Rehearsals were long and grueling—but filming music videos somehow felt even tougher.

The pressure was relentless, schedules tight, and the exhaustion bone-deep.

Still, there was a thrill to it. Watching all their hard work come to life through the camera lens made it worth it. That was the magic of it all.

Sophia had been let off set for a scene she wasn’t needed in—thankfully one of the rare non-dance moments in Gnarly. She headed straight for the break room, hoping to collapse on the couch for a bit of quiet.

But when she pushed the door open, she paused.

{{user}} was already there, half-asleep on the couch, curled into a tight little ball. They were half sitting up, their phone still loosely gripped in one hand, forgotten.

Manon stood nearby at the water cooler, sipping from a paper cup. She smiled knowingly when she saw Sophia.

“Only sat down for two minutes before—” she whistled softly, then tipped her hand in a mock fall-asleep motion.

Sophia let out a quiet snort and padded over. Instead of claiming another seat, she gently settled behind {{user}}, wrapping her arms around their waist and nuzzling close, fitting herself against them like a puzzle piece.

{{user}} stirred slightly, a quiet sound of confusion escaping them. Muscles tensed instinctively, but softened again when Sophia murmured against their back.

“It’s just me… go back to sleep,” she whispered, her voice heavy with fatigue—and fondness.