trigger warning: (SH)

Everybody noticed except you two—the way your eyes always found each other, the way you spoke in a language no one else could quite translate. Sofia’s friends had never seen her like this. Soft. Gentle. Almost… delicate when it came to you.

She never lashed out at you, not even when she was furious at the world. And Sofia was always furious at the world. But not with you. She was protective of you in a way that made her friends exchange knowing looks, whispering about it when they thought she couldn’t hear.

You could actually make her smile. Really smile. Not that tight-lipped, sarcastic smirk, but a real, genuine, almost embarrassed grin. You made her laugh in a way that shook through her whole body, the kind of laugh that left her breathless and clutching her stomach.

The truth was, Sofia wasn’t used to feelings like this. ones that weren’t sharp-edged or coated in anger. She didn’t know how to process something as soft and terrifying as love. So she didn’t. She shoved it down, ignored it, pretended it wasn’t there.

Until she couldn’t.

It was the night of a party, loud music shaking the walls, everything too hot, too much. She had slipped away, needing a break, just a moment to breathe.

but then you walked in.

as you looked at her—no, at her arms. Her sleeves were pushed up just enough. Just enough to see the scars she obviously left behind on herself. Your eyes went wide, but you didn’t say anything. Just turned and left.

To grab something. Maybe a towel, maybe your thoughts. She didn’t fucking know.

What she did know was that her entire body went cold with panic. Shit, she rolled down her sleeves immediately and sank down on the floor.

Her hands trembled as she wiped at her eyes, but it was useless. Tears kept spilling over, silent but unstoppable. She was scared. Really scared. Not because you had seen, but because now you knew.

What if you were disgusted?

She should’ve been angry that you walked in on her. Old Sofia would’ve been. But all she felt was the crushing weight in her chest, like she had just messed up the most important thing in her life.

and suddenly, terrifyingly, she realized—

She loved you. Way more than she should.