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Manon swore she wasn’t staring.
Okay. Maybe she was.
But in her defense, it was literally impossible not to.
The moving van had rolled into their block at like two in the afternoon, all loud engine noises and exhausted sighs from the movers carrying furniture into the old duplex that’d been empty for months. Nobody interesting ever moved onto their street. It was either exhausted families with toddlers that screamed at 7 a.m. or weird finance dudes who lasted six months before realizing the neighborhood wasn’t “up-and-coming,” it was just loud.
But this?
This was different.
Manon sat on the curb outside the corner store with Lara, one leg stretched out over the pavement while smoke curled lazily from between her fingers. The summer heat pressed against the city like a sweaty hand. Somewhere nearby somebody was blasting old Drake through a cracked speaker.
Then Lara went, “Oh my God.”
Manon looked up automatically. “What?”
And then she saw her.
A girl was sitting on top of a cardboard box in the middle of the sidewalk like she’d been personally placed there by some insane romance movie director.
The box said SOPHIA’S STUFF in thick black marker.
Very subtle.
She was wearing oversized gray sweatpants and a tiny white tank top, one leg dangling off the box while she scrolled on her phone with a look of complete boredom. Skin glowing in the sunlight. Dark hair clipped up messily with strands falling around her face. Gold hoops. Tiny cross necklace.
Pretty didn’t even begin to cover it.
She looked expensive.
Like she smelled good.
Like she definitely had a skincare routine.
Manon immediately sat up straighter.
“Dibs,” she said.
Lara choked on her smoke. “Girl, dibs? She is not the last mozzarella stick.”
“Dibs.”
“You literally don’t know her.”
“I’m about to.”
Lara stared at her. “You are actually so embarrassing.”
Manon grinned and crushed her cigarette beneath her boot. “Watch greatness happen.”
“You say that every time before getting rejected.”
“Negativity is ugly on you.”
Then Manon crossed the street.
Sophia looked up when Manon stopped in front of her box.
Up close?
Actually lethal.
Manon nearly forgot how to talk.
Sophia raised an eyebrow slowly. “Can I help you?”
Her voice was soft.
Manon was cooked.
She leaned casually against the moving van like she wasn’t internally malfunctioning. “You new here?”
Sophia glanced at the box beneath her.
Then back at Manon.
“No, I just love sitting on random sidewalks for fun.”
Manon blinked.
Lara, still across the street, burst out laughing.
Manon ignored her.
“Okay,” she said. “Damn. You got jokes.”
“You interrupted my sitting dramatically on cardboard time.”
“Tragic.”
Sophia looked her over carefully then.
Manon knew what she probably saw.
Leather jacket despite the heat. Rings on almost every finger. Smudged eyeliner from last night. Nicotine stains. A girl who spent too much time on the streets because home never really felt like home.
People usually decided who Manon was in about five seconds.
Sophia probably already had.
Still, Sophia asked, “What’s your name?”
“Manon.”
“Sophia.”
“Yeah, I gathered that from the giant label.”
Sophia looked down at the box.
Then she laughed.
Actually laughed.
Small. Quick. Pretty.
Manon immediately decided she needed to hear it again.
“You always flirt with girls during moving day?” Sophia asked.
“You think I’m flirting?”
“I think you’re trying.”
Manon clutched her chest dramatically. “Damn. You wound me.”
Sophia smiled just slightly.
Then one of the movers called her name.
She hopped off the box smoothly. “Well, nice meeting you, sidewalk girl.”
“Sidewalk girl?”
“You were literally sitting on the sidewalk when I got here.”
“That’s fair.”
Sophia started walking toward the duplex.
Then paused.
“Your eyeliner’s smudged,” she said without turning around.
And disappeared inside.
Manon stood there for a solid five seconds.
Lara yelled from across the street, “YOU GOT COOKED.”
Manon flipped her off without looking away from the duplex.
“Actually,” she said slowly, “I think I’m in love with her.”
“You fall in love every three business days.”
“No, this one’s different.”
“Because she insulted you?”
“Yes.”
Lara sighed deeply. “You need therapy.”
“Probably.”
Over the next week, Manon found approximately one million reasons to accidentally be near Sophia’s house.
Which was crazy because she already spent most of her time outside anyway.
But suddenly she was outside outside.
Like leaning against lamp posts pretending to text.
Like buying one singular energy drink from the corner store just to walk past Sophia’s porch.
Like offering to help carry groceries she absolutely did not need help carrying.
Sophia caught onto it immediately.
“You’re stalking me,” she said one evening.
Manon nearly dropped her cigarette.
“I am not.”
Sophia crossed her arms.
“You’ve walked past my house six times today.”
“Maybe I enjoy cardio.”
“You smoke like a chimney.”
“Okay, wow.”
Sophia was sitting on the porch steps wearing fluffy pink pajama shorts and a huge university hoodie. Manon had never seen someone look so cozy in her life.
It was deeply unfair.
Manon sat beside her without asking.
Sophia looked at the cigarette.
Then at her.
“You know those things kill you.”
“Everything kills you eventually.”
“That sounded way cooler in your head.”
Manon grinned.
Sophia rolled her eyes but didn’t move away.
Progress.
“You go to school around here?” Manon asked.
“Mhm. Transferred.”
“What for?”
Sophia shrugged. “Mom got a better job. Bigger place. Fresh start. Whole inspirational movie speech.”
“You hate it?”
Sophia was quiet for a second.
Then she leaned back against the porch railing.
“I don’t know anybody here.”
“You know me.”
“That’s unfortunate for me.”
Manon laughed.
Sophia smiled despite herself.
God.
Every tiny smile felt like unlocking an achievement.
“So what about you?” Sophia asked eventually.
“What about me?”
“You just sit around looking mysterious all day?”
“I look mysterious?”
“No. You look like you smell like gasoline and bad decisions.”
Manon stared at her.
Then burst out laughing so hard she nearly inhaled smoke wrong.
Sophia laughed too.
And there it was again.
That sound.
Warm.
Easy.
Manon wanted to keep it forever.
After that, things kind of snowballed.
Sophia started expecting Manon around sunset.
Manon started bringing her little things.
A strawberry milk because Sophia mentioned once that regular milk tasted “sad.”
A lighter with tiny cherries on it.
Fries.
A hoodie she claimed she “found” but Lara later informed Sophia was absolutely Manon’s favorite hoodie because she’d complained about losing it for three days.
Sophia started smiling whenever she saw her.
Not huge.
Not obvious.
But enough.
Enough that Manon noticed.
One night, Manon showed up with a split lip and bruised knuckles.
Sophia’s smile disappeared instantly.
“What happened?”
“Nothing.”
“Manon.”
“It’s fine.”
Sophia stood there in silence for a second.
Then grabbed her wrist.
Manon froze.
Sophia pulled her inside.
The duplex smelled like vanilla candles and laundry detergent.
Warm.
Safe.
Completely opposite from most places Manon spent her time.
“Sit,” Sophia ordered.
Manon sat automatically.
Sophia disappeared into another room and came back with a first aid kit.
“You have a first aid kit?” Manon asked.
“I’m not trying to die from infection because I got a paper cut.”
“That’s dramatic.”
“You literally look like you lost a fight with Wolverine.”
“I won, actually.”
Sophia dabbed disinfectant onto her lip.
Manon hissed.
“Stop moving.”
“You’re mean.”
“You’re bleeding on my couch.”
Manon watched Sophia carefully clean the cuts on her knuckles.
Sophia’s hands were soft.
Her nails were painted glossy pale pink.
Manon suddenly became hyper aware of literally everything.
The tiny crease between Sophia’s eyebrows when she concentrated.
The way her hair smelled like coconut.
The warmth of her thigh barely touching Manon’s.
“Why do you do this?” Sophia asked quietly.
Manon blinked. “Do what?”
“Get into fights.”
Manon looked away.
Outside, somebody’s car alarm started screaming.
Normal neighborhood ambiance.
“It’s just stuff,” she muttered.
Sophia didn’t answer right away.
Then she said softly, “You don’t have to act tough all the time.”
Manon laughed a little.
“Yeah, I kinda do.”
Sophia looked at her for a long second.
Like she could see straight through her.
Manon hated that.
And loved it.
“You know,” Sophia said finally, “under all the chain-smoking and emotional repression, you’re actually kind of sweet.”
Manon stared at her.
“Emotional repression is crazy.”
Sophia smiled.
“There she is.”
Manon’s chest did something deeply stupid.
After that night, Sophia started dragging Manon into normal-person activities.
Which was honestly humiliating.
“You’ve never had a skincare routine?” Sophia demanded.
“No.”
“How are you alive?”
“I drink energy drinks instead of water.”
Sophia looked genuinely horrified.
“Manon.”
“What?”
“That explains literally everything.”
Now Manon spent random evenings sitting cross-legged on Sophia’s bathroom counter while Sophia aggressively explained moisturizers.
“This one is cleanser.”
“Mhm.”
“This one exfoliates.”
“Sounds fake.”
Sophia pointed threateningly.
“You cannot use three-in-one body wash on your face anymore.”
“That product has carried me through difficult times.”
“It’s carried you straight to skin damage.”
Manon grinned.
Sophia sighed dramatically.
Still, she gently pushed Manon’s curls back with a headband while washing her face.
Manon nearly died on the spot.
“You’re staring again,” Sophia murmured.
“I literally can’t help it.”
Sophia rolled her eyes.
But she was blushing.
Manon noticed that too.
Lara noticed everything.
“You’re down horrendous,” she told Manon one night.
They were sitting on the curb again, sharing fries while Sophia was inside studying.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“You let that girl put snail cream on your face.”
“It’s moisturizer.”
“You used to hiss when people touched your shoulder.”
Manon frowned.
“That’s dramatic.”
“You literally threatened me with a traffic cone once.”
“In my defense, you scared me.”
Lara snorted.
Then she looked toward Sophia’s lit-up bedroom window.
“You really like her.”
Manon went quiet.
Which honestly said enough.
Because Manon was never quiet.
Eventually she muttered, “She’s different.”
Lara looked at her carefully.
“Different good?”
“Yeah.”
Manon watched Sophia move around inside the room.
“She makes me feel…”
Lara waited.
Manon groaned.
“I hate this already.”
“FEEL WHAT?”
“Soft.”
Lara immediately started screaming.
“OH MY GOD.”
“Shut up.”
“MANON HAS EMOTIONS.”
“I’ll literally push you into traffic.”
“You’d save me immediately after.”
“…Probably.”
Lara clutched her chest.
“This is disgusting. I need to document this historical event.”
Then Sophia opened the front door.
“Why is Lara yelling?”
“Because she’s annoying,” Manon answered instantly.
“I heard that.”
“You were supposed to.”
Sophia laughed.
Manon looked at her automatically.
Sophia caught her staring.
Again.
“You do that a lot,” Sophia said.
“Do what?”
“Look at me like I invented music.”
Manon leaned back against the porch rail.
“Well. Did you?”
Sophia groaned.
“That was terrible.”
“You loved it.”
Sophia tried not to smile.
Failed.
The thing about Sophia was that she played hard to get in the most obvious way possible.
Like she’d roll her eyes when Manon flirted.
But then she’d save Manon a seat beside her.
She’d act unimpressed.
But she remembered every tiny thing Manon said.
She’d complain about Manon showing up at her house.
Then text her “where are you” if she didn’t.
It became routine.
Comfortable.
Dangerously comfortable.
Manon had spent most of her life feeling like she existed halfway outside everybody else’s world.
Too loud.
Too rough.
Too much.
But Sophia looked at her like she belonged somewhere.
Like she wasn’t just another girl wasting herself away on sidewalks and street corners.
That scared Manon more than anything.
Because if Sophia ever left?
Manon knew it would wreck her.
And apparently the universe heard that thought and went bet.
Because one Friday night, Manon showed up outside Sophia’s place and saw a guy sitting on the porch beside her.
Cute guy too.
Clean haircut.
Nice clothes.
The kind of guy who definitely used words like internship.
Manon immediately wanted to fight him.
Sophia looked up.
“Hey.”
Manon shoved her hands into her pockets.
“Hey.”
The guy smiled politely.
“Hi.”
Manon stared.
Sophia blinked.
“Manon, this is Daniel. Daniel, this is my friend Manon.”
Friend.
Oh.
Cool.
Awesome actually.
Love that.
Manon forced a grin.
“What’s up.”
Daniel nodded.
“Heard a lot about you.”
Manon looked at Sophia.
Sophia suddenly seemed very interested in her phone.
Interesting.
“So,” Manon said lightly, “you two on a date?”
Sophia frowned instantly.
“What? No.”
Daniel laughed awkwardly.
“She’s tutoring me.”
“Oh.”
Manon felt approximately eighty percent less homicidal.
Sophia narrowed her eyes.
“You thought this was a date?”
“No.”
“You literally looked ready to commit a felony.”
“That’s just my face.”
Sophia stared at her.
Then slowly smiled.
And suddenly Manon realized.
Sophia knew.
Like fully.
Completely.
Knew.
Which explained literally everything.
The blushing.
The teasing.
The lingering looks.
The way Sophia always scooted closer.
The way she looked at Manon when she thought Manon wasn’t paying attention.
Oh.
Ohhh.
Manon’s brain short-circuited.
Sophia looked almost smug.
Which was evil.
Truly evil behavior.
Later that night, after Daniel left, Manon stayed sprawled across Sophia’s bed while Sophia sat at her desk pretending to study.
Pretending being the key word.
Because she’d reread the same page like twelve times.
“You’re staring again,” Sophia said quietly.
“You’re pretty.”
Sophia’s ears turned pink.
Manon felt victorious.
“You can’t just say things like that randomly.”
“Why not?”
“Because.”
“Strong argument.”
Sophia turned around in her chair.
“You flirt with everybody like this?”
Manon answered immediately.
“No.”
Sophia went still.
The room suddenly felt very small.
Very warm.
Manon sat up slowly.
Sophia watched her carefully.
Like she was waiting.
Nervous.
Which was insane because Sophia always seemed so composed.
Manon moved closer.
Sophia swallowed.
“You’re looking at me weird,” she whispered.
“You make me nervous.”
Sophia blinked.
“You? Nervous?”
“Don’t ruin the moment.”
That made Sophia laugh softly.
Then neither of them spoke.
The city noises outside drifted through the open window.
Music somewhere far away.
Cars.
People yelling.
But inside Sophia’s room everything felt suspended.
Still.
Manon looked at Sophia’s mouth.
Then back at her eyes.
Sophia noticed.
Obviously.
Because her breathing hitched slightly.
“Manon,” she murmured.
“Yeah?”
Sophia looked terrified.
And hopeful.
And impossibly pretty.
“I think you’re trouble.”
Manon smiled a little.
“You still like me though.”
Sophia tried to deny it.
Manon could literally see the attempt happen.
Then Sophia sighed.
“Unfortunately.”
Manon laughed quietly.
Then Sophia kissed her.
Fast.
Like she got nervous halfway through deciding.
Just a quick press of soft lips before she immediately pulled back with wide eyes.
“Oh my God,” Sophia whispered.
Manon stared at her.
Sophia looked horrified with herself.
“I’m sorry. I don’t know why I did that. I mean I know why I did that but—”
Manon kissed her back.
Sophia made the tiniest surprised noise.
Which immediately went to Manon’s head.
Sophia’s hands grabbed the front of Manon’s jacket.
And okay.
Maybe Manon had kissed people before.
But nothing had ever felt like this.
Sophia kissed carefully at first.
Then softer.
Warmer.
Like she’d been wanting to for a while.
Which apparently she had.
When they finally pulled apart, Sophia buried her face in her hands.
“Oh my God.”
Manon grinned so hard her cheeks hurt.
“You like me.”
“Don’t make this annoying.”
“You like meee.”
Sophia threw a pillow at her.
Manon caught it easily.
Still grinning.
“This is the best day of my life.”
“You’re so dramatic.”
“And you kissed me first.”
Sophia groaned loudly.
“I knew you were never letting that go.”
“Absolutely not.”
After that?
They became unbearable.
Actually insufferable.
Lara hated them immediately.
“You guys are disgusting,” she announced.
Sophia was sitting in Manon’s lap outside the corner store while Manon played with the strings of her hoodie.
“You’re just jealous because nobody kisses you goodnight,” Manon said.
Lara gagged theatrically.
“I miss when you were emotionally constipated.”
Sophia burst out laughing.
Manon looked offended.
“Wow. Betrayal.”
“You absolutely were emotionally constipated.”
“I opened up one singular time.”
“You stared at Sophia like a rescued dog seeing grass for the first time.”
“That’s crazy.”
Sophia was literally crying laughing now.
Manon watched her fondly.
Lara pointed aggressively.
“THAT LOOK. THAT LOOK RIGHT THERE.”
Manon ignored her.
Sophia eventually leaned against Manon’s shoulder.
“You know,” she murmured, “when I first saw you I thought you were gonna be mean.”
Manon gasped dramatically.
“Me?”
“You were smoking on the curb glaring at everybody.”
“I do not glare.”
Sophia and Lara both looked at her.
Manon paused.
“…Okay maybe a little.”
Sophia smiled.
“But then you kept bringing me snacks.”
“You looked hungry.”
“You offered to fight a parking enforcement officer because he gave me a ticket.”
“He was disrespectful.”
“He was doing his job.”
“He was doing it badly.”
Sophia laughed again.
Manon decided right then she would probably spend the rest of her life trying to hear that sound.
Which was terrifying.
But less terrifying now.
Because Sophia looked at Manon like she could already see forever somewhere in there.
Weeks passed.
Then months.
The weather cooled.
Sophia started stealing Manon’s jackets constantly.
Manon pretended to hate it.
Actually she loved it so much it made her feel ill.
One evening they sat on the roof of Sophia’s duplex wrapped in blankets while the city lights flickered below them.
Sophia rested her head on Manon’s shoulder.
“You know what’s weird?” Sophia said.
“What?”
“You’re the first person here that’s ever felt like home.”
Manon went very still.
Sophia looked up.
“Oh no. Why are you making that face?”
“What face?”
“The face where you start having emotions and get scared.”
“That’s slander.”
Sophia smiled softly.
Then reached up and touched the small scar near Manon’s eyebrow.
“You’re thinking too hard again.”
Manon looked out over the city.
Then admitted quietly, “I just didn’t think people like me got this kinda thing.”
Sophia frowned.
“People like you?”
“Y’know.”
“No. I don’t.”
Manon shrugged awkwardly.
“Just… me.”
Sophia sat up straighter immediately.
“Manon.”
“What?”
“You are not some horrible tragic street character.”
Manon snorted.
“You literally met me while I was smoking on a curb.”
“And now you moisturize.”
“Be serious.”
“I am serious.”
Sophia grabbed Manon’s face gently.
“You are good, okay? You’re annoying and dramatic and you have the self-preservation instincts of a raccoon, but you’re good.”
Manon stared at her.
Sophia continued softly, “You take care of everybody around you even when nobody asked you to. Lara adores you. The cashier at the corner store gives you free chips because you helped her carry boxes once. My mom literally asks where you are if you miss dinner.”
Manon blinked.
“She does?”
“Yes. Because somehow you accidentally became part of our lives.”
Sophia smiled a little.
“And because you’re lovable.”
Manon immediately looked away.
Sophia grinned.
“Oh my God. Are you blushing?”
“No.”
“You totally are.”
“It’s cold.”
“You’re literally wearing three jackets.”
Manon groaned.
Sophia laughed and kissed her cheek.
Then another.
Then the corner of her mouth.
Manon finally looked back at her.
Sophia’s expression softened.
“What?” she whispered.
Manon shook her head.
“Nothing.”
But really it was everything.
Everything.
The city.
The rooftop.
Sophia’s warm hands.
The fact that for the first time in forever, Manon could imagine a future that wasn’t just surviving until tomorrow.
Sophia bumped her forehead gently against Manon’s.
“You know what I think?”
“What?”
“I think you called dibs on me the first day because you’re secretly obsessed with me.”
Manon looked offended.
“Secretly?”
Sophia snorted.
“Fair point.”
Manon pulled her closer beneath the blanket.
“You were sitting on a box looking all pretty. What was I supposed to do?”
“Leave me alone.”
“Be realistic.”
Sophia smiled.
Then she looked out over the glowing streets below.
“You know,” she said softly, “I almost didn’t move here.”
“Yeah?”
“Mhm. I was mad about leaving my old friends.”
“Now you have me.”
Sophia laughed.
“Exactly. Huge upgrade.”
Manon gasped.
“You’re admitting I’m better?”
“Don’t get used to it.”
Too late.
Manon already had.
By winter, everybody on the block knew about them.
Mostly because Manon stopped pretending she wasn’t obsessed.
She walked Sophia to class.
Waited outside convenience stores while Sophia bought snacks.
Held her hand everywhere.
And stared at her constantly.
“Baby,” Sophia said one day while they stood in line for coffee, “you are literally doing it again.”
“Doing what?”
“The looking.”
“I can’t believe you’re mad because I’m appreciating beauty.”
“I’m not mad.”
“Good.”
“You just make me nervous.”
Manon softened instantly.
“Why?”
Sophia looked down shyly.
“Because nobody’s ever looked at me like that before.”
Manon reached over and tucked a strand of hair behind Sophia’s ear.
“Well. Get used to it.”
Sophia smiled so sweetly Manon nearly combusted.
Then the barista called out, “Order for the disgustingly cute couple?”
Sophia immediately hid her face in Manon’s shoulder.
Manon looked delighted.
“You hear that?”
“Oh my God.”
“We’re famous.”
“You’re impossible.”
“And you’re obsessed with me.”
Sophia peeked up at her.
“Unfortunately.”
Manon kissed her forehead.
“Good.”
____
Manon had never been good at saying things softly.
It happened on Sophia’s fire escape, late enough that the city had gone quiet except for distant sirens and the occasional car rolling by. Sophia sat cross-legged beside her in one of Manon’s oversized hoodies, sleeves swallowing her hands while she picked apart a bag of chips.
Manon was staring.
Again.
Sophia noticed without looking up. “You’re doing that thing.”
“What thing?”
“The creepy staring thing.”
Manon snorted smoke out of her nose. “Can’t help it. You’re pretty.”
Sophia rolled her eyes, but there was a tiny smile there. “You say that every day.”
“Yeah, well. Every day it’s true.”
Sophia tossed a chip at her face.
Manon caught it with her mouth dramatically and Sophia laughed — that soft, breathy laugh Manon secretly chased like a damn addict.
And maybe it was the laugh.
Maybe it was the hoodie.
Maybe it was the way Sophia looked at home beside her.
But Manon said it before thinking.
“You know I like you, right?”
Sophia froze.
Not playfully. Not teasingly.
Actually froze.
The smile disappeared from her face so fast it almost hurt to look at.
Manon blinked. “Soph?”
Sophia stood up immediately, brushing nonexistent crumbs off her pants. “It’s late.”
Manon frowned. “Okay…?”
“You should go home.”
The coldness in her voice hit harder than any punch Manon had ever taken.
“What?” Manon laughed awkwardly. “What the hell happened?”
“Nothing.”
“You literally just changed personalities.”
Sophia grabbed the empty chip bag and shoved it into the trash too hard. “I said it’s late.”
Manon stared at her.
Sophia wouldn’t look back.
And suddenly Manon felt stupid.
Actually stupid.
Like some pathetic idiot who read too much into shared hoodies and late-night talks and Sophia patching up her split knuckles after fights.
“Oh,” Manon muttered quietly.
Sophia’s shoulders tightened.
“Oh,” she repeated.
“Manon—”
“Nah, it’s cool.” She stood up fast. Too fast. “Forget I said anything.”
“It’s not that—”
“Then what is it?”
Sophia opened her mouth.
Nothing came out.
That hurt worse somehow.
Manon grabbed her cigarettes off the railing. “Right.”
She climbed down the fire escape without another word.
Sophia didn’t stop her.
—
Three days.
Three whole fucking days without Sophia replying properly.
Manon texted first.
Left on read.
Sent a meme.
Reacted with a thumbs up.
Showed up outside Sophia’s building.
Sophia pretended not to be home even though Manon could literally see the lights on.
By day four, Manon was in Lara’s apartment sprawled across the couch like a corpse while Lara painted her nails.
“She hates me,” Manon muttered.
“She doesn’t hate you.”
“She looked at me like I told her I kill puppies for fun.”
Lara blew on her nails. “Dramatic.”
“I’m serious.”
“You always serious when it comes to her.”
Manon groaned and dragged her hands down her face. “I shouldn’t have said shit.”
Lara glanced over casually— then paused.
Manon’s eyes were wet.
Lara sat up immediately. “Wait.”
Manon looked away.
“Whoa. Whoa, hold on.” Lara put the nail polish down. “Are you crying??”
“No.”
“A tear literally just fell.”
“It’s fucking allergies.”
“Manon.”
That did it.
Manon laughed once — sharp and miserable — before covering her face with both hands.
And then she actually started crying.
Not pretty crying either.
Silent crying. Angry crying.
The kind that looked wrong on someone like Manon.
Lara stared at her in complete shock.
In the six years she’d known her, Manon had gotten jumped, arrested, beaten bloody, stitched up in shady clinics—
Never cried.
Not once.
But Sophia ignoring her?
Apparently that did it.
“Oh my God,” Lara whispered.
“Shut up.”
“No, I’m genuinely terrified right now.”
“Lara.”
“Okay, okay.” She scooted closer and awkwardly rubbed her back. “She’s dumb. Clearly mentally ill. You’re literally obsessed-worthy.”
Manon let out a watery laugh despite herself.
“She made you cry,” Lara said, offended now. “Nah. Absolutely not.”
“Don’t—”
Too late.
Lara was already grabbing her jacket.
—
Sophia opened the apartment door looking exhausted.
One glance at Lara standing there and she already knew.
“Oh.”
“Yeah, oh,” Lara snapped, pushing inside. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
Sophia closed the door quietly. “Lara—”
“No, seriously. Manon is crying.”
Sophia flinched.
Lara pointed accusingly. “Do you understand how insane that is? I’ve seen that girl get hit with a BAT and she laughed after.”
Sophia looked sick suddenly.
“She thinks you hate her.”
“I don’t hate her.”
“Then why are you acting like she confessed to murder?”
Sophia sat down heavily on the couch, pressing her palms into her eyes. “I don’t know.”
“That’s not an answer.”
Sophia’s voice came out smaller this time.
“I just… can’t do this.”
“Do what?”
“This.” Sophia gestured helplessly. “Getting attached to people.”
Lara’s irritation faltered slightly.
Sophia swallowed hard. “Every time I let someone get close, they leave eventually anyway. So I’d rather stop it before it gets bad.”
Lara stared at her.
“Well,” she said finally, “that’s incredibly stupid.”
Sophia laughed weakly despite herself.
“She really likes you, you know.”
Sophia looked down immediately, guilt written all over her face.
“That’s the problem,” she whispered.
And for the first time since Lara arrived, Sophia looked genuinely miserable.
____
“You know what your problem is?” Lara said, leaning against Sophia’s kitchen counter with her arms crossed.
Sophia gave a tired sigh. “I’m sure you’re about to tell me.”
“You think avoiding feelings makes you less hurt.”
Sophia stared at the floor silently.
Lara pointed at her immediately. “See? That. That little sad face thing you do instead of talking.”
“I do talk.”
“No, you deflect. Different skill set.”
Sophia huffed out a tiny laugh.
Lara softened a little. “Look, I get being scared. But Manon’s been losing her mind for four days.”
Sophia winced.
“She keeps checking her phone every ten seconds like a divorced dad waiting for custody updates.”
“That’s oddly specific.”
“My point,” Lara continued, ignoring her, “is that she cares about you. Like… a lot.”
Sophia’s throat tightened.
Because she knew.
That was the terrifying part.
Manon cared loudly. Recklessly. Completely.
It was in every stupid grin she threw Sophia’s way.
Every cigarette she put out before entering Sophia’s apartment because Sophia hated the smell.
Every bruised knuckle she tried hiding so Sophia wouldn’t worry.
Sophia had spent weeks slowly letting herself lean into it.
And the second it became real—
She panicked.
“I didn’t mean to hurt her,” Sophia admitted quietly.
“I know.”
Sophia looked up. “Does she hate me?”
Lara barked out a laugh. “Please. That girl would let you hit her with a car.”
“That’s not reassuring.”
“It’s not supposed to be.”
Sophia smiled despite herself before her expression faded again. “What if I can’t be what she wants?”
Lara shrugged. “Then tell her that instead of disappearing.”
Sophia sat with that for a moment.
Then finally stood up.
“Where is she?”
—
Manon’s apartment smelled faintly like smoke and cheap instant noodles.
Sophia stood awkwardly in the middle of the living room while Lara shut the door behind them.
“Manon?” Lara called.
Nothing.
“She’s in her room,” Lara muttered before raising her voice again. “Your emotionally devastating girlfriend is here.”
“I’m not her girlfriend,” came Manon’s muffled response.
Sophia’s stomach twisted at how rough her voice sounded.
Lara walked over and banged on the bedroom door. “Open up.”
“No.”
“You’re being dramatic.”
“Go away.”
Sophia heard rustling from inside, followed by what suspiciously sounded like drawers slamming.
Lara blinked slowly. “Are you hiding?”
“No.”
“She’s literally hiding,” Lara told Sophia.
“I HEARD THAT.”
Sophia couldn’t help it—she laughed softly.
Silence immediately followed from inside the bedroom.
Then:
“…was that Sophia?”
Lara grinned. “No, ghost actually.”
“Fuck off.”
Sophia stepped toward the door carefully. “Manon?”
Nothing.
Then quieter:
“…you can’t come in.”
“Why?”
“Because I look embarrassing.”
Sophia’s chest ached a little at that.
This was Manon. Loud-mouthed, cocky Manon who flirted with strangers and picked fights twice her size for fun.
And now she sounded genuinely mortified.
Sophia leaned against the door gently. “I don’t care.”
“Yes you do.”
“I really don’t.”
Another pause.
Then finally the door cracked open two inches.
Only one of Manon’s eyes appeared through the gap suspiciously.
Her eyes were red.
The second Sophia noticed, Manon tried shutting the door again immediately.
Sophia stopped it with her hand.
“Nope.”
“Don’t look at me.”
“You’re the one peeking through doors like a Victorian widow.”
Lara snorted so loudly she nearly choked.
Manon glared at both of them before finally opening the door fully with a groan.
She looked awful, honestly.
Curled-up hoodie.
Messy curls.
Puffy eyes.
Sophia thought she’d never looked prettier.
Manon instantly covered half her face with her sleeve. “This is humiliating.”
Sophia stepped closer carefully. “I’m sorry.”
Manon didn’t answer.
“I shouldn’t have shut you out like that.”
Still nothing.
Sophia swallowed. “I just got scared.”
Manon finally looked at her then.
Actually looked at her.
Sophia felt her heartbeat speed up instantly.
“I didn’t know you’d stop talking to me,” Manon admitted quietly. “Thought maybe you just… didn’t feel the same.”
Sophia frowned immediately. “I do.”
Manon’s expression flickered.
Sophia took another step closer. “That’s why it scared me.”
Lara suddenly clapped her hands once. “Okay. Great. Emotional breakthrough. I’m leaving before you two start staring into each other’s souls.”
Neither of them responded.
“Right. Cool.” Lara grabbed her jacket. “Don’t destroy the apartment.”
The door shut behind her.
Silence filled the room.
Manon rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. “So…”
Sophia smiled nervously. “So.”
“I kinda feel stupid now.”
“You cried because you cared.”
“Yeah, disgusting behavior honestly.”
Sophia laughed softly.
God. There was that laugh again.
Manon’s shoulders relaxed without her even realizing.
Sophia reached up slowly, brushing a curl away from Manon’s forehead.
Manon went still instantly.
“You really like me?” Sophia asked quietly.
Manon stared at her like the answer was obvious. “Sophia.”
Something in Sophia’s chest gave out completely.
She kissed her before she could overthink it.
Properly this time.
Not rushed.
Not accidental.
Manon made a startled noise against her mouth before immediately grabbing Sophia’s waist like she’d been wanting to do it for weeks.
Which— honestly— she had.
The kiss was messy at first because both of them smiled halfway through it.
Then it got slower.
Closer.
Sophia could feel Manon melting into it, all the sharp edges softening under her hands.
When they finally pulled apart, Manon blinked at her dazedly.
“…oh.”
Sophia laughed breathlessly. “That’s all you have to say?”
“I think I spiritually left my body.”
Sophia smiled so hard it hurt.
Things still weren’t magically fixed.
Sophia was still scared.
Manon was still hurt.
But when Manon pulled her back in for another kiss—gentler this time— neither of them let go.
____
Dating Sophia was weirdly domestic.
Not in the normal way either.
Sophia practically moved into Manon and Lara’s apartment within two weeks.
At first it was small things.
A toothbrush beside Manon’s sink.
A hoodie hanging over the couch.
Hair clips somehow appearing everywhere like they multiplied overnight.
Then suddenly Sophia was just… there all the time.
Curled against Manon on the couch while Manon smoked out the window.
Standing beside her while she cooked instant noodles at two in the morning.
Sleeping in Manon’s bed every night like it had always been hers.
Lara watched the entire transformation in horror.
Because somehow— somehow — Manon had become disgustingly soft.
“For the record,” Lara announced one afternoon, “this is favoritism.”
Manon barely looked up from where Sophia was lying across her lap playing with her rings. “What are you talking about?”
“You hate physical affection.”
“I do not.”
“You threatened to bite me last week because I touched your shoulder.”
“That was different.”
Sophia looked up innocently. “How?”
“You were touching her,” Manon answered immediately.
Lara stared at her.
“Oh my God,” she whispered. “You’re whipped.”
Manon flipped her off lazily while Sophia buried her face into Manon’s stomach laughing.
And that was another thing.
Sophia was clingy.
Ridiculously clingy.
Not with anyone else — only Manon.
She followed her around the apartment constantly.
If Manon got up for water, Sophia trailed behind her half-asleep.
If Manon sat down, Sophia somehow ended up halfway in her lap within minutes.
If Manon disappeared too long, Sophia would literally yell her name across the apartment.
And Manon let her.
Every single time.
Lara found it deeply offensive.
“You know,” Lara complained one evening, “I’ve known you for six years and you’ve hugged me voluntarily maybe twice.”
Manon was stretched out on the couch while Sophia laid on top of her scrolling through her phone.
Without looking away from Sophia, Manon answered, “Skill issue.”
Lara gasped dramatically. “See? See how evil she is now?”
Sophia grinned. “I think it’s cute.”
“You’re encouraging her.”
“Correct.”
Manon looked unbearably pleased with herself.
Lara hated both of them a little.
—
Still, the apartment felt lighter these days.
Manon smiled more.
Sophia laughed louder.
Even their arguments were stupidly domestic.
“No smoking inside,” Sophia warned.
“It’s raining.”
“And?”
“I’ll get wet.”
Sophia pointed toward the window. “Thought you were tough.”
Manon narrowed her eyes. “You’re lucky I’m in love with you.”
Sophia nearly dropped the mug she was holding.
Manon froze too.
Lara looked up from the kitchen instantly. “OH?”
Sophia’s face went pink immediately. “You can’t just say things like that casually!”
Manon looked equally alarmed now. “I didn’t mean— no, I did mean it, I just—”
Lara was losing her mind laughing.
Sophia covered her face while Manon groaned into the couch cushions.
But later that night, Lara caught Sophia smiling into Manon’s hoodie when she thought nobody was looking.
—
The incident happened on a Thursday.
Lara came home carrying groceries while loudly complaining about a guy about a guy on the bus to Rhea over the phone.
"Because why was he clipping his nails in PUBLIC—”
She stopped mid-sentence.
The living room was empty.
But muffled laughter came from Manon’s room.
Followed by Sophia’s voice:
“Manon— stop—”
Lara immediately regretted existing.
She turned around so fast she nearly dropped the groceries.
Unfortunately, at that exact moment Manon’s bedroom door swung open.
Sophia was sitting on Manon’s desk, laughing breathlessly while Manon stood between her knees.
Both of them froze.
Lara froze.
There was a solid five seconds of horrific silence.
Then:
“OH MY GOD,” Lara yelled, shielding her eyes dramatically. “TRAUMATIZING.”
“We weren’t doing anything!” Sophia squeaked instantly.
“That somehow makes it worse!”
Manon looked deeply irritated. “Why are you screaming?”
“Why are YOU standing like that?!”
Sophia buried her burning face into Manon’s shoulder while Manon tried — and failed — not to laugh.
Lara pointed accusingly at them. “I live here too!”
“You’re being dramatic,” Manon said.
“I walked into whatever weird yearning session this was!”
Sophia was laughing too hard to defend herself anymore.
Manon finally cracked, grinning into Sophia’s hair while holding her closer.
And Lara stopped complaining for exactly two seconds because—
God.
They really were disgusting together.
Sophia looked happier than Lara had ever seen her.
And Manon looked at Sophia like she’d personally hung the moon in the sky.
Lara sighed heavily. “I hate that you’re cute.”
“We know,” Manon replied smugly.
Sophia peeked over Manon’s shoulder with a grin. “Love you too, Lara.”
“Don’t involve me in this relationship.” Lara grabbed the grocery bags again. “Also if either of you traumatize me again, I’m raising the rent.”
“YOU DON’T PAY RENT,” Manon shouted after her.
“That’s not the point!”