FOR THE first time in a while, Meena was home alone. Everyone had been out and she had a day off. She needed to relax... and she chose to relax with Blau instead of herself.

Truly, he'd come because, one, Meena asked, and two, Rae wanted to do a cooking stream with Meena, Blau, Ellum, MJ, Miyoung, Hasan, Tina, and Bella Poarch, though, Bella would be cooking with Rae, so the food with be... bareable at best.

Regardless, the two of them had been lying on Meena's bed with her TV playing Up.

The glow of the TV flickered softly across the room as Meena lay on her bed, her head propped up by a pillow. Blau had claimed the other side, sprawled out comfortably, one arm behind his head. The blankets were bunched around them, and Mika was curled up at the foot of the bed, occasionally twitching in his sleep.

Eventually, Meena's head rested lightly on his shoulder, her fingers absentmindedly clutching the edge of the blanket. She let out a soft sigh, her breathing steadying as her eyes fluttered shut. Blau glanced down at her, his lips curving into a small smile.

He adjusted slightly, pulling the blanket up to cover her more fully. As he did, her head shifted against him, settling more comfortably into the curve of his neck. His heart skipped a beat, but he didn't move. Instead, he let his arm drape along the back of the bed, his hand brushing lightly against her shoulder.

He didn't know when he fell asleep, but the warmth of her against him, the soft rise and fall of her breathing, made it impossible to stay awake.

After a while, Rae nudged the front door open with her foot, juggling two grocery bags and her phone. She stepped inside, expecting the usual chaos: Mika rushing to greet her, the sound of Meena yelling at a game, or maybe the hum of a random Spotify playlist left on in the background. Instead, the apartment was eerily quiet.

"Meena?" Rae called out, setting the bags on the counter and glancing toward the living room.

The lights were off, and Mika wasn't in his usual spot near the door. Her brows furrowed as she made her way down the hall, following the faint glow of the TV coming from Meena's room.

Pushing the door open gently, Rae froze, her hand still on the doorknob as her eyes widened.

Meena and Blau were fast asleep on the bed, tangled together in a way that made Rae's jaw drop. Meena's head was tucked against Blau's chest, one hand gripping the fabric of his hoodie. His arm was wrapped securely around her, his fingers resting on her back. Their legs were tangled beneath the blanket, and Mika was curled up at their feet, blissfully unaware of the moment he was part of.

"Oh my god," Rae whispered to herself, her eyes widening. She pulled her phone out of her pocket, already angling it for the perfect shot.

The glow of the TV cast a warm light over their faces, making them look impossibly peaceful. Rae snapped one picture, then another, zooming in to capture every incriminating detail. She bit her lip to keep from laughing.

She stepped out of the room and gently shut the door behind her.

Inside the room, the movie had long since ended, the credits rolling silently across the screen. Neither Meena nor Blau stirred, their breaths steady and synchronized. Mika stretched lazily, his tail wagging slightly before he curled back into himself.

Blau shifted in his sleep, his grip on Meena tightening slightly as he murmured something unintelligible. Meena stirred, her fingers twitching against his chest, but she didn't wake. Instead, she settled closer, her face nuzzling into the soft fabric of his hoodie.

NIGHTFALL CAME and Rae stood at the counter, grinning mischievously as she glanced at her phone mid-stream. The kitchen was bustling with energy, Tina and Bella trying to salvage whatever Rae had claimed was "close to done" for the past hour. Ellum was leaning against the fridge, not helping whatsoever as he and Hasan were more focused on her chat.

Meena stood by the counter, stirring a bowl of batter for a cake that she was making with Miyoung and MJ, her sleeves rolled up, while Blau leaned against the fridge, watching everything with a faint smile.

"Rae, can you please focus?" Tina groaned, snatching a wooden spoon out of Rae's hand. "You've been staring at your phone for ten minutes."

"Sorry, sorry." Rae chuckled.

Blau felt his phone buzz in his pocket, pulling his attention. Blau slipped it out and unlocked the screen, only to freeze when he saw the message from Rae. It was the photo—the one she'd taken of him and Meena tangled up together, asleep on her bed. His arm had been wrapped around her, her head nestled into his chest. His breath hitched as he stared at the image, a rush of warmth and panic flooding through him.

Blau's stomach flipped. He glanced up quickly, his gaze darting to Rae, who was stirring something at the stove. She caught his eye immediately, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. He locked his phone and slid it back into his pocket, his pulse quickening.

Pushing off the fridge, he walked out of the kitchen without saying a word, needing a moment to collect himself. He didn't trust himself to react in front of everyone, especially not Meena.

Out in the hall, Blau leaned against the wall, running a hand through his hair. The image was burned into his mind. He wasn't embarrassed by the photo itself—it was the feeling it stirred in him that made his heart race. Seeing himself holding Meena like that, so natural and unguarded, made everything he'd been trying to suppress come rushing to the surface.

He heard footsteps approaching and looked up to see Rae strolling toward him, arms crossed and her trademark smirk firmly in place.

"So," she began casually, leaning against the wall next to him. "What do you think?"

Blau gave her a flat look. "Why would you send that to me?"

"Because you needed to see it," Rae said matter-of-factly. "And because it's cute as hell."

Blau shook his head, exhaling sharply. "Rae, you can't just—"

"Oh, I absolutely can," Rae interrupted, cutting him off. "You're welcome, by the way."

"For what?" he asked, crossing his arms.

"For giving you a little nudge," Rae said, tilting her head toward the kitchen. "You've been tiptoeing around your feelings for Meena forever. Don't even try to deny it."

Blau hesitated, his jaw tightening. "It's not that simple."

Rae rolled her eyes. "You keep saying that, but it really is. You like her. She likes you. She literally cuddled up to you in her sleep. Do you think she does that with just anyone?"

"She was tired," Blau countered, though his voice lacked conviction.

"And yet, she picked you to hang out with when she could've spent the day alone," Rae pointed out. "Face it, Blau. She trusts you, and she cares about you. You're just too chicken to do anything about it and so is she... this... thing is never going to happen if one of you just keeps playing the game."

Rae sighed, running an hand over his shoulder. "She's my best friend and I want to see her happy with you." She pushed off the wall as she turned to head back to the kitchen. "Just think about it, okay? And maybe stop running away every time you feel something real."

Blau took a moment to compose himself before heading back into the kitchen. The noise hit him immediately—Ellum was now trying to juggle oranges for no apparent reason, Tina was yelling at him to stop, and Meena was standing by the sink, laughing as she rinsed out a mixing bowl.

When she caught sight of him, her smile softened. "Hey, you okay?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.

"Yeah," he said quickly, then hesitated. "Thanks for... earlier. It was nice."

Her brows furrowed slightly, then her face softened as realization dawned. "Yeah, it was," she said, her voice quieter now. "We should do it again some time."

Before either of them could say more, Rae's voice cut through the noise. "Blau! Stop standing there and make yourself useful!"

As the evening wore on and the cooking stream slowly wound down, Blau found himself next to Meena again, the two of them cleaning up the aftermath of the culinary chaos. Everyone else had scattered, leaving the kitchen quieter than it had been all night.

"Thanks for helping me clean," Meena said softly, her tone lighter now.

"Of course," Blau replied, glancing over at her. "Besides, I owe you for letting me crash your day off."

"You don't owe me anything," she said, her voice quiet but warm. "I liked having you around."

Blau paused, the words hanging between them. He opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, Meena looked up, meeting his gaze. For a moment, the noise of the evening seemed to fade, leaving just the two of them in the soft light of the kitchen.

"Nathan?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Yeah?" He replied.

She hesitated, her lips parting as if she was about to say something more, but then she shook her head, a small, shy smile forming instead. "Never mind. I'm glad you came over."

Blau's chest tightened, and he felt the familiar urge to say something—anything—but the moment passed as Meena turned back to the sink. He sighed softly, a faint smile tugging at his lips as he grabbed the next dish to rinse.

Rae, watching from the doorway with her arms crossed, shook her head and muttered to herself, "They're impossible."

— lucy has something to say !!

why does the intro chap have 400 reads ?????

i think this story is gonna be twenty chapters... ten before and ten after so yeah yeah

so like things are happening soon lol

bye :))))