Outside Work We... •[TNN One-shots]•

She Was Like A Sister •|| ARRI + LIV + WINTUMN ||•

Prompt: Arri loses a sister.

The air was sharp that night, crisp with the kind of cold that settled deep in the bones. Arri walked beside Liv, their boots crunching against the pavement, the only sound breaking the quiet.

“You’re too serious,” Liv teased, nudging Arri’s shoulder. “Relax a little, will you?”

Arri rolled her eyes but smirked slightly. “And you’re too carefree.”

Liv grinned. “One of us has to be.”

They turned into a familiar alleyway, a shortcut they had taken dozens of times before. It never felt dangerous— until tonight.

A figure stepped out of the shadows.

“Wallets. Phones. Now,” the man growled, voice sharp with panic. A gun trembled in his hand.

Arri’s stomach dropped. She’d been taught what to do for situations like this, she knew what to do. But Liv— Liv was impulsive.

“Alright, man, take it easy,” Liv said, voice forced light as she raised her hands. Arri followed, slowly pulling out her phone and wallet, tossing them to the ground. Liv did the same.

“Now back up,” the man ordered, his grip tightening.

Then it happened.

Liv shifted slightly— maybe to adjust her scarf, maybe to step back as ordered. The mugger flinched. His finger twitched.

The gun fired.

The world slowed.

Liv stumbled back, a strangled gasp escaping her lips. Her hands pressed against her stomach, red blooming through her coat like ink spilled on paper.

“Liv!” Arri lunged forward, catching her before she collapsed. “No, no, no— stay with me.”

The mugger bolted, footsteps vanishing into the night, but Arri barely noticed. Her hands pressed desperately against the wound, blood seeping through her fingers, warm and horrifying.

“Help is coming,” Arri said, fumbling for her phone, her voice sharp with panic as she called emergency services. “My friend’s been shot— please, hurry!”

Liv exhaled shakily, a weak, trembling breath. “Hey…” she whispered, her lips twitching into the smallest smile. “Don’t look so scared.”

Arri’s heart clenched. “Shut up, you’re gonna be fine.”

Liv’s grip on her wrist tightened— just for a second. “You’re a terrible liar.”

By the time the ambulance arrived, Liv was barely conscious. Arri went with her, clutching her hand the entire way.

The hospital was a blur— rushed voices, bright lights, a doctor pulling her away. And then…

Silence.

A doctor emerged, looking tired, looking sorry.

“She lost too much blood. We did everything we could.”

Arri’s world shattered.

She stood there, hands still stained with Liv’s blood, as the words sank in. It didn’t feel real. Couldn’t be real.

“Arri.”

She barely turned as footsteps echoed down the hall. Autumn and Winter. And behind them— Ms. Reyes, Liv’s caretaker.

Ms. Reyes looked pale, grief-stricken, but it was Autumn who reached her first.

“Arri,” her mother said again, softer this time.

Something in Arri cracked. “She was like a sister to me,” she whispered, voice hoarse.

Autumn pulled her into a fierce embrace. “I know, love.” Her voice was thick, strained.

Winter crouched beside them, resting a hand on Arri’s back. His face was tight with grief. Liv had been part of their lives, too— another daughter in a way.

Ms. Reyes finally spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. “She… she talked about you all the time,” she told Arri. “She was so proud to call you her best friend.”

Arri squeezed her eyes shut.

She didn’t cry— not right away. She just let herself be held, let herself drown in the quiet grief of the people who loved Liv too.

The world outside kept moving. But here, in the too-bright hospital hallway, time had stopped. And all that was left was loss.

[A/N: Short one. LivWrites00 here you go. :) This is so rushed lmao. 😂]