marztini 🍸

the counsellors stood waiting just beyond the wooden entrance sign, where the dirt road curved through the forest before disappearing behind a wall of trees.

it wasn’t much of a road, just two worn tyre tracks cutting through packed earth, edged by wildflowers and tall grass that swayed lazily in the breeze.

if you looked far enough, you couldn’t actually see where it ended only the bend where the forest swallowed it whole.

everyone kept finding themselves looking there and waiting.

sophia stood nearest the entrance, clipboard tucked beneath one arm, radio clipped neatly to her shorts. every so often she’d glance over the arrival list, then towards the road, then back again. calm as ever and composed like she’d done this a hundred times before.

lara leaned comfortably against the fence, sunglasses resting on top of her head despite the gentle morning sun. one boot scraped absentmindedly through the dirt as she waited, looking entirely unbothered.

manon rocked lightly back and forth on her heels, hands shoved into the pocket of her hoodie, an excited grin she wasn’t even trying to hide tugging at the corners of her mouth.

daniela stood beside them, one hand hooked casually through the strap of her radio, the other resting on her hip. she looked relaxed like she belonged here.

she caught lara saying something under her breath, rolled her eyes with a smile and shook her head before looking back towards the road again like the first day of campers arriving was just another morning.

y/n wished she felt half that calm, she stood beside megan near the back of the group. the friendship bracelet around her wrist peeked out beneath the sleeve of her camp shirt.

her radio suddenly felt heavier than it had during training and the whistle around her neck felt strangely official, everything did because it had all felt like playing counsellor before but today they actually were.

beside her, megan shifted her weight for what had to be the twentieth time in the last minute. arms folded, unfolded hands in pockets and back out again.

she bounced once on her heels before stopping herself “…i think i’m gonna throw up.”

y/n let out the smallest laugh “you are not.”

“i genuinely might” megan kept staring down the road “i’ve forgotten everything”

“you haven’t” y/n smiled to herself but truthfully her own stomach felt no different. it wasn’t fear exactly, more like standing on the edge of something she’d never done before, excited and terrified both at once.

“…hey.” she said quietly and megan looked over. without saying anything, y/n reached down until her little finger found megan’s, she hooked them together gently.

a tiny gesture hidden between them. megan looked down at their linked hands then back up at y/n and the corners of her mouth lifted

“…no matter what?” she asked softly.

y/n gave the smallest nod “…no matter what.”

megan tightened her pinky around hers just once. a silent reminder of the promise they’d made beneath the trees only a few nights earlier.

whatever happened today…they’d figure it out together.

the forest fell quiet as though everything had paused for a breath. then… far beyond the bend in the road a low rumble rolled through the trees.

the sound came again, a little louder this time. engines. everyone’s attention lifted towards the bend almost at once. y/n felt megan’s hand tighten around hers.

the rumbling grew steadily closer as birds scattered from the trees overhead. a faint cloud of dust drifted upwards beyond the bend before anything else appeared.

the nose of the first white coach emerged between the pines, followed by another and another behind it. three coaches, just like sophia had said. before they’d even stopped, small faces were already pressed against the windows.

hands waved excitedly through the glass, little silhouettes bounced in their seats, pointing excitedly towards the cabins hidden beyond the trees.

the first coach hissed as its brakes engaged. a cloud of dust drifted lazily past the windows before slowly settling back onto the road.

then the folding doors swung open with a loud psssht and camp exploded into life.

voices immediately spilled out onto the road. high-pitched chatter, parents calling names, children already trying to push past one another to get off first.

“sit down until we’re parked properly, please.” the driver called over his shoulder it worked for approximately three seconds then the first little face appeared at the top of the steps.

a boy who couldn’t have been older than nine practically bounced down onto the gravel with a backpack almost as big as he was. he stopped, looked around and his eyes widened “whoa…”

another child squeezed past him before he’d even moved then another and another. within seconds the narrow space beside the coaches was filled with children talking over one another.

the quiet entrance to camp disappeared beneath a blur of movement. sophia clapped her hands once, loud enough to cut through the noise “welcome to camp evergreen!”

her voice carried easily across the entrance, dozens of little faces turned towards her. she smiled “first things first, if you’ve got a parent with you, stay with them until one of us calls your cabin.”

“don’t worry, we’ll make sure everyone gets where they need to be.”

almost immediately a little hand shot into the air.

“yes?”

“when do we get to swim?” a ripple of laughter spread through the adults, sophia smiled “not before lunch.”

while sophia continued explaining the check-in process, the other counsellors split off towards their assigned coaches.

lara and megan headed towards the furthest bus. manon followed sophia towards the middle one, already crouching to help a little girl whose backpack straps had somehow become tangled around her arms.

that left the first coach, daniela glanced towards y/n “ready?”

y/n looked at the crowd gathering around the luggage compartment then back at daniela “…ask me again in an hour.”

they walked together towards the coach, the luggage doors had already swung open. there was a little girl hiding between her mom’s legs. “what’s your name?” daniela smiled.

“ava.” her mother replied mirroring her smile.

daniela looked down the little girl hiding almost completely behind her mom’s leg peeked out with wide eyes.

she crouched until they were almost the same height “hi, ava.” she smiled warmly “i’m dani.”

ava stared at her for a long moment “…hi.”

“that’s a cool backpack.” ava looked down at the bright purple backpack covered in little embroidered frogs “…thanks.”

“do they all have names?”

ava’s eyes widened “…yeah.”

“i thought they might.” daniela nodded seriously “you’re going to have to introduce me later.” the tiniest smile appeared.

behind them, y/n found herself helping another family unload two enormous suitcases from beneath the coach.

“careful.” the dad laughed “that one’s heavier than it looks.” he wasn’t exaggerating. y/n almost lost her grip, daniela looked over just in time to see her stumble slightly under the weight.

before y/n could properly steady herself, daniela had crossed the few steps between them “here.” she caught the other handle without a second thought “i’ve got this side”

their hands brushed briefly around the fabric handle before y/n let go “…thanks.”

“told you” daniela smiled “we’re a team.”

“okay, maple cabin?” daniela called, raising her voice just enough to carry over the chatter around them “if your luggage tag has a green maple leaf on it, come over here with me.”

there was a moment of hesitation when children looked down at the laminated tags tied to their backpacks and parents crouched to check them.

then, one by one, they began making their way over within a minute or two there were a dozen children gathered in front of them.

daniela smiled “hi, everyone! i’m dani.” she gestured beside her “and this is y/n.”

every single head turned. twelve curious little faces stared straight at y/n. before she even had a chance to smile-

“are you sisters?” a little girl asked.

“…no.” y/n laughed

another hand shot up “i like your hair.” a boy was looking directly at daniela “it’s really curly.”

daniela smiled “thank you.”

questions flew at them from every direction.

“where do we sleep?” “can i have a top bunk?” “what if i don’t like the food?” “what if someone snores?”

y/n tried answering one then another only to realise she’d somehow missed three more while she was talking.

she turned and noticed one little boy standing slightly apart from everyone else.

he couldn’t have been older than seven or eight. his little hands gripped the straps of a bright red spider-man backpack so tightly his knuckles had gone white. he wasn’t asking questions, wasn’t looking around just staring down at the ground.

y/n quietly excused herself from the conversation and wandered over. instead of standing above him, she crouched until they were almost the same height “hey.”

the little boy peeked up at her through his fringe. his eyes were watery, she glanced at the backpack then lowered her voice “…can i ask you something?”

he nodded once very carefully.

“are you really spider-man?” he looked around quickly as if checking no one else had heard then very seriously he nodded again “…yeah.”

y/n widened her eyes “i knew it.” the little boy blinked “i had a feeling.” she leaned in just a little “that’s actually really good news.”

“…why?”

“because every camp needs a superhero.”she smiled “what if someone needs saving?”

the little boy thought about that “…yeah.”

she lowered her voice even further “don’t worry, i won’t tell anybody your secret.” his shoulders relaxed just a little and the smallest smile tugged at the corner of his mouth “…okay.”

across the group, daniela happened to glance over while answering another camper’s question. she watched the little boy smile for the first time since getting off the coach, watched y/n grin back at him like it was the easiest thing in the world.

something warm settled in her chest.

“miss dani?” a camper tugged on her sleeve, she blinked, dragging her attention back “hm?”

“can i have the top bunk?”

~~~~~

getting twelve excited children from the entrance of camp to maple cabin should not have been a difficult task yet it somehow was.

“stay together, guys.” daniela called over her shoulder, adjusting the duffel bag balanced on one arm.

“you’re my best friend.” one girl said and the little girl beside her beamed “we’re best friends.” they linked arms as though they’d known each other for years.

daniela smiled to herself, kids were funny like that. best friends could happen in under ten minutes.

they reached maple cabin, the wooden steps groaned beneath twelve pairs of trainers as everyone hurried inside.

the second the children stepped through the door every single one froze “…whoa.”

“this is so cool.” someone whispered.

then the spell broke.

“dibs top bunk!” a chorus of footsteps thundered across the wooden floor.

“walking feet!” daniela called, laughing despite herself “walking feet inside.”

“okay.” she clapped her hands once “listen up for me.”

it took a few seconds. one camper was already trying every drawer to see what was inside and another had discovered the window overlooked the lake.

eventually twelve curious faces looked back at her.

“boys.” she pointed towards the left side of the cabin “you’re sleeping over there.”

“girls.” she pointed towards the right “you’ve got this side.”

a hand shot into the air “…yes?”

“what if i wanted to be over there?” the little girl pointed at the boys’ bunks “because my cousin’s over there.”

daniela smiled “then you can see him all day but bedtime’s girls this side, boys that side.”

y/n was already helping a little boy wrestle his sleeping bag onto the top bunk he’d somehow managed to claim before anyone else “there we go.” she pulled it straight “perfect.”

“can you tuck teddy in too?” he held up an extremely well-loved shark missing one eye.

“course.” she carefully placed the shark beneath the blanket “there.”

“thank you.” he smiled “…his name’s pickle.”

“excellent name.”

on the other side of the cabin-

“dani!”

she turned and a little girl was holding up an enormous fluffy rabbit almost the size of her own torso “this is daisy.”

“hi, daisy.” daniela smiled “she sleeps with me every night.”

“well…” daniela nodded very seriously “we’ll have to make sure daisy gets a good bed too.” the little girl immediately looked relieved.

before she could say anything else another voice “dani!” then another “miss!” another “y/n!”

“can i move this?”

“where does my suitcase go?”

“i can’t reach.”

y/n and daniela exchanged one quick look across the room both of them smiled then immediately disappeared back into the sea of tiny voices.

~~~~~

“campers!” sophia called, clapping her hands together twice “everyone over here for me.” it wasn’t immediate, a few came running while others wandered over at their own pace, distracted by absolutely everything along the way.

gradually, thirty-six children gathered in a rough semicircle around sophia. she waited patiently until most of the chatter died down then smiled “first of all…”

she looked around at every excited little face “welcome to camp evergreen.”

a cheer went up from somewhere near the back and sophia laughed “i’m really happy you’re all here.”

“today is your first proper day and i know lots of you have never been here before.” she glanced around “that’s okay, a lot of people feel a little nervous on the first day.”

a few children nodded one little girl quietly lifted her hand.

“…yes?”

“i’m nervous.”

sophia smiled warmly “thank you for telling me and i promise…” she crouched slightly so she was closer to the children’s eye level “by tonight, i think this place will already feel a little bit like home.”

the little girl smiled shyly and sophia stood again “now…” she held up six brightly coloured cards “we’re going to play a game.”

that got their attention immediately.

“a scavenger hunt!”

several children gasped excitedly “does that mean treasure?”

“kind of.” sophia grinned “you’ll all be split into little teams.”

“each team gets one counsellor.” she pointed around at the six of them standing nearby “your job is to walk all around camp together and find the things on your list.”

she held up one of the laminated sheets “some things will be easy like finding the lake and some things might make you think a little harder.” she smiled “and while you’re walking around…”

she pointed towards the different cabins “you’ll learn where everything is, so if tomorrow you need the bathrooms…”

a few children giggled “or you want to find the dining hall, you’ll already know where to go.”

she looked around once more “the best part…” she paused dramatically “…is that your teams won’t be your cabin.”

curious little faces looked up “that means you’ll get to meet new friends from oak…” she pointed one way “…cedar…” another way “and maple.”

she spread her arms “by lunchtime, i want everyone to know at least one new friend’s name.”

another hand shot up immediately “what if i make six friends?”

sophia smiled “then you’ve done an amazing job.”

another “what if we lose?”

“nobody loses.” she replied gently “every team that finishes gets a prize.”

“…what’s the prize?”

sophia tapped the side of her nose “nice try.” a chorus of exaggerated groans spread through the group.

“now…” she picked up a little basket filled with brightly coloured fabric wristbands “when i call your name, come and get your colour.”

almost instantly the children started bouncing excitedly where they stood.

y/n couldn’t help smiling because only an hour ago half of them had been hiding behind their parents now they were practically vibrating with excitement.

the sea of campers slowly broke apart as sophia began calling out colours.

“red!”

a handful of children hurried forwards, peering down at the wristbands already tied around their wrists before finding the counsellor holding the matching card.

“blue!”

another group peeled away.

“green!”

“six at each colour, remember!” sophia called over the growing chatter. “if you’ve got the same colour, you’re a team.”

within a couple of minutes the large crowd had become six much smaller ones scattered around the field. each counsellor stood with their own little cluster of campers.

red with y/n.

blue with daniela.

yellow with manon.

orange with megan.

purple with lara.

green with sophia.

there wasn’t much order to any of it. some children stood neatly in little lines, others had already wandered off two feet to inspect an insect.

one boy had somehow ended up in the wrong colour entirely before being gently redirected by sophia. the little boy with the spider-man backpack wandered over to y/n’s group, his wristband bright red against his tiny arm.

he looked a little less frightened than before still quiet but he smiled when he spotted y/n.

she smiled back “hey, superhero.” he grinned shyly “ready?” he nodded.

“good.” she leaned down slightly “i’ve got a feeling we’re going to need you today.”

around them, the counsellors had already started talking to their teams. sophia crouched down so she was level with her group, speaking softly enough that the children instinctively leaned in to listen.

“remember,” she smiled, “today isn’t about being the fastest.”

“it’s about looking after each other.” she looked around each little face a good team doesn’t leave anybody behind.”

manon, meanwhile had gone in the complete opposite direction. “yellow team!” she shouted dramatically, punching the air and a few of the children laughed “what colour are we?”

“YELLOW!” they shouted back.

“i can’t hear you!”

“YELLOW!”

“LOUDER!”

“YELLOW!”

she cupped a hand dramatically behind her ear “still can’t hear you!”

the six children practically screamed it this time. manon threw both arms into the air “that’s what i’m talking about!”

their cheers echoed across the field and megan looked over then she turned to her own orange team.

“orange!” the children looked at her expectantly “i refuse to let yellow be louder than us.”

a little girl gasped dramatically “that’s embarrassing.”

“let’s show them who the actual best team is” she beamed “on three.”

“one…two…THREE!”

“ORANGE!” the shout rang out across camp.

manon looked over in mock offence “excuse me?”

“beat that!” megan laughed.

purple team had somehow become its own concert. lara stood in the middle of her campers, clapping a steady rhythm above her head and the children copied her immediately.

clap.

clap.

clap clap clap.

lara began singing “purple team…”

the children stared “what comes next?”

she grinned “you tell me.”

one little boy shouted “…is gonna win?”

lara pointed straight at him “exactly.” she started again“purple team…”

“is gonna win!” they all sang back.

again, a little louder “purple team…”

“IS GONNA WIN!”

soon the whole group was marching in place, clapping and chanting together, laughing every time lara changed the tune.

y/n couldn’t help smiling as she watched then she looked back at her own little group. they were much quieter, a few looked excited a few looked overwhelmed.

she crouched so she was level with all six of them “okay…” she smiled “i know we’ve only just met.”

“but…” she glanced around the little circle “i’ve got a really good feeling about our team.”

a little girl smiled “why?”

“because…” y/n shrugged “i think you’re all pretty brilliant already.” the children beamed “we’re not going to worry about coming first.” she continued “we’re just going to have fun.”

she paused then lowered her voice dramatically “…but…” six little faces leaned in.

“…if we did happen to finish first…” the corners of her mouth “that would be really cool wouldn’t it?”

the children burst into giggles “we’re gonna win!” one boy declared confidently.

across the field, another little boy wearing a blue wristband heard him. “no we’re gonna win!” he shouted back.

“you’re gonna lose!”

“am not!”

“are too!”

the two brothers stuck their tongues out at each other from opposite sides of the field. daniela wandered over just in time to catch the end of it she folded her arms with a smile tugging at her lips.

“guys…” she looked between the two groups “it’s not a competition.”

the brothers looked unconvinced y/n nodded thoughtfully “she’s right.” she said very seriously “it’s not…” she paused then glanced sideways at daniela.

“…but if it was…” she looked back at her team “…we’d so win.”

“YEAHHHH!” her entire team erupted into cheers, throwing their arms into the air. the little spider-man boy even let out a tiny fist pump.

daniela let out an incredulous scoff “oh, really?” she laughed, giving y/n a playful shove against the shoulder.

the children dissolved into laughter.

daniela rolled her eyes, shaking her head as she fought back a smile.

~~~~~

the scavenger hunt ended up being far less about the checklist…and far more about the children.

within five minutes, y/n had learnt that noah refused to use the map because he was “good with directions.” he wasn’t they somehow walked in a complete circle before grace quietly pointed out they’d ended up back outside the dining hall.

harper found almost every item on the list before anyone else did, quietly spotting things everyone else walked straight past.

ollie meanwhile was convinced every stick they found was “probably important.”

“can we keep this one?”

“no.”

“…this one?”

“still no.”

“…what about this really cool one?”

y/n looked down at the completely ordinary stick “that’s actually a pretty cool stick.” his face lit up “i knew it.”

the little boy wearing the spider-man backpack, who’s name was lucas, barely left her side all morning. he still didn’t say much but every now and then he’d quietly point towards something on the list “there.” or “i found one.”

each time y/n made just as much fuss over it as the bigger discoveries by the end of the hunt he was pointing things out before anyone else.

across camp, the other groups weren’t faring much better.

manon’s team somehow spent almost fifteen minutes convinced the camp bell was haunted because one camper insisted he’d heard it ring on its own.

lara’s group turned the whole thing into a musical, making up little songs for every clue they found until even the quieter children were singing along.

sophia’s team moved steadily through camp, every child getting a chance to hold the map while she quietly encouraged them to help one another instead of rushing ahead.

daniela had somehow inherited every energetic child at camp. every five minutes somebody was climbing something, running somewhere or asking seventeen questions in a single breath.

by lunchtime she’d gently reminded one camper not to lick moss, twice.

megan’s orange team, however had quietly disappeared around camp with surprising determination.

while everyone else got distracted by frogs, butterflies or particularly interesting-looking sticks…they simply worked through the list.

when the whistle finally called everyone back to the field…orange team arrived first.

every item ticked and every challenge completed. megan looked almost as surprised as the children did “…we actually won?”

six little voices erupted around her “WE WON!” they tackled her in a group hug before she’d even finished laughing.

sophia clapped as the other teams gathered back around “i think every single team did brilliantly.”

she smiled “but…” she held up a small basket “our winners today, even though it’s not a competition and you all did amazing, the team that finished first was…” she looked towards megan “orange team!”

the children cheered loud enough for birds to scatter from the nearby trees. their prize turned out to be first choice from the snack basket before lunch. which, according to the campers was apparently even better than a trophy.

~~~~~

the days settled into a rhythm before any of them really noticed.

every counsellor slowly found their place.

sophia somehow seemed to know exactly where she was needed before anyone even asked, whether it was tying a shoelace, settling an argument over whose turn it was or reminding everyone to reapply sunscreen before heading back outside.

lara became every camper’s favourite storyteller. she could turn a simple walk through the woods into a grand adventure involving dragons, enchanted pinecones and fairies hidden in the trees. the children hung onto every word even the older ones who insisted they were “too old for stories.”

manon somehow managed to turn every activity into a competition. whether it was skipping stones, folding paper aeroplanes or seeing who could collect the most pinecones in two minutes, her laughter carried across camp almost constantly.

megan surprised herself. the nerves she’d carried on the first morning slowly melted away until she barely remembered they were ever there.

the campers adored her especially whenever she accidentally made herself the punchline of a joke. they laughed with her, never at her and somewhere along the way she realised she was laughing just as much.

y/n learnt that children seemed to have a sixth sense for finding whoever looked the safest. if someone scraped a knee, they somehow ended up beside her.

if someone felt overwhelmed, they drifted quietly towards wherever she happened to be. she never quite understood why but she simply welcomed them every time.

on the third evening, she found lucas sitting alone on the porch outside maple cabin after dinner, his knees were tucked up beneath his chin.

y/n lowered herself onto the wooden step beside him they sat for almost a minute before either of them spoke.

“…bad guys?” she asked quietly.

he frowned “what?”

“i’m just wondering.” she looked towards the trees “if there are any bad guys around.”

he looked too “…i don’t think so.”

“hmm.” she nodded thoughtfully “good.”

another little silence. then, so quietly she almost missed it “…i miss my mommy.” his voice wobbled around the words and he looked down at his trainers.

y/n’s chest tightened, she didn’t tell him not to cry and she didn’t promise he’d stop missing home tomorrow instead…“i think she’d be really happy to know you’re being so brave.”

he rubbed quickly at one eye “…do superheroes cry?”

y/n smiled softly “all the best ones do.”

he thought about that for a long moment before nodding, then smiling and accepting the fist bump y/n offered.

~~~~~

by the fourth day…the counsellors had learnt to appreciate every spare minute they could find.

their breaks rarely lasted longer than ten minutes. just enough time to refill water bottles, collapse onto the grass and remember what silence sounded like.

one particularly warm afternoon, megan practically flopped backwards beneath the shade of the big oak tree with an exhausted groan “my legs are actually going to fall off.”

y/n laughed as she dropped down beside her “that’s a bit dramatic.”

“is it?” megan stretched one leg out “i haven’t sat down since breakfast.”

they fell into a comfortable silence, the kind that only really existed between people who didn’t feel the need to fill every gap with conversation.

without thinking about it…y/n leaned sideways until her head rested lightly against megan’s shoulder.

megan didn’t react just smiled to herself and rested her own head gently against y/n’s. the breeze stirred lazily through the trees above and camp continued around them.

“…remember the first morning?” megan asked quietly “when we thought we were going to be terrible at this?”

y/n smiled with her eyes closed “…yeah.”

“i think…” megan looked out across camp “…i think we’re doing okay.”

y/n smiled a little wider “…yeah, i think we are too.”

the peace lasted exactly twenty seconds.

“MEGAN!” a child’s voice echoed across camp “we accidentally kicked the football onto the dining hall roof!”

megan sighed dramatically “…my break’s over. you coming?”

y/n stood, offering her a hand “unfortunately.”

~~~~~

the counsellors had learnt very quickly that putting sunscreen on thirty-six children was less of a task…and more of a negotiation.

all across the clearing, little bottles clicked open as counsellors demonstrated how much sunscreen to use.

sophia knelt beside a picnic bench, squeezing a small blob onto her palm before showing a little group how to rub it over their arms “don’t forget the tops of your shoulders,” she reminded them. “they’re the bit everyone forgets.”

almost immediately three children began frantically rubbing sunscreen onto their shoulders.

manon had somehow turned it into a competition “first person done wins absolutely nothing!” the children shrieked with laughter anyway.

lara was busy trying to convince a boy that sunscreen was, in fact, “cool.”

“even superheroes wear sunscreen.”

“batman doesn’t.”

“…batman absolutely burns.”

“he goes out at night.” the boy added confidently “and he wears a suit”

“good point.” lara nods handing him the bottle “but you don’t, so let’s put this on”

“there you go” y/n smiled to herself as she squeezed sunscreen into one little girl’s hands “little circles just like that.”

the girl copied her movements carefully, concentrating so hard her tongue poked out slightly between her lips “perfect.”

“am i done?”

“almost.” y/n pointed towards the bridge of her nose “don’t forget there.”

“oops.” the little girl giggled before rubbing another tiny blob over it.

“good job.” y/n stood before lifting another bottle “okay, who’s next?”

“me!”

“me!”

“me first!”

she laughed “one at a time.” she’d barely taken two steps before a familiar voice spoke quietly beside her “…bit unprofessional.”

y/n turned “huh?”

daniela was standing with her own bottle of sunscreen tucked beneath one arm, one eyebrow raised ever so slightly “telling the campers how to do it…” she nodded towards y/n “when you’re not even doing it properly.”

y/n frowned instinctively “what?”

daniela lifted one hand and pointed “back of your neck.”

y/n instinctively reached behind herself, her fingers found nothing but warm skin. “your hair’s up.” daniela said simply “you’ve missed all of this.”

before y/n had even properly registered what she’d said, daniela stepped around behind her “hold still.”

she felt the quiet click of the sunscreen bottle opening somewhere behind her then the cool squeeze of lotion against the back of her neck. she inhaled sharply at the sudden temperature.

“cold?” daniela asked, amusement colouring her voice.

“a little.”

“sorry.” except, she didn’t sound particularly sorry. the pads of her fingers spread the sunscreen gently across the back of y/n’s neck in slow, careful movements.

making sure it reached right up beneath the line of her hair exactly the way she’d shown the children only moments earlier.

for reasons y/n couldn’t quite explain, every brush of daniela’s fingertips felt strangely magnified.

she became acutely aware of every small movement, the faint scent of coconut sunscreen, the warmth of daniela standing just behind her, close enough that y/n could hear her quiet breathing over the chatter of the campers.

“…you’ve been standing in the sun all morning.” daniela murmured, more to herself than to y/n “you’d have been bright red by lunch.”

her fingers swept lightly beneath the edge of y/n’s ponytail one last time, making sure there wasn’t a strip of skin she’d missed.

for the briefest second her fingertips brushed the fine hairs at the nape of y/n’s neck. y/n’s shoulders tensed almost imperceptibly and her heartbeat suddenly felt louder than the voices around them.

daniela smoothed one final pass over the sunscreen before taking a small step back “…there.” she said, recapping the bottle “better.”

y/n turned “…thanks.” the word came out quieter than she’d intended.

daniela smiled “you’re welcome.” before either of them could say anything else-

“miss y/n!” they both looked down two little campers had been watching the entire exchange with enormous concentration.

one had somehow acquired far too much sunscreen, the other was now attempting to smear it across his friend’s neck exactly the way daniela had.

she replied with complete confidence. daniela pressed her lips together, trying very hard not to laugh “good teamwork.”

the little girl frowned thoughtfully as she looked back up at y/n “…miss dani?”

“yeah?”

she pointed directly at y/n “you missed a spot.”

both counsellors blinked “where?”

the little girl pointed at y/n’s face “her cheeks.”

y/n instinctively lifted a hand her cheeks felt…very warm.

“…oh no!” another camper gasped dramatically “she’s burning!” three more children immediately abandoned what they were doing.

“quick!”

“more sunscreen!”

“save miss y/n!”

y/n let out an embarrassed laugh, covering her face with one hand “i’m not burning.”

“you are!”

“look!”

“she’s all red!”

daniela looked at her and despite knowing full well it wasn’t the sun…the tiniest smile tugged at the corner of her mouth “…might be a little late for that.” she said softly.

y/n shot her a look that only made daniela’s smile grow a fraction wider.

~~~~~

the football game ended in complete chaos. nobody was entirely sure what the score had been or whether there had ever really been a score to begin with. somehow, everyone still claimed they’d won.

“again!”

“coach, one more game!”

“five more minutes!”

“you promised!”

y/n bent forwards, hands resting on her knees as she laughed between breaths “i absolutely…” she inhaled “did not promise that.”

“you did!”

“when?”

“i don’t know…” one little boy shrugged “but you definitely did.” the campers giggled.

“water break!” sophia called from the other side of the field “everyone grab your bottles.”

a chorus of dramatic groans echoed around the clearing but the children still sprinted towards the coolers anyway.

y/n wiped the back of her hand across her forehead, still catching her breath “…how…” she laughed to herself “are they still running?” she glanced across the field.

every single camper was somehow still bouncing around as though they’d only just started playing.

she, meanwhile felt like she’d run a marathon. daniela was already sitting on one of the wooden benches beneath the trees, leaning back comfortably. one leg stretched out, the other bent slightly, a water bottle rested loosely between her trainers.

y/n wandered over before dropping onto the bench beside her with an exhausted sigh.

she leaned her head back against the bench, closing her eyes for a second “…i’m actually dying.”

“dramatic.”

there was a comfortable silence between them while children’s laughter drifted across the field.

y/n glanced sideways then down, she noticed the bottle resting between daniela’s feet. “…can i?” she asked, already reaching for it.

daniela looked down then back at her “…yeah.”

y/n unscrewed the lid and took a long drink. the cold water felt incredible after nearly an hour running around in the sun, she handed it back with a grateful sigh “…thanks.”

daniela accepted it without really thinking “anytime.”

they fell back into watching the campers, one little girl was proudly showing sophia a daisy she’d tucked behind her ear.

daniela smiled to herself “…they’re cute.”

“they are.”

a minute or two passed. conversation drifted naturally into comfortable silence again. without thinking daniela picked up the bottle, unscrewed the lid and took a drink.

she’d barely swallowed when-

“…OOOOOOOH!”

both of them looked up.

two little girls were standing in the middle of the field pointing directly at them with expressions of absolute horror.

“coach daniela took a sip after coach y/n did!” their voices carried across the whole activity field. every nearby camper stopped what they were doing.

“…what?” daniela blinked.

another little boy gasped dramatically “ewwwww!”

within seconds “ewwwwwww!” the reaction spread like wildfire.

“they have cooties!”

“miss y/n and miss dani have cooties!”

“gross!”

“you drank the same water!”

“that’s disgusting!” one little camper physically covered his own water bottle with both hands.

y/n stared at the children then slowly looked towards daniela. “…cooties?”

daniela looked down at the bottle still in her hand back at y/n then at the sea of horrified little faces.

“…i…” she couldn’t even think of a response.

“coach dani!” one little boy cried “now you’ve got miss y/n germs!”

“i think…” daniela said very seriously “i’ll survive.”

the children groaned louder “nooooo!”

“she’s infected!” another camper pointed accusingly at the bench.

y/n couldn’t hold it together anymore. she burst into laughter, doubling over as the campers continued arguing amongst themselves about whether cooties were contagious through water bottles.

beside her, daniela tried to keep a straight face. she lasted all of three seconds then laughed too, shaking her head as she screwed the lid back onto the bottle.

neither of them noticed lara watching the entire exchange from across the field. she looked from the water bottle to the two of them still laughing beside each other then simply smirked to herself before blowing her whistle.

“alright, cootie club!” she called loudly “everyone line up!”

the entire field burst into a fit of giggles.

~~~~~

bedtime in maple cabin had become something of a carefully choreographed dance.

from the outside, it probably looked like complete chaos. twelve children all trying to do twelve different things at once.

someone was brushing their teeth, someone else was still trying to decide which teddy deserved the top bunk.

two little girls were whispering underneath one blanket despite repeatedly promising they were “definitely going to sleep this time.”

and yet somehow, it always worked.

without ever talking about it, y/n and daniela had quietly fallen into a routine. the first night they’d asked each other what needed doing every few minutes.

“can you grab…?”

“do you mind…?”

“have you seen…?”

now they barely needed to speak. daniela always started at one end of the cabin, y/n at the other.

they’d weave between bunks almost absentmindedly, somehow never getting in each other’s way.

one would remind everyone to brush their teeth, the other would quietly start collecting tomorrow’s dirty laundry bags.

they moved through the cabin like they’d practised it. they hadn’t it had simply just happened.

“miss y/n?”

she turned immediately, a little girl was holding up a friendship bracelet “…i can’t get it off.”

“lemme see.” y/n gently took the tiny wrist in her hands, carefully loosening the knot without snapping the threads “there.”

“thank you.” the little girl smiled before immediately running off to put it somewhere ‘safe’

by now the bathroom had become its own little queue.

“i had the blue cup!”

“no you didn’t!”

“did too!”

“guys…” daniela called gently without even looking up from helping another camper squeeze toothpaste onto their brush “everyone’s cup has their name on it.”

immediate silence.

“…oh.”

y/n couldn’t help laughing under her breath, she caught daniela’s eye across the room, who looked up at almost the exact same moment.

they shared one amused smile then both looked away again.

the rhythm continued. one camper couldn’t find their pyjama top and before y/n had even started looking beneath the bed, daniela was already reaching into the cubby where she’d noticed them leave it after swimming that afternoon.

another camper wandered over rubbing sleepy eyes “coach…”

y/n crouched immediately “what’s up?”

“…can you tuck me in?”

“course.” while y/n carefully tucked blankets around the little girl, daniela quietly walked past the bunk.

without interrupting she reached up and switched on the tiny night light above the bed and the little girl smiled sleepily “thank you.”

later, the last toothbrush was finally put away, the last teddy had been found and the last “one more drink of water, please” had been granted.

the cabin lights dimmed until only the warm glow of the little night lights remained.

the chatter softened almost instantly, whispers replaced excited voices, blankets rustled and beds creaked.

y/n made one last slow walk between the bunks making sure everyone seemed settled. at the other end of the cabin, daniela was doing the same.

they reached the middle aisle at almost exactly the same time.

“…everyone?” y/n asked quietly.

daniela glanced back over the cabin, a little nod “…everyone.”

they stood there for a second, listening to soft breathing and the occasional sleepy mumble.

neither of them mentioned that they hadn’t needed to ask each other what to do once that evening. they hadn’t noticed because it had simply become the way bedtime worked.

like everything else between them, it had become routine.

y/n closed the door to their room quietly behind them, careful not to let it click too loudly.

“i think that was our quickest bedtime yet,” she murmured, slipping her radio from her waistband and placing it on the little bedside table. daniela let out a tired hum of agreement.

they smiled to themselves before naturally splitting off into their now familiar routine.

y/n disappeared into the tiny bathroom first, washing her face while daniela wandered around the room collecting the things she’d absentmindedly left lying around that morning.

by the time y/n emerged, her face was still damp from rinsing away her cleanser, sleeves pushed up as she rubbed moisturiser between her palms.

daniela had changed into an oversized camp t-shirt and a pair of loose shorts, sitting sideways on her bed with one leg tucked beneath the other.

she reached down absentmindedly, her fingers brushing over the side of her calf. her nails scraped lightly across the skin once.

she frowned and rubbed at it again, another little scratch. she stopped for a second, only for her hand to drift back almost immediately.

“…you okay?” y/n asked, glancing up from her bed.

daniela looked down “hmm?”

“your leg.”

she followed y/n’s eyes before letting out a quiet little laugh “oh.” she rubbed at it again, this time with the heel of her hand “bug bite.”

“it’s honestly not that bad.” she tried ignoring it which lasted about three seconds.

her fingers wandered back again, scratching around the little red mark with an expression somewhere between annoyance and defeat.

“why…” she muttered more to herself than to y/n “…does scratching it actually feel good?”

y/n smiled to herself “because your brain tricks you.”

“well my brain’s stupid.” another absent-minded scratch “i know i’m making it worse.”

“then stop.”

“i’m trying.” she wasn’t. before she’d even finished speaking, her hand had drifted back again, chasing the itch despite herself she groaned quietly “it’s impossible.”

y/n watched her for another moment, the amused smile still tugging gently at the corners of her mouth.

without saying anything else, she leaned over towards the little wash bag resting beside her pillow.

the zip slid open, she rummaged through it absentmindedly, moving bottles aside with soft little clinks against one another until her fingers found what she was looking for.

she pulled out a small tube and she simply climbed down from her bed. daniela looked up just as y/n wandered over “…what?”

“hold still.” y/n was already kneeling on the wooden floor beside the bed.

the old floorboards creaked softly beneath her knees as she unscrewed the cap, squeezing the smallest amount of cream onto the tip of her finger “show me”

daniela shifted her leg slightly towards her.

y/n leaned in, studying the little red bite with the same concentration she seemed to give absolutely everything. “…i told you.” she murmured “you’ve irritated it now”

“i know….” daniela sighed sheepishly.

almost automatically, she rested one hand lightly against the back of daniela’s calf, just enough to keep her leg steady.

the cool cream spread gently across the bite beneath careful fingertips. small circles, slow enough that it wouldn’t sting.

y/n’s attention stayed completely fixed on what she was doing. her brows pulled together ever so slightly, that tiny crease appeared between them again.

the loose strand of hair she’d missed when tying it back slipped forward, brushing against her cheek. she puffed out a quiet breath to move it away without letting go of daniela’s leg.

it fell straight back again. daniela watched it happen then watched y/n try exactly the same thing a second time.

the corner of her mouth lifted almost without permission. she’d never noticed how focused y/n became over the smallest things like somehow a bug bite deserved the same care as everything else.

the room had become so quiet. outside, the wind stirred through the trees, carrying the distant sound of the lake against the shore.

“…there.” y/n said quietly after a moment, she smoothed one final pass over the cream before instinctively checking the edge of it with her thumb.

satisfied, she nodded to herself “don’t…” she started, lifting her head. the rest of the sentence never arrived because daniela was already looking at her.

their eyes met so suddenly that y/n almost forgot what she’d been about to say. for a heartbeat, neither of them moved and y/n became quietly aware that her hand was still resting against the back of daniela’s leg.

she swallowed “…don’t…” her voice came out softer this time “…scratch it.”

daniela’s gaze lingered for another brief second before she seemed to remember herself “…i won’t.” she smiled.

y/n returned it almost instinctively before finally drawing her hand away. she recapped the tube, turning it over in her fingers for no real reason other than giving herself something to do.

“…there.” she said quietly “all fixed.”

“thanks.”

“mhm.” y/n stood, brushing imaginary dust from her knees before climbing back onto her own bed.

somehow…the little room felt just a touch quieter than it had a few minutes before.

~~~~~

“left! left! she’s going left!”

“don’t tell them!”

the field had dissolved into complete chaos. children darted between trees with coloured bandanas tied around their arms, shrieking loud enough to send birds scattering from the branches overhead.

“coach!” a little girl grabbed onto y/n’s hand, pointing urgently towards the opposite side of the field “the flag!”

y/n followed her finger, three campers had almost reached it. “okay…” she crouched beside them, lowering her voice as though they were discussing classified information “who’s our fastest runner?”

five tiny hands immediately shot into the air.

“…right.” she smiled “that’s not helpful.”

the little girl beside her grinned “ollie’s fastest.”

“i am!” ollie nodded confidently.

“okay.” y/n pointed towards the trees “you distract them.” then towards another little boy “you stay with him.” finally she looked at the smallest camper in the group.

“and you…” she leaned in dramatically “…you’re our secret weapon.”

his eyes widened “really?”

“really.”

he stood up a little straighter then all four of them sprinted off before y/n had even finished saying “go.” she laughed to herself “…they never wait.”

across the field, whistles echoed every few seconds. lara was pretending not to notice three campers hiding behind the same tree, loudly announcing to anyone who would listen

“i definitely haven’t seen anyone over here.”

the children dissolved into giggles.

manon had somehow become involved in a chase she’d definitely started herself while megan was jogging backwards, trying to herd six campers into vaguely the same direction.

“guys!” she called, laughing “same team!”

one little boy pointed accusingly at another camper “he tagged me twice!”

“i only tagged you once!”

megan sighed dramatically “alright.” she clapped once “everyone take one giant step backwards.”

they all did “good.”

“now…” she pointed at the boy “you’re unfrozen.” another point “and you’re apologising.”

“…sorry.”

“can we go now?”

they were gone before she’d finished nodding.

“getting easier?” y/n asked as she jogged past, slowing beside her for a second.

megan glanced sideways “i’m either getting better…” she bent slightly, hands on her knees for half a breath “or i’ve just accepted chaos.”

“probably both.”

for a second they simply stood there, catching their breath while thirty-six children sprinted around them.

megan nudged y/n lightly with her elbow “remember when we thought training was hard?”

y/n let out a breathy laugh “i’d happily go back to racing you in a canoe.”

“same.”

they shared a look, one of those little ones that didn’t really need anything else said.

“coach y/n!” they both looked up, two campers were sprinting towards them at full speed.

“they’ve got our flag!”

“what?” y/n turned instinctively, half their team was already chasing after a little girl twice their size who was somehow carrying the flag above her head like it was an olympic torch.

“…how did that happen?”

megan watched them disappear across the field “…i genuinely have no idea.” she looked at y/n “you wanna go save them?”

y/n smiled “…thought you’d never ask.”

without another word they were both running again, the conversation forgotten as they threw themselves straight back into the madness.

“coach! coach! this way!”

“no, over here!”

“they’re stealing it!”

y/n barely had a second to think before she was being pulled in three different directions at once.

one little hand grabbed her wrist while another tugged gently at the back of her camp shirt.

“they’re gonna win!”

“not if you stop shouting where our flag is,” y/n laughed, jogging alongside them.

the game had completely fallen apart. whatever strategy the campers had started with had dissolved into children sprinting in every direction, counsellors trying to keep up and the occasional whistle from sophia reminding everyone not to tackle one another.

one of the younger campers from the opposite team suddenly tripped over a tree root. it wasn’t a dramatic fall, more of an awkward tumble onto her hands and knees.

she blinked for a second before her bottom lip started wobbling. without thinking, y/n changed direction, she crouched beside her immediately.

“hey…” she smiled gently “you alright?”

the little girl sniffed, nodding despite the tears threatening to spill “i tripped.”

“i saw.” y/n brushed the grass from her knees before checking her palms “nothing broken.” she smiled “that’s the important bit.”

“you’re helping me?..” the little girl looked up “…even though i’m on the other team?”

“especially because you’re on the other team.” y/n grinned “can’t have our competition ending because somebody scraped their knee.”

“there.” she helped her back onto her feet “good as new.”

before the little girl had even run off-

“coach!” one of y/n’s own campers had stopped dead a few metres away, hands planted dramatically on his hips “that’s cheating!”

“yeah!” another immediately agreed “you helped the enemy!”

y/n looked between them, trying not to laugh “she fell over.”

“but she’s blue team!”

“but we’re all still friends aren’t we?”

“…oh.” the little boy considered that“…okay.” then he pointed dramatically across the field “they’re still gonna lose.”

“that’s the spirit.” y/n laughed.

the game exploded back into motion. campers scattered across the field once more, weaving between trees and picnic benches, little trainers kicking up clouds of dry dust as they ran.

“coach!”

“they’re behind you!”

“run!”

“faster!”

y/n sprinted after a group of them, ducking around one of the wooden obstacle posts near the edge of the field.

one of the flags had become tangled beneath a low wooden fence. she reached down instinctively, grabbing hold of the fabric to free it.

“…come on…” the flag caught. she pulled a little harder and it suddenly came free.

“…ow- shiiiii…” the word caught halfway out as she looked up a tiny little girl was staring at her with enormous eyes.

y/n’s mouth snapped shut “…shoe.” she finished far too quickly “…ow. my shoe.”

the little girl frowned “…your shoe?”

“…yeah.” y/n nodded a little too enthusiastically. she turned her hand over, a tiny splinter sat buried near the side of her thumb “…oh.”

before she could even decide whether to pull it out the little girl gasped dramatically. her face filled with genuine concern “miss sophia!” she cupped both hands around her mouth.

“leader!” every counsellor instinctively looked up “coach y/n has a boo boo!”

the shout echoed across the entire field, conversation stopped, children froze.

sophia blinked before immediately making her way across the grass “…what happened?” she asked, already kneeling beside y/n.

the little girl answered before y/n had a chance “she hurt herself.”

sophia looked down at y/n’s hand at the tiny splinter then back at y/n “…that’s your boo boo?”

y/n looked mildly embarrassed “apparently.”

the little girl nodded solemnly “it looked really sore.”

sophia’s expression softened into a smile “well…” she reached into the little first aid pouch clipped to her belt “good thing we’ve got first aid trained counsellors.”

lara wandered over, immediately trying to peer over sophia’s shoulder “…is she going to make it?”

megan finally reached them too, slightly out of breath “…i genuinely thought someone had broken a bone.”

y/n held up her thumb “…splinter.”

megan stared at it then at y/n “…that’s the emergency?”

before y/n could answer, the little girl folded her arms “all injuries matter.”

there was a beat of silence then every counsellor smiled “…she’s got us there,” sophia admitted as she carefully reached for the tweezers.

sophia smiled warmly before taking y/n’s hand. “let’s have a look.” she turned it over carefully, her thumb brushing gently across y/n’s palm until she found the tiny splinter lodged just beneath the skin “…right.”

y/n watched her face carefully “…how bad is it?”

sophia looked up “…it’s a splinter.”

“…a bad splinter? like out of ten?”

sophia let out a slow breath through her nose as she inspected the splinter “i’d say…” she turned y/n’s hand “…about a one.”

a few more campers had wandered over by now, curiosity getting the better of them.

“is coach okay?”

“does she need a bandage?”

“is she bleeding?”

“i can’t see any blood.”

“maybe it’s inside blood.”

“…be gentle.” y/n said her eyes widening as sophia approached with the tweezers.

“i always am.”

“i know, but-

“y/n.”

“…yeah?”

“it’s a splinter.” sophia steadied her hand, bringing it a little closer “don’t move.”

y/n immediately squeezed one eye shut “i don’t like this.”

“nothing has happened yet.”

“i’m preparing.”

“for…” sophia raised an eyebrow “…a splinter.”

around them, a couple of the older campers giggled.

“coach y/n’s scared.”

“i’m not scared.” y/n protested immediately.

she lined the tweezers up with the tiny sliver of wood. y/n took a deep breath “…ow.”

sophia stopped, she slowly looked up ““…i haven’t touched it yet”

y/n blinked “…oh.” another wave of laughter spread through the children.

sophia met y/n’s eyes, she didn’t say anything she didn’t need to because she simply gave her a look.

the look.

the one that said, there are twelve children watching you right now. pull yourself together.

y/n pressed her lips tightly together “…right.” she nodded once “being brave.”

“thank you.” sophia pinched the end of the splinter with one quick pull “…there.” she held up the tiny splinter between the tweezers “all done.”

y/n cautiously opened both eyes “…already?”

“already.”

“…that’s it?”

“that’s it.” she placed the microscopic splinter onto a tissue. one of the campers leaned forward “…that’s tiny.”

“it was.” sophia agreed “coach y/n survived.”

“see?” y/n looked around proudly “i was brave.”

“you flinched before i even started.” sophia replied as she cleaned the little mark with an antiseptic wipe.

“that was just anticipation.”

“that was just unnecessary.” she peeled a tiny dinosaur plaster from its wrapper and pressed it gently over y/n’s thumb “there. good as new.”

y/n admired it “…i got the dinosaur.”

“you did.”

“…worth it.”

sophia laughed quietly as she packed the tweezers away. before she could zip the pouch shut, lara peered down dramatically at y/n’s hand.

she leaned in, narrowing her eyes at the plaster “…you want me to kiss it better?”

without missing a beat, y/n reached over and shoved her shoulder “oh fuc- fudge off.”

lara stumbled sideways with an exaggerated gasp, one hand clutching her chest. the campers all burst into giggles.

one little girl frowned thoughtfully “my mummy kisses my boo boos.” lara immediately pointed at her “finally, somebody understands.”

sophia shook her head, smiling to herself as she clipped the first aid pouch back onto her belt.

“alright.” she stood, dusting off her knees “doctor’s orders.” she pointed at y/n “no more dramatic injuries.”

“i’ll do my best.”

“and you.” she turned to lara “no kissing the patients.”

lara sighed dramatically “this place gets stricter every year.”

the campers immediately remembered they were in the middle of a game and scattered in every direction again, laughing as they ran.

lara lingered beside y/n for just a second longer before nudging her lightly with her elbow “…seriously though.” she nodded towards the tiny dinosaur plaster “looks cute on you.”

the game resumed almost instantly.

children scattered back across the field as though the great splinter emergency had never happened, little legs carrying them in every direction at once.

except…not all of them. one of the little girls who’d watched the whole thing unfold stood completely still for another second, her eyes darting between y/n and lara.

her mouth slowly fell open. then, with all the urgency in the world she gasped.

she sprinted past campers chasing flags, ducked around a picnic bench and skidded to a stop beside another little girl standing with daniela and manon. she was breathing so hard she had to grab onto her knees.

“guess…” pant “…what!”

her friend blinked “what?”

the little girl looked around dramatically before leaning in to whisper. except it wasn’t really a whisper “coach lara and coach y/n said they were going to kiss!”

the words carried far louder than she’d intended. manon’s head snapped around so quickly she almost gave herself whiplash.

beside her, daniela looked up from helping a camper retie the ribbon around their arm, she’d only caught the last few words.

coach lara…

kiss.

her eyebrows pulled together before she even realised they had.

the little girl nodded enthusiastically “i heard it!”

another camper nearby scrunched up his nose “ewwwww…” he announced with complete conviction “…coooooties.”

within seconds, three more children had abandoned whatever they were doing.

“cooties?”

“who’s got cooties?”

“coach lara!”

“and coach y/n!”

another little girl looked absolutely horrified “…are they gonna get married now?”

before anyone could answer-

a little boy standing beside daniela frowned thoughtfully “…no.” he shook his head with complete confidence “miss daniela and coach y/n are already married.”

daniela blinked “…what?”

the little boy pointed towards maple cabin, visible through the trees “because they live together.”

his logic seemed completely sound so another camper gasped “they do live together!”

“…does that mean…” a tiny girl slowly turned towards manon “…miss manon…” she tilted her head “…are you and leader sophia married too?”

manon stared at her for exactly half a second then burst into laughter, the kind that made her bend forwards slightly as she tried to catch her breath.

“what?” she managed between laughs “…no!”

“but you live together too.”

“that’s because we’re counsellors.”

“my mom and dad live together.”

“yeah…” manon grinned “…but sophia would absolutely hate being married to me.”

“i heard that.” sophia called from somewhere across the field without even looking up from the group she was helping. manon laughed harder “…see?”

the children seemed to accept that explanation for approximately three seconds then another little voice piped up.

“but…” the first little girl frowned “…why are coach lara and coach y/n kissing then?”

manon’s laughter faltered just enough for her to glance sideways at daniela only then did she notice…daniela hadn’t laughed.

she was still crouched beside one of the campers, fingers absentmindedly tightening the knot she’d already tied. her eyes had drifted across the field without seeming to realise it.

y/n was laughing at something lara had said, the tiny dinosaur plaster still wrapped around her thumb. lara nudged her shoulder again and y/n shoved her away with a grin.

the little girl’s question lingered in the air.

daniela looked back down “…why…” she asked quietly, more curious than anything else “…why are miss lara and coach y/n kissing?”

the little girl looked at her as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. “coach y/n got really hurt.” she nodded very seriously “and miss lara said she was gonna give her the kiss of life.”

there was a beat of silence then manon made a noise somewhere between a snort and a laugh.

“the kiss of life?” she repeated, trying desperately to keep a straight face.

the little girl nodded earnestly “that’s what she said.”

the whole group fell into a very serious discussion over whether a splinter was severe enough to require “the kiss of life.”

manon had to turn away completely, one hand covering her mouth to hide another laugh “…lara’s unbelievable.” she muttered under her breath.

beside her…daniela’s eyes wandered across the field once more the words echoed quietly in the back of her mind.

“coach lara and coach y/n said they were going to kiss.”

she knew it wasn’t true, she knew children misunderstood things all the time so why had her chest tightened anyway?

manon was still shaking her head as she watched the children disappear back into the game “…kiss of life,” she murmured rolling her eyes.

daniela didn’t answer, her eyes had already drifted back across the field again, y/n was standing beside lara near the edge of the boundary rope,

y/n laughed head tipping back slightly and lara laughed too. they were standing close enough that every now and then one of them would gesture and the other would lean in just enough to hear over the noise of the game.

daniela frowned without realising as something about the sight settled awkwardly beneath her ribs.

before she’d really thought about what she was doing, her hand had already reached for the radio clipped to her waistband.

click.

“mei?”

a burst of static answered first.

“go ahead.”

“can you cover my side for a minute?”

there was a short pause “yeah, course.”

daniela’s eyes stayed fixed on the field “i just need to sort the drinks out before everyone finishes.”

“got it.”

click.

she clipped the radio back onto her shorts. only afterwards did she realise…the drinks didn’t actually need sorting yet, they still had another thirty minutes left.

the thought barely registered as her feet were already carrying her across the grass.

children darted around her, weaving in and out of the trees. someone shouted that they’d found the flag, someone else insisted they definitely hadn’t.

daniela hardly heard any of it as she slowed only when she reached them “…y/n.” both y/n and lara looked over.

“hey.” y/n smiled “everything alright?”

“yeah.” daniela nodded once “i need a hand setting up the juice boxes and water for when the game finishes.”

y/n glanced towards the field “…already?”

“i’d rather get it done now.”

“…okay.” y/n looked back at lara “one sec.” she lifted a finger with an apologetic smile “you were saying?”

lara opened her mouth to continue the story before she managed more than a word daniela stepped just a little closer.

her fingertips rested lightly against the middle of y/n’s back, just enough to catch her attention. a brief, gentle touch through the fabric of her camp shirt.

“now.” she said quietly.

for the smallest moment, y/n blinked then looked over her shoulder. daniela had already started walking away, clearly expecting she’d follow.

y/n glanced between the two of them “…i’ll be back.” she said to lara before jogging the couple of steps needed to catch up.

lara watched them go, the corners of her mouth lifted “…interesting.”

the walk to the dining hall was quieter than the field behind them.

the sounds of capture the flag faded with every step they took down the worn dirt path. whistles still echoed faintly between the trees, followed by the distant shrieks of campers arguing over whether someone had been tagged or not.

y/n matched daniela’s pace easily, hands tucked into the pockets of her shorts as they wandered between patches of afternoon sunlight filtering through the pines.

she glanced sideways, daniela was looking ahead. one hand absently adjusted the radio clipped to her waistband before falling back to her side again.

“…you alright?”

daniela hummed “yep.” it came a little too quickly.

y/n’s eyebrows lifted ever so slightly, she knew that answer. it was the same one daniela gave every time something was on her mind but she hadn’t quite figured out what it was herself.

she let it sit. if daniela wanted to talk, she would and if she didn’t…she wouldn’t push.

they reached the dining hall a minute later. the back doors stood propped open, letting the warm breeze drift through the otherwise empty building.

rows of picnic tables sat waiting for the campers, the afternoon sun casting long rectangles of light across the wooden floor. boxes of juice sat stacked neatly against one wall beside two large coolers waiting to be filled with water bottles before the game ended.

daniela walked over to them immediately. she crouched down, lifting the first box onto one of the tables before beginning to line the little cartons into neat rows.

y/n watched her for a second “…you know we’ve still got ages before they finish.”

“mhm.” daniela didn’t look up, she reached for another box “thought we’d get ahead.”

“…right.” y/n picked up another carton anyway, helping arrange them without another word.

all that could be heard was cardboard scraping softly against the tabletop and the occasional clink of bottles as daniela filled one of the coolers. it was comfortable not awkward just quiet.

daniela broke it first. “…heard you got hurt.” she said it casually still facing the cooler as she twisted another bottle upright.

y/n looked down at her thumb before smiling to herself “…oh yeah.” she nodded “the emergency helicopter’s actually on its way.” she held her hand up dramatically, presenting the tiny dinosaur plaster like evidence “…they said i’m lucky to be alive.”

daniela finally looked over her eyes landed on the plaster then on y/n’s completely serious expression. she held it for exactly two seconds before the corner of her mouth betrayed her.

daniela let out a quiet laugh through her nose, shaking her head as she reached for another bottle. the strange tightness that had been sitting in her chest since the children started talking seemed to loosen, if only a fraction.

“…did sophia at least give you a sticker?” she asked.

“no.” y/n sighed dramatically “i was hoping for one.”

“at least you got a dinosaur plaster.”

“true.” she admired it again “i think that’s why i survived.”

another smile tugged at daniela’s lips before she could stop it. there it was again. that ridiculous, effortless way y/n had of making even the smallest things seem funny.

it was infuriating especially because she’d only been annoyed with herself five minutes ago.

y/n reached for another crate at exactly the same moment daniela did. their hands brushed lightly against the cardboard both instinctively pulled back.

“…sorry.” they said together, they looked at each other then both laughed quietly again.

y/n was still absentmindedly turning her thumb over, inspecting the tiny dinosaur plaster as though it were some kind of battle scar.

daniela glanced at it again “…so.” she picked up another bottle “was it the dinosaur plaster that saved you…” she paused just long enough to twist the cap straight.

“…or lara’s kiss?”

it was supposed to sound light, a joke. she’d meant it as one but the words landed a little flatter than she’d intended, a little shorter and the last part clipped off before she’d softened it.

y/n looked over immediately then laughed, she held her thumb up dramatically again “…hard to tell.” she smiled “i think it was a combination of both.” she shook her head, still chuckling to herself.

daniela let out a quiet hum, the smile she tried to give never quite reached her eyes. she turned back towards the cooler, busying herself with bottles she’d already lined up once.

her jaw tightened. it was ridiculous, she knew it was ridiculous. lara flirted with everyone, she’d seen it every day since arriving at camp. it didn’t mean anything so why had that answer bothered her?

she frowned faintly at herself before she realised what she was doing, she’d picked up the same bottle she’d already put down twice.

“…i…” the word slipped out before she could stop it.

y/n looked over “…what?”

daniela hesitated, she stared down at the cooler for another second “…nothing.” she reached for another juice box instead

“…just…” she exhaled quietly through her nose “lara flirts with everyone.”

she kept her eyes on what she was doing, straightening one of the rows that hadn’t actually needed straightening.

“she doesn’t mean any of it.” her fingers paused briefly against one of the cartons.

“…she just…” she searched for the right words “…she just likes getting a reaction out of people.”

another carton with another tiny adjustment.

“that’s kind of her thing.” she finally closed the last box “…so…” she brushed her hands together “…don’t let it get to you.”

y/n frowned ever so slightly before she had a chance to answer one of the juice boxes tipped sideways near the edge of the table.

y/n reached for it on instinct “…whoa-“ she caught it just before it slipped off the edge when she looked up again…she realised she’d stepped much closer without thinking.

close enough that she was standing almost shoulder to shoulder with daniela. she rested the juice box back into place before looking sideways at her. the little smile that had been on her face a moment ago hadn’t disappeared but it had softened.

there was something more curious in it now, something quietly observant. “well…” y/n said quietly, the smallest hint of a smile lingering at the corner of her mouth.

“…she certainly got one out of you.”

the words landed so lightly they almost shouldn’t have carried any weight at all. for a heartbeat, daniela simply stared at her. her fingers remained resting against the edge of the table where she’d been straightening the juice boxes, but she’d stopped feeling the cardboard beneath them. the movement she’d been making only a second earlier faded away without her even noticing.

it took a moment for her brain to catch up with what y/n had actually said.

she certainly got one out of you.

the sentence repeated itself somewhere in the back of her mind. her stomach tightened…had y/n noticed?

the thought arrived so suddenly it almost knocked the breath out of her. she hadn’t meant to react, she hadn’t even realised she had reacted until y/n pointed it out.

her heartbeat, which had finally settled after chasing campers around the field for the better part of an hour, suddenly lurched back into life.

not fast enough to panic just enough that she could feel it. one beat then another a little heavier than the last.

she looked at y/n properly, like really looked at her. not the quick glances they’d grown used to sharing across camp or easy smiles from opposite sides of the football field.

this was different she searched y/n’s face instinctively, as though the answer might already be written there.

was she teasing? had she figured something out? was she just making an observation?

y/n stood opposite her, one hand still resting lightly against the juice box she’d caught before it’d fallen. her shoulders were relaxed, her expression open. there wasn’t a trace of accusation in it.

if anything she looked curious like she’d noticed something without entirely understanding what she’d noticed.

daniela’s eyebrows pulled together ever so slightly. she opened her mouth, closed it again.

say something. anything. make a joke. tell her she was imagining things. tell her lara annoyed everyone.

the words lined themselves up somewhere in her head but none of them seemed willing to leave “…i…” it came out barely louder than a breath and she stopped herself before she’d even begun.

y/n’s smile shifted, the teasing little curve at the corner of her mouth relaxed into something quieter. she watched daniela carefully now just… patiently waiting.

the silence stretched just long enough for both of them to become aware of it.

daniela became suddenly aware of how close they were standing. close enough that she could see y/n’s expression changing in real time, the smile had almost disappeared now replaced by something more thoughtful.

her head tilted ever so slightly, almost unconsciously, as though she was trying to work daniela out. daniela’s chest tightened, she was still looking still trying to read whatever was happening behind y/n’s eyes.

and somewhere in the middle of doing that… without meaning to…without even realising she’d done it…

her focus slipped.

her eyes dropped from y/n’s gaze, past the bridge of her nose, past the little crease beginning to form between her eyebrows.

until they settled-

on y/n’s lips.

softly parted, as though she’d been about to say something else before deciding to wait. y/n saw it. at first she thought she’d imagined it, the shift was so small she almost missed it entirely.

daniela’s eyes, which had been fixed so intently on hers only a heartbeat before, didn’t stay there.

they simply… slipped as though they’d lost their footing. y/n stopped breathing her lungs simply forgot what they were supposed to do.

for a fraction of a second she just watched daniela watching her.

there wasn’t anything brazen about it, if anything it looked almost accidental like daniela herself hadn’t realised where she’d ended up looking.

and yet…she didn’t move, she stayed there completely still.

the dining hall suddenly felt impossibly quiet. the breeze drifting through the open doors stirred the loose napkins on the table beside them.

somewhere outside, children shouted over one another, their voices carrying faintly across camp.

it all sounded impossibly far away as though somebody had slowly turned the volume down on the rest of the world.

y/n’s heartbeat thudded once against her ribs hard enough that she could feel it. she should have looked away she knew she should instead her own eyes betrayed her.

they followed the exact path daniela’s had taken slowly. her gaze slipped from daniela’s eyes, the way a damp curl had escaped, resting softly against her temple, the rise and fall of her breathing.

before she could stop herself her eyes settled on daniela’s lips too.

she noticed how slightly parted they were as she noticed the tiny breath she’d just taken.

oh.

the thought hit her all at once, her chest tightened as heat crept slowly up the back of her neck. she also became acutely aware of how close they were standing.

then almost like they were both waking from the same thought at exactly the same moment…their eyes began to lift slowly. lingering for the briefest second before continuing upward.

their gazes climbed inch by inch until they met.

it wasn’t the easy eye contact they’d shared all week, it wasn’t accompanied by a laugh or a teasing smile or one of lara’s sarcastic comments drifting between them.

this felt… different.

their eyes caught and simply held. y/n couldn’t look away, she wasn’t even sure she wanted to. there was something so unguarded in daniela’s expression that it made her own heart stumble.

like they’d both accidentally stepped over a line neither of them had realised was there.

no words came, they weren’t needed. the silence between them had changed it no longer felt empty, it felt full.

full of questions neither of them knew how to ask. full of thoughts neither of them had admitted to themselves yet.

kssshhhht.

the sharp burst of static exploded from daniela’s radio. they both jumped, the moment shattered so suddenly it almost felt physical.

y/n stumbled back half a step on instinct, her shoulder catching the corner of the table just enough to make one of the juice boxes wobble.

her heart slammed against her ribs far harder than it should have. she reached automatically for the carton before it could topple over, setting it back into line with hands that suddenly felt clumsy.

she straightened another then another. none of them needed straightening she just needed something to do. anything except look back up.

beside her, daniela blinked hard, as though she’d only just remembered where she was. her hand flew to the radio clipped to her waistband for a split second she simply stared at it.

sophia’s voice crackled through “dani, you all set up?”

daniela swallowed, her throat felt strangely dry as she pressed the button “y-yeah…” the word caught ever so slightly before she cleared her throat “…yeah. send them in.”

“…copy that.”

another burst of static then silence. the radio clicked back onto her waistband.

the dining hall suddenly felt much too big.

y/n kept her attention fixed firmly on the rows of juice boxes in front of her, nudging one of them a fraction of an inch to the left before immediately deciding it had looked better where it’d been originally.

daniela busied herself lifting bottles into the cooler. one. two. three. she’d already counted them, she knew they were all there but her hands were simply giving her mind somewhere else to be.

the silence stretched between them like neither of them quite knew what to do with it. almost against her own will y/n glanced up at that exact same moment so did daniela.

their eyes met again just for a heartbeat both of them immediately looked away.

another second passed “…sorry.” they spoke at exactly the same time, the words overlapped.

both of them stopped looked back up then let out the same small, awkward laugh. just enough to break some of the tension sitting between them.

y/n rubbed the back of her neck “…i…” she started then stopped, she wasn’t even sure what she’d been about to say.

daniela shook her head slightly “…yeah.” another tiny laugh escaped her, her cheeks felt warmer than they had any right to.

she reached for another bottle simply because it gave her somewhere else to put her hands.

y/n looked back down at the table again the little dinosaur plaster on her thumb caught her eye, she smiled to herself without really knowing why.

a moment later she looked up again and daniela was already looking at her. she’d only meant to glance over just to check to see if y/n was…she didn’t even know.

the instant their eyes met, daniela looked away again. a smile tugged unwillingly at the corner of her mouth. y/n noticed it and she felt one threatening to appear on her own face too.

before either of them could say another word the dining hall doors slammed open. the quiet disappeared in an instant. a wave of children flooded inside, filling every corner of the room with excited voices.

“juice!”

“i’m starving!”

“coach y/n!”

“coach dani!”

little trainers thundered across the wooden floor. someone was already asking for a second juice box before they’d even been handed the first.

y/n stepped away from the table, smiling as a little girl immediately tugged on her sleeve.

daniela did the same, crouching down to help a camper who couldn’t quite reach the cooler. for just a second across the crowd of children their eyes found each other one last time then, almost shyly they both smiled and turned back to camp.

juice boxes disappeared almost as quickly as y/n and daniela could set them out. the counsellors spread themselves naturally around the room. sophia drifted between tables, checking everyone had something to eat.

manon had somehow ended up mediating a debate about whether dinosaurs could swim.

daniela crouched beside one of the younger campers, patiently twisting open a stubborn water bottle while he watched with complete fascination.

lara leaned casually against one of the serving tables, laughing at something a camper had said before looking around the room.

y/n found herself doing the same her eyes landed on daniela almost immediately.

she was smiling at the little boy now, handing him the bottle with a quiet, “there you go.” the boy beamed as though she’d just performed actual magic.

y/n smiled without thinking then immediately frowned at herself.

what is wrong with me?

she looked away but found herself looking back almost instantly. her stomach flipped again and before she’d really thought about it, she was already moving.

she weaved between campers carrying juice boxes and half-eaten bananas until she spotted megan heading past with an armful of empty cartons.

“mei”

megan glanced over “hm?”

y/n reached out automatically, catching her lightly by the forearm before she walked past “i need your help.”

there was something in her voice that made megan stop straight away she shifted the cartons against her hip.

“…yeah?” her eyebrows knitted together “with what?”

y/n opened her mouth but nothing came out. she stared at megan for a second, searching for words that simply weren’t there.

instead her hand slowly slid down megan’s arm, over her wrist until her little finger found megan’s.

she hooked them together, the same pinky promise, the same one they’d made by the campfire.

megan looked down at their hands then slowly back up at y/n. the flush sitting across y/n’s cheeks hadn’t faded. if anything…it had spread. she wasn’t really looking at megan, her eyes kept drifting somewhere over her shoulder.

megan frowned and she turned her head following y/n’s gaze across the dining hall to daniela.

still beside manon now, the two of them listening to a little girl passionately explain something. daniela laughed quietly and manon laughed too. before megan had time to think anything of it-

lara looked up.

her eyes flicked across the room, they settled briefly on manon and daniela just for a second. a knowing little smile tugged at one corner of her mouth before she looked away again then she raised her voice.

“y/n!” the name carried easily over the chatter “come here a minute.”

almost instantly manon’s head snapped towards lara. daniela’s did too, so quickly it was almost identical. the same tiny furrow between their brows, the same questioning look both waiting to see what lara wanted.

lara caught both expressions and her smile widened just enough that only someone watching closely would’ve noticed.

megan did, she watched lara then manon then daniela then looked back at y/n.

whose eyes had followed daniela almost automatically. megan blinked once then again, she looked back across the room.

lara.

manon.

daniela.

back to y/n.

the pieces clicked together so suddenly it almost made her dizzy.

“…ohhhhhhhhhhhhh…” she breathed, her eyes grew wider with every passing second.

“…shit.” she hadn’t even realised she’d said it out loud.

a tiny gasp came from somewhere beside them.

“miss leader sophia!” the little boy’s voice rang through the dining hall. every counsellor instinctively looked over, he pointed dramatically towards megan.

“coach megan said a bad word!”

a/n : aaanddd the slow burn is burrrningggggg hope you all enjoyed this <3 the pace is finally picking up 👀