Work Text:
September 18th 2024
Katseye’s Asia promotional tour, Manila Philippines.
The air was hot and humid, even in the night, Manon still could faintly feel the humidity crawling at her skin. At first it had bothered her, being from Switzerland, or really anywhere in Europe for that matter was very different than being on an island. But as time went on she had become accustomed to it, like it was a light wind that tickled at her face.
It was about 9PM, and Manon could feel the exhaustion creeping into her skin. But yet she couldn’t go back to the hotel and sleep. Better yet she didn’t even think that she could go back to the hotel and sleep. After the last Katseye performance of the day, which was at the Mall of Asia, they had all gone to feast at Sophia’s house. Her Dad had ended up cooking a huge feast of Filipino food, in which Manon stuffed herself so full that for a bit she thought might actually explode. But that was about three hours ago or so. Now Manon was sitting in the Laforteza’s luxurious backyard, with her shoes off and the bottoms of her legs basking in the chlorinated water. Originally she was inside with the rest of the members and Sophia’s family. All laughing and sharing loud stories in the living room. One thing about Filipinos, Sophia being loud? Well it wasn’t just a Sophia trait.
Manon had loved it though, getting to know her sweet family, and some rather embarrassing stories that had been shared about Sophia when she was a kid, along with the best part yet, home videos to match. Despite the kindness and warmth, a certain coldness started to slowly creep its way into Manon’s heart. Sophia hadn’t seen her family in three years, this was the first time since dream academy had started that she had been able to go home. During that time period Sophia certainly didn’t show how much she missed her family, beyond fond memories that Sophia had shared with Manon and the girls, there was nothing.
When Sophia actually got to see her family for the first time, it quite literally brought Manon to tears, with how happy she was with the Filipina getting to actually go home for the first time. Especially coming home to your country that loves and has unexplainable pride towards you. Sophia was basically the Philippines’s princess. And Manon was happy for her, but she almost couldn't help feeling… jealous of Sophia and her ability to be with her Mom right now. Manon loved her job, loved her members, but she missed her Mom, she had never been away from home for this long.
So when Manon began to feel this coming on she excused herself to the bathroom and just went outside, the curtains to the large windows that overlooked the backyard were now closed, so all there was, was Manon and the sky. Yet she still felt the tears softly fall from her cheeks, and that was okay because it was just her out there to have her emotions. She must have been out there twenty minutes at that point and the other girls didn’t notice which was good, Manon wasn’t sure she really wanted their support right now.
The wind began to pick up every so slightly, as the trees swayed and the water rippled ever so slightly, Manon took a deep breath taking it all in, not even noticing the door to the backyard softly open up.
Most of the members hadn’t really noticed Manon’s prolonged disappearance, but Sophia had, “Manon?” She said softly approaching from behind.
Manon’s heart jumped, her head spinning around rapidly with alarm, “Sophia?!” She gasped out.
A smile crept onto Sophia’s face softly as she took a seat next to her, “Sorry Manz, didn’t mean to scare, you just had been gone for a while, I wanted to make sure you were alright.”
Manon shook her head, looking down to mask the warmth that was slowly making its way onto her cheeks from the gesture, “Just needed some time to myself, y’know?”
Sophia nodded, softly placing her hand on Manon’s inner thigh instinctively rubbing circles like it was her second nature at that point. Which in a way, it was. Manon and Sophia had begun hooking up during mission 2 of dream academy, at first it was a purely physical way to release the tensions and stress that the two of them had been enduring. And that was it, they knew each other on a physical level, but otherwise they were simply friends of a sort. But it slowly devolved into something more as time went on. Their relations didn’t seem to stop, even once they got into Katseye. They just simply found covert ways to still interact.
But it became something more, Sophia became Manon’s confidant, her partner in crime, Sophia became the first person she would tell anything to and her best friend in a way. And vice versa, the two found themselves spending almost any second that they could with one another, and slowly that time spent became more than just physicality. Some nights they wouldn’t even do anything beyond just hold each other and talk softly.
In a way it felt to Manon like they were dating, like Sophia was hers to claim. And no one else should be allowed to know her on even somewhat of the same level. During this trip to the Philippines was actually the first time that these feelings seemingly bared its teeth. Leon, one of Sophia’s close friends was there, in her proximity, laughing with her and whispering things that no one else would get. And for some reason it made Manon’s stomach turn for the first time. There were even moments when all the amazing food that Sophia’s family had made, didn’t have any appeal to her as she watched the pair. She spent the rest of the night attached to Sophia’s hip, finding subtle ways to be in her space, to take the place that wasn’t rightfully hers, but could be. Maybe that’s why Sophia did notice when Manon left.
“Hey.” Sophia’s brown eyes caught Manon full force, “What’s wrong?” She asked, her voice lacing with concern.
Manon rolled her eyes, slightly shifting away from her touch, “It’s stupid, it wouldn’t make sense.”
Sophia shook her head, “Try me. I’m not one to judge, Manz.”
Manon couldn’t help the laugh that escaped her lips, Sophia was one to judge, not in a cruel way, more perceptive almost. “You not being one to judge?”
“Hey! I’d like to say an observer not a judger .” Sophia said theatrically, playfully smacking Manon on the arm.
“Are you and Leon a thing?”
“What?” Sophia asked, caught off guard.
“Are you and Leon a thing?” Manon asked, voice cracking ever so slightly.
Sophia gave a puzzled look, “No how would you even get to that?” Manon looked down, refusing to make eye contact with Sophia. “We’re not a thing, he’s just a close friend, that’s all.” Sophia shifted closer to Manon, leaving no room between the two again, her voice soft, “Is that why you’re upset?” She asked, slowly sliding her hand to Manon’s and interlocking their fingers.
Manon shook her head, “No. I don’t know why I asked that.” Manon sighed softly stroking her finger against Sophia’s knuckles, “I guess- I just- I miss my Mom. And I don’t know I felt guilty because you haven’t seen your parents in years and I haven’t seen you crying about it.”
Sophia nodded listening attentively, before placing a kiss on Manon’s jaw, “For at least the first year of dream academy, I think I cried nearly every night after everyone went to sleep.”
“Really?”
Sophia nodded, “Really. I had never been away from that long. It’s okay to cry, of course you’re going to.”
“Ugh but at my big age? Sitting out here crying about my Mommy.” Manon groaned, shoving her face into the crook of Sophia’s neck, Sophia’s hair slightly oily from the humidity, which Sophia had ranted to Manon about before, and she quite literally made it sound like her hair would stand up on its own.
Sophia laughed, “You’re 22 not 92.”
Manon pulled away from her, her mouth agape, “Hey! Don’t laugh, this is a valid issue.”
“Valid? Baby you don’t even have a fully developed pre-frontal cortex.” Sophia managed through laughs.
Manon attempted to continue to fight the smile that formed on her face, but looking over at the Filipina the bright smile plastered from ear to ear on her face. She couldn’t help but smile. That was the thing about Sophia, is that no matter what seemingly happened she always managed to brighten Manon in some way shape or form. Even during their dream academy days, when they were having disputes over whatever was happening, Sophia still managed to brighten Manon in some way, shape, or form. She is always genuine.
In moments like these it felt like there was no one else in the world just Sophia and Manon, sometimes Manon wanted to tell Sophia that she loved her, what other reason was Sophia’s presence what she craved so desperately towards the end of every single day, or why she adored to be around Sophia so much? Maybe she did love her, it was hard to tell.