Work Text:
Practice at the dance studio was brutal.
The girls all had a pretty rough day and this rehearsal was everyone’s last straw.
Daniela had completely snapped when Megan corrected her choreography.
“Would you just shut up a second, Megan?? I can’t fucking focus with you correcting me all the damn time!” Daniela’s voice was laced with irritation she didn’t bother to hide.
“I’m just trying to point out your mistakes?? For someone who claims to be perfect all the time, you sure mess up a lot!” Megan shot back, which almost ended up becoming physical between both her and Daniela.
Yoonchae and Lara would keep insulting each other to the point they gave each other the silent treatment and it got to a point where things almost went too far.
“You stiff-bodied psycho.” Lara rolled her eyes at Yoonchae after saying that.
“Ugly old hag.” Yoonchae shot back, and that earned a snicker from Megan from across the room.
Then there was Manon and Sophia.
The only ones who had ended up normal.
Being the leader, Sophia was the one who always had to be the one to keep everyone together. The one to hold everything together.
But somehow, today, she couldn’t do that.
Everyone left in a storm, and everyone had left quickly because they didn’t want to deal with anyone else’s bullshit for the day.
So that left, of course, Manon and Sophia in the rehearsal room.
Manon noticed how upset Sophia was. Her eyes were teary, she was a mess, and her shoulders were visibly shaking.
It broke her heart seeing the once composed leader so vulnerable and hurt. To make it worse, the concert that the rehearsal was planned for was in less than a week.
Sophia eventually settled down against the couch the 6 of them lounged on when they were all tired and pushed her knees up against her chest.
She didn’t want anyone to see her cry right now, but it was too late. Her sobs became uncontrollable, and she finally broke down after holding it in too long.
It was like seeing a tough knight with impenetrable armor bleed, and Manon hated that feeling. She sat right beside Sophia and put her hand on her shoulder.
She didn’t speak, didn’t make a sound. She just offered her presence and the knowledge that she’ll always be here.
Sophia sobbed even more once she felt it and leaned against Manon.
Manon’s face turned more concerned and her heart clenched tighter once she felt how mentally and physically drained Sophia was.
Then, she finally broke the silence between them with words of comfort.
“You’re gonna be alright, Soph. I’m here.” Manon reassured her, her hand running up and down Sophia’s back.
Sophia sniffled and wiped her tears, trying to get ahold of her words. “I-I failed at the one thing I’m supposed to do, and now the girls all hate each other because I didn’t do my job correctly.”
“It was a petty fight, I’m sure we’ll all get over it by the morning—“
“That’s not the point, Manon!” Sophia cut her off and coughed a little bit from crying. “The point is that I’m the leader. It was my job to keep them together and yet here we are. Separated again.”
A pause from her side of the conversation before she continued adding more details. “If I can’t even keep the girls together now and just like the other times, how will KATSEYE survive the next few years of us being groupmates?”
Manon kept silent and let Sophia sob for a few more seconds. She knew she had a point, but she still shouldn’t be beating herself up because of this.
She sighed, adjusting her position in her seat so she could properly face Sophia. She was hesitant for a moment, but she eventually gave in to the sensation that was tugging at her heart strings.
“I can’t bear seeing you like this, Soph.” Manon gently cupped Sophia’s cheeks and wiped her tears away. The same way she did after their tours. “You need to stop beating yourself up for things you can’t control. It was a stupid argument, no one was in the right and no one could control themselves.”
There was a pause in between the two girls. Their eyes eventually met and that made Manon more motivated to make her feel better.
“For someone who’s so strong and capable all the time, you’re awfully insecure about your leadership skills.” Manon joked, trying to lighten up the mood.
Sophia still sniffled, but her expression visibly calmed. She still looked upset of course, but it had lessened.
Manon was surprised it worked to the point she paused for a moment, but she shook it off and leaned a little closer. Just enough to be called casual. If any of this was even casual in the first place.
“You’re doing what you can, Soph. That’s what matters the most. We can all talk about this tomorrow, but you need rest and a drink of water.”
Sophia’s teary eyes looked into Manon’s, and for a moment, Manon saw how exhausted Sophia really was through all the rehearsals and various meetings she had to attend.
Then, Sophia’s hand reached up to touch the back of Manon’s hand which was still placed on her cheek.
“Okay. Yeah, we’ll talk tomorrow. All of us..”
Manon gulped and kept her hands on Sophia’s cheeks, rubbing away at the tears that stained them. Then rubbing turned to caressing. Casual, right?
Sophia leaned into the touch. A little more than she would’ve liked to, but fuck it.
Eventually, Manon pulled her hands away, and she tried her best to hide how flustered she looked from Sophia. She got up and cleared her throat, trying to change the topic desperately.
“I have water in my duffel bag. I’ll grab it real quick for you.” Manon did as promised, making her way to the black duffel bag placed on the ground, unzipping it, and grabbing her water bottle.
She walked back to Sophia and gave it to her to drink. “You’re gonna dehydrate quickly if you keep crying and not drink water. Drink it.”
Sophia nodded gratefully and removed the cap, sighing softly. “Thanks, Manon. You’re the best.”
That got a smile from Manon. “No problem.”
Minutes passed by between them before they finally eased up. It took a little while but Sophia finally felt better.
Now she was just on the couch with Manon, thinking, wondering, planning. The usual.
As for Manon, she tried her best not to comment on how Sophia looked thinking after just crying.
For now, she just decided to stay quiet and let Sophia space out in her own little world.
But she noticed the eyebags under Sophia’s eyes and couldn’t help but worry. She must have been sleep depriving herself because of everything that’s happening.
“When was the last time you got proper sleep?” Manon asked bluntly, not willing to sugarcoat anything.
The other girl was surprised, and a little hesitant to answer. She knew this would probably end up in a scolding. She hoped for the best..
“2 days ago.” Sophia’s voice was quieter, a little hesitant.
Manon shook her head and sucked her teeth in, clearly disapproving of Sophia’s sleeping habits. “Exactly. And you need more sleep tonight.”
Sophia looked away from Manon, leaning back against the couch. “I know, I’ve just been so anxious about the upcoming concerts and other things I should be worrying about..”
“You’re sleeping with me tonight.” Manon said without any hesitation in her voice. “I’m not risking you looking like a fucking zombie during rehearsals.”
The other girl was surprised at Manon’s sudden suggestion, more of a command, really, but she knew it would probably be the best for both her and her sleeping habits.
With a sigh, Sophia agreed.
“Fine, but don’t get any funny ideas, alright?” But in reality, both Manon and Sophia were probably the ones with the funny ideas in mind.
🩷🖤🩷🖤
In less than 20 minutes, both women were already in the car, on the way to a McDonalds. Both of them hadn’t eaten since this morning, and they were starving.
Sophia sat on the passenger’s seat, quietly looking out the window. She watched the passing cars, trees, streetlights, all of that.
She had calmed down, now feeling a bit better knowing Manon was right there to talk to.
Manon kept her eyes on the road, occasionally checking on Sophia whenever she could. There was an urge to reach out deep inside, an urge to lock hands, but she kept it in for a little longer.
Sophia had the urge too. The urge felt a little stronger than usual, and she couldn’t keep her mind off of it.
The radio played softly, and it was quiet between the both of them.
Then, almost suddenly, Sophia reached out for Manon’s free hand, daring not to make any eye contact with her.
Nothing in this car felt slow. Everything felt like it happened almost a little too fast between them.
Manon looked down from the steering wheel and down to Sophia’s hand with widened eyes. “Soph..”
Sophia acted as if she was oblivious to what was happening, and it was effective.
Her head turned to face Manon. “What?”
Manon hesitated for a moment, but she shook her head and intertwined her fingers with Sophia’s. “Nothing”
Both of them acted as if nothing was happening between them. Sophia kept her gaze on the view outside the window, Manon kept her eyes on the road.
All simultaneously while holding hands. Casual, right?
Sure.
The car suddenly slowed down, and they made it to the McDonalds the 6 of them would usually go to whenever they felt hungry.
Manon momentarily unlocked her fingers with Sophia’s to grab her wallet. The missing contact felt criminal, but she had to break it for now.
As they neared the drive-thru, she cleared up her throat and shifted in her seat slightly.
“What’re you gonna get, Soph?” Manon asked, checking if she had cash in her wallet. Luckily, she had a crisp 50 dollar bill tucked in there.
Sophia was snapped out of her thoughts. “Huh? What?”
That earned a soft chuckle from Manon.
“Your order. What do you wanna get? I have cash and I’ll pay.” Manon reassured her. Basically her way of saying “Go all out.”
Sophia thought about it for a moment. She could get a big mac, or a cheeseburger, but she felt particularly hungry today.
So, she chose the only logical option for both her and Manon.
“Get a 20 piece for both of us. I’ll get a sprite too.” Sophia said with a small smile on her face.
Manon nodded, pulling up at the drive-thru’s speaker to finally get their orders.
The speaker crackled to life as an employee’s voice came through. “Welcome to McDonald’s, what’ll be your order tonight?”
“Yeah we’ll get a 20 piece chicken nugget meal. Make the fries large, as well as the drink.”
“Okay ma’am.. and what drink would you like to have?”
“Two sprites please.”
“Mhm, okay. Please pull up at the cashier for the payment and meal.” The speaker crackled, and once again, it was lifeless.
Manon did as told, paying for the food, getting the food, and finally, going home.
🩷🖤🩷🖤
With one swift turn of the door knob, Sophia was back in Manon’s apartment.
She’d be lying if she said she hadn’t been here before. She’s been here countless times whether it be just to hang out or for other non-important things.
Manon shut the door behind her, the paper bag of McDonalds containing their food tucked in her arms.
“Today was exhausting..” She placed the paper bag on her counter and unpacked the food. The nuggets first, then the large fries, then the sprite.
Sophia almost drooled at the smell of the chicken nuggets. “I’m exhausted, hungry, and I need a shower.”
Manon laughed softly, sitting on one of the stools and inviting Sophia over. “We can do that after we eat. You can’t just sleep on an empty stomach.”
“Yeah, yeah. I know.” Sophia sighed, taking one chicken nugget and digging in without another second wasted.
Manon followed, and the shared dinner somehow felt more relaxing knowing Sophia felt safe here with her.
Minutes ticked by on the clock, and one by one, the chicken nuggets and fries disappeared.
Their sprite cups were half empty, but their stomachs were finally full.
Sophia sat there, letting out a slow sigh of relief. She felt much better compared to a couple hours ago. She didn’t feel like she was starving, and most importantly, she was with Manon.
The other girl, of course, felt the same. She felt more calm compared to her adrenalized self earlier. Neither of them realized it yet, but their safe place was each other.
“Man, I’m full..” Sophia’s lips were curved up to a small smile, and she instinctively scooted her stool a little closer to Manon’s.
“Me too..” A chuckle escaped Manon’s lips, but was quickly cut short when she felt Sophia’s head on her shoulder.
She froze in her seat, but her head turned to look down at the girl who had her wrapped around her finger.
Manon didn’t dare to move, but god did she want to wrap her arm around Sophia.
“Hey, Manon?” Sophia said, her voice now softer and warmer.
Manon’s heart melted at the sound of Sophia’s voice. “Yeah? What is it?”
“Do you feel.. casual right now?” Sophia looked down, waiting for the worst to come.
The question hung between the two for a moment.
Manon knew her answer well enough. This scenario had played in her head countless times before.
Her lips parted, but nothing came out. Then finally..
“No. Sophia, I’ve never felt casual about you.” She finally admitted after holding it in for so long.
Sophia’s eyes widened. Her disappointment turned into surprise, and relief.
She sat up straight, then looked Manon up and down as if she was some foreign being. “Wait, really?”
Manon laughed nervously and shook her head. “No, Sophia. If you think I felt casual about this then you’d be dead wrong.”
The admission hit harder than Sophia expected. It was sudden, but then again, she started the discussion off with a question.
“I was just so scared to confront you about it because of what’s been going on between you and your friend.” Manon admitted, her eyes getting a little teary now as well.
“What? You mean Leon?” Sophia’s eyebrows furrowed, and her hands went to cup Manon’s cheeks, mirroring what she did a while back. “He’s just a friend, Manon. I’ve been scared to tell you too.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever been so torn over someone to the point it makes me cry.” She laughed again, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, then she used that hand to place it on top of Sophia’s.
They locked eyes for a moment right there, and silence drew out for longer than they expected.
And finally, they leaned in and their lips met.
The kiss was slow, calm, yet it felt almost like both of them had been yearning.
It wasn’t dramatic, but every bottled up emotion the both of them had was put into this one moment.
This one moment of affection.
Slowly but surely, Manon stepped out of her seat, her lips still pressed against Sophia’s. She gently cupped her cheeks with both her hands and stood up.
It lasted for a few more seconds before Manon pulled away to look into Sophia’s eyes. Those beautiful, captivating eyes that never fail to make her feel things she knows she probably isn’t supposed to.
Sophia looked back, her eyes filled with longing and emotions she couldn’t describe. “..So, casual really never was our thing to begin with, huh?”
“Not really.” Manon kept her hands on Sophia’s cheeks, not willing to let go even for a second.
“So we ruin the friendship? Ruin everything?” Sophia’s voice was more vulnerable now. The kind of vulnerable only a select few could hear. That included Manon.
Manon nodded, letting in a gulp to free the lump building up in her throat. “If that means I don’t have to bottle up my feelings for you any longer, then yes.”
Sophia let in a shaky inhale, her arms slithering around Manon’s waist. “I’m sorry I kept it in so long.”
Manon shook her head. “I kept it in for longer, you don’t have to apologize.”
Sophia laughed, a real one after the long day she’s had. “I don’t know what to say, Manon.”
“You don’t have to say anything.” She said, her voice quieter, warmer. Just for Sophia, just for this moment.
🩷🖤🩷🖤
After a well-earned shower, Manon and Sophia were finally able to relax on the couch.
Sophia was leaning quietly against Manon’s shoulder, scrolling through her phone, through notifications, anything to pass the time.
She was in Manon’s oversized hoodie and some borrowed clothes. She liked it. Totally not because it smelled like Manon.
Manon was on the TV, looking through YouTube and Netflix for things to watch. Eventually, she ended up with nothing to watch.
A muffled yawn came from Sophia and her eyes began to flutter. They felt heavy, heavier than she wanted them to be.
Of course, Manon noticed. She turned off the TV and shifted in her seat, pulling Sophia a little closer.
“Sleepy already?” She smiled, tucking a strand of Sophia’s stray hair behind her ear.
“More than I’d like to be. Today was exhausting. Mentally and physically.” Sophia somehow managed a small laugh, but her body leaned closer to Manon to get that warmth.
Manon let her lean closer, and made sure she was comfortable in her position. “Then sleep. I’ll be here when you wake up.”
“Well, it’s impossible to sleep with the fact that I still wanna talk to you.” Sophia’s voice had become more sleepy as the seconds passed.
“Stubborn little thing. Here.” Manon tapped on her lap, smirking a little bit.
“I’ll help you sleep. Spoon falls asleep on me too.” She referred to her white cat, which was half asleep just a few meters from her and Sophia.
Sophia’s face burned at the suggestion. But to say she was hesitant about it would probably be a lie. “You’re fucking joking.”
Clearly Manon wasn’t.
So, with embarrassment, Sophia stayed on Manon’s lap, which felt dangerously comfortable.
Manon’s legs slid in between Sophia’s as she felt the girl lean against her and bury her face into her shoulder like a cat seeking warmth.
“You and Spoon are similar. Clingy, stubborn, and cute.” Her arms slithered around Sophia’s waist and pulled her closer.
“Shut up. Don’t make this more embarrassing than it needs to be.” Sophia lightly punched Manon’s stomach, to which Manon responded with a light grunt.
“And very physical. I forgot to add that to the list.” Manon laughed softly and pressed a soft kiss on Sophia’s hair.
Silence struck between them once more, and eventually, when Manon heard Sophia’s breathing slow, she knew she was asleep.
“Good night, Soph.” She whispered into her ear and fell asleep smiling, knowing the one person she loved was in her arms.