“ FATE HAD A BETTER TASTE THAN ME. ” ( kimi antonelli ! )
SUMMARY: the reader found a rare twin strawberry and planned to give the other half to her longtime crush, that is until her best friend ate it.
warnings: mutual pining, teasing, fluff, slight angst, best friends to lovers, slowburn
pairing: kimi antonelli x bestfriend!reader
The fruit gods had smiled upon you.
You’d heard the story your whole life. Your parents met because of a strawberry. Not just any strawberry—a twin strawberry, fused together like two hearts meant to be shared between soulmates. Your dad swore he found one the day he realized he was in love with your mom. He gave her one half, ate the other, and boom—they got married and had you.
You always rolled your eyes at the story when they told it. You didn’t actually believe it, not really. But you always secretly hoped. Just once. Just one twin strawberry. A sign. Something stupid and sweet and maybe—just maybe—real.
And then today, as you opened a fresh box of strawberries after a long day at the paddock…
Right there, nestled in the corner like a tiny red miracle—a twin strawberry.
Two hearts, side by side.
A strawberry soulmate sign. A juicy, red declaration of fate. It was everything you needed for your completely unspoken, mildly obsessive, painfully one-sided crush on Ollie Bearman.
You held it up in absolute awe. “It’s real,” you whispered, “Oh my God, It's real!”
You squealed, spinning in a circle, practically bouncing with excitement. “Okay—okay. Stay calm. This is it. This is fate. This is the sign.”
Ollie was in the next room, yelling at the car sim, probably crashing into an imaginary gravel. Perfect. You’d give him half. Make a joke about true love. Laugh. Maybe he’d laugh, too. Maybe it would turn into something. Finally.
You took one delicate bite of your half, savoring it, heart pounding with butterflies—
“Hey, are there any good ones left?”
You turned just in time to see Kimi Antonelli—best friend, pain in your ass, snack thief extraordinaire—pluck the twin strawberry right from your fingers and pop it into his mouth.
Still chewing, he blinked. “What?”
You stared at him in frozen horror.
“Yeah?” he mumbled through a mouthful of your destiny.
“NOOOOOOO—” you practically screamed, stepping back like you'd just watched someone stomp on a wedding ring. “Kimi! You ate my fate!”
He looked at you like you’d grown three heads. “It was a strawberry?”
He blinked. “You mean like... a special brand?”
You gaped at him, hand still outstretched. “It was a twin strawberry, you idiot! Do you understand what you’ve done?! That was supposed to go to Ollie. That was my love story! And you just—you just ate it like a gremlin—”
Kimi threw his hands up, laughing. “Okay, hold on! In my defense, I didn’t see a label on it that said ‘please don’t eat, contains soulmates!’”
You smacked his arm. “You absolute moron!”
He just grinned, somehow infuriatingly pleased with himself. “You’re seriously telling me you think giving Ollie a weird mutant strawberry would make him fall in love with you?”
You glared. “It worked for my parents.”
At that moment, Ollie walked in, cheeks slightly pink from the sim, grinning at you both. “What’s going on?”
“She tried to woo you with a strawberry.”
Kimi keeps offering you strawberries like it’s some kind of peace offering. It’s almost impressive how persistent he is—like he thinks a couple of fresh strawberries will suddenly fix everything. You’re not buying it. Not after that.
At first, you ignore him completely, staring off into the distance, pretending you don’t see him standing there with that dumb, sheepish look on his face and a basket of strawberries in his hands.
He tries again, leaning in with a strawberry, his face full of hope. "Come on, just one? It’s a really good one."
You scowl, your arms crossed tightly. "You can’t just throw fruit at trauma, Kimi. That’s not how this works."
He stands there for a moment, blinking. “What do you mean, ‘trauma’? It’s a strawberry, not a therapy session.”
“I know what it is, but that doesn’t change the fact that you ate my soulmate strawberry and ruined everything. My destiny was in that berry, Kimi!” You throw your hands up dramatically.
“Oh, come on,” he grins, unbothered, “It wasn’t that serious.”
You shoot him a look like he's lost his mind. “It was very serious! Do you have any idea what that strawberry means?”
“Not really, but I get it. You’re mad at me,” Kimi says, finally accepting that no amount of fruit-throwing is going to make you calm down.
You roll your eyes. You’ve spent enough time with him to know that no apology from Kimi would ever come in a conventional way. And yet, here he was—still trying.
“You know,” he says with a mischievous glint in his eye, “If you’re that upset, I can keep throwing strawberries until you forgive me. Might take a while, but it could be fun.”
"You're so ridiculous," you mutter, but you can't help the smirk that creeps onto your face. He has that effect on you—frustratingly charming and impossible to stay mad at for long.
But then, Kimi’s expression changes. He stops, holds out a single strawberry.
“I swear,” he says seriously, eyes locked on yours. “If I ever find another twin strawberry, I promise, I’ll give it to you first. No theft, no sneaking it from your hands. I swear.” He beams a smile at you, making it almost impossible to stay annoyed.
“Fine, I’ll forgive you," you say, reaching for the strawberry. "But next time, I’m putting alarms on my fruit from now on. If you even think about eating one, it’ll start blaring sirens.”
His smile widens. “Victory.”
Kimi grinned mischievously as he settled on the couch beside you, popcorn in hand. "Scary movie tonight?" he asked, already clicking on the first horror movie he found.
You frowned, trying to hide your growing discomfort. "You know I don’t like scary movies," you muttered, but he just shrugged.
“Perfect,” he smirked, pressing play.
You tried to focus on the movie, but every jumpscare made you flinch, and with each creepy moment, you found yourself inching closer to Kimi. It was subtle at first—your shoulders brushing, his arm casually resting on the back of the couch—but then, during a particularly terrifying scene, you completely panicked and grabbed the closest thing to you—Kimi’s arm.
You pulled back immediately, embarrassed, heart hammering in your chest. "Oh my God, sorry!" you exclaimed, trying to shift away from him.
But Kimi, that insufferable tease, was quick to pull you back in. His arm tightened around your shoulders, a soft chuckle escaping his lips.
“Whoa, hey, where are you going?” Kimi said, feigning innocence. “It’s just a scary movie.”
You tried to squirm free. "I wasn’t—I'm not—this wasn’t supposed to happen!"
“You’re going to break the soulmate spell,” he said, his voice low and teasing as he pulled you back against him. "If you move away, the universe might get upset. The strawberry gods might get... angry."
You blinked at him in disbelief, heat creeping into your face. “Kimi, seriously?”
“Seriously,” he said with a smirk, his hand gently resting on your arm. "You know how it works, right? Soulmates share tough moments. And this," he gestured to the screen where another jump scare was just about to happen, "is clearly a tough moment."
You groaned, too mortified to even look at him. “You're ridiculous."
It was one of those nights when the team was just trying to unwind. You were sitting at a table with a few of the drivers, laughing and teasing them about their car sim skills.
Kimi, as always, was leaning back in his chair, watching the others. He wasn’t much for the car sim competitions, but you’d often tease him into playing for fun. You challenged him to a bet, offering to cook dinner for him if you won and him getting you a ridiculous souvenir from the next race if he did.
The game began, and soon enough, you were both neck and neck. Your focus was unwavering, fingers tapping quickly against the controller. You looked over at Kimi, who was giving you that same quiet, intense gaze he always had when he was determined.
“You’re gonna regret this, you know,” Kimi said smugly, grinning as you both powered through the final lap.
“Oh, you wish,” you shot back, barely holding in your laughter. You were having fun—so much fun you didn’t notice the way Kimi was watching you with an odd mixture of admiration and something more complicated.
The game ended with you victorious, and while Kimi was feigning frustration, you couldn’t help but notice the slight smile tugging at his lips when you leaned in, close enough that your shoulders brushed.
“Guess I’ll be cooking for you,” you teased, nudging him playfully.
Kimi’s lips twitched into a grin, but his eyes stayed on you a bit longer than usual. There was something in his gaze, a flicker of something deeper, something you couldn’t quite place. His usual casual demeanor faltered for a brief moment, and for the first time in ages, you felt a strange tension in the air.
Late afternoon at the paddock. After a long day of press conferences and media interviews, you and Kimi are hanging out in the garage, trying to kill time before the next round of events. Kimi, as usual, has his headphones in, tapping away at his phone, while you’re flipping through a magazine, half-watching the crew.
Without much thought, you lean in to hand Kimi a snack from the table in front of you—one of your favorite chocolate bars, still wrapped in its shiny foil.
Your fingers brush against his as you extend the snack, and in that split second, you both freeze.
His hand is warm, and the touch feels… unexpected. It’s just a brief second, but it sends a rush of heat to your cheeks. You pull back quickly, muttering something about the bar being “weirdly wrapped.”
Kimi, of course, doesn’t notice your sudden nervousness. He just picks up the bar and opens it, chewing nonchalantly as if nothing happened. You catch yourself staring for a moment, wishing you could calm down. But then he shoots you a grin.
“What?” he asks, leaning forward. “Something on my face?”
You cough awkwardly. “No, no. You’re fine. Just… distracted, I guess.”
Kimi shrugs and goes back to his phone, but you can’t seem to focus on anything. That was… way too much of a moment for something as simple as handing over a snack. And then you realize—you’re blushing. You quickly look away.
The late afternoon sun hung low over the paddock as the team began to pack up after another exhausting day of testing. You were sitting by the pit wall, absentmindedly picking at a small bowl of strawberries, enjoying the rare moment of peace.
Kimi leaned against the wall, arms crossed, a smirk playing on his lips as he watched you pop another strawberry into your mouth. “You know, I think you’re stuck with me forever,” he teased, a glint in his eye. “Soulmate rules and all that.”
You blinked at him, eyebrows raised. "Really? Do you actually believe in that nonsense? It's just a stupid fruit, Kimi. There’s no such thing as soulmate strawberries."
Kimi’s grin widened, and he gave a small shrug, clearly not bothered by your skepticism. "Hey, I didn’t make the rules. But you know, you were the one who was all into it when it happened. Acting all hopeful and excited—what happened to that?"
You scoffed, trying to look annoyed but not quite managing to hide the small flutter in your chest. “What happened? You eating it happened, Kimi!”
He raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. “Ah, so now you’re blaming me?”
You didn’t reply immediately, trying to ignore the slight warmth spreading through your chest. “Maybe,” you muttered, quickly turning away to hide the flustered look on your face.
But Kimi couldn’t help but grin wider, his teasing tone softening just slightly. “Well, guess you’re stuck with me now, whether you like it or not.”
On the inside, you weren’t sure if you minded so much anymore.
It’s one of those rare days when there’s nothing to do. The team is off-duty, and everyone’s scattered around doing their own thing. You and Kimi, however, decide to cook dinner together. You’ve both joked about your terrible cooking skills before, but for some reason, you both think it’ll be fun to try.
You’re in the kitchen, looking at the recipe book while Kimi is rummaging through the pantry. There’s something so intimate about it, but neither of you mentions it. You're just two best friends trying to cook without burning down the kitchen.
“You know, I’m not sure this is going to end well,” Kimi says, eyeing the recipe with suspicion.
“Oh, come on,” you reply, grinning. “We’re fine! Just follow the recipe. We’re basically culinary geniuses.”
Kimi raises an eyebrow at you. “You’re calling yourself a genius and you can’t even cook pasta without burning it.”
“Hey, it’s one time,” you defend yourself. “And you burnt toast yesterday.”
Kimi laughs, and as he reaches across the counter for a spice jar, his hand brushes against yours. It’s accidental, but this time, neither of you pull away. You both freeze, eyes meeting for a brief second. The touch is so casual, but there’s this weird tension building up between you two.
“Maybe we should just... order pizza,” Kimi suggests, his voice suddenly softer.
You shake your head, trying to push through the awkwardness. “No way. We can totally do this. It’s not that hard.”
But after a few more clumsy moments, you both end up laughing so hard at the mess you've made that it breaks the tension. The moment passes, but as you look at Kimi, there’s a new realization—he’s not just your best friend anymore. He’s something else.
The rain was relentless, soaking through your clothes in seconds as you sprinted across the track, your shoes slipping on the wet ground. The race was over, and the sky had decided to join in with a downpour just as the team was wrapping up. You weren’t exactly prepared for a sudden thunderstorm, but you weren’t complaining. There was something exhilarating about the chaos of it all, the way the cold rain clung to your skin, the way it made the world feel like it was just you and Kimi running to escape it.
You were both laughing, winded and drenched, as you ducked under the cover of the garage. The rain continued to pour down in sheets, but at least you were sheltered now—well, sort of. You were both dripping wet, the water splashing off your clothes as you tried to catch your breath.
Kimi glanced at you, and for a moment, everything seemed to slow down. The raindrops stuck to your eyelashes like tiny crystals, and your cheeks were flushed, either from the sprint or the cold, or maybe from something else entirely. You didn’t know what it was, but something about the way the water glistened on your skin, how you looked in this moment, caught his attention in a way that felt... different.
“You look like a soaked strawberry,” Kimi said, his voice low, teasing, but there was something in his tone that made your heart skip a beat.
You raised an eyebrow, trying to hide the butterflies forming in your stomach. “Flattering,” you said, voice dripping with sarcasm, but there was a smile tugging at the corners of your mouth.
But he wasn’t laughing anymore. He was looking at you, really looking at you, his usual cocky grin replaced with something softer, something more vulnerable. His eyes flicked from your rain-soaked face down to your lips before settling back on your eyes.
Without another word, Kimi reached out, his fingers brushing against your wet hair, tucking a stray piece behind your ear. His hand lingered, just for a second, but it felt like a lifetime. The air between you suddenly felt thick, charged, like there was something unspoken hanging between the two of you. The soft touch of his fingers on your skin made your breath catch, and you could feel your heart race faster than before.
“I think I like you,” he blurted, his voice rougher than usual, like the words had been stuck in his throat and finally broke free in the midst of all this chaos.
You blinked, feeling your pulse spike at his words. You stared at him, trying to process what had just happened.
“Like... friend-like or soulmate-fruit-like?” you asked, trying to keep it light, keep it playful, but a little part of you was holding your breath, waiting for his answer.
Kimi froze for a moment, looking like he was about to say something, but then—like always—he let out a small, nervous laugh, his usual smirk creeping back onto his face.
“Both. Or neither. Who knows?” he said, his voice trailing off like he was trying to play it cool again.
The checkered flag waves.
Kimi’s name flashes across the screen in bold white letters: P1.
The paddock erupts. Mechanics are shouting, champagne is already being passed around, and you know the cameras are hunting for the perfect shot of him—Mercedes' golden boy. But your feet are already moving.
You push through the crowd, barely registering the pats on your shoulder, the beaming congratulations from people in passing. You don’t stop until you're right in front of him.
His race suit is still zipped up, hair damp from sweat, cheeks flushed from the heat and the rush of victory. His eyes find yours instantly—like he was looking for you too.
“Kimi,” you breathe out, not even meaning to say anything.
He doesn't say anything either. He just opens his arms, and that’s all it takes.
You step into him without hesitation.
The hug is immediate, solid. His arms wrap tight around your waist, yours loop around his neck. It should be quick—a brief moment in the chaos of celebration. But neither of you move.
The sound fades. The world softens.
You feel his chest rising and falling, the heat of his skin beneath the suit, the tension melting from his shoulders. He’s holding you like he’s been waiting for this—for you.
And you don’t want to let go.
Eventually, too aware of the people around you, you pull back. Just enough to breathe.
Your arms slide from his neck, fingers brushing his collarbone before you drop them. He lets go too, but a beat too late. Like his arms didn’t get the message.
And then you're just standing there. Close. Too close.
You glance away, trying to calm the heat in your face. “You smell like burnt rubber and sweat,” you mumble, voice half-laughing.
Kimi huffs a breath, and you swear it sounds nervous. “It’s my new cologne.”
You both laugh—awkward and soft—and then it’s quiet again.
Your heart is crashing against your ribs like it's racing him on track. And judging by the way his eyes keep flicking to your mouth, the way he keeps shifting on his feet like he doesn’t know whether to speak or stay quiet—
That electric something neither of you is quite ready to name.
You're curled up on the edge of your hotel bed with the lights off and the post-race glow lingering like a soft ache. The noise of the crowd is long gone, replaced by silence. But inside your head? It's loud.
You keep replaying it—the way Kimi tore off his helmet, hair messy and eyes wild with adrenaline. He should’ve run to his team, should’ve celebrated with the people who made that win possible. But he didn’t.
And you? You didn’t think. You just hugged him. Threw your arms around him like you needed to feel him, to ground yourself, to confirm he was really there, really him. It was impulsive, too long, too close, and when he didn’t pull away, neither did you.
And when you finally did, the awkwardness hit. You both laughed it off—kind of. Said something stupid. Shrugged it away like it meant nothing.
But it did. You felt it. In the silence after. In the thud of your heart now.
You press your palms to your face and breathe deep, like that’ll slow everything racing inside you.
Because you finally get it.
You know why your stomach flips when he smiles, why your breath catches when he says your name like it’s a secret. You know why your chest gets tight every time you see him.
You groan into your hands, falling back onto the hotel pillows, like the ceiling might offer answers. Or clarity. Or maybe just a break from the whirlwind that is your brain right now.
Because now that the realization’s there—loud and pulsing—you can’t stop the flood that follows.
The memories come in waves. One after another. Like your brain's stitching together the truth you’ve been avoiding for weeks.
It all starts to add up now. Every look. Every laugh. Every stolen second.
And not in a friendly way.
God. You really like him.
It had been weeks since you realized what you were feeling for Kimi, and ever since that moment, everything had felt different. Every touch, every shared glance, and every laugh you’d shared with him now carried more weight than it ever did before.
You had tried to deny it at first. Tried to brush off the fluttering in your chest when he smiled at you, or the way your heart skipped whenever he’d joke around. But the more you tried to ignore it, the stronger those feelings became.
So you did the only thing that made sense to you: you started distancing yourself from him.
It wasn’t easy. Kimi wasn’t the type to miss details, and he noticed immediately. He’d text you more often, always asking if you were okay, or if something had happened. The messages always came with the same playful tone, as if nothing was wrong, but you could sense the concern behind them.
“I’m just tired. I’ll catch up with you later.”
“I’ve got some things to do.”
Each time, the weight in your chest grew heavier. You hated the way you were pulling away, but you were terrified of what would happen if you didn’t. If you let yourself feel this way, you knew you wouldn’t be able to stop it.
And that’s what scared you the most.
You were in the break room, staring out the window. The noise of the team in the distance faded as you lost yourself in thought. Your phone buzzed in your pocket, and you didn’t need to look to know who it was. Kimi.
The messages were simple at first.
"You’re being quiet today."
"Is everything okay?"
You didn’t respond right away, trying to focus on something—anything—to distract yourself from the inevitable. It was only when you heard the door creak open that you turned to find Kimi standing there, his usual mischievous grin absent. His eyes searched your face with that quiet concern you couldn’t ignore.
“You’ve been avoiding me,” Kimi said casually, though there was an edge to his words.
You quickly looked away, your heart hammering in your chest. You’d known this moment would come, but you weren’t prepared for it. “I’m not avoiding you,” you said, though the lie slipped out too easily.
Kimi raised an eyebrow. “Really? Because it sure feels like it.”
You swallowed hard, guilt twisting inside you. “I just... I’ve got a lot on my mind.”
“You’ve had a lot on your mind for weeks now,” he replied, his voice softening. “What’s going on?”
You didn’t know what to say. The words stuck in your throat. It was all so much. So much easier to stay distant and pretend it wasn’t happening, pretend that your feelings didn’t exist.
“I just need some space, Kimi,” you said quickly, standing up and trying to put some distance between you both. “I need time to think.”
But Kimi didn’t budge. He stayed where he was, his eyes fixed on you. “You can’t push me away, not like this.”
You flinched at his words, but you refused to meet his eyes. “I’m not pushing you away. I’m just... figuring things out.”
“Figuring what out?” Kimi’s voice dropped an octave, a rare seriousness creeping into his tone. “What’s there to figure out?”
You finally met his gaze, trying to keep the tears at bay. “I don’t know what’s happening, Kimi. I don’t know how to deal with it.”
Kimi took a step toward you, his expression softening. “Whatever it is, I’m here. But you don’t have to carry it alone. If something’s bothering you, you don’t have to shut me out.”
Your breath hitched, and you quickly turned away, hating how much it hurt to hear him say that.
“I just need time,” you said again, though it sounded weak, even to you.
No, You weren’t falling for Kimi.
Or at least, that’s what you kept trying to convince yourself.
Maybe it was just a confusion. You’d been around him too much. Close proximity, long nights, inside jokes. It messes with your head. Anyone would start overthinking things in that situation. Right?
You told yourself that as you sat beside Ollie in the Haas hospitality, laughing a little too loud at one of his stories. It was easy with Ollie—no butterflies, no tension, just effortless.
You sipped your drink and leaned a little closer, smiling at Ollie like you meant it.
Because every time Kimi looked at you like you were the only thing in the room, every time his voice dropped to that softer pitch meant only for you, every time your hands brushed and you felt it in your chest—you panicked.
It couldn’t be real. Not that kind of feeling. Not with him.
So you started avoiding him, not just in messages but also in real life. Skipping coffee runs. Taking different routes to the paddock. Sitting beside Ollie instead of Kimi.
And Ollie noticed—of course he did—but he didn’t say anything. He was good like that.
But Kimi noticed too. And he said even less.
Which hurt more than you expected.
You caught him watching you once from across the motorhome, his eyes unreadable. He didn’t look away when you met his gaze. Just held it, like he was trying to figure out what the hell had changed.
You were with Ollie now. Laughing, joking, making it look like everything was fine. Like you were fine.
Because no matter how many conversations you forced, how many times you told yourself you were just confused, no matter how close Ollie sat beside you—your eyes always drifted to the Mercedes garage.
You were in love with Kimi Antonelli.
It’s late. The race weekend has come to an end, and the venue is quieter than it’s been in days. Most of the team is tucked away in their rooms. You, however, found yourself wandering aimlessly, trying to shake off the weight of your thoughts.
The cool night air is soothing, and the city lights in the distance twinkle like stars. You’re not sure why you’re still out here, but something about the solitude feels... necessary. You’re lost in the hum of the night when suddenly, you hear the faint sound of footsteps behind you.
Before you can turn around, Kimi’s voice cuts through the silence.
You stop in your tracks, a shiver running down your spine at the unexpected interruption. There’s something in his tone that makes you hesitate. You weren’t planning on this, but you don’t get a choice. He’s not going to drop it.
“Now?” you ask, forcing a lightness to your voice you don’t feel.
You let out a quiet sigh and turn around to face him, bracing yourself for whatever’s coming next. Kimi doesn’t usually push you for serious conversations. So when he does, you know it’s something important.
“You’ve been really distant lately,” Kimi suddenly says, breaking the silence. “I mean, I know you’ve been busy with everything and you said you need time, but it’s like... you’re trying not to talk to me.”
You feel your heart skip a beat at his words. The thing is, he’s not wrong. You have been avoiding him a little, mostly because of your confusing feelings. But you don’t know how to explain that.
“I just...” you start, unsure of how to articulate what’s been on your mind. “It’s just... sometimes it feels like we’re not the same, you know? Things have changed, and I don’t know why.”
Kimi looks at you carefully, his gaze softening. “You’ve been acting strange ever since that whole ‘twin strawberry’ thing, haven’t you?”
You blink. “What do you mean?”
“Well, it was important to you, right? You wanted to give it to Ollie or whatever. But I ate it. And then I noticed that you’ve been kind of... off since then. Like you were disappointed in me.”
You freeze. Is that what he thinks?
“I wasn’t disappointed in you,” you say quickly, shaking your head. “It’s just... I thought it meant something, and then it didn’t. But... I guess that’s silly.”
Kimi sits next to you on the hood of the car, his voice low. “I don’t think it’s silly.”
You turn to look at him, confused. “What do you mean?”
He looks at you seriously. “It mattered to you. That means it matters to me, too.”
It’s the first time he’s said anything like that. It’s not the playful teasing you’re used to. It’s real.
Your heart races. This is the moment when you finally realize that maybe... you’ve both been feeling something more for each other.
But you don’t say anything yet. You just sit there, both quietly looking at the stars, not needing to say anything else.
It had been a long day at the race, and everyone was unwinding in the team lounge. You were talking to Ollie, laughing at some stupid joke he’d made, the conversation flowing easily as you leaned in slightly, maybe a little too close for Kimi’s liking. But you didn’t notice. You didn’t notice the way Kimi was watching you—how his eyes darkened every time Ollie smiled at you, how the knot in his stomach tightened every time you laughed too loud.
Kimi’s usually cool exterior was starting to crack. Every small gesture between you and Ollie, every lingering look, seemed to intensify the feeling in his chest. He wasn’t sure when it started, but the jealousy had been simmering, growing in the pit of his stomach with every passing minute.
And then, there it was. You were standing close to Ollie, both of you too involved in the conversation, your arm brushing against his. Kimi couldn’t take it anymore. He didn’t care if it was nothing, if you were just friends. The way you two seemed so at ease with each other… it just hurt.
You had been talking to him more than usual, laughing and enjoying the conversation like you used to with Kimi—before all the feelings, before all the unspoken tension.
Without saying a word, Kimi stood up, grabbed his jacket, and walked out of the lounge, his steps heavy and deliberate. He didn’t want to see you with him anymore. He couldn’t.
You noticed his absence only when the weight of the room shifted. You glanced up and saw Kimi disappearing into the hallway, his back turned to you. Panic surged through you as you rushed after him.
“Kimi!” you called, your voice cutting through the air as you ran to catch up. You found him standing in the rain just outside the building, drenched but not caring. He was staring out into the night, his body rigid.
“Kimi, what’s going on? Why are you leaving?”
He didn’t respond, his silence only amplifying the growing anxiety in your chest. You stepped closer, your feet squelching in the puddles. “Kimi, talk to me.”
“Oh, now, you finally want to talk to me," He finally turned, his expression a mixture of anger and hurt, and you could see how his fists were clenched at his sides.
“I don’t want to hear it,” he spat, his voice dripping with frustration. “I know what’s going on. You think I’m blind, huh? I saw how you were with him. You two talking, laughing, too close, like… like it was something else.” His eyes narrowed, his face reddening from the rain and his own emotions. “I know you like him. You’ve been liking him for a while, and I—” He stopped, his breath catching as his fists clenched tighter. “But you don’t get to shove that in my face. Not in front of me.”
You blinked, completely stunned by his words. “Kimi, what are you talking about? It’s nothing like that!”
“Oh, really?” he shot back, voice tight and bitter. “Then what was that? Do I have to watch you getting cozy with Ollie every time I turn around? Do I have to watch you smile at him like that, while I just stand here like an idiot?” He exhaled sharply, shaking his head. “I’ve had enough.”
You stepped forward, your heart racing. “Kimi, I—”
“No!” he snapped, holding up his hand. “I get it now. You’re into him. Fine. You like him. Just don’t—don’t make me watch it. I don’t deserve that.” His shoulders sagged for a second, the anger slowly being replaced by something else. Vulnerability. Hurt.
You stood there, breathing heavily, heart hammering. Something clicked. The jealousy, the tension, the way he’d been acting all night.
"Why are you acting like this, Kimi?" you questioned.
"What do you think?!" he snapped.
“I’m in love with you, goddamnit!”
Kimi’s voice cut through the storm like thunder—raw, sharp, and intense.
He raked a hand through his wet hair, pacing a step away before turning back, eyes burning despite the rain pouring down his face. “Do you even get it?” he shouted, arms thrown out like he didn’t know what else to do with them.
“Do you know what it’s like watching you smile at someone else like that? Letting him get close like how you are to me? Like I’m not right here—like I haven’t been here, this whole damn time!” Kimi continued.
Your breath hitched. “Kimi—”
“I can’t—” He shook his head, chest heaving. “I can’t keep pretending I don’t care. I can’t keep standing there like it doesn’t fucking destroy me.”
He stepped closer now, eyes burning into yours with something real.
“Look, Ollie’s my best friend,” he said, voice tight. “I’ve never been jealous of him. Not for the wins, the praise, the attention—none of it. I’ve always been proud of him.”
His voice cracked just slightly, barely audible under the sound of the rain, but it shattered something in you.
“But the only time I ever hated him—ever—was when you were with him. Laughing. Touching his arm. Knowing how much you like him. That didn’t just make me jealous,” he breathes, voice cracking, “it fucking destroys me.”
You shook your head, stepping closer to him, despite the rain that was soaking you both. “I’m not in love with Ollie anymore, Kimi.” You paused, searching for the words. “I— I was. But that was a long time ago. It’s you. It’s always been you.”
Kimi blinked, clearly taken aback by your words. “What?” He stared at you, disbelief in his eyes. “What do you mean? You’ve been—”
“I don’t know when it happened,” you interrupted, voice soft. “But I’ve been in love with you, Kimi. I’ve been feeling it for a while, and I didn’t know how to say it. I didn’t even know if you felt the same way.”
You reached out and grabbed his hand, your fingers trembling slightly. “I don’t want anyone else. It’s always been you, Kimi. It always will be.”
Kimi stood there, staring at you, his mind racing. For a moment, the rain kept falling, the world around you fading. He wasn’t sure what to say, but he couldn’t deny it. There was something inside of him that knew this moment had been coming. The jealousy, the feelings, everything had been building up for so long.
“Are you… sure?” he asked softly, voice shaking slightly as he took a step toward you.
You nodded. “I’m sure, Kimi.”
He didn’t say anything else. He just pulled you in, crashing his lips into yours, his arms wrapping around you tightly. The rain continued to pour down, soaking you both, but neither of you cared. It felt like everything had fallen into place.
When the kiss finally broke, you rested your forehead against his, breathless.
“Guess the twin strawberry was real after all,” he says, chuckling.
"It turns out that fate had a better taste than me."
