At Brown's Bookstore, Elsa sat behind the desk and thought about friends. She didn't really have any—only the people who were her colleagues at work, whom she talked to. Surely they were considered acquaintances; the level of closeness with them was distant, so they weren't considered her friends. That was fine. Most of the staff were older, and they barely talked anyway. Part of her wanted friends. Even when she hadn't slept with Jordin, she hadn't had friends—only Lucy, to be honest—and that was fine with her. Maintaining conversations felt exhausting. She liked her privacy. She liked her space. For now, friends didn't matter.
It was the weekend. Back at the apartment, Elsa sat on the couch with a book. Lucy sat at the dining table, scribbling a list of personal items she needed from the supermarket.
"What are you doing?" Elsa asked, watching her scribble on a piece of paper.
Lucy looked up, meeting Elsa's gaze with soft, easy familiarity. "I am writing the things we need to buy from the supermarket," she said.
"Okay," Elsa replied. Lucy turned back to her list.
"I should send you money for the things," Elsa offered.
Lucy looked across the room at her, her dark eyes narrowing slightly in affectionate skepticism. "No, it's fine. Most of the things I want to buy are mostly personal items for myself."
"Even though I want to help—"
"No, Elsa, it's fine," Lucy interrupted. She felt it was already enough that Elsa had paid their rent, and now she was doing more. She didn't want to exhaust her friend's cash when she didn't know if Elsa was entirely comfortable with it.
"Really? Because I actually want to be generous." Elsa smiled, her brown eyes bright and warm as she looked at Lucy. She had enough money to spare, and she wanted to spend it on her friend.
Lucy smiled back, studying Elsa's face to gauge her sincerity. "It depends. Do you truly want to give me money? Be honest?" she asked, not wanting to rob her friend when they were both still finding their footing.
"Yes, Lucy, I want to truly give you money," Elsa said, her gaze steady and reassuring.
Lucy searched her expression, still half-doubting. "Really?"
"Yes, really. I got a huge bonus at work. That's why I am offering."
"That's great!" Lucy beamed, genuine excitement lighting up her features. Her friend got a bonus, and that was awesome. "Okay, I want the money."
Elsa chuckled, a rich, fond sound. Her friend Lucy was endlessly funny to her. "Sure. Anything for my best sister."
Lucy smiled, her heart warming at the endearment.
Elsa picked up her phone, opened her banking app, and transferred the funds. Lucy's phone lay close beside her on the table, and a sharp chime rang out moments later.
"All done," Elsa said.
Lucy reached for her phone. "Thanks, Elsa, you're the best," she said, assuming it was a modest amount and just grateful her friend was willing to share.
She unlocked the screen, and her dark eyes widened in sheer shock. The sum was nine hundred dollars.
"Elsa!" Lucy shrieked, her head snapping up to stare across the room, her jaw slightly slack. "This is too much!"
Elsa met her stunned gaze with a playful, deadpan expression. "Is it? Because I actually feel like it's too small."
Lucy's eyes widened even further, darting between the phone screen and Elsa's composed face.
Elsa broke into a grin. "Just joking."
"I think it's too much, Elsa," Lucy breathed, the weight of the number sinking in before her gaze drifted back to meet Elsa's warm, smiling eyes.
"Just keep it. It's my little gift."
"Really?" Lucy asked, hope and disbelief flickering across her face.
"Yes, really," Elsa said, her chest tightening with a sweet sense of satisfaction at the look of pure happiness breaking across her friend's face.
"Thank you, Elsa. You are the absolute best," Lucy said happily, her eyes shining as she looked at her.
Elsa smiled softly, her warm brown eyes resting on Lucy, drinking in her excited expression. Seeing Lucy so genuinely appreciative made Elsa feel lighter, pulling a quiet desire from deep within her to just keep giving, to keep making her happy.
"Aww, thanks," Elsa murmured, her smile lingering.
She tilted her head, watching Lucy's glowing face before asking, "You know... I was wondering if you had friends."
"At work," Lucy answered without looking up, already drifting back into thoughts of what she could buy.
"Yes, some friends..."
Something quiet and sharp twisted in Elsa's chest. She didn't know why the mere thought of Lucy sharing her life, her smiles, with other people made a strange protectiveness flare up inside her. She didn't trust most people anyway; they could be misleading, complicated. Well, not all people, just most.
"Are you close with them?" Elsa asked, her gaze fixed intently on Lucy's profile.
"We are, but it's nothing serious. We do our jobs. We talk. That's it." Lucy shrugged, glancing up to meet Elsa's searching eyes.
Elsa knew that. People interacted. It was normal.
"Don't you have friends at work?" Lucy asked, tilting her head. "It helps sometimes."
"I do," Elsa said carefully. "Well... colleagues."
"Okay," Lucy replied, her dark eyes studying Elsa's guarded expression, reading the subtle shift in her posture.
"I don't need a lot of friends," Elsa added, her voice dropping into a firm cadence. "We say hi. Greetings. That's all." And honestly, it felt infinitely better that way.
Lucy held her gaze, knowing Elsa intimately—knowing the quiet, almost impenetrable shell she retreated into when she didn't feel like interacting. She doesn't like interacting much, Lucy thought, a tender fondness washing over her. Probably because she has me. And it was true. Elsa didn't think having a crowd of people around could ever make her feel truly important or happy. She was already complete with Lucy, content in their small world—except for the lingering, complicated ache of sleeping with Jordin, a secret she kept buried.
Elsa caught the knowing, affectionate look Lucy gave her, instantly reading the unspoken thoughts behind those dark eyes. She thinks I don't know how to make friends, Elsa thought to herself with a faint mental sigh.
"I'm just not enthusiastic about it," Elsa explained aloud, her voice softening. "I don't feel like it."
"I get it," Lucy said simply. Being social could be utterly draining. She understood that deep down.
The truth was, Elsa didn't want friends who demanded too much, who might make her feel small or try to boss her around. Her bond with Lucy was deeper and stronger than anything else in her life. They were comfortable with each other—completely free, safe, and happy. Lucy was her sister. It felt entirely natural. The thought of letting someone else in, of risking attachment to a stranger, felt like far too much effort.
"I'm glad we're together," Lucy said softly, her eyes locking onto Elsa's with unwavering loyalty. "Imagine if we were apart."
A quiet, fleeting thought crossed Lucy's mind: One day I might travel. Leave. But she quickly pushed it aside, smiling as she looked at Elsa. She liked knowing she mattered this intensely to someone.
"I'd hate that," Elsa said, her voice carrying a sudden, fierce edge.
"Me too," Lucy replied, her tone softening, completely unbothered by Elsa's intensity because she felt it too.
Elsa let the subject drop. Even though words weren't always necessary, she knew Lucy understood her place in her world. They were together. That was enough. Lucy was her best friend, her truest family. They had each other, and they would always look out for each other.
And that was more than fine.