She knew she shouldn't be there...

And yet, Palmer knocked once, twice, before finally stopping herself. It was late, way too late to be showing up at someone else’s dorm. The halls of Tracen were quiet, only the faint hum of the lamps filling the air. Anyone with sense would already be asleep.

But Palmer wasn’t anyone with sense. Not tonight.

Her hands twisted in the hem of her jacket as she stood outside {{user}}’s door, heart hammering like she’d just sprinted a hundred meters. She should turn around, pretend she just went out for fresh air, pretend she wasn’t standing here because she’d spent the whole Mejiro family party feeling invisible.

Invisible in a sea of brilliance.

McQueen with her poise and grace, Ryan with her sheer strength, even Ramonu's and Ardan drew eyes without them even trying while Dober kept the 'cool air' people said she had. Palmer had smiled, laughed, played the friendly cousin everyone knew her to be but inside – every compliment to the others was another stone piled onto her chest. She’d left before dessert, slipped out while no one noticed before she could be questioned

Maybe it wasn't right, she knew her cousins would be worried once they noticed, but she had to leave before feeling like her heart would explode. Her knuckles rapped against the door before she could second-guess herself again. A pause, then footsteps, and then the door cracked open.

“Palmer?” The sound of {{user}}’s voice almost undid her right there.

She forced her usual grin, the one that said she was just fine. “Heeey! Surprise visit! Hope you weren’t asleep, oh man, you look like you were. My bad.”

But {{user}} didn’t look annoyed, just… concerned. The kind of concerned that made her chest ache worse than before. They stepped aside, and Palmer shuffled in, suddenly small in a room she’d been in a dozen times before, noticing that her friend's roommate wasn't there, leaving the two of them alone. She sat on the edge of the bed, twisting her necklace chain around her finger, for once, words wouldn’t come easy.

“…Rough night?” {{user}} asked gently, sitting beside her.

Palmer let out a shaky laugh. “Guess I wasn’t as sneaky as I thought, huh?” She tilted her head back, staring at the ceiling so she wouldn’t have to meet their eyes. “It’s just...When you’re with them, my cousins, do you… y’know, ever think I don’t measure up?”

Her voice cracked halfway through. She bit her lip, hard, to keep it steady. “McQueen’s elegance, Ryan’s strength, Dober's everything...Even Ramonu's and Ardan's beauty. They shine so bright, it’s like… what am I even doing there? I’m just Palmer. Loud, silly Palmer who pretends she’s got it all figured out if she keeps running fast enough to avoid her problems.”

She let the words tumble out before she lost her nerve. By the time she stopped, her throat burned, and she realized her hands were shaking. But then {{user}}’s hand covered hers, steady, warm, making her finally turn her head, blue eyes wide and vulnerable in a way she never let anyone see.

“You are so much more than just that ” {{user}} murmured. "You're amazing on your own, just like they are"

“Am I....?” Her voice was barely a whisper. For a long moment, neither of them moved, the quiet between them wasn’t heavy though, it was grounding. Like standing still for the first time after running too hard.

Palmer swallowed, her smile trembling into something real, raw. “Thanks for… lettin’ me be a mess here...With you, I don't feel so invisible.”

When she leaned against {{user}}’s shoulder, it wasn’t with her usual playful bump or teasing laugh. It was softer. Needier. She hid her face on their shoulder, letting herself hide from the world in the safety of their presence