MEGAN X MANON

Requested by, shoinina

Megan had always prided herself on knowing exactly who she was. She had always been the type of person who enjoyed solitude—quiet nights reading, solo walks through the park, weekends spent baking or painting. She didn't have a lot of close friends, but the ones she had were all she needed. She liked her life simple, uncomplicated, predictable.

But there was one thing that was never predictable. That was *Manon*.

Manon had come into her life three years ago, when they were paired together for a group project in college. From the very beginning, she had been different from the others—unapologetically bold, full of energy, and relentlessly kind. She had a way of lighting up every room she entered, and yet, she never made Megan feel small. On the contrary, Manon's presence was like a quiet invitation, a pull Megan couldn't quite resist.

Megan would be lying if she didn't feel something stir inside her every time Manon smiled at her, or touched her arm lightly during their group meetings. But Megan was careful, always pushing those feelings down, brushing them off as nothing more than admiration or the closeness they'd developed as friends. She'd never been in a serious relationship before, never been kissed by anyone, never held hands under the stars. It felt simpler to believe she was just imagining things.

But today was different.

It was a late afternoon in early spring, and Megan found herself sitting on the steps of the campus library, her feet tapping lightly against the concrete, the air still crisp with the remnants of winter. She was waiting for Manon, who had texted her earlier, asking if they could meet. Megan didn't know what for, but she'd agreed without hesitation.

When Manon finally appeared, she was carrying two cups of coffee—one for each of them—and a nervous energy radiated from her that Megan hadn't seen before. Usually so confident, so sure of herself, Manon's eyes were downcast as she approached.

Megan stood up as Manon neared, offering a small smile. "Hey, you okay?"

Manon handed her a cup of coffee, avoiding her gaze. "Yeah, I'm fine. I... uh, I just needed to talk to you about something." Her voice wavered slightly.

Megan's heart picked up its pace, sensing the shift in the air. "Of course. What's up?"

They walked a few steps toward the nearby bench, and Manon sat down, her posture rigid, her fingers playing nervously with the edge of her sleeve. Megan took a seat beside her, the two of them silent for a few moments before Megan spoke again.

"You know you can tell me anything, right?"

Manon nodded slowly, but didn't speak right away. Megan could feel the weight of something unspoken, hanging between them like a thick fog.

"I—" Manon began, then stopped, taking a deep breath. "I don't know how to say this. It's just... I've been feeling this way for a while now, and I don't know what to do with it. So I think I just need to say it out loud, even if it's hard."

Megan's stomach twisted in anticipation. She hadn't expected any of this.

"I... I have feelings for you, Megan," Manon confessed, her voice quiet but raw, her gaze still focused on the ground. "I have for a while. I didn't know how to say it, didn't know how to... make sense of it. But I can't ignore it anymore." She finally looked up, meeting Megan's eyes with a vulnerability that struck her to her core. "I'm in love with you."

The words hung in the air, suspended, and Megan froze. Her heart hammered in her chest, louder than it had ever been. She blinked, uncertain how to process what she had just heard. She had always suspected there was something deeper between them, but hearing it, hearing *that*, was something entirely different.

Manon's face flushed with color, and she quickly added, "I understand if you don't feel the same way. I know this probably isn't something you were expecting. But I just—I needed you to know."

Megan's mind raced, her thoughts a whirlwind. She'd spent so much time pushing away any thoughts of being with someone in that way, convinced that it wasn't something she needed in her life. She had always thought she was just content on her own. But the moment Manon said it, something inside her shifted. The truth was, she had always felt a pull toward Manon too, but had never allowed herself to consider it.

As she looked into Manon's eyes—so open, so full of hope and fear all at once—Megan realized she couldn't keep pretending anymore. The quiet truth she had buried deep inside was waiting to be acknowledged. The feeling, the longing, the warmth she'd felt every time Manon smiled at her, every time their hands brushed by accident—she had never felt that with anyone else.

"Megan?" Manon's voice broke through her thoughts, and Megan realized she'd been silent for too long.

Megan took a shaky breath, her hands trembling slightly as she set the coffee cup down. "I—" she started, but her voice faltered. It was as if everything she had buried for so long had come rushing to the surface all at once. "I... I think I've been in love with you too."

Manon's expression shifted from nervousness to pure relief. "You have?"

Megan nodded slowly, her heart racing. "I didn't understand it at first. I didn't know what it meant. But when you said it... everything just clicked."

A small, tentative smile spread across Manon's face. She reached for Megan's hand, her fingers brushing lightly against hers. Megan's heart skipped a beat at the simple touch.

"I guess we've both been a little afraid, huh?" Manon said softly.

Megan laughed nervously, her gaze dropping to their hands. "Yeah. I didn't know I was even allowed to feel this way. But... now that I've said it, I can't imagine it being anything else."

Manon's hand closed around hers, and for the first time, Megan felt the weight of her own truth settle comfortably within her. She wasn't just someone who liked the idea of love—she was someone who was ready to *live* it, and she was ready to do it with Manon.

"I'm so glad you said that," Manon whispered. "I've wanted this for so long."

And in that moment, with their hands entwined and the world around them fading away, Megan realized she had never been more certain of anything in her life. She was in love with Manon, and she was finally free to be herself.