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jeeseth · 3 days ago

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┈─★ 𝘩𝘪𝘫𝘢 𝘥𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘱𝘪 (𝘥𝘢𝘥𝘥𝘺'𝘴 𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭.)

⊹ ࣪ ˖ you and daniela have been divorced for years, keeping cordial for the sake of co-parenting your perfect angel of a daughter. but when a snowstorm traps you in a cabin with your ex-wife, you realize there might be more unfinished business than you care to explore.

ˎˊ˗ ❄️ ⊹ ࣪ ˖ 🔓୭˚. ⠀ ᵎᵎ ⠀ 🗝️

➴ pairing: hockey daddy!daniela avanzini x f!reader

➴ genre + wc: 7k, pining, bickering, parenting!au, daniela is our fuckass baby daddy/ex-wife, we hate her but she wants us back lowkey <3

┈─★ a/n: more daddy!kats! i highly encourage reading the college hockey!au verse this is based in! <3

sometimes, you wish you could be extremely fucked up for custody swaps. ideally, so blackout drunk that you can tune out any of daniela’s annoying comments or innuendos she so relentlessly throws at you, as if you haven’t been broken up for years at this point.

but you have a teenage daughter you need to be a role model for, and you sure as hell know your ex-wife is severely lacking in that department, so the responsibility falls to you. you bite your tongue and bear it: every friday, after school, one week on and one week off as per the custody agreement written in your divorce.

you see the stupid cherry-red mustang pull up along the curb of your house. the house, now yours, but once hers too, the house that she used to share with you and esme, before she had moved out following the divorce.

you wish you could say she was a terrible parent, or that your daughter hated her time with her other parent, but esme is beaming from ear to ear as the two of them roll to a stop. the car is blasting with a classic reggaeton song that they’re both head-banging to. seeing the two of them laughing, swinging their heads around, curls flying in sync, even down to the stupid dimple your daughter inherited might actually warm your heart.

(at least it would, if daniela wasn’t 15 minutes late to the swap, as she always is.)

“you could have at least tried to be on time today. the twins’ birthday trip is this weekend,” you remind her, gritting your teeth as dani steps out of the car to give esme a hug. “we have to leave before the road gets bad. if you can’t reach esme, text lara. service might be spotty on the mountain. i’ll go get her sunday morning.”

esme gives you a quick hug and a kiss on your cheek before running inside to grab her things for the trip.

“i remember, i remember. see you next week, hermosa,” daniela waves esme off. she reaches out to you with open arms, peering at you over her sunglasses with that infuriating smirk. “what, no hug for daddy?”

you roll your eyes, ignoring her. you focus instead on esme, who runs out of the door with her suitcase. you focus on helping your daughter pull her suitcase down the curb and towards the sidewalk, hoping it’ll help you ignore your aggravating ex.

“i’ll order the uber in a few minutes, esme. are your hearing aids charged, baby? i’ll ask auntie megan to bring her spare batteries if they haven’t left yet,” you offer, pulling out your phone.

“uber?” daniela arches a brow. her arms cross over her chest. “isn’t the cabin like an hour and a half away?”

you glare at her. “my car is in the shop and the rental isn’t ready until tomorrow.”

“sorry again, mami,” esme grimaces.

“baby, don’t apologize. i’m so glad you’re going on this trip,” you reassure her, reaching out to stroke her cheek.

for as head-strong as you are and as hot-headed as daniela is, you two were lucky to end up with the most considerate, mild-mannered child you could have possibly imagined. esme is shy, thoughtful, and had never gone through a phase of terrible twos or moody pre-teen years. she’s always been the most insanely sweet kid, never causing any trouble, and you couldn’t be more grateful for her. for all the chaos in your relationship with daniela, your daughter was never something you’d regret, not for a second.

“an hour and a half uber? i have today off,” daniela interjects, looking down at her watch. “i can drop you guys there.”

the offer is generous, sure, but the idea of being stuck in the car with daniela sends a shiver of horror down your spine. the last time you two had been together for longer than 10 minutes was for esme’s parent teacher conferences, and even the hour of those felt like torture, always ending in you two bickering.

“that’s almost three hours,” you point out.

“i don’t want to throw off your plans,” esme shakes her head.

dani reaches out to grab your daughter by the chin, squeezing her cheeks playfully.

“hey, no. i’d do anything for this face.”

the girl lights up at the offer.

you freeze, but the way esme seems genuinely excited is enough to make you swallow your pride. it’s not about you, you remind yourself, it’s about your daughter. you can play nice with your ex-wife if it means making your daughter this happy to have both parents for a little longer.

“fine,” you say simply, reaching for the suitcase to help throw it into the trunk.

esme wraps daniela up in a giant hug, burying her face in your ex-wife’s chest. “no way! thank you, papi.”

you pause. maybe you can give her the benefit of the doubt. could dani be turning a new leaf?

“your turn to thank papi,” daniela smirks at you, reaching out once more.

your face drops. nope. same old stupid daniela avanzini.

“not a chance in hell,” you roll your eyes. “just get in the damn car.”

daniela’s eyes, still hidden behind her sunglasses, are focused on the road, the white of the snow painting the road up the mountainside towards the resort where the cabins await.

“thank you again,” esme pipes up from the backseat.

“no hay de qué, mi amor.” daniela shakes her head, peeking at the girl through the rearview mirror. “my wife and kid alone in a car with a stranger? stuck on the side of the mountain? in a snowstorm or something? the thought alone would have kept me up like a freakin’ nightmare.”

“ex-wife,” you remind her sharply.

daniela grins, shrugging. “meh. potato, potah-to.”

“tomato, divorce settlement, totally the same,” you snip back.

“mami’s coaching zuri’s cheer team this year,” esme randomly interjects. you try to take a deep breath to steady yourself.

“yeah?” daniela grins, peering at you. “you got bit by the coaching bug all of a sudden, mami?”

“don’t piss me off, daniela,” you hiss back, hating when she uses the nickname.

“auntie megan convinced her,” esme explains. “she says she has a lot of fun coaching our hockey team. it’s less pressure than college level.”

“i’ve tried to get meiyok to come coach for us so many times. she always refuses. but a fucking high school hockey team she’s got all the time in the world for? insane,” daniela rolls her eyes. but as she sits on esme’s words, something seems to stick with her.

“pause. megan convinced you?”

you arch a brow back at her challengingly, seeing the way she bristles.

“and if she did?”

“did she?” daniela presses, her gaze unwavering.

“she’s always been my favorite between all of you,” you say simply. “her and yunjin.”

you see daniela’s jaw clench. maybe it’s immature, but you can’t help but grin to yourself at how the mere mention finally gets her to shut the hell up.

“auntie yunjin and auntie chaewon pitched in for me to go see a pro game,” esme offers gently. you realize she’s trying to salvage the conversation, knowing daniela’s longstanding beef with yunjin.

and it works. daniela instantly softens, esme’s gentle voice enough to disarm her and distract her from your guys’s standoff.

“they paid for you to get a ticket? mi amor, why didn’t you tell me you wanted to go to that game? i could have gotten you tickets,” daniela asks.

“um, i don’t know.” esme rubs the back of her neck nervously, her eyes screwing shut. “i’m gonna take my hearing aids out. my head hurts.”

“take a nap, baby,” you reassure her, reaching backwards to stroke her knee.

she nods, resting her head against the window. “love you guys.”

you quickly sign back an “i love you” and watch her as she closes her eyes. as soon as she takes her hearing aids out, you let out a groan.

“daniela,” you say sternly.

“y/n,” she responds. “love hearing you say my name like that. again, please.”

you have half a mind to punch her there and then, but knowing your ex, she’d probably somehow like it.

“she didn’t ask you because the huh-kim kids are going too and she knew you’d throw a fit.”

daniela blinks in surprise. “how do you know that?”

“because she told me,” you grit irritatedly. “our daughter actually talks to me.”

“she talks to me too. about lots. things going on inside my own house.” daniela pivots quickly, almost disarmingly fast. “are you still seeing that dude from your old job?”

“daniela,” you warn her. you empathize with esme in that moment. how difficult does dani make it to talk to her? you think back to your relationship, and the way it ended.

daniela has always been impossible to talk to. as much as you’d love to be a united front, you can’t blame your daughter for wanting to keep some things from her dad.

“what?” the brunette questions.

“i’m not talking about this with you.”

daniela squares her shoulders and focuses on the road.

“fine.”

the two of you manage to keep the peace for the rest of the drive, not wanting to disturb your sleeping daughter. by the time daniela pulls the mustang into the parking lot, the snow is coming down decently hard. esme runs excitedly to go join her friends who wave to her from the window of the main cabin, having been watching her arrival.

“y/n, hi!” lara beams, greeting you as you emerge from the car. “wifey’s inside setting ground rules for the girls. no exploring the woods after midnight type shit, you know.”

“who all came?” daniela asks, eyeing the area curiously.

“josie, esme, the twins obviously, arin, and kj.”

“no boys?” daniela asks.

lara shakes her head. “girls trip only.”

“that’s sweet,” you smile.

if there is anything good that came out of your marriage to daniela, it was also the community of her friends and their families. the tiny village that surrounded esme made it that much easier to trust that she was in good hands. she’s kept the same best friends since she was a baby, and being the youngest of the group, you feel reassured that she’s got good people keeping their eyes on her, both the kids and their parents.

“no,” lara wrinkles her nose in irritation. “it was the only way we could keep zuri from begging to bring her little boyfriend.”

“oh god,” dani says, running a hand through her hair. “i’m not ready for the whole dating thing.”

“esme’s cabin is down this way,” lara says “but they’ll honestly all probably spend the whole trip in the twin’s cabin.”

daniela wrinkles her nose. “waste of money, bro. if you knew they’d sleep over why’d you get them individual cabins?”

“honestly? zuri and priya have been fighting a lot recently. sometimes over literally nothing, bro. i wanted everyone to have somewhere to run away to if they have one of their little twin spats on this trip,” lara breathes, pinching the bridge of her nose. “the beauty of teenagers, right?”

you laugh, giving lara one last hug before you and daniela turn to head back to the car. but before you can warn her to behave, a man is placing bright yellow cones by the parking lot exit, roping it off from the main road.

“the road’s closed!” he calls out to you all. you and daniela exchange looks of disbelief.

“what!?”

“ice too thick,” he says simply, motioning up to the snowbanks blocking up parts of the road. “it’ll take the snowplow until the morning to get up here.”

“oh hell no,” you groan, throwing your head back in irritation. just your fucking luck, stuck on a mountain with your aggravating ex-wife.

“you can stay with us, dani,” lara immediately offers, realizing what this means for you both.

“no, you guys have your hands full chaperoning,” she waves lara off. “we can stay at esme’s cabin.”

“together?” you question, nearly in disbelief at how calmly she’s taking this.

she shrugs, letting out a sharp breath.

“do you have a better option?”

you bite your tongue, and pray it’s a short night. knowing daniela, however, it probably won’t be.

esme chews anxiously on her lower lip. outside, the snow falls, mounting up on the windowsill. the three of you are crammed into the queen sized bed, esme in the middle, but you don’t mind. anything to spend more time with your daughter is a win in your book.

“i’m sorry you’re stuck here,” the girl apologizes, her eyes darting between the two of you on either side of her.

“if i have to be stuck anywhere, i’m grateful it’s with you,” you reassure her.

“i love you,” she beams, resting her head on your shoulder. the three of you lay side by side, backs propped up against the headboard.

“well, we’ve got all night, so let’s start killing some time,” daniela grins, poking your daughter in the stomach. “esme. any crushes?”

the question catches the both of you off guard. you feel your eyes go wide.

“um…” esme’s eyes dart to you.

“what, something you’re not telling me?” daniela prods, still playful. she tilts her head. “you’re keeping secrets from your bestie?”

“n-no,” esme quickly scrambles.

daniela arches a brow suspiciously. “is it a he?”

“no,” esme blinks.

“oh thank god.”

“daniela,” you warn.

“what? i have two criteria— no huhs and no teen pregnancy.”

esme blinks between the two of you, squinting as she gets up and heads towards the bathroom. “i’m gonna go wash my face.”

once the door closes behind her, you glare at your ex-wife.

“have you ever actually talked to her about any of this?” you question.

“what?”

“dani, you and your daughter have a great relationship, but you need to stop acting like she’s going to be 4 years old forever.” you shake your head. “the more you try to shelter her, the more she’s going to act out and keep things from you.”

“she’s…” daniela’s argument trails off, and you continue.

“and we need to suck it up, for her sake. she was probably excited to go have a weekend away from us, and now she’s stuck feeling like she has to babysit because we can’t be cordial with each other for more than 5 minutes without fighting,” you sigh, realizing how anxious she must be with the change in plans.

“she looks like she’s having fun,” dani pushes back.

“she’s 16,” you remind dani. “we’re ruining her trip. she was probably excited to sneak a bottle of alcohol and get tipsy with her little friends.”

daniela instantly bristles. “no fucking way. she’s too young for that.”

“daniela, you’re forgetting that you were almost an alcoholic your freshman year of college. that didn’t happen overnight.” you remind her. “better safe and in a controlled environment than going buckwild rebelling against parents.”

dani runs a hand through her dark hair, her nose flaring. “this parenting shit is so stressful. maybe i do owe your pops an apology. i might actually be the reason he’s bald.”

“i did enough of that on my own, before you,” you can’t help but laugh.

you see something mischievous flash in her eyes.

“bad girl.”

“don’t fucking start,” you roll your eyes. “that shit has to stop, for 24 hours, for our daughter.”

“what do you mean?” dani feigns ignorance.

“we spend all our time together arguing instead of focusing on her.”

“i’m not arguing with you. i’m flirting with you.”

“no, you’re intentionally trying to push my buttons. enough. get your head out of your ass. esme deserves our best. she is the perfect child,” you remind your ex.

“you’re right. parent mode activated.” dani lets out a deep breath. “fuck.”

“thank you,” you nod, grateful your pleas got through to her.

she looks at you, something softening in her gaze. “thanks for believing i could be better.”

you pause, realizing the sincerity in her voice. old dani, coming back in familiar flashes. “then i should tell you something.”

“oh.” she grins. “you’re still in love with me.”

“you lasted a whole 10 seconds. you’re so annoying.” you groan, throwing your head back, but you persist, knowing this piece of information is pretty significant for your co-parent to know about. “she has a crush on arin.”

“huh’s kid?” you see dani’s eyes widen. “the captain?”

“yes,” you nod. “but arin’s not very nice to her. that kid is built different. she’s not nice to anyone.”

dani lets out a low whistle. “she’s damn fucking good on the ice, is the worst part.”

“esme likes arin, but i think one of the other girls has a crush on esme.”

“which one?”

you laugh, realizing how silly you two must look. “christ, we sound ridiculous. gossiping like we’re the teenagers.”

“fuck.” dani wrinkles her nose, but she smiles back at you. “yeah we sound nosy as hell. but don’t leave me hanging. esme likes arin, arin’s a shit-head but i could have told you that with the parent she’s got, and some other kid likes esme?”

“one of her teammates,” you whisper. “you’ll pick up on it if you pay attention.”

“god, i’m not ready for this.” daniela buries her face into the pillow. “i can’t fucking do this.”

the door swings back open, and you and dani share a look to agree to put this conversation on pause.

“i’m back,” esme waves.

“hi baby,” you greet her.

her eyes dart between the two of you suspiciously. “you guys okay?”

“great, actually,” daniela jumps in. “we were talking about your friends.”

“oh god.” esme drops back in between you and daniela, covering her face with her hands.

“no, all good,” dani reassures her. “max is applying to the university this year.”

esme nods. “so is seongwook.”

you lean towards dani, filling her in on the tea between their little friend group. “wookie. zuri’s boyfriend. arin’s brother.”

“huh’s kid.” you see dani’s eye twitch, but you’re proud as she quickly pivots away. “if you applied, i bet you’d get in on hockey. three generations there, you, me, and your grandpa. it’d be pretty cool, no?”

“i’m not that good, papi,” esme shakes her head.

“esme, your team is second in the conference,” daniela reminds your daughter. “you’re the strongest left wing in the state. anywhere would kill to have you play for them.”

your heart warms at dani’s affirmations. when esme had first started playing, and megan recommended her at left wing, daniela’s first response was apprehension. that was her position, and daniela reminded megan of all the injuries she had sustained. but megan had been quick to remind her that esme was tiny, but she was fast and she was smart, and when she hits the ice with josie at center, they two kids are just as good as she and megan were at their age.

“thanks,” esme drops her gaze shyly, and dani reaches out once more to play with her hair.

“i watch all your games,” she tells your daughter. “and if i can’t make it, i watch those tapes like my life depends on it.”

“really?”

dani smiles. “hell yes, mi amor.”

“but you’re so busy.”

“never too busy for you,” dani insists.

“i didn’t know that,” esme admits.

“got your back, kiddo.”

before you can realize that you’re staring, esme’s phone goes off in between all of you. she holds it up apologetically.

“um, priya is calling me. i think her and zuri are fighting again. can i take it?”

“of course, mi amor,” dani nods, and esme bolts off to take the phone call.

daniela watches her rush to the twin’s aid and sighs. “she’s such a good kid. got so lucky with her.”

“she’s always there for her friends.” you breathe out quietly. “gets that from you.”

daniela’s eyes light up, turning immediately to narrow her eyes at you. “did you just compliment me?”

“you were shit at being consistent for me, but every time megan was in crisis, there you were, taking her to the ice, calming her down.” you recall all those late nights where dani would drop everything just to support whoever needed it. “whenever lara had some grand scheme she got up to, you never questioned it. you’d go along with it.”

“you were also a great friend. loyal. it’s what drew me to you,” daniela tells you, her voice softening. “it was cool to hear that you cared that much about the people in your life. honestly, i just thought you just had a bad attitude.”

“and i thought you only cared about yourself,” you smile.

daniela’s voice does something bizarre, hardening and softening all at once. you can tell you’ve hit a nerve.

“i tried caring about other things too, you know.”

you feel your chest tighten, and before you can stop yourself, you’re already saying it.

“you stopped trying.”

“i did.” she nods solemnly, and the accountability makes your heart ache. “i’m sorry.”

before you can say anything else, esme pops back inside, her big brown eyes looking between you hesitantly.

“they’re asking if i can come over to their cabin, and spend the night,” she starts, slowly, pausing as if to choose her words, before holding up her hands. “but i don’t have to if you guys aren’t okay with that.”

“we’ll be okay here, mi amor,” dani nods.

“um… i know you guys don’t hang out alone any more,” esme admits quietly, looking to you specifically. “i feel bad.”

“we’ll be fine,” you nod reaching to her to press a kiss to her head. “we’ll catch up.”

“promise?” she breathes.

“you can trust me, baby,” dani nods.

esme lights up as she reaches for her backpack, giving you both a tight hug before escaping out to join her friends, leaving you and dani alone in the cabin.

you figure it won’t kill you to be cordial, so you try to start with small talk.

“how’s coaching going?”

“i don’t think you wanna hear it,” dani laughs, rubbing her nose.

“since when do you censor yourself?” you question, narrowing your eyes at her.

there’s distance between you, but that doesn’t stop you from taking her in. her eyes are heavier, darker, and granted you’re both older now, but she still has that dangerous dimple and that mischievous smile that makes you remember exactly what you fell in love with. her dark brown curls, now back to her natural hair color, pulled up and out of her face. you take in the lines, the creases, the face you had once said yes to no matter what. the face you had picked, over and over, time and time again. the face you pictured being alongside for forever.

“your dad hates me as head coach. he’s taking that promotion super personally,” she confesses.

you scrunch your nose. your father and your ex-wife working together was never ideal, but it’s your reality, and you know how difficult your dad can be. “i’ll talk to him.”

“that’s the last thing i need,” dani laughs, waving you off. “i can talk to him myself.”

you take a second, thinking about dani’s relationship with your dad. you had seen it first hand for yourself all those years ago— how badly you knew he would have preferred lara as captain, how hard he was on dani, how much pressure he put on her and how little he believed in her capabilities. he was always intense as a coach, and you know that, but he had been extremely hard on dani as a player.

and unfortunately, things only got worse when you started dating. whereas your mom had always welcomed dani with open arms, and your brothers loved having another hockey buff in the family, your dad had never shifted in his stance, treating dani like she couldn’t be trusted despite all the things she had done to give you the most perfect, beautiful romance possible. you’ve made peace with the fact that you and daniela are over, but there’s no doubt in your mind that she was absolutely the love of your life, and realizing that that’s over is admittedly a tough pill to swallow.

“is he part of it?” you finally ask, feeling your stomach flip into a knot. “part of why you gave up?”

you see dani’s temples tighten, her brows tensing. she could make a joke, lighten the conversation, avoid the topic altogether, but she doesn’t. she addresses it head-on, unafraid, ready to be vulnerable.

“he told me i was gonna ruin esme’s life. i already ruined yours.” you hear the rasp in her voice. she can’t manage to look at you. “you called him that night, when i left.”

“i was scared you would do something stupid,” you admit, remembering the night you had first given dani the divorce papers after months of trying to save her from herself. “i was scared you weren’t coming home in one piece that night. i didn’t know what to do. esme was so little, you were in such a bad headspace, i didn’t know what else to do.”

her face is stony as she stares down at the foot of the bed. “you could have called megan. you could have called lara.”

your throat tightens and dries as you blink back memories of that night. just how angry daniela was as she stormed out, not knowing where she was going, how scared you were for her.

“i panicked. i made the wrong choice, and i’m sorry.”

“i put you in a horrible position.” she shakes her head, and you appreciate that she acknowledges the severity of the situation you were forced to face. “but i think when your dad got involved, that was it. that was the beginning of the end. like you stopped believing in us.”

“dani, that’s not fair. you know i pushed him out whenever he was bad to you. i didn’t even tell him when we eloped. that was just between us for months,” you push back. yes, he was a strain on your relationship, but you had always chosen dani over him, no matter what. “this wasn’t all on me, or on him.”

daniela chews on her bottom lip, her only real anxious habit for an otherwise confident facade.

“i cared too much about what he thought. kept thinking about his voice, in my head, that i would never be good enough for you.”

“all you needed to do was try,” you tell her, watching the way her face tenses in clear distress. “dani, that would have been good enough.”

“i didn’t trust myself to get it right,” she admits. “when esme heard us screaming that night…”

you grimace thinking about it. esme was so, so little, coming out in the middle of the night to ask if everything was okay, seeing your face streaked in tears and daniela on the verge of a breakdown. your yelling must have been strong enough to vibrate through the walls to wake her up.

“that was it,” she finishes. “confirmation. your dad was right. i wasn’t good enough to get through this without hurting anyone.”

you and your ex have had a few conversations here and there about how things ended, but never before has dani given you this level of reflection. your conversations were always limited to your daughter, given that daniela has the emotional intelligence of a literal child, but you catch glimpses of the old her here and there, a version of her who faced challenges head on and confronts everything with a mindset of getting through it, no matter what.

“you’re so hard on yourself, dani,” you sigh, knowing who daniela is at her core, beneath all her bravado. she’s passionate, she’s intense, and worst of all, she wants to be someone who might never be obtainable. “i never wanted you to be anyone else, i never needed you to be perfect. i just needed you to show up.”

“i had everything, and i fucked it up,” she breathes, before finally looking up at you. “i haven’t dated since that.”

“don’t tell me that,” you roll your eyes. leave it to her to ruin the moment.

she shakes her head, almost earnestly. “i’m serious, y/n. and you can do so, so much better than the guy from your old HR department.”

“daniela, he gave me a ride home once and that was it,” you groan, realizing she’ll never drop this topic. “we were never dating.”

“esme told me about how you let him inside.”

“yes, to offer him a coffee,” you emphasize. it was one time, and it was an act of kindness, but daniela continues to treat it like you agreed to marry him. “i’m allowed to offer people coffee inside my own home. he left immediately after.”

“that’s my home, and my family.” she sits up, her gaze intensifying. you thought at first that she was joking, but you quickly realize she’s dead serious. “and that was my bed, once upon a time.”

“the whole territorial thing is so not fucking cute, daniela.” you roll your eyes and push her away, scooting further from her. “it’s gross, if anything, you possessive weirdo.”

but daniela isn’t letting up.

“y/n, if i ever find out someone else has been in that bed, in my bed, i’ll fucking kill them.”

“shut up, daniela,” you groan.

“listen to me,” she drops her gaze. “i will kill them.”

“we are not together, and that’s not your bed.” you’ve had enough of her constant whiplashing you, switching so quickly between someone who makes it easy to remember why you once were so obsessed with her, then transforming into someone you wish you had never met. “i can’t fucking stand you, dani. so arrogant.”

“you’re always going to be the mom of my kid,” she reminds you, unphased by you moving away as she simply scoots closer. her eyes are sharp, intense, like she’s on a mission to prove a point. “that makes you mine in some way.”

ooh. if there’s anything about your ex wife, it’s that she knows how to make your fucking blood boil, and she has since day 1.

“i don’t belong to you,” you spit back harshly.

“you know that’s a damn lie,” daniela snaps back with lightning fast speed.

“you’re so fucking irritating,” you seethe.

“you miss me pissing you off all the time,” she grits back. “miss me being under your skin.”

“i most definitely do not,” you tell her. “my life got so much easier when you left.”

“i don’t believe you,” she bites back.

“you don’t have to,” you snap, realizing this is what she wants. she wants to get into the back and forth with you, wants to get a rise out of you. “believe whatever you want. i don’t have to prove anything to you.”

and then, something in her face changes, like a dam breaking. her face tenses.

daniela cracks.

“there’s no way you don’t think about me, ‘cause i think about you, all the damn time,” she finally confesses.

the absolute ache in her words makes your stomach drop. it disarms you. “dani.”

“i miss you when your dad calls me a shit-head, and i remember how much love you used to say it to me with,“ she laughs, but there’s something painful in her voice. “or when i drive and the air is up too high, and it reminds me of when i used to drive you home in lara’s car from our place.”

you want to ask her to stop, not because you can’t handle hearing it, but because you can’t handle seeing her like this. since your divorce, you had worked through all the feelings involved with letting daniela go, hardest of all being the expectation that you had to fix her. but here she is, looking so small, so vulnerable, all of a sudden you’re back to when you first met and you realized the hockey team captain with a terrible reputation wasn’t bad at all. just painfully, dangerously misunderstood.

“sometimes it’s hard sharing a daughter with you, ‘cause she’s perfect, but she’s perfect because she’s got all the best parts of you, and i look at her, and it makes me miss you,” she goes on. “and i miss you the most when esmeralda laughs, ‘cause she laughs like you do, and it’s like we’re 21 and i’m hitting backflips in your front yard just to make you smile at me even for just a second.”

you absolutely hate how easy it is for you to fold for her in that exact moment. what, all it takes is some vulnerability, some nostalgia, and now you’re imagining letting her back into your arms? she can put you through absolute hell, but all you need is a quick sob story from her to feel your heart tug in her direction again?

the fact is that you loved her, and she loved you. you try to make peace with that and hope you can keep yourself from doing anything stupid.

“i think we should go to sleep,” you finally manage, peeking out the window to see that the sun has dropped out of sight. you’re not sure how long you and your ex-wife have been talking, but clearly it was enough to keep you focused.

she blinks a few times, nodding as she looks away. “yeah, guess you’re right. i’ll take the couch.”

but before she can get out of the bed (or perhaps before you can think about it) the words rush out of your mouth.

“don’t.”

you see her brows furrow in confusion. “don’t?”

it’s one word, so simple, but it carries the weight of everything left unsaid between you two. you nod, curling up underneath the covers, before letting your voice soften.

“don’t.”

you half-expect her to say something stupid, but without further fanfare, she’s slipping into the bed behind you, the weight of the mattress shifting. it’s foreign and familiar all at once, but once her arm wraps gently around your waist and you feel the warmth of her body pressed against yours, all you can think of is just how undeniably, head-over-heels in love you two were, once upon a time.

you let out a soft breath as her familiar touch causes all the stress in your body to melt away. her hand rests innocently on your waist, but you want to make it abundantly clear that your intentions are pure.

“don’t get any stupid ideas.”

you can practically hear her grin.

“i’m nothing but stupid ideas.”

you roll your eyes, but all she does is pull you closer, and you’re not protesting.

“i will kill you, avanzini.”

“do you ever miss being mrs. avanzini?” she asks curiously.

“god, i should have divorced you sooner,” you groan.

“so you could remarry me again sooner?” she teases, shuffling to cuddle up behind you more comfortably. “true love finds a way.”

you roll your eyes, but you can’t help but feel yourself dozing off, daniela’s comforting familiarity sending a sense of peace throughout your body. “can’t stand your annoying ass.”

“esme’s so perfect. tell me another baby doesn’t sound exciting…”

if you rolled your eyes any harder, they might just pop out of your head.

“good night, daniela.”

but instead of insisting on another stupid joke, she simply presses a tender kiss into the back of your neck. it’s not aggressive, or possessive, not meant to stir anything. it’s gentle, familiar, as if she’s wishing you a restful sleep. you remember it now— her old habit of a good night kiss whenever you guys would go to bed.

“good night, mami,” she whispers gently, holding you just a little tighter, before you both drift off.

you wake to the first sunbeams shining in through the window, striking you just across the eyes. daniela’s arms are still wrapped around you, anchoring you in place, and it almost breaks your heart to have to peel her off of you. you turn slightly to see her, eyes screwed shut, lips just barely parted, her chest rising and falling rhythmically against your back. it stirs something in you, but before you can explore it any further, you hear the rustle of the doorhandle.

daniela stirs, and the two of you quickly part as you realize your daughter is back, racing inside, her eyes lighting up as she spots the two of you still there in one piece, neither parent having killed the other overnight.

“good morning!” she greets excitedly, throwing herself in between the two of you. you laugh and think about how she’s never outgrown this habit, even squeezing between you two from when she was a little girl.

“hi mi amor,” daniela greets, her voice raspy from having just woken up. she presses a loving kiss into esme’s head and looks out the window. “snow looks like it’s clearing up. i’ll head down with your mom soon.”

esme’s eyes go wide in eager curiosity. “can we maybe get breakfast together? nobody else is awake. i just haven’t had you both in one place for so long.”

you and esme look between each other, before you exchange looks with daniela. you smile at your daughter. “of course my love.”

“thank you guys for being nice to each other,” she beams.

the three of you get ready and make your way to the main lodge for breakfast. you sit by a window, admiring the mountainside view, the snow melting under the warmth of the emerging sun.

“hey,” dani says gently, poking esme’s snow boot with her foot from under the table as you all enjoy your breakfast. “hope you had fun.”

“i did,” the girl nods happily.

“you’ll tell me about it another time?” dainela offers. “i’d love to hear. at your age, i was setting off fireworks in lara’s backyard and aiming them at her window.”

esme laughs. “auntie lara was telling us about that. said you’ve always been a menace.”

you’re half expecting for daniela to say something stupid, as she always does, but suddenly, she catches you off guard with an unexpected confession.

“esme, did you know auntie lara was my first kiss?”

“what?” you balk. this is news even to you. before you can question her further, you realize what she’s doing— she’s trying to give your daughter a safe space to open up.

“no way,” esme gapes in shock.

“gross to think about, right?” daniela laughs, wrinkling her nose. “we were just kids. a few of us on the team stole a bottle from her dad’s liquor cabinet one day, over the summer. we both threw up immediately afterwards.”

esme bursts out laughing. “that’s insane!”

daniela grins, shoveling another spoonful of eggs into her mouth. “i was a naughty kid, believe it or not.”

you shake your head, laughing. “trust me, she believes it.”

daniela smiles at you, before reaching you to hold esme’s hand from on top of the table.

“cariño, i don’t want you feeling like you have to keep things from me,” dani tells her gently.

the gesture is obviously enough to soothe esme, and whether it’s a parent’s instinct or blind intuition, daniela manages to say the exact perfect thing to get your daughter to clear her throat and look between the two of you nervously.

“i um… can i tell you something?”

“you okay?” you ask, looking at her in concern. “you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want.”

esme shakes her head, playing with a piece of fruit on her plate. you can tell something is bothering her as she musters up the courage to open up.

“arin and i kissed last night, during spin the bottle,” she finally confesses. “it was my first one.”

you see your ex twitch, her body tensing. “arin huh-kim?”

“daniela,” you warn, hoping to remind her of your guy’s expectations to be supportive and not difficult.

“i kind of regret it,” esme breathes, her gaze glued to the strawberry on her plate that she keeps poking about. “i thought it’d be more special, but she was so fast about it. like she was over it.”

“i’m sorry, mi amor,” daniela sighs.

“you’ll have a million chances to get a good first kiss,” you try to reassure her, sensing her disappointment. “one worth remembering.”

“you only get one first kiss,” esme frowns. “you didn’t forget yours, papi.”

“i forgot a lot about it. but i remember my favorite kiss,” daniela says. “i remember everything about it.”

esme’s eyes light up, but you can tell she’s hesitant about asking dani to open up and dive in. “you don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

“are you a romantic, esme?” daniela asks, taking a sip from her orange juice.

“yeah, i think so,” the girl smiles.

“where’d you think you got it from?” daniela puffs up her chest. “definitely not your hard-ass mom’s side. she’s one of the least sentimental women i’ve ever met.”

“watch it, avanzini,” you laugh.

“my favorite first kiss was right after a party,” daniela goes on, reminiscing, esme’s eyes going shiny as she clings to every word of dani’s story. “i had been wanting to kiss this girl so many times before. kept stopping myself. didn’t want to get it wrong. she was dancing with one of my teammates and i just butted in and stole her away. there were so many people there, but it felt like we were the only people left in the room.”

“you still remember it?” esme asks.

daniela smiles. “you don’t forget the good ones.”

“thank you,” esme breathes appreciatively. “i was scared, and kinda sad. but that made me feel better. i’ll have more chances or whatever.”

“you’re a perfect kid, and anyone who knows you is lucky,” you reassure her.

“i’m gonna go back with the girls,” esme says, cleaning up her plate, before she looks between the two of you. “thank you both for coming.”

daniela reaches out to wrap her up in a hug. “always gonna show up for you, mi amor.”

“thanks for reminding me.” esme reaches out to scoop you up too, the three of you crushing into a warm group hug. “i love you guys.”

you both admire your perfect angel of a daughter as she bounds out in search of her friends. you clean up your own plate in silence, meeting daniela outside as she gets the car started to head back down into town. you’re both sitting in silence, in her red mustang, waiting for the engine to warm up before you start the drive back down the mountain.

but something is gnawing at you. you need answers.

“that kiss at the party. when yunjin and i were dancing together. you kissed me that night. you were talking about me,” you finally say, watching as she adjusts the rear-view mirror. “that was our first kiss.”

daniela simply smiles back at you.

“i know.”

you let out a quiet breath.

“still your favorite?”

she blinks a few times, staring out at the road, and you half-expect her to make a joke, but she disarms you with one simple word.

“yeah.”

you pause. there’s no use in lying.

“mine too.”

you’re not sure who reaches out first, you or her, but your fingers are intertwining, holding hands on top of the gear shift.

she offers you a gentle, tender smile, looking you over once more. you see it in those warm dark eyes, the eyes of someone it seems you’ll always know.

“let’s go home.”

you know things will be different when you’re back to the real world. but for the next few hours, as your daughter hangs out with her best friends on a mountainside resort, and the snow glistens around you on the icy road, you can let yourself pretend with daniela just one more time.

#jeeseth #dew reblogs!

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jeeseth · 5 days ago

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i need song suggestions for my upcoming mechanic dani fic pls 🙏

#jeeseth #dew yappin #katseye

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jeeseth · 15 days ago

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600 NOTES ON THE GABRIELA FIC WTF 😭 THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR GIVING A LOT OF LOVE 🤍🤍

#jeeseth #dew yappin #katseye #dew loves everyone

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jeeseth · 19 days ago

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TYSM FOR 500 NOTES THIS IS INSANE 😭🤍

# GABRIELA? — megan skiendiel x f!reader

ᝰ.ᐟ you fell for the nerd. now she’s hot—and obviously gabriela wants her. but too bad so sad megan’s already yours. and gabriela? she never even stood a chance.

˖⋆࿐໋ ( hotnerd!megan x f!rᥱᥲdᥱr ) ── .✦ you might wanna tune in < gabriela by katseye > ୭ ˚. ᵎᵎ

⟡﹒ tᥲgs ﹐ ﹅ ⟢ angst. tiny bit of fluff at the end :D idek the genre atp. non-idol au, college au, nerdy!megan, hotnerd!megan, mention of that stewpid gabriela, jealousy?, kissing, lowkey suggestive if you squint your eyes, lowercase intended, mens dni, grammatical errors .

( ˶°ㅁ°) !! a/n - i’m going insane as i patiently waits for katseye comeback BUT HERE THEY ARE ! so this fic is clearly based on their first comeback and i hope yall like it! i use grammar checker. anyway enjoy :3

megan’s wearing two different socks again.

you notice it halfway through class—her left foot has tiny cats doing yoga, and the right one has pineapples. not even trying to match. and somehow, you think that’s kind of cute.

she’s hunched over her desk, bangs in her eyes, poking at a calculator that looks like it was made in the early 90’s or sum.

"megan," you whisper, nudging her arm. "that’s a scientific calculator. we’re doing stats."

she looks up, blinking rapidly like a baby deer caught mid-crash.

"oh!" then she laughs quietly. "that explains a lot."

you didn’t mean to fall for her. she was just the quiet, weird girl in your class who asked too many questions and carried way too many pens. but then she offered you her last highlighter. and you both got locked out of the lab once and sat on the floor for an hour talking about which disney princess would survive a zombie apocalypse (she said mulan. you said anna. and she obviously judged you).

she wasn’t cool. she wasn’t smooth. but she made you laugh when your life felt flat. and when she finally kissed you under that sad-looking tree behind the science building, you knew. you were gone.

now it’s your third year.

and megan—your megan, is no longer the girl who forgets her id card every other day. she still snorts when she laughs and still can’t really do her eyeliner to save her life. but she’s hot now. confident. witty. everyone looks at her when she walks by. you pretend it doesn’t bother you. you pretend you’re used to it. until she shows up.

gabriela. the new transfer with perfect hair, smooth talker and suddenly, she’s everywhere. in the library where you and megan used to study alone. in your group chats. next to megan in the cafeteria, smiling like she owns the place. you don’t like how she looks at megan. and you hate how megan doesn’t seem to notice it.

"you’re staring again," megan says, bumping your shoulder with hers gently.

you blink, trying to pretend that you’re clearly not staring. "no i’m not."

"yes you are." megan grins, turning her head toward you. "what is it?"

you hesitate, the words catching in your throat before you finally let them out. "gabriela," you say quietly, like just saying her name might shift the mood. "i don’t trust her."

megan looks up from her phone, brows pulling together. you’re not sure what you expect her to say. maybe to agree. maybe to ask why or maybe even nothing at all. but right now, the only thing you do know is that something about gabriela makes your chest tighten and you need megan to know that.

"what? she’s just friendly." megan blink in confusion before she burst out laughing. you don’t laugh with her because why would you?

"she’s not. she wants something. and i think it’s you." megan’s smile fades a little upon hearing you say that, her smile softening into something you can’t quite read.

megan then reaches out and tucks your hair behind your ear. something she always do to calm you down. "then she’s already lost."

you try telling yourself that it’s fine. when it’s clearly not. you’re sitting across from megan at the library table. your laptop’s open, but you haven’t typed anything in ten minutes. why? because you’re too busy watching gabriela slide into the seat beside megan like she’s been doing it all semester.

"sorry." gabriela says, out of breath and smiling like she’s in a freaking romcom. "there were no seats left." that’s a lie. you literally passed by four empty tables on the way in.

megan only took a glance at gabriela before focusing back on her laptop. "you can sit." she says, friendly as ever. you clench your jaw but still nod. whatever. be positive, right?

the next day, gabriela shows up with two iced coffees and she places one in front of megan with a huge grin on her face.

"i noticed you always get oat milk." she says, biting her straw.

you don’t get a coffee. plus you weren’t even told they were meeting. like what? megan thanks her then laughs awkwardly, and then she shoots you a look across the table. one that says i swear i didn’t ask for this.

you nod, trying to stay calm and collected. and suddenly freezing in your own relationship.

day by day, it’s starting to get out of hands. gabriela starts tagging megan in memes. makes a private story and only adds you two. starts borrowing her pens, then her jacket, then you swear you saw her wearing one of megan’s hair clips.

and megan? sweet, clueless megan? she’s still trying to see the good in her.

"she’s lonely." she says one night while scrolling through her phone beside you. "i think she just wants to be friends."

"she clearly wants you." you reply almost immediately.

megan snorts before laughing softly. "stop."

the last straw for now, comes a week later.

you walk into the cafe near campus, holding your breath and a half nervous smile, ready to surprise megan after her class. maybe share a slice of cake, maybe just sit with her for a bit. cute right? but there she is.

megan. sitting by the window, sunlight catching the strands of her hair. and gabriela. leaning across the table her fingers brushing megan’s hand and whispering something that makes her laugh—her laugh. the real one. the one that reaches her eyes.

your heart immediately drops into your stomach. but you don’t storm in. instead, you just watch from the cafe door for a second too long. well, long enough to see the way gabriela looks at megan like she’s already won. like this is all a game.

and in that moment, you realise that this isn’t friendly anymore. gabriela? she’s not playing fair. and worse, she’s playing hella dirty.

it’s one random night where you just can’t seem to shut your brain off. you toss and turn then toss again. your pillow is too hot, the air is too still, and your thoughts won’t shut the fuck up.

you stare at your ceiling like it owes you an answer, but all you get is silence and that heavy, itchy feeling in your chest like something’s off or wrong, crawling under your skin and settling there like it belongs.

gabriela. you don’t even want to think her name, but it’s stuck in your brain like a bad song. you grab your phone and look at the time on your lockscreen. 2:04 a.m.

you hesitate for a second. then type. you don’t care anymore. you need megan.

you : you up meg?

meimei : always. what’s up??

you : can we meet? i can’t sleep.

meimei : see you in 10.

the wind bites a little as you sit on the chipped concrete ledge, pulling your hoodie tighter. you used to come here with megan all the time during your first year. at this skatepark back before things got weird. before gabriela smiled her way into your life like an infection you didn’t catch fast enough.

just then, megan’s headlights flash across the park before she turn off the engine.

"hey." she says, walking over with her usual stupid grin that makes you feel both better and worse.

"hi." you mumbles softly as megan sits beside you. she doesn’t ask why and doesn’t push. she just sits. you absolutely love that about her. but tonight, you need to say something.

"i don’t like the way she looks at you." you mumble quietly but it was loud enough for megan to hear and turns to look at you slowly. "who?"

"gabriela." you sighs before looking at megan.

megan laughs softly, like you just said something stupid like the sky is purple or something. "she’s just friendly."

"no, megan." you say, sharper than you mean to. "she’s not just friendly. she’s everywhere and it’s not normal."

"what are you talking about?" she frowns, a little confused and a little hurt.

"you really don’t see it?" you hate how desperate your voice sounds. but it’s 2 in the morning and you’re so tired and the words are just pouring out now.

"she flirts with you, she touches you, she buys you coffee, she posts about you like she’s already got you—and you let her. you smile and you thank her and it’s like i’m standing there like some background character."

megan looks at you, stunned like you just accused her of robbing a bank.

"i thought she was just being nice." megan says, voice small and soft and it tugs your heart.

"that’s the problem, megan." you whisper. "you always think everyone’s being nice. even when they’re not."

megan stays quiet for a while, picking at the sleeve of her hoodie. "i didn’t mean to make you feel like that."

"i know." you sigh. megan gently pulls you to her and make you leans your head on her shoulder. feels warm and familiar.

"i only want you," she says softly. "you know that, right?" you nod. you want to believe it. but in the dark, with her pressed against you and gabriela’s smirk haunting your memory, it still doesn’t feel like enough.

you’re quiet on the drive back. megan’s hand brushes yours a few times on the gear shift, and each time she smiles it’s like the world is still okay. like your heart isn’t pounding so hardly against your ribs with the weight of everything unsaid.

she parks in front of your dorm building and shifts into neutral. "i wish i could keep you longer." she says, eyes soft.

you smile, a little forced. "you could. just saying."

megan laughs softly. "tempting, but you have a class in six hours and i still have to finish my lab report."

you reach for the door handle—reluctant, tired, still tangled in thoughts. when suddenly megan’s phone, sitting face up in the cupholder, lights up. a text notification.

gabriela : hi pretty, you up? 🩷

then you feel like the time slows. your hand freezes. you don’t even mean to look. you really don’t. but there it is, glowing like a slap across the face.

megan doesn’t even notice it. she’s reaching to turn the engine off while humming under her breath.

you force a breath. "she has your number?"

"huh?" megan turns to looks at you, feeling confused.

you nod toward her phone. "gabriela. she texted you." megan glances down and momentarily freezes. you wait for her to say something else. explain. laugh. anything. but she doesn’t.

"did you give it to her?" you ask, trying to sound calm. your voice comes out small like you’re already bracing yourself for the answer.

megan runs a hand through her hair. "i-i yeah. she asked if we could work on econ stuff together. i didn’t think it was a big deal."

you nod slowly. "right. not a big deal."

"baby…" megan sighs, hands reaching out to caress your thigh. "please don’t do this. it’s not like that."

but your mind’s already going places. its spiraling. because damn it is a big deal. because now she can text her cute nicknames and send stupid pink hearts and megan might just smile at her phone and don’t even realise why it hurts.

you want to say something—something clear, something fair. but instead, your voice cracks "you know she wants you, right?"

silence. megan’s eyes flick down, feeling guilty now. "i didn’t reply." but the message is still there and it’s taunting you.

you open the passenger door quietly and step out. "goodnight." you mutter simply.

megan reaches out but you’re already stepping out, hoodie pulled tight with hands in your pockets.

you don’t slam the door and you don’t cry. you just walk away, trying not to think about how easy it is for someone else to call your girl pretty at 2 in the morning. and how easy it might be for her to answer.

megan’s eyes light up the second you walk into class. you see it. of course you do. that tiny lift of her shoulders, the way her pen stops mid scribble, like her entire body is quietly screaming finally.

but you don’t look at her. you walk past and take your seat two rows behind. no wave, no smile, not even a glance. if she notices, she doesn’t show it. but gabriela does. and that’s the part that really stings.

gabriela turns in her seat just slightly, her lips curving when she catches your cold silence. then of course she leans a little closer to megan. you look away before you have to see her stupid smirk.

megan tries again after class. she lingers outside the lecture hall, waiting to see your familiar face.

"y/n." megan calls once she spotted you. but you just keep walking.

you hear her footsteps behind you, quick and light, trying to catch up to you. but someone says her name. gabriela probably and megan stops. you don’t.

you ignore megan’s texts, leave her on read, respond with "👍" when she asks if you’ve eaten already. because yeah, maybe you’re being dramatic and maybe you’re hurting her. but it hurts to feel replaceable. to feel like someone else can call your girl pretty at 2 in the morning and you’re just supposed to laugh it off?

by lunchtime, megan’s getting way desperate.

you see her walking across the quad, squinting into the sun, scanning the crowd for you. you duck into the side hallway before she spots you. five minutes later, you hear her calling your name again. soft, almost confused. you keep walking.

you think you’ve escaped her for the day, but no. not megan. you’re halfway through washing your hands in the girls’ bathroom. just trying to breathe, honestly—when suddenly the door swings open.

"y/n." you look up and see megan standing in the doorway, clearly out of breath after finding you, her eyes wide and red-rimmed like she’s been holding it in all day. she walks in quietly.

"can you—" her voice cracks. "can you just stop running for one second?"

you don’t say anything. she moves closer, gently placing her hands on your shoulders. "please," she whispers. "talk to me, baby."

"what’s the point?" you shake your head slightly, no you’re not angry. just tired.

"because you won’t even look at me anymore."

"yeah." you snap, sharper than you meant to, but it’s too late to pull it back. "and you barely noticed until now."

megan flinches just slightly, but you see it. the way her shoulders tense. the way her eyes drop for a split second like your words hit exactly where they were meant to.

"you gave her your number, megan." you say, stepping back. "you let her call you pretty. and you think i’m just supposed to sit there and smile while she plays this whole innocent act in front of you?"

her voice trembles. "i didn’t reply."

"you didn’t stop her, either."

you don’t say let’s break up. you just say, "maybe we need space." and megan? her eyes red and shoulders trembling, just nods. no begging. no yelling. just silence. and that actually might hurt more.

she leaves the bathroom first. you wait until the door closes before letting yourself cry.

days pass.

you still see her across campus, in the shared classes you now sit far apart in. she looks smaller, almost like she’s folding in on herself.

you almost want to run to her. but you remember the text. the smirk. the way she looked confused when you told her it hurt. so you don’t.

gabriela, of course, notices. and now that you’re ‘on a break’ she turns it up. first, it’s subtle.

"oh sorry, didn’t know you two weren’t sitting together anymore." she says loudly in class, like it’s some kind of news.

then it’s the coffee. again. the same iced oat milk latte now with a little pink sticky note on it.

you looked pretty tired today, thought you could use this ☕❤️ - g

you don’t drink. for some very obvious reasons.

by the end of the week, gabriela starts worming into your friends. laughs with them too easily, shares inside jokes you’ve never heard before and suddenly, you’re not being tagged in the group’s stories anymore.

one day, you walk into the student union and see her sitting in your usual spot—your seat, laughing with people who used to sit beside you. one of them looks up, sees you, and hesitates. but they don’t say anything.

gabriela does. she waves and mouths "you okay?" so you just turn around and walk out.

it was one random day where you’re sitting alone on the campus bench near the main hall. you weren’t planning to be here. it’s just where your feet stopped walking.

the breeze is cool, but not enough to calm your thoughts. your phone’s been silent all day and even the birds seem to know you’re not really in the mood. you’ve been holding yourself together for weeks now. but today? it feels heavier and lonelier.

you scroll aimlessly on your phone. click your screen off and then on again. still nothing.

elsewhere, megan is watching gabriela laugh with your friends again. but it doesn’t feel so casual this time.

gabriela leans into one of them, whispering. they all laugh. megan watches one of them glance at her, then quickly look away. something twists in her chest.

later, gabriela catches up with megan after class. "megan!" she calls happily, like they’re best friends- no. like they’re lovers. megan stops walking.

"hey." gabriela says, touching megan’s arm. "are you free right now? i wanted to—" but megan isn’t listening.

her eyes flick past gabriela’s shoulder. and then they light up almost immediately upon seeing you’re sitting on that bench with your head down. and suddenly, nothing else matters.

"megan?" gabriela steps in front of her, trying to get her attention. "i said—" but megan doesn’t even look at her. she pushes past, literally brushing her shoulder and walks straight to you.

your heart stutters when you hear footsteps approaching fast. you look up and there she is. your sweet megan looking all winded and flushed. her hand holding her bag like she ran across campus just to get here.

"y/n." megan says, a bit out of breath.

"meg?" you blink, clearly stunned. she doesn’t wait for another word. she just sits beside you like it’s the only place she wants to be.

"i was so stupid." you open your mouth, but megan cuts you off. "no—listen. i thought she was just being nice. i wanted to believe that. but she wasn’t and now she’s trying to replace you. trying to replace us. and i let her get too close. i’m so sorry, baby."

you stare at her. megan’s breathing hard, eyes shining like she’s about to cry.

"i miss you." she says. land i don’t care if you hate me right now. i just need you to know that gabriela never even had a chance. it’s always been you."

you don’t say anything at first. you just look over her shoulder and see gabriela standing in the distance, watching and clearly stunned. exactly how you once felt. you turn back to megan. and for the first time in weeks, you smile again.

you don’t speak for a moment after she says it. megan’s eyes are locked on yours like she’s afraid if she looks away, you’ll disappear.

"you’re really late." you whisper softly to megan. she swallows hard. "i know."

you cross your arms over your chest while looking at megan. "you ignored me while she was crawling all over you."

megan nods quickly, fidgeting with the sleeve of her hoodie. "i did. i-i’m literally the worst."

"literally?" you raise an eyebrow. "scientifically." megan blurts out. "i ran the numbers."

she opens her tote bag and pulls out a folded piece of paper. you unfold it slowly. it’s a handwritten bar graph titled, ‘times i’ve been an idiot in the past three weeks.’ you snort at it.

"i was going to make it in excel." she says sheepishly, pushing her glasses up, "but you stopped answering my texts so i kind of panicked."

you cover your mouth, trying not to laugh. "you’re such a loser, mei." you mumble quietly but loud enough for megan to hear it.

then megan leans in, hopeful. "but like, your loser?" you look at her. messy hair. anxious eyes. notebook paper graphs and all. gosh.

"yeah. my loser." you says softly. megan grins so wide her whiskers dimples show.

then she reaches into her bag again. "i also made you this." she pulls out a keychain. it’s a tiny pixel heart. "it’s from that game we played last summer." she says, voice quieter now. "the one where you said if we were video game characters, you’d always pick me."

she hands it to you carefully. like it’s fragile. like it means everything.

"so… do you forgive me?" megan asks, her eyes filled with hope. you don’t answer right away though. instead, you loop the keychain onto your bag before standing up and hold out your hand.

"buy me a hot chocolate and maybe i’ll think about it." you say while looking at megan. she stumbles up so fast she almost drops her phone. "yes. absolutely. i brought my punch card. you get a free one if—"

"megan meiyok skiendiel."

"yeah. right. i’ll shut up now."

you take her hand. you’re walking away together when you glance over your shoulder, just once. and gabriela’s gone. and this time, you’re the one who won.

the campus is warm under the golden hour light. you’re walking beside megan, sipping the hot chocolate she bought you. extra whipped cream, because she said you deserved it and listening to her nerd out about something you don’t even fully understand.

"so technically." she says, pushing up her glasses, "the multiverse theory means there’s a version of me out there that never messed up, and we’ve been together the whole time."

you raise an eyebrow. "so you’re blaming parallel universe you for this entire mess?"

"i’m just saying. it’s possible." megan shrugs making you laugh. and she grins hearing that sweet sound of your laughter. and for the first time in what feels like forever—it’s easy and it’s light again. until.

"oh my god." you whisper, abruptly stopping in your tracks. megan follows your gaze and freezes. stupid gabriela turning the corner. with her perfect hair, her fake smile and her eyes locked right on megan.

"nope." you mutter. "same here." megan says. you waste no time and grab megan’s hand and bolt away.

"this is ridiculous." you gasp for air while ducking behind a vending machine with megan. then you spot the janitor’s closet. open and empty. you don’t need to think twice. so you dive in and pull megan with you.

the closet door barely clicks shut before your back hits the wall. you gasp when you feel megan’s already on you. her glasses fogged, her jaw tight and her eyes burning.

"you’ve been running." megan says lowly, bracing a hand beside your head.

your breath catches in your throat. "megan—"

"shut up." she whispers, tugging you in by the collar. "you owe me." her thigh slips between yours, and your knees almost give out.

"thought so." she grins. the dangerous type of grin. you try to answer, but her mouth silences yours, rough and desperate and starved. her hands swiftly slide up your thighs, taking her time. taking everything.

"you’re not walking out of here the same." she mutters, biting down on your lower lip. and damn she’s right.

when the door finally creaks open, the hallway’s quiet. you step out first with you cheeks flushed, skirt crumpled beyond saving. megan follows behind, hair a wreck, glasses crooked, lips pink and smug.

someone passes by and does a double take to make sure they’re not hallucinating or something.

megan gently wraps her arms around your small waist and keep walking with that stupid smug grin on her face.

#jeeseth #dew yappin #dew loves everyone #katseye

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jeeseth · 19 days ago

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i actually have a few wips that i can’t decide which one to work on so CHOOSE PLS 😛

daily reminder that i’m lowkey very lazy so the upcoming fic might be next month 🥰 also if any of u have any req for a fic or thoughts DONT BE SHYYY N TELL ME

#jeeseth #dew yappin #katseye

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jeeseth · 19 days ago

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OH MY GOSHHH THE GABRIELA FIC WAS SOO CUTEEEE I LOVE NERD MEGAN SMMM😭😭☹️💕💕

TYSM IM GLAD U LIKE IT 😞🤍

#jeeseth #dew yappin #dew loves anon

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jeeseth · 19 days ago

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ALREADY 300 NOTES ON MY GABRIELA FIC??? TYSM 🤍 omg i’m actually going insane ts is crazy

#jeeseth #dew yappin #dew loves everyone #katseye

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jeeseth · 19 days ago

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so cute why did i just discover this photo 😞

#jeeseth #dew yappin #katseye

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jeeseth · 20 days ago