A/N: Manon Nation, how we feeling? How do we like that ending? :)
✦•┈๑⋅⋯ ≽^•⩊•^≼ ⋯⋅๑┈•✦
The results of Dream Academy replayed in your head for months afterward.
Not because you couldn’t remember them.
Because you couldn’t forget them.
The stage had been beautiful that night. Bright white lights washed over every finalist while cameras floated through the air, capturing every smile, every shaky breath, every hopeful face. You stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the girls you’d spent nearly two years training beside, hands clasped so tightly in front of you that your fingers had gone numb.
Your heart pounded every time another name was announced.
Sophia.
Lara.
Yoonchae.
Megan.
Daniela.
Manon.
Each announcement was followed by applause, tears, hugs, and congratulations.
You clapped for every single one of them.
You meant it.
You truly did.
But with every name that wasn’t yours, a quiet part of your own dream slipped away.
Eventually there were no names left to call.
The applause around you became muffled.
Your smile stayed exactly where it was because there were still cameras pointed at your face.
You hugged the debut members one by one, whispering congratulations into their ears. They all cried with you, promising they’d stay close, promising this wasn’t goodbye.
You believed them.
At least you wanted to.
Once the cameras finally stopped rolling, the emotions you’d forced down came rushing back.
The backstage hallway was nearly empty when you slipped away.
You found a quiet corner behind a stack of equipment cases and finally let yourself cry.
Not elegant tears.
Not the kind that looked pretty on camera.
Your shoulders shook as months—years—of exhaustion poured out all at once.
“I figured you’d be here.”
You looked up through blurred vision.
Manon stood a few feet away, still wearing the outfit she’d just debuted in.
Mascara had begun to smudge beneath her own eyes.
Without another word, she walked over and sat beside you on the floor.
Neither of you spoke for a while.
Eventually, you laughed weakly through your tears.
“I look ridiculous.”
“You do,” Manon teased softly.
That earned her a watery glare.
She smiled.
“There she is.”
You wiped your face with your sleeve.
“I’m happy for you.”
“I know.”
“I really am.”
“I know.”
“But…”
Your voice broke.
“I wanted to stand next to you.”
Manon’s smile disappeared.
“So did I.”
Silence settled again.
You leaned your head against her shoulder.
She didn’t move away.
She simply rested her head against yours.
“You know…” she murmured, “everyone keeps talking about Katseye.”
You nodded.
“But that’s not my biggest accomplishment.”
You looked at her.
“It’s finding you.”
Your eyes welled up again.
“Don’t say things like that.”
“Why?”
“Because I’ll cry.”
“I think you’re already crying.”
A laugh escaped you despite yourself.
She bumped your shoulder playfully.
“No matter where life takes us…”
She held out her pinky.
“…you’re my safe place.”
You hooked yours around hers without hesitation.
“And you’re mine.”
Life, however, had a cruel habit of testing promises.
Katseye debuted.
Their schedules exploded almost immediately.
Rehearsals.
Music shows.
Brand deals.
Interviews.
Award ceremonies.
Meanwhile, you quietly disappeared from the public eye.
Not because you gave up.
Because you needed time.
You couldn’t bring yourself to audition again.
You couldn’t watch survival shows.
You couldn’t even listen to the songs you’d practiced during Dream Academy without remembering what almost happened.
Instead, you started writing.
At first they were just journal entries.
Then poems.
Eventually melodies.
Your tiny apartment slowly filled with notebooks and voice memos.
Songs about grief.
Songs about hope.
Songs about dreams changing shape.
Every now and then, your phone would buzz.
Manon:
“Saw your Instagram story. Proud of you ❤️”
Or—
“Miss you.”
Sometimes you’d spend hours talking like nothing had changed.
Other times months would pass before either of you reached out.
No one was angry.
Life was simply moving too fast.
Then something unexpected happened.
A producer heard one of your demos.
Then another.
One song led to another.
Small artists began recording music you’d written.
People started recognizing your name in songwriting credits.
Eventually someone asked the question that terrified you.
“Have you ever thought about releasing your own music?”
You almost said no.
Instead…
You said yes.
Two years after Katseye’s debut…
Your debut single was released with almost no expectations.
The song was called “Constellations.”
No elaborate teasers.
No expensive music video.
Just a photograph of you looking toward a cloudy night sky.
Then…
The internet found it.
Within forty-eight hours it had spread everywhere.
People couldn’t stop talking about the lyrics.
“You called me home before I knew I was lost.”
“You smiled at me like friendship couldn’t hurt.”
“If timing is everything… why did mine arrive too late?”
Fans cried.
Made edits.
Analyzed every lyric.
Then someone remembered Dream Academy.
Old clips resurfaced overnight.
Compilations flooded social media.
Videos of you and Manon laughing during rehearsals.
The way she’d instinctively reached for your hand whenever eliminations happened.
The way you always looked for each other after performances.
The matching bracelets you’d exchanged during training.
An old interview where you’d both answered the same question.
“Who’s your biggest comfort here?”
Neither of you had hesitated.
“Manon.”
“Y/N.”
People started connecting the dots.
Then another detail resurfaced.
Manon was dating David.
The discussions became endless.
“There’s no way…”
“Wait… this actually lines up.”
“She literally says she loved someone she couldn’t have.”
“Guys… I think it’s Manon.”
Late one evening, after another long rehearsal, Manon sat in the home she shared with her friends while David was visiting her.
She put on headphones.
Pressed play.
The opening piano filled the room.
She expected heartbreak.
She wasn’t prepared for recognition.
Every verse described moments only the two of you had shared.
Sneaking snacks after evaluations.
Holding hands before performances.
Talking until sunrise in the dorm because both of you were terrified of failing.
The lyric that finally broke her wasn’t even the chorus.
“You became home without ever knowing I was alone.”
Manon covered her mouth.
“…Oh.”
The realization hit all at once.
The countless moments where you’d looked at her a second too long.
The songs you’d quietly shared years ago.
The way you’d never dated anyone.
The way you’d slowly drifted away after Katseye debuted—not out of resentment, but because staying close had become too painful.
She whispered into the empty apartment,
“I’m so sorry.”
David looked over from the kitchen.
“You okay?”
She quickly removed her headphones.
“…Yeah.”
She lied.
Months later, Katseye sat together for another promotional interview.
The interviewer smiled mischievously.
“I have to ask.”
Daniela immediately laughed.
“Oh no…”
“The internet has been obsessed with one question.”
Sophia already knew where this was going.
“So…”
The interviewer leaned forward.
“Who do you think ‘Constellations’ is about?”
Before anyone answered…
Sophia slowly turned toward Manon.
Daniela did the same.
Then Megan.
Lara.
Yoonchae.
Five silent pairs of eyes settled on her.
Manon blinked.
“…Why are you all looking at me?”
Daniela shrugged.
“You answer.”
The interviewer laughed.
“So?”
Manon folded her hands in her lap, her expression calm enough that no one watching would suspect the storm inside her.
She offered a tiny shrug.
“It’s a beautiful song.”
“But?”
“We honestly don’t know.”
“You don’t have any guesses?”
“No.”
Her smile never faltered.
“It’s just a song.”
The interview moved on.
None of the members challenged her.
Not there.
Not in front of cameras.
But they knew.
Several months passed.
News quietly spread that Manon and David had ended their relationship.
There were no dramatic statements.
No accusations.
Just mutual respect.
Fans were sad, but understanding.
Manon kept smiling through schedules.
But every now and then, when no one was looking…
She found herself opening your Spotify profile.
Just to see if you’d released anything new.
One Friday morning…
You did.
The title was simple.
“Forward.”
Everyone expected another heartbreak song.
Instead…
The first lyric stunned listeners.
“I stopped waiting for doors that were never locked.”
The song wasn’t bitter.
It wasn’t angry.
It was peaceful.
You thanked someone for changing your life.
You admitted loving them had made you into a better woman.
You admitted that leaving had been the hardest decision you’d ever made.
Then came the line that spread across social media within hours.
“Some people aren’t meant to stay forever. They’re meant to teach you that forever isn’t the only kind of love worth having.”
By the final chorus, your voice sounded lighter than it ever had before.
“I’m not looking back anymore.
Not because I hate where I’ve been.
Because I finally love where I’m going.”
Manon listened once.
Then again.
Then again.
By the fifth time, she realized something that frightened her more than she thought it would.
You weren’t waiting anymore.
The hope she’d unknowingly kept alive for years…
was gone.
You had healed.
You had moved on.
For the first time since Dream Academy…
your songs no longer reached for her.
They let her go.
The next morning, Manon walked into a small flower shop.
The florist smiled warmly.
“Picking up for someone special?”
Manon stared at the rows of flowers.
“…Someone important.”
She chose white lilies and pale blue hydrangeas.
Simple.
Honest.
The kind of bouquet that said everything she couldn’t.
The drive to your apartment felt impossibly long.
She rehearsed a hundred different apologies.
None of them sounded right.
When she finally stood outside your front door, her hands had begun to shake.
She almost turned around.
Twice.
Instead…
She lifted one trembling hand and rang the doorbell.
A few moments later, footsteps echoed from inside.
The lock clicked.
The door opened.
You stood there wearing an oversized hoodie and sweatpants, your hair still messy from sleep.
For a second, neither of you spoke.
It had been years since you’d seen each other in person.
Your eyes widened.
“…Manon?”
She looked exactly as you remembered.
Beautiful.
Familiar.
And somehow, impossibly distant.
Her grip tightened around the bouquet.
Tears had already begun gathering in her eyes.
“I know I don’t deserve your time.”
Her voice trembled.
“I know I’m years too late.”
She swallowed hard.
“But before you decide whether to shut this door…”
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.
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.
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.
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 🥹
Summary: Somewhat has the plot of Disney's Zombies
Pairings: Daniela x Fem!Reader
Warnings: Little Angst, MAJOR Romance
A/N: Bro I hate my job
✦•┈๑⋅⋯ ≽^•⩊•^≼ ⋯⋅๑┈•✦
The fences surrounding Dream Academy had stood for years.
Not to keep danger out.
To keep the werewolves in.
Ever since the Lunar Virus had spread through Seabrook generations ago, humans and werewolves had been separated. The infected weren’t monsters—they were just… different. They were stronger, faster, their eyes glowed gold when emotions ran high, and every full moon required special moonstone bracelets to keep them from transforming.
Humans called them dangerous.
Werewolves called humans afraid.
No one questioned it anymore.
Until the first day the fences came down.
You adjusted your backpack as students crowded the front entrance.
“They’re actually coming today,” Megan whispered.
Yoonchae nervously peeked toward the school gates. “Do you think they’ll howl?”
Sophia sighed.
“…They’re people.”
“I know,” Megan defended. “I’m just saying… what if they do?”
The loudspeaker crackled.
“Please welcome Dream Academy’s first werewolf students.”
The courtyard fell completely silent.
A group of students walked through the entrance.
Gray uniforms instead of Blue or Pink.
Silver moonstone bracelets around each wrist.
Some had ears that twitched unconsciously.
Some had eyes that flashed gold when students stared too long.
Leading them was a girl with soft curly brown hair.
Daniela.
Walking beside her were two girls laughing quietly despite everyone’s stares.
Manon.
Lara.
None of them looked dangerous.
They just looked… uncomfortable.
The whispers started immediately.
“Don’t get too close.”
“They can smell fear.”
“I heard they hunt.”
“They’ve got claws.”
Daniela heard every single word.
Her ears flattened slightly.
You noticed.
The principal paired human students with werewolves to “encourage unity.”
Of course.
You ended up with Daniela.
“…Hi,” you said awkwardly.
Daniela blinked before offering a tiny smile.
“Hi.”
Silence.
“So…”
“So…”
You both laughed.
The tension disappeared instantly.
“I’m Daniela.”
“I know.”
She rubbed the back of her neck.
“Right… first day.”
“I’m Y/N.”
“I know.”
“…”
“…”
Both of you laughed again.
Over the next few weeks, everyone expected fights.
Instead…
Daniela was surprisingly sweet.
She always held doors open.
She apologized when her tail accidentally knocked books over.
She loved dancing.
She doodled wolves wearing sweaters in the margins of her notebook.
She secretly adored cheesy romance movies.
You learned all of that because your project partners kept becoming…
Friends.
Megan still wasn’t convinced.
“She’s nice,” she admitted.
“…But she’s still a werewolf.”
“So?”
“What if she accidentally bites you?”
Sophia rolled her eyes.
“You’ve watched too many movies.”
Meanwhile…
Inside the werewolf neighborhood…
Manon grinned.
“You like her.”
Daniela nearly choked on her drink.
“I do not.”
Lara snorted.
“You smiled for three straight minutes after she complimented your drawing.”
“I was being polite.”
“You tucked your hair behind your ear.”
“…”
“You never tuck your hair behind your ear.”
Daniela buried her face in her hands.
“Oh my gosh.”
The other two burst into laughter.
The annual Dream Academy Rally arrived.
A tradition.
Humans performed one side.
Werewolves performed the other.
Separate stages.
Separate audiences.
Separate applause.
During rehearsals, you caught Daniela watching you dance.
She immediately looked away.
You smiled.
She smiled back.
Your stomach flipped.
Everything changed when the music suddenly cut off.
A loud alarm echoed across campus.
The emergency moonstone generators had failed.
Several werewolves gasped as their bracelets flickered.
Gold flashed through Daniela’s eyes.
Students screamed.
“They’re transforming!”
“They’re losing control!”
Humans rushed toward the exits.
Someone shoved Daniela.
“Monster!”
She stumbled backward.
Without thinking—
You caught her hand.
Everyone froze.
Daniela looked terrified.
Not angry.
Terrified.
“I’m okay,” she whispered, breathing hard.
Her nails had become claws.
Her ears had fully emerged.
A fluffy gray tail swayed behind her.
“…Please don’t let go.”
So…
You didn’t.
The entire gym watched a human willingly hold a transforming werewolf’s hand.
The moonstone generators came back online moments later.
Daniela slowly returned to normal.
But no one forgot what they’d seen.
Rumors spread across school.
“You touched her.”
“Aren’t you scared?”
“You know she could’ve hurt you.”
You shook your head.
“No.”
Because for one brief moment…
All you’d seen was a frightened girl.
Not a monster.
Later that evening, Daniela found you sitting on the football field.
“I should stay away from you.”
You frowned.
“What?”
“The other werewolves are getting blamed.”
“So?”
“And humans are saying you betrayed them.”
“I don’t care.”
Daniela looked down.
“I do.”
She sat beside you.
Neither of you spoke for several minutes.
Finally…
“I’ve never had a human friend before.”
You smiled softly.
“I’ve never had a werewolf friend.”
Daniela laughed quietly.
“…Friend?”
You turned toward her.
“If you’ll have me.”
Her golden eyes shimmered.
“I’d like that.”
The friendship didn’t stay a friendship for long.
You started eating lunch together.
Walking home together.
Studying together.
Daniela would absentmindedly wag her tail whenever you complimented her.
Manon and Lara teased her relentlessly.
Sophia noticed the way you smiled whenever Daniela entered a room.
Megan groaned.
“Oh no.”
“What?”
“You have a crush.”
“I do not.”
“You absolutely do.”
Yoonchae grinned.
“It’s kind of obvious.”
The Homecoming Dance approached.
Nobody expected a human and a werewolf to attend together.
Especially not as dates.
Daniela stood outside your front door in a red dress, nervously holding a bouquet of moon lilies.
“I… um…”
She swallowed.
“I was wondering…”
Her tail wagged uncontrollably behind her.
“…Would you maybe like to go with me?”
You didn’t even let her finish.
You hugged her.
“Yes.”
Her heart raced so loudly you could hear it.
Werewolves couldn’t hide things like that.
The gym was divided in half.
Humans on one side.
Werewolves on the other.
The music started.
Nobody crossed the line.
Until you did.
You walked straight toward Daniela.
She met you halfway.
You reached for her hand.
She hesitated.
“…People are staring.”
“Let them.”
You intertwined your fingers.
The room fell silent.
Then…
Sophia crossed over.
Then Megan.
Yoonchae followed.
Manon grinned before pulling Lara across.
More students joined.
Then more.
The invisible line disappeared beneath dancing feet.
By the final song…
Humans and werewolves filled the dance floor together.
No sides.
No fences.
Just students.
Daniela gently rested her forehead against yours.
“You know…”
“Hm?”
“I thought humans were supposed to be scary.”
You laughed.
“I thought werewolves were.”
Daniela smiled.
“I guess we were both wrong.”
You leaned in, kissing her softly as cheers erupted around the gym.
Somewhere outside, the full moon rose over Dream Academy.
For the first time in years…
Its light shone on a town that was finally beginning to heal.
after nearly two weeks of relentless begging, shameless attempts at bargaining and more promises than sophia cared to count that they wouldn’t cause any trouble, she’d finally caved.
the older campers of oak cabin had earned themselves an extra half an hour before lights out, on the condition they stayed by the fire pit, listened to their counsellors and went straight to bed the second she told them to. after days of counting down and reminding every counsellor who walked past that friday was campfire night, the evening had finally arrived.
while maple and cedar cabin had long since been tucked into bed, their lights dimmed and the younger campers slowly settling into the familiar quiet that fell over camp every night, oak was still very much awake.
the fire crackled in the centre of the pit, sparks drifting lazily into the dark sky as a circle of teenagers crowded onto the log benches with bags of marshmallows, chocolate, biscuits and enough sugar to guarantee none of them would be remotely tired by the end of the night.
sophia, y/n, megan and manon had drawn the short straw, left supervising the older campers while trying to keep the steadily rising energy under control. lara and daniela, meanwhile, had been left to keep an eye on maple and cedar, waiting until the younger campers were properly asleep before swapping over and joining them by the fire.
what had originally been planned as a quiet evening of roasting marshmallows and sharing ghost stories had lasted all of ten minutes before someone was convincing the rest of the cabin that stories were boring and a game of truth or dare would be far more entertaining.
the game had dissolved into exactly what everyone should’ve expected the second the first card had been drawn. any attempt at keeping it civil had disappeared almost immediately, replaced instead with dramatic gasps, accusations of people cheating their dares.
most of the dares were harmless. sing the chorus of your favourite song. balance three marshmallows on your head for ten seconds. attempt a cartwheel without falling over.
one camper had somehow ended up hopping around the fire pit on one foot after losing a game of rock, paper, scissors, while another was busy trying and failing to fit as many mini marshmallows into their mouth as possible without laughing.
the truths weren’t much better.
who was your first crush?
what’s the most embarrassing thing that’s happened to you at school?
have you ever pretended to be asleep so your parents would carry you upstairs?
who in oak cabin snores the loudest?
every answer was met with a chorus of dramatic reactions, someone always insisting they were lying while another camper argued they definitely weren’t.
y/n sat with her knees pulled to her chest, sleeves covering the ends of her hands as she edged a little closer to the fire for what felt like the hundredth time that evening. despite the flames flickering only a few feet away, the temperature had dropped enough for a chill to settle over camp, making her shiver.
“i’m freezing,” she muttered under her breath, leaning slightly towards manon beside her.
without looking away from the game, manon shrugged “go back to the cabin and grab a hoodie.”
y/n stared at her “by myself? absolutely not.”
manon finally turned, one eyebrow lifting “seriously?”
“it’s dark.”
manon rolled her eyes so dramatically it almost made y/n laugh “you’re such a pu-“ she caught herself just in time as one of the campers twisted around to look at them, eyebrows raised suspiciously.
without missing a beat, manon smiled sweetly “-sshover. you’re such a pushover.” the camper seemed satisfied enough, turning back around to rejoin the game.
the second they did, y/n snorted, covering her mouth to stop herself laughing. manon was already shaking her head, a grin tugging at the corner of her mouth as she quietly laughed along with her.
“you excited for sunday?” manon asked, glancing down as y/n inched a little closer, clearly searching for whatever warmth she could steal.
“huh?” y/n looked up at her before another shiver ran through her. “oh… yeah. parents’ day or whatever, isn’t it?”
manon rolled her eyes, absentmindedly rubbing her hands up and down y/n’s arm through the in an attempt to warm her up “yes,” she said slowly. “but for us? are you excited for that?”
y/n frowned, looking up at her with genuine confusion “…huh?”
“do you not listen at all?” manon scoffed.
“listen to what?” y/n shot back, already sounding offended.
“we literally talked about this on wednesday.”
she only blinked.
“in the staff rec room?” manon prompted. nothing “the weekly meeting?” still nothing “ringing any bells?” manon asked, turning properly to look at her.
y/n just stared back, completely blank, she screwed her face up, genuinely trying to remember.
wednesday….the staff meeting.
she remembered walking into the rec room. remembered everyone squeezing around the battered wooden table, the chairs scraping against the wooden floor as they settled in. she remembered sophia standing at the front with a clipboard tucked beneath her arm, running through the schedule for the rest of the week.
and then…her memory blurred.
“…and with parents’ day being this sunday…” the words had slowly dissolved into meaningless background noise because daniela had been sitting directly opposite her.
while everyone else’s attention remained on sophia, y/n’s had drifted somewhere it absolutely shouldn’t have.
daniela rested one elbow on the table, her chin balanced lightly against her hand as she listened. she looked completely absorbed in whatever sophia was saying, her brows drawn together ever so slightly in concentration.
every now and then she’d absentmindedly nibble at the inside of her bottom lip while she thought, only to let it slip free a moment later.
y/n’s eyes had caught on the movement before refusing to leave. she watched as daniela ran the tip of her tongue across her lips, barely noticeable, just enough to wet them before she tucked the pen between them for a second while flipping a page in her notebook.
y/n triedto drag her attention somewhere else. to sophia. to the clipboard. to literally anyone else sitting around the table.
instead, her gaze found its way straight back.
she couldn’t explain it, it wasn’t just daniela’s lips anymore. it was the way she smiled to herself whenever someone made a joke. the little crease between her eyebrows whenever she was thinking. the way she quietly hummed in acknowledgement as sophia spoke, completely unaware that someone across the table was studying every tiny expression like it was the most interesting thing she’d ever seen.
she hadn’t heard a single word of the meeting.
as though she’d somehow felt the weight of someone watching her, daniela’s eyes finally lifted from her notebook.
they landed straight on y/n. who was so caught up staring that she didn’t even realise she’d been caught until the corner of daniela’s mouth slowly curled into the faintest, knowing smirk.
shit.
heat flooded up y/n’s neck so quickly it made her ears burn. she tore her eyes away, staring down at the table as though the grain of the wood had suddenly become fascinating, sinking lower into her chair in a hopeless attempt to make herself disappear.
“…so,” sophia’s voice suddenly cut through the room, “does everyone understand what i’ve said today?”
“yes,” y/n squeaked far too quickly, clearing her throat as she kept her eyes fixed firmly on the tabletop.
she didn’t dare look back up not when she could still feel daniela’s gaze lingering on her from the other side of the table.
y/n was snapped back to reality by a sharp pinch to her arm “ow!” she whined, immediately rubbing the spot with an offended frown.
manon didn’t look remotely sorry.
“i don’t remember the meeting,” y/n pouted, still nursing her arm.
manon stared at her for a second before letting out a slow sigh, rolling her eyes “parents’ day is the best day for us because-“ she stopped mid-sentence.
the pair looked up to find every single camper around the fire pit staring back at them expectantly.
“…what?” manon asked, glancing between the sea of eager faces.
one of the boys pointed towards the deck of cards resting in the middle of the circle. “truth or dare…” he said, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.
“no counsellors in this game” sophia cut in before anyone could get their hopes up.
a chorus of exaggerated groans immediately erupted around the fire.
“come onnn!”
“that’s not fair!”
“you’ve got to play!”
“just one!”
sophia pinched the bridge of her nose, already looking like she regretted agreeing to the campfire in the first place.
the protests only grew louder and she let out a long sigh.
“fine,” she relented, pointing around the circle at each of the counsellors. “you each get to ask one counsellor one truth or one dare.”
the campers exchanged excited looks “one each,” sophia repeated firmly. “and it has to be appropriate.”
the second she finished speaking, the entire group dissolved into chaos.
they shuffled into a tight huddle on the opposite side of the fire, whispering frantically amongst themselves as they debated who should ask who and what questions were embarrassing enough to be worth using their one chance on.
“this’ll be fun,” megan said with a grin, falling into line beside sophia, manon and y/n as they stood opposite the campers, the fire crackling between them.
the huddle finally broke apart, one of the girls stepped forward, trying her best to hide the grin spreading across her face.
“okay! leader sophia!” every head turned towards her “truth or dare?”
“truth,” sophia answered without hesitation.
“boring,” one of the boys muttered under his breath, earning a few snickers from the others.
“have you ever broken a camp rule?”
before sophia could answer, several campers gasped.
“leader sophia would never break a rule.”
“she probably made the rules.”
“she is the rules.”
the circle dissolved into laughter. except…sophia didn’t answer. instead, she simply stood there, lips pressed together.
the silence lasted just a second too long and every camper’s mouth slowly fell open.
“…leader sophia broke a rule?” one whispered and the entire circle erupted.
“leader sophia broke a rule!”
“no way!”
“you’re lying!”
even manon whipped around to stare at her “no way,” she laughed. “are you serious?” sophia immediately shoved her shoulder “shut up.”
megan was already cackling beside y/n, who looked just as stunned. sophia let out an exasperated sigh, rubbing her temple before clearing her throat.
“yes,” she admitted. “yes, i have.” another chorus of dramatic gasps “once,” she added firmly, raising a finger. “and that was it.”
“what was it?” half the campers shouted at once.
“what rule?”
“tell us!”
“you have to!”
sophia’s smile only grew “that wasn’t part of the question.”
the campers groaned dramatically “that’s not fair!” one of the boys whined.
“yeah, you have to!” megan echoed in the exact same whiny voice, pouting so convincingly that several campers burst into laughter.
sophia slowly turned to look at her, she didn’t even have to say anything just one look and megan immediately straightened up.
sophia looked back to the campers “nope.” more groans “the rule was one question.” she smiled innocently. “i answered one question.” she clasped her hands together “next.”
“coach manon!” another camper called, immediately turning all eyes towards her.
manon folded her arms, already looking amused.
“truth or dare?”
“dare,” she answered without even thinking.
“ooh…”
“she didn’t even hesitate.”
one of the girls jumped up from her log and hurried over, motioning for manon to lean down.
manon obliged, bending slightly as the girl cupped a hand beside her ear, whispering something only she could hear.
the rest of the circle immediately erupted with complaints.
“that’s cheating!”
“we wanna know!”
“tell us!”
the girl’s whisper lasted only a few seconds before she stepped back with an incredibly pleased smile.
manon’s lips slowly curled into a smirk “okay,” she nodded. “got it.”
“what was it?” y/n asked immediately, craning her neck to try and read the girl’s face.
the camper looked at her like she’d just asked the stupidest question imaginable “it’s a secret dare,” she said, dragging out the word secret as though that explained everything.
“…oh.” y/n immediately pressed her lips together, nodding once “right.” she shut up just as quickly as she’d spoken, earning a quiet snort from megan beside her while manon simply fought back another smile.
“coach megan!” another camper called, barely able to contain their grin.
megan pointed at herself “me?”
“truth or dare?”
she rubbed her chin dramatically, humming to herself as though this required some serious consideration “hmmm…” everyone waited “…dare,” she decided with a confident nod.
the second the word left her mouth, the campers all exchanged excited looks before bursting into giggles.
megan’s smile immediately faltered “…what?” more giggling “…okay, no.” she pointed at them. “i choose truth.”
a chorus of protests erupted.
“no!”
“you can’t do take-backsies!”
“too late!”
“that’s against the rules!”
megan groaned dramatically, throwing her head back “ugh. okay, fine. dare.” she folded her arms across her chest. “go on then.”
the camper who’d asked beamed “we double dare you…” they paused dramatically “…to go jump in the lake!”
the entire circle exploded into laughter and megan’s mouth fell open “…what?” she looked around at them in disbelief. “no! it’ll be freezing this late at night!” more laughter “she immediately spun towards sophia.
“sophia tell them no”
sophia simply shrugged “you chose dare.”
megan stared at her, utterly betrayed “…seriously?”
“but,” sophia continued before the campers could start chanting, “nobody’s jumping into the lake at night. that’s unsafe.” an exaggerated chorus of disappointed groans circled the fire “however…” sophia said thoughtfully.
every camper perked up again “you can fill a bucket from the hose over there…” megan’s eyes widened “…and dump it over her instead.”
the campers erupted into cheers, already scrambling to their feet. megan’s jaw practically hit the floor “wow.” she slowly looked back at sophia “first i find out you’ve broken camp rules…” she shook her head in mock disappointment .“…now this?” placing a hand dramatically over her heart, she sighed “you think you know people…”
y/n was already on her feet before anyone else.
“i’ll help!” she grinned, jogging after the campers towards the outdoor tap as they raced one another to be the first to fill the bucket.
“traitor!” megan shouted after her.
without even turning around, y/n simply lifted a hand and gave her an enthusiastic thumbs up.
the campers returned moments later, several of them struggling to carry the sloshing bucket between them while y/n walked alongside, one hand steadying the handle to stop half the water spilling onto the ground before they even reached the fire pit.
megan eyed them suspiciously “…don’t.” nobody answered “…guys.”
a chorus of barely contained giggles rippled through the campers. megan slowly took a step backwards “i’m serious.”
the second the bucket was close enough, y/n grinned “ready?”
“y/n, don’t you da-“ with one swift movement, she tipped the bucket and a wave of icy water crashed straight over megan’s head.
“AH!” she squealed, jumping backwards as the empty bucket clattered onto the grass. for a second everyone just stared then the entire campfire erupted.
the campers doubled over laughing, some clutching their stomachs while others pointed at the dripping counsellor. even sophia had abandoned any attempt at looking professional, pressing her lips together to hide the smile threatening to break through.
megan stood frozen, her hair plastered to her forehead, water dripping from the end of her nose and soaking through every inch of her t-shirt until it clung to her.
she looked like a miserable wet puppy.
“this is so unfair,” she complained dramatically, wringing out the hem of her t-shirt as another stream of water splashed onto the grass, that only made everyone laugh harder.
y/n was in absolute stitches. she’d doubled over, one hand gripping her stomach while the other pointed uselessly in megan’s direction, barely able to catch her breath.
every time she looked back up at megan’s expression, she dissolved into another fit of laughter.
“oh…” megan said slowly, narrowing her eyes y/n was still laughing too hard to notice “oh, you think this is funny?”
she finally looked up “…uh oh.” before she could move, megan lunged. her arms wrapped tightly around y/n in a crushing bear hug.
“megan!”
“if i’m wet-“
“no, hey!”
“-you’re wet.”
y/n squealed as megan squeezed even tighter, deliberately rubbing her soaked t-shirt against every inch of y/n’s hoodie.
“get off!” y/n laughed, trying to pry herself free. “i didn’t choose your dare!” she squirmed uselessly as megan only tightened her grip, dramatically swaying them from side to side while making sure as much cold water as possible transferred onto y/n.
“now” megan grinned, “…you’re just as wet as i am now.”
the campers were in tears, some falling sideways off the log benches as they watched y/n completely fail to escape, while manon simply shook her head with a laugh.
“those two,” she muttered, earning a quiet snort from sophia beside her.
before the next camper could pick another counsellor, the sound of footsteps crunching over the gravel path drew everyone’s attention away from the fire. lara and daniela appeared from the darkness, making their way over with matching hoodies pulled over their heads.
“all asleep?” sophia asked.
“finally,” lara sighed dramatically. “cedar took approximately seven business days.”
“maple wasn’t much better,” daniela laughed, her eyes instinctively found y/n for a brief second before looking around the circle “…woah.” she blinked. “what’s happening here?”
lara’s gaze landed on megan “…and what happened to you?”
megan stood with her arms folded tightly across her chest, completely drenched from head to toe. every strand of hair clung to her face, her t-shirt was still dripping onto the ground and a small puddle had already begun forming around her shoes.
she looked thoroughly unimpressed “don’t pick dare,” she warned solemnly. “everyone here is evil.”
the campers burst into another fit of laughter.
sophia clapped her hands together once “alright, swap over.”
megan let out one final, dramatic sigh before turning towards the cabins alongside manon. each step she took was accompanied by an unmistakable-
squelch.
squelch.
squelch.
the entire campfire fell silent for half a second then one of the boys pointed after her “she sounds like squidward!” the campers dissolved into hysterics all over again.
megan stopped walking without turning around she simply raised a hand into the air “i do not!”that only made them laugh harder.
lara was already grinning as she dropped onto the now-empty log beside y/n “ooh,” she rubbed her hands together excitedly. “truth or dare.” she looked around the circle “my favourite.”
“coach lara! coach lara!” several campers called at once, immediately turning their attention towards her “truth or dare!” they chorused.
lara looked between the circle and megan’s retreating figure, whose shoes were still audibly squelching all the way back towards the cabins “…i’m picking truth,” she decided. “i am not ending up like megan.”
the campers giggled, before anyone could ask their question, one of the girls suddenly looked over at sophia.
“wait, coach lara…” she pointed dramatically “did you know leader sophia broke a camp rule?”
daniela’s head snapped towards sophia “…you what?”
lara smirked “yep,” she said, popping the p. every camper gasped all over again.
“no way!” the girl immediately grinned “your truth is to tell us what leader sophia did!”
“okay, okay- woah.” sophia held up both hands. “that is not how this works.”
“yes it is,” lara replied far too quickly, rubbing her hands together with a grin that immediately made sophia regret ever letting her speak.
“lara…”
“are you all ready?” lara leaned forwards dramatically. without thinking, every camper copied her, even y/n found herself leaning in.
the only person staying firmly upright was sophia, who already looked like she wanted the ground to swallow her whole.
lara lowered her voice “your precious…” she paused “…super strict…” another pause “…perfect leader…”
the campers were practically vibrating “…once got caught…” she let the silence linger for another beat “…having…a…candy…” another pause “…stash…under her bed!”
for half a second there was silence then absolute chaos erupted.
“WHAT?!”
“LEADER SOPHIA?!”
“NO WAY!”
“I KNEW IT!”
“YOU’RE NOT EVEN ALLOWED FOOD IN THE CABINS!”
the campers all started talking over one another, half of them laughing while the other half stared at sophia as though she’d just admitted to robbing a bank even daniela looked utterly betrayed “you had a candy stash?” she laughed.
y/n’s jaw had dropped “under your bed?”
“lara!” sophia groaned.
“what?” she shrugged innocently.
sophia pinched the bridge of her nose “…i’m never telling you anything ever again.”
“dani! dani!” the chorus of voices pulled daniela’s attention back to the circle “truth or dare!”
“hey,” y/n interrupted with an exaggerated pout. “what about me?”
“miss y/n,” one of the girls, riley, said, looking at her with surprising seriousness, “you have to have patience, okay? everybody gets a turn.”
“…okay.” that shut y/n up almost instantly.
“very good, riley,” sophia said with an approving nod. “excellent listening.”
riley beamed proudly as the rest of the campers turned back to daniela.
just as one of the younger boys opened his mouth to ask his question, two girls beside him suddenly leaned over, whispering frantically into his ear.
“…no, ask that one.”
“do it!”
“that’s way funnier.”
the boy’s eyes widened “…really?”
they nodded enthusiastically. campers had joined in, the entire group dissolving into another suspicious huddle.
y/n frowned “…what are they doing?”
nobody answered. instead, the whispering only became more animated. they kept glancing over first at daniela, then lara, then y/n then sophia then back to daniela again.
one of the boys covered his mouth to hide a laugh, another camper shook their head furiously “no, no, don’t say that!”
“why not?”
“because!”
“but what about coach megan?” one of the girls accidentally blurted out a little too loudly. every head in the huddle whipped towards her.
“shhh!”
she immediately clamped both hands over her mouth as the others hurriedly started whispering again.
y/n looked across at daniela, who looked just as confused. she caught y/n’s eye, lifting one eyebrow in silent question. y/n simply shrugged.
daniela mirrored the shrug right back, the corner of her mouth twitching into an amused smile as the two of them stood there waiting to find out what on earth the campers had decided.
the whispering finally stopped. the campers all straightened up as though they’d rehearsed whatever they were about to say.
one of the girls cleared her throat, trying her hardest to sound serious “okay… miss daniela.”
daniela smiled “that’s me.”
the girl stole a quick glance towards sophia before looking back again “truth or dare?”
daniela barely hesitated “dare.” she answered confidently, resting her hands on her hips.
the confidence lasted all of two seconds because every camper immediately exchanged the exact same suspicious grin. daniela’s smile slowly began to fade “…why are you all looking at me like that?”
“we…” another giggle “…dare you…” she struggled to keep a straight face “…to kiss your favourite counsellor…” the circle fell completely silent “…on the cheek.”
daniela’s eyes widened then she let out a disbelieving laugh, dropping her head for a second. “oh…” she rubbed a hand over the back of her neck.
“oh, what a great dare,” lara said dramatically, laughing as she folded her arms. even sophia had to press her lips together, looking away towards the fire in a hopeless attempt to hide the smile threatening to appear.
y/n’s heart lurched, her eyes immediately dropped to the ground. heat rushed across her cheeks so quickly she was sure everyone around the fire could see it.
she stared intently at the dirt beneath her shoes, suddenly finding it far more interesting than anything happening around her.
she wasn’t sure what was making her chest feel so tight.
whether it was the tiny, ridiculous part of her that desperately wanted daniela to walk over to her…or the thought of watching her walk to someone else.
she risked the quickest glance up. daniela was still standing where she’d been, laughing awkwardly to herself, clearly buying time as she looked around the circle of counsellors.
y/n immediately looked away again.
don’t look at me.
the thought came far too quickly.
please look at me.
her stomach flipped, she hated that both thoughts had crossed her mind within the space of a second.
“i don’t know if that’s a good idea,” sophia said, though the smile she was trying to hide gave away that she was far more entertained than concerned.
lara whipped her head around to look at her “you’re just saying that because you’ll be sad if it’s not you.”
a chorus of dramatic oooohs rippled around the fire. “i am not,” sophia shot back.
“you are.”
“i’m really not.”
lara folded her arms with a smug grin “leader sophia’s jealous.”
sophia scoffed before looking back at daniela “i already know it’s me.” she said it with such confidence that lara raised an eyebrow.
“it’s obviously me,” sophia continued, sounding almost offended that anyone would think otherwise.
more exaggerated ooooooohs echoed around the circle.
daniela’s lips pressed into a tight line as she looked between sophia and lara, looking more trapped by the second.
y/n finally glanced up at the exact same moment, daniela looked at her. for a second, everything else around the fire seemed to fade into the background.
the corner of daniela’s mouth twitched ever so slightly, almost like she was trying to hide a nervous smile.
one of the campers loudly whispered, “well…?” that the moment broke. daniela let out a small, nervous laugh, rubbing the back of her neck again
“okay…” she exhaled. “…fine.”
lara immediately tilted her head to one side, presenting her cheek with an unbearably confident grin “i’m ready.”
“please,” sophia scoffed then, just to prove a point, she leaned forward too, turning her own cheek towards daniela “it’s obviously me.”
while the two of them bickered, y/n quietly decided the tree standing beside the fire pit had suddenly become the most fascinating thing she’d ever seen.
she kept her eyes fixed firmly on its trunk, on the rough bark, on absolutely anything that wasn’t daniela. because if she looked…she wasn’t entirely sure what she’d be hoping for.
daniela pushed herself off the log, letting out a quiet breath as she wandered over towards lara first.
lara’s grin grew instantly “i knew it,” she said, shooting sophia the most insufferably smug look she could manage.
just as she leaned in expectantly, daniela lifted her hand and gave the centre of lara’s forehead the gentlest flick with the backs of her nails.
“nope,” she smiled. “not you, sorry.”
lara gasped dramatically, clutching a hand to her chest “excuse me?”
“you got flicked!” one of the campers laughed, lara looked genuinely offended.
without missing a beat, sophia stepped forward a fraction, tilting her own cheek towards daniela.
daniela let out an awkward laugh “…sorry.” instead of kissing her, she reached up and gave sophia’s cheek a couple of gentle, almost patronising pats.
sophia slowly turned to look at her “…did you just pat my face?”
“maybe.”
“i’d have preferred if you’d just punched me.”
the campers burst into laughter.
“leader sophia got rejected!”
which only left…y/n. who was suddenly finding the bark of the tree beside her unbelievably fascinating. she studied every groove, every crack, every tiny patch of moss clinging to the trunk as if her life depended on it.
anything but looking up.
around the fire pit, a few of the campers exchanged excited looks. one of them nudged another with their elbow “i knew this would work,” they whispered.
“shhh!”
daniela cleared her throat “well…” every pair of eyes landed on her “obviously it has to be y/n because…” her voice faltered.
almost involuntarily, y/n finally looked up. whatever explanation daniela had been about to give disappeared completely “…because…” she couldn’t seem to finish the sentence.
for a brief moment, neither of them looked away.
“…because coach manon isn’t here,” one of the little boys piped up proudly, “and she’s her favourite!”
the silence shattered, the entire circle erupted into laughter.
daniela blinked before letting out a relieved laugh of her own “…yeah.” she nodded quickly “yeah, sure.” another nervous laugh escaped her “let’s go with that.”
daniela let out another quiet laugh before finally stepping away from sophia then she turned towards y/n, every step seemed impossibly slow.
y/n’s heart was pounding so hard she was convinced everyone around the fire could hear it. she could feel every pair of eyes on them, the campers practically vibrating with excitement, yet somehow the only person she could focus on was the one walking towards her.
daniela stopped only when there was barely any space left between them, y/n could see the faint flush dusting her cheeks.
“i’m a little offended,” y/n whispered, just loud enough for daniela to hear, “that this is only because manon isn’t here.”
daniela huffed out a laugh, shaking her head “shut up.” there wasn’t much bite behind it if anything, it came out softer than she’d intended.
daniela lifted a hand, hesitating for the briefest moment before gently cupping y/n’s chin between her fingers.
the touch alone made y/n’s stomach flip. she’d held her face before guiding her gaze during activities, brushing sunscreen from her cheek but somehow this felt entirely different.
the world around them blurred, the laughter, the crackling fire, the whispers from the campers. all of it faded into the background because all y/n could think about was how close daniela suddenly was.
she caught the familiar scent of her shampoo mixed with the smoke from the campfire, felt the warmth radiating from her despite the cool evening air.
daniela leaned in, slowly giving y/n every chance to pull away. instead, y/n stayed perfectly still, her pulse hammered in her ears then…
soft lips brushed against her cheek, it was gentle. warm and so light it almost didn’t feel real. except daniela didn’t pull away straight away. she lingered there for the tiniest fraction of a second longer than anyone reasonably would.
long enough for y/n to feel the warmth of her breath against her skin hen it was over.
daniela slowly pulled back and y/n blinked. she hadn’t realised she’d been holding her breath until she finally let it out. her entire face burned, she could still feel exactly where daniela’s lips had been.
daniela looked equally flustered, though she tried desperately not to show it. she cleared her throat, turning back towards the circle with a grin that she couldn’t quite keep under control.
“that…” she said, pointing a thumb over her shoulder towards the cabins, “was for manon.” she nodded once “…obviously.”
the campers immediately erupted into cheers and laughter.
“i knew she’d pick miss y/n!”
“coach daniela’s blushing!”
daniela covered her face with one hand, laughing despite herself, while y/n remained rooted to the spot, still trying to convince her racing heart to calm down. the smile pulling at daniela’s lips, however, gave away far more than her explanation ever could.
“alright…” y/n said, clapping her hands together as she tried to ignore the warmth still lingering in her face. “can someone ask me, please? why did nobody pick me?”
the campers happily obliged, immediately choosing her. with a grin, she picked dare.
the little boy sat up proudly “you have to go get mr fluffy… and take him for a walk.”
y/n frowned “…who’s mr fluffy?”
the campsite erupted.
“you weren’t supposed to say that!”
“that was a secret!”
“we said don’t tell the counsellors!”
jake’s face immediately dropped as everyone turned on him.
the counsellors all exchanged confused looks. lara frowned. “…why would we not be allowed to know?”
daniela looked between the campers. “who’s mr fluffy?”
“it’s just jake’s stuffed animal,” one of the girls answered far too quickly. everybody nodded.
“yeah!”
“just a teddy.”
“nothing else.”
the silence from the counsellors said enough, none of them bought it.
sophia’s expression softened into that calm, unreadable look that every camper recognised immediately “guys,” she said evenly. “what is mr fluffy?” nobody answered, little heads stayed firmly down “i’m asking because if there’s something going on, i need to know.”
jake lasted all of three seconds “…he’s the camp pet squirrel.”
every camper groaned, one buried her face in her hands. another whispered, “jake…”
the counsellors all staredn“…your what?” y/n asked.
“a squirrel?” daniela repeated, completely taken aback.
lara blinked a few times before looking back at the children “guys… you can’t keep a wild animal.”
sophia sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose “where is the squirrel?” the campers avoided her eyes. “where is he?” she repeated, firmer this time.
“his name is mr fluffy,” one girl mumbled. four counsellors slowly turned to look at her, she shrank slightly.
“…where is mr fluffy?”
the girl swallowed “…the arts and crafts closet.”
all of their expressions dropped “the arts and crafts closet?” y/n repeated. “as in… inside the building?”
a few guilty nods. “guys,” daniela said, her voice gentle but concerned, “that’s really dangerous. he could hurt himself… or one of you.”
“or one of the younger campers,” lara shook her head in disbelief “what if he bites someone? or scratches somebody?”
“or gets trapped,” y/n said quietly.
the campers were no longer giggling, they all stared at the ground, suddenly very interested in the dirt beneath their shoes.
sophia let the silence hang for a moment before speaking “i know you were trying to help him,” she said, her voice calm but firm. “i really do. but wild animals don’t belong in camp buildings. they’re unpredictable, and someone could get hurt.”
she looked around the circle “i need one of you to tell me exactly when you found him, how long he’s been there, and who has been looking after him.”
the children exchanged nervous glances. finally, one small hand slowly crept into the air “…we’ve had him since wednesday.”
sophia closed her eyes for a long second, pressing two fingers against the bridge of her nose.nshe was already mentally filling out the incident report.
unauthorised wildlife found inside camp property.
campers knowingly concealed wild animal.
health and safety risk.
“that’s it.” lara pushed herself up from the log, dusting her hands on her shortsn“game time’s over.”
the campers all looked up at once.
“bedtime,” sophia added firmly, leaving no room for negotiation. a chorus of disappointed groans rippled around the fire.
“but-“
“please?”
“we’re sorry…”
“we didn’t think it’d be a big deal.”
their guilty faces softened sophia’s expression slightly, but not enough to change her mind “we’ll have a camp meeting tomorrow morning to talk about this properly,” she said, gesturing for everyone to start heading towards the cabins. “right now, i need everybody inside.”
the campers reluctantly climbed to their feet, brushing dirt from their clothes. they shuffled towards the path in an unusually quiet line.
halfway there, one little girl turned back “…what’s going to happen to mr fluffy?”
sophia looked towards y/n without missing a beat “coach y/n is going to release him back into the wild.”
y/n nodded automatically “yeah, he needs to be back in his own home an-“ she stopped, her head slowly turned towards sophia “…wait.”
“…what?” she pointed at herself “me?”
sophia gave a single nod “yes.” the remaining campers all looked hopefully between the two of them “it was your dare.” she gestured calmly towards the arts and crafts hall “go and get mr fluffy.”
y/n stared at her in complete disbelief “…you’re joking.” nobody answered and her eyes widened.“a fucking squirrel?” she squeaked, her voice climbing an octave.
daniela had to bite the inside of her cheek to stop herself laughing, lara looked away, her shoulders already beginning to shake.
“language,” sophia corrected automatically then, completely unfazed, she pointed towards the building again “and yes. it’ll be scared and run away. go.”
y/n looked around for someone, anyone, to back her up “you’re seriously sending me in there alone?”
“you’ll be fine,” lara said far too cheerfully.
“easy for you to say.”
“it’s only a squirrel.”
“only a squirrel?” y/n repeated in shock. “those things have teeth.”
daniela finally let out the laugh she’d been trying so hard to hold in, quickly covering her mouth when y/n shot her an offended look “sorry,” she managed between laughs. “…i’m really trying to be supportive.”
“you’re doing a terrible job.” daniela’s smile only grew.
sophia folded her arms “coach y/n.”
y/n let out the most dramatic sigh anyone had ever heard “…if i get rabies,” she muttered as she started reluctantly towards the arts and crafts hall, “i’m claiming workers’ compensation.”
~~~~~
the next morning, the atmosphere around camp was noticeably quieter. news of mr fluffy had spread to every cabin before breakfast.
the younger campers whispered excitedly whenever a counsellor walked past, while the oak cabin campers sat through a very stern camp meeting, listening as sophia explained exactly why wild animals belonged in the wild and not hidden inside supply cupboards.
there were plenty of guilty nods, a few watery eyes, several promises that they’d “never do it again.”
their punishment had been decided shortly afterwards.
instead of spending the morning down by the lake like originally planned, they were all seated inside the arts and crafts hall with coloured paper, markers and paint, making posters about respecting wildlife and leaving animals in their natural habitats.
“look, don’t touch!”
“wild animals need wild homes!”
“be kind to nature!”
it wasn’t exactly the exciting morning they’d been hoping for.
at the back of the room, y/n sat by herself in the corner, slouched in her chair with her arms folded tightly across her chest.
she looked miserable. in the daylight, the scratches looked far more noticeable than they had the night before. several thin red marks stretched across both of her forearms, another caught the side of her cheek where mr fluffy had decided to launch himself off her shoulder, and there were a few smaller scratches scattered over the backs of her hands.
daniela wandered over, carrying a handful of coloured pencils she’d just confiscated from two campers arguing over them.
she slowed as she reached y/n’s table “…it looks worse in the daylight.” she set the pencils down before crouching beside her, gently taking one of y/n’s forearms into her hands. her eyebrows pinched together as she carefully looked over the scratches, trying not to touch them.
“god…” she frowned “i didn’t realise he’d got you this much.”
y/n didn’t even look at her, she just stared blankly at the half-finished poster in front of her.
sophia noticed the interaction from across the room and immediately walked over the second she got close enough to properly see the scratches herself, her face fell.
“y/n…” there was genuine guilt written all over her expression, she crouched down beside her chair “i really am sorry.”
y/n stayed silent.
“i shouldn’t have sent you in there last night.” she shook her head ““i honestly thought he’d just run out when you opened the door. i didn’t think…” her eyes flicked over the scratches again before meeting y/n’s.
“…i didn’t think you’d end up getting hurt.”
still nothing, y/n just sat there with the same stubborn pout, arms folded even tighter.
megan, sensing how heavy the mood had become, wandered over and gently nudged y/n’s shoulder with her elbow. “hey.” she smiled “you should see the other guy.”
y/n turned her head painfully slowly “the other guy,” she deadpanned, “is out stuffing his face with fucking peanuts while i’m sat here looking like i’ve been attacked by a tiny furry psychopath.”
a little boy at one of the tables turned around immediately “actually…” he raised his hand as though he were answering a question in school “…squirrels mostly eat seeds, acorns and hazelnuts.”
without missing a beat, y/n plastered on the fakest smile imaginable “thanks, joey.” he beamed proudly and turned back to colouring his poster.
the smile dropped from y/n’s face before he’d even fully turned around. she let out a frustrated huff through her nose, pushed her chair back with a scrape against the wooden floor and stood up.
“i’m going to get some air,” she muttered under her breath. she brushed past the others before anyone had a chance to stop her.
y/n had barely made it halfway across camp before she heard the door behind her creak open.
“y/n.”
she didn’t stop immediately. instead, she kept walking a few more steps before letting out a quiet sigh and turning around.
sophia was following after her, the usually composed camp leader looked… different.
her shoulders weren’t held quite as straight, her arms were folded tightly across herself and there was an uneasiness on her face that y/n wasn’t used to seeing.
she slowed to a stop a couple of feet away “are you actually okay?”
y/n looked down at the scratches on her arms before giving a small shrug “yeah.” it wasn’t convincing “i’m fine.”
sophia shook her head almost immediately “no.” her voice was quiet “you’re not.” she glanced at the scratches again, lingering on the one across y/n’s cheek before meeting her eyes.
“i’m… i’m really sorry.”
y/n opened her mouth to brush it off, but sophia kept going.
“if i’d known that was going to happen, i never would’ve asked you to do it.” there was no trace of the teasing counsellor from the campfire the night before, this was just sophia feeling genuinely awful.
“i honestly thought he’d bolt the second you opened the door.” she laughed once through her nose, though there wasn’t any humour behind it. “i didn’t think you’d end up wrestling a terrified squirrel.”
y/n couldn’t help the tiny smile threatening at the corner of her mouth “soph…”
“no.” sophia interrupted gently “it’s not fine.” her eyes flicked to y/n’s arms again “you’re hurt.”
there was a beat of silence “and that’s because of a decision i made.” she rubbed a hand over the back of her neck, clearly frustrated with herself.
“i wasn’t thinking.” her jaw tightened “i should’ve gone in there or called someone or literally done anything other than send you.”
y/n leaned against the wooden railing outside the hall “sophia-“
“i’m serious.” there was something in sophia’s voice that stopped her “you’re one of my counsellors.” another pause “my friend.”
she looked away for a moment, blinking hard “you’ve spent this entire summer throwing yourself into absolutely everything i’ve needed.”she let out a slow breath. “every activity, every late night, every problem…i never have to ask twice.”
she looked back at y/n “you just… do it.” there was guilt all over her face now “and then i ask you to catch a squirrel.” she gave the smallest shake of her head “and you end up covered in scratches.”
her voice cracked ever so slightly “i’m supposed to be setting the example, to make sure everyone’s safe, that’s literally my job.” she swallowed “and i feel like i let you down.”
y/n’s expression softened immediately “soph…”
“i disappointed you.”
“you didn’t.”
“i did.” she sighed, looking exhausted despite it only being mid-morning “i keep replaying it in my head, thinking i should’ve just laughed it off and dealt with it myself or gone with you or
“soph.” y/n stepped closer “stop.” the single word was enough, sophia fell quiet.
y/n smiled softly “look at me.” sophia did “you’re one of the best people i’ve ever met.” she shook her head before sophia could protest “no. listen.”
“you care about every single camper here, about every counsellor.” you somehow know when someone’s homesick before they’ve even admitted it. you remember everyone’s allergies, everyone’s birthdays.”
“you make sure nobody eats alone and you stay up late doing paperwork so we don’t have to.” she laughed quietly. sophia looked down at the ground.
“one slightly rabid squirrel-“
“he wasn’t rabid.”
“-one emotionally unstable squirrel,” y/n corrected with the tiniest smile, “doesn’t suddenly erase all of that.” a reluctant huff of laughter escaped sophia.
“you made one bad call. that’s it. you’re human.” another silence settled between them “i’m not disappointed in you not even a little bit.if anything…” y/n’s smile grew “…i hope one day i’m half the leader you are.”
that finally made sophia look back up, there was something almost disbelieving in her expression.
“i mean it, i’ve looked up to you this whole summer. the way you handle everything…” she shrugged “i’m still learning and if i end up half as organised, patient and caring as you are…” she smiled. “…i’ll be doing alright.”
sophia’s eyes glistened slightly. she looked away for a second, laughing quietly at herself “you’re making this really difficult to keep apologising.”
“good.”
before sophia could say anything else, y/n stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her.
for a moment, sophia frozenthen she hugged her backntightly. one hand rested gently against the back of y/n’s head while the other rubbed slow circles between her shoulder blades “i’m still sorry,” she murmured.
y/n smiled against her shoulder “…i know.”
~~~~~
that evening, once dinner had finished and the campers had all been settled into their cabins, the counsellors gathered in the staff room for their nightly meeting.
parents’ day was tomorrow.
it was one of the biggest days of camp. halfway through the summer, every camper’s parents and families came to visit, spending the day taking part in activities, seeing the cabins and getting a glimpse into the world their children had been talking about for weeks.
it was always one of the busiest days of the summer.
sophia sat at the head of the table, flipping through the pages of her notebook before looking up at everyone “alright,” she said. “is everyone ready for tomorrow?”
a few nods circled the room, manon glanced across the table towards y/n a grin slowly spread across her face “y/n’s not ready.”
y/n looked up immediately “…what?”
“she doesn’t even know what we do tomorrow.”
“yes i do.”
manon raised an eyebrow “do you?”
“yes.”
“okay then.” she leaned back in her chair “tell us.”
“…i don’t have to prove anything to you.”
lara laughed “that’s a no.”
“i know!” y/n defended.
sophia smiled, deciding to settle it “okay.” she looked directly at y/n “what do the counsellors do on parents’ day?”
every pair of eyes landed on her and y/n slowly sank lower into her chair “…well…” she scratched the back of her neck, buying herself time.
“we…” she paused “…stay with the parents?”nobody interrupted so she took that as encouragement “…show them around camp?” still nothing “…make sure they know where everything is?”
the silence lasted another second then the room burst into laughter. lara doubled over, laughing so hard she nearly slipped off her chair, megan slapped the table “show them around camp?”
“‘and over here,’” lara managed between laughs, “‘you’ll find… another tree.’”
“‘if you look to your right,’” megan added, “‘that’s where coach y/n got beaten up by a squirrel.’”
daniela dropped her head into one hand, laughing into her palm even sophia had to look down at her notebook to hide the smile pulling at her lips.
y/n folded her arms “i don’t see what’s so funny.”
sophia finally looked back up, shaking her head with an amused smile “how did you miss everything i said?”
y/n blinked “what?”
“at the meeting.” she laughed quietly “i spent nearly half an hour going through tomorrow.”
“how did you miss all of it? why weren’t you paying attention?”
y/n opened her mouth to answer. instead, her eyes flicked across the table straight to daniela.
who looked up at exactly the same moment then y/n quickly looked back down at the table “…i…” she cleared her throat “…i don’t know.”
daniela bit the inside of her cheek, suddenly finding the scribbles in the corner of her notebook fascinating. manon looked from y/n to daniela then back again. the tiniest, most knowing smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.
sophia looked at y/n for a second before her smile softened after everything that had happened with mr fluffy, she couldn’t quite bring herself to keep teasing her.
she let out a quiet sigh, closing her notebook “alright,” she said. “i’ll tell you.” y/n looked up hopefully.
“parents’ day is the one day the counsellors…”bshe paused just long enough to build suspense “…get to leave camp.”
the room went quiet and y/n blinked “…what?” she sat bolt upright in her chair so quickly it nearly scraped backwards across the floor “wait…” she looked between all of them “…actually?”
nobody answered immediately “like…” her eyes grew wider “…we get to leave?”
lara immediately burst into laughter “news flash idiot”
y/n ignored her completely, she was too busy staring at sophia “you’re joking.”
“no.”
“actually leave?”
“yes”
“outside the gates?”
“yes.”
“like… leave leave?”
“yes.” y/n looked around the table suspiciously her eyes landed on manon “…is this a prank?” manon shook her head.
she looked at lara “…is this a prank?”
“no.”
she looked at megan “…you’re all lying.”
“we’re not.”
she looked at daniela, who was already looking at her. she hadn’t even realised she’d been smiling. there was something so unbelievably endearing about the way y/n’s entire face had lit up, the excitement was completely genuine.
her eyes were wide, her eyebrows practically disappearing into her hairline, a grin pulling wider and wider across her face with every confirmation she got.
she looked so wonderfully oblivious like an overexcited puppy who’d just heard the word walk.
daniela felt something flutter low in her chest before she quickly looked away, hoping nobody had noticed she’d been staring.
“…is this actually real?” y/n asked again “because if this is some elaborate prank…” she pointed around the table at every single one of them “…i will be so unbelievably mad at all of you.”
despite the threat, she was practically bouncing in her seat, she couldn’t stop smiling.
sophia laughed, shaking her head “it’s not a prank.”
“promise?
“promise.”
“…we actually get to leave camp?”
“yes, y/n.”
“for real?”
“yes.”
“like… outside?”
“oh my god” lara groaned dramatically “she’s going to ask another twelve times.”
y/n looked back at sophia one last time “…this is the best thing you’ve ever said to me.”
“that’s a little insulting considering i’ve complimented you before.”
“those were nice too.” y/n beamed “…but this one’s better.”
the room dissolved into laughter once again, and even sophia couldn’t help smiling as she watched y/n’s excitement. after the day she’d had, seeing her look so genuinely happy again was a relief.
“so…” manon said as she leaned back in her chair, balancing it precariously on two legs. she folded her arms behind her head, looking across the table towards sophia with an expectant grin. “what’s the plan?”
the room settled almost instantly. sophia closed the notebook in front of her, her fingers lingering on the cover for a moment as a knowing smile tugged at her lips. she looked around at the five counsellors, all waiting for whatever she’d clearly been building up to.
“well…” she began, failing to hide how pleased she looked with herself. “since you’ve all been extra good this summer…”
“thanks, mommy,” lara beamed immediately.
without missing a beat, manon reached across and shoved her shoulder hard enough to make her wobble in her chair “stop calling her that.” lara only grinned wider.
sophia rolled her eyes so dramatically it made megan snort into her drink.
“anyway,” she continued, emphasising the word as she shot lara a look. “i’ve been speaking to missy…” that alone was enough to pull everyone’s attention back to her “…and i may or may not have pulled a few strings.”
five pairs of eyes stared back at her. sophia could feel them all hanging onto every word. “so…” she continued, enjoying herself far more than she probably should have. “tomorrow, once the parents arrive, everyone’s settled in and the rest of the staff have everything under control…”
she paused, purposefully. megan let out the most dramatic groan imaginable before blindly reaching beside her until she found y/n’s hand, grabbing it tightly “i can’t take the suspense.” y/n squeezed back just as dramatically.
sophia smiled “…i was thinking…” another pause.
lara threw her head back “sophia!”
“…we could all go to the beach.”
the room exploded, chairs scraped across the floor as megan practically bounced to her feet “oh my god!”
lara clapped her hands together “you’re kidding!”
even manon, who normally played everything cool, broke into a grin.
across the table, y/n whipped around so quickly she almost smacked into megan “oh my god, beach!”
“yes!” megan gasped, grabbing both of y/n’s hands now. “oh my god, y/n, we can-“
they both froze and their eyes slowly widened, they stared at each other for one long second. “…sandcastles.” they said it in perfect unison.
lara looked from one to the other with complete disbelief “…i didn’t realise we were bringing two campers with us.”
still chuckling, daniela leaned back comfortably in her chair, stretching her arms above her head until her shoulders clicked “oh my god…” she sighed dreamily. “i love the beach.” there was something soft in her smile now, her thoughts already miles away “i actually packed the cutest bikini this year too.”
she said it so casually, completely absentmindedly yet y/n’s head snapped towards her before she even realised she’d moved.
daniela caught it immediately, the quick glance, the way y/n’s eyes lingered for just a fraction too long and the pink beginning to creep up the tips of her ears.
a tiny smile tugged at daniela’s lips, she couldn’t help herself. she let out the quietest little hum before turning properly towards her “did you pack one?” her voice was softer now, lower and almost teasing.
“i…” y/n opened her mouth “…i…” her brain had quite simply stopped working, she frowned at herself “…uh…”
she blinked a couple of times before reality suddenly hit “…no.” another beat “…shit.” she sat upright so suddenly her chair squeaked against the floor “what am i gonna do?”
the panic in her voice only made everyone else laugh harder. before anyone could answer, megan slowly raised her hand into the air like she was answering a question in class “…i didn’t either.”
“in my defence,” megan said, pointing around the room, “none of you told me we were getting parole.” that earned another round of laughter.
sophia shook her head fondly as she watched the chaos unfold around the table. for the first time all day, y/n wasn’t sulking about mr fluffy, she wasn’t pouting. she wasn’t rubbing absentmindedly at the scratches on her arms.
instead she was animatedly trying to work out whether she could somehow buy a bikini before tomorrow, megan throwing out increasingly ridiculous suggestions beside her.
daniela didn’t join in, she simply watched y/n for a moment, smiling quietly to herself. there was something incredibly cute about how quickly she could go from grumbling in the corner to looking like the happiest person alive over the promise of a day at the beach.
without even noticing, y/n caught her looking. their eyes met across the table, daniela smiled.
y/n felt that familiar flutter low in her stomach all over again. she quickly looked away, pretending to be very interested in megan’s suggestion that they could “just swim in matching camp t-shirts.”
“you don’t have to worry,” sophia said through a laugh as she watched the mild panic spread across both y/n and megan’s faces. “we can stop somewhere on the way and pick something up.”
the tension visibly melted out of megan’s shoulders “okay, good.” she pressed a hand dramatically against her chest “phew.”
“crisis averted,” y/n muttered, earning herself a nod of agreement from megan.
for a moment the room settled again, everyone happily chatting over one another about the beach then lara frowned “…wait.” she looked towards sophia “how are we even getting to the beach?”
the room quietened again, sophia didn’t answer straight away. instead, a slow smile spread across her face “finally.” she reached into the back pocket of her shorts “someone’s asking the important questions.”
everyone watched as she pulled out a small set of keys, letting them dangle from her finger. attached to the keyring was a tiny, faded wooden surfboard. the second manon saw it, her eyes went impossibly wide.
“…no way.” she was already half out of her chair “no way.”
sophia simply nodded, unable to hide the smug grin spreading across her own face “oh yes way.”
manon stared at the keys like she’d just seen a ghost “how did you-“ she looked from the keys to sophia before looking back again “…oh my god.”she was fully on her feet now “how did she let you?!”
“i told you,” sophia laughed. “i pulled a few strings.”
“wait.” lara looked between the two of them completely lost “i have severe fomo right now.”
“same,” daniela admitted. “what is happening?”
before sophia could answer, manon hurried around the table, carefully taking the keys from her hand before holding them up in front of lara’s face like they were the crown jewels.
“these,” she announced dramatically, “are the keys to the van.”
lara blinked “…okay?” she waited “…and?”
“what’s so special about the van?” y/n asked, just as confused. megan nodded “yeah… aren’t they just…” she squinted at the keys “…van keys?”
manon looked genuinely offended “just van keys?” she clutched them to her chest “you two have no appreciation for camp history.”
sophia laughed before rescuing them from manon’s dramatics “the van’s been here for years.” she leaned back in her chair, smiling at the memories “since the camp first opened, actually, the couple who started the camp bought it themselves. it’s been passed down with every new owner since.”
“it’s kind of…” she searched for the right word “…legendary.”
manon nodded enthusiastically “missy showed us when me and sophia first started. i wanted to take it out but she said no one is allowed”
lara frowned “…why?”
“because missy won’t let anyone touch it,” sophia answered “she says it’s too sentimental. it only gets started every so often to keep it running, then it goes straight back into the shed. that’s it.”
“it’s basically a museum exhibit,” manon added “with wheels.”
“she won’t even let the maintenance staff drive it.”
daniela’s eyebrows slowly climbed higher the more they explained “…so…” she looked at sophia “she’s letting you take it?”
sophia tried to look modest, she failed miserably “…she is, i promised we’d look after it and i may have reminded her that the engine deserves a proper drive every now and then.”
manon let out another disbelieving laugh “i cannot believe she actually said yes.”
lara looked back at the keys “…okay…” she nodded slowly “now i get the excitement….but does it at least have air conditioning?”
the room fell silent, sophia winced “…it has windows.”
lara groaned “of course it has windows.”
“it’s a vintage,” manon corrected proudly.
“ancient,” megan muttered.
daniela laughed, shaking her head “i don’t even care.” she smiled brightly “a beach road trip in a legendary camp van?” she looked around the table “…that sounds kind of perfect.”
for the first time all evening, everyone fell into the same excited grin.
tomorrow suddenly couldn’t come fast enough
~~~~~
by the time the last camper had finally fallen asleep, both of them looked ready to collapse.
getting maple cabin settled had been far more difficult than usual. half of the campers had been bouncing off the walls with excitement, unable to stop talking about seeing their parents the next day. every five minutes someone had another question.
“what if my mom gets lost”
“can i show my dad my top bunk first?”
“what if my parents don’t recognise me because i got taller?”
the other half had gone completely the opposite way. the excitement had worn off just enough for homesickness to creep in. a few quiet tears, a couple of extra hugs, one little girl insisting she wasn’t crying despite the fact tears were very obviously rolling down her cheeks.
it had taken stories, reassurance, whispered conversations and far more patience than either counsellor thought they had left. eventually, though…the talking stopped, the giggling faded and the cabin filled with the familiar chorus of soft breathing.
y/n quietly pushed herself away from the final bunk she’d been sitting beside, carefully tucking the blanket back around one of the girls before nodding towards the counsellors’ room.
daniela smiled tiredly, they slipped inside as quietly as possible, closing the door behind them with a gentle click.
daniela let out a long, exhausted sigh, lifting both hands to push her curls back from her face before letting them fall again “god…” she laughed quietly to herself “that was a lot.”
y/n didn’t even answer straight away. she simply walked the few steps over to her bed before letting herself fall backwards onto the mattress with absolutely no grace whatsoever, the springs squeaked in protest.
she stared up at the wooden ceiling for a long moment “…i know.” she exhaled dramatically “i want my mom now too.”
daniela laughed, the sound soft enough not to wake the campers in the next room. she wandered over, sitting on the edge of her own bed opposite y/n “same.” she rubbed at her eyes “i nearly cried when emily started crying.”
“i know.” y/n groaned into her pillow “i was doing so well…” she rolled onto her side to look at daniela “…then she asked if her mum could tuck her in tomorrow.”
daniela’s shoulders dropped “…don’t.” she pressed a hand against her chest “i almost lost it.”
“i had to pretend i needed to fix her blanket.”
“i pretended i had something in my eye.”
they looked at each other then both laughed quietly “i think tomorrow’s going to be veryyy emotional for them daniela admitted.
“definitely.” y/n stretched her sore arms above her head before immediately wincing as the scratches from the previous night pulled slightly “…ow.”
daniela noticed instantly, her smile disappeared “does it still hurt?”
y/n glanced down at the fading scratches “a little.”she shrugged.
daniela’s eyes drifted down to the scratches scattered across y/n’s forearms again even in the dim light of the cabin they stood out.
she frowned “…let me see.”
y/n glanced down herself before immediately shaking her head “it’s fine.” she tried to wave it off, but daniela was already pushing herself off her own bed.
the mattress creaked softly as she crossed the small space between them before y/n could protest again, daniela sat carefully on the edge of her bed because y/n was still lying on her back, daniela had to sit close.
her thigh brushed lightly against y/n’s stomach as she settled herself, close enough that y/n instinctively held her breath.
“i said…” daniela reached for her wrist “…let me see.” there wasn’t any force behind it just quiet determination. she gently lifted y/n’s arm, resting it carefully across her own lap.
y/n didn’t fight her, she wasn’t entirely sure she remembered how. daniela’s fingers turned her wrist ever so slightly, studying the faint scratches running across her skin.
her brows pinched together “…god.” she murmured it more to herself than to y/n “he really got you.” her fingertips hovered for a second before the backs of her nails lightly traced alongside one of the scratches, careful not to press against it.
the touch was featherlight, barely there still…y/n felt every single inch of it. the air caught somewhere in her throat. her lungs seemed to forget what they were supposed to be doing.
she stared up at the wooden ceiling for all of half a second before her eyes betrayed her, drifting back down again.
daniela was so close, a loose curl had fallen forward beside her face. daniela was completely focused on her arm completely unaware of the curl and effect she was having.
“…at least you didn’t get…” she began absentmindedly then she looked up.ntheir eyes met, the rest of the sentence disappeared. daniela’s breath hitched almost imperceptibly.
“…rabies.” the word finally escaped her lips, quieter than she’d intended. she swallowed hard without breaking eye contact.
her fingers were still resting lightly against y/n’s arm. y/n could feel the warmth of her hand through her skin, could hear her own heartbeat thudding so loudly she was convinced daniela had to hear it too.
daniela’s gaze flickered, just for a second. from y/n’s eyes…to her lips…then immediately back again almost as though she’d caught herself. she looked down quickly, pretending to inspect another scratch near y/n’s wrist.
“…these should heal pretty quickly,” she said softly, though her voice wasn’t nearly as steady as she’d hoped.
a moment later, despite looking back at y/n’s arm, her eyes found their way back up once more, drawn there without either of them quite understanding why.
y/n slowly shifted, propping herself up onto her free elbow. the movement was unhurried and careful. daniela hadn’t realised quite how close they already were until y/n closed the distance even more.
her breath caught only for a second but y/n heard it.
the cabin had fallen impossibly quiet, the only sounds the distant chorus of crickets outside and the faint breathing of the sleeping campers beyond the thin wall.
daniela still held y/n’s arm in her lap, her fingers rested lightly around her wrist, warm against her skin.
y/n’s gaze lingered on her face, on the loose curl that had escaped the rest of her hair, hanging beside her cheek.
wiithout thinking too much about it…she lifted her free hand slowly. daniela’s eyes followed the movement, her breathing growing just a little shallower as y/n’s fingertips brushed against the side of her face.
they were impossibly gentle, barely grazing her skin as they tucked the loose curl carefully behind her ear. the touch sent a shiver down daniela’s spine.
almost instinctively, her hand tightened ever so slightly around y/n’s wrist where it rested across her lap.
her fingers lingered for another heartbeat against the side of daniela’s head after the curl was tucked away.
daniela swallowed, her eyes searched y/n’s face almost absentmindedly before dropping just for a second to her lips again. y/n noticed but she didn’t look away.
instead she watched the tiny movement, her own heartbeat thudding so loudly she was sure daniela had to hear it.
the silence stretched and daniela’s hand slowly loosened around y/n’s wrist. her fingertips drifted upwards almost without thinking, tracing lightly along the inside of her forearm, careful to avoid the scratches she’d been looking at moments before.
the touch was slow, hesitant like she wasn’t entirely aware she was doing it.
their eyes met again, neither of them smiled now. there was only nervous anticipation hanging between them, both caught in that strange space where neither wanted to break the moment, but neither quite knew what came next.
y/n’s breathing had slowed and daniela’s had too.
yet somehow the air between them felt impossibly heavy. their faces remained only inches apart, close enough that every tiny movement felt significant.
daniela’s gaze flickered back to y/n’s lips just for a heartbeat then back to her eyes.
her fingers stilled against y/n’s arm almost unconsciously…she leaned forward the slightest fraction.
y/n didn’t move away if anything…she met her halfway.
a soft knock suddenly broke through the silence.
both of them froze, another knock followed gentle this time.
“miss daniela?” came a tiny, sleepy voice from the other side of the door “…miss y/n?”
the moment shattered completely.
“i had a nightmare.”
lucas.
it was as though someone had snapped a rubber band stretched far too tight. daniela’s hand slipped away from y/n’s arm so quickly it was almost painful.
she pushed herself off the bed in one hurried movement, nearly catching her foot on the corner of the frame.
“i-i got this,” y/n blurted, her voice noticeably less steady than she’d wanted it to be she swallowed hard and hurried to her feet.
the space between the bed and the door suddenly felt impossibly small. both of them instinctively tried to move out of the other’s way at the exact same time.
they stepped left.
“…sorry.”
then right.
“sorry.”
left again.
their shoulders bumped lightly. they both stopped, letting out the same awkward, breathless laugh.
the heat in the room somehow climbed even higher.
“you-“
“just-“
they spoke over each other before immediately falling quiet again.
y/n let out a nervous breath through her nose “…i’ve got it.” without really thinking, she lifted both hands and rested them lightly against daniela’s hips, guiding her a small step to the side so she could squeeze past.
it lasted barely a second just enough to move her and just enough for daniela to completely forget what had been happening.
she felt y/n’s hands, warm through the thin fabric of her t-shirt and gone almost as quickly as they’d arrived.
“…i’ve got this,” y/n repeated, quieter this time.
daniela stared at her. she heard the words but they barely registered. all she could think about was the lingering warmth where y/n’s hands had just been.
y/n hesitated for the smallest fraction of a second. her eyes lifted, they caught on daniela’s lips one last time then she quickly looked away before she could think too much about it.
she turned and crossed the room, pulling the door open as quietly as she could. lucas stood on the other side in dinosaur pyjamas, clutching a well-loved stuffed spider to his chest. his hair stuck up in every direction and his eyes were heavy with sleep.
“hey, spider-man,” y/n whispered, immediately softening. lucas looked up at her with a tiny pout “bad guys, huh?” she asked gently he gave a small nod.
y/n smiled “come on.” she stepped out into the hallway, carefully pulling the door closed behind her. the latch clicked softly into place.
silence settled over the room once again, daniela hadn’t moved. she was still standing exactly where y/n had left her. her heart was beating so hard she could feel it in her throat.
she slowly lifted a hand to the side of her waist without really thinking, fingertips brushing over the place where y/n’s hands had rested moments before.
the room suddenly felt far too warm. she let out a slow breath, closing her eyes for a second.
they had been so close, so unbelievably close.
she replayed the last few minutes over and over in her head- the way y/n had tucked her curl behind her ear, the way she’d looked at her, the way she’d started leaning in without either of them saying a word.
then…
knock.
a tiny, helpless laugh escaped her.
of course.
she dropped onto the edge of her bed, burying her face in both hands for a moment before dragging them slowly down her face “seriously…” she muttered to herself.
she wasn’t sure whether she wanted to laugh…or scream.
because now, instead of sleeping, all she could think about was the look in y/n’s eyes before the knock and the feeling of y/n’s hands on her hips.
outside in the hallway, y/n’s soft voice drifted faintly through the wall as she reassured lucas that there weren’t any bad guys hiding in camp.
daniela stared at the closed door, her pulse still hadn’t slowed, she felt like she couldn’t think straight.
all she knew was that she’d spent the entire summer denying herself.
denying the way her heart raced whenever y/n smiled at her.
denying how badly she’d wanted to close the distance tonight.
she’d had enough of almosts.
because next time they found themselves alone… she wasn’t going to let anything stop her from finally giving in to what she’d wanted all summer.
a/n heyyy 👀 guys i swear i was giving you what you wanted but i had to split the chapter in half so..you’ll just have to…wait for the next one :) love you
until death do us part - daniela avanzini x fem reader
synopsis - when y/n agrees to be one of manon’s bridesmaids, daniela doesn’t think much of it. that is, until she spends the happiest day of her friends’ lives trying not to let jealousy ruin hers.
warnings - 18+ MDNI, explicit sexual content, jealous & possessive daniela , dirty talk, oral sex, fingering, face sitting, choking/breath play (consensual), alcohol consumption, strong language
today was about sophia and manon finally getting married.
daniela sat on the left side of the chapel, around five rows back. she crossed one leg over the other, smoothing invisible creases from the black dress she’d spent entirely too long choosing.
it hugged her figure without looking overdone, the ribbed fabric sculpting softly around her waist before falling into a fitted silhouette. delicate spaghetti straps rested over her shoulders, framing a sweetheart neckline that dipped gently across her chest. the sides of the dress curved inward with subtle cut-outs that revealed just enough skin above her waist to catch the light whenever she moved.
her dark curls had been left down, glossy and defined, falling over both shoulders in soft waves that brushed against the straps of her dress whenever she turned her head.
she’d wanted to look nice, it was one of her best friends’ wedding. as she looked around the room, she couldn’t help smiling to herself. manon’s family were speaking quietly a few rows ahead and someone on sophia’s side was already crying before the ceremony had even started.
the lights dimmed and conversation slowly disappeared. one by one, people rose to their feet, chairs scraped gently across polished stone.
the musician sitting near the front lifted her bow, the first note echoed through the chapel. daniela turned toward the doors. they remained closed for only a second longer then they opened.
megan stepped through first, a quiet wave of smiles spread through the guests. she looked beautiful.
the bridesmaids on manon’s side wore matching champagne satin dresses that caught every bit of sunlight pouring through the windows. they were floor length with soft draping through the skirt, the fabric moving almost like liquid with every step.
the neckline wrapped gently across one shoulder before falling into an elegant silhouette that looked effortless rather than formal.
megan’s hair had been swept half-up, tiny white flowers pinned between loose curls that rested against her back.
she carried a bouquet of ivory roses tied together with cream ribbon. on the opposite side of the aisle came yoonchae, her dress was identical in every way, only the colour differed. instead of warm champagne, hers was a pale dusty blue that almost looked silver beneath the afternoon light.
sophia had chosen cooler tones, manon had chosen warmer ones. different palettes, same design. it looked perfect together.
they reached the altar before separating naturally to opposite sides. another few notes passed, the music swelled slightly.
they opened once more. lara appeared first, her arm was linked comfortably through someone else’s. daniela forgot how to breathe.
y/n.
the champagne satin somehow looked completely different on her. the dress skimmed softly over her body, catching the light every time she moved. the warm colour made her skin glow beneath the afternoon sun spilling through the windows, the satin folding and unfolding with each slow step she took.
it fit her perfectly, not tight, not loose just…perfect.
her hair had been styled into loose waves, brushed over one shoulder while the other side had been tucked neatly behind her ear with tiny white flowers woven between the strands.
daniela couldn’t look away, she’d seen y/n dressed up dozens of times. birthday dinners, christmas parties, new year’s and none of them had prepared her for this.
somehow every single person in the room seemed to disappear around her. lara, beside her, wore the matching dusty blue version for sophia’s side.
the contrast between them was almost unfair, warm champagne beside cool blue, gold beside silver, their bouquets matched the colours perfectly.
they walked slowly together, arms linked neatly at the elbows, keeping perfect pace with one another as they made their way down the aisle.
they looked comfortable, daniela hated how quickly she noticed that. she smiled anyway because she wasn’t about to be weird over people walking together at a wedding. that would be ridiculous.
halfway down the aisle…y/n looked up and their eyes met instantly almost like she’d been searching for her. a smile spread slowly across y/n’s face, the corners of her mouth lifting just enough for daniela to recognise it immediately then-
a tiny wink.
so quick nobody else would’ve caught it. daniela felt warmth shoot straight into her face. she had to fight the stupid grin threatening to spread across her own face, ducking her head for the briefest second before looking back up.
y/n had already turned forward again, daniela’s eyes followed her automatically. down the bouquet, the satin folds of the dress until they landed on lara’s arm. still linked comfortably through hers, lara leaned in ever so slightly to murmur something under her breath.
whatever it was made y/n smile again and daniela’s stomach tightened for absolutely no reason. they were bridesmaids, of course they were walking together.
they’d been paired together so it meant absolutely nothing. she knew that. still…her eyes lingered for a second longer than they should have.
on the way lara’s hand rested lightly against y/n’s forearm, on how naturally they moved together, on how close they looked. she swallowed and looked away then immediately looked back again before catching herself.
stop it.
she almost rolled her eyes at herself, it was one walk down an aisle, one wedding, one afternoon nothing about it meant anything and yet…as y/n continued toward the front of the chapel, sunlight catching in her hair while the champagne satin shimmered with every step…
daniela couldn’t shake the tiny, irrational flicker of jealousy sitting quietly in her chest.
the music changed. a few soft piano notes gave way to strings, slower now, fuller. every person in the chapel turned towards the doors once more.
they opened. sophia appeared first and the smile on her face was impossible to miss. she looked equal parts excited and completely overwhelmed, her white dress tailored perfectly, a small bouquet clasped in one hand as she took the first few steps into the chapel.
a few seconds later-
manon.
a quiet, collective breath swept through the room. she stood in the doorway for only a heartbeat, sunlight spilling around her before she started walking. she couldn’t stop smiling either. the moment their eyes found each other, everything else seemed to disappear.
~~~~~
the ceremony itself passed in a blur. there were stories from childhood friends that had everyone laughing. there were vows that somehow managed to make almost every guest reach for tissues.
daniela applauded with everyone else when they were finally pronounced married. she smiled, cried a little and laughed when megan sniffled louder than anyone else. but every so often…without meaning to…her eyes drifted to the bridesmaids more specifically to y/n.
standing beside megan, the champagne satin looked even prettier beneath the warm light now filling the chapel.
she laughed quietly at something megan whispered. shifted her bouquet from one hand to the other, brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
after photographs inside the chapel and another round of congratulations, the newlyweds finally turned towards the doors.
the quartet began playing again, this time something lighter and celebratory. the guests remained standing as the wedding party began making their way back down the aisle.
sophia and manon disappeared through the doors first, hands clasped tightly together as cheers and applause followed them outside. megan walked behind them, laughing as someone wolf-whistled from the back rows, yoonchae rolled her eyes dramatically before following after her.
then came y/n and lara. their arms weren’t linked this time, they walked side by side instead, their shoulders brushed every now and then as they laughed quietly about something daniela couldn’t hear.
maybe they had to walk close because the aisle just wasn’t very wide?
maybe daniela was imagining it, she hoped she was because somehow it felt even closer than before. she watched them all the way down the aisle watched lara lean in to say something, y/n grin, the distance between them seem to disappear entirely.
just before they reached the chapel doors, someone called lara’s name from outside and turned instinctively. without thinking, y/n’s hand came up, resting lightly against the middle of lara’s back as she guided her through the doorway.
it only lasted a second, the sort of thing people did without realising yet daniela’s jaw tightened.
there it was again, that annoying little twist in her stomach. because why the fuck is she touching her like that?
the applause slowly faded as the last of the wedding party disappeared outside. the guests began filtering into the aisle, chatting excitedly now that the ceremony was over. chairs scraped across the stone floor as everyone gathered handbags, jackets and programmes.
daniela waited until the people in front of her started moving before stepping out into the aisle herself. warm summer air met her the moment she stepped outside. somewhere ahead she could already hear laughter.
daniela found herself scanning the crowd for only one person.
“woah.”
daniela turned at the sound of y/n’s voice.
she’d somehow managed to slip away from the rest of the bridal party for a minute, weaving through the guests until she reached her. the second she stopped in front of daniela, she just… stared and her eyebrows lifted “you look fucking unbelievable, babe.”
daniela felt heat creep up her neck almost instantly, she looked down for a second, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth “shut up.”
“i’m serious” y/n shook her head, still looking her over “i knew the dress was nice, but…” she let out a quiet laugh. “jesus.”
daniela looked back up at her, unable to stop smiling “right back at you, baby.” her hand found y/n’s arm, fingers absentmindedly smoothing over the satin before trailing slowly down towards her elbow.
“this dress is…” she bit lightly at her lip, shaking her head “…i don’t even have the words.” before she could think of anything else to say, y/n leaned in for a quick kiss.
she barely pulled back before leaning in again, stealing another “sorry,” she murmured against her lips. another kiss “haven’t…”
one more “…kissed you all day.”
she finally pulled away, smiling to herself “been a little busy.”
daniela laughed quietly “a little?”
“what did you think of the ceremony?”
out of the corner of her eye, daniela caught movement. lara. she was making her way across the courtyard towards them, glancing between the two of them before looking towards the line of waiting cars.
without really thinking about it, daniela stepped forward again. her hands slid gently around the back of y/n’s neck, fingertips disappearing into the loose hair resting there.
she drew her in. this kiss lingered just a few extra seconds where neither of them seemed particularly interested in pulling away.
when they finally did, daniela’s hands stayed where they were for a beat before slowly sliding from the back of y/n’s neck, down over her shoulder, settling comfortably around her upper arm.
“sorry…” they both looked over. lara had stopped a few feet away, an apologetic smile already on her face “didn’t mean to…” she gestured vaguely between them “…interrupt.”
y/n laughed “you’re alright.”
lara nodded towards the cars waiting outside the gates “sophia’s looking for all the bridesmaids. she wants us riding over together before everyone else gets there.”
“already?” y/n asked.
“apparently” lara smiled before looking over at daniela properly “girl…” she laughed softly, giving her an appreciative once-over. “you look unreal.”
daniela smiled “as do you.”
“thanks.” lara looked back at y/n “come on, they’re literally waiting.”
y/n let out an exaggerated sigh “i’m coming.”she looked back at daniela, giving her arm a gentle squeeze “i’ll see you there?”
“yeah.”
y/n smiled one last time before reluctantly stepping away, falling into step beside lara as they headed towards the waiting bridal party.
~~~~~
the reception venue overlooked rolling gardens that seemed to stretch on forever. the kind of place that looked like it’d been lifted straight out of a magazine.
white linen draped every table, glass chandeliers hung from exposed wooden beams overhead, catching the late afternoon sun pouring through floor-to-ceiling windows. candles already flickered despite the daylight, and somewhere across the terrace a jazz trio played quietly while waiters drifted between guests with trays of champagne.
the formal photographs started almost immediately. which meant…waiting. daniela accepted a champagne flute from a passing waiter with a polite smile.
“thank you.” she took a sip, wandering towards the edge of the gardens where most of the guests had gathered to watch the wedding party being organised by the photographer.
“okay,” he called. “bridesmaids with manon first.”
megan and y/n crossed the lawn together, both in their matching champagne dresses, laughing about something as they joined manon.
the photographer adjusted them a dozen different ways.
daniela smiled to herself.
“alright, now with sophia’s side.”
y/n stepped back and lara met her halfway.
their dresses looked ridiculous together beneath the evening sun, champagne beside dusty blue, and the photographer immediately pulled them into position beside sophia.
“bit closer.” they shuffled “closer than that.” lara laughed, naturally stepping in until their shoulders touched “perfect.”
click.
daniela’s jaw tightened, it’s literally a photograph and she knew that. the photographer was telling them where to stand, that was his job.
still…why did they have to look so…comfortable?
she took another drink, someone asked the bridal party for a candid. lara leaned over and whispered something and whatever it was made y/n throw her head back laughing.
click.
daniela drained half her champagne in one go.
“everything alright?”
she looked around, one of manon’s cousins smiled at her.
“yeah.” she smiled back “just… thirsty.”
the cousin laughed before wandering away and daniela looked back towards the gardens where the photographer was still going.
“group hug!” lara immediately wrapped an arm around sophia, megan reached for manon and y/n got caught somewhere in the middle, laughing as everyone squeezed together.
it was all fine except every few minutes…lara seemed to end up next to y/n again, walking between locations, waiting while cameras were changed, standing shoulder to shoulder while someone adjusted bouquets.
what is she doing?
daniela frowned into her glass.
seriously does she have to stand that close every single time?
another sip.
it’s like she’s attached to her.
she immediately felt guilty, lara wasn’t doing anything wrong. they were bridesmaids, they’d spent the entire day together. of course they were talking and standing together but that didn’t stop the irritation bubbling away under her skin.
she finished the champagne, almost as soon as the flute was empty another appeared beside her, she took it without thinking. guests began filtering back towards the reception hall while staff opened the enormous glass doors leading inside.
place cards waited on every table, soft conversation filled the room again as people searched for their names. daniela had just started walking towards the entrance when she heard an older woman behind her.
“oh, don’t they make a lovely couple?”
she wasn’t talking to daniela but another woman beside her followed her gaze across the terrace.
“which two?”
“those girls.”
she smiled warmly.
“the one beside megan, the other bridesmaid and sophia’s friend…lara was it?”
daniela instinctively looked up. y/n and lara. they were walking towards the entrance together, lara saying something that made y/n smile again.
“aren’t they sweet?” the woman continued. “young love.”
the second woman chuckled “oh, i don’t think they’re-“
the rest disappeared beneath the rushing sound in daniela’s ears. a lovely couple. seriously?
she looked back towards them, lara reached over to brush something, probably a stray petal, from y/n’s shoulder. y/n smiled and said something back.
daniela felt something hot settle in her chest. before she realised she’d done it, she’d tipped the remaining champagne back, finishing it in one swallow. she set the empty flute down on the nearest tray with a little more force than she’d intended then headed straight inside.
she found the seating chart. table four.
daniela. next to it- y/n.
good. at least sophia had gotten one thing right.
she reached the table first, pulling out her chair before sitting down. her arms folded tightly across her chest, one heel began tapping against the wooden floor beneath the table.
y/n spotted her almost immediately. she smiled to herself before weaving between the tables, carefully slipping past waiters carrying bottles of wine and guests still trying to find their seats.
daniela didn’t move, she’d seen her coming and kept her eyes on the menu sitting in front of her.
“hi, baby.” y/n’s voice was soft, she rested one hand along the back of daniela’s chair as she leaned down, pressing a quick kiss to the side of her mouth “you alright?”
daniela hummed in response “mhm.” her hand found y/n’s thigh beneath the table almost automatically, fingers resting there for a second before her nails pressed lightly into the fabric of the champagne dress.
y/n smiled to herself “i love sophia and manon,” she murmured, leaning closer until her lips were beside daniela’s ear, “but fuck me…” she let out a tired breath “…this is exhausting.”
without another thought, she rested her head against daniela’s shoulder for a moment, eyes closing briefly “my face actually hurts from smiling.”
daniela gave another quiet hum “yeah.” her voice came out flatter than she’d intended “looks really tiring.”
there was enough edge to it that y/n immediately lifted her head again, she frowned and really looked at daniela this time. the crossed arms, the tight jaw, the way she hadn’t properly smiled once since she’d sat down “…what?”
daniela kept her eyes on the table “nothing.”
“daniela.”
“i said nothing.”
y/n tilted her head slightly “…okay, but it’s very obviously something.” before daniela could answer-
“there you two are.” megan appeared first, dropping into the chair opposite with an exaggerated sigh “my feet are actually numb.”
“you’re being dramatic,” yoonchae said, sliding into the seat beside her.
“i’m literally not.”
lara arrived last, placing her bouquet carefully beside her chair before sitting down next to y/n “i think i’ve been told to ‘look natural’ about eighty times today.”
“only eighty?” megan laughed. “lucky.”
the conversation immediately shifted. yoonchae started recounting one of the photographers trying to get manon to stop laughing, megan interrupted every other sentence and lara laughed quietly, adding her own version of events.
y/n joined in easily, smiling as she listened. beside her, daniela stayed unusually quiet, her hand never left y/n’s thigh. if anything…her grip tightened ever so slightly whenever lara leaned across to say something to y/n.
y/n noticed, she glanced sideways at her girlfriend. daniela still hadn’t looked at her once. whatever this was…it definitely wasn’t nothing.
~~~~~
dinner settled everyone.
once the speeches had finished and the nerves had worn off, the reception became exactly what weddings were supposed to be.
glasses clinked together across the room and someone kept topping up everyone’s wine before they even realised their glass was empty.
music drifted quietly through the speakers while waiters moved between tables carrying plates and laughing with guests they’d inevitably become familiar with over the last few hours.
daniela couldn’t have told anyone what she’d eaten, she knew it had been good everyone kept saying it was good, she barely noticed.
when it came time to cut the cake, everyone spilled away from their tables and gathered around the dance floor.
the enormous cake stood beneath a wall of flowers, sophia and manon already laughing before they’d even picked up the knife.
“just cut the thing already,” megan called from somewhere near the front.
the room erupted into laughter. the photographer tried desperately to get one normal photograph, he failed almost immediately when sophia deliberately dabbed icing across manon’s nose.
daniela smiled despite herself then instinctively looked for y/n. she found her a few people ahead, lara stood beside her.
of course she fucking did.
daniela slipped through the crowd without really thinking about it until she was standing on y/n’s other side.
y/n looked over “hi.”
daniela simply smiled before reaching down, finding her hand, their fingers laced together naturally.
y/n squeezed once then turned her attention back towards sophia and manon, daniela didn’t let go.
the first dance followed not long after. the lights dimmed, the room quietened. sophia held out her hand and manon rolled her eyes dramatically before taking it anyway.
everyone watched as they disappeared into the middle of the dance floor.
~~~~~
when the song came to an end, applause echoed around the room. before anyone had a chance to leave the dance floor, the dj laughed into the microphone “alright, don’t go anywhere.”
another song faded in “a married couple shouldn’t be dancing on their own.” a chorus of cheers followed. “everyone else, come and join them.”
almost instantly, the dance floor began to fill. y/n looked over at daniela “come here.”
daniela let herself be led onto the floor. as soon as they stopped, her arms slid comfortably around the back of y/n’s neck, her hands settling there like they belonged.
y/n’s found her waist just as naturally, they swayed slowly amongst everyone else, barely moving beyond the gentle rhythm of the music.
daniela’s fingers idly played with the soft hairs at the nape of y/n’s neck, twisting one absentmindedly before smoothing it back down again. she felt y/n smile “what?”
“nothing.” another slow sway. y/n looked at her for a second, her expression softening “i still can’t believe how good you look.”
daniela hummed quietly, her fingers caught lightly in the hair at the back of y/n’s neck, giving the tiniest playful tug “maybe if you took your eyes off lara for five minutes…” she spoke so casually it almost didn’t register.
“…you’d believe it.”
y/n blinked “…what?”
daniela only hummed again, her eyes fixed somewhere over y/n’s shoulder.
y/n let out a short laugh “wait…” she searched daniela’s face “…you’re joking.”
no smile “…dani?” another quiet hum and nothing else. the smile slowly disappeared from y/n’s face “…oh you’re not kidding?”
daniela still didn’t answer, she simply stepped a little closer until there was barely any space left between them, her forehead almost brushing y/n’s as they continued swaying with the music.
y/n’s hands remained around her waist, though her brow had furrowed slightly now “…baby.”
daniela’s fingers continued absentmindedly tracing the hair at the back of y/n’s neck “just dance.”
the song faded out to another round of applause.
people slowly drifted back towards their tables, stopping every few steps to greet someone they’d spotted across the room or steal another glass of champagne from a passing waiter.
y/n kept glancing sideways at daniela, who hadn’t said another word since the dance. she still held y/n’s hand, but there was something tighter about the way she did it now.
they reached their table, y/n pulled her chair out but didn’t sit. instead she turned towards daniela, lowering her voice “…baby?”
daniela looked at her.
“can we just-“
“y/nnnn!”
both of them turned. lara came stumbling over, cheeks pink from the champagne she’d clearly had more than enough of. she laughed as she reached them, immediately looping an arm around y/n’s shoulders, practically hanging off her.
“there you are.”
y/n laughed, instinctively steadying her before she toppled over “easy.”
“i’m being easy.” lara dissolved into another fit of giggles. she finally noticed daniela standing beside them and her eyes widened dramatically.
“oh…” she pointed between the two of them “i am so… so sorry.” she reached out, patting daniela’s shoulder with exaggerated sincerity “i’ve stole your girl all day.”
another laugh escaped her before she dropped her forehead against y/n’s shoulder “sorry.”
daniela held her gaze for a second “…i’ve noticed.”the words were quiet but flat enough that y/n immediately looked at her.
before lara could respond, daniela stepped forward, gently but firmly lifting lara’s arm from around y/n’s shoulders “come on.” she smiled politely “you should probably sit down before you fall over.”
lara laughed again “probably.”
megan appeared out of nowhere, shaking her head “oh fuck sake” she slipped an arm around lara’s waist “you’re done.”
“i’m fine.”
“you’ve just apologised to daniela for stealing her girlfriend.” megan sighed “come on.”
as megan began steering lara away, y/n turned straight back to daniela who was glaring at her. y/n looked across the room, grabbing onto the first distraction she saw.
“look, baby!” she pointed towards the far corner of the reception hall where a vintage-style photo booth sat surrounded by fairy lights and a growing queue of guests “a photo booth.”
she smiled nervously, slipping her fingers between daniela’s again “come on.” before daniela could answer, y/n gave her hand a gentle tug, starting to lead her across the room.
daniela followed, after only a couple of steps, her grip tightened around y/n’s hand.
y/n’s smile faltered “…ow.” she glanced down briefly before looking back at daniela “dani…”
daniela loosened her grip almost immediately “sorry.” the apology came automatically.
the photo booth sat tucked away in the corner of the reception hall, draped in strings of fairy lights that cast shifting patterns of gold across the floor around it. a red velvet curtain hung across the entrance.
y/n didn’t wait. she stepped inside first, pulling daniela in after her before letting the curtain fall closed behind them.
the space shrank instantly, the music from the reception hall became muffled, the bass thrumming through the velvet like a heartbeat.a single strip of LED lights ran across the top of the booth, casting a soft pink glow over everything.
y/n turned to face her “dani-“ that was all she got out before daniela shoved her backward. the small chair creaked beneath them as y/n landed against it, her breath catching in her throat.
daniela didn’t give her a second to recover. she stepped forward, one hand pressing against y/n’s chest, shoving her back against the chair cushions until there was barely any space left between them.
then she kissed her hard and messy. lips crashing together without finesse, without the slow build-up of a first kiss.
y/n melted into it instantly, her hands finding daniela’s waist, pulling her closer until their bodies were pressed together from chest to thighs.
daniela’s lips were hot and insistent. she bit lightly at y/n’s lower lip, tugging it between her teeth before releasing it with a quiet pop.
“you’re mine,” she murmured against y/n’s mouth, her voice rough with something between need and frustration. “stop letting everyone fucking touch you.”
y/n gasped, her fingers tightening against daniela’s hips. daniela kissed down her jaw, her neck, nipping gently at the sensitive skin just beneath her ear.
y/n’s head fell back with a quiet moan, her pulse fluttering wildly beneath daniela’s lips.
“dani p-people could see-“ another kiss, this time lower down the column of y/n’s throat.
daniela’s hands slid up her sides, fingers catching on the ribbed fabric of the champagne satin before pushing the straps down her arms.
she didn’t stop there, she kept going. until the dress pooled around y/n’s waist, exposing the soft lace of her bra and the plane of her stomach.
y/n’s breath hitched, her hands flew to daniela’s shoulders, nails digging in slightly as daniela’s lips trailed lower, over the lace covering y/n’s breasts, her teeth grazing lightly over a hardened nipple before moving on.
“fuck-“ y/n’s voice was breathy.
daniela smirked against her skin before standing up abruptly, her hands went to the hem of her own dress and without hesitation, she lifted it.
pulled her lace thong down her thighs and stepped out of it. the fabric was already damp at the crotch, the lace clinging to her skin before daniela balled it up in her fist and shoved it to y/n’s chest
“meet me on the dancefloor” her voice was low and commanding. y/n stared at the thong in her hand, her face flushed, her lips swollen from kissing. she swallowed and nodded.
her fingers closed around the damp lace, fingers curling around it instinctively before she tucked it into the small clutch bag hanging from her wrist.
daniela’s eyes stayed on her “good girl.” then she turned, pushed the curtain open and stepped out.
she left y/n sitting there, trembling slightly, her dress still pushed down around her waist, her skin flushed and her mind racing.
~~~~~
the dancefloor was already crowded when y/n finally made her way back out.
the dj had switched to a slower, sexier track. something with a deep bassline that pulsed through the floor beneath her heels.
she spotted daniela immediately, stood near the edge of the dancefloor, her back against one of the support pillars, her posture relaxed but her eyes locked on y/n the second she stepped into view.
she looked dangerous and y/n’s stomach flipped.
she weaved through the crowd, her champagne satin dress swaying with every step, her mind still reeling from the photo booth, from the way daniela had looked at her, from the way she’d spoken to her.
“you took your time.” daniela’s voice was a low purr, her eyes dark with something that made y/n’s breath catch.
she didn’t wait for an answer, instead, she turned and backed herself against y/n’s front. her ass pressed flush against y/n’s hips, her body moving instantly to the rhythm of the music.
y/n’s hands found her waist automatically, fingers curling into the satin, gripping tight as daniela began to grind against her.
every roll of her hips sent a jolt of heat straight between y/n’s thighs. she could feel the damp lace of her own thong and could feel the way her body ached for daniela’s touch.
“dani…” her voice was barely a whisper.
daniela didn’t turn around, she kept moving. one hand sliding up to tangle in y/n’s hair, her fingers twisting slightly, pulling just enough to make y/n gasp.
“shh.” she leaned back slightly, her ass still pressed against y/n’s hips, her voice a dark murmur in y/n’s ear “make up an excuse.”
y/n’s heart pounded “what?”
“get the fuck out of here,” daniela whispered, her lips brushing the shell of y/n’s ear as she spoke. “meet me in the bedroom.”
she turned around to meet y/n’s gaze over her shoulder, her expression was serious “you belong to me.”
her fingers trailed down y/n’s jaw, her chin, her neck, until they rested against the hollow of y/n’s collarbone. she dragged her fingertip along the sensitive skin there, slow and deliberate “and i’m gonna fucking prove it to you.”
then she stepped away and walked off before y/n could respond, left her standing there breathless.
~~~~~
y/n slipped away from the edge of the dance floor almost on instinct. she kept her head down, weaving between guests until she spotted the sign for the hotel bathrooms just off the ballroom lobby.
she pushed through the heavy door, the noise of the reception immediately dulling behind her.
she hurried to the nearest mirror, planting both hands against the marble countertop as she looked up “…shit.”
her cheeks were still bright pink and her hair, which had been perfectly pinned back hours earlier, had escaped in loose strands that framed her face in complete disarray.
and then there was her lipstick or…what was left of it.
it had smudged beyond the edges of her lips, faded unevenly until it looked more like she’d forgotten to reapply it than anything else.
“…shit, shit.” she grabbed a paper towel, dampening it under the tap before carefully wiping around her mouth.
she smoothed both hands down the front of her dress, straightening the satin where it had creased before adjusting the straps back into place. she tucked the loose pieces of hair behind her ears but they immediately fell back out again.
“…of course.” opening her clutch, she reached automatically for her lipstick instead…her fingers brushed against something soft and wet.
she froze and slowly looking down into the bag “…oh my god.” she squeezed her eyes shut for a second.
she bit the inside of her cheek, quickly pushing the lace further beneath the rest of her things before anyone could walk in and catch a glimpse.
her face somehow grew even hotter, she let out a long breath through her nose, shaking her head to herself trying to ignore the ache between her legs. finally finding her lip liner and lipstick, she leaned closer to the mirror.
she fluffed her hair with her fingers, pinched a little colour back into her cheeks, though she hardly needed the help and took one final look at herself.
still flushed and still a little flustered but at least she no longer looked quite so obvious.
snapping the compact shut, she slipped it back into her clutch, squared her shoulders and headed for the door.
the music grew louder as she stepped back into the corridor, laughter spilling out from the ballroom once again.
she’d barely taken a few steps before she walked straight into someone “whoa.” warm hands caught her by the elbows before she could stumble “careful.” y/n looked up.
megan.
“s-sorry.”
megan steadied her before taking a proper look at her “…hey.” her brows knitted together “you alright?”
“yeah.” the answer came far too fast “yeah, i’m fine.”
megan didn’t look convinced, she studied her for another second “you look…” she hesitated “…a bit flustered.”
y/n instinctively touched her cheek “do i?”
“a little” megan smiled faintly.
y/n laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of her neck “it’s just… really warm in there.”
megan glanced towards the air-conditioned ballroom before looking back at her “…sure.”
there was a brief silence as y/n looked over megan’s shoulder. across the room, sophia and manon were still surrounded by relatives, being pulled into yet another round of family photos.
“…megan?”
“yeah?”
“if soph or manon ask where i am…” she hesitated, searching for something believable “…could you tell them dani’s not feeling great?”
y/n nodded “yeah… i think i’m gonna take her upstairs for a bit.”
“of course” megan gave her arm a reassuring squeeze “i’ll let them know.”
“thank you.”
“tell her i hope she’s okay.” megan smiled “go on. i’ll cover for you.”
“thanks, megs.” with one last grateful smile, y/n slipped away towards the tables to collect their things before making her way out into the hotel lobby.
~~~~~
the elevator doors chimed open just as she approached, and she stepped inside without hesitation. the mirrored walls reflected the flushed state of her skin, the slightly messy waves of her hair, the way her chest rose and fell with quickened breaths. she pressed the button for the top floor and leaned against the wall, clutching her small clutch bag tightly to her chest.
when the doors slid open again, she stepped out into the quiet hallway, the plush carpet muffling the sound of her heels. she hurried toward their room, her mind racing with images of daniela’s possessive touch, the way her voice had dropped into something dark and demanding.
she reached for her key card, her fingers brushing against the soft lace in her clutch. the wetness of it made her whimper quietly, her body tightening with need. she fumbled slightly, her free hand pressing against the door as she tried to steady herself.
the card slid into the reader with a quiet click, and the lock disengaged. she pushed the door open and stepped inside.
the room was dimly lit, the only light coming from the bedside lamp, casting a warm glow over the king-sized bed and the figure standing in the middle of it.
daniela.
she stood there barefoot, her dress still on but unzipped just enough to show the swell of her breasts beneath the black lace of her bra. her arms were crossed over her chest, her posture relaxed but her eyes burning with something raw and hungry.
y/n’s breath hitched in her throat, her fingers tightening around her clutch as she stepped inside and let the door swing shut behind her.
daniela didn’t move and didn’t speak. just watched her with those dark, intense eyes, her jaw set, her lips slightly parted as if she were already tasting her.
y/n’s pulse spiked, she took another step forward, her heels clicking softly against the floor.
daniela moved before she could take another. she crossed the room in three long strides, her hand shooting out to grab y/n’s wrist. she yanked her forward, spinning her around until y/n’s back slammed against the door with a quiet thud.
the impact stole the breath from y/n’s lungs, her clutch slipping from her fingers as daniela’s body pressed flush against hers. one hand shot up, gripping y/n’s jaw, tilting her head back just enough to claim her mouth in a hot, messy kiss.
y/n moaned into it, her hands flying to daniela’s waist, nails digging into the satin of her dress as daniela’s tongue forced its way past her lips. the kiss was rough, demanding, nothing like the soft touches they usually shared. it was possession and need as if daniela was staking her claim, her teeth grazing y/n’s lower lip before pulling back just enough to speak.
“you enjoyed that?” her voice was low, rough with something between jealousy and desire. “letting her touch you all night.”
y/n’s eyes widened, her breath coming in short gasps as daniela’s grip tightened on her jaw “b-babe it wasn’t like-“ she didn’t get to finish.
daniela cut her off with another kiss, this one even harder, her free hand sliding down to grip y/n’s throat. not tight enough to hurt, but enough to make her feel it, enough to remind her who she belonged to.
“shut up.” daniela’s voice was a dark murmur against her lips. “and open.”
y/n obeyed instantly, parting her lips for daniela’s tongue to sweep inside. she moaned, her body arching into the touch, her hips rolling instinctively against daniela’s thigh.
daniela pulled back just enough to look at her, her thumb brushing over y/n’s bottom lip before trailing down her neck, over her collarbone, and lower. her fingers traced the neckline of y/n’s dress, teasing the fabric before slipping beneath it.
“you look too fucking good in this dress.” her voice was rough, her eyes dark with hunger.
before y/n could respond, daniela’s hands were on her hips, gripping tight as she spun her around and shoved her toward the bed. y/n stumbled forward, catching herself on the mattress before daniela’s body pressed her down into the soft comforter.
“dani-“
“shh.” daniela’s breath was hot against her ear as she leaned over her, her hands sliding up y/n’s sides, pushing the champagne satin up inch by inch.
y/n whimpered, her ass lifting slightly as daniela’s hands reached the small of her back, she suddenly remembered her heels were still on.
“m-my heels-“
she started to protest, but daniela cut her off with a sharp shove her body pressing into the mattress as daniela’s hands gripped her ankles, spreading her legs wider.
“i don’t give a fuck.” daniela’s voice was a growl, her fingers digging into y/n’s thighs as she pushed her flush against the bed.
she shuffled up y/n’s body, her knees pressing into the mattress on either side of y/n’s face. her hands slid up, pushing the dress up further until it pooled around her waist then before she could even react daniela sat down right on y/n’s face.
y/n moaned instantly, her hands flying to daniela’s thighs as the sudden weight pressed her deeper into the mattress. daniela’s hands shot out, gripping the headboard for balance, her hips already rolling as she ground down against y/n’s mouth.
“fuck-” daniela’s voice was a broken moan, her thighs trembling as she settled fully onto y/n’s face. “that’s it baby fuck me with your mouth.”
y/n moaned, her tongue flicking out instinctively, lapping at daniela’s dripping pussy. she could taste her salty, sweet, intoxicating and she arched her back, her hands gripping daniela’s thighs as she pulled her closer.
daniela gasped, her hips jerking as y/n’s tongue found her clit, swirling around it in slow, torturous circles. “shit-” she moaned, her body trembling as she rode y/n’s face, her hips rolling in time with y/n’s tongue. “fuck, just like that”
she reached back, one hand tangling in y/n’s hair, pulling just enough to make her whimper as she ground down harder, her pussy dripping against y/n’s lips. “take it, baby. take every fucking drop.”
y/n moaned, her tongue working faster, her fingers digging into daniela’s thighs as she lapped at her, her own arousal dripping down her thighs as she arched her back, her hips rolling in time with daniela’s movements.
daniela’s breathing grew ragged, her thighs trembling as she rode y/n’s face, her moans filling the room as y/n’s tongue worked her closer and closer to the edge. “fuck yes yes yes!“ she gasped, her hips stuttering as she came, her pussy clenching around y/n’s tongue as she rode out her orgasm.
daniela let out a shuddering breath as the final waves of her orgasm subsided. she opened her eyes, looking down at y/n sprawled beneath her, face glistening with her wetness. a possessive growl rumbled in her throat as she sat back, straddling y/n's waist.
her hand shot out, wrapping around y/n's throat in a firm grip. y/n's breath caught, eyes widening slightly at the sudden intensity.
daniela leaned in, tongue flicking out to drag slowly across y/n's chin, licking up the remnants of her own juices. the taste sent a fresh surge of arousal straight to her core.
"look at you," she purred, voice low and dripping with satisfaction. "covered in me." she pressed closer, lips ghosting over y/n's as she tightened her grip on her throat just enough to make her squirm.
"you like that, don't you?" she murmured, grinding her hips down against y/n's. "knowing you belong to me?"
without warning, she crashed their lips together in a bruising kiss, all teeth and tongue as she claimed y/n's mouth. y/n whimpered, hands grasping uselessly at daniela's back as she was thoroughly ravished.
when daniela finally pulled back, they were both panting. she stared down at y/n, eyes dark with possessiveness.
“you liked watching me get jealous all day, didn't you?" daniela hissed, her grip tightening around y/n's throat.
y/n's eyes went wide, her breath catching in her throat. "i-i didn't know baby i swear-“
“shut up." daniela cut her off, dragging y/n's hand between her own thighs. "these hands were on her all day. on her arm, on her waist, on her-“ she ground down against y/n's palm, a strangled moan escaping her lips.
"baby, it was for the wedding-" y/n tried to protest, only to be silenced by daniela pushing her fingers deeper.
“this is where your fucking hands should've been." daniela hissed, sinking down onto y/n's digits, her eyes falling shut as she rode them, her breathing ragged.
daniela's hips ground down harder, her pussy clenching rhythmically around y/n's fingers as she chased her release again.
"tell me you're mine," she demanded, her voice low and rough with need. she tightened her grip on y/n's throat, applying just enough pressure to make y/n gasp. "say it."
y/n's back arched, her mouth falling open in a breathless moan. "i’m yours, dani," she panted. "i’m yours, only yours..."
daniela's grip on y/n's throat tightened slightly as she let out a long, guttural moan. her hips jerked erratically, her pussy clamping down hard on y/n's fingers as she came again, shuddering and gasping above her. wave after wave of pleasure crashed over her, her nails digging into y/n's skin as she rode it out, her eyes locked onto y/n's the entire time.
she collapsed forward, bracing herself on her hands as she tried to catch her breath. her grip on y/n's throat loosened, her thumb brushing gently over the flushed skin in an almost soothing gesture.
"yeah you're mine, baby," she whispered, her voice husky with desire. "you're the only person who gets to do this to me, ever." she pulled back, her gaze never leaving y/n's, as she pulled y/n's fingers out of her with a wet plop.
y/n's whimper was like music to her ears, and daniela's eyes flashed with excitement as she lifted y/n's fingers to her mouth, sucking them clean slowly, her eyes never leaving y/n's.
muffled sounds of pleasure and arousal escaped her lips as she savored the taste of herself on y/n's fingers, her eyes burning with intensity as she looked at y/n, who was now a whimpering mess.
"p-please mami..." y/n's plea was like a trigger, and daniela's eyes flashed with excitement as she pulled y/n's fingers out of her mouth, her lips curling into a possessive, hungry smile.
she leaned forward, her mouth inches from y/n's, her breath hot and heavy against y/n's skin "what do you want, baby?" she whispered, her voice dripping with desire. "what do you want me to do to you?"
y/n whimpered, hips bucking up needily against daniela. "touch me, please."
without a word, daniela moved quickly, flipping y/n over onto her stomach. she unzipped the champagne dress, peeling it slowly off y/n's body.
a groan escaped daniela's lips as she gazed upon y/n's bare ass. she raised one hand and brought it down in a firm slap, making y/n gasp. "look at you, so fucking wet," daniela growled.
she reached up, fingers tangling in y/n's hair and yanking her head back, arching y/n's back. "bet you were this wet all day, knowing you were getting me fucking jealous," she hissed.
y/n trembled beneath the firm grip, heart pounding. she was aching to be touched, craving daniela's possessive hands on her body. “i-i wasn’t trying to make you jealous”
daniela's grip on y/n's hips tightened, her fingers digging into the soft flesh as she yanked y/n's thong off, the sound of the fabric tearing echoing through the room. y/n's legs trembled, her feet splayed out to the sides as daniela's hand reached around, slipping under her body.
the angle was perfect, daniela's fingers sliding deep into y/n's pussy, the tips curling up to graze the sensitive spot just inside. y/n's body arched, her hips rolling up to meet daniela's hand, her clit grinding into the palm. the pressure was exquisite, the sensation of daniela's fingers moving inside her, coupled with the gentle rubbing of her clit, sent y/n's senses into overdrive.
"don't fucking lie to me," daniela's voice was low, husky, her words punctuated by the sound of her fingers moving in and out of y/n's pussy. "only i can make you this wet, isn't that right, baby?" y/n's response was a mere whimper, her body betraying her as she bucked up into daniela's hand.
the sound of daniela's fingers moving inside y/n was like music, the wet sounds of her pussy slick with arousal, echoing through the room. daniela's fingers sped up, her movements becoming more insistent, more demanding. y/n's moans grew louder, her body trembling as she approached the edge.
"that bitch couldn't make you feel this good, no one can," daniela's voice was a dark whisper, her words laced with a possessive intensity that sent shivers down y/n's spine. "this pussy is mine. you're mine. all of you is."
she leaned over y/n's body, her eyes dark with desire. her fingers moved relentlessly, pressing and curling inside y/n's wet heat. the rhythmic squelching sounds filled the room, punctuated by y/n's desperate whimpers and moans.
y/n's body was pinned beneath daniela's, her body pressing into y/n's back as she worked her fingers in and out, curling them to hit that sweet spot that had y/n writhing and clenching around her.
"feel good, mi amor?" daniela purred in y/n's ear, her voice low and dripping with arousal. she emphasized her words by pushing her fingers in harder and faster.
"you hear that?" daniela whispered, tugging y/n's hair back so she could see her flushed, blissed-out expression. "only i do that to you, baby. don't i?"
y/n was a whimpering, drooling mess beneath her, her hips grinding back desperately against daniela's hand.
“y-yes, mami," she whined, her voice high and needy.
daniela growled, her wrist beginning to ache from the relentless pace, but she didn't slow down. y/n was hers, and she was going to make sure she remembered that.
her fingers moved faster, her touch growing more insistent as she whispered in y/n's ear "yeah, you wanna cum, baby? you wanna cum all over my fingers?" her tongue darted out, tracing the shell of y/n's ear, making her shiver "you're so close, i can feel it. your pussy's clenching, trying to keep me inside." her breath was hot against y/n's skin, her words making y/n's arousal spike "let go, baby. let me feel you cum."
y/n's body tensed, her muscles locking up as her orgasm hit. daniela's fingers were still moving, still stroking her, but it was too much. y/n's pussy clenched, and she felt herself being pulled under, her vision blurring at the edges
“dani- fuck yes nnghh oh my god-“
daniela's mouth closed over y/n's neck, her teeth sinking in, marking her skin. y/n felt a rush of pain mixed with pleasure, her orgasm intensifying as daniela sucked and bit, leaving her skin throbbing and tender.
y/n's body arched off the bed, her hips thrusting, her pussy clenching around daniela's fingers. she was screaming, moaning, her voice echoing off the walls as daniela continued to suck and bite, leaving her skin marked and bruised.
daniela finally pulled back, her chest heaving, her eyes dark with desire. she gazed down at y/n, her expression possessive, her lips curled into a cruel smile.
"mine," she whispered, her voice low and rough. "you're mine."
daniela pulled her fingers out slowly, a satisfied smirk spreading across her lips as she brought her glistening fingers to her mouth. she licked them clean with a low hum, savoring the taste of y/n's arousal.
"mmm, you taste so good, baby," she purred, her dark eyes burning with desire.
y/n lay beneath her, trembling and spent, her pussy clenching around nothing. she tried to turn over, to face her girlfriend, but the other woman quickly moved, tangling her fingers in y/n's hair and pushing her back down.
"did i say i was done?" daniela's free hand drifted down, teasing y/n's now sensitive clit and making her hips jerk.
her grip on y/n's hair tightened, a silent command to stay put as she began to stroke y/n's clit in slow, torturous circles. y/n whimpered, her body arching into the touch, desperate for more.
"i'm not stopping until the only name that's in your pretty little head," daniela leaned in, her lips brushing y/n's ear
“is mine”
a/n : 👀 sooo what can i say im a sucker for jealous dani
