gi!! since it was snowing for me yesterday, could i get #14 with a camden ship of your choice pretty please 🥰💖
hannah!!! how about some fwb camsco?
“Get in here, it’s freezing out.”
Camden didn’t expect to see Bosco sitting on her front step, cigarette in hand and looking absolutely bone-deep exhausted, but at this point she should’ve come to expect it. She should know to expect it when she feels a set of eyes on her as soon as she turns the last corner before home; searching, wandering.
“It’s only been two days, Bosco, that’s worse than normal.” She pulls her coat a little closer to her as she steps past her. Bosco doesn’t shift, just watches her go past as she exhales a lungful of smoke.
“Work’s still shit, so I’m still here.” The shrug is almost audible over the click of the key in the lock.
“Hey, works for me.” She shrugs in return. It’s never a bad surprise to see her friend sitting on her steps after a long day of work, knowing that it means a night of sex and takeout and sometimes (just sometimes) talking about whatever it was that got in her head. “I should give you a key, at this point.”
“Probably wouldn't use it,” Bosco says levelly, still sitting behind her. “I don’t mind the smoke break.”
Camden finally looks back at her as she pushes the door open. “At least you wouldn’t have to wait, though," she steps inside, then holds open the door behind her. "Get in here. It’s freezing out.”
When Bosco stands, she takes her time stamping out her cigarette, but when she meets her inside there’s a hint of a smile. “We won’t be cold for long.”
It makes her laugh. “That’s so cheesy, ‘Sco. C’mon.”
I would like to thank @junosjukebox and @themetaluna for creating this winter fanfic exchange and letting me be a part of it, in incredibly honored to have been a part of it 😁
This is for @puppywritesthings happy holidays so enjoy some camsco!! you can find it on ao3 here as well!
Bosco knew that not everyone was going to like her and she wasn't going to like everyone either. It's just a fact. But they didn't think that their roommate, someone they'd spend every day with would be one of those people. So what happens when they're snowed in and stuck together? Will it bring them closer or tear them apart?
Bosco sat on the couch in the apartment, watching the snowfall before sighing, getting up from the couch and checking her phone. “Expect 10 inches of snow, yeah right. Fucking weathermen.” She scoffed, pocketing her phone before heading back to her room. Across from them, she could hear Camden. She could always hear Camden. She rolled her eyes and closed her door, some would say slam but it just had a little force behind it, and flopped down onto her bed. Just a week and then finals and then she was home free. A whole month without thinking about shitty professors, stupid assignments and most of all, no more of that bloody ginger bitch.
God she could rant for hours about that girl, Daya would know since she was always at the receiving end. Bosco sighed into their pillow, rubbing her tense jaw to try and relax. She’s lost enough sleep over that fucking girl, she doesn’t deserve any more. Thank god she’s moving in with Daya and Willow after the semester’s over, all her headaches will be gone and she can have some damn peace. Maybe it’s wrong for her to be so hateful of the girl but everything she did just ticked them off, like under that bubbly side she knew every one of her buttons and how to push them to drive her up the wall.
They matched up on the school’s compatibility survey and they messaged each other, figuring that they’d be decent enough and signed the lease for the apartment off campus. Everything was fine the first few weeks, maybe even the first month of the semester. In all honesty, Bosco was just happy to finally get out of those vile dorms and could shower in complete privacy without worrying about someone screaming about her simply cleaning themselves. And no more stupid fucking fire drills and walking down fifteen flights of fucking stairs in the cold.
When they met on move in day, Bosco didn’t think there would be any issue. She was a dancer for campus so she’d be out of the house a lot for rehearsals and performance and what not which was fine, great actually so they could have the place to herself. The first night they were all settled in, they talked about rules and everything seemed pretty great. They agreed on almost everything and what they didn’t they were able to compromise on, smooth sailing. In the beginning both of them were cautious and careful of treading on each other's spaces, always texting if they could borrow a towel or politely turn down the music. Everything was going great and Bosco was happy, maybe they could actually be friends or something.
But then the honeymoon phase wore off and oh boy…
It was like a switch flipped and everything just got turned on its head. Camden would wake up with the damn birds and it was everyone’s business to know that she was awake, what with her blaring the damn Spice Girls while making her morning tea. She never put away her dishes or hung up her towels and left her laundry in her hamper until it was bursting at the seams, don’t even get her started on how many fucking times they’ve nearly broken their ankles on that damn dance bag. And the fact that she would just rearrange the furniture in the living, claiming she needed the space to rehearse after Bosco had just fixed it after the last time.
Needless to say, they were livid.
So she paid it right back to her. She waited until the last second to do chores, cranked the AC and heat no matter what she whined about and brought all the girls back she wanted to. That was the one that really got the redhead, waking up still early as ever and looking much less rested than usual while they sat there with their neck covered in hickeys and whatever chick she picked up from the bar was hanging off her side. That one really seemed to grind the British girl's gears, huffing and muttering under her breath as she stomped off to her room to hide.
They would get into so many arguments and just scream at each other, it was a miracle they hadn’t gotten more complaints from their neighbors about it. The one thing they had in common was their stubbornness. Neither one of them was going to back down and give in until the other did which would never happen, creating such a hostile cycle their supposed home was its own separate battlefield.
She turned over in their bed again, pulling up the covers as the wind picked up outside, throwing white flurries around without a care in the world. The snow was starting to come down harder… surely it’ll be nothing. The most they’d gotten was barely two inches, there’s no way they’d get more than 4, maybe 6 if she was really pushing it. They yawned and curled into her pillow, eyes growing heavy as they fell into a dreamless sleep.
“Bosco!”
Shit. She groaned, rubbing their bleary eyes before sitting up in their bed. It was too fucking early for this. What the hell was she screaming about already? She got up, albeit slowly and not in the rush her roommate's voice told her she should be in, putting on her robe before stepping out of her room. “Good morning to you too, Annie.”
Camden huffed, standing in just her pajama pants and a baby tee that barely covered her chest. Thank goodness she was crossing her arms cause they did not want to see that this early in the morning. “Look outside.”
“Really? That’s why you woke me up? To look out the damn window.”
“Just look.”
Bosco huffed and muttered some choice words under her breath before looking out the front window of their apartment. “Holy shit.”
“Yeah holy shit.” She scoffed. Outside, all they could see was white. Snow was piled high, completely covering her car in their parking space. She went to the door and unlocked it, trying to push it open but failed. She tried a few more times before Camden piped up. “Lose all your muscles or something?”
“It won’t open.”
“I can see that. Here, let me do it.”
“Please, if we’re talking about muscles then you aren’t one to talk.” She huffed, getting away from the door and watching the redhead put all her weight on the door. It didn’t move a single inch and Camden flushed in embarrassment, turning around to face Bosco’s look of ‘I told you so’.
“So…”
“We’re snowed in.” They said flatly. “Great.”
Perfect. Just perfect. This is exactly how she wanted to be spending her weekend. They ran a hand through her dark hair, trying to come up with a plan or some sort of escape route that wasn’t clawing out her damn eyes. “I’m going to check on the breaker and sinks. It’s cold out so we might have to run them so the pipes don't freeze.”
Camden nodded. “I’ll make sure to stay out of your way.” It didn’t have her normal bite most of their exchanges did and it confused them to a degree but she nodded, the two of them splitting up and going their separate ways.
It could’ve been worse. They still had electricity, which was a damn miracle with these ancient ass apartments the school provided. Water was all good and they got a notification from campus, advising them to stay where they were and not go out. “No shit Sherlock.” They rolled their eyes walking back to the living room and seeing Camden sitting on the couch, looking stressed as she bounced her knee nervously. She looked over to Bosco and got up with an elegance only a dancer could for such a simple action. “How bad is it?”
“We’ve got power and water so we should be fine. Campus put out a message saying they’re sending out plows based on priorities so we’re probably going to be stuck here a while.” They said nonchalantly, heading to the kitchen as if it were just a normal day.
“Did they say how long it could be?” She urged, following behind the brunette.
“It’ll be hours, maybe even tomorrow.” They guessed, popping a keurig cup into the machine as they waited for the water to heat. That made the redhead tense up. A whole day? That was too long, there’s no way they would be stuck in here for an entire day. The machine finished dropping the black liquid into their mug and nearly immediately Bosco drank, hissing a little at the burn but swallowing. She noticed Camden still standing there, looking like she was about to blow a fuse. “Well I’m heading back to bed.”
“Bed? But-”
“Look,” their voice sharp as she turned around to face them. “I’ll stay in my room unless I absolutely need something so don’t worry, I won’t get up in your business if you don’t get in mine, deal?” Camden was left in silence, a little taken aback at how straightforward and calm she was being considering the fact they were literally trapped inside! The dark haired girl took her silence as agreement before nodding. “Great, good talk.” They smiled with a faux politeness before turning on their heels and marching themselves back into their room, closing the door with a little force to punctuate their earlier comments.
She stood there in stunned silence before following her roommates lead, heading back to her own room. Camden fell back onto her bed, staring up at the ceiling. It’s alright, everything’s going to be alright. It’s just a little snow.
The day passed by and soon it was night, no snow plow ever came and the both of them were avoiding each other, just a typical day for them. Camden had three blankets wrapped around her under the comforter and was still shivering. She huffed and sat up. She knew Bosco must be freezing too, if anything a little less since they were always a furnace. She bit her lip and weighed her options before getting up, her fluffiest blanket wrapped around her and she opened her door, walking quickly across the hall and before she could even knock, the door opened to Bosco standing in the doorway.
The dark haired girl scanned her up and down, dressed in a baggy shirt and pants. “You cold too?”
“What do you think?” She quipped, managing to get her teeth to not chatter.
“Can we turn up the heat?”
“Yeah if you want to foot the bill.”
The redhead huffed. “Fine then. Make room.”
“Wha-” Before they could even finish, the redhead shouldered past her and into their room, plopping down on their bed and looking at her with her chin tilted up like she owned the damn place. “The hell are you doing?”
“Obviously we’re not turning up the heat so I’m staying warm with a demon from hell.” She got under their covers and Bosco could feel their eyes twitch. This fucking bitch..
“Fine.” They smiled politely before getting into bed with her. They grabbed a pillow and shoved it between them and Camden scoffed. “Really, a pillow wall?”
“You’re in my room, ballerina.” They looked over their shoulder at her. “My rules. Pillow wall or walk your happy ass back to your room.” Camden huffed and pulled her blanket up higher, turning away from Bosco. “Exactly.” They smirked before laying back down, facing away from her and sighing. It was going to be a long night.
They had about an hour of quiet and were just about to fall asleep when she heard Camden shift in the bed. “Bosco? Are you up?”
They groaned, eyes still closed. “I am now. What?”
“I’m freezing.”
“Go turn on the heat then.”
Camden groaned, not making any move to get up though. “Not everyone’s a demon that can heat an entire room.” The redhead snarked, glaring over the pillow between them.
“Oh please.” Bosco laughed without any humor. “If you’re trying to insult me, actually say something that’s hurtful, you tutu wearing bitch.” Camden grit her teeth and threw the pillow that was separating them right at Bosco’s face.
Oh it was on.
Both of them were throwing whatever they could grab at each other, all in a frenzy of anger before it all stilled when Camden felt hands holding down her wrists. She tried to squirm underneath her but Bosco’s hands had her pinned down, sitting on her hips and limiting her movement there as well. Both of them were glaring up at each other, panting and chests heaving before the anger and tension bled into… something else. As Bosco’s heart slowed they leaned down closer, dark curls falling in her face as she watched Camden’s eyes flit between her eyes and her lips. They were barely a breath away from each other when Bosco stopped, watching the redhead squirm again.
“Bosco.” She whispered, voice close to begging but she would never admit that.
“You still want that heater on?” They grinned, giggling a little bit as Camden rolled her eyes, suppressing a smile barely.
“You’re such a bitch, you know that?” There wasn’t any venom behind her words this time, only a tenderness they’d never shared before and god did it make her chest warm and fuzzy.
“That’s why you like me.”
“Who said that?” The brit cocked a brow, making both of them laugh before Bosco closed the distance, finally letting their lips touch. It wasn’t a hungry kiss but it was full of desire and wanting on both ends. Things started to click now, why Camden was so jealous every time Bosco brought someone home and why Bosco couldn’t stand the thought of Camden having any of her dancer friends over as they would always flirt with each other.
They pulled apart slowly and smiled at each other before Bosco laid back down, wrapping her arms around Camden as the redhead did the same, both of them pressing their bodies closer to each other as if their skin could fuse into one. Camden hummed and nuzzled into Boscos neck, relishing in the warmth. “Maybe I should come here more often. You are hotter than hell, in both ways.”
They laughed and pecked her forehead, pulling the covers over them tighter. “Why thank you, princess. I actually do like those tutus on you.”
“Because you can see all of my ass when I bend down.” She giggled, pecking her cheek. She sighed, looking out the window and smiling at the snow. “We should’ve done this a long time ago.”
“Definitely.” Bosco smiled. “But those arguments were kinda hot if you think about it.”
Camden giggled and nudged their shoulder. “Honestly! You’re a crazy woman.”
“Hey, I’m not denying it.” Bosco snickered, rubbing her back. It was all so sudden but so natural at the same time, like they were always supposed to be like this, holding each other and giggling and laughing together. They talked for a few more hours, laughing and exchanging more kisses under the blankets as the sky grew darker and then lighter, the sun starting to come up.
Camden saw out the window and giggled. “Maybe getting snowed in isn’t so bad after all.”
“Maybe not.” Bosco smiled, kissing her again before yawning. “Now it’s definitely time for some sleep.”
“Right.” Camden giggled, pecking their lips one last time before cozying up into her arms again. If you told her that she would ever end up cuddling with Bosco and liking it, she would’ve laughed in your face. Bosco would’ve called you crazy but it was perfect, better than anything either of them could have imagined. She’d definitely have to tell Daya she’s not rooming with her next semester.
44 with a ship you’ve wanted to write but haven’t or haven’t gotten to write as much as you would like
had to go camsco for this one, hope you enjoy it! 💖💖
for this, bosco uses she/they pronouns and cam is she/her
(psst, @puppywritesthings had you in mind while writing this one :D)
.
Bosco loves bartending in her city’s queer bar, besides the obvious benefits of it being in a safe space to be herself and the significant lack of drunk straight people, they love to people-watch. They never get tired of seeing all the different genres of people during her shifts. They also never get tired of all the pretty girls that come in.
Bosco has a rule with themself that they never mix her love life with her job, and while staying true to her own rule was easy, she’d still have her fun and flirt when serving the pretty faces that came their way. But that’s always where it stopped.
At least it had, until Bosco came face to face with a beautiful blonde with a captivating accent. Camden was her name, and she was determined to get Bosco right where she wanted them.
She started coming into the bar regularly, specifically seeking out the brunette, leaning forward to show off her ample chest in hopes of furthering her plan whenever she ordered a drink.
Bosco knew exactly what Camden was trying to do, and yet they didn’t stop her from continuing like they usually would. They allowed conversations to flow as they worked and began to get to know the blonde, with some flirting as well - which came easy with someone as hot as Camden.
“Do you have nothing better to do with your life than come to the bar almost every night?” Bosco joked one night after a consistent week of Camden coming in.
“Nope, my nights are reserved just to chat you up, darling,”
“That’s pathetic,” They teased, letting out their famous cackle when the blonde clutched imaginary pearls in offense.
If any of her co-workers brought Camden up when she wasn’t around, Bosco would deny any and all allegations of slipping on their rule, even if she knew it was a complete and utter lie. She knew Camden was getting to her, in more ways than one.
Every night she walked in with less and less clothing to get Bosco’s attention. And it was working. Camden would catch the small glances they would take when they thought she wasn’t looking, making sure they had a clear view of her when she went out on the dancefloor to show off.
With every new inch of new skin the blonde displayed, a piece of Bosco’s will-power dissolved. She wanted to hold strong to her word, but the blonde was nothing if not persistent. As each night passed, the more they thought about the blonde, the more they wanted to see her beyond the bar.
Bosco’s breaking point came after 4 days of the blonde shedding fabric. She strutted into the bar sporting the shortest mini skirt known to man showcasing her toned legs with a handkerchief halter top, held together only by strings across her back and accentuated her chest in all the right ways.
“You little brat,” Bosco snarled, “I can’t believe you’d come in here looking like that,”
“Looking like what?” Camden batted her eyelashes innocently as she sipped on the vodka cranberry that the brunette had ready for her when she arrived.
They growled knowing they were defeated, giving in to the answer the blonde was pushing for, “Looking so fucking hot,”
“And what are you going to do about it?”
The brunette watched the smug look on Camden’s face, thinking of all the ways they wanted to wipe it off of her, put her money where her mouth is. Better yet, put her mouth where… “I’m off at 11,”
“Marvelous,” Camden purred, downing the contents of her glass.
“I know what you’ve been trying to do,” Bosco yelled as the blonde began sauntering to the dancefloor, thinking it might gain back some dignity in her defeat.
“Still worked, didn’t it?” Her attempt in saving her dignity was futile as Camden shot her a wink, the battle over – at least until they were alone. Then they can prove who’s in charge.
hi!! i very much need camsco in my life, i was wondering if you could write a prompt where their dance studio makes them compete a duet together and they are both very opposed to this (but maybe it isn't as bad as they first thought 👀)? hope your friday is going well! 🥰
ohh my first camsco fic! i hope this is good enough 💕
--
"Excuse me?!"
Camden must have misheard her instructor, because there was no way she had been paired up with Bosco.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, ma'am, but there must have been a mistake, wasn't I supposed to be paired up with Jasmine?" She continued, sparing a look at the annoyed brunette next to her.
At least Bosco seemed just as bothered as she was.
"Not to agree with Red over here, but I was supposed to be paired with Daya. What happened to that?" They asked, bothered as their arms crossed over their chest.
"You two are my most qualified dancers for this routine, and I know you will make it work. If you want to keep your spots here, that is. Did I make myself clear?"
The tone in the older woman's voice didn't leave either of them with much of a choice in the matter.
"Yes, ma'am," they both replied in unison before watching their instructor walk away to speak with another dancer.
"Don't call me Red! I have a name. Figured you should make an effort to learn it since we'll be working together," Camden said out loud as soon as they had been left alone.
"You're named after a fucking city district, life has made fun of you enough as is. I'm doing you a favor by giving you a nickname, Red," Bosco didn't miss a beat, picking up their back before walking out of their rehearsal room.
Camden quickened her pace to stay behind the brunette, "Slow down, will you?"
The brunette came to a sudden stop, prompting the redhead to bump into her and almost make her lose balance.
"Were you saying?" Bosco turned around with a knowing grin.
"You're unbearable, you know that?"
"I try my best, baby"
Camden huffed, "Stop it with the pet names!"
"And miss on sweet little miss perfect finally acting like a real person? Sorry, can't do that"
They gave her a small piece sign before they picked back up where they were as they went out of the studio.
Camden stood there watching Bosco walk away.
For once, she wasn't looking forward to the next rehearsal.
you don’t know what you do to me - chapter two (daya x bosco/daya x camden)
ignore this took so fucking long to finish but i’ve finally written the second chapter and hopefully i’ll be posting updates more regularly now exams are over and it’s summer, am working full time tho so we’ll see
and perhaps there is more ships than i originally mentioned ;)
ao3 link
Bosco couldn’t help but just stare chillingly at Camden as they continued to walk Daya through the last problem on the sheet, watching them hesitate as her eyes never left the pair of them at her desk. Daya just frowned, muttering to Bosco to not look like she wanted to kill her only hope of passing this damn class.
As soon as she left, they felt free to let everything out. The feeling of being burrowing against Daya’s chest was safe enough for the dam to break, everything spilling forward in a torrent of emotion they couldn’t control, or maybe didn’t want to. Perhaps it was easy to be messy, Daya didn’t care. She would just hold them until it all subsided.
They took a deep, shaking breath to try and subside the sobs that started pouring out, it was a fruitless endeavor, Bosco clung to Daya like a safety net, keeping her from facing her own feelings, pent up for eternity until someone could see through all the sarcasm and quick wit.
“It’s okay now, let it out,” Daya whispered, running a hand through Bosco’s ginger curls as they let themself cry harder, muffling the cries into Daya’s chest.
After what felt like an eternity, the tears started to run dry. Bosco was left a shivering wreck in Daya’s arms, wondering why she’d even let it get to this point in the first place. Daya only held her close as she had been since they arrived. Bosco wished they could show their appreciation in a way that wouldn’t fracture their already precarious state. All they wanted to do was kiss her, hold her so that she would understand, and tell her in every little way all that they loved about her.
Fuck.
“You okay?” Daya asked softly, Bosco moving their head from her shoulder to look up at her as she spoke.
“I’ll be fine.” Despite her words, Bosco’s tone was wobbly, the crying had broken them into a shell of their usual confidence, not even believing the words that came out of their own mouth.
“You don’t sound so sure.”
“I’m just tired of it all, it’s like I can’t be myself around them or anyone without getting into a fight.” They sighed, feeling Daya’s arms tighten around their waist and pull them in impossibly closer to her chest, resting her head atop theirs as Bosco nestled against her collar bone.
“You can here, Crystal loves you and I’ll never judge you.”
“Thanks.” Despite their concise response, Daya knew how much it meant to Bosco. They struggled to show much emotion sometimes, preferring to go through life observing people and making quick comments to get people off her back. Daya knew she was the only one that got to see through all of the walls, to the insecurity and the emotions they couldn’t hold back forever.
She held them, letting them take their time to get back to a point where they could speak. Eventually, her tears subsided and breathing slowed, their eyes growing heavy from the flood of emotion and dozing off in Daya’s arms.
Daya felt a rush of things overcome her as she looked at Bosco’s peaceful, sleeping face. She just wanted to protect them, knowing all the shit that went down with their parents. She knew deep down she was their safe place but it wasn’t enough to make it all go away. They could hide together from the world but they’d have to face it at some point.
She knew how pretty they were, of course, she’d noticed before but something felt more intimate about this. The way she got to see them with their hair thrown up into a messy bun, makeup half cried off and still looking incredible. Some people weren’t capable of looking bad and Bosco had to be one of them. How she continued to be single was a mystery but Daya wasn’t complaining about having them all to herself.
Bosco stirred an hour later, looking up at Daya with half-lidded eyes and a sleepy smile that made her heart squeeze. They rolled their head back into her with a sigh, nuzzling into her as Daya tightened her grip on them.
“Thanks.” They murmured sleepily, still smiling at Daya.
Daya wanted to let Bosco fall back asleep against her, though the logical side of her brain told her to not let them fall asleep in jeans and get them something more comfortable to sleep in. She pulled herself away from them, eliciting a whine from the redhead. Daya couldn’t help but turn back to look at them, looking at her from her bed with a slight pout, though it turned to a smile as Daya tossed her some clothes, turning around to let her change in peace.
Bosco felt at peace, knowing no matter what Daya was always ready to help her. At least they had her, no matter what they would always be inseparable, even if new people came into the picture and disrupted it. She was Daya’s number one.
They woke up curled together, Bosco brought out of the comfort of Daya curled around her to the blaring tones of her alarm. The taller girl didn’t budge when she whispered to wake her up, having to shake her slightly to get a response.
Daya let out a sleepy grunt, cracking her eyes open to stare at Bosco before letting out a content sigh and leaning her head back down to lay on their chest.
“Get up, this is why we’re always late.”
“Good morning to you too.” Daya giggled, pulling herself up after a few minutes of lingering in Bosco’s arms, not quite ready to face the day. She wished she could stay like that sometimes, in the comfort of Bosco, and not have to think about the world.
Bosco too, relished in the easier moment,s knowing life could never be that simple. They would go back to fighting with their parents, wishing they would understand or even just try a tiny bit to sympathise with what she was going through. At least Daya was there, stupidly soft Daya who she wished she could spend every waking minute with and never wanted to leave.
The small things reminded them of how much they appreciated her, eating breakfast together, giggling about Daya’s damn koala mug and slippers. Snickering as she almost burnt her hand pouring out a coffee, too tired to aim well.
Getting ready, stealing some of Daya’s clothes because she hadn’t brought anything with her, Daya just shrugged, tossing a shirt and jeans at Bosco as she started to look for an outfit for the day.
“Bosco!” Daya whined, Bosco having plucked the beanie she just placed on her head and putting it on themself with a smug grin.
“What? I think it looks good,” They laughed, jumping back when Daya attempted to grab it back, dodging her subsequent attempts.
“You’re such a pain.” Daya huffed, grabbing a different beanie with a pout, though the playfulness in her tone wasn’t missed by her friend, Bosco only laughed more, making Daya roll her eyes back.
“I try my best.” They teased, prodding a finger against Daya’s cheek to rile her up more, ending in the taller girl tackling them back down onto her bed, giggling as she fell on top of them before nestling her head against their chest.
“Mmm, you’re good at it.” Daya couldn't help but grin from ear to ear at Bosco’s antics, her chest tightening in a sweet way and they beamed back.
The day went as well as it could have after the night before, Bosco dreaded when Daya dropped off at home to grab her things before making it to dance class, cursing why she had to turn up when people would just stare and act as if they’d never seen a tall girl in their lives.
It was the height, she told herself that to keep from thinking too hard about the real reason. Not everyone could be as accepting as Daya. They’d known her since before she came out and remembering how that went down still sent a chill down their spine.
Getting there and seeing everyone already sorted, crowding around their teacher explaining the plans for their next show.
“You’re going to have to get into pairs for this, each pair will be assigned a style and I expect you to work together to get it as good as you can if you want to be able to perform in the showcase.”
Bosco glanced around the room, irked by how quickly everyone seemed to run to someone else, and the sideways glances that were thrown at her, too tall to be partnered with most people and too intimidating for any of the boys to try and come up to her.
There was only one person left after a minute or two, Camden stared back at her with wide eyes, quietly coming to her side with an apologetic look.
They glanced down, eyeing up Camden with a defensive hesitance, wondering why she would go to them in her right mind. It would have been smarter to go up to their teacher and question if there was a solo option. Anything was easier than working with them.
“Are you sure?” One of the guys turned to Camden with a raised eyebrow, glancing at Bosco before snickering slightly. The redhead felt her blood start to boil, what were they implying?
“Yes I am, why wouldn’t I be?” Camden challenged the stare her peers gave, glaring at the boy in front of her with a feisty confidence Bosco would have never predicted coming from her.
“I mean, she’s-” He trailed off, gesturing vaguely to Bosco.
They knew what they meant. Why they all stared, they didn’t have to say it for everyone to understand. She wasn’t like them and no matter how hard she tried she’d always stick out like a sore thumb. Fuck, why here and now? Bosco felt tears threaten to fall but kept their face stern and cold, aloof and unbothered just as they wish they could be.
“She’s what. Say it.” Camden got louder, stepping closer to the guy in anger, people starting to gather around like a fight was about to break out.
Bosco vaguely wondered what Daya would do if she saw this, probably punch the guy in the face.
“She’s just a good bit taller than you is all, and one of you has to wear a suit-” He back peddled, Camden only rolling her eyes in response before continuing to glare
“I don’t see how that’s a problem, plus I’d love to wear a suit for a number.” Her words were so pointed, the fury growing more and more visible while their teacher came over to break up whatever fight was about to go down.
Bosco could only stare, feeling their stomach churn at the implications but ease with Camden’s insistence. At least someone had their back, though was that just because of the thing with Daya?
Why the hell was she suddenly defending them when no one had noticed her pain before this. Why now? What was going on in her head?
“If you’re confident with your choice then it doesn’t matter, now back to the choreography.” Their teacher diffused the situation, grabbing everyone’s attention back to the front of the room and leaving Bosco’s head to swirl with a ton of thoughts as Camden took place by their side.
---------
“Why did you do that?” Bosco approached Camden as everyone else left the changing room, staring coldly at the smaller redhead.
“Do what?” Camden tried not to let herself look too scared, Bosco didn’t sound mad but that girl was way too hard to read, and they had a constant resting bitch face that made Daya look approachable.
“Defend me, you didn’t have to. Hell, it would have been easier if you didn’t, you could have had this easy.” Bosco’s eyes shifted to the side, her arms crossed over her chest as if it would protect her from any form of vulnerability. Camden’s expression softened, smiling in a way that caught Bosco off guard, far too caring for someone they barely knew.
“Because it’s not fair of them to treat you any different, so what if you’re taller than the other girls, that doesn’t mean you should have to do something you’re uncomfortable with.”
They could only raise an eyebrow, nodding as Camden continued to explain herself.
“Also, it felt targeted. Of course, the only pair they have a problem with is the one with a trans person. It’s as if they wanted to invalidate you without saying it to try and feel good about themselves, it’s disgusting.” Camden shook her head, heated just at the thought of it. How had everyone just looked past this until now? No one seemed to really talk to them but Camden had heard the way people whispered as Bosco locked herself in the stalls to get changed, not daring to spare a glance around the room and risk being accused of something.
Camden had seen a lot of things, it happened when you were quiet, she knew Bosco was the same way. Observant to a fault and always aware of their surroundings. There was no way they didn’t know what people said but they never seemed to let it bother them.
Or did they just not want to admit it hurt?
“You know everyone is going to look at you weird now? For partnering with me.” They tried to play it off, rolling their eyes as they spoke but the words felt half-hearted, laced with a trace of bitterness at the attitudes of the people surrounding them. Camden didn’t need people whispering about her, she could live a normal enough life if she didn’t get tangled up with them.
“I don’t care.” Her words were absolute in a way that sent Bosco reeling, Camden staring through her soul with piercingly strong eyes that she vaguely wondered if was why Daya had been so smitten with her since they started talking. It was hard to hide from that face.
“Maybe Daya was right about you.”
“Daya talked about me?” Camden’s eyes widened slightly heart speeding up in a way she refused to acknowledge. She knew Daya would mention their tutoring at some point, especially given how close she was with Bosco. But to know it was enough to where they had been influenced by it was both exciting and unsettling.
“She said you’re sweet, more kindness than common sense I’d argue.” Bosco’s smirk distracted her from the sharpness of her words, though her tone felt warmer than before. Something changed, her arms falling by her side instead of protectively at her chest.
“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Camden’s smile made things start to add up, they could see what was attracting Daya. They made a mental note to question her later, knowing there was no way she could deny her growing feelings towards the smaller redhead.
“Good, it was.”
“You’re not so bad yourself, might want to improve on your compliments though.”
Bosco looked down at Camden in shock, staring as she laughed, unable to stop their lips from curling into a small smile too.
“Don’t push it.” Bosco rolled her eyes, though kept a small smile.
Camden couldn't help but return it, knowing then she’d managed to crack their walls down just a tiny bit. Something about Bosco was far too intriguing for her own good, all she wanted to do was spend time figuring the taller girl out. There was something under the guard and the quick wit that she could feel, that peeked out when they stood next to each other, Camden not letting people win in their judgment of the pair.
Bosco couldn’t exactly deny the interest either, she was curious about whatever made her decide to befriend both her and Daya. Though that was her only interest, making sure Daya was going to be happy if she did end up pursuing this crush.
