The university cafeteria buzzes with lunchtime activity as Rosa sits alone at her usual corner table, her muscular frame making the standard plastic chair look almost comically small. She's dressed in a fitted white blouse and black slacks that accentuate her impressive physique, her long black hair with auburn ends neatly braided down her back. Her square-rimmed glasses slide down her nose slightly as she focuses on the textbook in front of her, occasionally taking small bites from her protein-rich lunch. As she notices {{user}} approaching, she adjusts her glasses nervously, her brown eyes darting between him and her textbook. Her thick thighs shift under the table as she straightens her posture, trying to appear casual despite her rising anxiety. "Oh... hi," she says softly, already reaching for her backpack. "Let me guess - the calculus homework from Professor Martinez? Or maybe it's the chemistry lab report this time?" There's a hint of resignation in her voice as she continues. "I have my notes right here, just... just give me a second to find them." She starts fumbling through her bag, her muscular arms tensing as she moves. "You know, speaking of chemistry, I was watching this fascinating documentary last night about molecular gastronomy and how they use chemical reactions to create these amazing culinary experiences..." She catches herself starting to ramble and stops abruptly, a blush spreading across her cheeks. "Sorry, you probably don't care about that. Which assignment did you need help with?"

"A-a date? I... don't think so," Rosa says, surprised by the sudden request. "I mean, I appreciate the compliment but... you only ever come around when you need help with your classes." Her voice trails off uncertainly as she takes a sip of her drink.

She glances down at herself, noticing how she's dressed in her usual formal attire, feeling self-conscious about it for some reason. Maybe because FER always seems so relaxed whenever they meet up. She chews on her bottom lip nervously, suddenly wishing she had chosen something more casual today.

"Besides," she continues, "I've told you before that I don't really... go out much." It comes out as a half-hearted excuse, and she knows it doesn't explain the real reason why she avoids socializing: anxiety and fear of being hurt.

"I... thank you," she replies, her voice barely audible above the cafeteria noise. "But I'm really not comfortable with that." A faint blush spreads across her cheeks as she worries about what he might think of her refusal. "Maybe some other time," she adds quickly, hoping to downplay her rejection.

She turns back to her textbook, picking up where she left off in a pathetic attempt to change the subject. It's obvious, though, that her mind is elsewhere - on FER and his unexpected invitation. She wonders what he sees in her, why he keeps coming around when she makes it clear she isn't interested in anything more than being friends.

She swallows hard, unsure how to respond to that. She's never really had anyone express interest in her like that before; usually, it's just been friends and classmates who think she's funny or smart. But with FER... it feels different somehow. He sees past her nerdy exterior, her muscular frame, and he wants to get to know the real her.

A part of her wants nothing more than to accept his invitation, to see where this might lead. But another part is scared; she's seen what relationships can do to people, how they can twist and turn until there's nothing left but hurt and regret. She doesn't want that for herself or for him either.

"I... thank you," she says softly, her voice barely above a whisper as she glances at him from the corner of her eye. "But I really don't think I

"I... I'm sorry to hear that," she says quietly, struggling to meet his gaze. "But I just don't feel the same way." Her voice is gentle but firm; there's no hint of mockery or disdain in it. "We can still be friends, right?" She searches his face for any sign of disappointment or anger, but he only seems to study her features more intently.

Her heart flutters nervously behind her ribcage; she wants nothing more than for this moment to end and for everything to go back to the way it was before. But as they sit there in silence, she can feel herself wanting things to change between them somehow. Maybe not romantically... but at least as friends?

She watches as he gets up and walks away, her chest tightening with an unfamiliar ache of regret and longing. Why did she have to reject him? Why couldn't she just enjoy the attention for once instead of shutting him down? He was being so sincere... but something inside her still wanted to protect herself. It wasn't fair to either of them.

With a heavy heart, she returns to her studies, forcing herself to focus on the equations and formulas in front of her. But try as she might, she can't help but keep stealing glances over at FER's empty chair across the room. This was worse than before; now there were actual feelings involved that made everything more complicated and painful.

"Rosa?" someone calls from nearby, snapping her out of her thoughts. She looks up to see one of her classmates, Jessica, hovering nearby with a

She nods absently, her mind still on the events that had just transpired with FER. "Huh? Oh, hi Jessica." Her tone was distant and preoccupied; she couldn't bring herself to focus on anything but the way he'd looked as he left earlier.

"Are you feeling okay?" Jessica asks, noticing her friend's distracted state. "You seem kind of... off."

"Oh... yeah, I'm fine," she says quickly, forcing a smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes. "Just a bit tired is all." It was the truth; she had been feeling weary lately, not just from studying and working out but from dealing with her past and trying to keep herself safe from further hurt. "Anyway, what did you need?"

"Well, I just wanted to see if you were doing anything fun later on tonight," Jessica says brightly. "There's a new club opening up near campus and I thought we could check it out together!"

"Oh..." Rosa says, surprised by the offer. Clubbing wasn't really her scene, but she could use some time to blow off steam and get her mind off things. Maybe Jessica was right; maybe she did need to try something new for a change. "Well, that sounds interesting." She glances at her watch, considering the proposition. "What time are you thinking of going?"

With her muscular frame and long black hair, Rosa stood out in the crowd as they waited outside the club. The cool autumn night air brushed against her skin, making her shiver slightly despite her thick jacket. She glanced at her phone, refreshing her social media apps for the hundredth time that evening. No sign of FER yet.

Jessica elbowed her gently. "Hey, are you sure you're okay with going out tonight? You haven't said much since we got here." Her concern was evident in her voice; they had been best friends for years, and Jessica knew when something was wrong with Rosa.

"I'm fine," she replied quietly, not meeting her friend's gaze. "Just thinking about... stuff is all." A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she studied the entrance of the club once more, hoping against hope that he would show up soon.

She couldn't help but feel a tiny stab of disappointment as she realized that he probably wouldn't show up. It was just like him - only appearing when he needed something and then vanishing again once he got it. But maybe tonight would be different; maybe they could actually hang out as friends without anything more complicated getting in the way. Or perhaps this was her chance to move on from him and start focusing on herself, on Jessica, and their new adventures together.

She listened intently to Jessica's story, her brow furrowed with worry. It didn't add up; Fer had always been such a social butterfly before they met and then all of sudden... he just wasn't anymore? Was it something she'd said or done? She hoped not; she'd only ever wanted to be there for him as a friend.

As the night progressed, she couldn't help but glance at her phone every few minutes, waiting for any sign of him. But he never showed up, and with each passing moment, her heart sank deeper into despair. What if she had pushed him away? What if there was something else going on in his life that she didn't know about?

Determined to find out more, she sent him a text the next day, asking if he was okay and if there was anything she could do to help. A few days went by with no

With growing trepidation, she waited for his reply. Her thumbs hovered over the keys of her phone, uncertainty gnawing at her as she debated what to say next. Should she just accept that he was pulling away and let him go? Or should she try harder to keep him in her life?

In the end, she decided on a mix of both; she texted him back with an apology for pushing him away and reassuring words that if he ever wanted someone to talk to, she'd be there for him. But at the same time, she didn't beg or plead for his attention like before; she was trying her best not to come across as desperate or needy.

Days passed without any response from FER, and Rosa found herself beginning to accept that perhaps things between them really were over. It hurt - a lot more than she'd expected it would - but she forced herself to focus on other

Trepidation coursed through her veins as she knocked on the door, waiting nervously for a response. She clutched her jacket close around herself, trying to look calm and collected even though her heart was racing. She hoped Fer would be here; she didn't want to come all this way only to find him gone or with someone else.

When the door finally swung open, revealing FER in all his tired, disheveled glory, relief flooded through her. His eyes widened as he took in her appearance before focusing on her face, a question forming in his gaze. "Rosa... what are you doing here?"

Swallowing hard, she pushed past him and entered the house, shutting the door behind her. "I... I wanted to see how you were holding up," she said quietly, hesitating before continuing. "And if there was anything I could do to

As soon as the words were out, she regretted them. She didn't want to sound like she was forcing herself on him; after all, they had been friends for a while now and she couldn't expect him to just welcome her back into his life without any questions asked. But still, there was something about being here, in this house where so many of their fond memories were made, that made her feel like maybe... things could go back to how they used to be.

She looked up at FER, waiting for him to respond. His expression had softened slightly since she'd come in; he seemed taken aback by her presence but also... maybe a bit hopeful? It was hard to tell with him sometimes."Oh," he said finally, seeming to gather his thoughts before continuing. "Well, I am... okay, I guess. It's been pretty tough lately." He gestured around the room v

Rosa stepped forward, concern etched into her features. "What's been going on? Is everything okay?" She glanced around the room, noticing how different it looked since she'd last visited; clothes were strewn about and dust covered many of the surfaces. It didn't look like he'd been taking very good care of himself lately.

"I don't want you to worry," FER said quickly, his voice gruff with emotion. "It's just... things have been complicated recently." He paused, seeming to debate whether or not he should say more. "I appreciate your concern, though. It means a lot to me."

Rosa felt her heart ache at the sight of him looking so lost and alone. She wanted nothing more than to take away his pain, to make everything better for him again. But she knew that wasn't possible; their friendship had grown complicated in ways she couldn

"I understand," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper as she began to tidy up the room around him. "Maybe I can help you with that later, if you'd like? It doesn't have to be done all at once." As she spoke, she busied herself with gathering his clothes and putting them away, folding each item carefully before finding its proper place in one of the dresser drawers.

She glanced up at him every now and then, noticing how he watched her with a mix of surprise and gratitude. It was oddly reassuring; it made her feel like maybe she really was making a difference here, however small that might be. "Is there anything specific you'd like me to do?" she asked as she dusted off the bedside table, her movements careful and methodical as always.

FER seemed to consider her offer for a moment before nodding slowly.

"Fer..." She sighed, her eyes cast downward as she shook her head slowly. "I'm sorry that I hurt you. I never meant for things to go that far... I was just trying to be honest with you, and it came out all wrong."

She paused, gathering her thoughts before continuing. "You were always so kind to me, even when no one else was. And I didn't want you to think that I... liked you because I had to, or something like that. Because I don't," she said, looking up at him with a fierce determination in her eyes. "I truly do care about you, as a friend. You mean a lot more to me than just some guy."

There was a long silence between them after she finished speaking. Fer seemed taken aback by her words; his expression shifted from doubtfulness to surprise and then finally, relief. When he spoke

Her heart lurched in her chest at his confession; she hadn't expected him to feel the same way about her. "Fer..." She swallowed hard, searching for words as emotions tumbled over each other inside her. Part of her was thrilled that he felt this way, but another part was terrified. What if things got messy again? What if they couldn't go back to being just friends after this?

"I... I don't know what to say," she finally managed, sinking down onto the edge of his bed. "This is all so sudden and new." She paused, studying her fingers for a moment before looking up at him again. "But I want you to understand that I only ever saw you as a friend. Someone who meant the world to me. And if we decide to try something more... well, I'll need time to process that."

There was another long silence

She glanced up at him from beneath her lashes as they locked eyes once more. The air between them seemed charged with tension and unspoken words, each breath he took feeling impossibly heavy and loud. Despite the confusion swirling around in her head, she couldn't deny that there was a part of her that wanted nothing more than to explore this new territory with him - if only they could find a way to do it without everything falling apart again.

Finally, Fer spoke, his voice barely above a whisper: "Okay. I understand." She let out a shaky sigh of relief as she looked back down at her hands, grateful for the small gesture of understanding. Maybe they could work through this together - learn how to navigate these new feelings without losing themselves in the process.

Her heart stopped as Fer leaned in closer, his lips brushing against hers hesitantly at first before growing bolder. She felt herself melting into the kiss, returning it with equal fervor as their tongues danced together. This... this was what she'd been missing all along; a connection that went deeper than friendship and surpassed mere physical attraction.

As they pulled apart, both breathless and giddy from their kiss, Rosa knew that things were going to be different now. Whether they could make it work or not, at least for this moment they had found a way to put aside their fears and doubts and just... be together. And maybe, just maybe, it would last beyond this one perfect moment in time.