Movies and dinner
The midday sun beats down on the training ground, the heat making the air feel heavy as the team disperses for a water break. Ingrid wipes the sweat from her forehead with the back of her wrist before taking a sip from her bottle. She keeps to herself, as she always does, lingering near the edge of the group, just far enough away that no one would expect her to join in conversation but close enough that she doesn’t stand out for being alone.
She’s halfway through a sip when Mapi appears beside her, seemingly out of nowhere.
“Ingrid.”
Ingrid lowers her bottle, glancing at her with a silent raise of her eyebrows.
Mapi grins. “Do you want to watch a movie tonight?”
Ingrid blinks. That was…unexpected.
Mapi must see the hesitation because she elaborates. “Movie night. You and me,” she says, nudging Ingrid’s arm with her elbow. “I have good taste, I promise.”
Ingrid swallows. “Oh. Uh…”
She should say no. They live in the same building. They carpool to training almost every day. That was already more than enough proximity for Ingrid to handle. And yet, despite that, they still weren’t friends. Not really. Acquaintances at best.
Which was fine. Better than fine, because friends got too close. Friends saw things. And Ingrid had long since decided she didn’t want anyone to see her, not when she was like this. So she opens her mouth to turn Mapi down, to come up with some excuse that won’t make her seem rude, when-
“I have snacks,” Mapi adds, completely unprompted. It’s such an innocent, hopeful little push that Ingrid finds herself nodding before she can stop herself.
“Okay.”
And the reaction she gets is-
Pure. Unfiltered excitement.
Mapi’s entire face lights up, her eyes bright, her smile wide. She claps her hands together once, practically bouncing on her toes. Ingrid just stares at her, confused.
Why? Why would someone be this happy about spending time with her? She wasn’t a good person. Isabelle had made that perfectly clear. She was cold. Quiet. Distant. She pushed people away, whether intentionally or not. Isabelle had hated that about her. So why would Mapi be any different? Ingrid gets lost in her thoughts, chewing at the inside of her cheek, until-
A gentle tap against her fingers pulls her back. She flinches, inhaling sharply as her gaze snaps to Mapi, who watches her carefully. Ingrid swallows, pulse spiking. Had Mapi seen how quickly her thoughts had spiraled? How deep they’d gone? But Mapi doesn’t seem to have a clue.
She just tilts her head, lips curling into another small smile. “You wanna come for dinner too?”
Ingrid hesitates. “Dinner?”
Mapi nods. “Yeah. Before the movie. Makes sense, no?”
It does. It does make sense. But does she want that? She already agreed to the movie. Already agreed to spending more time with Mapi than she probably should.
But when Mapi looks at her like that-
Hopeful. Open. Like she actually wants Ingrid to be there.
Ingrid can’t bring herself to say no.
“…Okay.”
Mapi beams. “Perfect!!”
And then she’s off, literally scrambling away toward Alexia, calling her name with that same excitement in her voice. Ingrid watches her go, pressing her bottom lip between her teeth as she peels at the skin. She doesn’t know what she’s doing. Why she’s letting this happen.
But-
“Ingrid.”
She jolts at the sound of her name, whipping around on instinct.
Frido stands in front of her, brow furrowed. “You okay?”
Ingrid blinks. “What?”
“You just looked…” Frido gestures vaguely. “Like your mind was somewhere else.”
Ingrid exhales, trying to ease the tightness in her chest. “I’m fine.”
Frido doesn’t look convinced, but she doesn’t push.
Instead, she smirks. “So. You and Mapi?”
Ingrid frowns. “What?”
“I saw you two talking.” Frido waggles her eyebrows playfully. “Making plans.”
Ingrid’s face burns. “It’s just a movie.”
“Mhm.”
Ingrid glares. “It’s not like that.”
Frido grins. “Sure, sure. You just happen to be going to her place for dinner and a movie.”
Ingrid groans, rubbing a hand over her face. “She invited me. That’s it.”
“Right, right.” Frido’s tone is teasing, but there’s nothing mean behind it.
Ingrid sighs, shaking her head. “You’re annoying.”
Frido just laughs. “I know.”
And despite herself, despite the exhaustion that still lingers, despite the fact that she has no idea what she’s getting herself into tonight-
Ingrid finds herself almost smiling.
*
Ingrid stands outside Mapi’s front door, heart hammering against her ribs. Her palms are clammy. Her hands won’t stop shaking. Her legs feel unsteady beneath her, like they might give out if she so much as breathes wrong. She doesn’t know why she’s so nervous. She’s spent plenty of time with Mapi before. Sure, it’s always been at training, never outside of it, but still. She knows what Mapi is like. Surely the setting wouldn’t change that.
And yet-
Her chest feels tight. Her mind races. Maybe it’s because this is a new space -Mapi’s space. Somewhere Ingrid’s never set foot before. Maybe it’s because she doesn’t quite know what to expect.
Can Mapi even cook? Would the food be nice? Would Ingrid be able to eat it, or would her nerves make her stomach rebel? Would she have to come up with some excuse that made it clear she wasn’t skipping meals on purpose, she just couldn’t handle the thought of eating right now?
What movies would Mapi pick? Horror? Comedy? Would she talk through them?
Probably.
Definitely.
Mapi talks all the time. Watching a movie with her wouldn’t be any different.
Ingrid finds herself overthinking everything so severely that she’s just seconds away from bolting when-
The door swings open, and she freezes. Mapi stands there, grinning, like Ingrid hasn’t just spent the last five minutes mentally spiraling on her doorstep.
“Hello!!” Mapi says, bright and enthusiastic, as always.
Ingrid swallows, shifting her weight from foot to foot.
Mapi’s smile softens, and then she steps aside, gesturing her in. “Come on.”
Ingrid hesitates for only a second before stuffing her trembling hands into the pockets of her hoodie and stepping inside. She looks around as she toes off her shoes. It’s…nice. Tastefully decorated, in a way Ingrid wouldn’t have expected from Mapi. There’s warmth to it, personality. Little trinkets on shelves, framed pictures lining the walls.
It feels homey.
Which is so unlike Ingrid’s own place, which still feels more like a temporary rental than a home, void of any personal touch. Mapi leads her into the kitchen, where the smell hits her immediately-
Rich, warm, distinctly comforting.
Lasagne. Her stomach rumbles before she can stop it. She shifts awkwardly, hoping Mapi didn’t hear, but-
“Oh, Good,” Mapi laughs, glancing at her over her shoulder. “You’re hungry, then.”
Ingrid clears her throat, unwilling to admit it. “I guess.”
Mapi just grins, setting out plates. “I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I made lasagne. And salad. And garlic bread.”
Ingrid blinks, caught off guard. “That’s…a lot.”
Mapi shrugs. “Better to have too much than not enough.”
Ingrid hums, watching as Mapi moves around the kitchen with ease, like she’s done this a million times before. Which, Ingrid supposes, she probably has.
“Movies,” Mapi says, flicking her gaze to Ingrid as she sets utensils down. “I picked Tangled and Avengers.”
That…surprises Ingrid. She doesn’t say that, though. Just nods. “Good choices.”
Mapi smirks, like she knows. “Of course.”
She gestures to the small dining table just left of the kitchen, and Ingrid hesitates only briefly before taking a seat. A second later, Mapi places a glass of water in front of her, then turns back to dish up dinner. Ingrid lets out a slow breath, pressing her hands against her thighs.
This… isn’t bad.
She’s still nervous, still overthinking, still wondering why she agreed to this in the first place, but-
It’s not bad.
Until she sees the size of the portion Mapi sets in front of her, and her stomach twists. It’s…a lot. Far more than she’s managed to stomach in… years, and that’s pathetic, even to herself.
But Mapi just sits across from her with her own food, unfazed. “Eat what you can.”
Her voice is gentle. No expectation. No pressure. Just understanding. Ingrid swallows, glancing down at her plate, then back up at Mapi. And when she finds nothing but patience in her expression, she lets out a quiet breath, lifts a trembling hand and picks up her fork.
It wasn’t long until Ingrid leans back in her chair, staring down at her mostly empty plate.
She’s…full. Genuinely full. She hasn’t felt this way in-
Months.
She’d managed almost half of what Mapi had given her, which, considering how big the portion was, is actually a lot, and she’s kind of proud of herself. She risks a glance across the table only to see Mapi is watching her, a small, pleased smile tugging at her lips.
She doesn’t say anything about it, though, which Ingrid is grateful for. Instead, Mapi pushes back her chair and grabs their plates, heading toward the sink. Ingrid follows with the glasses and the side plates, wanting to be useful, but-
Mapi bats her away, hip-checking her lightly. “Go get comfortable.”
Ingrid hesitates. Surely, the right thing to do after someone feeds you is to help clean up, right? She doesn’t want Mapi to think she’s rude, doesn’t want to seem like she’s taking advantage of her kindness.
But Mapi, as if sensing her reluctance, bats at her again -this time, more playfully. “Go.”
Ingrid hesitates a second longer before reluctantly relenting. She makes her way into the living room, shifting awkwardly as she looks around. She doesn’t sit right away. Instead, she takes the opportunity to really take in her surroundings. There are pictures on the walls, everywhere. Framed snapshots of what she assumes are family, friends, teammates. There’s a bookcase in the corner, stacked with novels, small trinkets, and candles. Opposite the couch, a large TV sits on a stand, about six feet away.
Eventually, Ingrid lowers herself onto the couch, crossing her legs and drumming her fingers against her thighs. Now that she has no distractions, she feels restless.Her leg starts bouncing before her brain even registers it. She runs a hand through her hair, bites at her thumbnail-
And startles when Mapi appears beside her without warning.
God. She hates that she’s so goddamn jumpy.
Mapi frowns, guilt flashing across her face. “Excuse me,” she says softly, squeezing Ingrid’s shoulder as she passes.
Ingrid forces out a breath, shaking her head. “It’s fine.”
Mapi doesn’t push, just settles onto the couch a few feet away.
Then she gives Ingrid a look. “Are you comfortable?”
Ingrid, still sitting stiff as a board, swallows. She knows if she says yes, Mapi will definitely call her out. So, instead of making her say it a third time, Ingrid carefully shifts until she’s more relaxed, pulling a pillow into her lap and resting her arms over it.
Mapi seems satisfied.
She grabs the remote, turns on the TV. “Alright,” she says, flicking to her movie library. “Which one first?”
Ingrid exhales slowly, forcing herself to make a choice.
“…Tangled.”
Mapi grins, clearly pleased. “Good choice.”
She pulls up the movie, presses play, then tosses Ingrid a blanket from the back of the couch. Ingrid catches it on instinct, holding the unfamiliar material stiffly between her fingers. She doesn’t do this. She doesn’t curl up under blankets on other people’s couches. But Mapi is already covering herself with her own, like it’s the most natural thing in the world, so-
Ingrid hesitates for only a second before carefully draping it over her legs.
It’s soft. Warm.
And then,
Just as she expected,
Not five minutes into the movie,
Mapi starts talking.
“Okay, but like-“ she shifts, turning toward Ingrid as she gestures wildly at the screen. “Why did Mother Gothel even take Rapunzel? Like, she could’ve just gone to the tower every few days, got her little youth recharge, and left. Why raise the kid? That’s way more work than she needed to do.”
Ingrid huffs, amusement flickering across her features. “She needed to control her.”
Mapi squints. “Still. Seems like a lot of effort.”
“She’s a villain,” Ingrid reminds her, shifting to glance at Mapi. “They don’t usually make logical choices.”
Mapi hums, seemingly considering this. “Okay, true.”
She turns back to the screen, watching for all of two seconds before-
“But also-“
Ingrid groans, sinking further into the couch. “Oh my God.”
Mapi grins.