choni one shots ❥

pretending doesn't get you anywhere

angst, im sorry lol

"Fangs," She said, laying up from her bed to face the boy who was sat next to her.

"Mhm?" He exclaimed, not looking away from the TV.

"How do you fall out of love with someone you know you can't have?" Toni asked, fighting with her hands.

"I don't know, I think the best way is to cut them off altogether, why?" Questioned Fangs with a sad smile. He knew why. He knew that Toni had been in love with Cheryl for 3 years, only Cheryl had her eyes on someone else. His heart ached for Toni, not only because she's his best friend, but also because he saw the longing stares of affection and admiration Toni exchanged with her, al the nights she would stay up waiting for a single message from Cheryl. He knew everything. 

"No reason, but I gotta' head off, stay safe okay?" She whispered as she gave her bestfriend a hug before exiting his trailer and walking into her own, calling Cheryl to come over.

----

She stared at Cheryl as she touched the trinkets on her shelves, fingers trailing over the spines of her favourite books. It wasn't the first time she's been in Toni's room. It wasn't the first time Toni had felt jealous of paper, the way her touch lingered, the way a shiver skates down her vertebrae. 

"Is this new?" Cheryl asked, holding up one of the small items. She couldn't see what it was, her head hanging off the edge of her bed, eyes caught on the curve of Cheryl's mouth, the laughter lines framing her eyes. 

"Probably." She said. 

"You didn't even look!" Cheryl laughed, something so beautiful in Toni's eyes. She crouched down at the side of Toni's single bed, small trinket in hand and bumped it against her nose. "This," She scrunched her nose in mock- annoyance, "Is new? I don't think I've seen this before." 

She had, years ago in an arcade machine up the seafront. She spent all of Toni's money to try and get it. Cheryl's face had been bright pink in joy, Toni's heart had clenched so painfully in her chest, she was scared she was going to pass out. 

"Oh, yeah?" Toni took it from her. It was choppily carved wood, a frog no bigger than an inch. "pretty sure this is from the north pier." She said, as if she couldn't remember the smell of Cheryl's perfume, or the feel of the rough arcade carpet where they had both collapsed with laughter, frog held victoriously high in the neon air. 

"Oh, yeah!" A smile engulfed Cheryl's rosy cheeks, nose brushing Toni's as she rocked on her heels. "How could i have forgotten?" Toni knew she was teasing her, but they stared at each other, her cheeks still heating under their gaze, thinking of memories; swimming in the sea, burying her in the sand, the taste of hot chocolate as the sunset turned her sunburn golden. She had fed her marshmallows. They're gone in a blink, frog plucked out of her fingers and being settled back on the shelf across the room. She wondered how many perfect opportunities she will miss, how many more times her face will be so close to her own, eyes soft and lips parted. She watched her fiddle with her miniature figures, the rogue hides behind a candle, the cleric climbs a jagged staircase in the air. She smiled a sad smile, knowing it was now or never.

"Cheryl, I really like you." She exclaimed, looking down as she sat upwards on the bed. 

"I can't believe I didn't realise it before," She said after a short pause, giddy and smiling in acceptance. It wasn't for the first time that that smile brought a painful quake to Toni's heart. "You were there all along and I didn't see it."

"I can't believe it either." She answered in a disappointed manner.

"Isn't the world amazing that way," Cheryl chuckles as she reached for Toni's hand but Toni soon backed away.

"No, it's really not." Toni could hear her own voice shaking as she let out a sad chuckle to hide the fact that  her heart had just broken into a trillion pieces.

"What's wrong, TT?"

"You didn't see it? You didn't see me chasing you? You didn't see me listening to you every time you talked about her? Every time you needed help, or hell, when you lost your stupid fucking keys? You never saw me?" She would never yell at Cheryl as she knew she hated it when people raised their voices at her, but she couldn't help it.

"Of course I saw you," She tried to reassure, "I mean I just didn't realise what it all meant." Cheryl said, trying to cup Toni's face.

"I'm sorry but I don't believe that. You're not that stupid," She paused, taking a good look at Cheryl's face, "But you may be that selfish." 

Toni had always imagined the moment that Cheryl realised she was in love with her to be such a joyous moment. She had imagined it again and again, but something always felt off. Now, at last, she knew what it was.

"You knew I was there all along. But you didn't care until now. When you lost someone better." 

"Come on Toni, you know that's not true."

"Do I? Really Cheryl, do I?" Her voice begun to break as she watched Cheryl's eyes fill with water. "God, how could I be so dumb." She laughed, hiding her face with her palms.

"Toni," Cheryl cried, biting her quivering lip.

"You never cared, did you? You never gave to shits about me. I literally dropped everything for you, and I never got an ounce of that in return. All I got was you talking about how much you're in love with someone who fucking abuses you." Toni's tone was louder than average and her eyes were filled with tears as she watched Cheryl give an accepting nod and a small but depressed smile appear on her solemn face.

"Wow,"

"I'm sorry, but it's true. Don't start pretending that you ever cared for one minute about me." 

"So what now." Cheryl exclaimed, wiping he tears with the sleeve of her hoodie.

"I think it's best if we don't talk to each other, just for a short while." 

"Fuck you Toni," She finally said, turning her back and walking out of the trailer.