Outside Work We... •[TNN One-shots]•

Puddles •|| MIALOTTE ||• [Dictionaries Continuation]

Prompt: Mia and Charlotte need a break from studying.

It was already 10 PM, and the stress of midterms weighed heavily on Mia and Charlotte. They had been pouring over textbooks for hours, papers scattered across the floor in front of them. The apartment was quiet, save for the soft rustle of pages turning and the occasional sigh of frustration.

Mia, leaning back against the couch, let out a groan, rubbing her eyes. “I think my brain’s about to turn to mush,” she muttered. She glanced at Charlotte, who was furiously scribbling down notes in an attempt to absorb all the material.

Charlotte’s eyes flickered over to Mia, catching the weariness in her expression. “We could take a break, if you want,” she suggested, a small smile tugging at her lips.

Mia raised an eyebrow. “A break? What time is it?”

“10 PM. You know, a totally reasonable hour for a break,” Charlotte teased, tapping her pen on the edge of the notebook.

Mia rolled her eyes but smiled, clearly grateful for the distraction. “Okay, okay. What do you want to do?”

Without warning, Charlotte stood up, stretching her arms above her head. “You’re gonna think I’m crazy, but I’ve got an idea.”

Mia watched with a curious grin as Charlotte made her way to the door, opening it and stepping outside.

“Charlotte, where are you going?” Mia called out, feeling the chill of the night air creeping in through the doorway.

Charlotte turned back with a mischievous grin. “You said you were tired. So we’re going to make a puddle.”

Mia blinked in confusion. “A puddle? It’s 10 PM.”

Charlotte shrugged, already slipping on her shoes. “Exactly. Come on, I’ll show you.”

Mia hesitated for a moment but couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped her lips. “You’re insane.” But she followed Charlotte outside anyway, intrigued despite herself.

The cool night air hit her like a splash of cold water, and she shivered as Charlotte led her down to the small patch of grass in front of their building. The rain from earlier in the day had left a perfect, reflective puddle in the center of the courtyard.

“Alright,” Charlotte said, her voice low, “we’re making a puddle."

Mia couldn’t help but laugh. “I have no idea what that even means.”

Without another word, Charlotte stepped into the puddle, splashing water everywhere. She turned back to Mia, beaming. “It means we make it fun. C’mon.”

Mia’s eyes softened as she watched Charlotte standing there, water splashing around her feet, her hair starting to curl from the dampness. Something about her carefree grin was magnetic. Slowly, Mia joined her in the puddle, feeling the cool water seep into her shoes.

They stood there for a moment, grinning at each other. Charlotte splashed her playfully, and Mia shrieked, trying to dodge the water, but it was impossible.

“Alright, alright!” Mia laughed, holding up her hands in surrender. “You win!”

Charlotte raised her eyebrows mischievously. “You should’ve known. I’m always going to win at puddles.”

Mia grinned, her heart light as she kicked the water back toward Charlotte. The moment felt magical, like all the stress and worry about exams disappeared as they stood there, laughing together under the night sky.

Charlotte looked at Mia, the warmth in her eyes undeniable. “I love how we can just be this ridiculous together.”

Mia’s smile softened as she reached for Charlotte’s hand, squeezing it gently. “I’m glad we can be ridiculous together.”

With a shared smile, the two of them stood there in the puddle, the night stretching on as they laughed and splashed, making memories that would last long after midterms had come and gone.