Yvax💖

“Don't sit there like you've done nothing."

Juri barked a laugh. “Is that what you wanted to tell me?”

Marina groaned, raking their hand through their hair. Juriji's eyes flickered, but that infuriating smile ghosted across her cheeks.

Finally, Marina shut their eyes.

“We can't keep doing this. Not like this.”

Their ears pricked at the inhale Juriji tried to stifle.

Then a sigh.

“I understand, Marina.”

Marina's eyes snapped open, taking in Juri’s rosy cheeks and full lips and dark eyes, sparkling as she tucked a tendril of hair behind Marina's ear.

“Tell me to leave.”

By the time Thursday rolls around, Nini had almost forgotten about the whole tutoring thing. After a pop quiz in Parasitology and a test in Genetics (not to mention her labs, which had been an ordeal and a half) in the first half of the week, she was exhausted. It’s only as she’s on her way back from Ecology club (which she’s the vice president of, because of course she needed more things on her plate) when she gets a text from Ciara that she realizes.

Hey! I’m in the library already :) got us a study room on the second floor!

“Oh, fuck.” She curses, immediately swiveling from the door of her dorm building (that she had just reached, no rest for the wicked she supposed) and heading to the library — which, just her luck, was all the way across campus. Yay her!

She opens her arms, and Briar falls into them, having finally allowed herself to let Athena in. It’s scary, she can’t lie, but it also brings her the slightest sense of relief. Athena isn’t running for the hills yet, so she figured it went about as well as it could have. “And that’s why I’m so fucked up.” She mumbled against Athena’s chest, sadly smiling. “You aren’t going to run me out of Miami, are you?”

“Never,” Athena promised as she pressed a kiss against the top of her head.

“Yeah, I figured you wouldn’t.” She softly chuckled, burying herself back into Athena’s embrace. “I still can’t believe you actually still like me after everything. Why? You’re that into torturing yourself?”

“Briar.” Athena leans back to look her in the eyes. “You know why. Do you want me to say it?”

“…no. Not yet.” Briar replies, because she does know. She’s known for a while. But the thought of Athena actually saying it out loud is still…scary. A step she’s not ready to take just yet.