crawling back to you.

Megan didn’t really know what to expect when moving into the Katseye house. The girls were all pretty close because of the long, gruelling days of Dream Academy. The bond that that kind of experience created was truly one of a kind, but she worried that with just the six of them, together all the time under one roof, things would get awkward or tense. She worried that she wouldn’t get any alone time or be able to hang out by herself. She worried that she’d accidentally overstep one of her bandmates’ boundaries, that she might say the wrong thing, that she’d be too much or not enough or-

Megan worried a lot. She’s not sure why her brain made her think so much, why it insisted on running at full speed even when there was nothing to chase, but it did. And she hated it because it felt like there was never an off switch. It was both entertaining and exhausting, a constant loop of over analysis and self-doubt. It’s why she desperately needed time to herself to unwind and destress to sort through her thoughts and not be overwhelmed by others’ presences. Surprisingly, the girls understood that, giving her the space she needed sometimes, and Megan soon realised, kicking herself in the process, that she was stupid to worry about them being under one roof because 5 months in and here she was, sat on the floor of Manon and Dani’s room watching Dani take photos of Manon. 

Manon, who was currently nursing a food baby in her underwear. 

“Oh my God! Damn!” Daniela exclaimed, clicking away on her phone, “You really do look pregnant.”

“Dani!” Manon all but screeched, lurching herself onto Daniela’s bed, arms scrambling over her bandmate’s body to reach her phone, “Delete them right now, I swear to God.” 

Megan giggled in amusement from where she sat watching Dani stretch her arm with the phone away from Manon’s reach, laughing maniacally. 

“Megan, catch!” Dani’s voice rang out in amusement, and before Megan could react, a phone landed haphazardly in her hands. She fumbled with it, her eyes widening in alarm.

Manon’s head snapped toward her.

“Oh shit ,” Megan muttered, already backing toward the door.

Manon slid off of Dani’s bed with the slow precision of a predator stalking its prey. “Megan,” she sang, voice laced with sweet, menacing intent. “Gimme the phone.”

It was late. Megan was tired. For a fleeting moment, she considered surrender—handing it over, slipping off to bed, avoiding whatever chaos was about to ensue.

But then her gaze met Dani’s.

Her eyebrows waggled, lips curling into a mischievous smirk as she mouthed a single word: run.

And really, Megan found it was impossible to deny Dani.

Megan barely had time to think as she tore through the house, socked feet skidding wildly across the polished kitchen floor. Her breath came in sharp bursts, her heart pounding as she braced for impact—

And then—steady hands caught her, firm and grounding.

“Whoa, whoa—who the hell is trying to kill you this time?” Sophia’s amused voice broke through the chaos.

Megan instinctively ducked behind the older girl just as Manon came careening into the kitchen after her, breathless and dishevelled. Sophia clicked her tongue in mock disapproval.

“Ah. I see.” She flicked a glance between the two of them, a knowing smirk curling at her lips. “Manon, why are you trying to kill Megan… again ?”

“She—her and Dani—on the phone—” Manon sputtered, gesturing wildly, too flustered to form a coherent sentence.

Sophia, ever the peacemaker, lifted a hand. “Okay, got it. If Megan promises to delete them, and I watch her do it, will that settle this?”

Manon narrowed her eyes, considering. Then, after a moment of deliberation, she huffed and nodded, shooting Megan a pointed glare as if to say you got lucky this time.

“Cool, sorted.” Sophia clapped her hands together, already moving on. “Now, go round up Dani, Yoonchae, and Lara—dinner’s ready.”

Manon turned to leave, but before she could disappear up the stairs, Sophia called after her.

“Oh, and Manon?”

Manon paused, glancing back. “Yeah?”

Sophia’s lips twitched. “Would you maybe think about putting some clothes on?”

Megan choked on a laugh, barely stifling her cackle as Manon, clad only in underwear and pure indignation, went rigid. A light flush dusted her cheeks before she let out a dramatic sigh, threw up a mock salute, and stomped off.

As soon as she was gone, Sophia turned to Megan, arms crossed.

“And you —”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll delete them,” Megan cut in, rolling her eyes.

A beat of silence. Then—

“Actually… send them to me first,” Sophia murmured, barely above a whisper, her expression unreadable.

Megan’s grin was instant.

Later, as they finished packing up after dinner, Megan stood and stretched, rolling out the stiffness in her shoulders. The warmth of the meal still lingered in her chest, a comfortable buzz of laughter and conversation settling into the space around them.

Then—warm breath ghosted over the back of her neck. A quiet murmur, just for her.

“Thanks, by the way,” Dani’s voice was low, edged with something softer than usual. “For earlier. It’s not an easy feat running from Manon.”

A small shiver ran down Megan’s spine before recognition settled in, her body instinctively easing at the sound of Dani’s voice. She let out a quiet laugh, turning to face her.

“No problemo.” Megan did mock finger guns and grinned. 

Dani’s lips quirked, amusement flickering in her gaze as she reached for the empty plate in Megan’s hands. Their fingers brushed—just a moment, fleeting but enough to send something sharp and electric through Megan’s chest. Dani took the plate and turned toward the kitchen, moving effortlessly through the space. Megan, helpless against the pull, followed like a magnet.

✰✩✩✩✩✩

The next day Megan was in her room when Lara burst in dramatically flopping onto Megan’s bed. Megan sat up a little, taking one of her airpods out and looked over at the intrusion. Lara had an arm flopped over her eyes, her legs dangling off the bed as she let out another aggravated huff of air. 

"Do I even need to ask or-"

"I have girl drama," Lara whined into her arm, interrupting Megan. Megan hid her smile and reached over to move Lara's arm from her face. 

Megan bit back a smile and reached over, gently moving Lara’s arm from her face.

"Pray tell," she said, feigning solemnity.

Lara cracked one eye open, glaring. "Don't mock me. I always listen to your shit."

"You do," Megan conceded with a hum. "For example, my heart has now officially let go of the tragic, years-long crush on Caleb from freshman year."

"Period, exactly," Lara nodded, propping herself up on her elbows. "You can do way better than him and his tiny-ass moustache. Plenty of girls and guys out there."

Megan just shrugged, the easy amusement dimming slightly as she looked away. Her fingers picked idly at the edge of her blanket, her expression flickering with something unreadable.

Lara noticed immediately. Of course, she did.

"Hey, what?" Lara softly asked, of course noticing the small change in her roommate. Lara and Megan had grown particularly close since and during Dream Academy. It was effortless, the way Lara just got her—adapting to Megan’s awkward humor, slotting into her life like she was always meant to be there. Megan had always felt a little out of place, like she had to work harder to fit in, to match the rhythm of those around her. It was weird, Megan often felt odd but with the girls—with Lara—it was different, they made her feel so included and understood. Like she didn't have to use up so much of her energy to fit in, she just...fit. Manon and Sophia were like older sisters, guiding her through it all, making her feel safe.  Yoonchae really lived up to her charm because she definitely soothed her with her presence  And Lara… it was like she’d flipped a switch the moment they met, like she’d decided right then and there: Okay, I’m going to be your best friend now.

And Megan, against all odds, believed her.

And then there was Dani.

Megan got along with her—everyone did. Dani was chaotic in the best way, a force of nature who had a laugh so infectious it could pull one out of you whether you wanted it to or not. She was bold, reckless in a way that felt freeing, like she had the world wrapped around her finger and didn’t care what it thought of her. Megan admired that. She envied it, even. They all had fun together, but with Dani, there was always something just beneath the surface, something hidden behind the whirlwind of energy she used as armor. This sort of wall around her, one that Megan hadn't quite climbed over but she desperately wanted to try. 

Maybe it was just that Dani seemed closer to Manon. Maybe it was that, even though Megan, Sophia, and Dani had known each other the longest—had been together since the very start of Dream Academy—there was still a distance Megan couldn’t quite close. She didn’t resent her for it, not exactly. If anything, it only made her more desperate to know her, to peel back the layers and find out what lay underneath all that effortless charm and deflection. To actually talk . Hell, maybe Megan was reading too much into it, like she always does. Overanalyzing, twisting things around in her head until they became something they weren’t. Maybe there was something wrong with Megan, that she was too awkward to approach. Maybe that was why her heart sank a little after what Lara had said.

Maybe she just wasn’t made for that kind of stuff. Maybe no one would ever truly get her.

And even if they did, maybe they wouldn’t stick around.

"Megan, hey, everything good?" Lara repeated, sitting up a little to try and meet Megan's eyes. 

"Yeah," Megan cleared her throat, forcing a small smile. "I was just thinking… what if I’m not made for that kind of stuff?"

Lara frowned. "What stuff?"

"You know… guys, girls. Romance," Megan exhaled, pressing her thumb against the seam of her blanket. "I just don’t think I could ever be fully myself with someone in that way. They’d think I’m weird. They’d leave. It’s happened before."

"Megan," Lara's voice was entirely serious now, sliding right up to her roommate's side and slipping her palm in hers, "You are so wonderful, anybody would be lucky to have you. Like I said, Caleb and that Jasmine chick? Absolute idiots. And if I didn’t believe we were destined to be platonic soulmates, I’d totally be in love with you right now."

She grinned, full of mischief, and Megan rolled her eyes, but her lips twitched at the corners. She gave Lara’s hand a grateful squeeze.

"Your time will come girl, just gotta have a little faith, someone perfect for you that loves you for who you are could be right around the corner," Lara spoke and Megan found herself with a small spark of hope, it's funny the immediate effect Lara Raj's words could have on a person. 

"Anyway, can we get back to my shit, oh my goshhhh," Lara groaned, "She hasn't texted me back."

"How long has it been?" Megan asked as she bit back a laugh, already knowing the answer because she knew Lara.

"Four minutes," Lara pouted.

Megan snorted. "You’re impossible."

Lara gasped, affronted. "And yet, you love me."

"Unfortunately," Megan teased, shaking her head.

✰✩✩✩✩✩

In the next room, the rest of the bandmates were gathered. Manon sat cross-legged on her bed, Yoonchae’s fingers in her lap as she carefully painted her nails a shade of pink, her tongue sticking out the side of her mouth in concentration. Yoonchae leaned back against the pillows behind her on Manon’s bed as she let out a yawn. 

“Tired, Yoonchip?” Sophia asked from across the room, glancing up from where she sat on Daniela’s bed. She was engaged in the same delicate task as Manon, carefully brushing sky-blue polish over Daniela’s nails.

Yoonchae just nodded, stifling another yawn.

“Don’t move,” Manon murmured, gently reprimanding her. “I’m almost done.”

“She must be exhausted, training was tough today, I’m so glad it’s over,” Sophia said, glancing briefly at the younger girl, whose eyes were now fighting to stay open. Manon hummed in agreement and Daniela just clenched her jaw and kept her gaze fixed on her nails in Sophia’s lap, watching the soft strokes of blue lacquer instead of meeting anyone’s eyes.

It wasn’t that she didn’t agree with Sophia, she did, training was tough. But it was supposed to be. They were meant to be pushed to their limits. They were meant to be pushed till they break and then yanked back up and get pushed again. At least, that’s what she had always been taught growing up.

You don’t get anywhere in life by half-assing anything Daniela, her father’s voice echoed in her ears, You push even if everyone around you has stopped, even if they’re telling you to stop, you keep going.  

So Daniela didn’t believe in ‘tough’ training. She believed in pushing past her limits to be better, to be excellent, to acquire perfection. She didn’t say any of this out loud of course because she knew what the girls would say. They would say she didn’t need to be perfect, that she was doing her best and that it was okay to take breaks, they’ve said all this before but it might as well have been said to be a brick wall. They didn’t get it. They hadn’t lived in a house where failure wasn’t an option growing up. Where stopping wasn’t a choice. She had worked so hard to get where she was and she wasn’t about to stop pushing now. She didn’t want to know what would happen if she did, it would be a complete disappointment, she would be a complete disappointment. 

“...ela, Daniela,” Sophia called. 

Dani blinked, shaking herself out of her thoughts and glanced up. “What?”

“You’re all done.” Sophia studied her for a second before carefully placing the polish aside, her touch gentle as she let go of Daniela’s hands.

Dani exhaled, flexing her fingers as she murmured a quiet, “Thanks.”

Daniela looked across at the bed beside hers to see Manon, gently blowing on Yoonchae’s fingers to quickly dry them, as the younger slumped against the pillows, completely lost to sleep.

The sight twisted something deep in Daniela’s chest.

She swallowed it down.

Sophia stretched, arms reaching out in front of her—almost knocking Dani in the face—as she let out a groan.

“I think Yoonchae’s got the right idea. Time for bed.”

“Yeah,” Manon murmured, rubbing her eyes. “Dani, once her nails are dry, tuck her in properly. She can sleep here. I’ll take the couch.”

“Don’t be stupid. You can sleep with me,” Sophia said.

Manon froze, her fingers tightening around the stray nail polish bottles she was gathering. Her eyes went wide for a fraction of a second.

“I-I mean in our room, in Yoonchae’s bed!” Sophia quickly continued, her voice an octave higher. Daniela hid a smile behind her hand, “Since she’s in your bed and– 

“Yeah Soph, that- that would be great, I’ll see you there,” Manon blubbered out as she made her way out the room. Sophia’s eyes followed her right until she left and then she let out a sigh, uncrossing her legs and getting up herself. She placed a firm hand on the top of Daniela’s head before she left the room.

“I’m proud of you for today. You worked hard,” she said simply. 

This time Daniela froze. She wasn’t used to receiving praise, so much so that it honestly made her uncomfortable, and she didn’t quite know how to react when she received it. Especially over something so menial as doing ‘well’ in training. The girls, especially Sophia, dished out a lot of praise to each other, and she still hadn’t gotten used to it. 

She forced a small smile. It was easier than trying to find the right words.

Satisfied, Sophia beamed down at her before skipping out of the room.

Dani exhaled.

She needed some air.

But first, she walked over to Yoonchae, carefully pulling the blanket up to her shoulders. As she tucked her in, Yoonchae stirred slightly, eyes fluttering open for just a moment.

“Shh, it’s okay. Go back to sleep,” Daniela whispered. “Manon took your bed. It’s fine.”

Yoonchae sighed softly, her body going still. Daniela smiled down at her before switching off the bedside lamp.

A few minutes later, she was outside, leaning against the wooden railing of the backyard deck, the crisp October air biting at her skin. She took a slow breath, letting the night settle into her lungs. There was something comforting about the dark—about the quiet.

But it was getting cold.

She heard the door to the house slide open behind her, and she turned her head a little to see Megan. She had her glasses on; Dani noticed, and she was approaching with a blanket in her hands, shivering already with every step.

“It’s freezing!” She exclaimed as she came to a stop beside Daniela. 

“Then why’d you come out here, weirdo?” Dani chuckled. 

“Because,” Megan stretched the word out, “You looked cold.” 

With that, she pressed the blanket she was holding into Dani’s chest. 

“You spying on me, Skiendel?” Daniela jabbed, narrowing her eyes playfully at the brunette.

“Don’t flatter yourself, Avanzini,” Megan rolled her eyes, “I saw you from the window.” 

Daniela hummed in acknowledgment and then took the blanket that was handed to her and unraveled it.

“Here, we’ll share,” she said.

She spread it over both their shoulders, forcing them to huddle closer together. Cold puffs of air curled from their mouths, disappearing into the night. But beneath the blanket, where their arms touched, there was only warmth.

“Why were you lurking past the windows anyway?” Daniela asked, leaning her elbows against the railing again. “Aren’t you tired? Everyone else is asleep.”

Megan sighed. “Can’t sleep.”

“Thoughts racing?”

“How’d you know?” Megan’s lips twisted into a small, tired smile.

Dani grinned. “You think too loud, girl. I could run to the other side of this grass and probably still hear your thoughts.”

Megan let out a surprised laugh and quickly slapped a hand over her mouth. She knew they were outside, but she still felt like they should be quiet. 

“Like, turn it down a bit. I’m trying to get my beauty rest sometimes, and I’m hearing your inner turmoil from the other room,” Daniela continued teasing. 

“Oh, I’m terribly sorry, Daniela,” Megan shot back, voice dripping with sarcasm. “Next time I’m having a thought spiral, I’ll just find the volume button.”

“Yeah, you better.”

They turned their gaze back to the sky. It was completely clear tonight—no stars, no moon—just an endless stretch of black.

“Why are you out here? Aren’t you tired?” Megan asked, bumping her shoulder against Dani’s.

Dani shrugged, just enough for Megan to feel it. “Just needed some air,” she said after a pause. “I like being outside when it’s dark sometimes.”

“Why?”

Dani hesitated. “I don’t know… I find it comforting, I guess.”

“Why?” Megan asked again, her curiosity unwavering.

Dani chuckled, finally meeting Megan’s eyes. “You ask a lot of questions, you know.”

Megan winced playfully. “Sorry.”

“No, it’s all good,” Dani reassured her. Then she caught the yawn Megan barely managed to stifle. “But how about I answer that next time we don’t have dance practice at seven in the morning?”

Megan groaned. “Good idea. Let’s go to bed.”

They made their way back inside, climbing the stairs to the second floor. Just as Megan was about to tiredly stumble into her room, Dani hesitated—then called out.

“Megan.”

Megan turned, brows raised.

Dani shifted on her feet, motioning vaguely toward her own head. “Do you, um… feel clearer?” she asked tentatively.

Megan blinked, then smiled. “Yeah. Thanks. You?”

“Yeah,” and Daniela was surprised to find she wasn’t lying, “Night weirdo.”

“Night, Dani.”

✰✩✩✩✩✩

So yes, things were going well at the Katseye house. More than well, in fact. The girls felt like they had a home with each other, and they felt comfortable and happy. They were singing, dancing, filming videos, and performing; doing the things they loved. They were beginning to understand each other on a deeper level and really trust one another and go to each other for anything. So, how did things manage to go so unbelievably wrong?