pairings: daniela avanzini x reader
tags: smau + written, college au, slow burn, pining/yearning, sexuality awakening, fluff, possibly angst, smut
y/n never expected a girl literally running into her to become the highlight of her senior year. dani definitely never expected that same girl to make her question everything she thought she knew about herself. but when their friends get involved, ignoring their feelings becomes a lot harder.
chapter twenty six: i know you hate it when there's nothing to say ⟨ mostly written ⟩
Friday came around faster than either of them expected, especially for Y/n. After classes wrapped up for the day, the pair drove over to Lara's house together.
"You sure you're not nervous?" Dani asked, glancing over at her with an encouraging look.
Y/n let out a soft laugh. "Maybe a little."
"Don't be. They're gonna love you,” Dani reassured.
"No, stop, you’re gonna jinx me," Y/n joked.
Dani rolled her eyes, playfully bumping her shoulder against Y/n's. "You're being dramatic."
Before Y/n could respond, the front door swung wide open.
"There you are!" Lara beamed, pulling Dani into a quick, warm hug before turning to Y/n with a welcoming smile. "And you must be Y/n."
"Hi," Y/n offered politely.
"It's so nice to finally meet you properly,” Lara let them in.
Within a few minutes, everyone had settled comfortably into the living room. Megan and Yoonchae were already arguing over what movie to put on, Sophia was busy looking through the kitchen cabinets searching for snacks, and Manon was sitting beside Dani on the couch.
Conversation came surprisingly easily. Y/n quickly realized Dani hadn't been exaggerating; her friends were actually really sweet, welcoming, and easy to talk to.
"So," Megan said, casually tossing another piece of popcorn into her mouth. "Now that Dani's finally taken..."
"Finally?" Dani laughed, throwing a pillow in her direction.
"You have no idea how painful it was watching the two of you dance around each other for months," Megan insisted.
"I wasn't that bad!" Dani argued back. However, five different voices immediately chorused at once, "Yes, you were,” causing the entire room to burst into laughter.
"Okay, okay," Dani groaned, covering her face. "Can we please change the subject?"
"Fine," Lara smiled mischievously. "Let me hear about everyone's absolute worst dating experience."
"Oh, that's easy," Megan offered right away.
"No, don't listen to her, hers is just embarrassing," Yoonchae laughed.
Megan's eyebrows knit in offense, "It built my character!"
"It built bad decisions," Yoonchae argued.
One story effortlessly led into another, like disastrous first dates, terrible exes, and messy situationships that should have never happened in the first place.
Sophia shook her head, leaning back against the sofa. "Honestly, all of your stories make me look so much better."
Megan scoffed loudly, enough for the whole room to hear. "Please!"
"What? I have good taste!" the Filipina argued back.
"You've made questionable decisions too," Megan pointed out.
Sophia raised an eyebrow in challenge, "Like what, exactly?"
Megan opened her mouth to reply, but then caught herself, letting out a sudden, awkward laugh. "Actually, never mind. Dani doesn't count."
Sophia immediately grabbed a couch pillow and chucked it across the room at her. "Oh my God!"
"What?" Megan laughed, shielding her face.
Lara snorted, entirely unbothered. "Yeah, that wasn't even a date, that was just like a hookup."
Y/n froze, her gaze snapping up, "...what?"
The loud laughter in the room instantly died down into a heavy, uncomfortable quiet.
"Wait, what do you mean?" Megan asked, her voice dropping as she realized what she'd just implied.
Y/n glanced between the suddenly tense faces in the room before her eyes landed squarely on Dani, "What hookup?"
Dead silence fell over the living room. Manon’s stomach instantly dropped. She looked over at Dani, who had gone completely and utterly still beside her. Sophia's smile vanished instantly, and Megan’s face fell into a deep frown.
"You didn't know?" Megan asked softly.
Y/n held Dani's wide, panicked gaze for a few long seconds. Then, slowly, she gave a single, small nod, "oh."
That was the only word that left her lips.
Lara quickly cleared her throat, breaking the awkward silence, "So... who's actually picking the movie?"
The conversation slowly started back up, though it was nowhere near as cheerful as before. Y/n was still polite, she answered when people spoke directly to her, and she still smiled when someone made a joke. But the warmth in her eyes was entirely gone.
Dani noticed every single shift. When their hands accidentally brushed as they reached into the same bowl of popcorn, Y/n quietly pulled hers back. When Dani subconsciously leaned her shoulder against Y/n's, Y/n subtly shifted her weight just enough to create a sliver of space between them.
Nobody else seemed to pick up on the subtle distance, except Manon. And judging by the immense, guilty look plastered across Megan's face, she had noticed it too.
The drive back to the dorms was almost entirely silent. The car radio played softly in the background, though neither of them was truly listening to the music.
Dani stole a quick glance sideways. Y/n was leaning back against the headrest, staring silently out the passenger window at the passing streetlights.
"Did you…have fun tonight?" Dani asked softly, her fingers tightening on the steering wheel.
"Yeah," Y/n replied quietly.
Just one word. No soft chuckle, no teasing, no eye contact. Nothing.
Dani swallowed hard, the grip on the wheel hurting her knuckles. "I'm so sorry you had to find out like that."
Y/n didn't answer, her gaze remaining fixed on the streetlights passing by outside.
A few agonizing minutes later, Dani pulled the car into the dorm parking lot. She shifted into park, but her hand lingered over the ignition, leaving the engine running. The heavy silence stretched on between them.
Finally, Y/n reached out and grabbed the door handle, "I'll see you later."
"Y/n?" Dani blurted out, trying to stop her.
Y/n paused, blinking slowly before turning her head.
"I mean.." Dani let out a breathless, nervous laugh, "Can we please just talk for a second?"
Y/n looked at her for a long, quiet moment. "I don't think I really have anything to say right now."
Her tone wasn't sharp or angry. If anything, it was terrifyingly calm. Then, she pulled the door handle open. "Goodnight, Dani."
Before Dani could say another word, Y/n stepped out into the cool night air and closed the car door behind her. She walked toward the brightly lit entrance of the dorm building, not looking back once.
Dani remained seated in the driver's seat long after the heavy glass doors closed behind her. She stared blankly at the front entrance with a deep, sickening knot tightening in her stomach.
For the very first time since they had gotten together, she truly wasn't sure if Y/n would send her a text wishing her good night, or even good morning.
a/n: guys i feel so bad for dani in the new therapuss thingy that came out cuz wdym she has no friends in la and she looks at other people with friends and gets fomo 😭😭 ugh i wanna give her a hug
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