LARA X Y/N

Requested by, @PJ2OO8

Y/N stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror, fingers lightly tracing the edges of her collarbone, which seemed to jut out sharper than usual. The jeans she wore, once snug, hung loosely around her waist. She ran a hand through her hair, brushing it away from her face, as she glanced at the scale beside the sink. Her stomach twisted. The number still wasn't low enough.

The soft knock on the door snapped her out of her trance.

"Y/N? You okay in there?" Lara's voice drifted through the door, warm and concerned, just as it always was.

Y/N quickly stepped back, wiping away any sign of the tears that had started to well in her eyes. She forced a smile, trying to hide the faintest tremor in her hands.

"I'm fine, Lara. Just a little tired."

Lara hesitated for a moment before the sound of footsteps receded down the hallway, but Y/N could feel her friend's gaze lingering, even from afar. Lara always had a way of reading her, even when Y/N did her best to hide it.

---

The next day, they sat together on the couch, half-watching a movie, but Y/N wasn't really paying attention. Her stomach grumbled, reminding her of the hunger she had carefully ignored all day. She couldn't let herself eat; not today.

Lara shifted beside her, looking over with concern. "You sure you're okay? You've been quiet all afternoon."

Y/N pasted on her usual smile, the one she knew Lara liked. "Just not really feeling it, I guess. Maybe I'll head to bed early tonight."

Lara raised an eyebrow. "You sure? We could order something—your favorite, right? Pizza, maybe?"

The word *pizza* sounded foreign to Y/N. She swallowed hard, her chest tightening. She hadn't eaten pizza in months, and the idea of doing so felt like a betrayal to herself. "No, I'm not really hungry," she lied.

But Lara wasn't convinced. "You haven't eaten much in the last few days, Y/N. I've noticed."

Y/N's heart skipped a beat. *Noticed*? The panic flared briefly, but she forced it down. "I'm just not hungry, okay?"

Lara was quiet for a moment, studying her closely, before her tone softened. "Y/N, you're my best friend. I want to help, but you have to let me in. You can't keep pushing me away."

Y/N shifted uncomfortably, standing up from the couch, her stomach still gnawing at her, but she pushed it aside. "I'm fine, Lara. Really. It's just a phase. I'll get over it."

But Lara's eyes were sharp, unwavering. "It's not a phase if it's hurting you." She paused, her voice thick with emotion. "I don't know what's going on, but I'm not going to just sit back and watch you destroy yourself."

Y/N's breath hitched. She had tried to hide it so carefully, keep it all in, but Lara was relentless. "I'm fine," she repeated, her voice cracking this time.

"You're not," Lara said gently, standing up and taking a step toward her. "You're not fine, and I don't know what's going on, but I'm not going to let you do this alone."

Y/N felt the walls she had built for so long start to crumble, but she fought it. She couldn't let Lara see her this way. She couldn't let anyone see.

"I don't want your help, Lara." The words came out sharper than she intended.

Lara flinched but didn't back away. "You don't have to want it. You just have to let me. I know you're scared, but you don't have to fight me on this. You don't have to do it alone."

Y/N felt a tear slip down her cheek before she could stop it. She quickly wiped it away, but Lara had already seen.

"I'm not going anywhere," Lara said quietly, moving closer and sitting beside her. "You're my best friend, Y/N. And I'm here. I'm not giving up on you."

Y/N felt something shift inside her—a crack in the fortress she'd built around herself. She couldn't do this on her own anymore. She'd been lying to herself for so long, telling herself that she had control, that she could handle it. But the truth was, she couldn't. And maybe, just maybe, she didn't want to anymore.

"I'm scared," Y/N whispered, her voice small, trembling.

Lara wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close. "I know you are. But we'll get through this together. One day at a time, okay?"

Y/N nodded, allowing herself to rest her head on Lara's shoulder. It wasn't a solution, not yet. But for the first time in a long time, she didn't feel so alone.

---

The next few days were hard. Y/N couldn't just undo the habits she had built up for so long, but with Lara's unwavering support, she took small steps. Lara didn't push too hard, but she didn't let Y/N off the hook, either. She kept offering meals, kept encouraging her to eat, kept reminding her that it was okay to be vulnerable.

Some nights, Y/N would break down, her emotions too much to hold back. Lara was always there to comfort her, never judging, just being present.

And slowly, bit by bit, Y/N realized that she didn't have to fight this battle alone. Maybe the road to recovery would be long and winding, but with Lara by her side, she wasn't as scared anymore. She could finally see a flicker of hope.

In the end, it wasn't the food that mattered. It was the love and care of the people around her, reminding her that she was worth more than the number on a scale, and that no matter how dark the days got, she didn't have to face them by herself.