Black Gun | winrina

unspoken (M)

Karina sat on the edge of her bed, flipping through the pages of a book, through her thoughts weren't on the story. Her mind was on Winter, who had been acting strange all day. There was a tension in the air that Karina couldn't quite place. They'd been best friends for eight months now, a friendship forged from secrets, late-night talks, and moments that felt like the world had shrunk to just the two of them. Karina had always been the more grounded one, the one who thought things through, while Winter was impulsive, quick to dive into anything that caught her interest.

The door creaked open, and Winter slipped inside, her usual carefree smile a little too forced today. She shuffled toward Karina, sitting next to her on the bed, keeping a bit more distance than usual. Winter's fingers twitched, almost like she was holding back from something.

Karina raised an eyebrow, looking up from her book. "You okay?"

Winter hesitated, her gaze darting around the room before landing on Karina's face. "I... I wanted to ask you something," she said, her voice quieter than usual. "I heard from my friend... something she said I should try." She paused, her cheeks flushing faintly. "It's about us, i meant i chose you."

Karina set the book aside, focusing entirely on Winter now. The way Winter spoke, her voice trembling slightly, was a sharp contrast to her bubbly confidence. "What do you mean?"

Winter shifted uncomfortably. "I—" She bit her lip, looking anywhere but Karina. "I've been thinking a lot about... us. And i guess, like, what if we... tried something? You know, like, just to see what it's like. My friend said it could be fun."

Karina felt her heart spike, a knot forming in her stomach. She'd always known Winter had a certain curiosity, but this? This felt different. Karina's mind raced, considering the words. She wasn't sure what Winter was implying, but it didn't take long to put the pieces together. Karina had always been the more mature one in their friendship, the one who knew when to draw boundaries, when to be careful. Winter, on the other hand, was still navigating the world with energy of someone who hadn't yet learned the full weight of her actions.

"What do you want to try?" Karina asked carefully, her voice steady, even though her insides churned.

Winter glanced at her, then quickly looked away again. "I... I don't know. I just thought maybe we could kiss? I mean, just once. Just to see if it's you know, something we like."

Karina's breath caught in her throat. It wasn't the first time the idea of kissing had come up between them, but never like this, never with Winter looking so unsure, so vulnerable. Karina had always protected their friendship with a kind of gentle firmness. She knew—what Winter was curious about—but that didn't mean it was something she was ready for, not with her.

Winter's voice dropped lower, her words almost a whisper. "I just... I don't want to regret not knowing, you know?"

"I get it," Karina said softly, meeting Winter's eyes. "But you need to understand something. If we do this—if we cross that line—it's not just a 'thing we try,' it's something that could change everything. Do you really want that?"

Winter swallowed hard, her expression faltering for just a second. "I don't know. I think I do. But... I don't want to lose you, Karina. I just want to... know. I don't know how else to explain it."

Karina's heart softened. She saw the vulnerability in Winter's face, the fear of pushing boundaries with someone she cared so much about. Karina had never been one to shy away from hard decisions, and this one, too, felt like something she could navigate. But the stakes were high, higher than anything they'd done before.