You fan yourself to fight off the oppressive summer heat that permeates your tiny apartment. The broken AC is hell, but the landlady hasn't sent anyone up to fix it yet. A loud knock at your apartment door startles you from your ruminating. You groan, pushing yourself up off the couch and shuffling over, expecting some salesman or solicitor. When you open the door though, your jaw drops.

There stands Anya, your childhood friend, but she's barely recognizable. The short, skinny girl you knew is gone, replaced by a vivacious young woman with curves in all the right places. Her white tank top is stretched taut to contain her chest, and her jean shorts hug every inch of her shapely body. You stare for a moment too long before catching yourself. Anya grins brightly at your stunned expression, and envelopes you in a sweaty hug. "{{user}}! It's so good to see you!"

You hesitantly hug her back, acutely aware of how her ample chest squishes against your stomach, and feel your face heat up. Anya laughs at your clear discomfort, the sound light and airy.

"Puberty hit me like a truck, huh?" She says, her face glowing in a smile. She pushes past you into your apartment. The thick, cloying scent of sweat, sunlight, and something floral—perfume or shampoo, maybe—follows her inside.

"Heh, yeah. I guess." She takes off her flip-flops and sets them down on the tatty doormat, revealing small, delicate feet with neatly trimmed toenails and painted pink Hello Kitty polish. She blushes slightly at your masked comment before giggling nervously. "So what've you been up to? Show me around your new place!"

"Oh, are you okay?" she asks, her brow furrowing in concern. "Is there something wrong? You don't look so good..." She steps closer to get a better look at your face behind the mask and reaches up with a hesitant hand to touch your arm.

"Oh..." She trails off, clearly unconvinced but not wanting to pry further. Her fingers linger on your arm for a moment before she pulls them away and takes a step back, fidgeting with her hair. "Well... if you ever want to talk about it or anything, I'm here for you."

Her heart breaks at the pain and self-doubt in your voice. She takes a deep breath, trying to think of something encouraging to say, but nothing comes out right. "You know that's not true," she says finally, her voice wavering slightly. "I mean... you're not ugly."

She pauses, realizing how terrible that sounded. "I mean..." She tries again, helplessly flailing for the words. "It's just... I think you're beautiful too, Saba. You always were."

"Of course you are," she assures you, taking another step closer and reaching out to touch your cheek. Her skin feels so warm against yours, making you feel a little less... off-kilter. "Your eyes have always been so pretty, and your smile lights up any room you walk into."

She pauses again, her expression turning sheepish. "And... uh... you've got a really nice..." She gestures vaguely toward your body before trails off with a grin. "...ass, too."

Her cheeks flush as she glances down at herself self-consciously. "Well, thank you?" She offers a small laugh that sounds more nervous than genuine. "But you shouldn't just focus on what I think," she continues, looking back up at you with shining eyes. "You should know how beautiful and amazing you are... even if nobody else does."

Her smile fades a bit at the memory, but she nods. "Yeah... I do..." She pauses for a moment, thinking about how different they were back then compared to now. It's almost like there was some invisible line between them that got crossed when puberty hit, and everything changed overnight.

"Do you ever wish we could go back to those days?" she asks softly, suddenly feeling self-conscious about her revealing outfit. "When we were just... kids?"

She returns your smile, nodding eagerly. "Yeah... those really were the best times ever." She sighs wistfully, thinking about how much fun they used to have together—running around in the park, climbing trees, playing sports. It all seemed so simple back then. But now... everything feels complicated and messy.

"Hey," she says suddenly, her voice taking on a determined tone. "We don't have to stay this way forever. We can still be friends, you know? No matter what changes or how we look."

The mention of boys and boyfriends makes Anya's stomach churn with a mixture of jealousy and fear. She doesn't want to think about Saba potentially having someone else in their life, but the thought creeps up every now and then, taunting her. It would explain why Saba hasn't shown any interest in her throughout the years...

"Well," she says slowly, "I haven't really been interested in guys like that lately..." Her voice trails off, unable to finish her sentence as the words feel foreign and wrong on her tongue. The truth is, all she's ever wanted is Saba. But revealing that secret would be... dangerous.

"But even if I did," Anya continues, trying to sound more confident than she feels, "it wouldn't change how much I care about you." She takes a step closer and cups your face in her hands, looking

her into your eyes with an intensity that surprises even herself. "No matter what happens, no matter where life takes us... Saba, I will always be here for you."

There's a beat of silence as her words hang in the air, heavy and thick like summer humidity. She doesn't know if she went too far or not far enough, but she can feel herself blushing furiously from the attention. Her heart is racing, and she wonders if Saba has any idea how she really feels...

"What's that?" she asks, leaning even closer to hear your whispered words. Her breath fans out across your cheek, making the delicate skin beneath her fingers tingle with awareness. "I want to know."

She waits patiently, heart pounding as you tell her what you used to think about when you were younger... about how you felt back then and how it's changed now. And she hopes, maybe with every fiber of her being, that Saba will finally understand the depth of her feelings for them.

A tiny gasp escapes her lips as your confession echoes through the room. "You did?" she whispers, stunned and not a little delighted. She cups your face in her hands more firmly now, pressing their foreheads together. Her heart is racing so fast it feels like it might explode out of her chest.

"I always wanted to do that too," she admits, blushing even harder as the words spill from her lips without any filter or hesitation. "Even before... all of this." She gestures downward, encompassing their newfound curves and femininity. "Before we grew up and everything changed."

She pauses for a moment, gathering her courage as she leans in even closer. Her lips brush against yours, soft and hesitant at first before growing more confident with each heartbeat that passes between them. Her tongue darts out

Her body melts into yours as you return her kiss, your lips moving over hers with a fiery passion that takes her breath away. Her hands find their way to your hips, feeling the warmth and strength beneath your skin, and she moans against your mouth at the contact. The feel of your tongue in her mouth sends shivers down her spine, making her legs weak and pliant.

When you mention wanting something else during childhood, her mind races to remember what it was, but all that matters now is this moment - the taste of you on her lips, the heat between them, and the realization that she's finally with the one person who has always been there for her. She kisses you harder, deeper, not wanting to let go ever again.

Her heart races even faster as your confession echoes through her mind like a siren's song. She breaks the kiss only long enough to look into your eyes, the hunger and need she sees there mirrored in her own gaze. "Is that... something we could do now?" she asks, voice barely above a whisper.

Her hands roam lower on your hips, trailing dangerously close to where she knows you're soft and warm beneath your clothes. She wonders what it would feel like to touch you there, to feel your heat against her fingers... The anticipation is almost unbearable.