Leona arrived late, as always. It wasn’t intentional—never was—but time had a way of slipping through her fingers, and she had long since embraced her reputation. Better late than never. That was her motto, and it had served her well enough.
She stepped through the grand doors of the event hall, the warmth inside instantly brushing away the evening chill. The soft glow of golden lights illuminated the space, casting a hazy shimmer over elegantly dressed guests. Her deep red dress clung to her frame in all the right places, the gold embroidery catching the light as she moved. The slit along her thigh allowed for easy strides, and the off-shoulder design left just enough skin bare to command attention without demanding it.
But Leona had eyes for only one person at the moment. Or two.
“Atreus,” she greeted, slipping through the crowd to where he stood. She grinned as she pulled him into a firm hug. “I heard congratulations are in order.”
Atreus chuckled, returning the embrace. “Ah, so you do keep up with important things. I half-expected you to miss my engagement entirely.”
“Please, give me some credit,” Leona said, placing a hand over her heart in feigned offense. “I’d never miss your engagement—just the first hour of it.”
Atreus laughed, shaking his head. “Some things never change. You know, I’d be more concerned if you ever showed up on time.”
A soft voice chimed in beside them. “I, for one, am glad you made it.”
Leona turned to Soraka, who looked as serene as ever, her lavender dress flowing like water. She had always carried herself with a quiet grace, an almost ethereal presence.
“Soraka, congratulations.” Leona’s smile was genuine as she took Soraka’s hands in her own. “Atreus is lucky to have you.”
Soraka gave a small laugh, squeezing Leona’s hands. “I think we’re lucky to have each other.” Then, with a glimmer of excitement in her eyes, she said, “Actually, there’s someone I want you to meet.”
Leona quirked an eyebrow. “Oh?”
“My best friend from university,” Soraka explained, already glancing over her shoulder. “You’ll love her. She’s incredible.”
Leona nodded. “If you say so.”
Soraka turned slightly, scanning the crowd, her eyes lit up before she called out, “Diana, over here!”
Leona’s breath stilled when she heard the name. The name alone was enough to freeze her in place but calmed herself down a little after that. Not every Diana is that Diana, Leona.
And then she turned.
For a split second, Leona thought she was imagining things. But no—the woman making her way toward them was unmistakable. The platinum-silver hair was new, but the rest of her? The way she moved, the familiar sharpness in her gaze—it was Diana.
Leona’s stomach twisted.
Judging by the slight shift in Diana’s expression, she hadn’t expected this either. There was a beat of hesitation before she schooled her features into something neutral, polite. A stranger’s smile, despite everything they had been to each other.
Leona mirrored it. Forced. Measured.
Soraka, oblivious to the tension settling between them, smiled brightly. “Leona, this is Diana. Diana, this is Leona, Atreus’ best friend.”
Diana gave a small nod. “Hi, Leona.”
“Hey, Diana.” Leona kept her voice steady, casual. As if her pulse wasn’t hammering in her ears. As if she hadn’t once memorized every detail of the person standing before her.
If Atreus or Soraka noticed the stiffness in their greeting, they didn’t say anything. Instead, Soraka clapped her hands together. “I think you two would get along. You’re both important to us, so it’s nice to finally introduce you.”
Leona barely heard her. Her focus remained on Diana, reading the subtle tension in the way she stood—arms crossing lightly over her stomach, the way she always did when she was guarding herself.
Diana wasn’t looking at her anymore. Instead, she glanced toward the drinks table, as if already searching for an exit.
Leona exhaled slowly.
This was going to be a long night.
--
The party carried on around Leona like a blur. Laughter, music, clinking glasses—the kind of noise that normally made her feel at ease. But tonight, it felt hollow. Her thoughts kept pulling her back to Diana, back to everything they had shared and everything they had lost.
She had imagined this night differently. Atreus’s engagement party was supposed to be fun, a celebration with friends she hadn’t seen in ages. But now that Diana was here, sitting just across the room, the night felt suffocating. The weight of the past pressed down on her chest, suffocating in the best way. Diana had always had that effect on her.
Leona shifted in her seat at the open bar, nursing her drink as her gaze unconsciously drifted across the room. There, in the middle of a conversation with Soraka, stood Diana. She was wearing a backless, deep midnight blue dress that caught the light every time she moved, accentuating her every curve. The silver accents along the straps glimmered, the fabric of the dress flowing effortlessly, sleek and elegant. The low back exposed the pale skin Leona had once traced with her fingertips, a body she had once known so well. Diana’s platinum silver hair cascaded down her back in soft waves, framing her face perfectly. The hair that used to be jet black, the color of the night sky—now, it looked almost ethereal, catching the light like strands of moonbeams.
Diana had always been beautiful. That was nothing new. But time had done something to her. She had always carried herself with a quiet elegance, but now, it was refined, almost regal. Every movement was deliberate, every word she spoke carefully measured. She was the same Diana, but different. And somehow, that made everything worse.
It was a bitter thought that leapt to Leona’s mind—Diana had broken her heart. Diana, standing across the room, so beautiful and so fucking untouchable. And here Leona was, sitting at the bar, watching her with an ache in her chest, feeling every ounce of that old, unhealed wound like it had just happened.
She shook her head, draining her glass in one go, the burn of alcohol doing little to dull the gnawing ache in her heart. It had been years. Years.
But it was true what they said. You never forget your first love. Diana was her first kiss, her first love, the first to make her feel alive in a way no one else had before. And in the end, she was also the first person to shatter her heart into pieces.
A soft sigh escaped Leona’s lips. Her fingers curled around the rim of the glass, but she didn’t lift it for another drink. She couldn’t. Her mind was spiraling, taking her back to the nights when they were inseparable.
It hadn’t been perfect. Nothing ever was. But those years they spent together were real—maybe the most real thing Leona had ever known. The longing that lingered in her chest, the quiet sadness she’d carried ever since their breakup—it had never fully gone away. She had tried to move on, tried to forget, but Diana always haunted her.
Leona ran her fingers through her hair, her gaze slipping once more to where Diana stood, now laughing softly with Soraka. She tried to push the feeling down, but it was like trying to drown a fire with more fuel.
It had been a mistake, she told herself. She should’ve been the one to come out on her own terms. But at that time, she was not ready. And Diana… Diana had waited for her, patiently, endlessly. Until she couldn’t anymore. Until she had suggested they leave, start somewhere new, be together away from everything.
But Leona had not been ready. She was not ready to leave everything she had behind. To leave her family, her friends, her whole world. And Diana, in her quiet, unspoken way, had made a choice. A choice to move on.
Leona’s heart clenched.
She pushed her chair back, her movements sharp as she stood and turned toward the exit. The cool night air was a welcome relief from the suffocating weight inside.
She needed space.
The door shut behind her with a soft click, and Leona let out a long, steadying breath as she stepped out into the night. The cold hit her immediately, but she didn’t mind. It was a reminder that she was still here, that she was still standing. She walked a little further away from the building, just enough to feel like she could breathe without everything closing in around her.
She was outside, alone with her thoughts, but even then, she could feel Diana. Like a ghost in the back of her mind, lingering. Unforgiven. Unresolved.
Leona leaned against a cold brick wall, her breath visible in the chill. She closed her eyes, but even then, she saw Diana. Saw the way she moved, the way her laugh echoed in the air. Saw the faintest trace of that smile they used to share, the one that always made Leona feel like she was home.
The moon shone brightly above her, its silver light casting soft shadows on the ground. Leona swallowed, her fingers brushing over the back of her neck, where a small tattoo of a crescent moon had been etched so many years ago, while Diana had the sun. A symbol Leona had never erased, never thought to. It felt so long ago now, and yet it was still there, a reminder that she hadn’t forgotten.
Leona sucked in a shaky breath. She wasn’t ready for this. She wasn’t ready to feel this way again, not with everything that had happened, everything they had lost. But Diana was here. And for better or worse, the past had a way of creeping back in when you least expected it.
--
Leona stood outside, the cool air biting at her skin, but she didn’t mind. The sting was a welcome distraction from the storm raging inside her chest. She leaned against the brick wall, cigarette dangling from her fingers, watching the faint wisp of smoke curl into the night sky. It wasn’t the first time she’d found herself outside, wallowing in her own bitterness, trying to chase the ache in her chest away. Tonight, though, it felt heavier than usual.
Inside, the party continued. Laughter, music, and the murmur of conversations bled through the walls of the venue. Diana was in there, probably laughing and talking with Soraka and Atreus like it was just another day. Like they were just two people with no history, no scars, no unfinished business. Leona didn’t care what they were talking about. She just wanted to stop thinking.
The cigarette in her hand burned down to a small nub, and she flicked it to the ground, crushing it under her boot. She needed another. Her fingers fumbled for the pack in her pocket. The familiar motions were automatic, almost comforting in their repetition.
It was supposed to be a night of fun. A chance to forget everything. Instead, here she was, outside in the cold, nursing a fresh wave of regret and longing.
Then, as if fate had decided that Leona’s self-inflicted misery wasn’t enough, a figure appeared at the door of the venue. Leona didn’t have to look up to know who it was.
Diana.
Fuck. She couldn’t seem to avoid her tonight.
For years, they had managed to stay away from each other—avoiding the ghost of what they used to be. But now? Now it felt like all the gods in heaven and hell were having a good laugh, throwing Leona and Diana back into each other’s space, into each other’s orbit, like they hadn’t been apart for years.
Leona pretended she didn’t see Diana, took another drag from her cigarette, and exhaled slowly, watching the smoke swirl into the cold night. There were plenty of spaces out here; surely, Diana could go somewhere else. Leona wasn’t in the mood for conversation, not tonight.
But no.
Diana stopped just a few feet away, close enough for Leona to feel the tension in the air, yet not enough to touch. The space between them seemed to buzz with unspoken words. Diana stood there, silent, like she wasn’t sure how to break the quiet, or maybe she was waiting for Leona to speak first.
The silence stretched long. Leona didn’t look at her, didn’t acknowledge her presence. Instead, she focused on the ember of her cigarette, the heat radiating from it, the way it burned down with each drag.
But then, Diana spoke.
“I can’t believe you’re still smoking.” Her voice was soft but clear, carrying a hint of disbelief, almost like she was reprimanding Leona, but without the sharpness. Just… observation.
Leona let out a small, bitter laugh. She could feel the weight of Diana’s gaze now, even though she didn’t look at her. “If I remember correctly, you used to smoke with me.” She took another drag, voice flat.
Diana chuckled softly, and it sent a strange flutter through Leona’s chest. “I stopped a long time ago,” she said, her tone light, almost nostalgic.
Leona didn’t respond right away. The conversation seemed to halt again, the tension in the air thick as fog. There was so much left unsaid, so many years between them that it felt impossible to bridge in just a few words.
Diana shifted slightly, but not enough to close the distance between them. Leona couldn’t help but notice how the moonlight reflected off her platinum hair, how she still had that same quiet elegance, even in a simple moment like this. It was almost too much to bear. The years had only made her more beautiful, more distant.
For a moment, Leona almost wanted to step forward, to close the gap between them. But she stopped herself. She couldn’t. Not after everything.
The night stretched between them, thick with unspoken words and unresolved feelings. Leona’s cigarette burned down to its last drag. She inhaled deeply, held it for a second, then let the smoke escape through her lips in a slow, deliberate exhale. She didn’t light another one.
Diana stood beside her, arms loose at her sides, posture composed in that quiet way that used to drive Leona crazy. Even now, after all these years, she still carried herself like nothing could shake her.
Leona’s eyes stayed trained on the horizon, though her mind was a mess of bitterness, anger, and the kind of confusion she thought she’d left behind years ago. It was funny, in a way, how easy it was for Diana to stir everything up again.
Diana broke the silence first.
“I didn’t know Atreus was your best friend.” She said it like it was just a random thought, casual even. “But since he is, and Soraka’s my best friend, I guess we’re kind of stuck with each other, huh?”
Leona couldn’t help but feel the dryness in her throat as Diana continued, her tone as calm and measured as always. “Maybe it’s time we just be adults about it. Civil, you know?”
Of course.
Leona almost rolled her eyes. That was such a Diana thing to say. Always so rational, always the voice of reason. The mature one, the calm one. Even now, standing here with years of history pressing between them, Diana could still say something so practical.
Leona wanted to argue, to tell Diana that it wasn’t that simple, that being adults didn’t erase the past, but she bit back the words.
Instead, she sighed. “Fine.”
Diana shifted slightly, still standing near her, her presence somehow both comforting and excruciating. Leona didn’t know how much longer she could take this.
“So,” Leona forced the words out, trying to continue the conversation, “How’ve you been? What’s… what’s your life been like?”
Diana glanced at her, the briefest flicker of something crossing her face before she spoke. “I’m a lawyer now.” She smiled slightly, almost like she was waiting for Leona’s reaction. “Got my own firm, actually.”
Leona couldn’t help it. She scoffed, a bitter sound that escaped before she could stop herself. “Of course you did,” she muttered under her breath.
Diana’s eyes sharpened, her posture shifting slightly. She crossed her arms, a gesture that reminded Leona of all the times she’d done it when she was trying to hold herself together. “What’s that supposed to mean?” Diana asked, her voice calm but with an edge of defensiveness.
Leona’s frustration boiled over, her words tumbling out before she could think better of it. “It must be nice, right? Having everything you wanted. You’re a successful lawyer now. Opened your own firm. Meanwhile, I’m just… stuck. Stuck in the past. Stuck with everything that happened between us.”
Diana’s expression shifted, but she didn’t interrupt.
Her breath came quicker now, her heart pounding in her chest. She didn’t realize how much she was holding in until the words spilled out, jagged and raw.
Leona swallowed hard. “You left me, and I—I felt like my whole world ended. And you? You just moved on like it was nothing. Like we were nothing.”
She exhaled sharply, shaking her head. “I mean, don’t get me wrong. I’m happy with my life. I train athletes, I make good money, I get to do what I love. But it’s just not fair that you get to stand here all calm and composed while I…” She gestured vaguely, frustration bleeding into her tone.
Diana stayed quiet, her face unreadable.
Leona let out a shaky breath. “It’s like I was the only one who struggled.” Her voice was softer now, the fight draining out of her. “Like I was the only one who cared enough to struggle.”
The words lingered in the space between them, heavy and cutting. Leona could feel her chest tightening, her stomach in knots, the weight of everything she hadn’t said all these years flooding her all at once.
And then, just as suddenly as it came, the anger fizzled out, leaving only a cold emptiness behind. Leona swallowed hard, realizing she had vented everything she’d been holding in. She let out a shaky breath, the air suddenly feeling too thick, too tight around her.
The air between them felt like it was crackling with the energy of everything unsaid, everything that had been buried for years, now clawing its way to the surface. Diana’s stance didn’t soften; it only became more defensive, her arms crossed tightly as if she was physically bracing herself for the storm that Leona had unleashed.
“How dare you,” Diana’s voice dropped, quieter but no less fierce. Her eyes locked onto Leona with a look that could’ve burned through steel. “How dare you accuse me of having it easy? After everything?”
Leona’s stomach churned, a knot tightening in her chest as Diana’s words hit like a slap. Diana took a step closer, her face hard with emotion, and the air grew thick with the weight of their unresolved history.
“Leona, you were my whole life. You were my only friend before you were my lover. You were everything to me.” Her voice cracked, just barely, but enough for Leona to hear the pain that still lingered. “When you rejected the idea of moving after school, it was like you were throwing everything away. Throwing me away. When you said no… my whole world stopped. So, what was I supposed to do? What choice did I have but to rebuild a life for myself?”
Leona’s jaw clenched as the hurt from those years ago bubbled up, burning her throat. She opened her mouth to respond, but Diana was already on the attack again.
“You were the one who rejected it, Leona. You were the one who pushed me away when all I wanted was to be with you, to give you space to be yourself. But you couldn’t do it.” Diana’s eyes glittered with a mix of hurt and anger.
Leona shot back, her voice louder than she intended, a surge of frustration rising in her chest. “Because what you were asking me was too much! To leave everything behind—my family, my life… you were forcing me to come out of the closet, to everyone. It wasn’t just about moving, Diana. It was about changing everything, and I wasn’t ready for that. I couldn’t just throw everything away for you.”
Diana’s eyes flashed with a mix of disbelief and sadness. “No. Classic Leona, you didn’t listen and you make up scenarios in your head about me. I never forced you to come out. I never pressured you into anything. I was just offering you a space where you could be yourself, where you could love me without the weight of the world on your shoulders. All I asked was that we move away, start fresh, give you room to breathe before you could tell everyone about us. I didn’t ask you to leave everyone behind. I never asked that. You could’ve come back home, Leona. You could have come back whenever you wanted.”
The words hit Leona like a punch. She hadn’t seen it like that before. Her chest felt tight, her mind racing. Why didn’t she say this back then? Why didn’t Diana explain?
Leona took a step back, her voice softer now, but still filled with an edge of frustration. “Then why didn’t you tell me this back then?”
Diana’s eyes darkened, her frustration turning into something more resigned, more painful. “Because I didn’t get the chance, Leona. The moment I suggested moving, you shut me out. You didn’t want to listen. You didn’t even give me a chance to explain. You didn’t even try to understand. You pushed me out, and I had to leave because there was nothing else for me back there.”
The silence that fell between them after that felt suffocating. The tension still lingered in the air, thick and unrelenting. Leona could feel her chest tightening, her thoughts spiraling. They should have communicated better. They should have listened to each other. But now it was too late for all that.
Leona looked at Diana, the weight of everything pressing down on her, and for a long time, neither of them spoke. The party inside continued, distant, irrelevant. The past loomed large, taking up space between them.
Finally, Leona exhaled, the sound heavy, tired. “Sometimes, I wish I was still seventeen.” Her voice was quiet, a thread of longing woven through it. “Back when everything was okay… back when we weren’t angry at each other. Back when it was simple.”
Diana’s expression softened, and for a brief moment, Leona saw the person she used to love so much. She saw the girl who had once made everything feel like it was going to be okay.
“I feel the same,” Diana murmured, the words low but genuine. Her arms uncrossed slightly, and she shifted where she stood, as if trying to make herself smaller, less guarded. “I wish we could just go back to that… to before.”
But the past was gone . It was just the two of them now, two people who once meant everything to each other, now separated by years, by distance, by the things they never said.
And as they stood there in the cool night air, neither of them knew what to do with all the things they had finally said.
--
Leona hesitated, her gaze still lingering on Diana as she took a slow breath, finally asking the question that had been gnawing at her all night. “What happens now?” she asked, cautious, unsure of how to proceed, or if Diana even wanted to.
Diana didn’t immediately answer. Instead, she took a moment, collecting her thoughts, as if weighing Leona’s words carefully. When she did speak, her voice was measured, calm, as it always had been. “I think… now, I’d like to go back to the party,” Diana said, her tone smooth, as if the emotional storm that had just passed between them was already behind her. “I’ve been gone long enough, and Soraka might be wondering where I am.” She paused for a moment, glancing at Leona, as if trying to gauge her reaction. “As for what will happen with us, I’m ready to move on from this… this years-long feud we’ve had. If you’re not ready for it, then I hope we can at least be civil in front of our friends. For tonight, anyway.”
Leona was silent for a moment, her thoughts swirling. She wanted to say something, anything, but the words felt like they were just out of reach. Finally, she nodded slowly, her voice soft but steady. “Yeah. I’m ready too,” she agreed, surprising herself with how true it felt. Maybe it wasn’t forgiveness—not yet—but it was the first step towards something that didn’t feel as heavy.
Diana gave a small nod, and without another word, she turned to head back inside. Leona followed not far behind, her mind still racing. But as they stepped toward the door, a gust of wind blew through the night air, catching Diana’s long silver hair, sending it swirling gently behind her. Leona’s eyes were drawn to it—the hair, the graceful movement of it—but more than that, to the small, almost forgotten detail just behind Diana’s ear.
The tattoo.
Leona’s breath caught in her throat for a split second. The sun. The design she had seen so many years ago, now permanently etched on Diana’s skin, the one that mirrored her own moon tattoo. Diana hadn’t removed it. That simple, small thing—something they had shared, something that had once meant so much to both of them— still existed.
But Leona didn’t say anything. She simply followed Diana, staying quiet, the weight of the moment between them still lingering, but less suffocating now. Diana opened the door, and with a quick glance over her shoulder, waited for Leona to join her. They walked back toward their best friends—Atreus and Soraka—like they hadn’t just shared the most intimate and painful conversation of their lives. Like they hadn’t spent the past few minutes unraveling everything they’d buried so deep inside.
The rest of the night passed in a quiet but peaceful manner. The tension between Leona and Diana didn’t disappear, but it wasn’t nearly as thick as it had been. They didn’t speak again, but there was an unspoken understanding. An acknowledgment that things between them would never be the same, but maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing after all. They were both different now, older, more capable of seeing each other clearly.
As the party wound down and everyone began to say their goodbyes, Leona found herself standing next to Diana again. It was almost time to leave. The night had taken unexpected turns, but now, standing there, Leona realized it wasn’t so bad. Not as bad as she thought. Not as bad as it had been in the past.
Leona hesitated before speaking again, her voice quieter this time. “Is it… okay if I hug you?” The question hung in the air, fragile, uncertain.
Diana blinked, surprised, but after a beat, she nodded. “Yeah,” she said softly. “I think it’s okay.”
And so, Leona reached out. The hug was awkward at first—both of them stiff, unsure—but as their arms wrapped around each other, the tension from earlier seemed to melt away, if only for a moment. They both chuckled, a little awkward laugh escaping, but it was warm. Familiar. Comforting in a way neither of them expected. It was how Leona remembered it, how it used to be.
They stayed in the hug longer than they probably should have, and neither of them seemed to mind. The world felt just a little softer in that moment. A little kinder.
Eventually, they pulled apart, both of them standing there, lingering in the shared space, neither quite ready to break the connection.
Diana smiled then, a small, genuine smile, and it warmed Leona’s heart more than she expected. “Goodbye, Leona, I’ll see you around.” she said softly, her voice steady but not cold. She turned to walk toward her car, but not without one last glance in Leona’s direction.
Leona watched her go, the knot in her chest loosening just a little bit more. The night hadn’t started off great, but now, somehow, it felt lighter . And Diana was right—they were adults now. It was time to move on.
With a deep breath, Leona turned and walked toward her own car, her heart still heavy, but in a way that felt manageable. She would let it go. And maybe, just maybe, there was still space for the two of them to be something other than what they had been.
The night was cooler now, the air crisp, and for the first time in a long while, Leona felt like she could breathe.