend that it had nothing to do with him, too. If it had been anyone else to find her on the beach that morning, she didn't even know what she'd have done. Either way, she would've been glad to be alive again, but having him there made the island even more appealing.

[seekingmiracles]

Zia knew what she meant. His opinion of the place was a lot higher now that she was here, though. She might not know it herself, but he knew they would be apart if things had remained normal and they hadn't ended up where they were now.

"I am glad things are back to normal though," he responded, though he had a feeling that was a given. His voice too on something close to a teasing tone when he added, "You make a better girl than a guy."

[sink_nor_swim]

Mikal let out a laugh at that, leaning back farther until she dropped to her elbows, though her focus remained on him. It was easier to joke about what had happened now that it was over. There was no denying that she'd been pretty fucking uncomfortable with what was going on, and she didn't doubt that he'd felt the same way.

"Well, you make a better guy than girl," she replied wryly, half-teasing in turn, "so I guess that makes us even." She paused a moment, though, thoughful, and added, "But yeah, I'm glad, too. I really would not have wanted to be stuck like that much longer."

[seekingmiracles]

He eventually ended up in a similar position as she was, though he just laid fully down, hands behind his head. He could still watch her from where he was, though, which was all that really mattered.

"I would've showed you this earlier, if it wasn't for that," he explained, nodding upwards to show what he meant. It would've felt too strange doing this with their wrong genders. He wanted it to be a good night, and he thought it was going pretty well so far.

[sink_nor_swim]

"I'm glad you waited," she murmured, nodding a little as she turned her head to look at him. They might've been there to see the stars, but she was more interested in him, even if she wasn't going to outright say so. "It's a lot nicer like this."

And it wasn't at all awkward, or didn't seem so to her, which was definitely a pleasing sensation. She'd always been more at ease around him before, more herself, and now it was the exact same thing. Had they been reversed genders, it only would have made them both uncomfortable.

[seekingmiracles]

Zia had sat up a little, leaning on his elbows now. Nice was definitely a good way to describe what they were doing.

"I've done this a couple of times before," he said, obviously referring to what they were doing. "It's better with company, I think."

That he meant her company specifically probably didn't need to be said. And, maybe just because the opportunity was there, he sat up a little more and leaned in, pressing his mouth against hers lightly.

[sink_nor_swim]

If Mikal had had any question about what he meant by the statement, it was answered with how he followed it. As soon as his lips were against hers, she shifted closer, bringing a hand up to rest lightly over the back of his neck, deepening the kiss just a little. Now that she had more of an idea what they were doing, she was more confident than the first time they'd kissed on a beach.

It was just one more way in which this was so much better.

She was smiling almost shyly when she pulled away, eyes not leaving him, now. "Yeah, I can see why," she replied, sounding almost affectionate where she'd meant to be teasing. "This wouldn't be half as nice if I'd wandered down here alone."

[seekingmiracles]

Even though she'd pulled away, his hand remained rested against her neck. After being without her for so long, he almost felt like he had to enjoy this now that he had the chance to. The few days they'd had to stay apart because of the whims of the island hadn't helped things.

"Well, I'll always be happy to come down here with you," he promised. "You know, if you ever feel like it again."