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edamameimei · 4 days ago

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in another dimension (daniela avanzini x reader)

"i care for you still and i will forever. that was my part of the deal, honest."

synopsis: daniela was your best friend in high school. however, after she graduates, she cuts contact with you. now, you attend the same college as her and you become face-to-face with the feelings you've tried so hard to push away. tags: mostly angst, cant promise comfort. fluff here n there. college!au. an: this is not a REAL portrayal of the people mentioned in this fic. all events are fictional and are for entertainment purposes only. CW: underaged drinking, lots of swearing wc: 15k (LOL)

⏯ now playing: white ferrari - frank ocean

Something you will always love about Daniela is the way she holds your hand.

Before officially meeting her, you only ever saw her in the hallways. She was always followed by her friends from the cheer team, smiling widely and talking animatedly about something that happened the night before. She always walked past you at your locker. You would look up and for some reason, your eyes always locked with hers.

As if she had already been looking at you.

But that was impossible. You weren’t anyone special at your school.

So, you were surprised when she already knew your name when you introduced yourself to her during your shared chemistry class. Her seat was assigned next to yours and although you were nervous to talk to her, you knew it would only be polite. You held your hand out to her, a small smile on your face. “Y/n L/n.” She looks at you, a bit amused by your formality. However, she humored you, taking your hand and shaking it.

“Yeah, I know.”

The rest after that was history.

Despite your incapability to understand the subject, it became your favorite class that year. Daniela made it enjoyable with her quick wit and whispered jokes about the material. You both struggled together and eventually, you were going to her house every week to do homework or just hang out. She quickly became your best friend and vice versa.

She would excuse herself from her group of cheer friends to talk to you at your locker. She always waited for you to finish packing your stuff up after class. She often offered to give you ride homes which would turn into a last-minute invite to her home or yours. It was an unexpected friendship, and it was even more unexpected when you started falling for the Latina.

You realized it on a random day after school. You stopped by your locker, grabbing the textbook you would need for homework and returning the ones you wouldn't need for the night. Daniela came up to you, snaking her arms around your torso and pulling you close to her front. She rested her head against your back, murmuring, “I don't wanna go to practice…” Her statement made you chuckle. You closed your locker and leaned into the hug, cherishing the warmth the older girl provided. Daniela holds you tighter and whispers, “I wish I could just hang out with you.”

Her words made your cheeks flush. Your heart rate picked up and you felt lightheaded when her perfume began to overwhelm your senses. You were hyperaware of the small circles her thumbs were tracing on your sides and just her presence was sending you over the edge. To your disappointment, she let go, sighing loudly and dramatically. You turned around to face your best friend and you felt your words get stuck in your throat.

Her cheer uniform looked especially nice on her this day.

She got on her tippy toes, kissing your cheek before bouncing off to practice. You heard her yell over her shoulder. “I’ll come over after, okay?!”

You nodded, slightly dumbfounded and more fucked than usual.

It was a secret you kept to yourself for years and a secret it will continue as you sit with her on her back porch after her graduation festivities. Daniela is finally done with high school and is now ready to start her new chapter. You try to give her your undivided attention as she excitedly talks about her dorm decor ideas but you can’t seem to find the strength to hear her words.

You know you should be happy for Daniela but she’s leaving you in a few months to live an entirely different life than yours. She’s going to thrive while you stay stuck at your high school for another year.

You don’t notice when she goes suddenly quiet. You’re pulled out of your thoughts when she grabs one of your hands, squeezing them gently. You look into her eyes and see concern in them. She tilts her head, frowning slightly. “Hey… you okay?”

You nod, shifting your body so you can have a better look at her. Your shoulders touch and your knees bump into each other. You feel Daniela fidget with one of the rings on your fingers, a habit of hers that you’ve picked up on. You place your other hand on top of hers, caressing it gently with your thumb. “Of course. I’m happy for you.” She rolls her eyes, tilting her head even more to give you a look.

“You can be sad, you know?” She looks down at your connected hands and sighs. “I’m… kinda sad too.” You furrow your brows at her confession. You lean closer to her, a pout on your face as you squeeze her hand tightly.

“What? You just graduated, Dani…” She looks up at you, her eyes glistening. Your throat tightens at the realization that she is on the verge of crying. You immediately cup her face with your hand, your thumb caressing her cheek gently. She leans into your touch, her eyes fluttering close as she lets out a shaky breath. She whispers, “Everything is gonna change, isn’t it?” Your heart drops at her words.

You know you should tell her the truth. Deep down, you know she’s right. Everything will change, it’s inevitable. But a part of you likes to believe she loves you enough to not allow your friendship to fade. You like to imagine that the distance wouldn’t matter and even if she did make new friends at her university, you’d still be her favorite person. But sometimes, not even love is enough.

You lean closer to the older girl, resting your forehead against hers. You let go of her cheek and raise your pinky in front of her. She giggles, bumping her nose against yours cutely. She links her pinky with yours and smiles widely, her dimples coming out after hiding all night. You whisper, “Nothing. Will change between us. Okay?”

She nods, letting go of your pinky to pull you into a tight hug. She buries her face into your neck, her breath warm against your skin. Her lips ghost over your neck as she murmurs, “Okay.”

Your hold on her becomes tighter as if scared this is the last time you'd ever get to have Daniela in your arms.

But it isn’t the last time.

The last time is in her newly moved-in dorm room. She held you so tightly, her tears staining your shirt. She whispered against your chest, her voice breaking, “You can stay a little longer if you want. You can help me decorate…” Your heart broke at her words. You knew if you stayed any longer, leaving would become much more difficult.

So, you pulled away. You kissed the top of her head. And you bid her farewell.

You thought, after this, there would be more opportunities to help her decorate. However, days turned into weeks without a word from her. Suddenly, weeks turned into months.

And then your birthday passed and you foolishly hoped for at least a text.

Then came graduation and pathetically, that was when you finally gave up on Daniela Avanzini altogether.

If it weren’t for the full-ride scholarship you got from the same university as Daniela, you would have moved far away from Georgia. But a full ride is a full ride— and a university campus is much larger than a high school’s.

After settling into your new space, you decide to take a stroll on the quad, needing to decompress after a very long day of traveling and moving. Your headphones are on as you look around your new surroundings. You take your time, wanting to familiarize yourself with the campus you’ll come to learn for the next four years. You glance up at the sky, getting lost in the different shapes of the clouds.

You’re shaken out of your daydreams however when you accidentally bump into someone.

Your eyes widen, your head snapping toward the person who had to become a victim of your recklessness. You open your mouth to apologize but when the person looks back at you, your words lodge in your throat.

It was Daniela, in all her glory.

Her hair is now blonde and you note how her hair isn't straightened, now full with her natural curls. She widens her eyes as if finally processing who was right in front of her. You can’t hear her, but you see her lips mouth your name.

You shove your hands in your pocket, keeping your head down as you walk past her hurriedly. You make your way back to your dorm, pretending the interaction never happened.

After that day, you’ve avoided walking anywhere on campus that was full of students. You know it’s ridiculous, but the thought of seeing Daniela once more annoys you. Thinking about the Latina in general puts you in a bad mood. Since she cut contact with you, bitterness began to fester in the pit of your stomach. Even though you knew it would happen, it still makes your heart ache when you think about that night after her graduation.

For someone who seemed so broken at the thought of losing you, of things changing, you would have thought maybe she would have put at least a bit of effort into keeping you around. But unfortunately, it was another thing you foolishly believed and you would be damned to allow yourself to do that again.

On the first day of class, you tiredly make your way to the science building on campus. You don’t understand what possessed you to sign up to take Organic Chemistry at 8:30 AM but here you were. You’ve heard horror stories about this class from your peers within your major. It was required for nursing and the thought of going through this class for a whole semester makes you want to switch what you’re studying entirely. But it was only the first day, how bad could it possibly be?

As soon as you walk into the classroom, it becomes one million times worse.

You immediately spot Daniela sitting in the back of the classroom. She had her headphones on and her phone in her hands as she touched up her makeup. You grip the straps of your bookbag tightly, looking around for an open seat that is nowhere near her. Luckily for you, the class takes place in a mini-lecture hall. It’s not as big as your other intro classes, but compared to your English 101 classroom, this one had enough seats for you to choose from.

You decide on a spot a row away from the front, knowing it would be best to have Daniela nowhere in your peripheral vision. You quickly sit down, unpacking your notebook and other materials to take notes. You lean back in your seat, taking a deep breath. You try to compose yourself, closing your eyes to pretend that the girl who meant everything to you at some point wasn’t right behind you. However, your attempt is futile when you hear a loud squeal at the front of the room. You open your eyes to see two girls standing at the entrance, waving enthusiastically. “DANI!” One of them yells, quickly walking to the Latina with the other girl following right behind her.

You slouch in your seat. You came to college to escape high school and now here you are— getting a strange sense of deja vu.

Once the class ends, you quickly stuff your belongings into your bookbag, zipping it up and throwing it onto your back. You leave the classroom with a huff, doing everything in your power to avoid seeing Daniela or even hearing her voice. Questions run through your mind such as: why is she even taking Orgo? She’s a dance major, why is she wasting her time? You shake your head, tears brimming your eyes as you continue walking to your dorm.

As soon as you walk into your space, you immediately throw your bookbag onto the floor. You run your hands through your hair frustratedly, the tears you’ve been holding in are now falling freely from your eyes. You pace your room for a moment, trying to gather your thoughts. You feel like you’re on the verge of a crashout and it has only been a day in college. However, in the middle of your breakdown, a soft voice breaks you out of your head. “Are you… Like, good?” You turn your head toward the voice and your cheeks flare up in embarrassment. You forgot you are now sharing a space with someone.

“Fuck. I’m sorry.” You manage to say. You sit down on your bed, looking down at your lap. You wipe your tears, not wanting your roommate to feel any pity for you. Also, you only met Megan a week ago and you didn’t want to give her the impression that you were always like this. If anything, this is the farthest from who you are, especially in front of people.

“No, really. Are you okay?” You look up at Megan, a forced smile on your face. “Yeah. I just– I just came back from my Organic Chemistry class…” Megan nods at your response, taking it at face value. She closes her laptop, placing it at the foot of her bed. The ginger girl sits criss-crossed on her bed and gives you an apologetic smile.

“God I heard that class fucking sucks,” She throws her head back dramatically, looking up at the ceiling. “I’d be in tears too. You were real for walking in like that.” Her words make you laugh. You sniffle, wiping away the remaining tears on your cheeks. She looks at you again, tilting her head in curiosity. “You’re in nursing, right?” You nod, rubbing the back of your neck anxiously.

“Yeah… I think I’m starting to regret it.” She laughs and gets up from her bed. She walks over to you and gestures toward the door. “Do you wanna get food with me and my friend? It could cheer you up.” You’re grateful for the offer but you shake your head, looking down at your watch on your wrist. “That sounds awesome but unfortunately… I have like, 30 minutes to relax before my next class.”

“What’s your next class?” She asks. You smile sheepishly at Megan, responding, “Statistics.”

She widens her eyes. “Dude, do you hate yourself?”

You sigh, flopping onto your back on your bed. “Something like that, yeah.”

The worst thing about Organic Chemistry is that it’s not just a class– it’s also a lab.

The night before, your professor sent an email detailing lab expectations, assignments, and lab partners.

You look at the attachment on your laptop, scared to click on the ‘read more’ tab that contains your fate for the rest of the semester. You take a deep breath, clicking on it. It was now or never.

Group 2-B: Y/n L/n, Daniela Avanzini, Meret Manon Bannerman, & Sophia Lafoteza.

Group 2-B Partners: Y/n L/n & Daniela Avanzini, Meret Manon Bannerman & Sophia Lafoteza.

You slam your laptop shut. Megan jumps at the sound, looking at you with wide eyes.

When you walk into the lab, you can’t help but roll your eyes when you see Daniela sitting at one of the lab tables with the two other girls you saw from class. You feel your anxiety build as you walk toward the table, the grip on your bookbag straps tighten when Daniela looks up and sees you. She smiles but you can tell it was forced. You look away, taking a seat across from her. The girl next to you extends her hand, smiling widely. “Hi! You must be Y/n, I’m Sophia.”

You take her hand, shaking it awkwardly. “Nice to meet you…” As soon as you let go, the other girl– who you assume to be Manon, waves at you, giving you a friendly smile. “I’m Manon and this–” She puts an arm around the Latina, pulling her close to her side, “Is Daniela!”

Daniela gives you an awkward smile and a wave of anger spreads throughout your body. You grip the hem of your shirt, trying to remain calm. You simply nod, forcing a smile as you look away to unpack the materials needed for today’s class. The girls continue their conversation, loudly discussing their escapades from the night before. You try to keep your focus on your notebook but Sophia taps your shoulder, grabbing your attention. “What’s your major, Y/n?”

You clear your throat, your eyes still trained on your notebook as you respond, “Nursing.”

You hear Manon gasp. “Wait! Me and Dani too!” You look up, surprised. You look at Daniela with a raised eyebrow. “Really?”

Manon nods her head excitedly. “Yeah! We’re both sophomores right now in the program.” Daniela looks at you and you can’t help but notice a tinge of sadness in her eyes. You ignore it, looking away again once you see the professor walk into the room.

“That’s cool.” You respond, trying to remain nonchalant. You feel Daniela’s eyes still on you and you pretend it doesn’t bother you. It shouldn’t bother you– it’s been a year without the girl in your life and you managed to make it this far. But hearing her voice again, seeing her right in front of you, it ignited something inside of you that you haven’t felt in so long. And maybe that’s what bothered you the most.

Manon and Sophia continue pestering you with questions as Daniela sits silently. She nods along to whatever they ask, responding when she feels it’s right to. You find the situation humorous. You and Daniela were playing characters that didn’t know a single thing about each other. The person in front of you doesn’t know where your parents live. She has never seen the room you grew up in and she has no idea what you were like in high school.

The character you play brings you comfort. As you say your lines, you avoid her eyes, afraid you’ll mess up.

Because she does know what your room looks like. She knows you still sleep with a night light.

The nursing building was not your favorite place to be in.

Due to it only being your first year, you don't find yourself inside its old and intimidating walls very often. But when you do go, you’re always filled with an overwhelming feeling of dread. Nursing in general is very competitive– known for its difficult curriculum in the first two years solely to weed out the people who aren’t dedicated to the profession.

That’s why many professors suggest finding your, “people.” There’s no point in struggling on your own.

But unfortunately, you have come to find out that some nursing students aren’t the kindest individuals to be around. There’s a dog-eat-dog attitude amongst some of them, making alliances purely to benefit them in the long run. Classes have only been in session for two weeks now and there are already several rumors going around. It’s only a matter of time until your graduating class becomes a part of the rumor mill.

It’s a bunch of bullshit, you think. You’re grateful you never intended to make friends.

You make your way toward your foundations class, your headphones on to avoid being flagged down by a classmate. You walk to one of the elevators, pressing the “up” button. You wait, your hands finding the straps of your bookbag to grip them tightly. When the elevator doors open, you grip them even tighter when you see Daniela walk out. Her eyes widen when she sees you.

“Oh, hey…” She says awkwardly. You roll your eyes, pushing past her to go inside the elevator. However, she grabs your arm, tugging you back gently. You breathe out, agitated as you turn around with a glare. You reach up to take your headphones off. “Dude, what?”

Daniela crosses her arms at your tone. She speaks, a slight irritation in her voice, “Can you stop making this weird?” You give her an incredulous look. You gesture between the both of you, chuckling sarcastically.

“I genuinely want nothing to do with you, Daniela.” Your eyes look around the hallway, your expression in disbelief. You look back at her with a sharp look in your eyes as you point at her. “We aren’t friends and I’d like to keep it that way.” She frowns at your words and uncrosses her arms. She gestures to you in exasperation, her eyes wide as she whispers loudly, “Can’t you just! Let it go, Y/n? I mean, we’re in college now–“ You hold your hand up to halt her from saying anything further.

You speak harshly, “That literally doesn't mean anything.” You take a step away from her, your hands finding the straps of your bookbag again. You look at Daniela with a cold expression, your tone low. “Just because we’re in college now doesn’t erase what happened.” You shake your head with a huff. You look down at your shoes as you continue, “We’re only lab partners. Unless we’re in class, leave me the fuck alone.” You don’t give her the chance to respond. You turn away, your lip trembling and on the brink of tears as you walk toward the stairwell.

A week passes and Daniela has been respecting your wishes.

For some reason, it hurts more like this. You were the one who told her to leave you alone. But then again, there was a time when Daniela never left your side. You could push her away over and over again yet she stayed. Her unwavering loyalty paired with your stubbornness was what allowed you to let your walls down in the first place. And now, you were both strangers.

You sit at your desk in your dorm, studying notes you took from your Organic Chemistry class to prepare for the lab that awaits you in two days. As you continue highlighting the most important parts, you begin to hear the Fortnite loading screen on your roommate’s side of the dorm. You turn around with a raised brow and an amused smile on your face. “Megan?” She looks up from her Switch, eyes wide. She looks away, murmuring an apology as she turns down the volume. It only makes you laugh, shaking your head. “No, it’s okay. Is that… Fortnite?”

Your familiarity with the game makes her eyes light up. She nods, looking at you with a wide smile. “Dude, yeah! Do you play?” You shrug your shoulders, leaning your shoulder against your desk chair.

“I used to. I don’t play anymore.” Megan gets up from her bed, padding towards you with excitement. She crouches next to you and shows you her screen. Your eyes glance at her current level on the game and you can’t help but snort, covering your mouth. “Level 110?” The Chinese girl quickly puts her Switch down, looking away in embarrassment.

“Wait– Don’t judge me,” She brings her Switch back up, pressing a button to indicate she is ready to start a match. She looks at you with a twinkle in her eyes. “Take a break and watch me get a victory royale.” You open your mouth to decline but as she gets put into a lobby, you can’t help but become distracted. You turn your head slightly to check the time on your laptop.

“Why the hell not? Sure.” She lets out an excited squeal, looking back down at the screen to lock in. You watch her with amusement in your eyes. Something you’ve learned about Megan in the last few weeks is that she is a very silly person. You’ve never seen her open a single one of her textbooks and you always find her in bed, playing a video game on the TV, on her Switch, or her laptop. Sometimes you wonder if she ever actually went to class but then again, with your schedule being so packed, it would make sense for you to never see her anywhere else but at the dorm.

You watch Megan land in the game and before her character can take a single step, they are taken out with a headshot. In the corner, you notice an achievement, congratulating her for being the first person out in the game. You cover your mouth, trying to stifle your snickers. She groans, placing the Switch in your lap. “I wanna watch you try.” You raise an eyebrow at her, taking another glance at the time. You jump when you feel Megan poke at your side. “Just take a break! There’s a gamer inside of you, I can feel it.” Her words cause you to laugh loudly. You bite your lip, grabbing the Switch to start a new match.

“I haven’t played since my junior year so don’t give me shit if I’m terrible.” She salutes you, leaning her head against your chair. You shift the Switch so she can have a better view. Finally, you are now in the game. When your character lands in a town, you begin to feel somewhat giddy.

As you move your character around, Megan begins to engage you in a conversation. From the corner of your eye, you notice her playing with a lock of her hair. “So… How’s nursing?” You shrug at her question, your excitement increasing as you find a chest in the corner of the house your character is currently occupying.

“It’s… nursing.” You find yourself saying, moving your character into a completely different area. You continue looking for better weapons, not removing your focus from the screen.

You hear Megan ask, “Are you always this quiet?” Her question causes you to look down at her briefly. She widens her eyes, raising her hands in quick defense. “ I mean like– You aren’t that quiet but, compared to me, you don’t talk much.” You nod at her words, chuckling.

You look back down at the screen, locking in once again. “I know I’m quiet, it’s okay. I just… don’t really like talking to people…” You trail off as someone attempts to shoot at you but you quickly turn your character, shooting at them until the game notifies you of their elimination. Megan whispers a “nice,” under her breath. You keep moving forward, not wanting to get lost in the storm.

“Why don’t you like talking to people?” You wrinkle your nose at both her question and the fact you got caught in the crossfire of someone else’s battle. You quickly retreat in the game, your heart rate picking up as you get hit multiple times. Fortunately, you make it out alive and you let out a sigh of relief.

You realize you haven’t answered Megan’s question, clearing your throat. “I just don’t really like making new friends.” You shoot another person, eliminating them as well. You smile small to yourself, noticing there are only 15 other people in the game.

Megan grabs your shoulder and shakes you excitedly. “Dude! What the fuck? You’re a liar! You are good at this game!” Her words make you laugh loudly and before you can say anything, you are taken out by a sniper. You two sit in silence as the screen displays your place in the match. Megan covers her mouth and snorts. The sound causes you to lean forward, clutching your stomach as you laugh. You might not be open for friends, but Megan could easily be given a pass.

You hand Megan her Switch back with a smile. “Thanks for letting me play.” Your roommate takes it from you, a silly smile on her face. You notice how her dimples are shaped like whiskers and her eyes form crescents as she continues smiling.

She tells you, “You know if you ever wanna make new friends, me and my friend Lara don’t bite.” You chuckle, turning back around to look at your laptop.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

The lab doesn’t go terribly. It actually goes a lot better than you had anticipated. You managed to work well with Daniela, Manon, and Sophia. Despite Sophia and Manon’s constant questions about you, you survived. And as soon as the lab finished, you were out the door, not sparing another glance at the group of girls.

Once you get to your dorm, you are greeted by both your roommate and another girl sitting at Megan’s desk. Your roommate sits on the floor next to the other girl, her eyes lit up at your return. Megan’s friend turns her head toward you and waves. “Hey, you’re the roommate?” You nod, setting your stuff down on the ground.

“Yeah, that’s me.” Megan’s friend– who you assume to be Lara, watches as you walk to your desk, sitting down in your chair. You reach for your Nursing Profession textbook, intending to study for an hour or two. But as you open it, you hear Lara snort loudly. You look over at the girl with a raised eyebrow. “What?”

Lara waves her hands dismissively, pursing her lips to contain her laughter. “I’m sorry, Megan was literally just telling me how you were an academic weapon– Going straight to work after class is crazy. I want your motivation…” You chuckle at her words. You lean back against your chair, crossing your arms.

You look back at your textbook with an embarrassed smile. “I don’t like feeling unprepared.” You quietly say, your cheeks burning even more. In high school, you were never on top of your assignments. Each and every one of them was turned in with a lack of effort but you managed to keep a high GPA. But once you settled on your major and did more research, you realized the summer before your first year, if you didn’t pick up the slack, you were going to crash and burn before your second semester even started. You couldn’t tell if it was motivation or just the fear of falling behind. Or it could be the fear of not being good enough. That one lingers in the back of your mind every other passing second.

Megan’s laugh pulls you out of your thoughts. You look at her, a playful smile on your lips. “You’ve been talking shit about me?” You gently tease. Megan sticks her tongue out at you and lets out a dramatic sigh, tilting her head to the side. “No, Lara was just asking where you were. And I told her you were out, “Being an academic weapon.”’ She says the last part with air quotes, letting out a soft giggle at the same time.

You roll your eyes, turning your head toward Lara with a small smile. She looks back at you, amused by the interaction between you and Megan. She turns her head to look at Megan, her eyes widening slightly. She grabs the Chinese girl’s shoulder and covers her mouth. Her words are stifled but you can still hear them through her hand. “You should invite them to the party tomorrow night!” You narrow your eyes as Megan looks at you, a familiar glint of excitement in her expression. She grabs Lara’s arm and looks at her with a dimpled smile. “You might be onto something.” Your roommate’s words cause you to wave your hands, dismissing the scheming that’s happening right in front of you.

“No, no. She isn’t. I’m not going anywhere…” Megan groans dramatically. She crawls over to you, gets on her knees, and clasps her hands together. She pouts, giving you her best puppy dog eyes. You look at her with a deadpan expression. “Megan, I am saying no.” She pouts even more, leaning closer to you. “Y/n! Please? It’ll be fun! And you said you’d hang out with me this weekend…” You shake your head, turning away from her to face your desk again. “I will but just not at a party.” You look back down at your textbook, trying to ignore the girl’s persistence.

However, Megan doesn’t give up. She stays in the same position with the same expression. Her eyes burn holes into the back of your skull and you are very hyperaware of the fact Lara is now smirking at the both of you. You clench your fists, sighing loudly.

You throw your head back in defeat. “Oh my god! Fine! I get to leave whenever I want– Even if that means I was only there for five minutes!” Megan squeals, jumping to her feet. She wraps her arms around your neck excitedly and you roll your eyes when you hear Lara’s laugh from the other side of the room.

The party is full of people you don’t know and you fear no amount of alcohol could make you enjoy yourself for even a second.

You stand with Megan and Lara in the kitchen, your eyes looking around the new environment anxiously. Your hands tug at the hem of your shirt then rub your palms against the fabric. The music was too loud and the whole house smelled like cheap beer and sweaty frat boys. When Megan finishes making your drink, you take it from her quickly, chugging it. Your roommate watches you with wide eyes. “Damn, we just got here!” Once you finish your drink, you place the cup back down on the counter and glare at the Chinese girl. “Gotta get through this night somehow.” Lara laughs at your words and pats you on the back.

“Trust, you’ll have fun with us.” She extends her pinky toward you and you stare at it, hesitant to trust her promise. Against any other rational thoughts though, you link your pinky with hers, rolling your eyes as the two girls pull you out of the kitchen and shove another cup into your hands.

Against all odds, you have to admit, you were having fun with Lara and Megan.

You find an open couch to sit on, grateful that they follow your lead. They begin to tell you stories about their friendship and how they met in middle school. The conversation is mostly you listening in amusement as they bicker back and forth about how a story truly happened. You’d occasionally take sips from your cup, drinking it slower due to the light buzz you already feel in your head. At some point, Megan reveals herself to be a lightweight, leaning her head against Lara’s shoulder and mumbling nonsensical things such as her stupid English 102 professor and how happy she is to have you and Lara in her life.

You watch as Lara pats her head gently, wrapping an arm around Megan’s shoulders. “How is it always you the drunkest at the end of the night?” Megan mumbles a response to Lara’s question, wrapping her arms around the other girl’s torso. The interaction causes you to look away, suddenly feeling jealous over their friendship. It reminds you of Daniela and thinking about her changes your mood drastically. You raise your cup to your lips but realize it’s empty. You sigh, leaning forward to place your cup on the coffee table. You turn to Lara and Megan, a small smile on your face.

You stretch your arms. “I’m gonna go outside and get some fresh air.” You say, needing an escape. Lara nods in understanding. She points at Megan with a playful smile.

“I’ll be here and babysit,” Lara says and it causes Megan to whine, insisting she isn’t a baby. You laugh, shaking your head at the antics of your roommate. You get up from the couch and navigate your way through the crowd to find the back door. Once you find it, you quickly open it and step outside, the cold air sobering you slightly. You close the door behind you, taking a deep breath.

In the backyard, there’s an old swing set. Your eyes light up and decide to take a seat on one of the swings, your hands instinctively wrapping around the swing’s chains. You look down at your feet as you sway back and forth, a lazy smile on your face. The breeze feels cool against your skin and for a second, you feel at peace. Your moment of silence is ruined when you hear footsteps coming toward you. Your head snaps up to see the intruder and your eyes begin to narrow when you realize it’s Daniela. You’re about to stand but Daniela stops in her tracks, looking at you desperately.

“Wait. Don’t go,” She lets out a shaky breath and continues. “I just. Can I at least sit with you?” You stare at her, keeping your guard up. A sigh escapes your lips as you look away from the Latina. She takes it as an answer and continues walking, sitting down in the swing next to you. You sit in silence, gripping the chains of the swing tightly. You feel overwhelmed by her presence, wanting to be alone for once. But for some reason, you can’t bring yourself to tell her that. So you keep your mouth shut, your eyes finding the ground again.

She breaks the silence despite your building irritation. “Parties are your thing now?” You purse your lips at her accusatory tone, your grip on the chains becoming even tighter. “What if they are? You wouldn’t know.” Your tone is harsh and you can feel a lump beginning to form in your throat. That bitterness you’ve been feeling the last few weeks intensifies, eating away at you as Daniela continues trying to engage you in a conversation.

“I literally had to fight you to get you to come with me to a party in high school…” Her voice is soft as she speaks, her words a bit slurred. Your jaw tightens as you try to push down your emotions. You don’t want to reminisce about high school– especially with Daniela. You close your eyes as you hear her talk again. “I can’t imagine you liking them now, I mean, you always–”

Suddenly, something snaps inside you. The ugly feeling is finally being released as you speak, “You don’t even know me, Daniela. You don’t have any idea what you’re talking about.” Your knuckles turn white as you grip the swings. There are tears in your eyes but you keep yourself composed. Your voice is steady as you continue, “You don’t fucking know who I am anymore.” You stand up, turning around to face Daniela for the first time since she sat down with you. You point at her as if accusing her of a crime. “So stop pretending you do! I told you to leave me alone!” You yell at her frustratedly. Your hand falls back to your side as you breathe heavily.

You take her silence as an answer, turning around to walk away from Daniela, to give her a taste of her own medicine. However, her next words cause you to stop, knocking the wind right out of you. “I can get to know you again then!” She yells. You turn around, your eyes wide in surprise. She is now standing and there is a look of determination in her eyes. She takes a few steps forward and you make a move to step back but you can’t help but feel frozen in place. Once she is only a few feet away from you, she speaks softly, “I got to know you once. I can do it again.”

You stare at each other, the silence deafening. Your voice shakes as you finally respond. “My- My friends are waiting for me inside.”

Daniela steps closer to you as if challenging you. She nods. “Okay.”

You don’t move though. You stay where you are.

You nod, whispering, “Okay.”

The way she interacts with you changes slightly.

You can tell she’s holding back as if scared of doing something wrong. But you also wonder if it’s also the influence of Manon and Sophia and the other nursing students.

Apparently, you’re not very liked. What the reason is, you aren’t sure. You deduce it’s because of your attitude

It’s not that you weren’t kind, but you also weren’t making much of an effort to get to know your peers within your major. You found it quite useless– if everyone was against each other then what was the point altogether? You’re already against the idea of making real friends, why would you make fake ones just to get through your program? That sounds like a recipe for disaster that you simply don’t have the energy to spend on. Every time you walk into the nursing building, you find everyone in their respective groups, either studying for the next exam or discussing the latest gossip amongst the major.

So far this semester, only a few classmates have asked you to join their study group– including Manon and Daniela. But you always declined. It’s nothing against them (well, except Daniela), you were never the type to study in a group. You like working alone. It was quiet and you didn’t have to take off your headphones every ten seconds just to hear what someone said. Group projects were always a weakness of yours and that is one of the few reasons why you hated your Organic Chemistry Lab.

And so, studying at the library is meant to be a solo activity for you. However, Daniela comes to join you randomly one day. She doesn’t ask, simply sitting in the chair across from you and setting her bag in the other chair next to her. You narrow your eyes at her. “Hello?” Daniela looks at you with a small smile and waves. “I saw you in here and decided to join.” You roll your eyes, looking back at your laptop screen.

You subtly watch as she unpacks her things, taking out her laptop and notebook. She pulls out her glasses case from the front pocket and you feel your heart skip a beat. You’ve always liked Daniela with her glasses on. She always wore them during your shared Chemistry class in high school and for some reason, it always distracted you. You think about the days when you’d lay with her in bed, her glasses on, as you both read a book together.

Well, it was her mostly reading the book, you always fell asleep in the middle of a paragraph.

After a few minutes, Daniela gets up from her seat and looks at you expectantly. You look up at her with a raised eyebrow. “I’m getting coffee. You want one?” She asks and you want to say no. But after spending so long already inside the library and nowhere near close to stopping, you sigh, nodding your head.

“Yeah… Actually, can you get me a—“ Before you can finish, she’s already turning around, walking to the small cafe that’s inside the building. You stare at her back, your brows furrowed. You let out a sigh, tearing your eyes away from the Latina to continue studying for your exam. You’re in the middle of one of your readings when Daniela comes back, setting your coffee next to you on the table. You briefly look at the writing on the cup, not registering it completely. Once you realize though, you take a double take, grabbing the cup to get a better look.

You feel your cheeks burn as you look up at Daniela with a surprised look in your eyes. “You… Remember my coffee order.” It’s supposed to be a question, but it comes out more like a statement. A statement that confirms Daniela still remembers the little things about you and a statement that shows that maybe you didn’t change as much as you thought you did since high school. The Latina looks at you, a twinkle of hope in her eyes that aggravated you but also made your heart race at the exact same time.

“Of course I do.” She whispers, looking back down at her notebook. You notice how she bites her lip, trying to contain her smile. You narrow your eyes, looking everywhere but at Daniela. You cross your arms and scoff. “Why though?” You ask, looking down at your lap. Your hands clutch at the sleeves of your sweater, gripping it tightly as you prepare to hear her answer. She’s silent for a moment and you begin to bite your lip, scared that you may have offended her in some way. Even though it annoys you that she is trying to sneak her way back into your life, a small part of you is hopeful that she will succeed. As pathetic as it may sound– Daniela was your person. And maybe, she still is.

You hear Daniela sigh. “I don’t think you just forget those types of things, you know?” You grip your sweater tighter. Your jaw tightens as you keep your eyes on your lap. You want to ask if she got an iced vanilla latte with almond milk. You want to ask her why she changed her major. You want to ask her why she stopped talking to you, why she didn’t want to be your friend anymore after she left. You almost tell her that, for the first time in your life, the loneliness after she left killed you.

Instead, you shrug your shoulders. You return your attention to your laptop, shaking your head. “I forgot a lot of that stuff, to be honest.”

After that day in the library, Daniela joins you often. She brings you a coffee every time and never disturbs you, just settling for sitting with you at the table. You both talk sometimes, usually about Orgo, but it has never gone deeper than that. You can tell she isn’t trying to push you and although you’re grateful, you still can’t help but keep your guard up. While playing a game with Megan, you feel your phone vibrate against your leg. You glance at your phone, your eyes widening in surprise to see a text message from the Latina. Megan looks at you curiously, pausing the game. “What’s up?” You look away from your phone, shaking your head at your roommate.

“It’s nothing,” You say quietly. You turn your attention back toward the TV, sitting up straighter. Your hands grip the controller in your lap tightly, wondering what Daniela could have possibly said to you. Megan reaches out, placing a hesitant hand on your shoulder. “You can… Talk about it.” You turn your attention back to Megan, a faux smile on your lips. “It’s really stupid dude, trust me.” But she doesn’t give up, waiting patiently for you to open up. Another thing you have found yourself liking about Megan is her patience. She might be impulsive and rather reckless in her actions, but she knows when to be serious.

You groan. You knew this would have to come up eventually, especially due to your growing close friendship with your roommate. But, you’ve never talked about Daniela. Friends from high school often asked you about her and you always lied, not wanting to tell them the truth. You thought saying it out loud would make it real– the fact she was gone and left without even saying a proper goodbye. It was a conversation you jumped through hurdles to avoid. You look away from Megan, not wanting to look her in the eyes as you confide in her.

“There’s a girl in the nursing program…” Megan lets out a loud “oooh” at your words and it causes you to scoff, waving her off. “Not like that! Just–” You rub your face with your hands, struggling to let the words leave your mouth. Your hands cover your face as you say, “There’s a girl in my program that I was best friends with in high school, and now… We’re like. Not that anymore?” You uncover your face, crossing your arms. You continue, keeping your eyes on your lap. “And she’s trying to be my friend again but it’s… Fucking scary.”

Megan scoots closer to you, wrapping an arm around your shoulders. She rubs your arm comfortingly and asks, “What about it is scary?” You let out a breathy chuckle, shaking your head. You respond, “I don’t know. Maybe getting hurt again?” Your roommate leans her head against your shoulder. She whispers, “Was she like. Your Lara?” You glance at Megan, your eyebrows raised. Before you can stop yourself, the words tumble from your mouth, “Are you in love with Lara?”

Your question causes Megan to widen her eyes, sitting up straight. She shakes her head frantically. “Wait– Oh my god, you’re in love with this person? That is not what I was trying to say.” Your admission causes you to widen your own eyes, your cheeks flaring in embarrassment. You look away and try to backtrack. “No, no! I mean– Fuck.” You throw your head, groaning. “Fuck. Like. I guess? I don’t know, it doesn’t matter anymore.”

Your roommate frowns at your words. She leans her head back against your shoulder and sighs. “It totally matters. Especially if she wants to be a part of your life again…” She continues, her voice soft, “It’s up to you but… I’d keep my walls up. If she hurt you once, then you make her work for it.” You nod at Megan’s words. Make her work for it. You let it linger for a moment before shrugging Megan off of you and pushing her away. You give her a small smile as you wave your controller in front of her face.

“Can we keep playing, please? I still need plates.” Your roommate gapes at you, swatting your shoulder playfully. “Y/n! I’ve been asking you to bring me my fucking bread for the last five minutes, are you joking?!” You place your controller down next to your phone, the text message from Daniela long forgotten as you begin to argue with Megan over the video game.

Another week passes and you sit outside the lab classroom. Your knees tucked under your chin with your arms wrapped around your legs. You take a deep breath and close your eyes, trying to ground yourself. Your brain felt like mush and none of the material made sense. After you argued with Sophia over the calculations, you stormed out of the classroom, slamming the door shut behind you.

It’s fucking overwhelming. Everything is so overwhelming.

You sit there in silence, a crushing weight on your shoulders. You know this feeling all too well, yet it still hasn’t become easier to manage. You know it isn’t that deep— everyone else was struggling with the lab instructions. The argument with Sophia was unnecessary but her constant questions and pestering made you go insane. In high school, this wouldn't have phased you. You would have shrugged it off and took the C. But for some reason, this meant so much to you.

If you didn't do well in Orgo, then what would that mean for the next three years?

The thought makes you hug your legs tighter. You feel tears brimming your eyes as you let out a shaky breath. You wonder if this was a sign that maybe– maybe you made a mistake.

You hear the lab classroom door open but you don’t pay attention to it. You assume it’s your professor checking on you. However, the person sits down next to you on the floor. You glance over, seeing Daniela’s manicured nails. You sigh, your irritation building. You close your eyes again, suddenly feeling exhausted. You two sit in silence for a moment, as if waiting to see who will speak up first. Suddenly, you feel Daniela’s hand grab yours, causing you to open your eyes. You narrow them, attempting to pull your hand away from her grasp but she holds onto you tightly. You open your mouth to say something but she speaks first.

“Squeeze my hand.” Her voice is so quiet that you almost don’t hear her. She looks at you softly, her brows furrowed. She whispers again, “Squeeze my hand. I don’t care.” You glare at her as your tears begin to spill from your eyes. You feel them roll against your cheek and without even thinking, you grip her hand tightly. You whisper, your tone harsh, “Fuck you, Daniela.” She doesn’t flinch at your words. You feel her thumb caressing the back of your hand.

“You can squeeze tighter.” And you do, your grip getting tighter around her hand. You close your eyes, shaking your head frantically. You use your free hand to wipe your eyes, but the tears continue falling. Your shoulders begin to shake as you give up, crying freely. Your voice breaks as you speak bitterly, “I hate you so much. I hate you.”

She lets you grip her hand tightly as she responds, “I know.”

“I’m so fucking mad at you for leaving.”

She responds again, keeping the same soft tone. “I know. Mi amor, I know.”

“You were supposed to be my best friend.” You cry, finally looking up at her. The pain in your eyes is evident as you continue, “You were my best friend and you left me! You made me promise nothing would change but you went and did that bullshit!” You feel as though you were crushing her hand but Daniela doesn’t show it. She looks at you, her own eyes glistening. She whispers, “I’m here now, right?” Your lip quivers at her words.

Your voice cracks as you respond, “Don’t do this to me right now. Don’t.”

“Then tell me to leave.” You stare at her, your eyes challenging her. She keeps your gaze, her tears falling from her eyes.

You pull her into a tight hug. You sob loudly as Daniela holds you. You can’t help but feel familiar with this warmth as if it’s home. You wonder if this is home.

The next day, she shows up at the library and joins you at one of the tables. She sets her stuff down, turning away to go to the cafe but you lean over the table, grabbing the Latina’s wrist. “Daniela.” She looks at you and your breath catches in your throat. Her eyes have always been so mesmerizing to you. Daniela is captivating, catching the eyes of everyone around her. It always surprised you when she always sought you out amongst crowds of people in high school. It was surprising, but also made you feel so god-damned lucky.

“I got you an iced vanilla latte with almond milk.” You say it quickly, but Daniela hears every word. She looks down at the table and sees the coffee cup sitting on the table. She looks back at you with a dimpled smile.

You whisper, “You don’t forget those types of things, you know?” She nods, looking into your eyes.

“I know.”

It’s been a month since you decided to make peace with Daniela.

Although you were still guarded, it was a nice change to have Daniela back in your life. It felt as though nothing had changed. Conversations were still easy, her energy still had an effect on you. Seeing her in a room full of people made you light up, your heart racing. She smiles at you and your fists immediately unclench. Slowly, the guard you had came tumbling down. And the Latina was now officially back in your life.

After being so used to her absence, it ends up becoming something you have to adjust to.

You are currently at a house party with Megan and Lara. You three stand in an empty hallway, red solo cups in your hands. Lara talks loudly about a girl she saw in the dining hall, distraught over the fact she may have lost her chance with the “goddess on campus.” You listen to her, occasionally taking sips from your cup with an amused smile. Suddenly, Megan’s eyes widen and she grabs your shoulder, shaking you frantically. “Do you remember that girl from my Biology class I was talking about?”

You nod, even though you have no earthly idea what she is talking about. She begins talking about the girl from Bio, her hand still on your shoulder. Whenever her voice gets louder, she tugs at your shirt and every time you stumble slightly. Megan’s enthusiasm always amuses you. She is sunshine and everything good, and you can’t help but think you are the complete opposite. Megan as your roommate didn’t make sense, but you couldn’t think of anyone else you would rather share a space with. She always manages to cheer you up with her stupid jokes and incessant need to play a video game together.

Her constant rambling keeps you up most nights, but she knows you don’t mind. Something you like the most about Megan is that she never pushes you. Becoming her friend was natural, and it was at your own comfortable pace. If you had to go to bed early, she would put her headphones on so her games wouldn’t disturb you. You feel lucky to have Megan as your roommate and you hope she feels the same way. And with the way she always looks at you while she talks, making sure you’re still listening, she probably does.

From the corner of your eye, you see Daniela walk by with Sophia and Manon. You briefly look away from Megan, your breath catching in your throat when you see the Latina. She wears a short, strapless black dress with heels to match. Her curls bounced with every step she took and you couldn’t take your eyes off her. She is always a sight to see but every time she planned to go out? You really were no better than a man.

Your thoughts make your cheeks flush, forcing yourself to tear your gaze away from the older girl. You look back at Megan who is still talking at 100 words per minute. You lean against the wall behind you, taking a deep breath. Lara notices your slight change in demeanor and tilts her head at you, her eyes furrowing in concern. “Are you good, Y/n?” Your eyes widen at her question. You attempt to hide your blush by taking another sip from your cup.

You pull the cup away from your lips and look inside of it. It’s empty and the desire for a refill overwhelms you. You look back up at Lara with a small, forced smile. “Yeah, my cup is just empty.” You flip it over, shaking it with emphasis and it causes Lara to laugh and shake her head. Megan looks up at you, her eyes slightly glazed and sparkling. She finally lets go of your shoulder and takes a step away from you.

“I’ll come with you to get another!” She grabs your hand without waiting for an answer. She turns her head toward Lara with a lopsided smile. “Do you need another?” The Indian girl shakes her head, giggling at how tipsy Megan seemed at the moment.

“Nah, I saw a friend from class just walk in so I’m gonna say hi real quick.” You and Megan nod, waving goodbye to Lara before your roommate pulls you with her toward the kitchen. Her hold on your hand is tight as she navigates through the crowd of people. She moves so quickly that you almost walk past someone calling your name. You turn your head, stopping in your tracks when you see Daniela walking toward you. Megan walks up to you with a curious look in her eyes. Your hands remain connected when Daniela finally catches up to you.

She reaches out, placing a hand on your shoulder. “Hey! I didn’t know you were gonna be here!” She looks past you and sees Megan. Daniela tilts her head, looking down at your hands. You notice how she bites her lip and looks back at you, her eyes narrowed. “Who’s your friend?” For some reason, the tone in her voice sends shivers down your spine. You look at Megan, then back at Daniela, a soft smile on your face.

“This is Megan, she’s my roommate.” Megan waves, her enthusiasm present. Daniela waves back to her with less excitement, responding, “I’m Daniela.” You stand awkwardly between the two girls. It feels like your worlds are colliding and it gives you an uneasy feeling in your stomach. You feel Megan tug at your hand and you look back at her, your eyes softening when you spot her whiskered dimples. “Can we get our drinks, please?” She continues tugging at your arm and you smile gently, looking back at Daniela who does not look too happy.

“Can I join you guys? I need another drink too.” The Latina says. You nod, and before you can process it, Daniela walks ahead of you and Megan, grabbing your hand and pulling you away from Megan’s grasp. You look over your shoulder, relieved to see Megan isn’t affected by Daniela’s cold demeanor. She follows behind, the happiness evident on her face. You turn away and allow the older girl to lead the way.

Once you’re in the kitchen, Daniela lets go of your hand. You look back at Megan and notice she got distracted on the way. She’s talking to someone you aren’t familiar with and you wonder if it’s someone she knows or she became friends with along the way. You call out to her, feeling a bit weary at the thought of Megan not being close by. The Chinese girl looks over and smiles widely, she points at the person. “Friend from class!” You sigh in relief and nod, giving her a thumbs up. You turn away to face Daniela but her back is turned. She’s at the counter making herself a drink and you eye the heavy pour of liquor in her cup. You walk over, your nose crinkled slightly. “Someone wants to have fun tonight.” She rolls her eyes at you, taking a sip. She grimaces at the taste and hands the cup to you. “Trying to have fun at least.”

You raise an eyebrow at her, taking the cup from her hands. “You aren’t having fun?” You take a sip and the alcohol immediately burns your throat. You cough loudly, handing the drink back to the Latina. “Jesus– are we having fun or blacking out?” Daniela laughs at your words, shrugging her shoulders playfully. She is about to say something back but Megan inserts herself in between the two of you, grabbing one of the cups on the counter to make a drink. You briefly look at Daniela who has a slight scowl on her lips. You can’t help but wonder what her problem is.

The thought doesn’t dwell on you for too long because Megan tugs at your shirt, getting your attention. You look down at your roommate and she shoves a cup into your hands, giggling. “That one is yours. Taste it.” When it comes to Megan and mixology, you aren’t very trusting. You take a sip and you’re taken aback by how strong it is. Megan looks up at you, her brown eyes big and hopeful as you hide your grimace, not wanting her to feel bad. “Not bad, Meiyokie.” She beams at you, grabbing her cup from the counter.

“I’m gonna go talk to that friend from earlier! Text me if you need anything, okay?” You nod and she hugs you quickly. Before she leaves, she leans close to your ear and whispers, “Yeah, I can understand why you aren’t over her.” You push her away, giving her a quick glare. Megan only laughs, waving goodbye, and leaves you and Daniela alone in the kitchen. You turn your head back to Daniela who still stands with an unhappy expression on her face. Her demeanor causes you to sigh, placing your cup down on the counter.

You cross your arms and look at Daniela incredulously. “She’s really nice, you know?” The Latina scoffs at your words, bringing her cup up to her lips. After she takes a sip, she places it on the counter and leans against it. She avoids your eyes as she responds, “I never said she wasn’t.” You roll your eyes, leaning against the counter as well. You’re very aware of the fact your shoulders were touching but with how buzzed you feel, you can’t bring yourself to care about the proximity. You look down at her, a teasing smile on your face.

You bump your shoulder into hers, your arms still crossed. “It feels like high school again.” Your bold words cause her to snap her head toward you, her brows furrowed. She has a slight pout on her lips and you can’t seem to take your eyes off of them. The urge to kiss her is strong but you know better than to give in. It felt ridiculous to you– how quickly your feelings for the older girl resurfaced. It lay dormant in your heart, hidden by all the anger you felt instead once Daniela stopped talking to you.

But here you were, shoulder to shoulder, with that stupid, familiar fluttering in your chest.

Your face inches closer to hers and your eyes twinkle with amusement. “You always got so mad when I gave my attention to other people,” You tease. You know the game you’re playing is dangerous. You know it would reopen wounds you’ve tried so hard to heal on your own but secretly, you loved this side of your best friend. Daniela can be possessive and somewhat overprotective, but it makes you feel wanted. And you were so desperate to be wanted by Daniela Avanzini.

She clicks her tongue, taking another sip from her cup. She grabs your hand and holds it tightly, turning her head to face you. Her face is so close you could smell the alcohol on her breath. Daniela tilts her head, still pouting her lips. You glance down at them, the color of her lipstick becoming more enticing by the second. You tear your eyes away, hoping she didn’t catch you. She only smirks, whispering, “You’re my best friend, Y/n.” She lets go of your hand, reaching up to cup your cheek. They burn at her touch but you blame it on the alcohol. You open your mouth to respond but she beats you to it.

“I was here first.”

“Did you ever find another best friend during your senior year?” The Latina asks you one day. She sits in the passenger seat while you drive to your shared hometown. It was fall break and it only made sense you two went together. Your mother was ecstatic to hear Daniela was in your life again, boasting about how happy the older girl made you. She asked you to bring her over for dinner one night and for some reason, it brought you anxiety to allow her back into your childhood home. But when you asked Daniela, she jumped on the offer, telling you how much she missed your mother.

It was weird, as if nothing ever changed at all.

You take a brief look at Daniela before keeping your eyes back on the road. You shrug your shoulders. “I mean. I had friends.” From the corner of your eye, you see Daniela pull her legs up onto the seat, tucking them to her chest. She hugs them while she stares out the window, watching the trees and billboards pass by. Her voice is quiet, as if scared to hear your response. “But like, were they anything like me?” The question makes you chuckle, quickly covering your mouth to stifle the sound.

She snaps her head toward you and glares. “I’m being serious.” Her tone is sharp but you know there isn’t any genuine anger in her words. If anything, you too were curious if she had ever found a person like you during the year you two were apart. The closest person you’ve seen so far to Daniela is Manon but even then, you wonder if their connection is remotely anything like the one you’ve built with the older girl. You run a hand through your hair, thinking about her question. You set your hand back on the steering wheel and grip it tightly.

“No one could ever be like you, Dani.” You whisper, your eyes narrowed at the road ahead of you. Daniela reaches out to you, grabs one of your hands from the wheel, and holds it close to her chest. Her thumb caresses the back of your hand, as if silently telling you to squeeze. And you do, tightly, feeling scared she may walk away again. You were scared that these words were all for nothing. That opening up to Daniela again would end up with you sobbing in your bed, wondering what you could have done differently to get her to stay.

You keep your eyes forward as you feel the Latina bring your hand up to her lips, kissing your skin gently. She whispers, her lips ghosting over your hand, “No one is like you, Y/n.”

On the last day of fall break, you and Daniela decide to spend the night in your old room together. You two sit on the floor, giggling while looking through your old yearbooks and sharing a bottle of wine that you managed to steal from your father’s liquor cabinet. Daniela rests her head against your shoulder, taking another sip from the bottle. She watches as you turn the page and she immediately lights up, setting the bottle down to take the yearbook from your hands. She places it in her lap and points at one of the photos in the “Homecoming Week” section. “Oh my god! Remember when I forced you to dress up with me?” She exclaims loudly. You shush her, reminding her that your parents were asleep. You look down at the page and you can’t help but snort.

It was a photo of you and Daniela participating in one of the themed days of Homecoming Week. The theme was “Perfect Duo” and Daniela convinced you to dress up as Winnie the Pooh and she was Piglet. You chuckle at your painted-on bear nose, remembering how Daniela did it last minute in her car. She kept scolding you to stay still that morning and cooed at how “adorable” you looked the entire day. You smile softly at the memory, your fingers touching the photo as if to go back to that day.

“I was always making you do stupid shit.” She says softly, picking the wine bottle back up to her lips. You shake your head, taking the bottle from her once she takes her sip. You look at Daniela with a sincere expression. “I didn’t care, you know?” You take a sip of wine, putting the bottle down on the floor beside you. “I think I secretly liked all the stupid shit you made me do.” She slaps your shoulder playfully and you laugh, rubbing the area in faux pain. “What? You’re the one who said it was stupid!” She gapes at you, rolling her eyes playfully.

“You weren’t supposed to agree, asshole.” She reaches over you, grabbing the wine bottle again. Daniela scoffs, taking another sip without breaking eye contact. She passes it to you and you take it from her, holding the bottle in your lap. You look at each other for a moment in silence, your eyes both glazed slightly and soft smiles on your lips. You get a sense of deja vu looking at Daniela. In your head, you’re both still in high school and nothing went wrong. You pretend no time was lost. It’s just you and Daniela against the world and that’s what the universe intended.

But then the Latina grabs your senior year yearbook from underneath your bed and the bubble you were in pops.

You take another sip of wine and place the bottle back onto the floor. You watch her open it slowly as if she’s scared to see what you were like without her. She makes comments about the different teachers she sees, laughing when she sees photos of peers she didn’t like back then. You talk about the gossip she missed out on, telling her the outrageous stories you’ve heard from others that year. The mood is still light despite the underlying tension between you and the older girl. Daniela turns the page and your breath hitches. It’s the beginning of the senior section. She flips through the pages, her eyes searching for your photo. She finally finds you and it makes you chuckle.

“God, I hate that photo…” You reach for the yearbook, intending to take it from her but Daniela grips it tightly in her hands. You watch a tear fall onto the page and you look up with wide eyes, realizing Daniela was crying. You place a hand on Daniela’s shoulder, your brows furrowing in concern. “Wait, what’s wrong?” You ask and Daniela covers her mouth, shaking her head as more tears fall from her eyes. She launches herself toward you, wrapping her arms around your neck. Daniela buries her face into your neck and cries softly. You sit there, stunned. Hesitantly, you wrap your arms around the Latina, holding her tightly. You ask again quietly, “Dani, what’s going on?”

Her voice cracks as she speaks, “Y- You were my best friend, Y/n,” She clutches the back of your shirt, gripping it tightly. “You were my best friend and I left you.” There’s a lump in your throat as you hear her sob. Your chest aches hearing her in pain. A few months ago, you would have reveled in this sight. It would have been satisfying to see Daniela hurt like this over you. But now, seeing it right in front of you is painful.

After a few minutes, her sobs subside and she begins to sniffle quietly. Your heart races as you ask softly, “Why did you leave?” Her body feels heavy in your arms as if exhausted from a fight she had been a part of for too long.

“I was scared.” She responds, her fingers now playing with your hair. You sigh, pulling away from Daniela slightly. Your hands stay on her shoulders as you look into her eyes, desperate for an answer. “Scared of what, Dani?” Her lip quivers as she looks back at you. She leans her forehead against yours, her eyes closed as her nose brushes against yours. It reminds you of the night of her graduation. The night when everything changed. The night when you both made an empty promise. You wanted to kiss her that night, and you want to kiss her now.

“I thought losing you would be unavoidable,” She says weakly. “So, I left first to make it easier.”

You shake your head, ridding yourself of the thoughts that run wild in your mind. You raise your pinky and whisper, “This time, no one is leaving.”

She locks her pinky with yours tightly. “I love you, Y/n.”

“I love you too, Dani.” More than you will ever know.

You’re lying in bed with your headphones on when Megan returns to the dorm. You sit up when she walks through the door with her luggage, your eyes lit up to see your roommate finally back from home at last. When she sees you, she immediately lets go of her things, jumping onto your bed to attack you with a tight hug. You giggle loudly, the force of the hug causing you to lay back down with Megan in your arms. You hold her tightly, happiness radiating from both your bodies. She pulls away slightly, pulling your headphones off your head. She leans close to your ear and yells, “I missed you!”

Her loud voice makes you push her off of your body, sitting up with a glare on your face. “Megan, you’re so loud.” She ignores your words, hugging you once again. She erupts into giggles when you try to push her off once again.

“Admit it! You miss me!” Her hold on you is tight and you admit defeat, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. You squeeze her, looking at her with sincerity in your eyes. “I missed you, Meiyokie.” She smiles widely at you. She rests her head against your shoulder and asks, “How was the break with Daniela?” You smile softly as you think about the time you spent with your best friend over break. Megan catches this and shakes you gently. “Oh? Am I invited to the wedding?” She teases. You groan, pulling away from your roommate. You lay back on your bed, looking up at the ceiling. The Chinese girl lies next to you and looks at you with amusement in her eyes.

“You think she worked for it?” You continue looking up at the ceiling and you have the urge to ask Megan if you two could put up glow-in-the-dark stars. You find yourself glad to have found someone like her. You turn your head to look at your roommate, a soft smile on your face.

“Yeah, she did.” Megan nods, turning away to look up at the ceiling. She says, “I think we should put those glow-in-the-dark stars up here.” You giggle loudly, your eyes crinkling in excitement.

“You read my fucking mind, Ms. Skiendiel.”

It’s considered crunch time at your college and the work is becoming much more difficult to manage. After one of your library sessions, you and Daniela decide to take a walk around the campus. The walk consisted of you two reminiscing on memories from high school. She talked about her freshman year and how awful it was. You told her how your last year in high school was nothing special. At some point, you end up at the quad, and it makes Daniela giggle. You look at her curiously. “What?”

She shakes her head, walking away from you. She steps onto the greenery and sits down, patting the spot next to her. You chuckle and follow her command. As soon as you sit down, she lays on the grass, pulling you down with her. Your curiosity is still piqued as you look up at the sky. “Why’d you laugh?” Your question only makes her giggle even more and you roll your eyes. “Dani! Tell me!”

She bites her lip, trying to stop herself from giggling even more. She looks at you, a twinkle in her eyes. “Remember when you bumped into me that day? It was here.” You look away from the sky to look at her, your eyes widening in realization. You remember how angry you were to see the Latina. It sent you over the edge and you couldn’t believe how bitter you used to feel. You frown slightly thinking about it and Daniela notices it. She grabs your hand and squeezes it. “I’m sorry.” She says, her eyes full of worry. You squeeze her hand back, a sincere smile on your face. “Don’t be. It’s all good now.” She smiles and looks away to look at the sky. You mirror her actions, feeling at peace.

After a few minutes, you decide to ask a question that has been on your mind. “Why’d you change your major?” She’s silent for a moment and begins to fidget with one of the rings on your finger. She responds softly, “I wanted… To be more realistic, I guess.” You raise an eyebrow at her words. “Realistic? You are so good at dancing though…” You say, chuckling at the absurdity. You always attended Daniela’s dance competitions in high school and she always remained on top. Everyone knew she was talented and it wouldn’t have been a surprise if she became big one day.

Daniela shrugs, she turns her head to look at you and you turn your head as well. You notice the same sadness in her eyes from when she first told you she was a nursing major. It makes your heart drop. You realize you weren’t the only one struggling last year. You feel horrible for only thinking about yourself. There were things Daniela had kept to herself and you didn’t think for a second how she must have felt to be here, all alone. You lace your fingers with Daniela’s, squeezing her hand gently.

“I’m so sorry…” You whisper. She shakes her head, a bittersweet smile on her face. She responds quietly, “I did it to myself.” There’s a slight waver in her voice. Her usual confident demeanor is replaced by something you’ve never seen from the Latina. She looks so unsure– almost as if she’s lost. She looks away from you, looking back up at the sky.

“Maybe in another life.” She says, wistfully. You keep your eyes on her. Daniela closes her eyes as if basking in the current moment. You memorize her features, the gentle smile on her face, the way her chest rises and falls with every breath. Her hand in yours— something you’ve always loved, her hand holding yours.

You continue staring at her, a longing in your chest. “Yeah. In another life.” You whisper.

Before you know it, your first semester in college comes close to its end.

You walk into the science building, a pep in your step as you walk to the lab classroom. The final lab report sits completed in a folder in your bookbag. After a few long nights and many caffeinated beverages, you and your group finally completed your last assignment for the god-forsaken class. You stayed up the night before, making last-minute edits and ensuring everything on the rubric was added to the final draft. You yawn, stopping at the doorway of the lab to check your phone. Daniela usually waits for you in the hallway so you both can walk in together but she’s nowhere to be found. You wonder if the girl is running late and it makes you chuckle to yourself quietly, knowing Daniela hates this class more than anything.

However, you hear her laugh inside the room. You light up, pocketing your phone to meet her inside.

You hesitate though when you also hear Manon’s voice. She talks loudly, as if her and Daniela were the only ones inside the lab. “I can’t believe we’re gonna actually pass this class.” You hear Manon say. Daniela laughs, responding, “Me neither. We can thank Y/n for that, honestly.” Your heart swells at the compliment. You smile to yourself, feeling giddy over the fact Daniela mentioned you.

“No, literally. I don’t know how you did it, but becoming their friend was like, the best idea you ever had.” Your smile falters at Manon’s words. Your hands find the straps of your bookbag, gripping them tightly as you continue listening to their conversation.

“Someone had to do it,” You hear Daniela scoff, “If none of us got along with them, we would be stuck taking this class again.” You feel tears forming in your eyes. You stand there, letting her words sink in. For some reason, you can’t breathe. Daniela wouldn’t do that to you, she would never.

But Daniela giggles loudly. “The attitude they have is literally gonna get them nowhere, it’s terrible.” Those words become your last straw as you walk in, a look of betrayal on your face. You glare at Daniela, your voice shaky as you say, “You only spoke to me again because… You wanted a good grade in Orgo?” Your heart breaks with every word you say. You furrow your brows at her, your knuckles going white as you grip your bookbag straps even tighter.

Daniela gets up quickly from her seat, her eyes wide. She steps toward you carefully, her hand reaching out to you. “Y/n… Wait–” You take a step back, cutting her off. You yell, “Are you fucking joking, Daniela?” Hot tears spill from your eyes as you look at the person you gave another chance to. She tries walking toward you again but you’ve had enough, turning around and walking out of the room. You speed walk down the hallway, ignoring when Daniela calls out your name.

She manages to catch up to you, grabbing your wrist but you pull away, turning to face her. “Don’t fucking touch me,” You spit out, suddenly blinded by anger. Daniela shakes her head with desperation in her eyes. “Y/n, please. It’s not what you think.” She pleads, trying to reach out to you once more but you push her away. She stumbles slightly as you raise your voice, “So, what the fuck was Manon talking about?” She shrinks away at your tone. Her voice trembles as she responds, “I– At first, that’s why I did it, okay?” You scoff, rolling your eyes as you try to leave again but she grabs your hand, gripping it tightly.

“But then I really did want you back in my life, okay? I still want you in my life.” Daniela tugs at your hand and continues speaking, sounding helpless, “Y/n, please. Please. You have to understand.” You nod at her words, pulling your hand out of hers. You take your bookbag off your shoulders, unzipping it to grab the folder inside. You throw the report at her feet and zip your bookbag closed. You gesture at the papers, chuckling bitterly. “Well, there it is. I hope you get a fucking A+.”

You look back up at Daniela. With your dignity gone, you decide to deliver one last blow. “I was fucking in love with you, you know that?” Her eyes widen at your admission and it makes you smile sadly, letting out a shaky breath. You put your bookbag back on your shoulders, shaking your head. “I was in love with you and you made me look like a fucking idiot.” You scoff, taking a step toward Daniela. She steps away from you however and you know it’s over.

This is goodbye.

You whisper, your voice steady, “Don’t you ever talk to me again.”

You turn away, walking away from Daniela for the last time. You’ll make sure of it.

You walk into your dorm quietly, knowing Megan is still asleep. You tiptoe toward your bed, making sure to avoid the squeaky floor tile on your side. You glance at her side of the room and notice how she is underneath her blanket. You can tell she is awake by the way her blanket is illuminated by a screen.

You look back at your bed, wanting to get under the covers to avoid the world. But for some reason, the usual desire to be alone is trumped with a need to be around a friend. You look at Megan’s side and pad over, wondering if she had her headphones on. You slowly sit down at the foot of her bed causing her to jump out from under the covers, her eyes wide. You look down at her lap to see her laptop open– on the screen is a Roblox game. You chuckle, looking back up at her. Her eyes have softened and she stares at you with a mix of curiosity and concern.

You can tell she’s trying to read your expression. As much as you try to hide your feelings with a fake smile, your swollen eyes and tear-streaked cheeks tell her everything she needs to know. Megan scoots over, patting the spot next to her. Without any words, you slip your shoes off, crawling over to the empty space. You lean against her headboard as she places her laptop on both of your laps. Megan leans her head against your shoulder, silently clicking through her game once more. She glances up at you with a smile. “Wanna watch me work at a pizza place?” You let out a soft laugh, nodding. You lean your head on top of hers, watching her change the game.

Your heart aches at the thought of another broken promise. A second chance given so freely but left you so quietly. The worst part is that you almost believed it was wrong timing and you had the rest of your life to make up for it.

At the end of it, it was just the wrong person. It was never going to be Daniela.

You wipe your eyes and wrap an arm around Megan’s shoulders, sighing shakily.

“Sure. Got nothing else left to do.” She remains silent, playing her game. At some point during the quiet morning, Megan’s head moves onto your chest, and your arm is still wrapped around her. She cuddles into your side, now watching you play the silly Roblox game. Not much has been said between you two but it was comforting nonetheless.

As you play, you hear Megan whisper, “I think you deserve better.” A soft chuckle escapes your lips. You look down at your roommate with raised eyebrows.

“What’s better then?” You ask in a teasing tone. She looks up at you, her eyes twinkling brighter than the glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling. There’s something in her eyes you can’t quite put a finger on.

She looks away and grabs your hand that isn’t on the keyboard. She laces your fingers together. “I don’t know, but you’ll find it someday.”

You find yourself squeezing her hand. It’s not a tight squeeze, it’s more gentle. You whisper, “One day.”

an: the president of frown town is back! hope u all enjoyed, lmk what u think <3

requests are open

#katseye x reader #katseye imagines #megan skiendiel #daniela avanzini #manon bannerman #lara raj #sophia laforteza #jeong yoonchae #katseye #daniela avanzini x reader

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sillymommy6969 · 2 months ago

Text

.𖥔 ݁ ˖ BREAKIN' BONES ᝰ! S.L.

trying to be subtle and secret with sophia!

˚⟡˖ ࣪ ⋆౨ৎ ❪ 𝑦𝑡 𝑣𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑜. ❫ ｡ sophia laforteza x f!r 𖥔 fluff ── disclaimers: katseye 7th member au (read in dark mode!) / pt. one, two / ℭatalogue

N/NFIZ NOT BOTHERING TO HIDE THEIR RELATIONSHIP ANYMORE FOR 14 MINUTES GAY (p.s. happy n/nfiz anny!)

100.2k likes | 580k views | 13th Feb, 25

˚⟡˖ ࣪ ⋆౨ৎ Clip one: [ YT VIDEO ] Halloween w/ KATSEYE!

Sophia, you, Daniela, Lara and Yoonchae (in that order) sat along the table of decorated ornaments. Five pumpkins sat before you, carving tools laid around it. Quickly, the five of you got to work designing personalized jack-o-lanterns, but being the middle children you were, you and Daniela seemed to have declared a war on pumpkin guts.

“Oh--Dani, stop!” you squealed, dodging another handful of guts hurled your way. “They’re gonna have to clean this up!”

It didn’t stop you from scooping a new chunk of pumpkin to slap on Daniela’s hand. The Latina’s dancer reflexes kicked in, jerking her hand away, along with her pumpkin. She screamed, her shrill shriek ringing and blowing out the microphones taped to her back. Lara, who sat on Daniela’s other side, leaning back into her chair to avoid Daniela’s swinging arms.

[ oml you can’t take these two anywhere- ]

Yoonchae eyed Sophia on your end of the table, the editor for Katseye emphasized how fearful Lara and Yoonchae seemed, before editing a fake knight’s armour on Sophia.

“Okay, okay, Dani, that’s enough!” Sophia stretched an arm out, keeping the latter from slamming anymore pumpkin guts into you. You stuck your tongue out when the Latina scoffed in disbelief, gesturing towards you as Sophia gave her a stern look. The blonde narrowed her eyes, clenching her jaw as she sat back down. You shot her a taunting smirk, as Sophia helps clean whatever leftover pumpkin was on you.

“Why am I the one getting yelled at, she literally started it!” Daniela whined, pursing her lips. “That’s not fair!”

“Dani, if I hear another word from you, I’m putting you on Megan duty the next week.” Megan duty was the rotation Lara explained on live a few days ago, where each member helps take care of Megan and anything she needed because of her back. The redhead could be a real piece of work though, especially since the injury had not dimmed her big personality. “No more messing around, Avanzini, I’m warning you.”

[ mommy? sorry. mommy? sorry. mommy? sor-- *gunshots* ]

Sophia brushed your arm of anything else, before holding out a bag for you to dump your guts into. Daniela sulked the rest of that video, in a sour mood because she got in trouble with the leader for something you had obviously started.

“You know better than to mess with y/n when Sophia’s around, Dani, that’s on you.” Lara snorted, earning a harsh swat to the arm from the girl. “Hey--! I’m just saying, she’s untouchable.”

“Hey, you’re exaggerating,” Sophia groaned, “I was just tryna stop the two of them from fighting.”

You looped your arm under the Filipina’s, laying your head on her shoulder as you carved a face into your pumpkin. You chuckled along at the older’s attempts to defend herself, but all five of you (and eyekons too) knew better than that.

“Oh, yeah? Then why am I always stuck getting in trouble when y/n threw the first punch?” The blonde loudly protested, “Last night, y/n and I were making a late night snack at like three am, and when y/n accidentally dropped a pot and woke up the whole dorm, I got banned from the kitchen for the next week because Sophia found some food on the counter when she came downstairs.” Before Sophia could defend herself, Daniela held a finger up to her face to silence her. “y/n did not get punished for waking everybody up, but I can’t make toast on the kitchen now cuz there were crumbs on the table.”

“You made the kitchen super messy! It was horrid.”

“No it wasn’t! There were crumbs, that was it, at least I wasn’t the one who woke up Yoonchae.” If you couldn’t tell, Daniela was still quite bitter for Sophia getting you out of trouble with the dorm’s drill sergeant. “Yoonchae wouldn’t talk to me all day after, but y/n got off scotch free ‘cuz Sophia was there.”

“Dani, you’re so dramatic. It was not that deep,” she scoffed.

Daniela stood, pointing and swinging her carving knife at the cameras, “Eyekons, if you guys are watching this, find every single time y/n and I have messed around and only I get in with Sophia for it. I swear, there has to be a million out there, so please feel free to send it to me on Weverse.”

[ the war dani started with this is insane eyekonville really went to work for this (there was a 16 minute video of it on weverse) ]

“You’re just salty ‘cuz you’re a loser,” you bit back.

“n/n, I swear to God, I’m going to jab this into your ear,” the blonde threatened, holding the knife towards your head. She was quickly stopped by Sophia, who clicked her tongue and instructed for her to sit with a harsh glare. Lara began laughing hysterically at the Filipina proving Daniela right. “Man--screw this, Chip, switch seats with me right neow.”

[ poor dani… best be known y/n has her own bodyguard ]

˚⟡˖ ࣪ ⋆౨ৎ Clip two: [ VLOG ] y/n day w/ Katseye! (09:16)

“Hey, guys, it’s seven in the morning of y/n day!” She cheered and hollered under her breath, clapping her hands softly. “The girls are up and getting ready right now, but y/n’s still sleeping. We have a whole day planned for her today, so we need to stay quiet and make sure we don’t ruin the surprise.”

The members each occupied a section of the vlog, individually tasked to do different errands to make for a smooth transition into the surprise party they had planned for your birthday.

Manon and Daniela were sent to grab decorations, Megan and Yoonchae were asked to prepare the food and Sophia put it upon herself to get you the gifts alone. Lara volunteered to distract you for the morning whilst the girls got ready for the party, her planning a whole trip to the spa and then a massage place as a “birthday treat”, and you, of course, agreed.

“Okay, last month, y/n and I were out walking around this exact mall, and she saw these ugg sliders that she really wanted.” Sophia held the camera, looking past the lens at where she was going. She was strolling through a mall alone, people seen walking past and behind her. “So, I’m gonna go get them so she can keep her feet warm this winter.”

[ when she remembers small things >>>>>>>>> ]

She greets the worker standing by the door, quickly going to the section the two of you frequented the last time you were there. The shoes you wanted were still there, she picked a pair up, asking one of the staff for your size.

Once she had paid for them, not even bothering to check what the price was. She bid the employees goodbye, before smiling into the camera at a successful start.

[ where’s my sophia laforteza… it’s not fair y/n gets her ]

“They were almost out of stock, I’m so lucky… Okay, guys, we’re now moving to Sephora. I noticed n/n’s running out of her favourite perfume, it’s a gift she got from her mom so I’m going to get her another so she can refill that bottle,” Sophia announced, her voice peppy with excitement, “Bear with me here, I’m about to leave this place with so many bags.”

The vlog cuts to Sophia setting the camera down on a makeup table, she had a tiny Sephora basket in hand.

“I’m back, and I’m gonna give you guys a haul of what I got for y/n, okay?” She started rummaging through the basket of products, before pulling out a makeup palette. “So, Lara told me this new palette was good, she’s been trying out new brands and stuff so she wanted me to get this for y/n. Megan and Yoonchae already got y/n this self-care basket, so I’m getting the face masks they wanted to put in. I know Manon and Dani definitely have more of an ‘experiential’ gift planned, but--Oh! Here’s the perfume y/n loves.”

She held a beautiful box up, opening it to reveal the bottle within. It looked expensive, just based off the packaging.

[ that thing is half my rent >:0)) sophia really don’t play when it comes to spoiling her girl ]

“I called up mama l/n last night just to make sure this was the right one. I can’t wait to see y/n’s face when she gets this, she’s gonna be so happy,” Sophia gazed down at the perfume bottle in her hand, smiling sheepishly. “I can’t believe she’s turning XX, it feels like I’ve seen this beautiful, sweet woman grow up and into herself. I’m so happy to apart of it.”

[ only y/n has sophia giddy like that in the middle of sephora ]

“Anyways, I think we’re good here. I just need to pick up one more package--it’s gonna be a surprise for when y/n opens it later, even you guys aren’t allowed to see it yet.”

Later in the video, we see Daniela and Manon set things up in the dorm’s backyard. They set up an arch with your age on it, tables of food Megan and Yoonchae almost burnt down the house whilst preparing, and Sophia had set the wrapped and bagged gifts on another table. The mystery gift sat front and centre amidst the pile, a purple and (your colour) bow on it. It was almost golden hour, and the lights around the garden dimly lit the area perfectly. It looked perfect, and Sophia was beyond excited to welcome you--her birthday girl--home.

“Remind me to get Lara mad snacks later, she’s done such a good job keeping y/n busy all day, like, ‘phew’!” Manon sighed, dragging the back of her hand down her forehead.

“Yeah, she rocks at this. n/n gets a nice little spa day before coming home to all this.” Daniela cooed, “We spoil her.”

“Our girl deserves it,” Sophia replied softly, “It’s been a year.”

[ it’s actually pulsing her name in morse code im so single ]

Yoonchae hummed, “y/n has worked so hard this year.” She turned to the camera set on the girls just lounging around, “She loves Katseye and she loves Eyekons, so I’m sure she will love spending this special birthday with you all as well!”

When you finally came home, you walked into the yard per Lara’s guidance. You immediately gasped, the girls tackling you in a hug with a loud, unanimous, “Surprise!”

“Oh my--So this is ‘work’, huh?” You eyed Lara, who shrugged.

You gave each of them a hug, and when it came to Sophia, she wrapped her arms tightly around your neck, swaying you as you chuckled at her refusal to let you go. “Fia, I can’t breathe.”

She pulled away, cupping your cheeks. She gave you a beam as your hands dropped to her waist. “Come on!”

[ they are in love your honour, cade closed ]

As you soaked in the set up of everything the girls had prepared, the video dragged on with celebrations, fun activities, a little heartfelt moment of you thanking everybody before you got a little video message from your parents. The video brought you to tears, and Sophia immediately hopped out of her seat on the end of the couch to engulf you in a big hug, shielding you from the cameras as you composed yourself. She brushed your hair out of your face. “Come on, y/n, don’t cry--Let’s go open some gifts!”

You started unwrapping each gift, thanking each individual member for their respective presents. Sophia watches, a small, genuine smile paired with a soft gaze as she watched you happily unveil your gifts. The moment didn’t escape eyekons.

[ this single-handedly proved how down bad sophia was ]

It wasn’t until it came down to the mysterious gift, it wasn’t big, but just a tiny box with a bow of your colours on it. You immediately looked up at Sophia, getting an encouraging grin back as you pulled apart the paper. You popped open the box, and the camera zooms in on whatever is in hand.

A black key fob, with a small golden mustang at the bottom.

All five girls gasped, immediately crowding around you with looks of disbelief as the room fell silent for a moment. You looked up at Sophia, who just flashed you that innocent, wide smile. “Sophia, what the fuck.”

“Happy birthday, mahal.” she stated casually.

“You got me my dream car?” you scoffed, immediately throwing yourself onto the Filipina. You wrap your arms around her, practically suffocating her in a tight hug. “Sophia, holy shit, you should not have done this!”

[ get you a millionaire girlfriend who loves you huh ]

“I know you’ve been saving for it, but I figured I’d use the money I’ve saved to sponsor you instead. My parents helped a bit. They say ‘happy birthday’, by the way.” Sophia brushed some tears, now of joy, out of your eyes.

[ the in laws are in love with y/n as well they’re so fairy tale couple JUST COME OUT ALREADY ]

“We can finally match like fast and furious!” Daniela squealed.

You sniffled, unwilling to let a chuckling Sophia go. She rubbed your back, running a hand through your hair as you gave her a tight squeeze. “I can’t believe it, that’s too much!”

“It doesn’t matter, as long as you’re happy.” Sophia stated.

“Happy? Fia, I can’t even begin to describe how grateful to you I feel right now,” you stayed stuck to Sophia, front pressed against hers as the other girls cooed. Finally, Manon clasped her hands together, “Okay, are we taking this baby out for a joyride, or are we leaving it to rust in the garage?”

You held the keys up, grabbing Sophia’s hand. “Say no more.”

˚⟡˖ ࣪ ⋆౨ৎ Clip three: [ ELLE ] Phoning it in w/ y/n of Katseye!

“Hello, I’m y/n l/n from Katseye, and today I’m going to be prank calling my friends, family and team. This is Phoning It In with ELLE.” you introduced yourself, smiling from ear-to-ear as the series intro sounded. First came the screen of you with your bandmates at your recent MAMA performance, the words, “Katseye members” appeared onscreen.

“Okay, I need to figure out who to call--If I call Manon or Dani, they probably won’t pick up, so… I think I’ll call Sophia. Sophia will answer.” you tapped on her contact name, holding the phone out, ringing for “Laffy <3”.

[ the nickname and the heart?? y/n you’re sick for this ]

The line rings for a second before, “Hey, mahal.”

[ mahal???????? sophia laforteza the woman you are ]

“Hey, Fia, I’m not distracting you from anything important right now, am I?” After a quick denial from Sophia, you continued, “Okay, so, I know I’m in the middle of media day, but I really, really, really need to ask a big favour from you.”

Sophia hummed, “Okay… whatever you need, lay it on me.”

You catch the staff swooning at Sophia’s sweet tone, biting your lip. You tried not to giggle, as to not give the prank away, but the way the women in the corner of the room were cooing at the Filipina’s words was all you could see.

“So basically, I’m in the bathroom at ELLE’s warehouse right now, and I kind of need you to bring me some pants.”

Sophia paused for a moment, and you squeezed your eyes shut as you held in laughter. Bless her heart, she must be so confused. “You need me to bring you… pants? Why, honey, did you sit on something? Did you lose them somehow?”

You couldn’t hold back the single chuckle leaving your lips, “No, I was eating this big thing of chocolate before I got on set, so I left it on my chair when I went to work. The heat was cranked up high and the chocolate was open. When I came back, I forgot I put it there and kinda sat on it… Now I just look like a little kid who couldn’t hold it in, so I really need you to bring me some fresh pants before somebody sees.”

Sophia was never one to laugh at another’s misfortune, especially not yours. You knew she would be a fun person to prank because she’d be oh so eager to help little old you.

“Okay, I’m just at lunch with Dani right now, but I’ll be there as soon as I can. Which pair do you want me to bring?”

[ the way she immediately drops everything… im folding ]

You hummed, pretending to be in thought, “I don’t know.”

You could hear her getting up from sitting and packing up her things, before her keys jingled. Her phone was quickly snatched from her hands, as given away by the loud, “Hey!”, she let out. A familiar cackle sounded from the line, putting a big, amused grin on your face.

“Oh my God, you stoopid! There’s no way you’re trapped looking like you [bleep] yourself at ELLE. Take a pic, this is going on our wall of iconic moments.”

You rolled your eyes, “Absolutely not, Avanzini. Now, give the phone back to Sophia, I’m on a mission here.”

“No--! I want to see a pic, please!” she whined.

“Dani--Give me that!” A brief struggle could be heard from the other end, you buried your face in your free hand as the two bickered childishly for Sophia’s phone. You were glad this was at least the kind of entertaining ELLE was looking for, but you couldn’t help but feel slightly embarrassed at the humorous unprofessionalism your twenty year old bandmates were showing. “Eat your food, I’m gonna go get y/n her pants. You better not go crazy at the ice cream shop when I’m gone.”

You snorted out loud, knowing Daniela, she was definitely planning on it. “Fia, honey, I need to tell you one more thing.”

Sophia hummed, “Anything, mahal. What is it?”

[ the pet name, my knees bucked… MY KNEES BUCKED ]

“This is a prank, I’m sitting with ELLE right now, this is Phone It In.” You hear Daniela’s faint groan of disappoint, before Sophia shushed her. “I’m sorry, honey, I didn’t mean to ruin your lunch plans, but I figured you’d be most likely to pick up between the six of you.”

[ mahal? honey? they’re so domestic coded please-- ]

Daniela scoffed, “Hey! I definitely would’ve picked up.”

“It’s okay, y/n. If you were anybody else, I’d be mad at you for taking advantage of my kindness,” she teased, “But I’m just glad you didn’t actually sit on chocolate and look like you crapped your pants on a media day.”

“I know, I’m sorry. You guys enjoy lunch though, I’ll make it up to you soon.” You held the phone away from your face, looking down in anticipation of the leader’s response.

“Sounds good. I love you. Have fun pranking other people, mahal, I’ll see you at home.” Sophia made kissy noises.

“I love you too. See you guys.” You smiled, before hanging up.

[ felt like i was interrupting something while i was editing ]

˚⟡˖ ࣪ ⋆౨ৎ Clip four: [ WEVERSE LIVE ] 14/01/25 Sophia (13:05)

“Yes, I’ve seen Wicked. y/n and I went together last week, it changed my life.” Sophia commented, digging into the snacks laid out before her. She tilted her black Katseye hat up, her hood draped over the front. “y/n looked at me like i was crazy ‘cuz I was full on sobbing at the end. She still gave me hugs and bought me ice cream, so I forgive her.”

[ she looks so content talking about their date i can’t ]

“Speaking of, I’m pretty sure our girl’s on her way here… she just texted me she’s off work.” Sophia smiled, doing a little dance as she glanced back at the chat. “Yeah, looks like you guys are just as excited to see her as I am.”

user01 she’s immediately in a good mood when her wife’s otw

user02 she’s so real for giggling like this

user03 it’s y/n so i completely get it sophia

user04 MY PARENTS ARE COMING TOGETHER??

“Oh, yes, I’m pretty sure y/n and I are gonna see Gladiator 2 later tonight. She’s really into that one actor… Pedro Pascal?” Sophia mentioned, “She loves star wars and stuff, so when she heard the guy in The Mandalorian is gonna be in Gladiator, she’s making me go. Haven’t seen the first one, but guess I’ll find out what happens along the way.”

[ A WOMAN A WOMAN A WOMA-A-A-A-AN ]

As Sophia conversed and entertained the fans, you would eventually arrive at Geffen. In one of the many meeting rooms Sophia seemed to be occupying then, you knocked, hearing a soft gasp from the other side of the door.

Sophia glanced at the phone, “y/n’s here!”

She wheeled her chair out of frame, pulling the door open. Standing in your outfit with two cups of coffee, you greeted her. “Well, hello, stranger. I got you a little treat.”

The two of you come back into frame, you handed Sophia one of the cups. She held it up to her nose for a sniff.

She gasped, “Oh my God, is this a--?”

“Hazel nut latte? Absolutely. I made sure they put whipped cream and chocolate syrup on top,” you answered. You waved at the phone, “Anyway, I thought I’d come and keep you and the chat company before we leave for Gladiator.”

user05 Y/N COME HOME THE KIDS MISS YOU

user06 i’m no longer a child of divorce

user07 why is nobody talking abt y/n knowing sophia’s order?

“We were just talking about Gladiator. The eyekons are wondering what we’re doing for dinner after,” Sophia read, casually grabbing at your hips to sit you on her lap as the two of you scanned the screen. “Also they’re asking about your Pedro Pascal obsession.”

user08 omg the way sophia grabbed her waist

user09 SEDATE ME THAT WAS MUSCLE MEMORY

user10 idk who i want to be more rn

The two of you didn’t seem bothered by the comments flooding into the chat, especially those about your close proximity. Eventually, it was time for the two of you to leave for your plans, though the fans were sad to part with you.

On Weverse, Sophia posted lots of photos of you posing with Pedro Pascal on Gladiator 2 posters. Even some of the two of you standing in line for food, with your arms around her and your cheeks pressed together.

[ i can make so many of these videos #n/nfiz is definitely real ]

˚⟡˖ ࣪ ⋆౨ৎ ❪ 𝖈alliope 𝖘peaks! ❫ 。 succumbing to popular demand once again, so here’s breakin’ dishes pt. 3! i do enjoy making these a lot and knowing you guys love them is fantastic. let me know what else you wanna see. happy reading! xx

@sillymommy6969 © ──────────── Feb 2025

#katseye #katseye x reader #sophia katseye #sophia laforteza x reader #katseye sophia #sophia laforteza #sophia x reader #daniela avanzini #daniela avanzini x reader #lara raj #lara raj x reader #manon bannerman #manon bannerman x reader #megan skiendiel #megan skiendiel x reader #katseye imagines #yoonchae katseye #jeong yoonchae #yoonchae

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katseyekon · 10 days ago

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Lara with David 04.05.25

#katseye #female idols #lara katseye #lara raj #lara #katseye lara #d4vd

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zuhaism · 28 days ago

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⊹ ｡˚ 𓂃 ♡ PUPPY LOVE ?!

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pairing : sophialaforteza x brothersbff!reader

synopsis : sophia laforteza spent years convincing herself that whatever she felt for you was just a childhood crush. something she buried the day you left. but then you came back, slipping into her life like you never left at all.

a/n : i wrote more than this lol. this is like the intro ig they in for a ride😛😛. and i js realised i named the guy alex cs i was reading mammamia by @/cinnamanz shout out to bro for making that masterpeice and im sowy 😔. btw making a dani christmas fic idc if its not chrisms im making it vro 💔

when sophia was nine, she was an absolute menace. not in a cool, rebellious way. more like the annoying little sister who wouldn't take a hint. she knew it. her brother knew it. his friends definitely knew it.

but not to you.

during one instance in summer and you all spent your days biking around the neighborhood, playing ding-dong ditch like a bunch of reckless kids with nothing better to do, she insisted on joining in.

her brother had scoffed, “sophie, you suck at this game. you’ll get caught in two seconds.”

she had pouted, “no i won’t.”

the others laughed,”no just stay on your bike.” one of them said. but you just grinned and shrugged, “let her try.” you dismissed them and there’s audible groaning from the group of boys.

and just like that, she had your approval. that was all she needed. she beamed at you. she knew the basic rules of ding dong ditch. ring the doorbell, pedal like hell, don’t get caught. easy. but when it was her turn, nothing went easy at all.

her heart pounded as she sprinted up the porch, her small fingers trembling on the doorbell. the chime echoed in her ears, and as soon as she hit it, she spun on her heel, ready to run. but her foot caught on the edge of the step and in an instant, she was falling.

the pavement met her with a rough scrape, and her knees burned from the impact. a sharp sting shot through her, but the rising panic in her chest drowned out every other sensation.

the porch light flicked on.

her stomach dropped.

she scrambled to her feet, but she was too slow. her brother and his friends had already melted into the shadows, their bikes disappearing into the distance. and there she was, left alone, frozen on the pavement with a bloody knee as the front door creaked open.

she was so dead.

but then, out of the dim light, you appeared.

she barely had time to register before you stepped in front of her, leaning casually against the porch railing like it was no big deal. your expression was calm, as if she didn’t just screw up infront of you.

“sorry, sir,” you said smoothly as the old man peered at you from inside. “wrong house. thought this was my friend’s place.”

sophia’s eyes widened. the man grumbled something about “kids these days” before retreating inside, closing the door behind him with a final thud. the moment the door clicked shut, you reached out and grabbed her wrist, gently yanking her up onto her bike.

“let’s go, sophie.”

she didn’t resist, she simply followed, her legs pumping furiously even as the pain in her scraped knees nagged at her. her heart wasn’t just racing from fear. it was racing because you had come back for her. you turned back and didn’t leave her there. Helpless.

sophia was raging with disappointment and also something else as she pedaled the bike. Her gaze landing on your back pedalling down the neighborhood. when you finally regrouped with the others, her brother was already laughing.

“sophie can’t even ditch properly” “you didn’t even try” “sophie just stay on your bike quietly next time”

sophia’s face flushed, and she hugged her arms to herself as embarrassment and shame mingled into a burning heat along her neck. she wished she could just vanish. then you sighed, cutting through the teasing.

“oh, come on,” you said, your voice gentle yet firm. “she tried her best. cut her some slack. she actually has a conscience. not all of us enjoy terrorizing innocent neighbors.”

sophia blinked, her eyes darting from you to the sneering faces around her. the others groaned and rolled their eyes, but in that moment, she couldn’t care less. all she felt was the overwhelming throb of her heart and a strange, warm flutter deep inside her chest.

the ride back to her house felt different. as you pedaled side by side, she kept sneaking glances at you watching how your hair caught the light in the wind, the slight parting of your lips as you focused on the road. you looked so effortlessly cool, so completely unbothered by everything.

by the time you reached her driveway, the sting in her knees had become a dull ache that reminded her of every fall she’d ever taken. she hopped off her bike and winced, trying to mask the pain.

“hey,” you said, noticing immediately as you slowed down, everyone already left while you stayed behind to ask. “you okay?”

she forced a smile, shrugging off the concern. “yeah, i’m fine.”

but you knew better. you knelt down in front of her, tilting your head as you inspected the scrape on her knee. a messy ribbon of dirt and dried blood tracing along her skin.

“that’s not fine,” you murmured.

before she could protest, you rushed inside dampening a paper towel. when you got back out sophia was sitting on the stairs. “this might sting a bit,” you warned as you knelt in front of her. she braced herself as you gently dabbed at the wound. a sharp hiss of pain escaped her lips, and you couldn’t help but smirk softly.

“baby,” you teased, though there was genuine care in your tone.

her face flushed deeper, and she mumbled, “i’m not.”

“whatever you say,” you replied with a light chuckle, fishing out a band aid out your pocket then pressing the band-aid over the scrape and smoothing it down with careful, deliberate strokes. “there. good as new.”

she stared at her knee, then at you, her wide eyes searching your face.

“what?” you asked, raising an eyebrow.

she shook her head quickly, turning away as if to hide her vulnerability. “nothing.”but it wasn’t nothing. in that tender moment, as she tried to mask her pain and embarrassment, she felt something shift inside her, an undeniable spark that made her heart beat faster. nine-year-old sophia laforteza was completely, hopelessly in love, even if she didn’t fully understand it yet.

sophia still remembers the day you left. it had been a summer afternoon, thick with the smell of cut grass and the distant hum of cicadas. you stood on her driveway, kicking at a stray rock while her brother complained about you moving away, arms crossed like his sulking could somehow convince you to stay.

but sophia? she just stood there, gripping the hem of her shirt so tightly that her knuckles turned white. she wanted to say something. anything. but all she could do was stare at the ground and swallow around the lump in her throat.

you had crouched down in front of her, tapping a knuckle under her chin to make her look up. “hey,” you had said, smiling softly, “don’t look so sad. i’ll visit. it’s not like i’m disappearing off the face of the earth.”

but you did disappear.

there were a few texts at first. pictures of your new neighborhood, jokes she barely understood, casual check-ins. but then middle school started, life got busier, and slowly, inevitably, the messages faded.

before she knew it, you became a memory. a childhood chapter she tucked away, rereading only when nostalgia hit late at night. she convinced herself that whatever she felt back then. that stupid, childish crush was gone.

until one fateful day it all came back. sophia wasn’t expecting her day to be anything special. she was walking down the hallway with her friends, disappointed with her grades on the recent exams, when she saw you.

leaning against a row of lockers, casually talking to her brother like you had never left, like you hadn’t been gone for years. her feet stopped before she even realized it.

“what—”

“no way,” she whispered, heart hammering against her ribs.

you looked different. taller, sharper around the edges. your uniform slightly rumpled, hair messier than she remembered. but the moment you smiled. that same easy, lopsided grin. she felt something inside her lurch violently back to life.

she barely had time to process before you looked up. and the second your eyes found hers, your whole face lit up.

“soph?”

you pushed off the lockers, taking easy strides toward her. laughing. it hit her harder than she thought possible because it was the same.

the world narrowed to just you.

the second your voice cut through the noise warm, familiar, so casually affectionate. it sent a violent jolt down her spine.

“holy shit,” you grinned, stepping forward like this was the most natural thing in the world. “come here, baby.”

baby?

the word crashed into her, loud and deafening, like someone had just rung a bell directly in her skull.

because, god, it had been years since she’d last heard you call her that. since she had been the baby of your little group. the youngest, the smallest, the one trailing behind while you stayed with her and her brother ran ahead.

back then, she hated it.

“i’m not a baby!” nine-year-old sophia had whined, stomping her foot.

but you had only laughed, ruffling her hair and calling her baby anyway, and for some reason. it sounded different coming from you.

so she never told you to stop and now she’s facing the consequences.

her body froze, breath caught somewhere between her lungs and throat. her friends barely had time to react before your arms wrapped around her, pulling her in.

the warmth of you hit her all at once. solid, grounding, impossibly real. she felt everything. the way your chin brushed the side of her head, the slow rise and fall of your chest, the way you smelled exactly how she remembered.

her hands hovered mid-air, uncertain, but her body betrayed her. before she could think, she was gripping the back of your blazer, her fingers curling into the fabric like she needed to anchor herself. because if she let go, if she even moved too fast, she was terrified she’d wake up and this would all be some elaborate, messed-up dream.

her friends were losing their minds behind her. manon’s choked gasp. megan’s loud, “oh, what the fu—” lara grabbing her arm, shaking her violently.

but sophia couldn’t focus on any of it.

because your arms tightened around her just slightly, a slow, lingering squeeze before you pulled back just enough to look at her, hands shifting from her back to her shoulders. your eyes flickered over her face, scanning, like you were checking to see if she was still the same girl from all those years ago.

she didn’t dare move. barely dared to breathe. and then, just like before, just like always, your hand lifted. before she could react, you were ruffling her hair, laughing. “you got taller.”

sophia sucked in a sharp breath.

it wasn’t fair.

how easily you fit right back into place, like you had never left. how you could just stand here, completely unaware of the way her heart had just thrown itself against the bars of her ribs like it was desperate to escape.

she scowled, nose scrunching as she smacked your hand away, even as heat crawled up her neck. “and you got uglier.”

you only laughed, unbothered.

her stomach flipped.

you pouted, tilting your head, teasing. “aren’t you excited? your favorite person is back in town permanently now.”

her favorite person. that's what youve always been. she has a feeling it’s going to stay that way for a long time. she scoffed, rolling her eyes like it didn’t affect her. like you didn’t affect her. “you wish.”

you gasped, pressing a hand to your chest, dramatic as always. “you’re so mean to me.”

“you deserve it.” she grumbled, crossing her arms.

before you could say anything else, another voice cut in.

“wait, hold on—”

manon was staring at her like she had just witnessed the moon landing. her eyes darted between the two of you, a grin way too knowing stretching across her face. “is this the cutie you used to talk about when—”

oh, absolutely the hell not.

“okay, we’re leaving.” sophia grabbed her wrist and dragged her away before she could finish that sentence. “oh, come on!” manon whined. behind her, megan and lara were already snickering.

“wait” lara grinned, “so that was y/n?”

lara finally asked after sophia had dragged them to a more secluded space. sophia glared ahead, jaw locked. “no idea what you’re talking about.”

megan lifted an eyebrow, arms crossed. “liar. your ears are so red”

sophia groaned, picking up the pace, yanking them along with her. the teasing turned into background noise, but the weight of it all settled onto her chest.

you were back. after years of being gone. after she thought she had finally let go of whatever childish feelings she had for you.

except now, she wasn’t a kid anymore, and neither were you. but the way you had smiled at her. so easily, so effortlessly. like nothing had changed. her stomach twisted.

she clenched her jaw and shoved it all down, deep, where it couldn’t reach her.

it didn’t mean anything.

she wasn’t nine anymore.

and she wasn’t going to let you get to her again.

the second tragedy of sophia’s day was sitting at her dinner table. the first, of course, was the fact that she had spent the entire afternoon thinking about you returning like you never left.

which meant she had gotten absolutely nothing done.

calculus? a lost cause. chemistry? an afterthought. all she could do was replay every second of seeing you again. every teasing grin, every laugh, the way you looked at her the same with a little something she couldn’t pinpoint.

and now, as she stood frozen in the doorway, her stomach plummeted.

because there you were. in her house. sitting comfortably at the dinner table, chatting with her dad like you weren’t the reason she had stared blankly at her notes for hours.

“sophia, honey, welcome home,” her mom’s voice cut through her panic. “come sit next to y/n.”

her heart actually stopped. because, of course, there was an empty seat right next to you.

perfect. just what she needed. another excruciatingly painful evening of trying to act normal around you.

she took a breath, squared her shoulders, and willed herself to move. you looked up as she approached, and there it was again. that smile. the one that had derailed her entire day.

“hey, soph,” you greeted, warm and easy, like it was completely normal for you to be here, in her house, in her life again.

she swallowed, nodding stiffly before sliding into the seat beside you. you nudged her lightly with your elbow. “long day?”

sophia forced herself to breathe. “yeah.”

“extra classes?”

“yeah.”

you hummed, picking at your food. “what’s got you stuck this time?”

“calculus.”

“oof,” you winced

her mom perked up at that, setting down her chopsticks. “oh! y/n could help you with that.”

sophia froze.

you? helping her? absolutely not.

“she’s been acing her ap calculus class,” her mom continued, beaming. “it’s perfect!”

sophia clenched her jaw. of course you did. you were always a natural at things you didn’t even try for. meanwhile, she had been drowning in numbers for weeks, getting nowhere.

“maybe you should let y/n tutor you,” her mom added, smiling like she hadn’t just ruined sophia’s life.

great. fantastic. because the one thing she needed less than anything in the world was to spend even more time with you.

“no thanks,” sophia muttered, stabbing at her food.

you gasped dramatically, hand over your heart. “wow. you wound me, baby.”

sophia choked.

her fork slipped from her fingers. she did not just hear that. you did not just say that. again.

she whipped her head toward you, eyes wide, betrayed. but you just grinned at her, all shameless and teasing, like you hadn’t just sent her into a full-blown internal crisis.

and worst of all? no one else at the table even reacted. her parents just kept eating, like this was completely normal.

like this wasn’t the most earth-shattering moment of her life. her grip tightened around her fork, heat crawling up her neck. “don’t call me that.”

you blinked, tilting your head. “what? baby?”

oh my god.

she kicked you under the table. hard. you yelped, nearly dropping your spoon. “hey!”

she scowled at you, but you were still smiling. that same stupid grin, like you knew exactly what you were doing to her.

“take the tutoring, soph,” her brother chimed in. “god knows you need it.”

sophia turned even redder. “this is none of your business!”

he shrugged. “what? your last test score was—”

“okay! fine!” she snapped, fists clenched. she turned to you, glaring. “you. library. tomorrow. after school. no funny business.”

you raised your hands in surrender, grinning. “scout’s honor.” she narrowed her eyes, warning you one last time before turning back to her food mumbling about you being a weirdo.

it has been a week tutoring and sophia convinced it was torture. she had to always keep herself in check and try to not look to stupid infront of you. but what made it worse is you’re so understanding.

its frustrating.

you never made her feel dumb, never handed her the answers outright. instead, you guided her, nudged her toward figuring things out herself. you’d lean closer always too close. tapping the edge of her notebook as you encouraged her to think it through.

and it worked.

somehow, against all odds, she had started understanding calculus. started answering questions in class, participating.

even her friends had noticed.

“no lara …ive had tutoring.”

“what you need to set me up soph, im drowning”

sophia only rolled her eyes and left class with lara calling out for her.

other than the improvement in her attitude during class, sophia absolutely loathed when you tucked her hair behind her ear so you could see her work.

hated the way it happened so effortlessly, like it was something you did without thinking. like it was just natural to reach over, brush your fingers against her skin, and push those stubborn strands back.

her entire body locking up as she tried desperately to keep her expression neutral, to not let you see just how stupidly, embarrassingly affected she was. hated how it made her feel unsteady.

it made her wonder if you had always done this, if she had just been too young, too naive to notice how close you always were, how easy it was for you to slip into her space like you belonged there.

and when your fingers brushed her skin, when you leaned in slightly she could smell that familiar scent of yours, the one that had embedded itself into her memories. she refused to acknowledge the way her heart kicked against her ribs just like she did last time.

she has grown out of it. so she would force herself to react the only way she knew how. with annoyance. with a sharp, “can you not?” or a dramatic sigh as she swatted your hand away.

rolling her eyes as if that would somehow erase the fact that her face was burning. but it never worked. because you’d just laugh it off completely unbothered. and go right back to helping her like you hadn’t just made her feel butterflies.

whats worse is youd be all sweet after, and treating her to something like boba, ice cream or whatever. just because.

“bubble tea?” she had a problem of never saying no to you. pathetic. she thought to herself. but a small voice in her head was thrilled that you asked. she convinced herself it was the after effects of calculus.

the night was windy. the silence was deafening but also comforting to sophia. she could hear barking in the distance that reminded her of her own dogs and how she was going to be with them after.

you and sophia walked side by side. the quiet was only broken when you asked, casually, like it was just another thought that had floated into your mind, “so, you seeing anyone?”

sophia almost tripped over her own feet. she froze for a full three seconds. before she managed to scoff and shake her head. “what? no”

you hummed, hands in your pockets, tilting your head as you glanced at her. “really?”

she frowned, shifting her backpack higher on her shoulder. “why do you sound surprised?”

you gave her an easy smile, and she felt that stupid tingle creep up her spine again. “c’mon, soph. you’ve grown so beautiful—there’s no way no one wants you.”

she could feel heat creeping up her face before she could stop it. why are you saying this so casually. she forced herself to roll her eyes, trying to act unbothered despite the fact that she was literally about to explode on the spot. “shut up.”

you only laughed, completely unfazed by the way she was actively fighting for her life.

before she could even process what was happening, you reached for her backpack, slipping it off her shoulder effortlessly.

“what—” she started, but you just slung it over your other shoulder, adjusting the straps like it was yours now.

you grinned, glancing down at her with an amused glint in your eyes. “this bag is, like, ten times bigger than you, baby. i don’t even know how you’re carrying this around all day without toppling over.”

sophia gawked at you, her mouth opening and closing. she was offended. she smacked your arm as hard as she could, she knew it did no damge to you. but you still gasped, all dramatic, clutching your chest like she had just mortally wounded you.

“wow” you breathed, “why am i getting bashed for doing public service”

“because i don’t need your public service,” sophia huffed, crossing her arms.

you just laughed, adjusting her bag on your shoulder like it weighed nothing. annoying.

the walk to the boba shop was short, just a few blocks away from campus, but sophia felt every single step. maybe it was the way your arm would occasionally brush against hers, or how effortlessly you carried both of your bags like it was the easiest thing in the world. maybe it was the fact that you had called her beautiful like it was something undeniable. she scowled to herself. no. youre not thinking about that.

before the moment could get quiet again, the boba shop came into view, the neon sign casting a soft glow against the pavement. you pushed the door open, motioning for her to go in first, and she absolutely did not feel anything about that. not at all.

the familiar smell of tea and tapioca filled the air as you both stepped inside. the shop was mostly empty, save for a couple of students hunched over their laptops in the corner. the cashier perked up as you approached the counter, giving a friendly nod.

she watched as you stepped up to the counter with effortless ease, ordering like you’d been doing this for years. she didn’t even need to say anything—you already knew her usual. it was something small, something insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but it made her feel something she absolutely did not want to name.

the cashier punched in the order, and before she could even think about reaching for her wallet, you had already handed over your card.

“my treat,” you said, completely casual, like it wasn’t a big deal. “for doing so well in calculus.”

sophia stiffened. you said it like you were proud of her. like it actually meant something. her fingers twitched at her side, the automatic urge to argue bubbling up, but she clamped her mouth shut.

she exhaled through her nose, muttering a small thanks while eyes darting anywhere but at you.

the walk back to campus was calm, the kind of quiet that felt easy. sophia focused on her drink, letting the cold seep into her fingers, every now and then glancing at you as you absentmindedly shook your cup to mix the boba. she hated how natural this was starting to feel, falling back into your orbit like no time had passed at all.

as the campus gates came into view, you turned to her, tilting your head. “you want a ride home?”

sophia shook her head without thinking. “no, it’s okay. basil’s got it.”

you slowed your steps, raising an eyebrow. “soph. he’s gonna leave you stranded for at least an hour” she winced. you weren’t wrong. basil had a horrible habit of showing up ridiculously late. still, she shrugged, acting like it didn’t bother her. “it’s fine.”

you sighed, shaking your head. “c’mon, don’t be dumb. i’ll give you a ride home. i have to pick up something at your place anyway.”

the city lights flickered through the windshield as you maneuvered through the streets. one hand on the wheel, the other lazily adjusting the air conditioning.

its crazy how natural you looked like this. relaxed, the faint glow of passing headlights casting soft shadows across your face. she hated that she noticed.

she looked away quickly, pretending to be very interested in her boba. “so,” you said, breaking the silence, “how’s school been? besides me making you a calculus genius, obviously.”

sophia snorted, shaking her head. “hardly a genius.”

you hummed, shooting her a knowing look. “lara says otherwise.”

“lara?” sophia repeated, trying to keep her voice neutral, but she could already hear the edge creeping in.

you glanced at her, amused. “yeah” sophia knew she was being irrational. knew it was dumb to be irritated by something as small as you acknowledging lara’s existence. but she couldn’t help it. because you were supposed to be hers. you were already invading her space, was it so much to ask that she didn’t have to hear your voice saying someone else’s name?

she took a long sip of her boba, mostly just to have something to do with her mouth that wasn’t pouting like a child. “since when do you talk to lara?”

you laughed, drumming your fingers lightly against the steering wheel. “since she’s in my music club”

oh.

sophia frowned slightly. lara hadn’t mentioned that. she should have known, lara told her everything, and yet somehow, she’d never thought to bring you up? before she could dwell on it, you kept talking.

“she talks about you,” you added, throwing her a quick glance before looking back at the road. “don’t worry, it’s good stuff.”

sophia’s grip tightened around her drink. “…like what?”

you smirked. “like how she overheard the teachers saying you’re almost one of the best in the class.”

her lips parted slightly. what. she didn’t even know the teachers said that. lara never told her. but you knew? how did that make any sense?

she didn’t know what to focus on. the fact that she was apparently good enough to be talked about like that, or the fact that you were the one telling her. she forced herself to scoff, looking away. “tch. what can i say im self made.”

you tapped your fingers lightly against the wheel. “ofcourse you are, you put in the effort. you show up to tutoring, you do practices and you actually care about getting better. you deserve everything good that comes your way.”

her breath caught in her throat.

the words hit her square in the chest, and suddenly, it was hard to breathe. how could someone be this kind? how could you say something like that so easily, like it wasn’t something that would sit in her ribs for the rest of the night?

her fingers tightened slightly around her boba shes surprised it hasn’t exploded and before she could stop herself, her eyes drifted toward you. your profile was illuminated by the city lights outside, jawline sharp, mouth relaxed, brows furrowing just the slightest bit in focus. you looked so… at ease. saying things like this came naturally to you.

because how could she get all the credit when you were the one who spent your free time tutoring her? when you were the one making sure she understood things, guiding her without ever making her feel stupid for free, and still somehow acting like she was the one who had done all the hard work?

she should look away. she knew she should look away. but she couldn’t.

then—

“if you keep looking at me like that, i’m gonna think you’re in love with me.”

her head snapped forward so fast it was a miracle she didn’t get whiplash. “shut up,” she muttered, taking a very long sip of her drink just to avoid saying anything else.

you laughed, amused, clearly enjoying the way she was stunned. “i’m just saying.” she ignored you, staring straight ahead, praying to every higher power that the ride home would be over soon.

as soon as you pulled into the driveway, sophia was out of the car like it was on fire, barely sparing you a glance before disappearing into the house. you huffed a quiet laugh, shaking your head as you followed her inside.

basil was in the kitchen, lazily scrolling through his phone, but he barely got the chance to look up before sophia breezed past him, dropping her bag onto the floor with a little more force than necessary.

“dude, i was just about to head out,” basil said, glancing at her.

“shut up,” sophia muttered, opening the fridge for a cold drink. she needed it with the day she had.

you snorted, leaning against the counter. “yeah, an hour from now.”

basil shot you a look, unimpressed. “why are you even here?”

you grinned, holding up the gaming controller you’d come to grab. “came to pick this up. also, saved your sister from being stranded at school.” basil rolled his eyes dismissing yn.

sophia grabbed a water bottle from the fridge, twisting the cap open as she turned on her heel, fully intending to escape upstairs before she did something stupid.

but before she could make it past the doorway, she felt a gentle tug at her wrist.

she nearly dropped the bottle.

you were still leaning against the counter, a lazy grin tugging at your lips as you looked at her. “my hug as thanks?”

sophia stared at you, her thoughts scrambled. her skin burned where your fingers lightly curled around her wrist. “for what?” she blurted, attempting to sound annoyed, but it came out a little too breathless.

your grin widened. “a week of tutoring and for saving you from sitting around for an hour waiting on basil.”

basil scoffed from the kitchen, but sophia barely heard him over the sound of her own heartbeat.

she hesitated, but you tugged her just slightly closer, tilting your head like you were waiting. expecting.

her body moved before her mind could catch up. stiffly, awkwardly, she stepped forward, wrapping her arms around you in what was probably the worst hug of her life.

but you didn’t seem to mind.

you hummed, warm and solid against her, your arms looping around her shoulders with ease.your comforting scent drowned her receptors.

sophia wanted to shove you. wanted to roll her eyes and scoff and say something sarcastic.

instead, she stayed there for a second too long, breathing you in, feeling the steady rise and fall of your chest against hers and then, before she could completely lose it, she pulled away, muttering a quick, “goodnight,” before practically sprinting upstairs.

rumors had been circulating that alex was planning to confess to sophia at the fundraiser. the very idea made her stomach turn.

she hated alex. he was one of basil’s friends. the one who never missed a chance to add salt to the wound whenever she messed up in front of the group. he made sure she felt like an outsider.

and now, all of a sudden, he liked her?

alex had spent years making her life difficult, and no amount of sudden affection was going to erase that. she wanted to tell him to get lost.

whenever alex pushed too far, you were the one who stepped in, the one who made him back off before things could go too far. you were the only one who ever really seemed to notice when she was uncomfortable, the only one who cared enough to make sure she was okay. and sophia hated the way that made her feel. she hated the warmth that crept in at the thought of you.

sophia groaned, slumping against the lockers as lara dug through her bag. “this is actually my worst nightmare.” sophia scowled, arms crossed tight over her chest.

lara finally glanced at her, unimpressed. “you’re being dramatic.”

“am not.” sophia huffed. “alex is the absolute last person on earth i’d want confessing to me. i mean, the guy made my childhood miserable! he’s a fucking bully and now he suddenly likes me? like, what—am i supposed to just forget years of bullying and fall into his arms?” she threw her hands up.

“i don’t want a confession! all i want is a handwritten apology letter with tears on it”

“who’s confessing to who?”

sophia stiffened. you.

she turned her head just in time to see you strolling up, brows raised in curiosity. the sight of you with hands shoved into your pockets, head tilted ever so slightly as you looked between her and lara.

lara, the traitor, wasted no time in answering. “alex. apparently, he’s planning to confess to sophia at the fundraiser.”

sophia braced herself, expecting you to tease her, maybe even laugh about it.

but instead your expression shifted.

it was subtle. your shoulders tensed just a little, your jaw tightening, something unreadable flashing behind your eyes before you quickly masked it with an easy grin. “oh?” you drawled, but your voice wasn’t as lighthearted as usual. “so, what—he’s just gonna make some big public scene about it?”

lara shrugged. “maybe.”

you scoffed, and sophia swore you rolled your eyes. “you could always just make it clear you’re not interested before he tries anything.”

sophia narrowed her eyes. “what do you care?”

“i dont” you said too fast, you were trying to cut off the conversation before it could lead anywhere dangerous. but then you hesitated, backtracking, exhaling softly through your nose before tilting your head toward her, your voice lowering just a bit. “but you do. and if you don’t like him, that’s kinda annoying, isn’t it?”

she knew you had a point, but she wasn’t focused on that. she was focused on the way your fingers twitched at your sides, the way the muscle in your jaw flexed before relaxing, the way your eyes were carefully fixed on some random spot on the lockers instead of on her.

before she could say anything, your phone buzzed, and you glanced down at it, thumb moving lazily across the screen. “basil said to wait by music room three after school,” you muttered, still half-focused on whatever was on your phone.

lara perked up immediately. “ooh, band practice?”

that finally got your attention. you looked up, smirked, and shot lara a wink before going right back to your phone, like it was nothing. “well see you later.” then you left.

sophia felt it like a physical blow. her stomach twisted, heat creeping up her neck before she could stop it.

that was hers. that wink, that stupid smirk, the teasing lilt in your voice. a jealous feeling clouded her mind.

before she could even think about it, she turned to lara, brows furrowing. “how’d you even know about that?” she tried to sound casual, but there was a slight edge to her voice, one that lara definitely caught.

lara just smiled, slow and knowing, like she was enjoying this way too much. “music club.” sophia clenched her jaw.

for the whole week, sophia couldn’t get a moment of peace. alex had been relentless, hovering around her like an annoying gnat that just wouldn’t go away. he was everywhere. before class, after class, during lunch. and she couldn’t even focus when she was with you.

not because of you, obviously. if it were just you, she wouldn’t mind. but alex had somehow made it his mission to sit with you two every single day, running his mouth and making so much noise that sophia could barely concentrate.

it was finally friday, and she was trying. really trying. to focus on solving an integration problem, gripping her pen just a little too tightly as she stared down at the numbers.

“and then my parents wanted me to go to princeton,” alex droned on beside her, leaning back in his chair smugly. like he belonged there with you two, “but i thought—”

sophia didn’t even look at him. she just clenched her jaw and kept scribbling in her notebook, pointedly ignoring him.

you, on the other hand, were visibly tense. she could tell by the way your fingers tapped impatiently against the table, the way your jaw clenched tight and defined, the muscle flexing beneath your skin.

she hated that she noticed.

alex was still talking. still. he had barely shut up the entire session, and it had been four whole days of him yapping while she was just trying to learn.

you exhaled sharply through your nose and finally snapped, turning to him with an expression so flat it sent a thrill through sophia’s spine.

“alex,” you said, voice edged with frustration. “shut the fuck up.”

alex blinked. “huh?”

you tilted your head, feigning patience, but your tone was anything but. “for the past four days, you’ve done nothing but talk about shit no one cares about while soph is literally trying to learn. do you even need to be here?”

alex scoffed, shifting in his chair. “damn, no need to be so hostile.”

“no, actually, i do,” you shot back. “because you’re annoying as hell and we’re trying to focus. so unless you suddenly became a calculus tutor, fuck off.”

sophia had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling. the look on alex’s face was priceless. eyes wide, mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water before he muttered something under his breath and stood up, huffing as he stomped off.

you let out a long sigh, rubbing your temples before turning back to her.

“finally,” you muttered. “now, where were we?”

sophia blinked down at her notebook, heart skipping a beat. “integration” she murmured.

sophia woke up to the soft glow of sunlight filtering through her curtains, warming her face. but more than that, she woke up to the sound of music. faint but distinct, a steady rhythm pulsing through the floorboards.

she groaned, burying her face into her pillow for a moment before sighing and pushing herself up. rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she shuffled out of bed, still dressed in her pajama shorts and an oversized hoodie, her hair a mess of waves from sleep.

it was saturday. finally. she’d been dreading the weekend for one reason only. alex’s ridiculous plan to confess at the fundraiser. but after you had told him to fuck off in the bluntest way possible, she was praying he’d finally take the hint and drop it.

but that wasn’t her concern right now. because where the hell was that noise coming from?

barefoot, she padded downstairs, the music growing louder as she made her way to the basement door. it wasn’t just any music. it was live music, the deep hum of a bass and the sharp strum of a guitar.

she pushed the door open and peeked in, blinking at the sight before her.

basil and the rest of the band were scattered around the basement, instruments in hand, deep in the middle of rehearsal. the air buzzed with the sound of drums, the occasional offbeat note, and laughter between takes.

but her gaze landed on you immediately.

you were sitting on a stool, guitar resting on your thigh, fingers effortlessly plucking at the strings. you were focused, brow slightly furrowed, bottom lip caught between your teeth. and god, it was stupidly attractive.

before she could even process that thought, you looked up—and your gaze locked onto hers.

for a second, the rest of the basement faded away.

your eyes flickered down, taking in her disheveled appearance, and then you grinned, that slow, teasing kind that made something in her stomach tighten. “morning, sleeping beauty.”

sophia huffed, crossing her arms, suddenly very aware of how she must look. “why the hell are you playing so early?”

“it’s literally noon.”

she scowled, making you chuckle as you set your guitar down, leaning forward on your elbows. “you mad ‘cause we woke you up or ‘cause you missed half the practice?”

her cheeks warmed. half the practice? how long had you been down here? she glanced at basil, who just raised a brow at her knowingly before returning to tuning his bass.

“whatever,” she muttered, shifting on her feet. but before she could turn to leave, you reached out, catching her wrist gently.

“stay,” you said, softer this time. “we’re almost done, and you can judge our setlist.”

sophia hesitated. the way your fingers curled around her wrist—light but firm—made her brain stall for a second.

but she rolled her eyes, feigning disinterest. “fine. but if it sucks, i’m telling you.”

you smirked, giving her wrist a small squeeze before letting go. “wouldn’t expect anything less from you, baby.” her cheeks immediately turned red.

sophia couldn’t stop staring.

you moved effortlessly, arms flexing as you adjusted the equipment in the truck, the fading sunset casting a golden glow on your skin. your sleeves were rolled up, exposing the lean definition of your forearms, and when you lifted a speaker into place, the wind tugged at the hem of your white button-up, lifting it just enough to reveal a sliver of your stomach.

“soph, get the fuck in the car.”

her brother’s voice snapped her out of it. she blinked, heat creeping up her neck as she realized she had been blatantly staring. jesus christ.

rolling her eyes to play it off, she huffed and strode toward the truck. she was dressed for the fundraiser. her silky top tucked neatly into a fitted skirt that accentuated her figure, her hair styled effortlessly, makeup subtle but effective. she knew she looked good. she just wished she wasn’t thinking about whether you thought so too.

she barely had a second to settle into the truck before you slid in beside her. and then another bandmate followed, cramming into the seat on your other side.

the space was ridiculously tight.

sophia sucked in a breath as your thigh pressed flush against hers. your shoulder bumped into her, and you let out a quiet grunt, shifting slightly. only for the guy next to you to do the same, squeezing you further into her space.

“fuck,” you muttered, glancing down at her. “okay, this is—hold on.”

before she could process it, your arm lifted and draped over her shoulders.

her breath hitched.

“what the hell are you doing?” she hissed, stiffening.

“trying to not breath down your neck,” you deadpanned, tilting your head toward the guy practically squishing you from the other side.

sophia clenched her jaw, but she didn’t shove you off. mostly because you were right. the way you were packed into the truck, this was the only way to make it even remotely comfortable. but also…you were warm. and close. and smelled stupidly good.

your fingers lightly rested against her arm, thumb brushing against the fabric of her sleeve as you got settled. and when you turned your head slightly, murmuring, “better?” so close to her ear, she almost forgot how to function.

she exhaled through her nose, rolling her eyes as if her pulse wasn’t racing. “couldn’t get any worse.”

you chuckled, clearly amused, but you didn’t say anything else. just relaxed into the seat, arm still loosely slung around her. and sophia sat there, unmoving, fighting the urge to lean into you.

the whole ride was oddly comforting. light chatter from the front row with the soft music playing.

the way your fingers absentmindedly tapped against her arm, keeping time with the soft beat of the radio. the occasional hum under your breath when a song you liked came on. the lazy tilt of your head against the seat, eyes half-lidded, relaxed, completely unaware of the absolute disaster unfolding beside you.

she felt trapped. surrounded. every inhale filled her lungs with you. she hated to admit that she liked it.

the truck rumbled to a stop, and sophia barely had a second to process before she felt you shift beside her. your arm, the one that had been slung so casually over her shoulders the whole ride, lifted away, leaving behind a ghost of warmth that sent an involuntary shiver down her spine.

she exhaled sharply. god, she needed air.

but before she could bolt, the door swung open, and basil was already barking orders.

sophia rolled her eyes as she slid out of the truck, stretching her arms over her head, letting the crisp evening air cool the heat simmering under her skin.

the fundraiser was already coming to life around them. the sun was starting to lower on the horizon, painting the sky in warm hues of orange. carnival lights flickered on, illuminating the fairground in a golden glow. the scent of fried food and kettle corn drifted through the air, mingling with the distant laughter of kids running past.

but before she could take it all in, a heavy weight landed on her shoulders.

“carry that inside, yeah?”

sophia scowled at basil, who had just dropped a coiled-up cable over her like she was some kind of pack mule. “are you serious?”

basil only shooed her away. before she could snap at him, you walked past, effortlessly carrying an amp under one arm, a guitar case slung over your back. you shot her a grin over your shoulder. “c’mon, soph, at least pretend to be helpful.”

she grumbled something under her breath but followed anyway, dragging her feet as she carried the cable toward the stage area.

sophia cleared her throat, shifting on her feet. “alright, i’m gonna go find lara,” she announced, directing it mostly toward you and basil as you both worked on setting up. she needed to move, to go, to be anywhere but here—somewhere alex wouldn’t find her.

but before she could slip away, you turned to her, wiping your hands on your jeans, eyes locking onto hers, big wide doe eyes. “hey, you’re gonna come watch us play, right?” almost pleading. like her presence mattered

and god, why couldn’t she say no to you? why was that even a question?

she hadn’t seen you play in years. not since you were kids messing around in her garage, when your hands were too small to reach all the chords properly, when you’d grin at her between strums like you knew she was watching.

and now? now you were standing in front of her, taller, sharper, so much cooler than before, looking at her like it would make a difference if she was there.

she knew she should say something, but her mind was blank, lost in the way you tilted your head, looking at her expectantly.

sophia swallowed. tried to look unaffected. failed miserably.

“yeah,” she blurted out, barely a whisper. then, as if that wasn’t pathetic enough, she cleared her throat and tried again. “yeah. of course. i’ll be there.”

your face lit up instantly, all bright eyes and easy joy, and before she could even process what was happening, you wrapped your arms around her.

your arms were strong but gentle, warm but not suffocating, like you were made to hold her. you smelled like soap and a little bit of sweat from moving equipment, and it should not be as intoxicating as it was.

her hands hovered awkwardly on your back. patting it lightly not enough for you to notice, but enough for her to feel like she was about to melt straight into the ground.

then, just as quickly as you hugged her, you pulled back, grinning.

“awesome,” you said, still holding onto her arms for a second before finally letting go. “i’ll look for you in the crowd.”

she just nodded, not trusting herself to speak. and then scurried away to find lara and get alex out of sight, out of mind.

after what it seemed like minutes of having fun with her friends. the sun started to set slowly. and that was her que to leave. “gotta go guys” she said amongst the laughter.

“what. why so early?” megan perked up. “shes going to see her hot rockstar girlfriend” said lara with a smirk.

lara’s smirk deepened when sophia didn’t immediately deny it. “oh my god,” she drawled, nudging megan. “did you see that? she hesitated.”

sophia’s eyes widened, heat creeping up her neck. “i did not hesitate.” megan gasped theatrically, pressing a hand to her chest. “you totally hesitated.”

sophia groaned, shoving at lara’s shoulder. “she’s not my girlfriend.”

“yet,” lara shot back smoothly.

“shut up,” sophia muttered, but her ears burned.

her friends weren’t letting up. “nah, this is crazy,” megan grinned. “you got all dressed up just to go watch her play, huh?”

“that’s- i always look good!” sophia stammered. They were so annoying.

lara sighed dramatically, shaking her head. “it’s okay, soph. we get it. the effortlessly cool guitarist, the stage presence, the stupidly hot arm veins—”

before lara could even finish her sentence, sophia was already looking the other way, walking to the stage. she didn’t even turn around. she just flipped them off as she walked away, which only made them cackle harder.

sophia could already feel it before she even saw you—the buzz of anticipation in the air, the excited murmurs from the crowd, the way her pulse started to pick up as she pushed through the sea of people. and she finally got a good spot in the middle.

and then you walked onto the stage.

and sophia completely forgot how to breathe.

god.

the warm tones of the sunset traced every sharp angle of your jaw, the slope of your nose, the stray beads of sweat along your temple. the silver rings on your fingers caught the light as you flexed your hands, rolling out the tension before picking up your guitar. your sleeves were haphazardly rolled to your elbows, exposing the lean muscle of your forearms, your collarbones peeking through the loose neckline of your button-up.

you looked unreal.

her breath stalled in her throat as she watched you tilt your head back slightly. her fingers twitched at her sides, like some pathetic, desperate part of her wanted to reach for you.

then the first strum of your guitar broke through the air, and the sound of it. low and rich and you sent a shiver down her spine. the band kicked in, bass thrumming in her chest, drums pulsing like a heartbeat.

she wanted to keep watching forever. but then something blocked her view. a shadow fell over her, and her stomach dropped.

her focus wavered just enough for her to realize. alex.

he was saying something, voice edged with nervous excitement, but she wasn’t listening. couldn’t listen. not when you were right there, bathed in golden light, bass slung over your shoulder, looking like something out of a fever dream.

then, as if you could feel her staring.

you looked at her.

the air in her lungs vanished.

it wasn’t immediate. you didn’t react at first, just held her gaze, steady and unshaken, fingers still moving over the strings, body still swaying with the rhythm. but sophia felt it.

the weight of it. the intensity of it.

your lips parted slightly as you breathed through the lyrics, loose strands of hair falling into your face, eyes barely lidded under the glow.

she had to look away. because if she didn’t, if she kept looking, if she let herself fall for you again and she wasn’t sure she’d survive it.

alex was still talking. something about how he’s liked her for a while, how he wanted to tell her properly, how he knew the timing wasn’t great. her pulse was still in her throat.

her thoughts were spiraling. all she could think about was you. she felt exposed. like something inside her had cracked wide open, and every feeling she had been pushing down for years was crawling out, raw and desperate, begging to be acknowledged.

she had spent too long convincing herself this was over. that whatever she felt for you was just nostalgia, and that she wasn’t still looking at you the same way she did when she was nine. hopelessly smitten.

she was right back where she started. and she was drowning in it.

“—so would you go out with me?,” alex was saying infront her. but all she could look at was you.

she barely even registered his voice. her thoughts were screaming. she needed to stop this. she needed to push it all back down, needed to bury it so deep it never saw the light of day again.

before she could think, before she could stop herself, the words were already tumbling out.

“yes, alex. i’d love to go out with you.”

448 notes · View notes

overadores · 2 months ago

Text

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁thorns of love ౨ৎ lara raj

men, the most absurd of God's creature

�� 𝘇 𐰁 poison ivy!lara x harley quinn!reader ᶻ 𝘇 𐰁 headcanons!

.ᐟ cw: injuries, violence, kissing, seduction, partners in crime

So many people to kill...so little time

‧₊˚ ⋅ poison ivy!lara who loves to give you plants 'cause you keep telling her it feels lonely whenever she goes out.

‧₊˚ ⋅ poison ivy!lara where she sometimes use her pheromones whenever you two fight so that you could relax and let her explain everything.

‧₊˚ ⋅ poison ivy!lara where she has a secret playlist 'bout you in her work laptop and she plays it whenever she misses you (which is always)

‧₊˚ ⋅ poison ivy!lara who adores you—the only one immune to her toxins. during your heists, the moment you're hurt, your power surges, bodies dropping instantly. Lara cradles your face, whispering, "My deadly darling, they should know better than to touch what's mine." She ensures you never bleed, not out of fear—but because she loves watching you choose to kill.

‧₊˚ ⋅ poison ivy!lara loves sharing facts about plant and you're just tuning her out when it gets too much

‧₊˚ ⋅ poison ivy!lara knows you love watching her plan—the way your eyes light up as she maps out escape routes, picks the perfect time, and lists tools like it’s an art form. She plays into it, sketching out heists with extra flair, just to see you grin. “Enjoying the show, yn?” she teases, smirking.

‧₊˚ ⋅ poison ivy!lara where she seduce you by using her pheromones whenever you're mad at her or too busy for her.

‧₊˚ ⋅ poison ivy!lara where during heists, Lara, ever the strategist, keeps you in check with her chlorokinesis. The moment they start rambling or giggling too loud, Lara’s vines gently wrap around their mouth, silencing them with an exasperated yet fond look. “Quiet, love,” she whispers. “Unless you want every guard in Gotham on us.” you just grin behind the leaves.

‧₊˚ ⋅ poison ivy!lara who loves kissing your wounds after the heist cause its her way by healing you.

‧₊˚ ⋅ poison ivy!lara where she sings to you everytime you can't sleep.

‧₊˚ ⋅ poison ivy!lara who almost kills joker with her poison emission when he tried manipulating you to join him again.

‧₊˚ ⋅ poison ivy!lara where as soon as Batman’s batarang sliced your arm, Lara’s eyes darkened with fury. Vines shot from the ground, wrapping around the Dark Knight, tightening with her every breath. "Don’t hurt my baby," she hissed, stepping in front of you like a shield. Her fingers traced your wound, her touch gentle despite the rage burning in her veins. "You okay, love?" she whispered, voice soft for you alone. Batman struggled, but Lara's wrath was an unyielding force of nature.

‧₊˚ ⋅ poison ivy!lara where you gear up for the mission—with the squad, tightening your gloves and Lara grabs your wrist, pulling you close. Her emerald eyes flicker with worry, lips parted as if debating something—then, without warning, she crashes her lips onto yours. The kiss is deep, almost desperate, her fingers curling into your collar. "Come back to me, okay?" she murmurs against your lips, her voice softer than usual. With a smirk, you wink. "Anything for you, Red." Then, you're gone.

‧₊˚ ⋅ poison ivy!lara who always insists on trying to lift your mallet, even though she knows she can’t. She grips the handle, straining for a moment before sighing. Then, with a sly smirk, she extends her vines, wrapping them around the mallet and swinging it effortlessly. You lean against the wall, watching in amusement as she twirls it like it weighs nothing.

‧₊˚ ⋅ poison ivy!lara where after every date, she guides you onto the balcony, her fingers laced with yours. The moonlight spills over her as she lifts her hands, coaxing delicate blooms to life around you. Petals unfurl, vines curl along the railing, and the air fills with the scent of fresh roses. She twirls you into her arms, her lips brushing your ear. "Dance with me, love," she whispers, swaying you beneath the stars, her heart blooming only for you.

a/n: mystique megan next !!

#random headcanons #overadores headcanons .ᐟ #katseye imagines #katseye #gxg #katseye x reader #lara raj #lara katseye #lara raj x reader #poison ivy lara #harley quinn reader #poison ivy!lara #wlw #lara raj headcanons

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meiyaes · 3 months ago

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katseye as cats bc i love cats and i love katseye‼️🤩

i rlly enjoyed making these sgsgshjkh😋😋

#katseye #sophia laforteza #sophia katseye #manon bannerman #manon katseye #daniela avanzini #daniela katseye #lara raj #lara katseye #megan skiendiel #megan katseye #jeong yoonchae #yoonchae katseye

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sphvm · 4 months ago

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under the covers — lara raj

lara raj x fem!reader

tags: face sitting, face riding, cunnilingus, begging(?), dom!lara, coming untouched, breath play(???)

masterlist

MEN AND MINORS DNI

as you lay in bed, wrapped in the warmth of the covers, the soft glow of the afternoon sunlight filters through the curtains. you and lara are nestled together, sharing a lazy moment, some movie playing softly in the background and cuddling close together. you’ve been talking about everything and nothing, letting the hours slip away as you enjoy each other's company.

but just as you think the moment can’t get any sweeter, lara leans in suddenly. her lips brushing against yours with an unexpected aggressiveness. the kiss catches you off guard. it’s soft at first, a gentle connection that sends a shiver down your spine, but soon it’s rough, messy. your lips sliding against each other, her tongue making contact with yours as her large hand coming to grasp your jawline. you can feel the warmth of her breath on your lips as she pulls back, giggling at the flushed expression on your face.

“and here i thought we were having a cute, cuddly moment.” you spoke, entwining your hands as lara’s lips connected with your neck, sucking harshly then kissing the red spot tenderly.

she gave you a smirk before resting her hands on your hips, pulling you even closer. “well… i had something in mind.” she slid your thigh between her own, grinding subtlety. “fuck… baby can i ask you something?”

you blinked up at her, feeling yourself already getting wet. “uh y-yeah of course…” she grinded down again, your tits brushing against hers making you groan lowly.

“can i—oh fuck—can i sit on your face, honey?”

woah.

your eyes widened and you felt like your heart stopped. “i… i mean—“

lara paused to move her hands, cradling your face. “come on baby, can i? i’ve been wanting to see what your pretty face would look like in between my thighs for so long… don’t tell me no.”

you scoffed, a smirk crawling onto your face. “like id ever say no to that.” lara grinned, pushing the covers off of you. she moved fast, kicking her sleep shorts somewhere on the floor and slipping her underwear off. she climbed on top of you, giving you a chaste kiss before asking once more if you were okay with it.

we all know what the answer was.

she sat herself right above your face, peering down at you. she positioned herself so that her pussy was right above your mouth and you could already smell her arousal. you felt a thrill run through your body as you wrapped your hands around her hips and pulled her down, her whole weight on your face. she moaned as you started to slide your tongue up and down her folds. your hands were pulling her onto your mouth harder, leaving crescents on her thighs. her hand eventually made its way to your hair, tugging you closer to her. you moaned at her taste, sending vibrations through her body.

once your tongue entered her, she let a high whine out and ground her hips down, making you groan in unison. “fuck—baby just like that mm…” your tongue found her clit, sucking lightly before alternating licking. she was dripping into your mouth and writhing around, moans getting louder as you pulled away to ask, “ride my face?” her eyes were lidded, looking down at you. “please? just a little? it’ll make you feel even better and—and i want it too…”

she could never say no to her baby

lara sighed as she moved her lips, chasing the feeling of your tongue sliding around her folds and clit. she raked her fingers through your hair, grabbing a fistful and using your mouth, just like you asked. “mmf—fuck you love this pussy right? shit—“ you nodded as best as you could, your eyebrows furrowing at the feeling of her thighs clenching around your head. lara knew you were having a hard time breathing, but it only made her leak more slick into your mouth.

her moans were getting louder and louder, and it slightly scared you that her members could hear her. you detached one of your hands from her thigh and slid it to her clit, starting to put pressure on the bundle of nerves.

“o-oh baby keep—fuck! —doing that!” she was bucking her hips, you knew she was close. you were watching her with hooded eyes, feeling yourself get wetter and wetter at the image of her back arching, hands gripping her own body with her mouth slack and eyes closed. she looked beautiful.

she didn’t need to announce when she came. her body shook violently, one of her hands gripping your hair just a little too tight. one final squeeze of her thighs to your head slightly cut your oxygen off for a little longer than it should’ve, making you come in your shorts, a loud moan vibrating through lara’s pussy.

she giggled at you, reluctantly moving off of you with shaking thighs. “did you just come from eating me out baby? you enjoyed it that much?” you nodded weakly and she gave you a kiss, wiping your mouth after.

“i love you, baby.” she suddenly said, pulling the covers over you both once again and holding you close, kissing your forehead. “thank you so much.”

“i love you too.” you turn to face her. “i’d do anything for you.”

#katseye #gxg imagine #gxg smut #lara raj #lara raj x reader #lara x reader #katseye x femreader #katseye smut #katseye x reader #katseye imagine #lara raj x femreader #lara x femreader #lara imagine

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wieqo · 5 months ago

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📢᭪ᬻ 𖥔 ۪ܺׄ🏀ᣟ݂ 𝒴ou Want the 𝒢oodies ̵̼͓̥͒̾͘🌺၇͜ᩘᰯུ₊̣̇ ⓲

#͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏#lara raj #katseye #katseye lara #lara icons #lara raj icons #katseye icons #katseye lara icons #gg icons #gg lq icons #gg messy icons #kpop girls icons #kpop lq icons #kpop messy icons #kpop gg icons #girls icons

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xtraordinarygrls · 5 months ago

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LARA Debut + Touch @ KCON LA 2024

#lara #lara raj #katseye #femaleidolsedit #femaleidol #*#*katseye #im a little late but happy lara day!!!! im obsessed with her #and i keep forgetting shes openly queer 🫶🫶#be who you aaaaaaaare

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yvesismywife · 3 months ago

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IWH2BMX ᝰ.ᐟ DANIELA AVANZINI

synopsis

y/n l/n, the 4th member of the rnb girl group flo, is notorious for her very noticeable lack of pr training. once she goes through a very public breakup, her pr team finally decided it was time to control her online presence. daniela avanzini, the main dancer of the girl group katseye, found her reputation getting caught in the cross fire of her band mate’s blunt personality. so when both groups are caught at the same party, management gets a not so great idea.

status loading... in progress

tags smau, crack, fluff, (semi) love-hate relationship, coarse language, suggestive themes, celebrity!au, sexual jokes, poor humour, (semi) toxic relationships, angst…maybe.

featuring flo, katseye, lizeth selene, possibly others

pairing daniela avanzini x black female reader.

now playing... access all areas

notes did i make this in hopes of a flo x katseye collab?? well, yes. also imagine that there’s a 4th member in the pictures of flo lol. this was made for fun and entertainment and is not an actual portrayal of the people mentioned. i’m not sure if i want flo to be based in california or keep them in the uk, so for right now they are doing press in america 😭. there is no set face claim for yn. also this is my first time making a smau, so if it’s bad, tell me 🙏

profiles the children of the destiny’s | new crazy

put a finger down

cool and collected

not to point fingers

hater syndrome

that’s bae right thurr

i am a strong woman

where baddies unite

mommy manager

not my type

kitty group

you’re buying

mindless behaviour

gay awakening

hey avanzini

might be panicking

friends

the terrell show

officially (not)dating

come inside

monster high

besties

fighting through sza

out now on netflix

the girls are fighting

fake girlfriend

santa monica

…more in progress

taglist ! (open) @1luvkarina @yjiminswallet @sunshinez4 @winnmin @lara4eclipze @wtfisthisnoclueman @flowerluzx @meizinisnumberone @leotapes @meganskiendielsbtc @reey0w @haerinkisser @cassiespoiler @peanutbutterlover05 @p1hbrook @kristalag @yeetaberry127 @blushmimi @xochitlisbest @urmom2314 @bowforgodjihyo @vvyuqi @linnnsworld @vampireris @loverofannabeth @mei2yok @yunalvrrr @ratzeye @hotluvlet

COMMENT TO BE ADDED

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edamameimei · 2 months ago

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do i wanna know? (daniela avanzini x reader)

"sort of hoping that you'd stay..."

synopsis: all the girls in dream academy knew you and daniela had a very close dynamic. it was one that often left them all confused, but they knew one thing for certain, and that was you belonged to daniela avanzini. but as your friendship grows with a certain australian, daniela begins to do some reflection of her own when it comes to her attachment towards you. tags: fluff in the beginning, mostly angst soz. dream academy au. an: just want to put out there that this is not a REAL portrayal of the people mentioned in this fic. all events are fictional and are for entertainment purposes only. i am and will always be an ezrela thinker so i had to express it somehow so i decided to throw it back to dream academy era for valentines day <333 CW: dani is a lil possessive and toxic if you squint! suggestive themes wc: 4344 words

⏯ now playing: do i wanna know? (live at the bbc) - hozier

part two

Daniela had always been curious about you and Ezrela’s relationship.

At first, she thought it was sweet. Watching you two together always brought a smile to Daniela’s face, the way your 5’10” stature towered over Ezrela significantly. The girl was just so tiny and cute, it would be hard to not find the dynamic between you both somewhat adorable.

That was, until you two become much more comfortable with each other.

There was an unspoken rule amongst the Dream Academy girls. It was one that only you and Daniela were not in on, yet you two created it. Or, more so Daniela. That rule was to keep physical contact with you at a minimum. They found hugs were fine (as long as they don’t last longer than a second or two) and just speaking with you was fair game. But once someone tries leaning in closer, tries to place a hand on your arm, Daniela Avanzini magically appears right next to you and inserts herself into the conversation.

The girls didn’t mind it. Actually, they found it amusing. It became somewhat of a teasing game amongst them. Who can piss Dani off the most? But when they notice the Latina is not in the mood for any jokes or any playful games, they all know to back off. They wouldn’t dare piss the girl off even more. Daniela, without even knowing, has made her claim on you. She made it very clear. Of course, this sparks speculations over the true dynamic of your “friendship,” but the girls know it’s something you two will have to figure out on your own. According to Lara, “it’s a canon event and we cannot interfere.”

But Ezrela really knows how to push Daniela’s buttons.

It was subtle at first, honestly.

After another long and tiring day of T&D, a few of the girls decide to make a trip to a boba place they saw around the corner. While you sat on the practice room floor, switching out your sneakers to wear converse, you spoke to Ezrela animatedly. You both were engaged in a conversation about an anime you both were watching and had very similar opinions on an episode that recently aired.

On the otherside of the room, Daniela and Lara wait, having their own conversation. Every once in a while, Daniela would look over, her eyes focused on the way Ezrela acted around you. Once she was satisfied with what she saw, she would turn back to Lara, giving her undivided attention.

When she looks back at you two, Daniela’s eyes narrow slightly. At some point, Ezrela shifted closer to you, now sitting right in front of you. The small girl shows you something on her phone and it makes you laugh loudly, placing your hand on her shoulder to brace yourself.

Daniela decides she is done waiting when she sees Ezrela tuck a stray strand of your hair behind your ear. She is basically stomping over when she hears a soft giggle escape your lips.

She extends her arm, waiting for you to take her hand so you all can finally leave. Ezrela immediately stands to her feet while you take Daniela’s hand, unaware of the Latina’s hard gaze. You stand up, allowing Daniela to pull you towards the door with a tight grip.

And then it was the Instagram posts.

You and Daniela lay in the Latina’s bed in the dorms. You’re both still in the gray uniforms, too lazy to take them off after filming all day for Dream Academy. At some point, while Daniela scrolled through her TikTok so you two could watch together, you fell asleep. Daniela has her head against your chest, feeling comforted by the way it rises and falls with every breath. Her leg is swung over yours and for some reason, it just feels natural to be this close in proximity.

Daniela switches to Instagram, finally getting tired of watching the videos on her For You Page. The first post that pops up strikes a nerve within the girl.

Five minutes ago, Ezrela posted a photo set of you and her. The photos were taken the day before and it was of you two in the gray uniforms.

The first photo was of you looking down at Ezrela with a teasing smile as the Aussie had her arms crossed, pouting up at the girl.

The second photo was a .5. You held the camera with your tongue sticking out. Ezrela kept a neutral expression.

The third photo was of you two hugging. Daniela’s eyes harden at the way you held Ezrela close. The Aussie had her head against your chest, her arms wrapped around your torso. Your arms wrapped around Ezrela’s neck, one of your hands in the girl’s hair. The photo looked tender and rather loving and it made Daniela feel sick.

The last photo was quite blurry but it still did enough to make Daniela’s blood boil. You two were smiling widely as you held Ezrela in your arms bridal style. The Aussie had her arms securely wrapped around your neck, head on your shoulder.

The caption read: THE short and tall duo>>>

Daniela huffs. She feels even more annoyed with the caption. She looks up at you and sees that you’re still sleeping peacefully. Your mouth is slightly open, snoring softly. For a moment, Daniela’s eyes soften at the way you look. It quickly disappears when she remembers Ezrela’s stupid post and pokes your side, trying to wake you. You stir, groaning when you feel Daniela’s finger jabbing into your side incessantly. You swat at her with no energy at all. “Dani stop… I’ve been up since 5 AM let me keep my eyes closed a few minutes longer…”

Suddenly, you feel the bed shift. You open your eyes slightly, a bit confused by the commotion. Your eyes widen when Daniela begins straddling you, sitting prettily on top of you with her legs on either side of you. Your breath catches in your throat and you wonder if you’re still dreaming.

“I wanna take a photo for my Instagram story.” You raise an eyebrow at the Latina. “That’s why you woke me up?” She simply nods her head in response. You groan, closing your eyes again. Suddenly, you sigh in exasperation, relenting to your best friend. “Okay… How do you wanna do it?” Daniela grabs you by the tie, pulling you up while she is still situated on your lap. You scoot back a bit so you can lean your back against the headboard. You instinctively wrap your arms around Daniela’s waist and rest your head on the girl’s shoulder. You mumble, “what now?”

Daniela bites her lip, suddenly feeling shy by how intimate this feels. She doesn’t know why she’s acting like this. It’s not like you and her were together. It’s not like she even has romantic feelings for you. But Daniela has never been the one to share and she is going to make it a point for everyone to see.

You are her best friend. Not Ezrela’s.

She wraps an arm around your neck and grabs her phone, going to the Instagram app. She raises the phone, making sure you are both in the frame. Daniela smiles as you keep your head nuzzled into her shoulder, a small smile on your face can be seen. When Daniela is satisfied with how it is framed, she takes the picture. You mumble again, tightening your arms around Daniela, “Is it good?”

Daniela nods, biting her lip to hide her smirk. “It’s perfect.”

She captions it: hugs from y/n>>>

Manon sits in the lounge, headphones in as she scrolls through her phone.

Lara and Lexie notice her alone and decide to walk over to her. Lara sits next to her on the couch while Lexie sits in the armchair. Manon looks up, smiling tiredly. Lara raises an eyebrow. “You… Okay?”

Manon laughs, nodding her head. “Yeah. Dani is having a… Moment.”

Lexie looks at the girl with a worried expression. “Is she okay?” Manon nods again, sighing dramatically. “Just the usual things. Y/n is out with Ezrela and-“ Lara puts a hand up, not needing to hear any more from her. She looks at Lexie with a knowing look.

The two nod. Yeah, that’ll do it.

The first time you two argue about it, it scares Daniela shitless.

Because fuck why is she picking a fight about it?

You sneak back into the shared dorm with Manon and Daniela. You quietly tiptoe to your bed, not wanting to make a sound. You crouch by your bed, quietly taking off your shoes but the sound of the bed squeaking slightly causes you to pick your head up. You see Daniela laying there, wiping the sleepiness off her face. You reach out, tucking the hair covering her face behind her ear. You whisper softly, “come here often?”

Daniela giggles tiredly. “Where were you?”

You take your last shoe off and climb over Daniela. You situate yourself behind the girl and pull her close, enjoying the warmth that radiates from the girl’s body. Daniela cuddles closer to you, feeling her eyes wanting to close but she fights back. She wants to hear your answer.

She feels you whisper into her hair. “I went to the 7/11 across the street with Ezrela,” you giggle, “We got slurpees and decided to hang out a little bit longer.” Daniela bites her lip when she hears the response. She can’t help but feel an annoyance rising within her. She turns over, facing you with a hard look in her eyes. She whispers, “I was waiting for you…”

You feel a heat in your cheeks when Daniela faces you. You can’t help but feel hyperaware of how close you two are— how close your lips are. You push those thoughts away. You know better than to get ahead of yourself. This is Daniela Avanzini for crying out loud. You whisper back, “I told you I’d be out with Ezzie-“

“Until 3 in the freaking morning, Y/n?” Her whisper comes out harsh, a bit louder than before. You’re taken aback by her tone, not understanding the reason behind it. Daniela knows Ezrela is one of your closest friends in Dream Academy. Why is she making a big deal out of it? You bite your lip anxiously. “Yeah? You and I have been out that long before… Maybe even longer. What’s the problem?” Daniela can’t help the frustrated sigh that escapes her lips.

“I’m going back to my bed.” Daniela makes a move to sit up but you keep your arms around the Latina, tightening your grasp. You want to get to the bottom of this. Your first performance is tomorrow and you’re both in a group together. You can’t let Daniela become distracted, not when it’s your fault. But Daniela pushes you back, an obvious glare on her features. “Y/n. Let me go, I have to go to bed.” You don’t let up though. You just look at Daniela like a wounded puppy.

“Why are you mad?” The question makes Daniela even more furious. She doesn’t know why, it just does. She knows she’s acting irrationally but she also can’t help it. Whatever it is she’s feeling, she can’t push it away. Every time she sees you with Ezrela, the feeling intensifies. Deep down, she knows what it is. But she isn’t ready to face it, and she doesn’t know if she’d ever be. She pushes you again, this time winning the fight. She walks to her own bed without another word and crawls under the covers. She can feel your eyes on her but she doesn’t spare you a glance. She ignores it like she does with the feeling that festers messily in the pit of her stomach.

The next morning, at 9 AM, she wakes up to the sound of presumably you walking into the shared dorm. Daniela know you’re probably back from your morning run. She stays still, pretending to stay asleep. After the events that happened a few hours before, she is too afraid to acknowledge it. She hears you walk beside her bed and then walk away right after. She hears rummaging in the shared closet space and then your footsteps walking towards the bathroom. Once Daniela hears the door click close, she opens her eyes. She waits until she hears the shower running to get up. She sits up, pulling her legs up to her chest.

She knows she needs to apologize. But then she would have to explain herself and that, Daniela isn’t sure how to do. She doesn’t even know why she got mad at you in the first place. She sighs deeply and rests her head against her knees. She takes a glance at the clock on her nightstand but is surprised to see a cup of coffee sitting there.

Iced vanilla latte w/ almond milk.

also known as: a peace offering.

You get first place in fan votes for mission one.

When live voting ends and eliminations are made, you stand up, body shaking slightly from the stress. You walk over to Daniela, pulling the girl into a tight hug. You hold each other for a moment, grateful that you’re both safe this week. Seeing it all happen in real time made the experience much scarier. It made it all feel more like a competition. At the end of this, there really is something to lose.

You both pull away, but Daniela reaches out and holds your hand. You both exit the room with each other, a thick silence between you two. Suddenly, Ezrela runs up to you and Daniela feels you let go of her hand to catch Ezrela in your arms. She watches as you spin the Aussie around, smiles on your faces. The taller puts Ezrela down, keeping your hands on the girl’s waist as the other securely keeps her arms around your neck. Ezrela says something to you that causes you to throw your head back, laughing. The scene makes Daniela want to cry for some reason.

She is just so confused by what is going through her head.

You and Ezrela continue talking and Daniela decides she can’t watch you two anymore. She turns on her heel, following Manon out the door.

At some point, Daniela convinces herself that Ezrela is in fact doing it to piss her off.

When they’re in Lotte World, they have an opportunity to dress in the school uniforms they provide and the way you look in yours makes Daniela fall in love with you even more than before—

Pause.

She looks away, her cheeks burning when the thought comes to mind. She looks in the mirror, fiddling with the neck bow. She struggles a bit with the knot and she almost goes to Yoonchae for assistance but she feels a pair of hands over her own and she looks up to see you smiling down at her.

“Need help?” Daniela giggles softly, nodding. “Is it obvious?” You look at her with an adoration in her eyes that makes Daniela feel sick all over again. She rests her arms at her sides, allowing you to tie the bow around her neck. The Latina looks up at you, studying your features. The freckles that decorate your nose and cheeks, the way your brow furrows in concentration, your habit of biting your tongue when you’re determined. She watches as your lips curl into a small smile when you finish with Daniela’s bow, looking up from it to look at the Latina with a wide smile. The smile makes Daniela’s facade falter slightly. For a second, she almost believes that it would be safe for her to give into what she feels. For a moment, Daniela almost admits to herself what she has been denying for almost a year.

You look at Daniela and tilt your head in curiosity. You giggle, “Earth to Dani?” The Latina widens her eyes, suddenly feeling nervous. She pushes you away, rolling her eyes playfully. Her cheeks burn again and she hopes you don’t notice the way her cheeks are painted red. She mumbles, “You’re so annoying…” and you laugh, wrapping your arms around Daniela’s shoulders, pulling her close. You look into the mirror and smile softly.

“Let’s take a picture.” You reach into your pocket, grabbing your phone. You two take pictures, taking several with a variety of different poses and faces. After a few moments, you feel a poke on your shoulder and you look over to see Ezrela smiling sheepishly, holding her neck bow.

“I’ve been fighting with this thing for 30 minutes…” The statement makes you laugh loudly. You nod, taking the neck bow from the Aussie. Daniela watches as you assist Ezrela. She can’t help but notice how careful you were, as if scared you’d tie it too tightly or would make the shorter feel uncomfortable. That feeling begins bubbling up again, the one she always gets when she sees you anywhere near Ezrela. The mere mention of the Australian is enough to put her in a bad mood.

When you finish, Ezrela places her hands on your shoulders. She leans up and kisses you on the cheek. Daniela notices how she lingers there for a second longer. It’s as if everyone noticed the small gesture of affection because the room goes noticeably silent. The girls subtly look at Daniela, waiting for her reaction. The Latina was visibly fuming because what the fuck. Without thinking, Daniela pulls you by the hand, leading you towards the exit. Your eyes widen at the sudden shift in Daniela’s mood. “Why are we in a rush?”

Daniela shrugs. She lies, “I told Karlee, Lara, and Lexie we’d meet soon.” You accept the answer, still slightly bewildered by Daniela’s actions.

She turns around, effectively stopping you in your tracks. Daniela steps closer to you, an unreadable expression on her face. You’re about to say something but Daniela places a gentle hand on your cheek, removing it to place a finger underneath your chin. She tilts your head ever so slightly to the other side to see where Ezrela kissed you. Daniela frowns.

There was a very present red lipstick mark.

No thoughts go through Daniela’s mind as she licks the pad of her thumb on her free hand. She doesn’t think when she uses it to clean the lipstick stain. She isn’t thinking, the only thing she can focus on is the fact Ezrela thinks she can just leave her mark like this.

Daniela leans up and kisses you on the exact same spot. She presses her lips hard enough so her own lips can create their own stain. She is determined because you belonged to her.

When she pulls away, she sees the dazed look on your face. For some reason, it leaves Daniela satisfied. She pulls you along with her once again, confident in the fact that you are only thinking about her.

This thought is solidified when you return to your shared hotel room. Manon and Lexie went with the other girls to explore but you and Daniela decide to return to change into something different.

But the plan is long forgotten in Daniela’s mind when she is pressed against the door of the room, your lips on hers and your hands tangled in the Latina’s hair.

Everything is forgotten when she feels your lips on her neck, your warm hands underneath her shirt. When you pull away, Daniela looks at you with desperation in her eyes. As much as she wants you to be hers, she wants to be yours even more.

In one swift motion, you pick up the Latina and take her to your bed.

Tonight, she ends being yours in more ways than one.

And she hopes you’re hers in the exact same ways.

There’s a shift in your relationship and everyone notices.

Daniela doesn’t wait for you to be done changing out of your practice clothes. She doesn’t sit in the lounge with you anymore, simply opting to read her book alone. She starts spending more time with Megan, Emily, and Manon with you not in sight. You show up to practice earlier than usual with Daniela showing up much later.

It’s weird and everyone wonders what happened in Seoul.

But what doesn’t change is the way Daniela’s eyes narrow when she sees you with Ezrela. The way her fists clench when they announce you would be in Ezrela’s group for the week. Everyone notices how Daniela immediately leaves the practice room when Ezrela runs up to you, attaching herself to you in a koala hug of some sorts.

It leaves everyone confused and curious, but no one dares to say a word about it.

It all comes crashing down when you knew this would be your last week at Dream Academy. You felt it in your gut the moment you finished filming the “Wannabe,” cover. The entire time, leading up to the performance, you felt off your game. You were constantly becoming distracted during practice, your vocal coaches often got frustrated with you, and the passion you had at the beginning has diminished significantly.

You knew this would be the end of your journey, and you aren’t sure if you were doing it on purpose or not.

You’d hope that you could at least talk to Daniela about what happened. But, with the Latina avoiding you like the plague every single day since that night, the possibility begins to seem more far fetched as the days turned into weeks.

You were upset. Of course you were.

Daniela was supposed to be your person. She’s the one you would find yourself looking for in a crowded room. You know Daniela like the back of your hand and vice versa. If you two weren’t meant to be together like that then you would have been satisfied with just being friends. She brought you a comfort that you haven’t felt in a long time and now you feel as though you ruined everything.

So, when the elimination does in fact happen, you waste no time in leaving. You avoid everyone’s eyes as you walk out of the room.

Back at the dorm, you’re in the middle of packing your luggage when you hear the door open. You don’t make a move to turn around, keeping your eyes trained on your task at hand. You wanted to leave immediately and forget any of this ever happened. The person walks up to you, their footsteps slow and careful and you just know it’s Daniela. You brace yourself, waiting for her to speak.

Your suspicions are confirmed when you hear the Latina speak quietly. “Do you… Need help?” You reply with a shake of your head, folding the clothes that lay in front of you. You hear her sigh, speaking up again, “Are you okay?” You scoff in response, rolling your eyes.

“Why do you care?” The question breaks Daniela’s heart because she does care. She will always care about you, no matter what. Daniela stays quiet though. She knows enough damage has been done. She watches you continue packing, trying to rid any of trace of your presence on Dream Academy. The Latina is about to leave to give you some privacy but you finally speak up, throwing the clothes in your hands harshly into your luggage. You turn around, a hard look in your eyes.

“Why did it always bother you whenever I was around Ezrela?” The sharpness in your tone causes Daniela to step back a bit, surprised by how angry you looked in this moment. She opens her mouth to say something but you continue, your voice becoming harsher. “I thought the way you acted when you saw me and her together… I thought that meant something… Like…” You take a deep breath, your eyes beginning to water slightly, “like. I wasn’t fucking crazy for how I felt about you.” You whisper the last part, your voice breaking slightly. The pained expression on your face hurts Daniela even more than before but she feels frozen in place, she feels as though the words she wants to say are stuck in her throat and cannot seem to find a way out. You step closer to her, desperate for an answer. At least for more clarity on the situation at hand.

You whisper again, your tone softer this time, “You had to have felt something…” you reach out to her, as if grasping for any physical sign to see that Daniela does love you. That this wasn’t actually for nothing and you being eliminated was worth it. But the way she steps away, the way she acts as though you burned her with the tip of your fingers, tells you everything you needed to know at that moment. This was your clarity. And that was Daniela Avanzini did not love you like you loved her.

You step away, defeated. Any fight left in your body has gone away and you were now just another contestant who is leaving Dream Academy. You take one last look at Daniela, a sad look in your eyes.

“I’m gonna go say goodbye to Ezrela.”

You leave her, with those being the last words you utter to the Latina.

Your actual last words to Daniela come in a form of a note she finds on top of one of your sweaters she always liked stealing from you. It’s folded nicely and sits atop her pillow, welcoming her when she comes back from visiting Megan’s dorm. She walks slowly towards it, as if she were to move too fast, it would disappear somehow. She picks up the note, and although it only had a few words, it was enough for Daniela to finally let out the sob she had been holding in since eliminations were made.

This is not a peace offering. This was a goodbye.

an: could consider writing a part two but i hope you all enjoyed! currently taking any requests for stories or random thoughts. happy valentines day!

#katseye x reader #katseye imagines #megan skiendiel #daniela avanzini #manon bannerman #lara raj #sophia laforteza #jeong yoonchae #katseye #daniela avanzini x reader

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