Chapter Text
Valentina doesn’t know how her fingertips are like fire whenever she brushes them alone Juliana impulsively. How could she know? She isn’t aware how much Juliana was pining for her ever since the day she’s met her and that’s okay, at least that’s what Juliana tells herself. Day after day since they’ve met, the amount of time they spend together is just ridiculous. Maybe Juliana isn’t falling for her new friend, maybe she’s just so appreciative of having an instant bond like this with another girl. She hasn’t had this close of a friend in so long because of the constant moving her mom and her go through, she thinks.
However it’s the moments where it feels like absolutely no one else in the world exists but the two of them when they’re melted alone together. Her heart and mind is all over the place when she wonders about the “what if’s”. What if Valentina reciprocated these feelings back? What if all the times Valentina pressed her forehead against hers was just a test to see if it was okay for her to lean in closer? What if Juliana is just delusional and romanticizing everything? She tries to bring herself back to reality. And reality is, Valentina is not into her and she has a whole boyfriend! Lucho. The asshole. Juliana shakes her head at the thought of him because how could she be someone like that?
“Are you okay?” The sound of Valentina’s voice snaps her out of her running thoughts.
“Yeah!” She accidentally responds very fast.
Valentina raises her eyebrow at her and smiles. God, why is she looking at me like that? Juliana whines to herself.
They were watching a movie with Sergio and Lucho, where Sergio was on her left side, Valentina on her right, and Lucho on the other side of Valentina. The two were in the middle of the guys but Juliana just wishes Valentina would give up trying to hook up Sergio with her, because that will just never happen. It’s not that she has anything against Sergio, well he could be narcissistic, but it’s in general that she finds men repulsive most times to the point she doesn’t even want to imagine herself romantically involved with one. Women, on the other hand, she’s never really put too much thought into but with Valentina, it feels so personal and connected. She furrows her eyebrow as she gets lost in her thoughts once again.
Okay, maybe she likes the girl, but it’s harmless. It’s okay. It’s just a lovely imagination to get past the day. Nothing more and nothing less.. but if Lucho tries to sneak another damn kiss on Valentina’s neck and grip her thigh again, she’s going to lose it and the next thing she knows, he’s doing exactly that.
At the same time, Sergio is trying to put his arm around her but she stands up and excuses herself to the bathroom before he gets the chance to. There’s never been more of a moment in her life that she rather be at home or even rather selling lottery tickets at the park, just anything to get out of this situation and maybe never come back. How much longer can she deal with this?
—
Sergio and Lucho leave not so long after the movie ends because somewhere during the movie, Valentina is yelling at Lucho for something he said and it leads to him making comments about her dead father so she kicked him out and told him that she rather spend time with Juliana. She smiled to herself hard when she overheard that.
“Babe, I didn’t mean to bring your dad up-“ Lucho pleads but Valentina shuts the door in his face and locks it with her back against the door.
Juliana walks up to her and asks if she was okay. Valentina just smiles at her, okay she has to be stopped like seriously, Juliana thinks to herself. “I’m okay. Thank you for being here with me this late,” The tall girl hugs her in relief.
Juliana lifts her arms slowly and hugs back, with her open hands placed on the other girl’s back. “Always.” She says softly with the feeling in her chest aching.
Valentina pulls away from the hug. “I need a shot!” The girl says before skipping off to the kitchen. Juliana’s smiling because this is really her favorite person, she wouldn’t want to be around anyone else but her, but as a friend! Of course. Again, nothing more and nothing less.
“Are you going to take one with me?” Valentina pours tequila into two shot glasses, as she Juliana has already made her decision.
“No, but I’ll cheer for you as you take both of them,” She shakes her head as encouragement at the other girl. Juliana has never been drunk in her life and she didn’t want to start tonight and not be in her right mind around Valentina. That’s risky. Not that there’s anything to be risky about in the first place, why would there be?- and Juliana’s mind conflicts with itself once again.
“Come on, Juls. Just one shot,” Valentina has the devil’s water in her hand in front of Juliana, wanting for her to retrieve it. Juliana looks down at the tequila and back up at Valentina, who has this look on her face that she puts on anytime she wants something. And it works. Damn it, Juls.
Juliana takes the tiny glass and takes a deep breath in. “Just one.” She repeats and Valentina smiles hard.
They cling the glasses together and take the shot with their heads tilted back. It fucking stings. A heavy ass lingering sting. The tequila slides down her throat, leaving also a warm feeling. Valentina claps for her and takes the glass out of her hand.
“One more,” The girl laughs.
“Val!” Juliana’s eyes widen.
“Juls!” Valentina responds quickly and they both burst out laughing. This. This moment, right here. It’s so easy being happy around her, it scares Juliana. She doesn’t ever want to lose this girl.
Valentina takes a couple steps back to Juliana with another round and she isn’t sure about this at all. “Val, I don’t think so,” She says with her head shaking no.
The taller girl sets the shot glasses down on the counter and reaches for Juliana’s hands, caressing them with her thumb as she keeps her eyes fixated with Juliana’s. “One night. Just let yourself go for one night,” Her words and soft and so pleading, it’s making Juliana melt.
“I-I don’t know how I’ll get home,” Juliana tries to make this excuse but Valentina smiled like she already that something in mind.
“Stay over,” Valentina suggests.
“Val, no,” Juliana is so used to shutting down anything Valentina suggests because the girl once literally offered to buy her a car. She doesn’t want to feel like she’s intruding.
“We can have breakfast together in the morning, you love breakfast!” She’s trying to convince Juliana and it’s not her words that are making this hard for her to say no, it’s her hands and how terribly right it feels.
“Okay.” Juliana rolls her eyes and smiles.
“Okay?!” Valentina’s voice gets louder as she takes her hands and claps.
“Val! Shh!” She laughs and takes the shot glass from the counter.
Tequila is like water for Valentina, and for Juliana, well.. Her eyes get a little red.
Juliana watches Valentina pour tequila in the glass for another shot. She grins and asks, “Why does it feel like you’re going to mess my life up?”
Valentina lips curve as she sets the bottle upright and looks at Juliana. She licks her lips and replies, “A little mess never hurt anybody.”