synopsis ~ fresh out of college and in desperate need of a summer job, y/n finds herself at camp evergreen alongside five other counsellors. she expects homesick campers and mosquito bites. what she doesn’t expect is to find family, the best summer of her life, or falling hopelessly for her fellow counsellor.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
chapter 1: the longest summer ever.
chapter 2: new arrivals.
chapter 3: welcome to camp.
chapter 4: under pressure
may had always sounded so far away.
back in january, when deadlines were piling up and lectures seemed endless, y/n had counted down the weeks until summer with almost embarrassing enthusiasm. in her head, finishing exams meant freedom, sleeping in, seeing friends and not having to think about lectures or assignments for at least three months.
the first few days after finishing college had felt exactly like that. she’d slept until noon almost every day, watched three episodes of the show she’d been meaning to start since christmas, met up with friends and enjoyed not feeling guilty every time she sat down.
but eventually, reality had caught up.
because while finishing for the summer felt great, being unemployed unfortunately did not.
at first, y/n hadn’t worried too much. she’d find something. everyone got summer jobs.
except apparently everyone else had exactly the same idea. every café in town had already hired. retail stores experience she didn’t have. restaurants needed people who could commit beyond september.
and every online listing seemed to have over a hundred applicants before she’d even finished uploading her résumé.
by the end of may, job hunting had quietly become part of her daily routine.
sometimes she’d spend an hour carefully rewriting a cover letter only to never hear back. other times she’d apply somewhere and receive an automatic rejection before she’d even had time to forget she’d sent the application in the first place.
the worst part wasn’t the rejection, it was how normal everyone seemed to think it was.
“anything yet?”
“no.”
“you’ll find something.”
“i know.”
at one point, y/n was fairly sure half the student population was fighting over the same six vacancies.
and june only made things worse. now everyone was home. everyone was looking, and every day seemed to blur into the next.
most evenings ended the same way. curled up on her bed, scrolling through job sites while half-watching whatever show she was currently obsessed with.
and every now and then, she’d find herself wondering if this was really all summer was going to be. because as much as she loved being home, there was a restlessness creeping in. the strange feeling that while everyone else seemed to have plans, internships or exciting summers ahead of them, she was just…waiting.
and maybe that was why, on an otherwise ordinary tuesday night, after closing out of yet another application she’d spent forty minutes filling in, she found herself lying on her bed scrolling through tiktok.
not because she wanted to procrastinate but because she was tired.
tired of answering the question “why do you want to work here?”, tired of pretending she was passionate about customer service and very tired of feeling like summer hadn’t even started yet.
she was halfway through a video of someone debunking a pop culture moment when a new video appeared on her screen.
spend your summer somewhere you’ll actually remember. 🌲☀️
y/n’s thumb hovered over the screen.
normally, she skipped advertisements without a second thought but this one didn’t look like an advertisement.
it opened with shaky footage of a lake at sunset, golden light reflecting off the water as someone standing on the dock slowly panned the camera across the canoes lined up beside the shore.
somewhere in the background, laughter echoed, followed by a voice yelling—
“don’t jump—”
someone hit the water with a loud splash.
the video cut immediately to kids running across a field covered in bright paint, a campfire surrounded by dozens of people wrapped in blankets. everything edited to one of those songs that seemed to appear on every tiktok lately.
then there were quick cuts edited perfectly to the beat of the music; friendship bracelets covering someone’s arms, campers screaming during tug-of-war, what looked like a talent show performance and two girls collapsing into laughter so hard one nearly dropped her s’more.
then came a clip of four counsellors covered head to toe in blue paint, posing proudly in front of a cabin while children ran around behind them.
one girl stood with her arm thrown around the shoulders of the girl beside her, dark curls blowing everywhere in the wind. even covered in paint and wearing an oversized camp t-shirt, she stood out immediately. beside her stood a girl with long dark hair and a bright smile, her baseball cap backwards and streaks of blue paint somehow ending up on her cheek.
the clip lasted less than a second before moving on. another shot showed crowded picnic tables filled with friendship bracelets and tangled embroidery thread.
a girl with layered dark hair sat amongst them. she looked up at whoever was filming and laughed, brushing her hair away from her face.
then another clip, a girl with neat braids and delicate gold earrings smiled softly as she leaned into frame, holding up a polaroid picture she’d just taken.
as the music softened, the video slowed to a sunset over the lake, cabins lit by string lights and then, right at the end, a clip of the same four girls sitting together on the dock.
the girl with the dark curls was saying something animatedly, talking with her hands while the others listened, the girl beside her had her head thrown back laughing the girl with the layered hair leaned comfortably against the fourth girl, who smiled softly at whatever story was being told.
the screen faded to white.
camp evergreen 🌲
applications for summer 2026 now open.
counselor positions available.
and somehow, lying amongst rejected job applications, y/n found herself scrolling back up to watch the video again.
after replaying the promotional video twice, mostly because she was procrastinating and partly because the place genuinely looked nice, y/n clicked onto the account itself.
it wasn’t huge, few thousand followers, maybe. the sort of account followed by parents, former campers and the occasional nostalgic twenty-something who missed being thirteen.
the videos were surprisingly ordinary; weekly recaps, cabin tours, poorly edited compilations of color wars and a surprisingly serious video explaining what to pack for camp.
someone had clearly put effort into the account, but not in a way that felt forced. everything was filmed on phones, a little shaky but real.
as she scrolled, one video caught her eye.
meet your senior counsellors 🌲☀️
posted only a week ago.
the thumbnail showed the same four girls from the advertisement sitting on the dock by the lake, knees pulled up against oversized green hoodies, the sun beginning to set behind them.
curious, y/n clicked.
the first girl smiled.
dark hair fell in soft waves around her face, a few strands catching the breeze coming off the lake. even beneath an oversized camp hoodie, she looked effortlessly put together. she had warm brown eyes, soft features and a bright smile that immediately made her seem approachable, the kind of person people instinctively trusted.
sophia third summer
“hi, i’m sophia.” she smiled warmly “this is my third year at camp evergreen and my favorite thing about camp is definitely how quickly everyone becomes a family.”
clips from previous summers played over her voice. campfires, movie nights colour wars.
“every year people come in nervous and then somehow, eight weeks later, nobody wants to leave.” she laughed softly “so i think that’s probably my favorite part.”
the video transitioned to the girl sitting beside her and y/n found herself pausing for a second.
dark curls cascaded almost to her waist, framing striking features and sharp cheekbones. silver hoops peeked through the mass of curls, glimmering whenever she moved. there was something undeniably glamorous about her, even sitting cross-legged in an oversized hoodie. her eyes were expressive and almost cat-like, framed by long lashes and she smiled with her whole face.
daniela second summer
“hi guys, i’m dani” she smiled brightly “this is my second summer here.”
the clips changed to talent show rehearsals, volleyball games, kids dancing and for some reason, a clip of daniela wrapped in feather boas and oversized sunglasses while carrying a box of costumes.
“my favorite thing is definitely talent show week.” her eyes lit up immediately “i love it so much.”
“everyone gets really excited and everybody’s always helping each other and—” she stopped herself, laughing “but yeah.”
“talent show week.”
“best week.”
y/n smiled to herself as the next introduction began.
warm brown skin glowed softly in the golden evening light. thick dark hair framed her face, and layered necklaces rested above the collar of her hoodie. rings decorated nearly every finger, catching the sunlight whenever she moved her hands.
there was something artistic about her appearance, from the jewelry to the easy confidence with which she carried herself.
lara second summer
“hi, i’m lara.” she smiled into the camera “my favorite thing is probably campfires.”
“and friendship bracelets.” she laughed softly “which sounds random, but everyone leaves with, like, fifty.”
“and somehow you end up keeping them forever.” the camera caught her smiling toward whoever was filming before the video cut again.
finally, the last girl looked up.
neat braids framed her face beautifully, delicate gold jewelry catching the light with every movement. her golden-brown complexion seemed to glow in the sunset, highlighting soft features and high cheekbones.
there was something elegant about her that y/n couldn’t quite explain, she genuinely thought she might be one of the prettiest girls she’d ever seen.
manon third summer
“hi, i’m manon.” she smiled softly “this is my third summer.”
clips played over her voice of arts and crafts, sunsets by the lake and polaroids hanging from strings.
“my favorite thing?” she thought for a moment “honestly…”
a small smile appeared “everything.” she laughed quietly “but i think just making sure everybody has the best summer possible.”
the video ended with all four sitting shoulder to shoulder on the dock. and before the video faded to black, all four instinctively moved closer together, as if they had done it a hundred times before.
see you this summer! 🌲☀️
whilst laying amongst abandoned job applications and the laundry she’d been promising herself she’d put away for three days, y/n realised she’d watched the entire thing with a smile on her face.
and before she could talk herself out of it, she clicked the link in the account’s bio.
the website itself was surprisingly simple. nothing fancy. just photographs of cabins, smiling campers and information about the different programs. there was a page introducing the staff, another explaining traditions and, tucked away under a tab labeled employment, a section titled:
join our team.
y/n told herself she was just looking. she wasn’t seriously considering spending two months in the middle of nowhere.
still, she found herself reading.
room and board provided.
staff training included.
no previous camp experience necessary.
the more she read, the less ridiculous it seemed. in fact…it sounded kind of nice.
by the time she reached the application page, she was already halfway committed and before she could overthink, she applied.
truthfully, y/n expected absolutely nothing to come from it. she’d applied to so many places by then that pressing submit had become muscle memory.
she closed her laptop and forgot about it.
~~~~~
for the next week, life continued as normal. or at least as normal and as boring as summer unemployment allowed.
her days revolved around job sites, bad reality television and pretending not to panic every time her mother casually asked,
“anything yet?”
it was always nothing yet.
until four days later.
y/n had just come downstairs, still half asleep and wearing one of her old university hoodies, when her phone buzzed in her pocket.
she took it out, glanced down and froze.
camp evergreen
for a second she genuinely thought it was spam but she opened the email.
hello y/n!
thank you for your application to camp evergreen.
we’d love to invite you to a virtual interview with camp director missy and senior counsellor sophia.
please select your preferred time below.
y/n blinked and read it again and then once more, just to be certain.
“mom!”
~~~~~
the entire week leading up to the interview, she’d convinced herself they had made a mistake.
surely there were better candidates, people with camp experience or who knew how to tie knots or people who’d actually been camping before.
not her.
by the time friday afternoon arrived, she’d changed her outfit three times and googled “camp counselor interview questions” so many times she could practically answer them in her sleep.
at 2:58pm she clicked the meeting link.
the call connected.
the first person y/n saw was a woman who looked exactly how a camp director should.
missy, her dark hair was twisted into a bun balanced on top of her head and reading glasses hung from the collar of her camp sweatshirt. she sat in what looked like an office, papers scattered everywhere and a bulletin board behind her covered in photographs and handwritten schedules.
she wasn’t old, maybe late thirties. but there was something about her that made y/n sit up straighter immediately.
“hi, abbie!” missy smiled. “can you hear us okay?”
us?
y/n looked down and noticed the second screen.
sophia.
her hair was tied back and she wore a faded camp evergreen hoodie. she appeared to be in a cabin, at least that’s what y/n presumed from the wooden background.
sophia smiled brightly “hi!”
and immediately, y/n relaxed a little because she recognized her. the girl from the video.
and somehow, seeing a familiar face even if they’d technically never met made everything feel just a little less terrifying.
despite all the panic she’d put herself through, the interview itself wasn’t nearly as terrifying as y/n had expected.
well, missy was still slightly terrifying but not because she was mean. there was just something about the way she spoke that made y/n feel like she’d accidentally shown up to a meeting completely unprepared.
which, to be fair, wasn’t entirely untrue.
“so tell us about yourself, sweetheart,” missy said a bit too warmly.
y/n somehow managed to ramble for three whole minutes without actually saying anything meaningful.
sophia smiled sympathetically as missy nodded.
“and why camp?” she asked.
“honestly?” y/n admitted with a nervous laugh. “i think i just wanted to do something different.”
the rest of the interview went surprisingly smoothly. missy asked about university and if y/n had ever worked with children before.
Sophia wanted to know how she’d handle homesick campers and what her idea of a perfect summer looked like.
none of it felt like an interview, more like a conversation. and after fifteen minutes, y/n had almost stopped feeling nervous.
then, right in the middle of missy explaining staff training, her screen froze.
y/n blinked. missy’s face remained permanently stuck halfway through a sentence.
“…and that’s why we always make sure—”
missy’s image became stuck mid-sentence, one hand raised and her expression halfway between serious and concerned. sophia frowned slightly “missy?”
nothing, the loading symbol appeared “missy?”
and then, just like that, she disappeared entirely.
silence. y/n blinked and then sophia blinked.
and suddenly the interview had gone from two people asking questions to just…them.
neither spoke immediately and y/n became painfully aware of herself again. the fact she’d been twisting the string of her hoodie around her finger for the last ten minutes.
across the screen, sophia looked equally caught off guard. not uncomfortable exactly, just unsure of what to do now. after a few seconds she laughed softly, glancing towards the empty square where missy had been.
“sorry,” she smiled. “she’ll be back.”
y/n laughed nervously. “it’s okay.”
“no, this happens more often than you’d think.” sophia shook her head, still smiling to herself “i swear technology has a personal vendetta against her.”
that made y/n laugh and just like that, the tension eased slightly. sophia shifted in her seat, tucking a strand of dark hair behind her ear. for a moment, it seemed like she was deciding whether or not to say something, then she smiled “so…”
her voice was warm, easy “are you nervous?”
y/n let out a breathy laugh “a little.” sophia nodded immediately, as though she’d expected that answer. “yeah.” she smiled reassuringly “don’t be.”
“everyone is.”
“seriously.” her eyes crinkled slightly “i don’t think i’ve ever met anybody who wasn’t.”
something about the way she said it made y/n believe her. there wasn’t any fake cheerfulness about sophia. no rehearsed “everything’s amazing” camp counselor voice. she just seemed genuinely kind.
outside sophia’s window, y/n could make out sunlight filtering through trees behind her. somewhere off-screen, a bird chirped loudly.
sophia glanced away for a second before looking back. “so…” she asked, resting her chin in her hand slightly. “how’s summer going so far?”
y/n snorted before she could stop herself. “boring. like actually painfully boring.” sophia stared and then immediately burst out laughing. “oh no.”
she covered her mouth for a second. sophia shook her head, still smiling “i’m getting déjà vu.”
“what do you mean?” y/n tilted her head a little. “the girl who interviewed before you.” sophia grinned. “her name’s megan.”
“and she said the exact same thing.”
y/n laughed. “seriously?”
“word for word.” sophia said, laughing again as she leaned back in her chair “i think everyone gets excited to finish school and then two weeks later you’re just…” she shrugged “…there.”
y/n laughed “exactly.” for a second neither spoke, not awkwardly, just comfortably. then sophia smiled again “honestly, though…”
“i think everybody ends up applying here for the same reason.” y/n looked up. “we’re all just kind of looking for something different.”
before y/n could answer, missy’s square suddenly reappeared.
“—and sunscreen is non-negotiable.”
she stopped and her eyes narrowed “why are you both smiling?”. sophia immediately looked innocent as y/n bit back a laugh.
and somehow, sitting in her messy bedroom surrounded by unfinished applications, y/n found herself relaxing. because for the first time in weeks, she wasn’t thinking about finding a job.
she was thinking about getting one.
a/n: hiiiii this is my first fic so please be nice 😭
would you guys rather i post shorter but more frequent cabin fever updates or do you like the longer chaps? i prefer longer chaps but i fear im taking too long to write and feel bad
Maybe enthusiastic loser yearning Megan and Soccer player r like high school au. If you want ofc
the assist - megan skiendel x reader
synopsis - megan has spent months convincing herself y/n doesn’t even know she exists. between a soccer game, a party and four very nosy friends determined to play matchmaker, she’s about to find out how wrong she was.
their dorm room wasn’t big enough for three people yet the university had insisted it was.
three beds had been squeezed into the space, one against each wall, leaving just enough room for three desks and a narrow walkway down the middle.
after eight months of living together, it had stopped feeling temporary and you could tell whose side was whose without asking.
sophia’s side looked almost untouched. her duvet was pulled neatly over the pillows, the corners tucked in properly every morning without fail. textbooks were stacked by size on the shelf above her desk, colour-coded sticky tabs poking from nearly every page. even the charger on her bedside table had been coiled neatly instead of left in a tangled heap.
daniela’s side looked lived in.
a makeup bag sat permanently open on her desk, lip glosses and mascaras scattered around it like she’d been in the middle of getting ready and simply… never finished. a denim jacket was draped over the end of her bed beside three different handbags she’d been meaning to put away all week.
polaroids were blu-tacked across the wall above her pillow, overlapping each other in no particular order. there was always a shopping bag tucked somewhere under the bed with something she’d bought and forgotten about.
megan’s side was organised in a way that only made sense to megan.
hoodies hung over the back of her chair instead of in the wardrobe. three mugs sat on the windowsill, all empty, all abandoned there days ago. a pile of books leaned precariously beside her bed, mixed in with lecture notes she’d promised herself she’d sort out after midterms. her desk was cluttered with loose papers, headphones, empty water bottles and a mechanical keyboard that clicked relentlessly beneath her fingertips.
the only thing that looked brand new was the monitor she’d saved months to buy.
she sat in front of it now, one leg tucked beneath herself, headset resting over one ear while the other hung around her neck.
daniela sat cross-legged at the end of her bed, one hand stretched out in front of her as she carefully painted the last coat of red polish over her nails. every few seconds she’d hold them up towards the window, turning her wrist to catch the light before deciding they needed another coat anyway.
“i still don’t know about the dress.”
without looking up from the textbook balanced across her knees, sophia smiled “you’ve asked me this three times.”
“because i keep changing my mind.”
“you’re wearing the red one.”
daniela screwed the lid back onto the bottle before reaching for her phone. she scrolled back to the photo she’d taken in the changing room a few days earlier, zooming in, tilting the screen towards sophia.
“see? i just don’t know if it’s too much.”
sophia barely glanced at it before returning to highlighting a paragraph “dani.”
“what?”
“you’re going to a friday night college party, not an interview”
that earned a laugh from daniela “okay, fine.” she tossed her phone onto the duvet beside her “red dress it is.”
a burst of rapid clicking came from the other side of the room. megan hadn’t looked away from her monitor once.
her left hand barely moved from the keyboard while the other flicked the mouse in quick precise movements. every now and then she’d lean closer to the screen, mumbling something under her breath that neither of the other two could quite make out.
sophia closed her book for a moment “what are you wearing?”
megan answered almost instantly “pyjamas.”
daniela looked over “megan.”
“i’m serious.” she clicked twice, paused then dragged her mouse sharply across the desk “there’s no way i’m going to another frat party.”
she actually shivered “they’re always sticky.”
“what?”
“the floors.” another click “everything’s sticky.”
“it’s not even a frat party,” sophia started, smiling to herself. “manon just sa-“
“NO, NO, NO-“ megan lurched forward in her chair “HOW?” her hands flew across the keyboard “where was my team?”
daniela looked at sophia before pouting “i don’t think she’s coming.”
“i know what’ll make her come.” sophia closed her textbook over a finger to keep her place before sitting up properly against the wall.
daniela looked over, confused “what?”
a small smile tugged at the corner of sophia’s mouth “fine, megan. if you’re not coming, i’ll just let manon know.”
she reached for her phone on the bedside table. megan barely reacted, her eyes still fixed on the monitor “what? why manon?”
“so she knows you’re not coming to the game.”
the clicking of keys slowed “…what game?”
daniela’s eyebrows shot up before a grin spread across her face “ohhhhh.”
she looked between sophia and megan “yeah… the party’s after the game.” she waved a hand like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
“wait.” megan’s hand came off the keyboard “like…” she pulled one side of her headset off “the soccer game?”
“yeah.”
“wait, wait.” she turned properly in her chair now “the soccer team are having the party?”
behind her, her character died “where were you?” someone shouted through her headset “bro she’s throwing-“
she didn’t even notice. daniela, meanwhile, had gone back to inspecting her nails “yeah. manon invited lara, lara invited us…”
she glanced over at sophia “…and i’m pretty sure y/n said we should come too, didn’t she?”
sophia nodded once trying very hard to keep her expression neutral as she watched megan “yeah.” she let the answer hang for a second “she did.”
megan just blinked at them “…y/n?”
“mhm.”
megan looked between the two of them, already suspicious. the problem was, megan had absolutely no business having a crush on y/n.
it had started during freshman orientation.
not because they’d spoken, they hadn’t and not because they’d been introduced, they hadn’t been.
she’d simply looked up from the campus map she’d been pretending to understand and seen y/n laughing with a group of girls across the quad.
that had apparently been enough because eight months later, nothing had changed and if anything it’d gotten worse.
y/n was captain of the women’s soccer team. the kind of person who seemed to know everyone without even trying. professors knew her name, freshmen recognised her around campus, people turned up to games wearing her number because she’d scored the winning goal in last year’s championship.
megan, on the other hand was fairly certain half the people on her own course couldn’t pick her out of a lineup.
which was exactly why she’d never done anything about it. in megan’s head, y/n existed in a completely different universe.
they technically occupied the same spaces every now and then. they shared an english seminar every tuesday morning.
megan always sat three rows behind not because she’d planned it. the first week she’d arrived late and every seat near the front had already gone.
after that it would’ve been weird to change seats or at least that’s what megan told herself. the reality was she’d become embarrassingly good at recognising y/n from the back of her head.
she’d spent entire lectures staring at the back of y/n’s chair instead of the powerpoint which probably explained why she was currently sitting on a very concerning fifty-two percent in english literature.
it wasn’t as though they were even complete strangers. lara had started dating manon halfway through first semester.
manon played on the soccer team and her and y/n were practically inseparable. which meant, every now and then, the two friendship groups overlapped.
there was always a moment where megan would find herself standing vaguely within the same group as y/n.
she doubted y/n even knew her name to y/n, she was probably just…lara’s quiet friend if she’d noticed her at all.
before megan could answer, her mind had already wandered.
y/n. she could picture her without even trying.
she always smiled the same way after a win, head tipped back and that huge grin she never seemed able to hide.
manon was usually the first one over, the two of them crashing into each other in celebration before the rest of the team piled in. megan had watched it happen more times than she’d ever admit.
last month’s derby came straight back to her. y/n had scored in the eighty-sixth minute and the whole stadium had erupted.
she’d sprinted towards the corner flag before manon caught her first, nearly knocking them both over. the rest of the team had followed seconds later, laughing, shouting, jumping on each other while the crowd kept cheering.
a pillow smacked into the side of her head.
“ow.” megan blinked, finally coming back to the room.
her monitor had faded to the defeat screen, her character had been dead long enough for the match to finish.
“you’re going,” sophia said simply and she was already pulling open the wardrobe “you can borrow my black top if you want.”
“or the white one,” daniela added. “the one with the low back.”
“i’m not going.”
the dorm door swung open before megan could argue. lara walked in carrying two shopping bags and an iced coffee, letting the door slam shut behind her with her foot.
“perfect timing,” daniela said immediately, pointing across the room at megan “she doesn’t want to come friday.”
lara didn’t even put her bags down “…bitch, what?”
megan groaned “laraaughhh”
“you’re coming.” she dropped onto the end of sophia’s bed, already pulling her phone from her pocket “turn off that fortnite shit for one night and socialise.”
“it’s valorant,” megan corrected automatically.
lara looked up from her phone “see? that’s exactly why you need to leave the room” she went back to typing “i don’t care if you spend the whole night sat in the corner staring at y/n. you’re coming.”
megan’s head snapped up “i-i don’t do that.”
daniela looked at her for a second before slowly putting the nail polish down on the bedside table “…oh, you so do.”
she sat up straighter, pushing her hair behind her ears before putting on the most ridiculous lovestruck expression she could manage.
her eyes went wide and she clasped her hands together dramatically.
“ohhh y/n” she sighed, staring dreamily at an imaginary point across the room. “‘please let me wear your jersey. oh y/n you’re so pretty. y/n can i carry your bag? y/n can i-“
“i do not sound like that.”
“technicallyyyyy you don’t sound like anything,” daniela shot back. “you just stare.”
lara was already laughing before she even joined in. she reached behind herself, grabbing sophia’s teddy bear from where it was propped against the pillows.
holding it up, she wiggled it around “this is you megan.” with her other hand she grabbed one of sophia’s spare pillows.
“and this is y/n.”
she bumped the teddy into the pillow “you played so good, baby.’” another dramatic bump “let’s go back to my dorm and celebrate.’”
she made the teddy throw itself onto the pillow “you can fuck me on the desk while i play roblox-“
thwack.
sophia smacked the back of lara’s head with another pillow “be nice!”
lara immediately dissolved into laughter, dropping the teddy onto the floor. daniela was no better, doubled over on her bed, laughing so hard she’d started crying.
megan could physically feel the heat climbing up her neck “oh my god.” she buried her face in both hands “i actually hate you all.”
“look at her!” daniela laughed, pointing across the room. “she’s gone bright pink.”
sophia shook her head, trying not to smile “okay, okay. that’s enough.” neither of them listened, that only made them laugh harder.
sophia waited until daniela and lara had finally stopped laughing enough to breathe before looking back over at megan “seriously though…”
megan peeked out from behind her hands “what?”
“why don’t you just talk to her?”
megan stared at her “what?”
“y/n.”
“no.”
“why?”
“because i can’t just go up and talk to her.”
“why not?”
“because…” megan frowned like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “she’s literally y/n y/l/n.”
lara let out an exasperated groan “megan.”
“what?”
“you need to stop being such a loser.”
“i’m not being a loser.”
“yes, you are.” lara tucked one leg underneath herself on the bed “she’s actually one of the nicest people i’ve ever met.”
“she really is,” sophia agreed. “she’s such a sweetheart.”
“she’s literally like a golden retriever,” lara continued. “she’ll talk to anyone.”
daniela nodded “yeah.” she looked across at megan “honestly… i actually think you two would get along.”
megan immediately started shaking her head “no.”
“why?”
“because.”
“because why?”
“because she doesn’t even know who i am.”
the room was quiet for a second as lara looked at sophia then back at megan “well…” she smiled “she’s about to.”
megan narrowed her eyes “..what does that mean?”
“it means,” lara said, standing up from the bed, “you’re coming on friday.”
“lara-“
“nope.”
she walked over to megan’s wardrobe and pulled the doors open “and we’re picking your outfit.”
“i have clothes.”
lara ignored her completely, already pulling hangers along the rail “we’re making you look hot.”
~~~~~
by the time friday evening rolled around, megan was already regretting saying yes. she stood in front of the tiny mirror screwed onto the back of the dorm door, turning sideways for what had to be the tenth time.
“i look like i’m trying too hard.” megan looked down at herself.
she’d swapped her usual oversized sweatshirt for a fitted black long-sleeve that tucked neatly into a pair of dark blue jeans. lara had insisted on straightening the ends of her dark hair so it fell neatly around her shoulders, while daniela had spent almost twenty minutes convincing her to let her do “just a little bit” of makeup.
a little bit, apparently meant lightly filled brows, mascara, soft brown eyeliner and enough blush to bring some colour into her cheeks.
it was subtle and natural enough that megan still looked like herself which was probably why she’d stopped complaining after the first five minutes.
over the top of everything sat the black and white university soccer jersey lara had dug out of manon’s wardrobe the night before.
“everyone wears one to games,” she’d explained. megan had reluctantly admitted she kind of liked it.
lara, unsurprisingly looked like she’d walked straight out of an instagram post. a white fitted top tucked into a denim mini skirt, gold hoops catching the light every time she moved. her dark hair fell in loose waves down her back, and somehow she’d managed to look effortlessly put together despite spending an hour insisting she had “nothing to wear.”
daniela was in the red dress she’d spent all week debating fit perfectly beneath the oversized team jersey she’d thrown over her shoulders the bright red nails she’d painted earlier in the week standing out every time she adjusted the sleeves of her jersey. she’d already taken at least six mirror selfies before they’d even left the dorm.
sophia had slipped into a simple ribbed mini dress that hugged her just enough without feeling overdone. she’d thrown an oversized denim jacket over her shoulders for the walk over. her hair was half clipped back, the rest falling neatly over her shoulders with delicate gold jewellery and soft makeup finished it off.
~~~~~
the stadium was already buzzing by the time they arrived.
music blasted through speakers fixed to the stands while students filtered through the gates carrying drinks and bags of chips. the smell of hotdogs drifted over from a food truck parked beside the entrance mixing with fresh-cut grass and the sharp scent of the pitch itself.
the student section was almost full. “this way,” lara said, leading them towards a row halfway up the stand where manon had saved them seats.
megan barely noticed, her attention had already drifted towards the pitch. players jogged across the grass in small groups, passing balls back and forth as they warmed up beneath the evening sun. then she saw her and even from the stands she stood out.
the white university jersey sat loosely over her shoulders, grass stains already marked one knee from the warm-up and she’d pushed loose strands of hair back behind her ears so many times that half of it had escaped the ponytail altogether.
she laughed at something manon said, nudging her shoulder before taking off into another sprint across the field. manon shouted after her and y/n only laughed harder.
megan didn’t realise she’d been smiling until daniela quietly bumped her arm “girl blink”
megan didn’t answer she just kept looking.
every time she’d convinced herself she was being dramatic, she’d see y/n again and remember exactly why she’d spent the last eight months making excuses not to introduce herself.
because somehow without even trying y/n y/l/n managed to make an entire football stadium disappear around her.
the opening whistle cut through the stadium, quickly swallowed by the noise from the stands.
the university side settled into the game almost immediately. every player seemed to know exactly where the next one would be before the ball had even left their foot.
“they’re actually playing really well,” sophia murmured. lara barely heard her she was already half-standing every time the ball crossed into the attacking half.
megan couldn’t have told anyone what the score was after the first fifteen minutes. she was too busy watching y/n, the way she constantly moved. calling for the ball, pointing into space, dragging defenders with her before spinning away again.
she made it all look effortless.
“come on…” lara muttered, gripping the edge of her seat. manon intercepted a loose pass just inside midfield. without hesitating, she turned, carrying the ball forward before slipping it perfectly between two defenders.
y/n was already making the run, she reached it in stride. the goalkeeper rushed out, y/n opened her body and curled the ball around her into the bottom corner.
the net rippled. for half a second there was silence then the stadium exploded.
megan was on her feet before she’d even realised she’d stood up. everyone around them erupted into cheers. daniela shouted something completely incoherent as sophia clapped beside her.
lara cupped her hands around her mouth “YEAH! that’s my baby!”
down on the pitch, manon was already sprinting towards y/n. she wrapped an arm around her shoulders as the rest of the team piled in around them, laughing and shouting over one another.
and somehow through all the noise manon heard lara. she looked up instinctively towards the stands, it only took her a second to find her.
a grin spread across her face she lifted a hand before blowing a kiss in lara’s direction. lara caught it dramatically against her chest.
daniela groaned “you two are actually unbearable.”
still laughing, manon leaned towards y/n, saying something into her ear. y/n looked confused for a moment before following the direction manon pointed.
her eyes swept across the stands, past rows of students, past homemade signs and past people she’d never met until they landed on the four girls.
a smile spread across her face almost instantly. she lifted her hand in an easy, casual wave.
sophia waved back, lara did too, beaming. even daniela joined in a second later but megan forgot how to function.
“…she’s waving,” daniela whispered.
“i know.”
“wave back.”
“i can’t.”
before she could protest again, daniela reached over, grabbed her wrist and started waving it for her “hiiii!”
“daniela!”
“stop!” megan tried pulling away, her face burning “you’re embarrassing me!”
“you’re embarrassing yourself!”
down on the pitch, y/n laughed. whether it was at something manon had said or the pathetic excuse for a wave from the stands, megan had absolutely no idea.
either way, she smiled one last time before turning back towards the centre circle. the referee blew his whistle and the game started again.
~~~~~
the final whistle echoed around the stadium.
for half a second, everything seemed to stop then the place erupted. students shot to their feet, cheers rolling across the stands as the scoreboard confirmed the win.
somewhere behind them an air horn went off, drowned out almost immediately by chanting from the student section.
down on the pitch, the team celebrated in a tangle of white jerseys. manon had y/n in a headlock before either of them dissolved into laughter, the rest of the girls piling in around them.
“c’mon!” lara was already halfway down the steps before anyone else had moved. the four of them squeezed through the crowd until they reached the barrier at the front of the stands.
sure enough, manon spotted lara almost immediately. a grin spread across her face, she jogged over before jumping up onto the concrete ledge separating the pitch from the stands, one hand catching the rail as lara leaned down to meet her.
their kiss was quick, interrupted almost instantly by the sound of one of manon’s teammates wolf-whistling somewhere behind them.
“shut up!” manon called over her shoulder, laughing. megan couldn’t help smiling as she watched them, they were disgustingly cute.
“good job, y/n!” sophia called, resting her arms on the barrier “you played great!”
megan’s attention snapped away from manon and lara. standing just a few feet away, directly below them, was y/n.
she was still catching her breath, chest rising and falling beneath jersey. loose strands of hair had escaped her ponytail completely now, sticking to her forehead with sweat. there was dirt smeared across one knee and a faint grass stain along her sleeve.
she was smiling “thanks, sophia,” she said between breaths.
manon finally wandered back over, still holding lara’s hand “we’ll see you all later, yeah?”
y/n’s eyes lifted back towards the group. they landed on sophia first then daniela they skimmed over megan just a fraction slower before coming back again.
“yeah?” she asked.
“yep.” daniela slipped an arm around megan’s shoulders before the poor girl could disappear into the concrete. “all of us.”
there was the briefest moment where y/n’s eyes met megan’s just long enough for megan’s brain to completely stop working.
y/n’s lips curved into an easy smile “good.”
manon nudged her shoulder “c’mon. let’s go get changed.”
“yeah…” y/n started to turn before pausing her eyes dropped briefly to megan’s chest.
“megan.” she looked back up “nice jersey, by the way…”
for a second, megan forgot how to breath “…thanks.” she looked down automatically the white jersey and the black number stitched neatly across the front.
07.
her eyes flicked back up to y/n then slowly…down to y/n’s own jersey.
07.
everything clicked into place. lara.
that little-
megan’s head whipped around so fast she nearly gave herself whiplash. lara was already biting the inside of her cheek to stop herself laughing.
“…you.”
lara held both hands up innocently “what?”
“you gave me-“ she pointed furiously between herself and y/n.
daniela doubled over “oh my god, she finally realised.”
“you put me in her jersey?”
“technically…” lara shrugged, failing miserably to hide her grin “…i put you in a jersey.”
“lara!”
y/n laughed quietly to herself before letting manon pull her away towards the tunnel. she glanced back once over her shoulder, megan was still staring after her. she caught the look immediately and started laughing all over again.
megan turned back towards her “i’m actually going to kill you.” she lunged but daniela caught her around the waist before she’d made it two steps.
“she set me up!”
“she absolutely did,” sophia admitted, trying not to laugh herself “and it was kind of brilliant.”
lara was already halfway up the steps, still laughing “worth it!”
~~~~~
the house was already alive by the time they got there.
music spilled out through the open windows, the bass thudding against the pavement long before they reached the front door. people lingered out on the porch with red cups in their hands, laughing loudly over one another.
“still wanna leave?” daniela asked, nudging megan as they waited to squeeze through the doorway.
megan looked around someone was trying to crowd surf in the living room and another person had somehow climbed onto the kitchen counter “…a little bit.”
lara laughed “give it ten minutes.”
inside was exactly what megan remembered. too warm and too loud. the smell of cheap vodka, perfume and sweat mixing into one.
people she’d vaguely recognised from lectures shouted greetings as they passed, disappearing back into the crowd before anyone could answer.
she stood awkwardly in the kitchen while daniela disappeared to make drinks “vodka lemonade?” she called over the music.
megan nodded “please.” the first sip made her wince “that’s mostly vodka.”
twenty minutes later, she’d stopped noticing. the music didn’t seem quite as loud anymore and the crowd wasn’t nearly as intimidating.
someone had dragged them into a room where there was actually enough space to dance and before she’d realised what was happening, daniela had grabbed one hand while lara grabbed the other.
the bass pulsed through the floorboards, the crowd moving almost as one beneath flashing lights strung around the ceiling. every now and then someone shouted the words to whatever song was playing, everyone else joining in whether they knew them or not.
daniela grabbed both of megan’s hands now “see?” she laughed, pulling her closer “you’re smiling.”
“don’t ruin it.”
“too late.” she spun megan once before pulling her back in, the two of them laughing as they fell back into the beat. megan relaxed, swaying with the music, hands resting lightly on daniela’s waist while daniela danced against her without thinking twice about it.
a few feet away, sophia and lara had somehow ended up in exactly the same position.
lara was already laughing at something sophia had said, turning around so her back rested against sophia’s front as the two of them moved with the music, sophia shaking her head but smiling anyway.
“i knew she’d come around,” lara called over the music, pointing dramatically at megan.
they all laughed. for a moment it was just the four of them, the music and the heat.
then the front door slammed open and a chorus of cheers swept through the house so suddenly that half the room stopped dancing.
“there they are!”
people started clapping, whistling, shouting towards the hallway.
megan turned automatically. the soccer team spilled through the front door still buzzing from the game, greeted by hugs, high fives and people handing them drinks before they’d even made it fully inside.
manon was laughing so hard she almost walked straight past them then she spotted lara. without missing a beat she slipped in behind her, wrapping both arms around her waist from behind and swaying with her to the music.
manon buried her face into the side of her neck for a second before kissing just below her ear “miss me?”
lara turned in her arms, laughing as she kissed her properly this time, her hands immediately finding the back of manon’s neck.
daniela looked over with an exaggerated groan “you two are actually sickening.”
“jealous much dani?” manon grinned.
“a little.”
only then did megan’s eyes drift past them and find y/n.
she had barely made it three steps into the house before she disappeared into a crowd. people were already crowding around her, clapping her on the shoulder, handing her drinks, congratulating her on the win.
someone she’d never even met properly threw both arms around her neck in congratulations before another girl was already pulling her into a hug from the other side.
y/n laughed through all of it, balancing the beer someone had shoved into her hand while trying not to spill it everywhere.
megan found herself smiling without even realising it but before she could stare for too long, daniela grabbed both of her hands.
“mei!”
megan blinked “what?”
“you’re doing it again.”
“doing what?”
“the thing.” before megan could pretend she didn’t know what she meant, daniela spun her back towards the middle of the room “come on.”
she laughed, pulling megan back into the music. megan rolled her eyes, but let herself be dragged along anyway.
manon finally looked over at the rest of the group, her eyes landed on megan and grin spread slowly across her face.
“well…” she folded her arms “i’m surprised you actually came, megan.”
megan took another sip from her drink “why?”
manon’s smile only grew “oh, i don’t know.” she glanced very obviously over towards where y/n was still surrounded by people “just can’t think what could’ve changed your mind.”
daniela snorted into her drink while lara looked between the two of them, already trying not to laugh.
manon barely lasted thirty seconds before lara stole her back onto the makeshift dance floor.
the music had changed again, the bass heavier now, vibrating through the floorboards beneath their shoes. bodies moved shoulder to shoulder in the cramped living room, coloured lights flashing lazily across the ceiling.
manon rolled her eyes affectionately before stepping in behind her, one hand finding lara’s waist as they fell into the rhythm of the music together.
a few feet away, sophia nudged daniela with her elbow “come here.”
daniela laughed “what?”
“you’re making me dance by myself.” she reached for daniela’s hand, pulling her away from the drinks table.
“fine, fine.” daniela let herself be dragged into the middle of the room, laughing as sophia spun her once before they both dissolved into laughter again.
megan stayed where she was for a moment, drink still in her hand, content just watching them.
“y/n!” lara spotted her weaving through the crowd with a beer in one hand “get over here!”
y/n looked round, smiling the second she saw them. “dance with us!” lara reached out, catching hold of her wrist before she could protest.
“yeah, come on!” daniela laughed, reaching over to grab y/n’s other hand. “one song.”
“i’ve literally just got here.”
“and?”
“and i’m holding a drink.”
manon took it from her without hesitation “problem solved.” y/n laughed, shaking her head.
before megan quite realised why, something unpleasant settled low in her stomach. watching lara pull y/n effortlessly into the middle of their little circle and watching daniela sling an arm around her shoulders like they’d known each other forever.
it was ridiculous, she knew that. still…she couldn’t help it.
“meg.” she looked up just as sophia appeared in front of her “your turn.”
before she could object, sophia caught her hand.
“wait-“
too late. sophia spun her out into the circle. at almost the exact same moment, daniela was laughing as she spun y/n in the opposite direction.
everything happened in the space of a heartbeat. the music, the lights and people moving around them.
then they stopped. megan stumbled half a step forward and y/n did the same. their momentum carried them just close enough that they almost collided.
megan’s free hand instinctively lifted, catching lightly against y/n’s forearm to steady herself. y/n’s other hand brushed against megan’s waist for the same reason.
they both froze, the music was still loud, the bass still thudded through the room. people were still dancing all around them but for a second, it all seemed strangely far away.
megan looked up and y/n was already looking at her. they were close enough now that megan could see the faint flush still lingering across her cheeks from the match earlier, the tiny silver chain around her neck catching the coloured lights every time she moved.
“…sorry,” megan managed, almost immediately.
y/n blinked then smiled “for what?”
“i…” megan’s face warmed instantly “i don’t know.”
that made y/n laugh. a quiet, genuine laugh “you’re okay.”
neither of them moved straight away but there was still barely any space between them, the crowd pressing in from every direction as another chorus of voices sang along to the song overhead.
only then did megan realise she was still standing far closer to y/n than she’d ever imagined she would. she took a hurried step back “sorry.”
y/n smiled again, just as amused as before “you already said that.”
the song rolled straight into the next one without anyone noticing. the bass hit harder this time, the room seemed even smaller now, bodies packed shoulder to shoulder, everyone moving together without much space to think.
manon backed up with lara still laughing against her. daniela and sophia shuffled closer without even seeming to realise it.
megan took a tiny step backwards, there wasn’t anywhere to go. the crowd shifted again, lara bumped lightly into y/n’s back.
sophia accidentally nudged megan forwards at almost exactly the same time until there was no space left between them. her heart was beating so loudly she was convinced everyone else could hear it.
y/n looked just as surprised “you okay?” she said something else.
megan blinked “…what?” the music swallowed every word.
y/n smiled apologetically before leaning in a little closer, still nothing as the bass drowned everything out.
then she leaned down until her lips were beside megan’s ear close enough that megan felt her breath against her skin “wanna go somewhere quieter?”
it was barely above a whisper and megan forgot every word she’d ever known so she just managed a small nod.
“yeah?”
another nod.
“okay.” y/n smiled “c’mon.” she reached down, her fingers gently closing around megan’s wrist.
megan looked down for half a second at where their hands met before y/n started leading her carefully through the crowd.
people moved aside as they squeezed past. the second the others realised what was happening-
“oooooh!” daniela was the first to notice.
lara’s head whipped around “look who’s leaving!”
manon burst into laughter “about time!”
lara cupped her hands around her mouth “what that mouth do, megan?”
megan nearly tripped over her own feet but before she could recover “use protection!” manon called after them, laughing as lara doubled over beside her.
y/n just shook her head with an embarrassed smile, still leading megan towards the back door “ignore them.”
megan, whose face had turned the same shade as daniela’s nails hours earlier, wasn’t entirely sure she remembered how to speak.
the music faded the second the back door swung shut behind them enough that it became a dull thud somewhere behind the brick walls of the house instead of something vibrating through megan’s ribs.
the garden was strung with fairy lights that had seen better days, their warm glow stretching across a handful of wooden benches and picnic tables. the air felt cooler out here, carrying the faint smell of cut grass instead of spilled beer.
y/n let out a long breath “jesus…” she laughed to herself, tugging lightly at the neckline of her cropped jersey.
“it was hot in there.” she turned. megan was still standing exactly where she’d stopped. hands awkwardly by her sides and cheeks pink from a combination of dancing, alcohol and…everything else. her eyes were wide and she looked like she genuinely had no idea what to do with herself.
y/n couldn’t help smiling “you okay?”
“yeah.” megan nodded far too quickly “yeah, i’m…” she swallowed “…i’m megan.” before she could stop herself, she stuck out her hand.
y/n blinked. then laughed, a proper laugh. not at megan just because it caught her so off guard.
“i know who you are, megan.” she still reached out anyway, her fingers wrapping around megan’s hand for a quick shake.
“…what?” megan stared at her “you do?”
y/n tilted her head “you sound surprised.”
“…i mean…” megan let out an awkward little laugh, immediately looking down at the ground “i am.”
she could feel herself blushing all over again. she was going to pass out, she was actually going to pass out.
“how would i not know who you are?” y/n asked gently. she wandered over to one of the wooden benches beneath the fairy lights before sitting down, resting her forearms against her knees.
“you’re lara’s friend.” she shrugged “plus…” she looked back up at megan “…we have english literature together.”
megan frowned “…you know i’m in your class?”
y/n actually looked confused “of course.”
“you do?”
“yeah.” another small laugh “megan…”she smiled “you’re not exactly invisible.”
megan didn’t know what to say. for months she’d convinced herself she was just another face in a lecture theatre full of strangers. someone y/n had probably walked past a hundred times without noticing “…i thought…” she stopped.
y/n waited “what?”
“…i just thought you didn’t know i existed.”
y/n’s eyebrows pulled together “why would you think that?”
“because…” megan looked down at her shoes, scuffing the toe of one trainer against the paving “… you’re you.”
there was another quiet beat then y/n smiled “…and you’re you.”
for the first time since they’d walked outside megan laughed too.
the music drifted out through the back door every time somebody walked in or out, before disappearing again beneath the sound of crickets and distant traffic.
megan still wasn’t entirely convinced she wasn’t dreaming. y/n rested both hands on the bench behind her, leaning back as she looked over at megan “i don’t know how we’ve never actually spoken properly.”
megan looked up “what?”
y/n shrugged “i swear every time i’ve gone to talk to you…” she laughed softly “…you disappear.”
megan blinked.
“…i what?” no i don’t.”
“you do.”
“when?” y/n thought about it for a second “after english.”
“i turned round once and you were just… gone.”
megan could feel herself physically shrinking. she hadn’t disappeared, she’d practically sprinted out of the lecture theatre because she’d convinced herself y/n had looked in her direction.
“…oh.”
y/n smiled “i was actually happy when manon said you were coming tonight.” she paused then her cheeks pinkened ever so slightly.
“that sounded weird.” she rubbed the back of her neck “i just mean…” she gestured vaguely back towards the house “…i know all the other girls.”
she did another small shrug “but i don’t really know you.”
megan’s heart was trying to escape through her ribs. she leaned casually against the tree beside the bench or at least tried to.
her elbow slipped straight off the bark but she caught herself before she actually fell over “…yeah.” she cleared her throat as if that hadn’t just happened.
“i mean…they practically begged me to come.”
“oh?” y/n tilted her head “you had other plans?”
“yeah!” megan nodded far too confidently “just…so busy…and stuff.”
y/n looked at her for a second then smiled “fair enough.” she looked back towards the house “i don’t blame you for not wanting to come.”
megan frowned “you don’t?”
“no, i hate parties.”
“…you do?”
“mhm.”
megan gave her a look and y/n laughed “i’m serious.”
“really?”
“they’re too loud.” she counted them off on her fingers “everyone’s drunk, someone always throws up and the floors are always so…” she trailed off.
“sticky,” both of them said at exactly the same time. they looked at each other then burst out laughing.
“see?” y/n said “it’s disgusting.” she smiled “to be honest…” she rubbed tiredly at one eye “…i’d much rather be at home playing video games.”
megan’s head snapped up so quickly it almost hurt “no way.”
“what?”
“me too.” she laughed “daniela literally had to unplug my computer to get me to come tonight.”
“no shit?” y/n’s whole face lit up “you play?”
“yeah.”
“what do you play?”
“valorant.” the word left megan’s mouth before she could think about it and almost immediately she grimaced “…oh my god.”
she covered her face for a second “that’s actually so embarrassing.”
“why?”
“because i sound like such a loser.”
y/n laughed “megan.” she shook her head “it’s really not because i play too.”
megan looked up “you what?”
“yeah.” she smiled “we should totally play sometime.”
megan stared at her “…you’re joking.”
“why would i joke about valorant?”
“because…” megan was still trying to process the fact that this conversation was real “…i genuinely thought you spent your evenings doing… i don’t know…cool people things.”
y/n laughed so hard she had to look away “cool people things? no definitely not. in that case i guess i’m a loser then?”
megan stared at her for a long second “…i think i might actually be in love with you.” the words slipped out before she even realised she’d said them.
y/n laughed, shaking her head “yeah?” she nudged megan’s foot lightly with her own “sounds like we’re a match made in heaven.”
megan laughed too, grateful y/n had taken it as the joke she’d desperately hoped it would sound like…if only she knew.
the conversation settled again, comfortable this time. the music from inside had faded into a muffled thump, just enough to remind them there was still a party going on without demanding their attention.
y/n picked absent-mindedly at the splintered edge of the wooden bench “did you at least enjoy the game?”
megan nodded almost immediately “yeah.”
“yeah?”
“of course.” she looked over at y/n “you were…” she stopped herself “really good.” it sounded painfully understated compared to what she’d actually meant.
y/n smiled anyway, almost… relieved “thanks.” she looked down at the ground for a second, rubbing the toe of her trainer against the gravel “i’m always worried people get bored.”
“what?”
“it’s not everyone’s thing.”
“it was definitely my thing.” before she could stop herself, megan added “i don’t know how you run like that.”
y/n laughed through her nose “honestly? the training’s brutal.”
“i bet.”
“there are days i get back to my dorm and genuinely can’t feel my legs.”
“yeah…” megan smiled “i get that.”
“you do?”
“not from soccer.” she laughed “just from walking across campus after three back-to-back lectures.” that earned another laugh from y/n
y/n glanced back towards the house for a second, watching someone stumble out onto the patio before disappearing inside again.
when she looked back, she hesitated “you could…” she rubbed the back of her neck “…i dunno…” her eyes drifted anywhere except megan “…come by training sometime.”
megan blinked “…what?”
“if you wanted.” y/n shrugged, suddenly very interested in the loose thread hanging from the bottom of her jersey “just…see what it’s like.”
megan genuinely couldn’t tell if she’d heard her properly “…you mean like…actually?”
y/n looked back at her then with a little smile pulling at the corner of her mouth “yeah, actually.”
megan stared because for months she’d convinced herself y/n didn’t even know her name and now she was inviting her to training.
her brain had completely stopped working “…i…” she swallowed “…yeah.” another pause “i’d really like that.”
y/n’s smile grew just enough to notice “good, i was hoping you’d say that. we train mondays and thursdays.” y/n tucked one leg up onto the bench as she spoke “monday’s usually the better session.”
she looked over at megan “six o’clock.”
megan nodded, trying to look far calmer than she felt.
“you should come.” y/n shrugged casually, like she wasn’t inviting the girl she’d been wanting to talk to for months “lara’s usually there anyway.”
“she is?”
“yeah.”
“manon is there obviously , so lara just sits on the side and watches.” she smiled “you wouldn’t be by yourself.”
megan couldn’t stop smiling “yeah…” she looked down at the gravel beneath her feet “…i’d like that.”
another comfortable silence settled between them. y/n watched a couple of people wander across the garden before looking back at megan “have you ever actually played?”
“soccer?”
“yeah.”
megan laughed “absolutely not.”
“never?”
“i’m probably the least sporty person you’ll ever meet. i’m like actually allergic to grass”
that made y/n laugh “okay…” she looked thoughtful for a second “maybe i’ll teach you after training?” she said it so casually like it wasn’t the biggest sentence anyone had ever spoken to megan.
“you could come down afterwards, i’ll show you the basics.”
megan’s brain officially stopped working it had to be the alcohol or the adrenaline or the fact y/n was sitting less than a metre away smiling at her like this.
because before she had the chance to think she said-
“…yeah.” a slow smile spread across her face “you can definitely teach me.” the words came out with far more confidence and far more flirtation than she’d intended.
the second she’d said them, she wanted the ground to open up and swallow her whole“…i mean-“ she looked away immediately “…soccer…obviously.”
y/n bit down gently on the inside of her cheek, trying to hide the smile threatening to take over her entire face “…yeah.”
she looked down at her hands for a second before meeting megan’s eyes again “soccer.” her grin was impossible to miss now “obviously.”
the back door slid open again.
music poured back into the garden, followed by a cluster of voices and the unmistakable sound of daniela laughing before she’d even made it outside.
“there you are.” she spotted the two of them sitting together and slowed dramatically, one eyebrow lifting as she looked between megan and y/n “…are we interrupting something?”
sophia laughed quietly beside her, shaking her head “dani…”
“i’m just asking!”
lara stepped out behind them, drink in hand, immediately clocking where y/n was sitting “oh.” a grin spread across her face “look at this.”
before anyone else could say anything, manon wandered outside after them, she took one look at y/n and then at megan.
“…hang on” she frowned dramatically “is that megan’s lipstick on your lips?”
y/n’s eyes widened “…what?” almost instinctively, she lifted the back of her hand to her mouth, rubbing at her bottom lip.
“manon!” lara laughed, giving her arm a shove “there’s literally nothing there.”
manon burst into laughter “she checked!”
y/n realised what she’d done a second later and groaned, dropping her hand “you’re actually the worst.”
everyone was laughing now except megan, whose brain had completely short-circuited watching y/n instinctively check.
manon clapped her hands once “right.” she grabbed y/n by both shoulders “up.”
“what?”
“beer pong.”
“bro…we have to remind everyone we’re the reigning champions.” she started hauling y/n to her feet.
“you’re carrying us.”
“i literally carried us on the pitch for ninety minutes.” y/n laughed, letting herself be pulled upright. before following, she glanced back at megan.
“monday?”
megan looked up “…huh?”
“training.” a small smile tugged at y/n’s lips “i’ll see you monday?”
the garden went quiet. daniela’s head turned slowly towards megan, then sophia’s, then lara’s. all with three identical smirks.
megan could feel herself blushing before she’d even spoken “…y-yeah.” she smiled despite herself “i’ll be there.”
“good.” y/n smiled back “see you then.”
before she could say anything else, manon threw an arm around her shoulders again.
“let’s go superstar”
laughing, they disappeared back towards the house. the back door swung shut behind them and the music swallowed them whole.
there was maybe half a second of silence but daniela was the first to grin “well.”
lara looked at megan “that couldn’t have gone much better.” megan was still staring at the door. “…did that actually just happen?”
lara looked at megan “…ugh.” she sighed dramatically “finally.”
megan frowned “what?”
“i won’t have to sit through training by myself anymore.” she pointed at herself “we can be wags together.”
megan’s eyes widened “i-“ she immediately shook her head “i’m not a wag.”
lara looked unconvinced “no?”
“no because she invited me and it’s just training.”
“mhm.”
“that’s all.”
lara folded her arms “whatever you say.”
megan tried to keep a straight face but she couldn’t stop the smile that kept creeping back.
daniela noticed first “look at her.”
sophia laughed “she can’t even hide it.”
“i’m not hiding anything.”
“mei” daniela nudged her shoulder “you’re literally glowing.”
megan ducked her head, trying to hide behind her drink “…shut up.”
“leave her alone,” sophia laughed, even though she was smiling just as much “she’s had a very big night.”
megan rolled her eyes “…i hate all of you.”
“no you don’t,” daniela said.
“…not tonight, you don’t. you literally have us to thank for this”
~~~~~
monday arrived far quicker than megan would’ve liked. she’d spent most of sunday trying very hard not to think about the fact she’d agreed to come.
it hadn’t worked because by six o’clock, she was sitting beside lara halfway up the small set of bleachers overlooking the university training pitch, an iced coffee balanced between both hands.
the evening sun hung low enough that everything had taken on that soft golden glow, long shadows stretching across the grass as whistles echoed around the field.
training had already started.
cones were scattered across one half of the pitch while the squad warmed up in small groups, resistance bands looped around ankles, laughter drifting up every now and then whenever someone inevitably lost their balance.
megan’s eyes found y/n immediately.
she stood near the centre circle, one knee bent as she stretched against the turf, chatting to another girl while absent-mindedly pulling her ponytail tighter.
the training top she’d swapped the match jersey for hugged her shoulders, sleeves pushed carelessly up to her elbows, black shorts sitting just above her knees.
when she stood again, she rolled one shoulder before jogging over to join the rest of the group, smiling at something the coach had said.
megan hadn’t blinked once. beside her, lara took a slow sip of her iced coffee then looked sideways and followed megan’s gaze onto the pitch with a knowing smile spread across her face.
“…trust me.”
megan didn’t answer.
“it gets better.”
“what does?”
“watch.” lara leaned back comfortably in the plastic seat, crossing one leg over the other.
her own eyes had already drifted towards manon, who was stretching a few metres away from y/n.
manon caught sight of her almost instantly even from the other side of the pitch. she grinned and waved. lara lifted her coffee in response before giving a lazy little wave back.
when megan looked back out across the pitch y/n had just looked up and their eyes met for barely a second.
y/n smiled not the polite smile she’d given half a dozen students walking past the fence, a real one like she’d been expecting her. then she lifted a hand in a quick wave before the coach called everyone in.
the coach’s whistle cut through the evening air and the team immediately broke into pairs.
“right!” he called. “passing drill. two touch. keep it moving.”
y/n and manon drifted together without even thinking about it. they’d clearly done this hundreds of times before.
one touch. pass. move. receive.
the ball barely seemed to stop at either of their feet “manon!” the coach shouted “quicker!”
“i am!”
the rest of the team laughed. manon only grinned before flicking the ball back towards y/n.
y/n trapped it effortlessly with the inside of her boot before sending it straight back.
she hadn’t realised football could actually be…pretty. the rhythm of it, the constant movement and the way y/n never really stopped, always bouncing lightly on her toes between passes, jogging into space before the ball had even left manon’s foot.
after twenty minutes the pace picked up.
shirts clung a little closer, the backs of their training tops had darkened with sweat from drill after drill under the warm evening sun.
the coach blew the whistle again “sprints!” a collective groan echoed across the pitch “don’t all thank me at once.”
y/n bent forward, hands on her knees for a second, laughing at something manon muttered beside her before both of them jogged towards the starting line.
the whistle blew and they were gone. megan’s eyes followed y/n the whole way down the pitch.
her stride stayed smooth even as everyone else started fading, she crossed the line first. hands dropping to her thighs as she caught her breath, laughing through exhausted breaths when manon stumbled across beside her a second later.
y/n wiped the back of her wrist across her forehead before reaching down to tug the bottom of her training top away from her skin for a second, trying to cool herself off before letting it fall again.
megan swallowed “…oh.” lara didn’t look away from the pitch “mm.”
the next drill started almost immediately.
small-sided games, quick passing and constant movement. manon shoulder-barged y/n off the ball and y/n shoved her straight back. both of them burst out laughing before carrying on as though nothing had happened.
megan couldn’t stop watching “…so…” she spoke without taking her eyes off the field “…this is what you meant by it getting better.”
“yep.” lara answered just as quietly her own attention hadn’t left manon either.
the two of them sat there in complete silence both nursing rapidly melting iced coffees and both not even pretending they were watching football.
the final whistle finally came nearly ninety minutes later and the entire team slowed almost in unison.
a chorus of exhausted groans echoed across the pitch as players bent over with their hands on their knees, some dropping straight onto the grass without a second thought.
manon didn’t even make it that far, she dramatically threw herself backwards onto the turf with a loud groan “i’m dead.”
“you’re so dramatic,” one of the girls laughed, stepping over her.
a few feet away, y/n lasted all of three more seconds before flopping down beside her. she landed flat on her back, one forearm draped over her eyes as she tried to catch her breath.
everyone else carried on walking towards the benches, chatting and laughing as they grabbed water bottles and towels.
lara smiled into her coffee “as you can tell…” she nodded towards the pitch “…they’re the best players on the team.”
megan watched y/n laugh at something manon had muttered from the gras. “…and,” lara continued “by far the most dramatic.”
almost as if she’d heard her, y/n groaned loudly enough for half the pitch to hear “i actually can’t feel my legs.”
“good,” the coach called without looking round. “means you worked.”
y/n sighed theatrically before finally sitting up. she reached for the hem of her training top, lifting it just enough to wipe the sweat from her forehead before letting the fabric fall back into place.
megan’s eyes darted away almost as quickly as they’d landed she could feel warmth creeping into her cheeks.
lara noticed immediately a slow evil smirk spread across her face “bet you wanna lick tha-“
before she could finish, megan shoved her shoulder “will you shut up?”
lara burst into laughter “i didn’t even finish the sentence!”
“i know where it was going.”
lara took another sip of her iced coffee, looking entirely too pleased with herself.
megan rolled her eyes, trying very hard to focus on literally anything else happening on the pitch.
a few minutes later, the team started drifting towards the stands. some headed straight for the changing rooms and others stopped to chat with friends waiting by the fence.
manon and y/n wandered over together, towels slung around their shoulders, still flushed from training.
up close, y/n looked even more exhausted.
strands of damp hair clung to her forehead, her breathing still uneven as she reached the front of the stands. there was a faint pinkness across her cheeks from the session.
manon didn’t even bother using the steps. she planted a hand on the barrier and vaulted over it in one smooth movement.
lara laughed “show off.”
manon walked straight over, cupped lara’s face and leaned in. lara stopped her with a hand against her chest.
“absolutely not.”
manon blinked “…what?”
“you stink.”
“i do not.”
“you absolutely do.” lara wrinkled her nose dramatically “shower first.” manon sighed dramatically.
beside them, y/n had stopped in front of megan “hi.” she smiled, still catching her breath.
“hi.”
“did you have fun?”
before megan could answer lara interrupted her.“she sureeeee did.” her voice carried across from beside them. megan shot her a glare and lara only smiled wider.
y/n looked between the two of them, trying not to laugh “…i’ll take that as a yes.”
“yeah.” megan smiled sheepishly “i did.”
“good.”
“it was…” she looked back out over the pitch “really cool.”
y/n’s smile softened “glad you liked it.”
while they talked, manon had quietly stolen lara’s iced coffee from where she’d left it on the seat. she took a long drink and lara noticed immediately “hey!” she slapped manon’s arm “that’s mine.”
manon ignored her completely. instead, she leaned down and whispered something into lara’s ear. whatever it was, lara’s eyebrows lifted.
“…baby.” a grin spread across her face lthere will never be a day i say no to that.” she stood immediately and manon looked unbearably pleased with herself.
their fingers found each other’s almost automatically “we’ll leave you two to it,” lara said, trying to sound casual.
she looked at megan with the smallest smirk “see you later.”
before megan had the chance to question what exactly she meant by leave you two to it, lara and manon were already squeezing past the row of seats together disappearing down the steps hand in hand.
the two of them disappeared towards the changing rooms, still teasing each other. the stands suddenly felt a lot quieter. megan looked down at the iced coffee in her hands.
y/n watched lara and manon disappear towards the changing rooms before looking back at megan. a small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth “…so.”
megan smiled back “…so.”
the rest of the team had already started filtering away, leaving the pitch almost empty apart from a coach collecting cones in the distance. y/n glanced out across the grass then back at megan.
“wanna start?” she lifted a hand towards her.
megan looked down at it for half a second before looking back up“…yeah.” she reached out and their fingers met.
y/n’s grip was firm but gentle as she closed her hand around megan’s, giving her a small tug forward “careful.”
megan laughed nervously “with what?”
“this.” before megan had a chance to ask what she meant, y/n stepped backwards off the bottom row of the stands, still holding onto her hand.
megan followed there was a drop between the concrete and the edge of the pitch and she hesitated.
“just jump.”
“…easy for you to say.”
y/n laughed “i’ve got you.”
megan took a breath then hopped down. she landed a little clumsily on the grass, instinctively stepping closer as she caught her balance yet y/n never let go of her hand.
“see?” she smiled “nothing to it.”
megan looked down at where their hands were still joined “yeah…nothing to it.” neither of them seemed in any hurry to let go.
“right.” y/n bent down, picking a ball up from the pile beside the touchline before spinning it once on her finger and letting it drop back into her hands “first lesson.”
megan folded her arms “please remember i’ve literally never done this before.”
“good.”
“good?”
“means i don’t have to fix bad habits.” y/n laughed, dropping the ball onto the grass between them after they walked to the middle of the pitch.
“just stand there.” she nudged the ball gently towards megan with the inside of her boot.
“okay.” she pointed down “plant this foot next to the ball.”
megan copied her “…like that?”
“little bit closer.”
she stepped around her, crouching slightly to tap the toe of megan’s trainer with her own. “here.”
the movement brought her close enough that megan caught the faint smell of shampoo beneath the sweat from training.
“…okay.”
“now…” y/n straightened back up “use the inside of your foot not your toe.”
“why?”
“because then you’ll absolutely launch it into another postcode.”
megan nodded very seriously “got it.”
she took a breath, swung her leg and kicked almost entirely underneath the ball. it popped about three feet into the air before landing directly behind her.
y/n burst out laughing “i warned you.”
megan covered her face “i hate this already.”
still laughing, y/n jogged after the ball before flicking it effortlessly back towards herself.
except instead of catching it… she let it bounce once, then twice then lifted it onto her thigh.
one touch. left foot. right foot. back to her thigh then onto the top of her foot without letting it touch the ground once.
megan stared“…are you showing off?”
“maybe a little.”
“a little?”
“okay…” y/n grinned “a lot.” she flicked the ball up one last time before catching it against her hip.
megan laughed “that was so unnecessary.”
“worked though.”
“what worked?”
“you looked impressed.” she dropped the ball back onto the grass between them “again.”
megan sighed dramatically before lining herself up once more. this time y/n stayed beside her instead of stepping away.
“okay.” she pointed down again “foot here.” megan adjusted it good.”
“hips towards me.” she turned slightly “perfect.”
then, without really thinking about it, y/n stepped in behind her “can i…?”
megan nodded before she’d even heard the rest of the question. y/n’s hands settled lightly against her hips, gently turning them a few degrees.
“there.” her voice was quieter now “that’s better.”
megan forgot there was even a football. y/n stepped back again, though her fingertips lingered for the briefest second before she let go.
“now…” she nudged the ball forward “show me what you’ve got.”
this time the ball actually went where it was supposed to. only a few metres. slightly wonky but forward.
y/n clapped anyway. megan looked between the ball and y/n “that was actually alright.”
“see?” y/n smiled “told you i could teach you.”
y/n rolled another ball into place just outside the penalty spot, nudging it with the inside of her boot until she seemed happy with where it’d settled.
“last one.”
megan eyed the goal “…you’re awfully confident i’m going to hit that.”
megan wandered over, stopping beside the ball before planting both feet awkwardly “…like this?”
y/n looked at her for a second “…you’re doing that on purpose.”
“doing what?”
“standing like you’ve forgotten how legs work.” y/n laughed through her nose, shaking her head as she walked over.
she stopped directly beside megan “move this foot.”
megan didn’t “…which one?”
y/n looked up at her “the one you’re pretending you don’t know is wrong.”
megan couldn’t help smiling “…maybe i need showing again.”
“you absolutely do not.”
“…maybe i do.”
there was a beat and then y/n smiled, giving i “fine.” she crouched first, gently nudging megan’s standing foot a few inches across with both hands.
“here” she looked up “feel the difference?”
megan nodded “a little.”
“good.” y/n stood again “now…” she hesitated for the briefest moment before resting both hands lightly against megan’s hips.
“turn this way.” the movement was slow just enough to angle her body towards the far corner instead of straight at the goalkeeper’s position “there.”
megan stayed exactly where she was because could feel y/n’s hands through the thin fabric of her t-shirt.
“don’t square yourself up.” y/n said quietly “open your body a bit.”
megan leaned into the adjustment almost without thinking, following the gentle pressure until she was standing how y/n wanted “perfect.”
she should’ve stepped away instead, she stayed there for another second. close enough that megan could hear the slight catch in her breathing.
“keep your eyes on where you want it to go.”
megan nodded but she wasn’t looking at the goal anymore. y/n finally stepped back, though reluctantly enough that megan noticed.
“one step.” she pointed “plant.”
“then strike through it and dont over think it”
“okay.” megan took a slow breath.
one step. plant. she swung through the ball. it left her foot cleaner than she’d expected.l and the two of them watched it travel together.
straight. rising slightly before dipping then-
thump.
the net rippled and they both stared.
“i scored! i-“
before she’d even finished the sentence, y/n was already laughing “megan!” she jogged towards her with both hands in the air and megan met her halfway.
they collided in an instinctive celebration, both of them laughing as they grabbed onto each other’s forearms before the excitement carried them into a quick hug “did you see that?”
“i told you!”
“i actually did it!”
“i know!”
they pulled back just enough to look at one another. both still smiling and a little breathless. the excitement lingered between them for a second longer than it should have.
without thinking megan leaned forward.
their lips met in the quickest, lightest kiss.
barely more than a brush, the sort of impulsive mistake that happened before her brain had any chance to catch up.
the second she realised what she’d done, she froze and every trace of colour drained from her face “…oh my god.”
she stumbled backwards “y/n, i’m-“ she shook her head immediately “i’m so sorry! i don’t know why i-“
“i just got carried away and i shouldn’t have-“
she’d barely finished the sentence before y/n reached out. her fingers closed gently around megan’s wrist stopping her from taking another step back.
before megan could even process the words, y/n stepped forward herself closing the space megan had just created.
she lifted a hand, fingertips brushing lightly against megan’s jaw for the briefest moment then she kissed her.
slowly this time, giving megan every chance to pull away.
she didn’t.
instead, she melted into it almost instantly, her hand finding y/n’s forearm as though she needed something to steady herself.
it only lasted a few seconds but when they finally separated, neither of them moved very far.
“…does this mean…” megan asked quietly.
y/n laughed under her breath “…yeah.” she smiled “i think it does.”
y/n’s smile softened, she lifted a hand, carefully brushing a loose strand of hair back behind megan’s ear where it’d fallen across her face.
“…and to think…” her voice had dropped almost to a whisper “…you thought i didn’t know who you were.”
megan’s cheeks warmed all over again.
she looked up at y/n with wide, disbelieving eyes, searching her face as though she still couldn’t quite convince herself this wasn’t some elaborate dream she’d wake up from.
megan looked down for a second, shaking her head at herself “…that’s so embarrassing.”
“i thought it was cute.” those four words made megan look straight back up where y/n was still smiling.
still looking at her with the same gentle expression she had ever since they’d walked onto the pitch together.
without thinking about it any longer, megan lifted her hand. her fingers slid carefully into the loose strands of hair at the back of y/n’s neck, brushing through them until they rested there naturally.
y/n’s eyes flickered down to the movement before returning to hers.
megan closed the small distance between them first this time. their lips met gently at first, almost tentative, like they were both still making sure this was really happening.
the kiss lingered a fraction longer than the first. there was no surprise this time and no panicked apology waiting on the other side of it.
just the quiet certainty of two people finally meeting in the middle after months of almosts.
y/n smiled against the kiss before returning it, one hand finding megan’s waist with an effortless familiarity that made megan’s heart stumble all over again.
megan’s fingers curled a little more securely into y/n’s hair as she leaned in, smiling into the kiss herself now, the nervousness she’d carried for months slowly melting away.
when they finally drew apart, it wasn’t because either of them particularly wanted to. they simply rested there for a moment, foreheads lightly touching, both smiling far too much to hide it
“…hi,” y/n murmured.
megan laughed quietly “…hi.”
“been wanting to do that for a while.”
megan blinked“…you have?”
WHEEEET-WHOOOO!
a loud whistle shattered the moment and both of them jumped apart instinctively. megan’s eyes flew towards the sound where halfway up the stands was-
lara.
manon.
sophia.
daniela.
all four of them were standing there cheering.
“ABOUT TIME!” daniela shouted, throwing both hands into the air “finally!” lara laughed.
megan hadn’t even realised her hand was still tangled loosely in y/n’s hair or that y/n’s arm was still comfortably around her waist.
she pulled back just enough to look at her then immediately looked back at the stands in horror “…oh my god.”
sophia let out the most dramatic groan imaginable before reaching into her pocket. without a word, she pulled out a crumpled twenty and slapped it into daniela’s waiting hand.
daniela looked smug and very pleased with herself “pay up.”
“i genuinely thought they’d need another month.”
“never doubt me.” daniela folded the note and tucked it triumphantly into her pocket “easiest twenty i’ve ever made.”
“you BET on us?” megan called, scandalised.
“absolutely.”
“you all need help.” megan groaned so loudly she was fairly sure it echoed.
lara leaned over the railing dramatically “no, no!” she waved both hands “keep going. pretend we’re not here!”
manon cupped her hands around her mouth “USE TONGUE!”
“manon!” sophia gasped, immediately smacking her arm and lara nearly folded in half laughing.
even y/n couldn’t stop herself megan’s face disappeared instantly as she let out one long, defeated groan before dropping her forehead against y/n’s chest.
“…i hate them all.”
her voice came out muffled against the fabric of y/n’s training top almost absent-mindedly, her hands curled into the material at y/n’s sides.
y/n laughed, the sound vibrating beneath where megan was hiding she wrapped both arms around her without a second thought.
up in the stands, lara watched the two of them with the most insufferably smug expression she’d ever worn. she nudged manon with her shoulder “told you.”
manon slipped an arm around her waist “yeah.” she smiled down at the pair standing together on the pitch “…you did.”
the evening sun dipped lower over the training ground, painting the grass gold as
for the first time since college started…
megan didn’t have to wonder whether y/n knew who she was anymore.
a/n ~ hiiiiii i hope you all enjoyed ! i did change it to college instead of highschool tho sorry! i also lowk know nothing bout soccer so i tried my best <3
