The flat is quiet except for the soft hum of the ceiling fan and the occasional TikTok audio drifting from Livia’s phone. You’re sprawled on the couch, one arm draped lazily over your eyes, the other resting on her back. She’s lying on top of you like a weighted blanket, scrolling with idle thumbs, her legs tangled with yours.

Suddenly, she gasps—sharp and delighted.

You peek out from under your arm. “What?”

She twists around, eyes sparkling. “We should go dumpster diving.”

You blink. “Like… now?”

“Yes! Look—” She shoves her phone in your face, showing a video of a girl pulling pristine candles and unopened snacks from a bin behind a home goods store. “It’s like treasure hunting, but for free.”

You groan, but you’re already smiling. “You want to dig through trash because TikTok told you to?”

She grins. “Exactly.”

Twenty minutes later, you’re in mismatched hoodies and sneakers, armed with gloves, a flashlight, and a reusable tote bag. Livia insists on bringing snacks “for morale.” You drive to the back of a strip mall, the sun dipping low and painting everything in warm amber.

The first bin is a bust—just cardboard and a rogue sock. But the second? Jackpot. Someone tossed out a box of slightly dented but untouched bath bombs, a cracked ceramic mug with a fox on it, and a stack of expired but still sealed chocolate bars.

Livia squeals and holds up the mug like it’s the Holy Grail. “This is going on my desk.”

You laugh, brushing dust off a bath bomb. “We’re one step away from becoming feral.”

She kisses your cheek, dirt-smudged and radiant. “Feral together.”