Chapter Text
It’s been two days since then.
After that moment at the fire, the girls hadn’t spoken the rest of the party. With Till being dragged around by Hyuna, forced to participate in unwanted socializing, while Ivan either caught up with her teammates or by Mizi. They never got another moment alone.
Since then, they have spoken, the usual sending TikTok’s and bantering texts not being affected.
So that must be a good sign, at least Ivan hopes.
Though, between Tills band and Ivans practice schedule, they haven’t been able to see each other since then.
Now, it’s Monday.
Usually, after their classes and Ivan’s practice, the girls usually hang out. That is if Till doesn’t have to go to band practice.
Of course today she does.
Perfect.
Ivan’s always found it funny how inconsistent Till’s band rehearsals are. Sometimes they’re rigid and long, eating up the whole night. Other times, they’re short and chaotic, with half the band not even showing up. When she’d asked about it once, Till had just shrugged.
“I don’t run it. Hyuna does.”
Ivan actually sees this as a good thing, Till’s band practice, that is. It gives her time to take care of a few... important matters. She heads to the library, which isn’t too far from the sports center. Convenient, and more importantly, she knows exactly who she’s looking for.
The moment she pushes through the doors, it takes only a few steps to spot her target.
Sua.
He looks up as she approaches. There’s no real surprise on his face, no nervousness either, just mild annoyance. A bit uneasy, even.
“I knew it,” she mutters to herself, then beams brightly. “Sua! Just the person I was looking for.”
Her voice is all charm, dripping with that effortless charisma she’s known for. A little too cheerful. Performative, almost. Sua doesn’t buy it for a second. He sighs and rolls his eyes, already bracing himself for whatever chaos Ivan has planned.
“I’m busy.” Sua replies flatly, not even bothering to look up from the textbook in front of him.
Ivan doesn’t care about his standoffish behavior, instead plopping down on the chair across from him.
“You’re always busy.”
“Is this about Saturday?”
Straight to the point, typical Sua, but it works for Ivan.
“You saw us, didn’t you?” Ivan says, her voice is still light and charming, but Sua can see right through that look in her eyes.
“Thought so,” he mutters, now raising his light eyes to meet Ivan’s dark ones.
“I did,” he says simply. “Mizi didn’t.”
There’s a pause, it’s almost tense, but more heavy. Ivan tenses a little.
Sua shuts his book, his full attention now on Ivan.
They’ve always had this relationship, since they all became friends as kids. Ivan always saw Sua as a brother, and, in a way, saw him as a reflection of herself. Sua, on the other hand, has always found her to be a bit of a pest. They’ve always been able to go to each other, however, even if they bicker like siblings.
“Look,” Sua started, his voice softer now, a little more sympathetic. “You’re going to have to talk to her.”
Ivan just huffed a chuckle, “Clearly.”
Sua rolled his eyes. “Don’t act as if you were going to. You won’t because you think she doesn’t feel the same.”
Ivan doesn’t respond right away. That smirk on her face faltered as her gaze dropped to the table between them, jaw tight.
“I just don’t want to ruin anything between us.”
Sua arched a brow, and, for a moment, didn’t say anything.
Until:
“Pretending it never happened will ruin it. Plus, I highly doubt Till would never speak to you again over that.”
Very encouraging, Thank you, Sua.
“Anyway, you guys have fun with that.” he says, reopening his book. “I won’t be caught in the middle of this.”
The wind brushes past, gentle but cold, as she walks back to her dorm. She tucks her hands deeper into her sleeves and lets her eyes drift closed for just a moment. Her breath fogs in the evening air. She hates this part, the in-between. The after something meaningful, but before knowing what it meant. Where every silence feels loaded and every second drags like a weight behind her ribs.
The thing is, she knows Till. Knows how her mind spirals. Knows how easily she pulls back when something feels too real.
And yet, that kiss hadn’t felt like fear.
It had felt like something shared. Like relief. Like maybe Till had been waiting just as long.
That thought makes Ivan’s stomach dip unexpectedly. She raises a hand to her mouth, startled by how much it all hits at once.
She probably looks ridiculous, standing frozen in the middle of campus. After a few seconds of spiraling, just long enough to frustrate herself, he pulls out her phone.
Ivan:
You busy later?
After sending, she hurriedly stuffs the phone back in her pocket, quickly making her way back to her dorm.
She feels the vibration through her pocket as she walks through the door of her dorm. Although she was planning on waiting a few minutes before responding, the anticipation is killing her.
Till:
I thought you had a game later?
Ivan stares at the message, sometimes she wonders if Till is really as oblivious as she acts.
Ivan:
I do.
She hesitates before typing again. Fingers hover, heart quick.
Ivan:
I want you there.
No response.
Just silence.
Ivan turns off her phone, jaw tightening, and drops it onto her bed. She lies back against the mattress, eyes on the ceiling, heart thudding a little too loud in her chest.
Her energy’s a little off before the game. Nothing major, just enough for her teammates to notice.
“You good?” one of them asks, stretching beside her.
Ivan chuckles, brushing it off with a half-shrug. “Didn’t get much sleep last night.”
Which isn’t exactly a lie.
Time crawls, dragging its feet through warm-ups, drills, and locker room noise. The usual pre-game adrenaline buzz feels muted, like it’s caught behind her ribs and can’t quite settle.
Before she knows it, she’s on the field. Lights humming. Whistle sharp. Her cleats press into the turf like an anchor.
She glances toward the bleachers. Maybe she’s not expecting anything. Maybe she just wants to see a flash of dark clothing. A familiar silhouette. Anything that shows she came.
But from where she’s standing, the stands look like a blur of faces, none of them the one she’s searching for. Still, she doesn’t stop looking.
Not yet.
After minutes of stolen glances and desperate looking. Nothing.
Her heart plummets.
The field was pretty much empty now.
Most of the team had gone, the few that were left now packing up gear. Low murmurs and the sound of shuffling filled the emptiness of the field. The bright lights now cast long shadows, the cool breeze of the October air rustling through the leaves in the surrounding trees.
Ivan now sat on the bench, cool metal against warm skin, as she took a moment for the adrenaline to wear off.
Her hair damp with sweat, the varsity jacket usually worn around her shoulders now tied loosely around her waist, the collar of her uniform clung to the back of her neck. She stared at the ground, her heart slowing from frantic pumps to slower pulses, her breath slowly easing and the tension from her body loosening.
“You look exhausted.”
Ivan looked up.
Till, standing at a decent distance, wearing her scuffed boots, hands tucked into the sleeves of the team hoodie she had stolen from Ivan before. Her hair was slightly mussed from the wind, silver strands brushing over the slightly smudged lined eyes. The teal became more prominent than ever as the floodlights cast over those eyes.
Ivan was quiet for a moment, silent in pure admiration before speaking.
Her lips quirked a bit. “Well, I did just run like 6 miles while simultaneously getting body checked.”
Till let out a gentle, breathy laugh at the words. She stepped closer, slowly, as if she was scared to get too close.
“True,” Till said, shrugging, moving a little closer. Now standing before Ivan, a decent space between them.
Till paused for a second, looking around. It seems she’s trying to find the correct words to say, or maybe she’s trying to not give into the tension that’s so clearly between them.
“You looked good out there.” She muttered eventually, her eyes casting aside as she bit her lip.
Ivan can see the hesitation on her face, the nervous energy that seems to pour out of her. It almost breaks Ivan’s heart, seeing the way she seems so nervous, so unsure, as if their friendship will never be the same.
Ivan also can’t help the flutter in her heart at the compliment, at the fact that Till showed up just to see her.
“Thank you,” Ivan says, her voice soft.
Till just nods in response.
There’s words between them, unspoken. Words that hovered in silence that were dying to be said. Words that needed to be said if they ever wanted to figure out this strange tension between them.
Ivan eventually breaks the silence. “Listen, Till—“
Till’s gaze shifts, finally resting on Ivan’s face.
The raven’s voice is strained, nervous. “I hope…” she sighs, raking a hand through her hair. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I’m so sorry.”
Ivan’s eyes stay fixed on Till, whose brows knit together in confusion, as if the words didn’t quite make sense.
“I just hope this doesn’t ruin our friendship. I don’t want to lose you, Till—“
She didn’t even get to finish before a sharp tug on her hair made her flinch, a sting blooming at her scalp.
Since when did Till get so close?
“Ow!” Ivan grits, wincing at the sudden tug, “Jesus, Till, I’m sorry—”
Till didn’t let go. “For someone seemingly so smart,” Till starts, her voice laced with irritation. “You can be an idiot sometimes.”
Despite the scolding, the grip in Ivan’s hair loosened, replaced by fingers threading through it gently, soothing the ache.
Ivan’s going to ignore the way it made heat pool in her stomach.
Till’s fingers continued to move slowly in raven hair, gently brushing away sweaty bangs from Ivan’s forehead. The contrast had Ivan’s heart stuttering, almost in confusion, and something deeper.
“I wasn’t uncomfortable,” Till says, her voice soft. “I think you forgot that I leaned in, too,” she says, moving her eyes to make eye contact.
It makes Ivan’s heart flutter even more, eye contact was never Till’s thing. So, the fact that she’s forcing herself to do it for Ivan’s sake makes Ivan want to split her open and listen to her beating heart.
Ivan searched her face, really searched it. Till wasn’t hiding behind a smirk or her usual bantering sarcasm.
She looked.. vulnerable.
Ivan shifted, this time moving her hands that were originally at her sides to cup Tills face. She expected Till to swat them away, instead, Till melted into them.
“I thought I read things wrong,” Ivan said, just as softly. “I thought I crossed a line.”
“You didn’t.” Till’s voice was firm now. “You didn’t, Ivan.”
The silence that followed felt different this time. Heavy, but not with avoidance, not with misunderstanding or tension. With possibility.
Ivan’s eyes flick from Till’s lips back to her eyes.
There is something unspoken in the look that they shared, certainty, yearning, and maybe even a little fear. Though, when Till leaned in just slightly and gave a subtle nod, it was all the permission Ivan needed. A quiet agreement that she too wanted this.
Ivan reached up, with Till standing between her legs now, and brushed her thumb gently along Till’s cheek. It was a soft touch meant to ground them both. Her heart pounded quickly in her chest, but her movements stayed slow.
Like she didn’t want to suddenly startle Till or ruin the moment.
Then she leaned in.
Their lips met together in a soft, comforting kiss. There was no rush, no urgency, just warmth. The tension between them is now seeping away.
Ivan moved one of her hands away from Till’s face, moving it down to settle on her waist. Ivan tilted her head slightly, as if asking permission to deepen the kiss just enough. The answer came in the form of a soft, breathy sigh from Till, who then moved in closer, her arms sliding around Ivan’s neck.
When they finally pulled back, breaths slightly labored and eyes glazed over, it was when Ivan spoke.
“Was that okay?” She asked, her voice rasped as she looked up at Till.
Till, whose face was flushed and lips pink, looked at her through dazed eyes. “Yeah, Iv,” she said, her voice breathy. “Felt good”
A warm blush creeps up Ivan’s neck, taking one of her hands to cup over her mouth, her head leaning forward as she closes her eyes.
“Till,” she groaned, “you cannot say things like that.”
Till looked at her, seemingly confused. A few beats of silence stayed between them until Ivan could see that flush on Tills ears reddening.
Then, Till’s brows furrowed, “You—!”
She shoved Ivan’s shoulder, though it was more dramatic than painful.
Without another word, Till turned and started walking away quickly, her back stiff with embarrassment.
“Perv!” She called over her shoulder.
Ivan couldn’t help but burst into laughter, scrambling to her feet as she followed. “Wait, Till!”
Ivan jogged after her, catching up quickly with laughter still caught in her throat. Till didn’t stop, but her shoulders twitched, either from being flustered or she too was trying not to laugh.
The raven was able to catch up just enough to wrap her arms around Till’s waist, holding the girl from being able to escape yet again.
Till huffed. “You’re ridiculous,” she muttered, side-eyeing Ivan. “You made it dirty.”
“I’m sorry, Tilly,” Ivan said, dragging out the nickname she knew Till hated.
Till groaned, lightly elbowing Ivan in the ribs.
Another silence fell between them before Till broke it.
“Congratulations, by the way,” she muttered, “for the win, I mean.”
Ivan let out a breathy chuckle. “I was there.”
That earned her yet again another elbow to the ribs. She groaned gently, but only held Till tighter in return, nuzzling her closer before pressing a soft kiss to her jaw.
“Thank you for coming.” Ivan said, her voice quieter now, more sincere. “It means a lot.”
Till shifted, just a little. Her hands now moving to rest on top of the arms clamped around her waist, “I wouldn’t miss it,” she mumbled, turning her head to look at the raven.
Till’s eyes softened as they met Ivan’s gaze, the quiet between them comforting and real. The faintest smile tugged at the corners of her lips, shy. For a moment neither said a word, a quiet understanding between them, just breathing together. It seemed that the world had disappeared, leaving only the two of them.
Slowly, Ivan placed a soft peck on Till’s cheek, causing the other’s eyes to flutter closed. Then, she leaned in, pressing their lips together.
The kiss was slow but charged enough with the feelings neither had said out loud. Ivan felt Till’s grip on her arm tighten, her fingers curling a little more insistently, or maybe nervously. She responded by squeezing Till gently in return, a silent reassurance. Their lips stayed pressed together, slow and tentative at first, then deepening as the tension between them melted. Ivan felt as if her heart could beat out of her chest, finally being able to have Till like this. If she could, she would pinch herself, just to prove it was true.
After a long moment, their lips parted, and Till’s eyes met Ivan’s, shining bright in the dim light, vulnerable and searching.
“Will you marry me?” Is what Ivan decided would be the great idea to blurt out in this moment.
It took Till a good couple of seconds to register what the raven had said. Then, her eyes widening and her blush became more ferocious. She blinked, a sharp breath catching in her throat.
“Jesus, Ivan.” she sighed out, “at least give it a week”
That wasn’t a no. That had to be a good sign.
Ivan, deadpan, didn’t miss a beat. “I’ve known I wanted to marry you since I knew what marriage was.”
Till huffed a breath, turning her head to not face Ivan. “Oh my god,” she muttered, “again, you’re ridiculous.”
“Is that a yes?”
Till sighed, though there was a playfulness in her voice, “Give me a week.”
Satisfied, Ivan snickered and finally let go, her hands falling away as she moved to stand beside her.
Till had only taken a few steps before she paused, glancing back over her shoulder at the bench they’d left behind.
“You gonna leave your stuff?” she asked, nodding to the belongings that rested behind them.
Ivan blinked, then laughed.
Bonus!:
Sua wasn’t sure why Mizi was so hellbent on finding these two.
At first, Sua had just tried to convince him that it wasn’t worth it and that they’d show up eventually.
Unfortunately for him, Mizi is hard to say no to.
So now here he is, trying to find two idiots that could be god knows where right now. All for the sake of Mizi.
The things he does for love.
After thoroughly checking the whole backyard (scanning the area briefly), he sees the gate opened slightly. With a sigh, he decides that he would check the front, begrudgingly.
Walking through, he scans the area again, his eyes making their way to the soft glimpse of light that he sees out the corner of his eye.
He stops dead in his tracks.
That’s when he sees them.
They’re leaning in, or from what he can see, they are. Maybe they’re just really close, but Sua prides himself in not being an idiot. He knows they’re a little too close for comfort.
He decides that he wouldn’t get involved, those two have been holding pent up feelings for each other for years now. If that meant kissing at some random fire at some random house party, then so be it.
Before he could turn around and walk away discreetly, he felt a hand on his back.
“You found them!”
Mizi.
Now, in the split second that Sua has to come up with a decision, he comes up with three choices:
1. He stops Mizi, holding him back just in time and lets the girls have their moment. Unfortunately, Mizi would still see them kiss. And with his bubbly, overexcited self, he would absolutely sprint toward them like it was the finale of a romantic drama. He would celebrate, probably loudly, probably with hugs. One of the girls would panic and say something incredibly stupid. The other would take it personally. Feelings would get hurt. Then would come a dramatic wave of miscommunication. Somehow, Mizi and Sua would both get roped into it. And frankly, Sua was already neck-deep in work, the last thing he needed was to become a therapist as well.
2. He tackled Mizi before he could get to them, full linebacker style, before Mizi could get a clear view of them. It’s dramatic. Mizi screams. The girls hear, and they scream. He gets a grass stain and a scolding for his “weird” behavior. It’s loses no matter what, and mostly for him. Plus, he doesn’t like the idea of tackling the boy he loves.
3. He lets Mizi interrupt, just lets nature take its course.
He decides on number three.
So, Mizi interrupts, oblivious to the situation at hand.
Sua just walks over, slowly, his brows furrowed. As if he knows something.
He chooses to ignore a glint in dark eyes that stare his way.
He also chooses to ignore the burning sensation he can feel at the back of his head as those eyes bear up at him.
Sua realizes this is a loss no matter what.