The air buzzed with the hum of summer heat, laughter, and the smell of food trucks lining the street. Y/N's hand tightened around her iced drink as she scanned the fair, eyes lighting up at the booths. Miko walked beside her, silver-blonde hair tied up, a bandana wrapped lazily around her head, and dark sunglasses hiding her captivating blue eyes. Her tattoos caught the sun as they weaved through the crowd.
Y/N nudged her. "That booth has those woven bracelets you liked last year!"
Miko smiled, soft and reserved. "Lead the way, cariño."
But before they could reach it, someone called out Y/N's name.
"Y/N?! No way!"
Both girls turned. A guy approached, tall, tan, broad smile on his face like he was starring in a beach movie. His faded tank top clung to his chest, and his voice was lined with that easy charm Miko instinctively distrusted.
"Tyler?! No way!" she laughed, giving him a quick hug.
Miko stopped beside them, her posture subtly shifting — arms crossed, jaw tense, her brows twitching just slightly under her bandana.
"We went to school together," Y/N explained quickly, looking between the two. "This is Miko, my—uh—"
"Girlfriend," Miko said without hesitation, holding out a hand to Tyler with a tight smile. "Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too," he replied, shaking her hand, clearly not picking up on the chill under her tone.
Tyler turned his attention back to Y/N. "You look amazing, by the way. Still doing photography? I remember your stuff was always the best."
Y/N chuckled, clearly flattered. "Yeah, I still shoot sometimes."
Miko stood a little closer, her arm brushing against Y/N's, but her lips were pressed together. Tyler kept talking, asking Y/N about her summer plans, complimenting her energy, laughing a little too long at her jokes.
Miko finally stepped in. "We were just about to check out that bracelet booth, weren't we, baby?"
Y/N blinked, caught off guard by the sudden nickname — Miko rarely used it in public. But she nodded. "Yeah, I wanted to show you."
Tyler seemed to pick up on the shift. "Well, it was great seeing you again," he said, smiling. "Maybe I'll see you around?"
"Maybe," Y/N replied politely.
As they walked away, Miko didn't say anything at first. Her pace was a little quicker than usual.
"Miko..." Y/N reached out, touching her elbow. "Are you okay?"
Miko stopped near the bracelet booth, turning to face her. Her sunglasses were off now, tucked into the front of her tank top.
"Sure," Miko said, not looking at her.
"Miko..."
"I just didn't love how he was looking at you."
There it was — the hint of jealousy. Miko never exploded. Never made scenes. But her voice had that tightness now, that low and restrained edge that always meant something was bothering her more than she let on.
Y/N blinked. "What do you mean?"
Miko bit her lip, fidgeting with the bracelets. "I mean, he didn't even try to hide it. And you were eating that up."
"I wasn't—" Y/N paused. "Okay, maybe I laughed a little too hard. But it didn't mean anything."
Miko didn't respond right away. She just looked at Y/N — really looked at her. And then quietly said, "I know I'm not always the best at showing it, but I don't want to lose you to some guy with beach hair and compliments."
Y/N softened. She reached out and took Miko's hand, tugging her a little closer. "You're not going to lose me. Ever. And you don't have to be perfect. Just be you."
Miko exhaled, her hand closing tightly around Y/N's. "You're mine, right?"
Y/N grinned. "Only yours."
Miko finally smiled — not the cocky, teasing kind she usually gave — but something softer, more real. She leaned in and kissed Y/N gently, right in the middle of the fair, right in front of the bracelet booth.
