cabin fever - daniela avanzini x fem! reader
previous - chapter 9
chapter 10 - loophole (pt 1)
next - chapter 10 loophole (pt 2)
warnings - slight suggestive content
the next morning, camp had never looked so alive.
cars rolled steadily through the gates, tyres crunching over the gravel as families piled out. excited voices echoed across the grounds, children breaking into sprints the second they spotted familiar faces.
every few seconds another camper shrieked, “mom!” or “dad!” before disappearing into a hug that almost knocked somebody over.
the whole place buzzed with a different kind of energy.
amidst the chaos, sophia stood just outside the main lodge with a clipboard tucked beneath her arm, calmly directing parents while answering the same questions she’d already answered at least twenty times that morning.
“yes, parking’s just around the back.”
“the morning activities start at ten.”
“no, they’ll have plenty of time together.”
“yes, coffee’s inside.”
she somehow managed to do it all without looking remotely stressed.
a few metres behind her…the other counsellors were doing a considerably worse job of looking professional.
they’d all changed out of their usual camp uniforms, taking full advantage of the fact they wouldn’t be spending the afternoon chasing children through the woods.
daniela had fully embraced the beach. a flowing white skirt brushed around her ankles with every little shift of her weight, paired with a cream bandeau top that gathered in the middle with a delicate flower detail.
a woven shoulder bag hung from her arm, layered gold necklaces catching the morning sun every time she moved. her curls had been twisted into a loose bun with a white flower tucked behind one ear, a pair of sunglasses resting on top of her head. she looked effortlessly pretty, like she’d stepped straight out of a postcard.
y/n hated how quickly she noticed and she forced herself to look away before daniela caught her staring.
after yesterday’s panic, y/n had kept things simple. a pale yellow linen shirt hung open over a fitted white tank, the sleeves casually rolled to her elbows. light wash denim shorts sat comfortably on her hips, paired with white trainers and scrunched socks.
megan looked exactly like someone who belonged wandering around a beach town with an iced coffee in her hand. baggy denim shorts sat low on her waist beneath a fitted white ribbed tank, finished with a black belt. a navy cap shaded her face while tiny black sunglasses hid behind the brim.
lara somehow looked like summer itself. a chocolate brown halter top hugged her frame before disappearing into a long cream skirt striped with shades of brown that swayed around her ankles. gold jewellery decorated almost every inch of her wrists and neck she looked effortlessly put together as though she’d spent hours planning the outfit despite claiming she’d “just thrown something on.”
sophia had gone for something a little more practical. a white bikini peeked out beneath a loose crochet knit that slipped casually off one shoulder, paired with white denim shorts and sandals. she still somehow looked every bit the responsible camp leader, despite looking ready for a holiday.
and then there was manon. she somehow managed to make the simplest outfit look impossibly cool.
loose white linen trousers pooled neatly over her sandals, paired with a fitted white ribbed tank tucked effortlessly into the waistband. a patterned headscarf sat over her braids, black sunglasses hiding her eyes as she leaned casually against the side of the van with her arms folded. she looked like she belonged on the cover of a magazine.
“…how are we all going to the same beach?” y/n muttered, looking between all of them.
lara grinned “because some of us have taste.”
“some of us?” megan scoffed.
“all of us,” daniela corrected with a smile.
“except y/n,” manon added.
y/n gasped “i look cute.”
“you do,” daniela said without thinking. the words slipped out so naturally she didn’t even realise she’d said them until everyone looked at her. her cheeks immediately warmed “…i mean…” she cleared her throat “…your shirt’s nice.”
they followed sophia away from the main camp, leaving behind the chatter of parents and campers until the voices became nothing more than a faint hum in the distance.
the path grew narrower the further they walked. trees arched overhead, their branches weaving together to block out most of the morning sun, weeds had long since claimed the edges of the trail, brushing against their legs as they passed.
y/n frowned “…i didn’t even know this path existed.”
“me neither,” megan admitted, adjusting the strap of her bag.
lara looked around with narrowed eyes “how did we not know about this?” she glanced between sophia and manon, who continued walking ahead like they’d made the journey a hundred times before.
“because…” manon called over her shoulder without turning around, “…you’re not as cool as us.”
lara snorted “oh, is that right?” before manon could react, lara reached forward and gave her shoulder a firm shove.
manon stumbled half a step before catching herself then she stopped walking altogether.
slowly…she turned around “…push me one more time.” there wasn’t much bite behind the words but there was enough that nobody was entirely sure whether she was joking.
lara stepped closer without a second thought, close enough that barely an inch separated them. she adjusted her glasses with one finger, a grin spreading across her face “…or what?”
manon held her stare “…or-“
“or nothing.” sophia sighed, already anticipating where this was going. she slipped neatly between the two of them, catching manon gently by the arm before steering her forwards again with an exaggerated eye roll “children.”
“she started it,” manon muttered.
“did not.”
“did too.”
“both of you,” sophia said, not even looking back, “i swear.”
the trees finally opened into a small clearing. nestled against the edge of the woods sat an old wooden shed, it looked almost forgotten.
ivy had climbed halfway up one side, moss clung to the roof and the faded green paint had peeled away years ago, exposing weathered timber underneath.
“this…” megan blinked “…looks haunted.”
sophia ignored her. she pulled the old keyring from her pocket, sorting through several rusted keys before finding the right one.
the lock clicked open with surprising ease.
“see?” she smiled proudly “told you.”
she wrapped both hands around the metal handle. pulled and nothing happened
she frowned “…come on.” another tug. the door didn’t move so much as a centimetre.
“stupid door,” she muttered under her breath, planting one foot against the step as she pulled harder. it groaned loudly but refused to open. after another failed attempt, she stepped back with an annoyed sigh.
manon rolled her shoulders dramatically as she wandered forwards “move.” she flexed her fingers “…i got this.”
sophia stepped aside with a knowing smile “go on then.”
manon grabbed the handle confidently “watch and learn.” she gave it one hard pull.
nothing.
she frowned and pulled again, harder this time. the only thing that happened was the entire shed letting out a loud creak. the door remained exactly where it was.
“…what the fuck?” she hissed under her breath, taking another step back as she wiped her forehead dramatically “…it’s welded shut.”
megan burst into laughter. the kind where she had to bend over slightly just to breathe.
“oh my god.” she pointed at manon “that was embarrassing.”
manon shot her a look “…bitch.” she stepped aside with a huff “you fucking try then.”
megan’s smile disappeared instantly “…me?”
“yeah.”
“…no.”
lara didn’t give her a choice. with both hands on her shoulders, she shoved megan forwards until she stumbled right up to the stubborn old door.
“go on.” lara folded her arms “show us how it’s done.”
megan marched up to the shed with far more confidence than she’d actually felt “watch and learn,” she muttered, mostly to herself. she wrapped both hands around the old metal handle, planted one foot against the step and pulled….nothing.
she frowned “…okay.” another pull, the shed answered with an unimpressed creak. the door didn’t move.
“come on.” she leaned back with all of her weight and still nothing.nfinally she let go, stumbling backwards a step as the others burst into laughter.
lara doubled over almost instantly, daniela wasn’t much better, covering her mouth with one hand as she laughed into it. megan looked between the pair of them in complete offence.
“i don’t know what you two are laughing at.”
she dusted her hands together dramatically “i don’t see either of you trying.”
“absolutely not,” lara answered immediately.
“not a chance,” daniela agreed.
without even realising it, they both took a step backwards at exactly the same time. the movement left y/n standing slightly ahead of everyone else.
megan noticed instantly, a slow grin spread across her face “well…” she nodded towards the stubborn old shed door “go on.”
y/n blinked “…what?”
“go on.”
“why me?”
“because.” megan gestured vaguely towards the door “if none of us can do it…”
y/n folded her arms “…what makes you think i can?”
“exactly,” manon chimed in “prove us wrong.”
before y/n could answer, sophia stepped back beside manon “…actually…” she walked over again “one more try.”
manon immediately joined her “move.”
“you move.”
“together?”
“together.”
megan sighed dramatically before wandering back over. the three of them all grabbed hold of different parts of the old door.
“one…”
“two…”
“three!”
they pulled together and the shed groaned loudly. a few flakes of old green paint drifted onto the ground but the door stayed exactly where it was.
while everyone watched the three failed attempts, lara quietly glanced towards daniela then towards y/n back to daniela.
she gave the tiniest nod and daniela frowned “…what?”
lara widened her eyes, nodded towards y/n again then looked back at daniela with the most obvious expression imaginable.
go.
daniela stared at her for a second, completely confused then…realisation slowly spread across her face “…oh.”
lara smirked, finally.
daniela rolled her eyes, though she couldn’t stop the small smile tugging at her lips. she took a quiet breath before walking forward.
y/n was still standing in front of the shed, watching the others argue over whose fault it was. she didn’t hear daniela approach until she was right behind her.
“…hey.”
y/n turned slightly before she could say anything, daniela’s hand settled gently against her waist.
her fingertips slipped beneath the hem of the oversized shirt she’d thrown on that morning, resting lightly against the warm skin at her side.
it was barely a touch and yet…y/n forgot how to breathe.
daniela leaned in just enough that her voice stayed between the two of them “can you please try?” the words came out quieter than she’d meant them to, almost hushed against y/n’s ear.
y/n swallowed hard, she slowly turned her head. their faces ended up much closer than she’d expected.
daniela smiled “…for me?”
y/n’s brain emptied “…y-yeah.” she cleared her throat “…yeah, sure.” the words came out in a tiny squeak and heat rushed straight into her cheeks.
daniela smiled a little wider before letting her hand slip away “thanks.”
y/n walked towards the shed trying very hard to remember how legs worked. behind her, daniela stepped back beside lara.
lara looked at her with a smug grin that said, see? daniela fought a smile, eventually giving in with the smallest shrug.
the two of them quietly bumped their fists together before letting their fingers spread apart in a tiny celebratory wiggle, both trying not to laugh as they watched y/n, who was still very obviously flustered, approach the stubborn old shed door.
y/n stepped forward, squeezing her way between megan, manon and sophia until she was standing directly in front of the stubborn old shed door.
she didn’t touch it straight away instead, she just… looked at it. her hands were still ever so slightly shaky because she could still feel daniela’s hand on her waist.
still hear the quiet for me? whispered against her ear. she swallowed, forcing herself to focus.
behind her, manon folded her arms “go on then, macho man.”
y/n ignored her. she crouched slightly, running her eyes over the warped wood, the rusted hinges and the swollen frame where years of rain had soaked into the timber.
“…hm.” everyone waited. she leaned in closer. another few seconds passed before she suddenly stepped sideways, disappearing around the corner of the shed.
megan frowned “…the door’s here, idiot.”
no answer. they could hear footsteps crunching over leaves as y/n wandered further around the building “…what is she doing?” lara laughed.
a moment later y/n reappeared, she looked surprisingly pleased with herself.
“mei.” she pointed around the side of the shed “come gimme a boost.”
“why?”
“there’s a window.” every head whipped towards her.
“…oh shit,” manon laughed, already skipping around the corner of the shed to see for herself. the others quickly followed.
sure enough, halfway up the side wall sat a tiny square window. one of the old wooden shutters had warped over time, leaving it sitting slightly open, not by much but enough.
y/n pointed at it triumphantly “see?”
“…absolutely not.” three voices answered at once.
sophia folded her arms immediately “no.”
daniela shook her head just as quickly “no.”
even lara looked horrified “…hard no.”
y/n blinked between the “…what?”
sophia looked at her as though she’d suggested setting the shed on fire. “you are not climbing through that window.”
“why not?”
“because you’ll get hurt.”
daniela stepped a little closer, looking up at the tiny opening before back at y/n “what if you fall?”
“i won’t.”
“you don’t know that.”
“i do.”
lara pointed dramatically at the window “i am not having my beach day ruined because you decide to launch yourself through a hundred-year-old window and end up in hospital.”
“that’s so dramatic.”
“is it?” lara asked “because i think it’s realistic.”
megan looked between the window and y/n.
“…i mean…” she shrugged “…i kind of think she’d fit.”
manon was already standing underneath the window, looking up thoughtfully “i reckon she’d fit.”
“thank you.”
“head first though.”
“manon!” sophia rubbed a hand down her face “none of you are helping.”
y/n smiled innocently “…so…” she clasped her hands together “…is that a yes?”
“no.”
“absolutely not.”
“fuck no .”
the three answers came so quickly they almost overlapped. y/n sighed dramatically “…you’re all so negative.”
megan and manon exchanged a look, didn’t say a word, they simply shrugged at each other before crouching down in front of the wall, interlocking their hands and holding them out towards y/n.
“taxi’s here,” megan announced.
“first class,” manon added.
y/n smiled “thank you.”
“no.” sophia’s voice cut straight through them, the kind of firm that made campers freeze where they stood.
nobody moved, she pointed towards the path they’d just come down “i’ll go back to camp.” she was already reaching into her pocket for her phone “i’ll get a crowbar, a hammer, literally anything we can use to wedge the door open.”
“that’s going to take ages,” y/n sighed.
“good.”
“i’ll literally be fine.” she stepped towards the two makeshift human steps “if i survived mr fucking fluffy, i can survive this.” she flashed everyone a reassuring smile.
“language,” sophia corrected automatically, though she was far too focused on stopping her to put much effort into it.
before y/n could even lift a foot a hand caught the back of her neck.
“eep-“ she squeaked in surprise as she was gently but very firmly pulled backwards.
daniela.
her fingers rested against the nape of y/n’s neck, thumb just beneath her hairline as she tugged her a step away from the wall “why are you being such an idiot?” the words came out much sharper than she’d intended “just fucking wait.”
silence. everyone looked at her.
daniela hadn’t realised how harsh she’d sounded until five pairs of eyes were suddenly fixed on her. her grip immediately softened, she hadn’t meant to snap. it was just…all she’d been able to picture was y/n slipping or landing badly or getting hurt.
“ow…” y/n laughed nervously, reaching both hands back to daniela’s wrist “i’m-ow-“ she tried to wriggle free “i can- ow-“ another failed attempt “do it.”
daniela didn’t let go, instead, she looked at y/n with an expression that was somewhere between frustration and genuine worry.
“you don’t know that.”
“i do.”
“you don’t.”
“dani-“
“no.” her voice was quieter now, less angry and more pleading “can you just… stop trying to get yourself hurt for five minutes?”
the words hung in the air and y/n stopped tugging against her hand. she turned as much as she could to look back at daniela.
the annoyance she’d expected wasn’t there.
daniela looked scared, her jaw was tight, her brows pinched together. there was still guilt lingering from the squirrel incident, and it was written all over her face.
“…i just don’t want anything happening to you.” she almost whispered it. the confession slipped out before she could stop herself.
nobody spoke. lara looked slowly towards megan, who looked back at lara. both of them silently raised their eyebrows.
manon, meanwhile, looked between daniela’s hand still resting protectively against the back of y/n’s neck…and the way y/n hadn’t made any real effort to move away anymore “…huh,” she murmured quietly to herself.
sophia pinched the bridge of her nose “y/n…” she sounded exhausted “just wait, please.”
whether she hadn’t caught the look on daniela’s face or had simply brushed it off as normal concern, thankfully she didn’t put two and two together.
y/n let out the longest sigh imaginable “…okay.” she stared dramatically at the ground “fine.”
only then did daniela’s hand slowly slip away from the back of her neck.
“thank you,” sophia said, relieved.
the second daniela let go, y/n looked up.
she didn’t say a word, she simply looked across at manon then megan.
they looked back at her, there was barely half a second of silence. manon gave the tiniest nod and megan did the same. both of them quietly lowered themselves back into a crouch, hands already interlocked.
ready.
y/n glanced back towards sophia then daniela.
and ran.
“y/n-“ sophia barely got her name out before y/n was sprinting across the clearing.
“oh for fuck’s sake,” lara burst out laughing.
she didn’t slow down. one step. two. three.
her trainers pounded against the dirt before, in one impossibly smooth movement, her right foot landed squarely in megan and manon’s joined hands.
“now!” manon shouted. the two of them launched upwards with everything they had.
y/n was practically catapulted into the air.
“holy-“ megan stumbled backwards from the force.
“y/n!” daniela’s voice echoed through the clearing. arms reaching instinctively towards her despite being nowhere near close enough.
for one dramatic second it genuinely looked as though y/n was about to catch the windowsill, her fingers stretched out.
just-
the ancient wood gave way first.
crack.
the rotten frame splintered apart with a deafening snap. instead of pulling herself through the tiny opening…she simply…kept going.
“…oh my god!” sophia yelled.
the entire window exploded in a shower of splintered wood. y/n disappeared straight through it like she’d been fired out of a cannon.
there was a loud-
thump.
followed by another crash from somewhere inside the shed.
everyone froze.
manon blinked’“…well.” she slowly looked at her hands “that worked better than i expected.”
“manon!” sophia exclaimed, already running towards the shed.
daniela was faster. she was at what remained of the window almost immediately, trying to peer in over the broken frame.
“y/n!”
there was another clatter from inside. then a familiar voice echoed back.
“…i’m okay!” a pause “…i think.”
inside the shed, y/n groaned dramatically “…i’m gonna have so many splinters.” there was a long, painful groan from somewhere inside the shed.
“…ow.” then another groan “…everything hurts.”
“y/n?” daniela called immediately, still leaning through what was left of the window frame. “are you actually okay?”
“define okay.” she slowly peeled herself off whatever she’d landed on. thankfully, instead of crashing onto the hard wooden floor, she’d landed on something surprisingly soft beneath a large dust sheet.
it gave enough to stop the impact from being much worse “…i’m alive.” she coughed almost immediately another fit followed.
“jesus-“
cough.
“it’s-“
cough.
“so dusty in here.” she waved a hand in front of her face, only succeeding in sending even more dust swirling into the air around her.
sunlight poured through the hole she’d accidentally created in the wall, illuminating thousands of tiny dust particles floating lazily through the shed.
y/n screwed her face up “i can taste the dust.”
“can you stand?” sophia called, panic still evident in her voice.
“…yeah.” another cough “give me a second.”
she rubbed at her watering eyes before taking in her surroundings.
the shed wasn’t full of old tools like she’d expected. there was barely anything inside at all. just one large vehicle sitting in the middle beneath a faded grey tarp.
the shape underneath was unmistakable, the van.
“…found it,” she muttered to herself.
she brushed a layer of dust off her shorts before walking towards the stubborn door.
“…now why the hell…” she reached for the handle and pulled. it barely moved.
frowning, she looked down “…oh.”
thick ivy had wrapped itself around the bottom of the door from the outside, growing through gaps in the frame over years until it had practically welded the whole thing shut.
“seriously?” she crouched grabbed hold of the vines with both hands. she yanked and the ivy stretched stubbornly before finally-
rrrip.
it tore free in one long strip.
“there we go.” she tossed it aside. this time, when she pulled the handle…the old door let out one long, dramatic creak before slowly swinging open.
sunlight flooded inside. outside, five very anxious faces immediately came into view.
y/n stood in the doorway, completely surrounded by a cloud of dust. her hair had escaped in every direction imaginable.
tiny splinters clung to her shirt and shorts, there was dirt smeared across one cheek.
she looked like she’d just survived a building collapse.
she spread her arms with a proud grin “…ta-da!”
for exactly one second…nobody moved. then manon doubled over. a loud, uncontrollable dolphin laugh escaped her before she completely lost it.
“oh my god-“ she had to grab onto megan’s shoulder just to stay upright “she-“ another fit of laughter cut her off. “she went straight through the fucking wall!”
megan wasn’t any better, tears were already streaming down her face as she pointed at y/n, desperately trying to breathe.
“you didn’t even-“ she wheezed “you didn’t even climb!” another laugh escaped her.
“you just…” she made a dramatic launching motion with both hands “whoosh!”
manon copied it immediately “like a human cannonball!”
both of them dissolved into another round of hysterics, leaning against each other as they laughed so hard neither could stay standing properly.
“i’m crying,” megan gasped, wiping beneath her eyes “i’m actually crying.”
“that was the funniest thing i’ve ever seen.”
“you literally exploded through a window.”
sophia, meanwhile, wasn’t laughing in the slightest, she hurried straight over “move.”
she gently caught y/n by both shoulders, immediately looking her over “let me see.”
she brushed bits of broken wood out of y/n’s hair, turning her face from side to side.
“look at me.” y/n did “does anything hurt?”
“my dignity.”
“y/n.”
“…a little.”
sophia sighed. she carefully checked over her arms, brushing dust from her shoulders before picking a tiny splinter from the sleeve of her shirt.
“you’re unbelievable.” despite the words, there was obvious relief in her voice “you scared the life out of me.”
while sophia fussed over y/n, lara simply wandered straight past them into the shed.
“ooh…” she looked around curiously “so this is what you’ve all been hiding.” she walked around the tarp-covered vehicle, completely unconcerned by everything that had just happened.
before sophia could continue checking y/n over she was suddenly nudged firmly aside.
“hey-“
daniela stepped straight into the space she’d left. without warning she shoved y/n hard in the shoulder.
“eres tan estúpida!” her voice came out sharp, almost shaking.
y/n blinked at her “…ow?”
before she could even process it daniela grabbed her. both arms wrapped tightly around y/n, pulling her flush against her chest.
the hug was so sudden it knocked the breath from y/n’s lungs. daniela held her without thinking. far tighter than she normally would’ve.
everyone fell quiet even manon and megan stopped laughing. daniela’s eyes squeezed shut for the briefest second.
she’d been terrified, the image of y/n disappearing through that window had replayed in her head over and over until the door had finally opened.
she let out a shaky breath against y/n’s shoulder only then did she seem to realise what she’d done. her eyes widened and she immediately let go, taking a hurried step backwards.
“s-sorry.” heat rushed to her face, she cleared her throat awkwardly “…are you okay?”
her hands immediately returned to y/n’s arms anyway, gently turning them over.
“are you hurt?” she brushed more splinters from y/n’s shirt, checking her elbows, her shoulders, then lightly cupped her jaw to inspect the small smear of dirt on her cheek.
“did you hit your head? does anything hurt?can you move your wrist? your ankle?”
she looked over y/n with the exact same worried expression sophia had worn moments earlier, her concern completely overriding any embarrassment from the impulsive hug.
“i-i…” y/n blinked “…i’m fine.” she said it with the biggest, dopiest grin imaginable.
a grin that refused to leave her face. whether she’d actually knocked her head…
or whether it was because daniela had hugged her…or because she’d heard her snap in spanish…or because she’d never heard daniela sound quite so worried before…
even y/n wasn’t entirely sure, all she knew was that she couldn’t stop smiling.
sophia slowly looked at daniela then back at y/n then at daniela again. “is she concussed?” sophia asked quietly.
daniela frowned “…maybe.”
sophia sighed before gently cupping y/n’s cheeks between both hands, turning her face from side to side “hey.” she narrowed her eyes “are you concussed?”
y/n just kept smiling “…i’m fine.” her eyes drifted sideways, straight to daniela.
daniela noticed immediately “…don’t look at me.” she mumbled it, cheeks warming despite herself. she folded her arms tightly across her chest, trying to look annoyed instead “i’m still mad at you.”
“…okay.” that stupid grin stayed exactly where it was.
“…stop smiling.”
“…can’t.”
“…why?”
“…don’t know.”
daniela rolled her eyes, though she had to bite the inside of her cheek to stop herself smiling back.
“yeah,” sophia muttered “she’s definitely concussed.” before she could continue her very serious concussion assessment, a loud-
“one…”
“two…”
“three!”
everyone turned. lara, megan and manon had completely ignored the conversation. the three of them each grabbed a corner of the enormous dusty tarp.
with one dramatic yank, the tarp slid backwards and dust exploded into the air slowly revealing the vehicle hidden beneath.
an old camper van sat in the middle of the shed like it had been frozen in time.
its body had been painted the softest warm cream, the lower panels fading into a muted sage green that curved into rolling hill silhouettes wrapping all the way around the van.
across one side bloomed enormous hand-painted flowers. bright golden sunflowers stood proudly beside oversized white daisies, their stems stretching up from the painted hills as though they’d grown there naturally over the years.
despite the dust coating the windows, the colours underneath were still vibrant.
it looked less like a vehicle more like something pulled straight from a storybook.
lara’s jaw dropped “…no way.”
megan slowly walked around it “this…” she reached out, carefully brushing dust from one of the painted flowers “…this is the cutest van i’ve ever seen.”
everyone gravitated towards it almost instinctively. megan was the first to reach the sliding door. she grabbed the old handle.
for a second it resisted before-
clunk.
the mechanism unlocked, she pulled. the door rolled backwards with a long metallic rumble, years of dust shaking loose from the runners before it settled fully open.
all six of them stood there staring inside.
“…oh,” daniela breathed. it somehow felt even more magical than the outside.
warm honey-coloured wood lined almost every surface, making the whole van feel cosy despite the years it had spent hidden away. little cupboards ran along both sides overhead, their rounded wooden doors giving everything a soft, vintage feel instead of sharp corners.
cream curtains were tied neatly beside every window, sunlight spilling through the fabric and painting warm strips of light across the floor.
running down each side of the van were two long cushioned benches in faded cream fabric patterned with tiny leaves and vines. they faced each other across a narrow aisle, looking more like two comfy sofas than seats in a van.
above them sat rows of little storage cupboards, while at the very front the two captain’s seats looked almost untouched beneath matching patterned covers. it made the tiny space feel open instead of cramped.
“…this is adorable,” lara whispered “it’s like a tiny cottage.”
“with wheels,” megan added.
manon reached up, opening one of the overhead cupboards.
“look!” y/n wandered towards the back, opening another little cupboard. inside sat old enamel mugs, a tiny kettle and a pack of playing cards that looked older than all of them combined.
daniela ran her fingertips along one of the wooden cupboards “i love it.”
there wasn’t an inch of the van that didn’t feel loved. every little detail looked carefully looked after, even if it had been gathering dust.
manon laughed, hopping backwards into the narrow aisle while sophia climbed into the driver’s seat.
the old leather seat groaned beneath her as she settled in. she looked entirely too pleased with herself “moment of truth.”nshe slid the key into the ignition.
everyone held their breath, manon leaned over the centre console from the aisle.
“don’t kill it.”
“i haven’t even started it.” sophia rolled her eyes before turning the key. the engine coughed once. twice. then with a deep rumbling growl that echoed through the whole shed-
it roared to life.
“…yes!” sophia cheered, throwing both hands into the air. the entire van vibrated gently beneath them.
“holy shit!” megan laughed.
lara dropped onto the bench along the left side, y/n flopping down beside her with a tired groan. across from them, megan and daniela claimed the opposite bench.
the four of them sat facing each other while sophia adjusted mirrors at the front and manon wandered up and down the aisle opening cupboards just because she could.
y/n leaned back against the cushion with a content sigh “this is so comfy.” she turned her head to look towards the front.
lara’s eyebrows slowly lifted.
“…what?” y/n frowned.
lara reached over without answering. she plucked a tiny leaf from somewhere near y/n’s temple then another and another.
“you’ve literally got half a tree in your hair.”
she held up a collection of leaves, tiny twigs and pieces of ivy she’d somehow managed to gather.
megan immediately burst into laughter “oh my god.”
y/n blinked “…i do?”
lara reached up again “hold still.” she pulled another tiny twig free.
sophia eased the van into gear. the entire thing lurched forward so suddenly everyone instinctively grabbed onto something.
“woah!” megan was thrown back against her seat “jesus christ.”
“sorry!” sophia laughed, gripping the wheel tighter. “she’s a little… temperamental.”
“a little?” manon deadpanned from beside her.
the van bounced over a small bump before coughing dramatically, the engine sounding like it was deciding whether or not it actually wanted to cooperate.
“come on…” sophia patted the dashboard affectionately “don’t embarrass me now.”
the engine grumbled in response. they rolled another few feet before the ride suddenly smoothed out.
the rattling settled into a steady hum “there she is,” sophia smiled proudly “see? she just needed warming up.”
manon rested one elbow on the open window “okay…” she glanced between the dashboard and the road ahead.
“first things first is gas.”
sophia nodded immediately “gas.” both of them looked down at the fuel gauge. the needle sat stubbornly just above empty.
“i know a station,” manon said, already pulling her phone from her pocket. she opened the map “it’s only like…” she zoomed in “…fifteen minutes.”
“perfect.” sophia followed the directions while the rest of the van settled into conversation.
across the back, lara had somehow become y/n’s personal makeup consultant “…no, because seriously,” y/n was saying, leaning across the aisle to look closer at her “your lip liner always looks so good.”
lara smiled “thank you.”
“how do you make it look like that?”
“what?”
“it’s like…” y/n gestured vaguely around her own lips “…blended. mine just looks like i’ve coloured outside the lines.”
lara laughed “okay, first of all, exfoliate your lips.”
“i do.”
“not enough.”
“rude.”
“i’m serious.” lara pulled a lip liner from her bag “then you don’t draw on your actual lip line.”
“you overline?”
“a tiny bit.”
“how tiny?”
“like…” she pinched her fingers together “…this much.”
y/n nodded thoughtfully as though she’d just been given the secrets of the universe.
“don’t worry.” lara patted her knee “we’ll fix you.”
while the two of them continued dissecting lip liner techniques…megan wasn’t listening to a single word.
instead she looked across the aisle straight at daniela, who…very obviously…wasn’t looking at lara or the road or literally anything else.
she was watching y/n, watching the way she animatedly talked with her hands, the little smile that appeared every time lara teased her, the tiny twig still somehow tangled near the back of her hair.
“…soooo…” megan nudged daniela’s arm.
daniela jumped slightly “…what?” she looked away from y/n so quickly it almost gave her whiplash.
megan grinned “you know what.”
“…i genuinely don’t.”
“mhm.” megan looked pointedly towards y/n then back at daniela. her eyebrows bouncing dramatically, she practically vibrated in her seat “go on.”
daniela followed her gaze realised exactly what she meant “…oh my god.” colour immediately rushed into her cheeks “stop.”
“i didn’t even say anything.”
“you didn’t have to.” megan’s grin somehow got wider. she gave another exaggerated nod towards y/n.
before megan could tease her any further daniela simply lifted her entire hand, placed it squarely over megan’s face and shoved.
“mmph!” megan’s head disappeared dramatically into the side of the van.
“leave me alone.” daniela muttered, refusing to look at her.
megan peeled the hand away, laughing under her breath “…you’re so obvious.”
“i hate you.” daniela folded her arms, deliberately turning towards the window this time. anything to avoid looking back at y/n which lasted…approximately three seconds.
before her eyes wandered right back across the aisle again.
~~~~
the old camper van rattled down the winding road leading out of camp.
every bump made something inside clink softly.bthe engine hummed steadily now, no longer fighting against sophia every time she changed gears.
ahead of them, the familiar wooden sign came into view.
camp evergreen.
everyone looked up almost instinctively. the painted sign slowly rolled past the windows before disappearing behind them.
manon rolled the passenger window down and leaned half her body outside “wooooo!”
her laugh carried across the quiet road as the wind whipped past her face “we’re free!”
“manon!” sophia laughed, reaching over to tug at the back of her shirt. “get back in here.”
still grinning, manon dropped back into her seat.
the trees slowly swallowed the entrance behind them their day officially began.
about half an hour later, after stopping for fuel and somehow spending far longer than planned inside the tiny service station, everyone climbed back into the van with far more bags than they’d left with.
“how did we spend that much?” sophia asked as she started the engine again.
“essentials,” megan answered.
sophia looked over her shoulder at the pile of snacks covering half a seat “…right.”
they’d switched seats while they were stopped. lara climbed into the passenger seat beside sophia, phone already connected to the speakers as she searched for something everyone would actually listen to.
manon and daniela settled opposite each other in the back with the shopping bags between them.
they started unpacking everything, handing packets back and forth as they decided what should stay out and what could be shoved into the cupboards above.
across from them, megan and y/n had completely abandoned all interest in snacks.
instead, both of them were practically glued to the windows.
“…horses!” megan gasped.
y/n whipped her head around so quickly she nearly hit the glass “where?”
“there!” they both watched excitedly as a field of horses disappeared behind them.
“…oh my god.”
“look at that bird!” y/n pointed.
“where?”
“there!”
“oh!”
“look!”
“where?!”
“you missed it!”
“no!”
every few minutes one of them spotted something new, a tiny roadside fruit stand, an old windmill, a dog sticking its head out of a car window.
they reacted to each one with the same level of excitement as two children on their first ever road trip.
lara glanced into the rear-view mirror and smiled. daniela looked up from the snacks, watching them for a second before smiling to herself “…they’re like little kids.”
“they really are,” manon chuckled, popping open a packet of chips before offering them to daniela.
outside rolled by in shades of green, while inside the old van filled with easy conversation, music and the occasional burst of laughter.
the drive from camp to the beach took just over two hours.
what had started as loud conversation, questionable singing and enough energy to power the entire van slowly settled into something much quieter.
about halfway through the journey, they pulled into another lay-by so sophia could stretch her legs.
manon slid into the driver’s seat instead.
“your turn,” sophia smiled, tossing her the keys “don’t scratch missy’s baby.”
the van rumbled back onto the road, manon surprisingly smooth behind the wheel despite all her earlier joking.
the scenery had changed completely now.
the dense forest surrounding camp had slowly given way to open countryside. rolling green fields stretched endlessly on either side of the road, broken up by little stone walls, sleepy villages and the occasional glimpse of distant hills.
inside the van, everyone had settled into their own little world. lara sat twisted slightly in the passenger seat, one hand still connected to the aux cable.
“absolutely not.” she skipped another song “what is wrong with this?”
“give it here.” manon reached one hand out from the steering wheel “you’re killing the vibe.”
the argument continued lazily, neither of them sounding particularly invested anymore as songs played for thirty seconds before one of them inevitably skipped it.
behind them, sophia had claimed one corner of the bench, one leg tucked beneath herself as she absentmindedly scrolled through her phone.
every so often she’d glance up to check where they were before returning to whatever she’d been reading.
across from her, daniela was doing much the same. head resting against the window, phone in one hand. occasionally smiling to herself at something she’d seen before locking the screen again and simply watching the countryside drift by.
on the opposite bench…megan and y/n had experienced a very different journey.
for the first hour they’d been practically bouncing off the walls. now…it was as though they’d completely run out of battery.
megan sat slumped beside y/n, blinking slower and slower every few minutes. she tried joining lara and manon’s debate, managed half a sentence then yawned so hard her eyes watered. “…i’m not tired,” she mumbled.
about five minutes later…her head slowly tipped sideways until it landed squarely on y/n’s shoulder.
y/n looked down “…mei?” no response. she let out a quiet laugh “seriously?”
megan was completely asleep, her mouth had even fallen open slightly. y/n smiled to herself before carefully adjusting so megan wouldn’t wake up. “…she’s gone.”
daniela glanced up from her phone “…already?”
“mhm.”
“she lasted longer than i thought,” sophia chuckled.
y/n shook her head fondly “…she’s like a toddler.” everyone smiled before returning to whatever they’d been doing.
the van hummed steadily along the road, music played softly the air grew warm beneath the afternoon sun. and, despite insisting she also wasn’t tired… y/n’s own eyelids began getting heavier.
she blinked. once. twice. her head dipped forward before she caught herself “…don’t…” she whispered to herself “…fall…” another blink “…asleep…”
less than ten minutes later…she’d lost the fight too. her head slowly slumped sideways until it rested gently against the top of megan’s.
the two of them ended up tangled together in the most awkward position imaginable.
megan half draped across y/n’s shoulder, y/n’s cheek resting against megan’s hair. one of y/n’s arms somehow trapped beneath both of them while megan’s leg had ended up tucked awkwardly underneath herself.
it looked impossibly uncomfortable.yet somehow…they both slept soundly.
daniela looked up again, she smiled before quietly lifting her phone.
click.
“…did you just take a picture?” sophia whispered with an amused smile.
daniela looked up innocently “…no.”
“…liar.”
“…maybe one.”
“send me it.”
by the time the van rolled into a small outlet village just off the main road, the afternoon sun was high overhead.
little rows of colourful shopfronts stretched either side of the car park, beachwear stores mixed between cafés, surf shops and ice cream stands.
manon eased the van into a parking space before switching off the engine. the sudden silence made everyone look up.
“we’re here?” sophia asked, stretching her arms above her head.
“first stop,” manon corrected. “bikini shopping.”
lara was already halfway out of her seat “finally.”
everyone slowly climbed out except…the back bench.
daniela looked over her shoulder. megan and y/n hadn’t moved an inch. if anything, they’d somehow become more tangled together.
megan’s face was buried against y/n’s shoulder now, one arm loosely wrapped around her middle. y/n had somehow slumped even further down the seat, her cheek resting against the top of megan’s head.
they looked completely dead to the world daniela couldn’t help smiling “…guys.” no response.
she leaned over the back of the bench, reaching out to gently shake y/n’s shoulder.
“hey.” then megan’s “wake up.”
both of them let out matching sleepy grumbles. instead of opening their eyes… they instinctively cuddled closer together.
megan nuzzled further into y/n’s shoulder.
y/n mumbled something completely incoherent before wrapping an arm lazily around megan without even waking up.
daniela laughed quietly “come on.” she gave them another little shake “we’re here.”
lara appeared behind her, watching the failed attempts with folded arms “…you’re too nice.”
daniela looked back “what?”
lara gently nudged her aside “move.” before anyone could question what she was doing
lara put two fingers to her mouth and let out the loudest whistle imaginable.
FHHHWWEEEEEEEEEET!
it echoed through the entire van.
“FUCK” both y/n and megan shot upright so fast they smacked foreheads.
“ow!”
“what happened?!”
they looked around wildly, hair sticking up in every direction, faces still marked from where they’d been sleeping. the rest of the van erupted into laughter.
lara clapped her hands together once “good.” she pointed towards the open door.
“let’s go, ladies.” she grinned “these bikinis aren’t going to buy themselves.”
still looking thoroughly confused, y/n rubbed one eye “…five more minutes.”
lara grabbed one of y/n’s wrists with her other hand she caught megan’s “up.” both of them groaned dramatically as she hauled them to their feet.
“i hate you,” megan mumbled through a yawn.
y/n stumbled after them, still half asleep, nearly walking straight into the side of the van before daniela reached out and gently caught her by the elbow “careful.”
“…thanks.” y/n mumbled, eyes still barely open.
the second the automatic doors slid open, cool air rushed over them.
rows of colourful beach towels hung from the ceiling, shelves overflowing with flip-flops, inflatable flamingos, snorkels, sunglasses, beach bags and enough sun hats to outfit an entire seaside town.
“okay,” sophia announced, already grabbing a shopping basket “everyone gets what they actually need first.”
within seconds, they’d all drifted in different directions. lara had somehow ended up in front of a huge display of sunglasses.
“dani.” she held up an enormous pair that covered almost half her face “thoughts?”
daniela looked over before immediately laughing “you look like a bug.”
“rude.” lara swapped them for another pair “these?”
“…oh yeah those are so cute”
daniela wandered over anyway, picking up a straw sun hat with an oversized floppy brim.
she placed it carefully on her head before turning towards the mirror “…i kind of love this.”
lara reached for another hat, this one woven with a colourful ribbon around the brim. she plopped it onto daniela’s head instead.
“okay…” daniela tilted it slightly “…wait.”
she smiled at her reflection “this one’s cute.”
they stood in front of the mirror trying on hats, swapping sunglasses every few seconds and giving each other completely unhelpful opinions.
meanwhile…sophia was treating the place like a mission. she walked steadily through the aisles, calmly placing things into her basket.
sunscreen, after-sun lotion, aloe vera, extra bottled water, bug spray. “you’re literally shopping like a mom,” manon called as she walked past.
on the opposite side of the store…y/n and megan had spotted something. they looked at each other, the same mischievous smile spread across both their faces.
without a word they went straight towards the beach toys.
“mei-“
“i see them.”
rows and rows of brightly coloured buckets, plastic spades, rakes, little sandcastle moulds.
they were almost there when a hand caught the back of y/n’s shirt and another hooked around megan’s arm.
both of them stopped mid-stride “…aw.”
manon stood behind them, one hand attached to each of them “nice try.”
“but-“
“no.”
megan looked longingly at the bright yellow bucket she’d almost reached. “…please?”
“no.”
“just one little shovel?”
“no”
“we’re going to the beach.”
“yeah! people need shovels at the beach.”
manon slowly turned both of them around until they were facing the back of the store. where rows upon rows of bikinis and swimwear hung neatly organised by colour.
she pointed dramatically “that’s where you’re going.”
both girls looked then looked back at the buckets then sighed in perfect unison “…fine.”
“you two are worse than the campers,” manon laughed, giving them both one final nudge towards the swimwear section “now go buy something you can actually wear.”
the swimwear section took up almost the entire back corner of the store. walls lined with every colour imaginable one-pieces, bikinis, cover-ups hanging from racks in the middle.
megan barely looked for more than a minute before pulling a bikini from one of the rails.
“done.” y/n looked over. it was a deep raspberry pink that almost perfectly matched the pink streaks running through megan’s hair.
“…that was quick.”
“when you know, you know.” she held it against herself in one of the mirrors “…yeah.”
she nodded proudly “this is cute.”
y/n rolled her eyes affectionately before turning back to the seemingly endless wall of swimwear “…how does anyone choose?”
she picked up a pale blue one, put it back.
then a white one “…too see-through.” a green one “…not my colour.” she sighed dramatically “i’m never leaving this aisle.”
manon wandered over, she watched y/n stare hopelessly at the rack for a second before reaching over “i think…” she pulled out a bright red bikini.
it was simple but definitely a little more revealing than anything y/n had been looking at. manon held it up against her, she tilted her head “…ohhh.” a grin slowly spread across her face “yeah.”
she nodded decisively “that’s the one.”
y/n looked down at it then back at manon. “…really?”
“you’re gonna look hot as fuck.”
y/n blinked “…this looks like i’m auditioning for baywatch” she held it out in front of herself “where’s the rest of it?”
manon laughed “yeah, well…” she pointed at the bikini “…if you wear this…” she wiggled her eyebrows dramatically.
“…your bae will watch you.”
she immediately burst into laughter at her own joke “…get it?”
y/n just stared at her “…what?”
manon laughed even harder “bae… watch.”
“…i don’t get it.”
manon groaned loudly! “oh my god.” she pinched the bridge of her nose “forget the joke.” she pointed at the bikini instead.
“dani will think you look sexy in it.” she shrugged “that’s what you want, right?”
y/n frozen“…i…” her eyes widened “…what?” a nervous laugh escaped her “…no.” she looked anywhere but at manon “…i don’t.”
“mhm.”
“i don’t!”
“sure.” manon smiled knowingly “sure you don’t.”
y/n could practically feel the heat creeping into her face.nher cheeks quickly turned the exact same shade of red as the bikini still hanging in front of her.
manon noticed immediately “…aw.” she reached over, gently patting y/n’s warm cheek “shhh.” another pat “your secret’s safe with me.”
“…there isn’t a secret.”
“whatever helps you sleep.” she looked between the bikini…and y/n’s face then smirked.
“get the bikini.” she lightly squeezed both of y/n’s cheeks between her fingers “…it matches these.”
y/n let out an embarrassed groan “manon…”
already laughing to herself, manon turned and wandered away down the aisle, leaving y/n standing there clutching the red bikini while trying very hard to convince herself her face wasn’t burning.
outside, the others were already waiting beside the van.
sophia stood nearest the driver’s door with two reusable shopping bags hanging from either arm, now filled to the brim with sunscreen, water, after-sun, snacks and every other “essential” she’d decided they might need.
lara had proudly kept the wide-brimmed straw hat she’d bought perched on top of her head, occasionally adjusting it every time the breeze caught it.
beside her, daniela had swapped her old sunglasses for the new pair she’d picked up inside. they rested neatly on her nose as she leaned against the side of the van, arms folded, absentmindedly watching people wander through the outlet.
“finally,” manon sighed dramatically. “i thought they’d both drowned in the bikini section.”
right on cue, the shop doors slid open. megan and y/n walked out together both smiling far too innocently with their hands tucked suspiciously behind their backs.
sophia immediately narrowed her eyes “…all done?”
“yes.” they answered at exactly the same time “…mhm.” they nodded in sync still smiling and hiding whatever was behind them.
sophia looked at the two of them then…past them. the automatic doors had already closed again, leaving a perfect reflection in the dark glass.
clear as day behind their backs…two brightly coloured plastic buckets and matching little spades sticking out the top.
she stared at the reflection for a second before letting out a quiet laugh.
“…you two…” she shook her head “…are the weirdest people i’ve ever met.”
megan and y/n both froze “…she knows.” y/n whispered.
megan slowly looked over her shoulder “…oh.”
without another word, sophia simply smiled to herself and walked past them towards the van “come on.” she laughed “let’s go.”
the rest of them looked between sophia…and the two guilty expressions standing outside the shop.
“…what?” lara asked.
“nothing,” y/n answered far too quickly “…absolutely nothing.”
manon folded her arms “…show us.”
“there’s nothing to show.”
“y/n.” lara sighed dramatically “…come on.”
she held out a hand “show us.”
that was all the encouragement they needed. both girls immediately swung their arms around from behind their backs.
“look!” they proudly held up matching beach buckets complete with tiny plastic shovels, little rakes and colourful sandcastle moulds rattling around inside.
they looked ridiculously pleased with themselves “…we got matching ones,” megan beamed.
lara pinched the bridge of her nose “…of course you did.”
daniela laughed, shaking her head “i thought you just bought bikinis.”
“we did.”
“…and these.” y/n held her bucket up proudly “they were essential.”
“essential?” manon repeated.
“how else are we supposed to build sandcastles?”
there was a beat of silence before every one of them burst out laughing. even sophia, halfway through loading the shopping into the van, looked over her shoulder with a smile “…i’m surrounded by children.”
they piled back into the van with shopping bags at their feet, the new buckets somehow already taking up far too much room.
manon started the engine again “twenty minutes,” she announced, glancing at the map before pulling back onto the road. “then we’re at the beach.”
“perfect,” lara said, already digging through one of the bags.
“we’re getting changed now, aren’t we?” megan asked.
“unless you fancy changing in a public car park.”
“…good point.”
the camper wasn’t exactly built for privacy.
after a brief debate, they came up with a system.
one person would stand at the very back of the van while someone else held up a large beach towel like a curtain across the aisle.
it wasn’t perfect but it was the best they were getting.
“who’s first?” sophia asked.
“lara,” daniela answered immediately.
lara disappeared to the back of the van with her shopping bag while daniela stood in the aisle holding the towel stretched between both hands “no peeking,” lara warned.
“wouldn’t dream of it.”
a minute later- “okay.”
daniela lowered the towel and lara stepped out with a little spin.
she’d changed into a bright yellow bikini trimmed with green, the colours standing out beautifully against her skin. it had a fun, summery feel to it, and paired with her sunglasses and messy bun, she looked like she’d walked straight out of a holiday postcard.
daniela let out a low whistle “damn.”
before lara could react-
smack.
daniela gave her a playful slap on the ass as she walked past.
“ow!” lara laughed, turning around with an offended look that lasted all of two seconds.
“rude.”
“damn,” megan said, looking her up and down with an approving nod.
“that is so cute,” y/n beamed.
“thank you, thank you.” lara gave another exaggerated twirl like she was walking a runway instead of standing in the back of a camper van.
up front, manon glanced into the rear-view mirror just in time to catch the spin. the van drifted slightly towards the centre of the road.
“f-fuck-“ she quickly corrected the wheel, gripping it tighter “sorry.”
sophia looked over “eyes on the road.”
“they are!”
“they literally weren’t.”
manon cleared her throat “…they are now.”
lara hummed to herself, looking entirely too pleased with the reaction she’d caused “that’s what i thought.”
she reached into her shopping bag again and pulled out a loose white crochet cover-up, slipping it over her bikini before sitting back down.
“okay,” she said, settling into her seat “who’s next?”
“me.” megan stood up, grabbing the shopping bag at her feet.
y/n was already on her feet too “i’ll hold the towel.” she took the large beach towel from daniela and stretched it across the narrow aisle while megan disappeared behind it towards the back doors.
“don’t let anyone look.”
“mei…”
“i’m serious.”
“nobody’s looking.”
for a minute, all they could hear was the rustling of shopping bags and fabric.
then…silence. another few seconds passed.
“…you okay, mei?” y/n called over the towel.
“…can’t…” more rustling “…fuck.” a frustrated sigh “can’t tie it.” another pause “can you do it?”
“yeah.” y/n glanced over her shoulder “dani, can you hold this? i need to help megan.”
daniela looked up from where she’d been absentmindedly scrolling through her phone.
“…you…” she blinked “…need to help megan put on her bikini?”
“yes.” y/n said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
daniela just stared at her “…why?”
“because she can’t reach the tie.”
daniela continued looking at her as though she’d suddenly started speaking another language. for some reason… the thought of y/n disappearing behind that towel to help megan bothered her far more than it probably should have. she couldn’t even explain why.
“…jesus.” lara sighed dramatically, pushing herself up from her seat “i’ll do it.”
before anyone could answer, she squeezed past y/n and ducked behind the towel instead.
“…ah!” megan squeaked as lara suddenly appeared beside her.
lara paused for exactly one second “…ooh.”
she smiled brightly “you have cute boobs!”
thwack.
megan’s hand connected squarely with lara’s upper arm “ow!”
“s-shut up and tie it!” megan hissed, her face burning red. even from the other side of the towel everyone could hear the embarrassment in her voice.
a couple of seconds passed “hold still.”
“i am holding still.”
“you’re wriggling.”
“because you’re taking forever!”
another laugh escaped lara “there.” she gave the knot one last tug “done.”
“…thank you.”
“…your bikini is cute.”
“…don’t start again.”
“i’m just saying.”
megan groaned loudly enough for the entire van to hear. outside, manon glanced into the rear-view mirror with an amused smile.
“…what is happening back there?”
megan was the first to emerge from behind the towel. she did a tiny spin as she stepped back into the middle of the van, the deep pink bikini matching the streaks in her hair almost perfectly.
“well?” she asked expectantly.
y/n’s face immediately lit up “mei!” she hurried over, grabbing both of megan’s hands “you looook gooooood!”
before megan could react, y/n spun her around in a slow circle. megan laughed the whole way around
megan steadied herself, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear before wiggling her eyebrows dramatically “…yeah?” she grinned “you like it?”
“oh yeah, i love- ooof”
the beach towel suddenly landed against y/n’s chest. she blinked daniela stood beside her, arms folded.
“hold it.” she said it through slightly gritted teeth, though whether she was annoyed or just impatient even she probably couldn’t tell.
“o-oh.” y/n hurriedly grabbed the towel “y-yeah.” she quickly turned around, stretching it across the aisle while daniela disappeared behind it to change.
on the bench opposite, lara plopped down beside megan. they watched the whole exchange in complete silence. lara slowly leaned closer “…they literally could not be more obvious.” she whispered it just quietly enough that only megan could hear.
megan let out a tiny laugh “finally someone said it.” lara glanced towards the towel “she practically shoved that thing at her.”
“she was about two seconds away from combusting.”
“mm.” lara nodded thoughtfully “this is getting painful to watch.”
“tell me about it.” they both looked over again.
y/n was standing perfectly still in the middle of the van, holding the towel with both hands like it was the most important job she’d ever been given.
her ears were bright pink. so were her cheeks. she stared fixedly at the ceiling then at the cupboards then very deliberately out of the window anywhere except the towel she was holding.
she was suddenly hyper-aware that daniela was on the other side of it. changing. she swallowed.
don’t think about it.
immediately, her brain did exactly the opposite.
stop.
she squeezed the towel a little tighter.
it’s literally just daniela getting changed.
be normal.
“…y/n?”
she blinked “huh?”
lara was trying very hard not to laugh “it’s almost like you want us all to watch.”
y/n looked down. somehow, in her complete panic, she’d twisted the towel sideways so there was now a gap big enough to see straight through.
“…oh my god.” she hurriedly fixed it, face somehow turning even redder.
from behind the towel came the unmistakable sound of daniela laughing quietly to herself.nthere was the quiet rustle of fabric from behind the towel.
“…okay.”
daniela’s voice was softer than before, y/n swallowed.
“you can look.” she lowered the towel and promptly forgot how breathing worked.
daniela stepped out from behind it, smoothing a hand over the side of the bikini.
it was a soft sand-coloured crochet set, tiny reflective discs catching the afternoon sunlight every time she moved. delicate ties sat at her hips and behind her neck, the handmade texture giving it an effortless beachy look.
it suited her so perfectly it almost looked like it’d been made for her.
y/n’s heart quite literally stuttered.
oh.
oh no.
every coherent thought she’d had vanished.
gone. completely. she stared, eyes just a fraction wider than normal, mouth ever so slightly open it genuinely felt like her brain had frozen.
don’t stare.
she kept staring, she physically couldn’t stop. it was like her brain had disconnected from the rest of her body.
daniela noticed almost instantly, the corners of her mouth lifted.
“…yeah?” she took a slow step forward, running a finger absentmindedly along the waistband as she tilted her head “you like it?”
y/n opened her mouth and nothing came out. she swallowed hard “…fuck…” everyone looked at her “…i…”
her eyes flicked to daniela again “…you look-“ she stopped herself so abruptly it almost hurt “…i mean…” her cheeks burned “it looks…”
another glance “…good.” she shook her head “no.” another flustered laugh escaped her “i mean you look good-“ her eyes widened.
“no!” she slapped a hand over her own face.
“i mean the bikini!” another nervous laugh it…” she pointed helplessly towards daniela “…it’s a good bikini.”
pause “…on you.” another pause “because…” she groaned “…oh my god.” she buried her face in both hands “can someone else talk?”
lara snorted and megan immediately doubled over laughing.
“she’s actually malfunctioning,” megan wheezed.
“hard reset,” manon called from the driver’s seat “pull the battery out and put it back in.”
even sophia laughed, shaking her head.
daniela, meanwhile, was trying very hard not to smile too much. she’d never seen y/n this flustered ever.
“…so…” she teased softly. “you think it’s a good bikini?”
y/n peeked through her fingers “…i think…” she looked at daniela again, immediately forgot what she was going to say “…yeah.”
“it’s…” her hands made one helpless little gesture in the air “…really nice.”
lara burst out laughing “‘really nice?’” she looked at daniela “poor girl was expecting a proper reaction.”
daniela had to bite the inside of her cheek to stop herself smiling wider because as understated as y/n’s words were…her expression had said everything.
“i’ll take ‘really nice,’” daniela said with a quiet laugh.
“i think that’s about all she’s capable of right now.” megan reached down, grabbed y/n’s shopping bag from the floor and tossed it across the van.
it landed against her chest “your turn, idiot.”
she snatched the towel from y/n’s hands before she could even respond “come on, up.”
“…uh huh.” the reply was absent because y/n wasn’t listening anymore. her eyes had wandered straight back to daniela.
she couldn’t help it.
daniela had moved away to where she’d left her shopping bag, sunlight spilling through the van windows and catching the tiny mirrors woven into her bikini every time she shifted. she looked over her shoulder for a split second, just enough to check if y/n was still watching.
she was. y/n’s eyes hadn’t left her once.
a smile tugged at daniela’s lips.
still looking.
she turned back towards her bag, crouching down beside it. there wasn’t actually anything she needed, she already had everything still…she unzipped it anyway, pretended to rummage around inside.
slowly. giving herself just enough time to wonder if- she glanced sideways.
y/n’s gaze had followed her the entire way, she wasn’t even trying to hide it anymore.
her eyes drifted over daniela almost curiously, like she was trying to take everything in before she forgot what she looked like. the movement was subtle, hesitant enough that y/n herself probably didn’t realise she was doing it.
her bottom lip disappeared between her teeth. she swallowed. she looked away for barely a second then her eyes wandered straight back again.
daniela had to bite the inside of her cheek to stop herself smiling.
got you.
she stayed crouched another second, pretending to search for something that wasn’t there, simply because she knew y/n was still watching.
shove.
megan planted both hands on y/n’s shoulders, making her stumble forwards.
“jesus.” she laughed “get changed.”
y/n blinked. once. twice. like someone had just snapped their fingers in front of her face “…h-huh?” she looked around in complete confusion before noticing the shopping bag still clutched awkwardly against her chest.
“…o-oh.” heat flooded straight back into her face “…yeah.” she cleared her throat, it was completely dry “y-yeah.”
megan was already standing in the aisle with the towel stretched out between both hands “go on.”
“…right.” y/n hurried behind it, almost tripping over her own feet in her rush to disappear.
the moment she was hidden, daniela stood back up with absolutely nothing in her hands.
lara noticed immediately, she looked at the still-open bag then at daniela “…you didn’t need anything.”
daniela casually zipped the bag shut “no.”
lara stared at her for another second then everything clicked, a grin spread across her face “…oh…” she leaned closer, lowering her voice “you’re evil.”
daniela didn’t deny it, she simply gave lara the smallest wink before leaning back against the seat, folding her arms as her eyes drifted towards the towel.
behind it, she could hear y/n fumbling with the shopping bag and muttering quietly to herself.
the corner of daniela’s mouth lifted. she’d wondered whether y/n’s reaction earlier had just been a one-off. apparently not.
megan glanced over at daniela, a grin already spreading across her face “you’re about to get payback for… whatever that was, by the way.”
daniela looked up from where she was absentmindedly playing with the sleeve of her overshirt “…huh?”
before megan could answer, the camper slowed, gravel crunching beneath the tyres.
the gentle rocking came to a stop, they’d made it.
manon looked over her shoulder from the driver’s seat, a smug smile already on her face “oh yeah…” she rubbed her hands together. “wait until you see what i picked out.”
daniela frowned. “…what are you talking abou-“
“okay!” megan interrupted “ready?” the towel dropped.
y/n turned around at the exact same moment, both arms lifted above her head as she twisted her hair into a claw clip.
“…are we here?” she was too busy trying to secure the clip to notice.
the van had gone completely silent, every single person was staring even sophia.
y/n finally clipped her hair up and looked around “…guys?”
lara blinked once “…holy…” she looked y/n up and down again as if making sure she wasn’t imagining it “…holy fuck.”
megan’s mouth had actually fallen open “…okay.” she pointed at manon “i get it now.”
“right?!” manon practically yelled, clapping her hands together triumphantly “i’m a genius!”
y/n frowned “…what?” she looked down at herself. the bright red bikini hugged her perfectly, the colour making her skin glow in the afternoon sun spilling through the van windows.
she looked back up “…is it too much?”
“too much?” lara repeated “are you joking?”
“that…” sophia finally managed, still looking genuinely surprised “…really suits you.”
manon threw both hands into the air “ha!” she pointed dramatically at sophia “see?!” then back at y/n “even sophia thinks you’re hot!”
“sophia did not say that,” sophia sighed, already pinching the bridge of her nose.
“you thought it!”
megan was still staring’“…y/n.”
“what?”
“respectfully…” she shook her head “…where the hell were you hiding that?”
“megan!” sophia scolded.
“what?” megan laughed. “i’m giving her a compliment!”
through all of it…daniela hadn’t said a single word. she couldn’t, she’d completely forgotten how.nher eyes had landed on y/n the second the towel dropped…
and hadn’t moved since. she’d expected the bikini to look nice. she hadn’t expected…
that.
the red was almost unfair. she looked effortlessly beautiful. her hair clipped up exposed the back of her neck, a few loose strands framing her face, and the confidence she’d completely lacked five seconds ago somehow made her even prettier.
daniela swallowed hard without realising it, she’d been staring just as openly as y/n had been a few minutes earlier.
lara noticed immediately, she slowly turned her head towards daniela then back to y/n then back to daniela.
a grin spread across her face “…oh.” she nudged daniela’s arm “payback.”
daniela didn’t even respond she was still looking at y/n and judging by the way the tips of her ears had turned pink…
she suddenly understood exactly how y/n had felt moments earlier.
lara was the first to move, she pushed herself up from the bench, squeezing past y/n to get to the door.
as she did
smack.
her palm landed square against y/n’s ass with a loud crack through the van. y/n let out a high-pitched yelp.
“ow!” the force of it made her stumble backwards, landing dramatically back onto the bench she’d just stood up from.
“laraaaaa!” she groaned, immediately rubbing the sore spot “what the fuck?”
lara didn’t even look sorry. if anything, she looked proud of herself. she shrugged innocently “girl…” she pointed towards y/n with both hands “it looked at me first.” a beat “i couldn’t help it.”
y/n tried to glare but after about two seconds she burst out laughing instead, shaking her head.
everyone else also dissolved into laughter.
while y/n continued rubbing the sting from the slap, sophia and manon took their turns changing.
megan held the towel while sophia disappeared behind it first, emerging a minute later in a simple sage-green bikini with a high-waisted bottom and a loose white crochet shirt she’d tied casually at her waist. understated, practical… very sophia.
“cute,” y/n smiled.
“thanks.”
next was manon. she disappeared behind the towel with a grin.
“prepare yourselves.”
“that’s never a good sign,” lara muttered.
she stepped out wearing a black bikini with thin gold rings connecting the straps at her hips and shoulders, oversized sunglasses already perched on top of her head before she’d even put them on properly.
she struck a pose “thank you.” nobody had said anything yet.
lara rolled her eyes “humble as ever.”
“it’s my best quality.”
back on the bench, y/n was still rubbing her ass with an exaggerated pout “that actually hurt.”
“did it?”
“yes!” she pulled her hand away.
megan happened to glance down “…oh my god.” everyone looked over, a bright pink handprint stood out against y/n’s skin.
then lara saw it and she completely lost it.
she doubled over laughing so hard she had to grab onto the back of the driver’s seat.
“i left a print!” she gasped between laughs.
“i actually left a print!”
y/n looked over her shoulder as best she could “…are you serious?”
“very.”
“lara!”
“i’m so sorry.” lara immediately snorted “no i’m not.” another wave of laughter filled the van.
everyone was laughing. everyone…except daniela. her smile had disappeared. her eyes stayed fixed on the fading red outline of lara’s hand against y/n’s skin.
she knew it was a joke, she knew lara hadn’t meant anything by it, she knew y/n wasn’t bothered but none of that stopped the uncomfortable twist in her stomach.
it had been building all afternoon, watching y/n and megan curled up asleep together, the thought of y/n helping megan tie her bikini, everyone teasing y/n, lara casually putting her hands on her.
she’d laughed along every time but it was getting harder and harder to pretend none of it bothered her.
before anyone noticed the change in her expression, daniela abruptly stood. she grabbed her beach bag off the seat in one sharp movement.
the van door slid open with more force than necessary the metallic bang made everyone look up.
“…dani?” sophia frowned.
without looking back, daniela slung the bag over her shoulder and with that, she stepped down onto the sand, letting the sea breeze hit her face as the door slid shut behind her.
a/n - part two is literally coming in 2 minutes don’t attack me 🥹
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