Outside Work We... •[TNN One-shots]•

Arguments •|| MIALOTTE ||•

Prompt: Charlotte and Mia have a fight.

The argument began over something small. They always did.

“You’re just shutting me out again,” Charlotte snapped, pacing back and forth in the living room. Her hands balled into fists, her chest rising and falling with sharp breaths. “Do you know how that makes me feel, Mia?”

Mia sat slouched on the couch, her expression unreadable. Her hoodie sleeves swallowed her hands, and her dark eyes followed Charlotte without giving anything away. “You’re overthinking things, Char. Like always.”

Charlotte stopped mid-step, her gaze snapping to Mia’s. “Don’t do that. Don’t make it sound like I’m crazy just because you don’t want to talk.”

“Because there’s nothing to talk about.” Mia’s voice was flat, each word pressing against Charlotte’s temper.

“You don’t care, do you?” Charlotte’s voice broke. “You don’t care how much it hurts when you shut me out like this.”

For the briefest moment, Mia flinched. A flicker of something—guilt, sadness—crossed her face, but it disappeared just as quickly. “I can’t have this conversation right now.”

Charlotte let out a shaky breath, tears welling in her eyes. “Fine. When you decide you do care, don’t bother finding me.”

The slam of the door made the room feel emptier than before. Mia remained where she was, staring at the spot Charlotte had just stood. She wanted to chase after her, say something—anything—to make her stay. But the words stuck in her throat, too heavy to speak.

°•°•°--**--°•°•°

The next few days were quiet in a way that felt unbearable. Charlotte stopped calling, stopped texting. Even mutual friends noticed her absence.

Mia pretended not to care. She kept her phone face-down, avoided questions, and buried herself in anything that didn’t remind her of Charlotte. But it was hard. Too hard.

On the third day, Mia found herself sitting in her car, parked outside Charlotte’s apartment. She didn’t know why she was there—just that her chest felt too tight and her head too loud. After twenty minutes of debating, she knocked.

Charlotte answered the door, looking more tired than Mia had ever seen her. “What are you doing here?”

Mia shoved her hands in her hoodie pocket, looking at her shoes. “I messed up.”

“Yeah, you did.” Charlotte’s voice was guarded.

“I do care,” Mia said, finally looking up. “Even when I’m terrible at showing it. Even when I push you away.” She took a shaky breath, her voice quieter. “You mean more to me than I know how to say.”

Charlotte stared at her for a long moment, her expression softening just a little. “You don’t get to shut me out, Mia. Not when I’m here, willing to listen.”

“I know,” Mia murmured. “I’ll try to do better. I promise.”

Charlotte sighed, stepping aside to let her in. “You’d better.”

As Mia sat on the couch, watching Charlotte pour two cups of tea, she let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. She wasn’t good with words, but maybe—just maybe—she could show Charlotte that she cared.