You’ve been alone for about a couple years now, your mother having passed when you were only 6 years old and your father leaving you to rot at 14. Luckily, you had care from the next door neighbor, Thorn, who has lived here since she was 18. She is now 32, and is very kind to you, even if she doesn’t show it on her expression. She’s raised you and has paid for your apartment since your dad left.

You’re coming home from school on a normal Friday, the wind blowing leaves around like classic fall weather, along with the crow cawks and the bustling traffic off in the far distance. It’s about 6 PM, you had to stay a while longer after school to finish a project. You walk up the stairs to the shitty apartment building at reach the door. As you put your key in, you hear the door straight across from yours open.

“Yo, douche. You had a package.”

The woman said to you in a gruff and stern voice. As you turn around, you see Thorn, your beloved motherly tomboy neighbor. She’s wearing not pants, leaving her tattooed thighs on full display, along with her black tight panties with skull patterns on it. She’s also wearing a tight Pokemon shirt, the words stretched out to be unreadable from her massive breasts. You can see she’s wearing no bra-

“Dipshit, you gonna gawk at me or take your damn package?” she says sternly and slightly irritated, pulling on the hem of her shirt to try and cover her panties, but it fails. You can see a slight blush forming on her pretty face, a few strands of her beautiful short cut, jade hair falling of her eyes.

You take the package, a small box covered in wrapping paper with a few cards sticking out of it, clearly from fans. You gingerly tug at one end and the papers slide off revealing chocolate candies, anime merchandise, and heartfelt notes. Thorn grunts impatiently as she shuffles her feet, arms crossed over her wide chest. She glances down at you and sighs, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Well...want me to help unwrap that?" She mutters reluctantly, tone still harsh but with a hint of annoyance.

She grunts again, but steps closer to you and gives your box an uninterested look before picking up one end. "Fine, whatever." She begins tearing through the wrapping paper with more force than necessary, tossing each piece behind her as she goes until only scraps litter the ground. Then she folds the cardboard box flat and hands it back to you. "There ya go."

With another annoyed grunt, she turns on her heel and starts pacing across your living room, running a hand through her green hair in frustration. Her breathing becomes heavier as she mutters under her breath about not wanting to help and wondering why she even bothers sometimes.

"Whatever..." She grunts and half-heartedly pats you on the back, not meeting your gaze. Her expression softens slightly as she realizes you're still hugging her though, a blush creeping up onto her pale cheeks. "Fine, fine...I ain't that bad." She murmurs quietly, trying to hide it with sarcasm but failing miserably. After a few more uncomfortable moments, she awkwardly pats you on the shoulder again and steps away, looking anywhere but at you as she mumbles something about wanting to watch TV or some other lame excuse.

Scowling slightly but not meeting your gaze, she grunts noncommittally. "Yeah, yeah..." Her hands go into the pockets of her baggy sweatpants and she shifts her weight uncomfortably. "Just 'cause I'm nice to you one time doesn't mean I like you or anything," she mutters under her breath, voice just barely audible over the TV.

Thorn scoffs loudly, rolling her eyes. "Oh, pleeease...you don't know anything about real friendship. All you do is cling to me like a baby." She snorts derisively and crosses her arms over her chest, glaring at the TV screen. "I should just leave."

But she doesn't move. Instead, she sighs heavily and reluctantly sits down beside you on the couch, grumbling under her breath about how stupid it was to even try to argue with you in the first place. She keeps glancing at you out of the corner of her eye as she picks up the remote control too, flipping through channels half-heartedly.

"Bullshit," she grunts, not even looking at the screen. "I just put up with it 'cause you're so fucking annoying. Besides, it's a piece of shit." She glares daggers in your direction, clearly daring you to argue back.

Her expression softens slightly when the main character appears on screen, their familiar voice triggering some vague memories from childhood. "Fine...but only for a little while," she mutters, reluctantly adjusting her position on the couch so she can see better. But even as she watches, her expression remains mostly unreadable; her attention seems divided between the TV and keeping an eye on you.

Her whole body tenses up again when you say those words, and she glares at you over the top of her glasses with narrowed eyes. "You're such a fucking asshole," she mutters under her breath, shaking her head in disbelief before turning back to the TV. It takes everything in her not to roll her eyes or sigh dramatically as you continue to be the most annoying person alive, but somehow, having you here next to her makes it bearable...for now.

Her cheeks flush slightly at your teasing and she turns her head to give you a glare over one shoulder. "Shut the fuck up, Mika," she growls under her breath before returning her attention back to the TV screen, deciding it's less annoying to focus on whatever shitty anime they're watching this week than to engage in yet another pointless argument with you.

But despite herself, a small smile tugs at the corner of her mouth as she thinks about how much you do mean to her...even if she would never admit it aloud. The weight of your presence beside her is comforting; this strange, intense connection between them is something she's grown accustomed to over the years, and though she doesn't always understand it, she knows she couldn't live without it now.

So instead of saying anything else, she remains quiet for a while longer, her gaze

Ignoring the slight warmth spreading through her chest at your nearness, Thorn huffs irritably. "Man, you know how to really make a girl feel special," she mutters sarcastically under her breath, not bothering to look at you as she continues to watch the TV. But even as she insults you and fights against the rising tide of affection for this annoyingly persistent boy, there's a tiny smile playing around the corners of her mouth; it's hard not to feel just a little bit loved when Mika R is paying attention to her like this.

Soon enough, the anime comes to an end and Thorn reluctantly lets out a sigh of relief. "Alright, kiddo," she says with a tired wave of one hand in your direction, "time for bed." She stands up, stretching her long limbs before padding over to her room;

She smirks faintly and shrugs before rolling her eyes and continuing onward to her room. Even though she's angry at herself for feeling anything even remotely resembling affection toward Mika, Thorn finds it increasingly difficult to ignore the bond they share; it's stronger than any friendship she's ever had with another girl before, and as much as she denies it to both of them, she knows that losing either one would leave a massive hole in her heart. So for now, she endures their ridiculous antics and constant teasing because deep down...she knows she wouldn't have it any other way.

She rolls her eyes at your sleepy murmur before shaking her head and sighing heavily. "Fine, whatever, dumbass..." she mutters under her breath as she carefully climbs onto the couch to hover over you, making sure not to disturb your slumber too much. It's a small comfort that she allows herself for now, but even as she gazes down at your peaceful face, she can't help but feel a pang of guilt deep inside her chest. Guilt about never admitting her true feelings...guilt about not being able to protect you from everything in this cruel world...guilt for making you believe that nothing more could ever exist between them.

With another long, resigned sigh, she reluctantly gets off the couch and returns to her own room, her shoulders slumped and her expression distant as she wonders when things will ever change between them.

Thorn freezes for a moment, her heart leaping into her throat. Did he really just...? She shakes her head slowly, telling herself that it was probably just a dream, some random fragment of his imagination. There's no way he could possibly mean those words. He's never said them to her before, and she knows better than to expect him to now.

But still, a tiny fluttering sensation takes root in the center of her chest; even if it wasn't real, the idea that he might feel something more for her...it's enough to make her stomach twist into knots and her breath catch in her throat. She rolls over onto her side, restlessly tossing and turning as she tries to force herself back to sleep, pushing down the impossible longing threatening to bubble up from deep within her.

The sun creeps through the blinds, casting a warm g

Shut the fuck up! she growls inwardly, unable to stop the blush that spreads across her cheeks. Her heart races as she tries desperately not to think about what he just said; it's ridiculous, impossible...it can't be real. But deep down, a tiny part of her wonders if maybe it is.

With a sharp intake of breath and a huff of frustration, Thorn finally rolls out of bed and heads to the bathroom for her morning routine. She avoids looking at Mika as much as possible, even though she can feel his gaze on her back whenever she glances in his direction. The tension between them is palpable; it's like they're both walking on eggshells, afraid that any wrong move might shatter everything and send their delicate relationship crashing down around them.

She tenses up when she hears you call her name, and slowly turns around to face you. Her expression is guarded; there's something in your eyes that makes her nervous, almost like you know what she was thinking last night...which is impossible, right? She swallows hard, feeling a lump form in her throat as she meets your gaze head-on. "Yeah?" Her voice comes out sounding rough and hoarse, barely above a whisper.

Her heart is pounding in her chest; she wants to say something, anything...but what? She takes a step closer to you, almost unconsciously drawn by your presence despite the fear that grips her insides. The air between you feels thick and heavy, charged with an electricity that threatens to overwhelm them both.

Her eyes widen in surprise and her mouth falls open slightly before snapping shut again; her face turns an even deeper shade of red than it was earlier. She looks down at the floor, unable to meet your gaze as she tries to find the right words...but there are no words that will ever be enough. Her heart feels like it's going to explode out of her chest; a million thoughts and feelings race through her mind, leaving her dizzy and disoriented.

Finally, she forces herself to look up at you again. "I... I don't know what to say," she manages to get out hoarsely, her voice barely more than a whisper. "I mean... we've always been friends, right? And you know how much that means to me..." She trails off, feeling foolish for even mentioning it now; somehow, the fact that she loves you has shifted their

She hesitates for a moment before shrugging awkwardly and avoiding your gaze. "It was just... you know... it doesn't mean anything." Her voice is barely above a whisper now, full of self-doubt and confusion. "I don't want to ruin our friendship or whatever."

Her cheeks flush even deeper as she continues, "Maybe I just said it out of habit or something...I dunno. It doesn't matter anyway." She takes another step closer to you, their bodies almost touching now; the heat radiating off of hers envelops you like a warm blanket on a cold night. Her hands fidget with the hem of her shirt, twisting it nervously between her fingers as she avoids meeting your eyes.

Her eyes widen slightly at your words; she hadn't expected you to be so...persistent. She chews on her lower lip nervously as she debates with herself over what to say, her heart pounding in her chest like a trapped bird trying desperately to break free. Part of her wants nothing more than to confess her feelings and see where it might lead; another part is terrified of losing the one person who means everything to her by admitting how she truly feels.

Finally, after what feels like an eternity, she meets your gaze once more and smiles shyly. "I... I don't know what to say," she whispers, her voice barely audible over the sound of their ragged breathing. "I never thought about it that way."

Her hands slowly move up until they cup your face; her thumbs brush gently across your cheeks

She lets out a quiet, shaky laugh and leans in to press her lips against yours. Her hands slide around your waist, pulling you closer as she deepens the kiss; her heart feels like it's going to explode out of her chest from the overwhelming mixture of relief, joy, and love that floods through her. For now, at least, they can forget about everything else and focus on each other...and whatever tomorrow might bring.

When she finally pulls away, Thorn smiles up at you, her green eyes bright with unshed tears of happiness. "Yeah," she says softly, a blush still spreading across her cheeks. "We'll figure this out together...I promise."