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Box and Suitcase sat with eachother on the grass outside HOOT, Box listening to Suitcase's endless rambles.
"I still don't think this is a good idea, really. I mean, Jack's anger is literally out of control, Test Tube almost died last night, we had to put Jack on damn trial because of it! My whole role is about safety! If I can't keep everyone safe, what's the point of the OSC anyways? I just.. ugh, I think Fan's idea of bringing back the game was a bad idea entirely.."
Box nodded slightly, bringing her knees up to her chest.
"Yeah, I get what you mean. But.. the game really helps some of the relationships here. It helps people communicate, it helps regulate people, it helps everyone here in its own way. Sure, some of this isn't the safest, trust me, I know from being a part of your safety authority. But we really need the game, Suitcase. And plus, you're amazing at your job."
"You really think so?"
"Yeah, of course I do!"
Suitcase smiled, before sighing.
"I guess so. Its just.. this is all a lot. With the whole Jack situation, and Trophy.. like, making jokes about the whole thing, its a lot."
"Yeah.. I don't think Trophy meant any harm by it though, really. He was just joking around, you know how he is.."
Suitcase groaned, leaning against the tree she was sat next to. Her bangs fell into her eyes and she had to blow them out of her face.
"Yeah, and I know that he's a douche. I don't care for him, he's just a massive jerk and thinks he can get away with being rude to people all of the time."
"He's not like that with me."
Box muttered under her breath, before pausing. She silently prayed Suitcase hadn't heard her, but judging by the look on her face she definitely had.
Even when she slapped her hand over her mouth, Suitcase still stared at her in complete shock.
"What do you mean? Are you two.. like, dating?"
Suitcase whisper-shouted, instinctively leaning closer to Box, eyebrows raised.
"No! No, no, 𝘯𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘯𝘰. We're not dating, no way."
Box insisted, though her whole face was flushed and she didn't meet Suitcases eyes.
Suitcase crossed her arms.
"You like him, don't you."
Box groaned and buried her burning face in her hands, letting out a very quiet "..maybe.."
Suitcase just sighed and gave her a small smile.
"Oh my gosh.. no way."
"Do not tell 𝖺𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦."
"Box, really, why would I? Who would I even tell?"
"Ehh.. your boyfriend, probably. The OSC."
Suitcase giggled a little, before rolling her eyes.
"Knife wouldn't do anything, and the OSC really wouldn't care. Trust me."
"Knife would make fun of me for 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 for liking Trophy. You know he would."
"Heh, yeah, maybee.."
Box looked away, a small smile on her face. Well, telling someone made her feel a lot better and a LOT worse. She was already overthinking it. Suitcase was one of her best friends, if not her best friend, she knew she wouldn't tell anyone. Still, there was that hint of doubt swirling in her chest that she couldn't get rid of no matter how hard she tried. Maybe this 𝘸𝘢𝘴 a bad idea.
But as she thought of Trophy, everything felt a little bit better. She knew it was corny, but she didnt really care. The way he had comforted her in the challenge earlier, the way he 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘨𝘰𝘴𝘩, she was sure her face was bright red again. If Suitcase wasn't right next to her she would be giggling and kicking her feet right now.
Speaking of Suitcase, she was still staring at her with a shit-eating grin plastered all over her smug little face. Box couldn't help but turn red all over again.
"What are you looking at..?"
She mumbled, and Suitcase just shook her head.
"When are you gonna ask him?"
"..What."
"Y'know.." Suitcase waved her arms around slightly, still grinning. "When are you gonna ask Trophy out?"
Box's face was 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 with embarrassment at this point, she literally covered her face with her hands.
"I'm 𝘯𝘰𝘵.."
"𝘞𝘏𝘈𝘛?? Come on, Box, you have to!! Pleasee..?"
Box shook her head, staring off the other way.
"No way. I'm not risking that."
"C'mon! I took the risk with Knife, and trust me, I was 𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘥. Look, if you want me to do it, I will."
"I am 𝘯𝘰𝘵 having you ask out 𝘛𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘺 for me."
"Then do it yourself. Ask him out, or I'll do it for you."
Box paused, staring at Suitcase as if she'd grown three heads.
"Are you serious?"
She asked, but it was clear Suitcase had made her mind up.
And now Box would have to as well.
☆
11:52 PM.
Box was still awake, still contemplating even telling Suitcase in the first place. It was a bad idea already, and now even worse seeing as she would have to tell Trophy in the morning. She was 𝘯𝘰𝘵 letting Suitcase do it.
She wasn't even sure how to ask him out. A simple confession would feel insensitive and careless, but she wasn't really sure how to ask him out any other way.
She was definitely overthinking again. It was 𝘛𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘺, would he even care??
..Yeah, he'd probably at least care. She doubted he would like her back, but it was stupid anyways. It wouldn't be the end of the world.
The thought of possibly dating Trophy made her stomach flip at least a million times, though. And now that Suitcase wasn't here??
She kicked her legs and squealed into her pillow, not even caring how stupid she looked right now. This wasn't really like her at all, which was weird, but maybe crushes really did change people.
Suitcase's crush had definitely changed Suitcase, but her and Knife were dating now. Because she confessed to him. And that gave Box just a little, tiny bit of hope.
As she layed down and pulled her covers up to her chest, she couldn't get Trophy out of her head.
11:58 PM.
☆•^•00.`🏆📦
"Y-yeah, I'm gonna tell him today, Suitcase."
"Are you though?"
"Yes..!"
Suitcase smiled, before rubbing her eyes slightly.
"Well, saves me from doing it. I'm proud of you. He's over there now if you wanna talk to him."
"..Now?!"
"I mean.. when else are you gonna do it?"
Dread pooled in Box's stomach, and she bit her tongue slightly. She had been avoiding Suitcase, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘛𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘺, the entire day. Now it was sunset, still fairly warm, and Trophy was taking pictures 20 feet away from them.
She couldn't do this.
"I- gosh, Suitcase, I don't know.. I don't think I can."
"..Box, c'mon, its now or never. He's right over there, don't make me call him over-"
"Fuck, 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘦."
Box slowly made her way to where Trophy was standing, coming to a stop when she was a few centimeters away from him.
"Hey."
She said quietly, trying to stop her voice from trembling. Her hands were shaking too, 𝘨𝘰𝘴𝘩 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢 𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘸𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘬??
"Hey."
Trophy answered, not looking up from what he was doing. Box paused. She was already overthinking. Did he not want to talk to her?
But then he looked up, and just kinda stared at her for a few seconds.
"Oh, shit- Box! Sorry, I didn't realise it was you-"
He gave her an awkward grin, before pulling something out of his pocket. It was a laminated piece of paper, face down.
"Oh?"
Was all Box whispered, taking it from his hands. On the actual piece of paper, there was a photo.
A photo of sunflowers.
"I- uh, remembered how you said sunflowers were your favourite flowers, so I took this for you. It's not my 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 work.. but, uh.. yeah."
Box stared back down at the photo, trying to ignore how her heart was racing in her chest. The photo was so pretty, the sunflowers were catching the sun so perfectly, she couldn't stop staring at it.
"You like it?"
Trophy asked, and Box scoffed.
"Of course I do! Dude, this is.. I don't even have the words. Perfect."
"Like you."
He whispered, and Box swore she could've died right then and there.
"What?"
"Pfft- uh, nothing!"
Box looked away, her heartbeat so loud she was sure Trophy could hear it. Maybe she had heard wrong. Maybe he hadn't just called her perfect.
Maybe he had.
She hoped he had.
She hoped she hadn't heard wrong.
She glanced down at the piece of paper again, pausing when she looked at the bottom left corner.
"Pfft- did you 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴??"
"It's not an autograph, its just my signature, I write it on every photograph I take!"
"Heh, yeah, cool."
"..."
"..."
"So.. uh, why did you even come over here? Not to be, like, rude or anything.."
Box froze, her face heating up. Jeez, she had forgotten about that.
"Oh! Oh, uh.. uhm."
She was just stalling at this point, was Suitcase even still there? She glanced behind her, Suitcase was definitely still there. She internally groaned.
"Wellll..."
She turned back to Trophy, staring at the photograph in her hands. The sunflowers seemed to stare right back at her, which was more comforting than she cared to admit.
"I.. gosh. I have to tell you something. I didn't really want to, but Suitcase forced me to. Please don't freak out."
"..I wont.."
"I like you. L-like.. oh my gosh, I'm in love with you. Badly."
Trophy stared at her, jaw dropped, face burning. He didn't say anything, just kept opening and closing his mouth to speak like a fish.
"I- uh, you what? You-.. you- oh my god- I.. fuck."
Trophy laughed a little, trying to face away from Box to hide his smile and how red his face was.
"Jeez.. I'm in love with you, too. I don't know how the hell you didn't notice, I thought it was obvious. I thought you didn't say anything because you didn't like me back and didn't wanna embarrass me."
The information hit Box like a freight train. Trophy, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 Trophy, her crush, was in love with her. She could barely think straight.
"I would need to be absolutely insane to not like you back, Trophy. You know that, right?"
"Pfft.. nope."
"..Heh, shut up."
She placed her hands on his face, pressing a quick kiss to his lips.
"Thats what happens when you say stupid shit."
Trophy stared at her, completely dazed, face flushed. He shook his head, grinned a little, amd crossed his arms.
"..Yeah, might have to start saying stupid shit more often."
"Hah, no way. Your ego couldn't take that much humiliation."
"Totally could if 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 was the outcome."
Box giggled, staring up at him.
"Guess you're saying stupid things again. Oh no."
She leaned up and kissed him again, this time longer. He leaned into it, wrapping his arms around her waist.
Oh, he was gonna have a 𝘭𝘰𝘵 of fun proving just how much his ego could take.
☆•^•00.`🏆📦