Abby X Oc - Blog Posts

Chapter IV - The Aquarium

~ April 4th 2038

Abby didn’t return back to Juno’s room last night, nor did she return to her own. Manny claimed that he hadn’t seen her since they left the FOB but Juno didn’t exactly believe that. Owen also happened to be missing. At least if they were together they were safe. Juno hoped they were safe. She decided she needed to ask Manny again. Maybe he didn’t tell yesterday because of all the people around. Now she could knock two birds with one stone or something like that. She could see if Abby was there and if she wasn’t she’d ask Manny where she’d run off too.

When Juno arrives she knocks gently on their door. When Manny opens the door he looks a little surprised. 

“Hey Manny, I uh, I just came to see if Abby was back” she explains. Manny sighs softly and motions for her to come in. When she realizes Abby is in fact not here she frowns and turns back to Manny. “Look I’ll tell you where she is but you can’t go blabbing okay?” 

She nods “I won’t say a word” 

“She went off to the aquarium, by the ferris wheel” He tells her quietly.

“Is that where Owen is too?” she asks tentatively.

Manny nods “You can’t tell anybody though, they’ll go after him for shooting Danny” he warns.

“Okay..I won’t say anything, cover for me?” 

Manny huffs softly but agrees. He knew even he said no that Juno would leave to find Abby and Owen. She thanks him before leaving to pack her things. After around an hour she leaves the same way Manny said to. 

She assumes she’s going the way Abby went because of the lack of infected. On her way to the aquarium she has to sneak past a few scars. They’re talking about some apostate, at least that’s what she thinks she heard. She manages to get past them and closer to the aquarium. Juno makes her way through the last of the shrubbery and to the aquarium doors. She boosts herself up through the small window and makes her way inside. 

“Owen..?” She calls out, following up with, “Abby?”

When she’s met with silence she progresses further inside until she finds Owen and Mel arguing in hushed tones. She sits and listens for a moment but it seems she’s too late.

”God arguing with you is always so pointless Owen” Mel snaps.

”That’s because we don’t sit down and talk anymore”  Owen snaps back.

”Cause you always lie to me” She yells at him and the room goes quiet. 

After a moment Mel turns to leave and sees Juno in the doorway. She almost feels bad that the younger girl had been standing there. Juno looks between the two of them, she’s starting to feel awkward. After Mel walks past her she goes up to Owen.

”What was that about..?” She asks hesitantly.

“Nothing” He says firmly.

Juno nods slowly before speaking again, “Any clue where Abby is?”

”She just left, no clue if she’ll be back anytime soon, or at all” Owen murmurs the last bit.

”You get into a fight with her too?” Her tone has a bit more bite to it than she intended. 

“Seriously Juno?” He frowns at her.

”Sorry sorry, It just sounded like something was wrong between you guys too” She explains.

Owen sighs and sits down. He eases his sister's nerves telling her that everything will be fine soon. They go on to talk about what happened with Danny, how the scars are getting closer. They also talk about normal things though, how they’ve been and other normal sibling stuff. It's been years since they sat down and talked like this. Hell It’s been so long the fireflies were still up and running. After a little while longer Owen got up to make some food for the both of them and Mel. In his absence Juno went to talk with Mel. Maybe it was a little invasive but she wanted to know what had happened.

“Hey Mel” Juno softly calls out from the doorway.

Mel looks over her shoulder at her, tensing a bit. 

Juno speaks up again “Just wanted to check in, and um..I also wanted to ask what that was about”

“Owen didn’t tell you?” Mel asks, looking back at the water.

“Nah..he said it was nothing, but obviously it was something”

“That’s typical for him I guess” Mel sighs before continuing “Well..to be blunt he slept with Abby last night” Juno freezes up behind her, unable to speak up. “I didn’t even really accuse him, he accidentally ratted himself out.” she explains.

“They..slept together?” Juno asks, praying she somehow heard wrong.

Mel nods “Yeah, I can barely believe it either” she turns to look at the blonde.

Mel looks like she’s barely holding herself together. Juno is trying to comprehend it all. She knows she shouldn’t really be mad at Abby but she is.

“She’ll probably be back soon” Mel says.

Juno nods “Alright, Owen um..made food by the way, it’ll probably be done soon”

A few hours later Alice started barking at something while Mel and Juno were still eating. They both got up and headed towards Alice. As they got closer they could hear Owen and Abby’s panicking voices. 

“Alice!” Mel called out, silencing the dog.

“Lev put your bow down” Abby spoke warily, “It’s okay”

“Who are those kids” Juno asked, peeking over Owen’s shoulder

“Look, they saved my life” Abby explains.

“They’re scars Abby” Owen snaps.

Juno swats at his shoulder “That doesn’t matter”

They bicker for a moment before Mel interrupts them. Abby introduces the kids as Lev and Yara. There’s another short silence and then Mel motions for Abby to follow her. They lay Yara down and talk about what they need to amputate her arm. Since they had practically nothing at the aquarium Abby said she’d head out with Lev. Juno was about to offer to come but decided against it. She knew that now wasn’t a good time to talk to Abby about last night. 

When Abby returns with the supplies Mel is quick to start the procedure. Owen was..somewhere..which left Juno, Abby, and Lev. Lev wasn’t up for long, falling asleep against the wall while he waited for Yara. This left Abby and Juno.

”Hey..” Juno murmurs, walking up behind Abby.

”Hey Jun” Abby turns to look at the shorter blonde.

They’re both quiet for a moment. Surprisingly, Abby breaks the silence this time. “You seem angry” she points out.

“I..I am..I’m also a little hurt” She nearly whispers, she’s never been this vulnerable with Abby.

”Did..um..something happen while I was gone” Abby asks.

”Sort of, I found out something while you were gone” Juno pauses, “I’d bet you know what I mean already”

Abby sighs, Juno can’t tell if it’s regret, frustration, or both.

”Look..it was a shitty thing to do..It wasn’t supposed to happen” Abby starts off, “I know Mel is angry at us a-

“I’m not worried about Mel right now” Juno interrupts.

They both pause, Abby isn’t sure what this is about now.

”I..dammit..it’s stupid..but I thought..we..you” Juno stops and takes a breath. She wasn’t sure how she was supposed to do this. 

“You thought what” Abby asks tentatively.

Juno takes another breath, she’s started to tremble. “I think I just got the wrong idea over the past month” 

“Jun..” Abby trails off, not sure what to say.

”I just thought that..yknow..the feelings were mutual” her voice cracks.

Abby feels her heart drop as she hears Juno’s breath catch. She looks down at her, not sure how to comfort her. 

“Owen and I aren’t like that” she says after a moment.

”But..you-

Abby stops her “It was a weak moment, I regretted it the second it was over” 

Juno finally looks up at her, her own eyes wet with unshed tears. Without a second thought Abby pulls her in, holding her close. They both relax a bit in each other's arms. Juno was still unsure about how Abby felt. 

Abby pulls back just enough to wipe Juno’s tears. “We’ll figure all of this out soon okay” she speaks softly. Juno nods in response, relaxing further into Abby’s arms. She was more hopeful now than she had been a few hours ago.

series masterlist

Chapter III Unspoken Desires

~ March 17th 2038

“We’ll talk about it later” 

The words rang in Abby’s mind. They had been for the past two weeks. Juno had also been avoiding her for the past two weeks. She even went as far as changing the patrol partners behind Abby’s back. Why would she do  all of this? Why wouldn’t she just tell Abby what the problem was? Why didn’t she just say she didn’t wanna talk about it? These were the questions Abby had been asking herself again and again. They grew close quickly once they learned to trust each other. Now they seemed to be growing apart. All because Juno was too scared of ruining it all.

Juno’s days of avoiding Abby come to their inevitable end when they both get called to the FOB. Abby arrives first, not knowing that Juno will also be arriving soon. When Juno does get there the two of them look at each other for just a moment and she’s filled with regret. She knows Abby’s been trying to contact her and she knows now there’s no other choice. Isaac clears his throat and Juno takes a seat. Isaac wants them back on patrol together, to take out a Scar camp that’s in WLF territory. It’s clearly not optional.

After the meeting with Isaac they left the FOB and ‘coincidentally’ both headed for the mess hall. The walk there is unsurprisingly awkward. They’re quiet but not because they want to be. 

“Abby..we should talk about this..” Juno murmured. 

“Let’s get some food, then we’ll go somewhere less crowded” Abby suggests.

Juno nods and follows after Abby. Once they get their food they head to the stadium and up to Juno’s room. They sit on the floor opposite of each other. 

“So..wanna tell me why you’ve been avoiding me like the plague?” Abby questions in a casual tone.

Juno winces internally “Look..I..I’ve wanted to talk to you about it all. I can’t though..” 

“Why not? Is there somebody else involved or something?” Abby asks.

“Yes, well..kinda?”She questions her own words.

Abby doesn’t say anything, looking at Juno with a hint of concern.  She’s  heard plenty from Owen about how hard it is for Juno to share her feelings with other people.

Juno takes a breath “I can’t tell you”  she murmurs.

Abby sighs in frustration, debating whether or not to push the topic. 

“I’m..I’m sorry..This wasn’t how I thought this would go..” she looked up at Abby, “but you didn’t do anything wrong, y’know” she murmurs, looking away again.

“Right..” Abby nods, not sure how to continue their conversation from this point. She’s not even sure if Juno wants to keep talking. “I..I’ll see you later” she sighs.

Juno watches as Abby gets up from her seat, watching her leave the mess hall.

~ April 3rd 2038

“The scar camp shouldn’t be that far from here” Abby utters, looking at the map Isaac provided.

“We’re sure they’re Scars and not some strangers.” Juno asks, keeping an eye out for any infected.

“Why are you questioning it?” Abby snaps slightly.

“Well the guy who said something about it is blind in one eye” she starts off, “plus he said he saw it from a distance”

“Well if they aren’t Scars we’ll..I don’t know” Abby huffs in frustration.

They continued making their way to the camp, remaining cautious of their surroundings. When they finally arrived at the camp they could see brown coats hanging from the tree limbs. They were likely being aired out from the recent rain. 

“Definitely Scars..” Juno mutters. 

“There’s only three coats..but there might be more of them” Abby whispers, pulling her rifle off of her shoulder.

The two girls stalk closer to the camp, weapons at the ready. From their spot in the bushes they see two Scars emerge from one of the tents. They’re completely oblivious to the two wolves. Abby motions for Juno to ready her rifle as she does the same. They take their shots, both hitting the Scars square in the head. Two more emerge from the other tents, handguns at the ready. One of them manages to shoot Abby in the shoulder before both blondes take them out. Once they’re sure nobody else is around, Juno speaks up.

“Hey..sit down and let me patch you up” Juno speaks softly, motioning to the tree stump behind Abby.

Abby nods, sitting down carefully. She moves her clothing to the side so Juno can help her. Juno sits in front of her and pulls out the small med pack she had in her bag. Once she finished she notices Abby’s shins are pretty cut up from the thorns on the bushes they’d been hiding in. Juno moves back and moves Abby’s pant leg up.

“Shit- I didn’t even notice that” Abby murmured, looking down at her own legs and the other blonde’s hands.

Juno just hums in acknowledgment. She wipes off the blood before disinfecting the cuts and bandages them. Once she’s finished she glances back up at Abby. They lock eyes but don’t speak. The silence between them is thick with the weight of unspoken words. Neither girl can bring herself to speak. Juno gathers her things before standing. For a moment Abby watches her before getting up herself. 

With their job completed they start to head back to the stadium. Just before they arrive Abby tentatively grabs Juno’s shoulder. “Wait..” she whispers. Juno stops in her tracks, turning to face her. They lock eyes and Abby is almost at a loss for words. 

“Juno..I need you to tell me why you were avoiding me” she speaks louder than she had before.

Juno’s breath hitches “Let’s get inside..then I promise I’ll tell you..everything” 

The two blondes sit on opposite ends of Juno’s bed. Juno keeps her eyes averted as she starts to speak. “So..so basically um..” She stutters, starting to pick at her fingers.

Abby gently grabs Juno’s hands in her own, pulling them apart.

”Relax Jun.. you act like I’m gonna bite your head off” Abby jokes, trying to lighten the mood. 

Juno takes a breath and looks up at Abby  “I’m..We..um..I love you” she says it like more of a question.

Abby looks at her for a moment before the realization hits her. “You’re- oh- oh my god” Before she can speak again there’s a knock at the door. 

“Come in” Juno calls out before muttering something unintelligible.

Manny walks in and looks at Abby “There you are, I’ve been looking for you” he pauses and looks between them both “I didn’t mean to interrupt but Isaac wants us at the FOB remember.” 

“Right, give us just a sec yeah?” Abby urges

Manny nods and walks back out. The blondes face each other again. “I promise, we can get into this again when I get back” 

Juno nods and watches Abby leave. She feels rejected even though she knows that isn’t the case, at least not yet. At this point there was really no telling what Abby would say. Maybe she was disgusted, maybe she was happy, maybe she’s confused.

Series Masterlist

Chapter II Reunion & Reflections

~ February 24th 2038

The ‘Salt Lake Crew’ has finally returned to the base. After about 4 months they’re back and their goal has been accomplished.

For the past week or two Juno has been spending her free time close to the gate so that she could observe the people coming in. Well today was her lucky day. Just as she was getting comfortable the gate opened up and she saw Owen and Abby walk through with the others. She watched them walk to the medical center, deciding to let them settle back in before she went pestering them.

After a few hours Juno went looking for Owen but ended up finding Manny and Jordan instead.

“Hey Juno,” Manny called out, seeing the lost look on her face “Who’re you looking for?” He asks once he has her attention.

“Owen, any idea where he is?” She asks, looking between them both.

“Haven’t seen him since we got back” Jordan chimed in then looked at Manny for his answer. “Me either, your best best would be Mel or Abby” Manny pats her shoulder, “Hope you find him”

“Thank you both” She smiles at the two men before heading off to the medical center.

She finds Mel at the medical center and asks her if she’s seen Owen. Mel shakes her head and tells her he ran off before she could ask where he was going. Juno huffs and thanks her before running off. After a couple minutes of searching for both Owen and Abby she huffs and decides she’ll quit looking for now. He’ll come find her before night comes.

He did not come to find her before sunset. Abby did though. Well not exactly. Abby came to find her around 9pm.

A soft knock on the door pulled Juno’s focus away from her book. She got up from her chair and padded over to the door. She pulled it open expecting to see her brother but was pleasantly surprised by Abby instead.

“Hey..Owen uh wanted me to check up on you, y’know since we were gone” Abby says, leaning against the door frame.

Juno smiles at the taller woman “I’m alright, how is he? I haven’t actually talked to him since you guys got back”

“He’s alright, the trip shook all of us a bit so he just needs some time away from..everything” She explains.

Juno nods, “right, well I’m glad he’s doing okay” there’s an awkward silence for a moment “How are you doing?” she asks tentatively.

Abby doesn’t answer immediately, “I’m okay, just a little sleep deprived”

“I bet, you should get to bed, get back on your sleep schedule” Juno suggests.

“Yeah, you’re right” there’s a pause in the blonde’s words, “I’ll see you in the morning?” she asks.

Juno nods “Yeah- yeah absolutely” she grins wider “goodnight Abby”

“Night Juno” Abby waves, walking off to her own room.

Juno watches the other woman walk off for a moment before turning back into her own bedroom. She takes a moment, thinking about the interaction. She’s only spent a month in total with Abby but something felt a little off. Maybe it was just because of the trip to Jackson. She said that everyone had been a little shaken up so maybe that was it.

~ March 2nd 2038

Juno thought she was losing it, she had to be losing it actually. There was no way she was starting to fall for Abby. Her brother’s ex. There was no way. Except there was because she was absolutely falling for her. Day by day she became more infatuated with the older woman. Speaking of Abby, Juno had patrol with her in a few hours.

“Jesus, again?” Juno murmurs to herself as she braids her hair, “I’m always on patrol with her”

She complained as if she hated the older woman.

The next few hours went by quickly, so did the first half of patrol until Abby started asking questions.

“Hey, Jun are you doing alright” Abby asks, holding up a garage door for Juno to duck under.

“Huh- yeah um” Juno stops herself before she starts unnecessarily stuttering.

Abby gives her a once over “You’re quiet” she states simply.

“I uh..I’m just a little tired” It wasn’t a lie but that wasn’t why she’d been so quiet.

“..Alright then”

The silence that follows is awkward but neither girl can dwell on it for long. Both of their thoughts are interrupted by the scream of an infected. They maneuver through the dimly lit building quietly, listening for any more screams or rustling. Along the way Abby used a shiv to take out a few unsuspecting Runners and Juno did the same with her bow. They were doing good until they came across a dim open room. The room was filled with an unsettling sound coming from the five Clickers inside. Two stood idly, in unnatural curled stances while the other three seemed to be searching. Abby took one in the corner while Juno shot the idle two with her bow. She aimed for the fourth one while Abby made her way to the fifth. Before Juno could steady her shot she was sent flying to the floor with the wind knocked out of her. A Stalker laid on top of her, trying to get a bite.

“Shit-!” She gasped, trying to pry the creature off of her. “Come on, get off!”

The last two Clickers in the room started to make their way towards Juno. Abby took them out with her rifle before rushing to help Juno with the Stalker. She kicked it off before shooting it in the head. Juno took a moment to gather herself before taking Abby’s hand and standing.

“Are you bit?” Abby asks a bit impatiently.

“I'm clean” Juno confirms, grabbing her own rifle and scanning the room.

It was quiet. Eerily quiet.

“Keep an eye out” Abby murmurs.

They move forward, cautious of any dark corners or doorways. The building is still and silent as they progress. It seems empty but something is screaming at Juno telling her it isn’t. Her grip in her rifle is tight. The next room they enter is a mess, there’s clutter and furniture scattered throughout the room. Abby starts to take her next step but Juno grabs her shoulder, her other hand motioning to the rusted filing cabinet. Or rather what’s beside it. There’s a figure hunched beside it. It wasn’t a Clicker from what they could see. It likely wasn’t a Runner either. Was it a person? Or was it just a Stalker in plain sight?

The figure's head shot up as Juno took a step forward. The room became still and they realized it was indeed another person. They both relaxed slightly but didn’t lower their weapons. Before either girl could speak, the stranger sprung towards them. Without hesitation Abby raised her rifle and took the shot. The crack of the gun was followed by the thud of the body then again, silence.

“Come on..we gotta finish clearing the building..” Abby mutters, clearly a bit shaken up.

Juno follows after her. The building seems still again as they venture upstairs. The silence between them is full of stolen glances, some of concern, others of desire. The silence is broken by the cracking of floor boards beneath them.

Before either of them can get to a more solid spot the flooring caves in. Right through the previous floor as well. They end up in what they can only assume is a basement.

“Ugh..this seems to be a trend around here..falling through floors” Abby grunts, trying to pull her bag out from under the debris.

“Yeah seems like i-” Juno cuts herself off as she hears the familiar clicking. “Abby..” she whispers.

Abby moves quickly but quietly, pulling Juno into the far corner. Both of their bags are still stuck in the debris but there wasn’t time to grab either of them yet. The girls are flush against each other back-to-front. Juno reaches for the gun in her thigh holster but realizes she lost it in the fall.

“Shit..” she murmurs, opting for the switchblade tucked into her waistband instead.

She peels her body away from Abby’s with hesitance, lurking towards the Clicker. She takes it out from behind and lays it down. After listening for more infected they stand up and grab their bags. After a few minutes they get back to the floor they arrived on.

“Alright, time to get the fuck outta here” Juno murmurs.

“You couldn’t be more right” Abby huffs, leading the way to the door.

Once they’re out they decide to take a breather. They sit down against a tree in the more open area, leaning against each other.

Juno finally breaks the silence “Thank you” she nearly whispers. Her eyes are closed and her head is leaned back against the stump. Abby looks down at her before responding with a soft “for what?”. Juno huffs in slight amusement at the other girl’s question “For saving my life”

“Oh..anytime Jun” Abby smiles slightly.

Juno opens her eyes to look at the other blonde and her face flushes slightly. They were too close. She sits up, turning to face Abby while also backing up. More silence falls over the two of them.

“You’re too quiet” Abby points out.

“Thought you liked the quiet?” Juno asks.

“Not with you” Her face says that she doesn’t realize what she’s saying until after she’s said it.

They look at each other for a moment before Juno clears her throat and speaks up again. “We should head back..”

“Juno-” Abby starts but gets cut off by the smaller woman “Later..we..we’ll talk about it later.”

Abby nods, showing that she respects her decision. The walk back to the base is quiet, they don’t run into any more infected. Thankfully they don’t run into any Scars either. They part ways after arriving back, Juno going off to find Owen and Abby going to her shared room.

Juno ends up finding Owen in the mess hall, he looks like he’s waiting for somebody.

“Hey, Owen, can we talk?” She slides into the seat across from him.

“Yeah- you look a little stressed” He comments, studying his sister’s face.

“A little more than a little” she murmurs, she takes a breath before continuing “I kinda don’t wanna say it now..jesus”

“C’mon it can’t be horrible” he reassures.

“Would you consider me..being in love with your ex as horrible?” she asks hesitantly.

Owen’s jaw drops “are you serious?” There's no anger behind his words, just pure shock.

“Yeah..” she puts her face in her hands.

Owen takes a breath before continuing. He assures Juno that he isn’t upset with her before anything else. He tells her that if that’s the way she wants to go then go for it. She almost can’t believe her ears. When Mel shows up she takes it as her sign to leave but not before saying bye to the both of them. She heads back to her own room with things to reflect on and things to prepare for.

Series Masterlist

Chapter I 'Finding the Light'

~ September 12th 2037

Juno struggled against the arms that held her down, kicking and screaming. She refused to let this happen. She couldn’t let them die when they were so close to that base.

Just a few feet away she was watching their nearly limp bodies get beat into the floor by these traders. Traders that claimed her parents ‘sold them short’.

“Leave them alone” she pleaded, nearly choking on her own sobs “please..hic..don’t kill them” she couldn’t even scream anymore because of how long she’d been screaming for them to stop.

The man blocking the door pulled his gun on Juno but was stopped by the one holding her down. He claimed there was no need to kill the kid. Juno could tell they were arguing but couldn’t tell what they were saying. Her eyes were locked on the sight before her, her head was pounding. Before she knew it the men were fleeing, the only sounds left were her own cries, shuffling down the hall, and whistling. She quickly moved to where her parents' bodies laid, carelessly thrown beside each other.

“Ma….Ma..Dad..?” Her voice trembled as did her body “No..dammit no..please..please I still need you..” she sobbed harder, hiccuping and coughing. She leaned back against the wall, pulling her knees to her chest. “No…no..no please, please come back..please” She pleads, rocking herself until she inevitably falls asleep.

~ September 20th 2037

Juno approaches the gates of the WLF base. Limping due to a sprained ankle that hasn’t been treated properly yet. She’s stopped by soldiers before she can get too close to it.

“Please..I’m..I’m just looking for my brother, Owen” She explains to them.

Two of the soldiers share a glance before nodding. “Open the gate, she’s just one girl, plus she’s injured” One of them speaks up.

Juno’s eyes light up with hope. He’s here. They open up the gate and one of them leads her to the medical center. “Mel, can you fix up her ankle and these cuts, I gotta go find Owen”

The dark haired woman, supposedly named Mel, looked between the soldier and Juno. She nods before motioning for Juno to follow after. The two of them head back to an empty space for Mel to work. Juno sits down and Mel starts to work on her ankle. After a while the soldier comes back with Owen and a woman.

“Juno..?” He asks hesitantly, studying the frail looking girl in front of him. The blond to his right also studied her.

Juno hesitates as well before speaking, “Owen?”

Owen surges forward, pulling Juno into his arms. Mel and the blonde woman share a glance of confusion before looking back at the pair. They hold each other before Owen steps back to get a look at her.

“How’d all this happen?” He eyes a particular set of stitches on her bicep.

“Some traders to us on the way here” Juno explains, her voice quiet.

“Us?” Owen asks, his eyes darting around the room for a moment. “Mom and dad are with you?” Juno shakes her head at her brother’s second question. She couldn’t bring herself to speak, to tell him what happened. She didn't have to though. He could tell by the pained look on her face. “Oh Jun..”

Series Masterlist

wholesome / soft!abby learning how to do things simply because she loves you. (modern au) ✿

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It was late, just past midnight and the apartment had gone still. You had gone to bed an hour ago, after gently insisting Abby didn't need to stay up finishing the laundry.

But Abby had stayed up anyway.

Not because of laundry.

Because earlier that evening, while brushing your hair out after a shower, you had said offhandedly,

"I've always wanted to learn how to do a proper French braid, but I can never get the hand placement right."

You hadn't meant it as a request. Just one of those things people say when they're sleepy and relaxed, idly untangling their hair in the glow of lamplight.

But it had stuck in Abby's chest in that quiet, persistent way things did when they mattered.

And now she was sitting on the living room rug, her laptop open in front of her, a tutorial video paused on a smiling woman holding a mannequin head.

Abby's fingers were wrapped awkwardly around a sad-looking practice braid made from yarn she'd pulled out of an old craft box. Her brows were knit together in deep focus.

"Under, over... no-under again? Shit."

She rewound the video, watching the woman's hands again. Her own hands were big, too clumsy, and this yarn was too slippery, but she was determined. You deserved something soft.

Something delicate. Something that said, I listen. I care. I want to do this for you.

Eventually, after the third or fourth video and countless redos, she got the rhythm. Her fingers started to move with more confidence, more grace.

It still wasn't perfect, but it looked like something.

Like effort. Like love.

She stared down at the wonky braid, a quiet smile tugging at her lips.

A shadow appeared in the hallway- you, sleepy and wrapped in a blanket, blinking at the light.

"Abs? What are you doing?"

Abby froze. "I-nothing. Go back to bed."

You pad closer, crouching beside her and squinting at the yarn.

"..Is that a braid?"

Abby rubbed the back of her neck, sheepish. "I was... practicing. You said you never learned, so l thought-maybe I could. So I can do it for you."

You stared at her for a beat too long, eyes glassy with the kind of affection that makes your chest ache.

Then you leaned forward and kissed her-soft, sleepy, so full of warmth it almost hurt.

"You're ridiculous," you murmured against Abby's lips.

𓂃₊ ⊹

Later that same week, you walked into the living room to find Abby half-inside the laundry closet, surrounded by the scattered innards of the dryer.

"Should I be worried?" you asked, setting your keys down.

Abby's voice echoed from inside the machine.

"Only mildly. It was making that squeaky noise again. I watched like, five repair videos. I think it's just the belt."

You squint at her. "You hate mechanical stuff."

"Yeah, well. You said you hate calling repair guys even more." Abby slid out, grease smudged across her cheek. "Figured I'd try."

You crossed your arms, trying not to smile. "I’m starting to think you can fix anything."

Later that night, the dryer spun without a sound, just the hum of warm air and fresh laundry.

There were no grand declarations. No elaborate gestures.

Just glue, orbit wires, a silenced squeaky dryer, and the quiet, steady rhythm of loving someone by showing up - over and over again.