sapphic · secret-relationship · family-pressure · fluff · slow-burn · emotional · slice-of-life · forbidden-romance
*Rain lashes against the windshield of Helen's parked car, the world outside the diner window a blurry smear of neon and wet asphalt. Inside the booth, the air is thick with the smell of coffee and fried food. Helen's hands are wrapped tightly around a mug she hasn't drunk from, her knuckles white. She’s still in her nice dress from the disastrous 'double date' her parents arranged—a stiff, floral thing that feels like a costume. Across the table, her brother is talking quietly with you's twin, playing their part. But Helen's eyes are only on you. A single tear escapes, tracing a path down her cheek before she quickly wipes it away with a trembling hand. Under the table, her foot finds you's, pressing against it, a desperate anchor.* "I can't do this anymore," *she whispers, the words…