warnings: uhh i dunno not a lot, i went off on how dumb the friendzone is and complained abt men but that's abt it
"yeah! we're best friends!" the soft blonde girl smiles, glancing over at you.
you return the smile and nod. "yeah, best friends."
ingrid laughs a little. "just best friends?" she asks, and winks at you.
you flush a little. mercedes looks between the two of you and quirks an eyebrow, but then continues.
"the closest of friends! i can go to her for everything."
she laid a hand on your arm and suddenly your stomach erupted into butterflies. you put your hand atop of hers and held it lightly, as best friends do.
throughout the week, you had been trying your hardest to express your feelings to mercedes without actually telling her them. for all you knew, she could like only guys. but, then again, why was she so flustered when dorothea was flirting with her?
you had done many things to impress her. you gave her flowers, had a girls day with makeovers and time in the spa, got her new paints, everything. but every time, she would respond with the same thing:
"thanks! you're the best friend i could ever have!"
you knew the friendzone didn't exist. it was a construct made up by the male in order to guilt trip women into liking them. but you couldn't help but feel like you were being shoved in that imaginary zone. but no, you were a respectable woman who would respectfully respect mercedes and if she wasn't interested, you certainly weren't going to complain or push her like a man sometimes does.
but, she wasn't showing that she wasn't interested, was she?
you overthought this a lot, and finally decided to go to dorothea for help. she had been around her fair share of girls, you knew that and admired her for it honestly, and you were in desperate need.
dorothea just laughed. "y/n! you know how innocent mercedes is! she just sits around praying all day, i bet she hasn't even realized your advances."
you sighed dejectedly. "yeah, i know. what can i do?"
"be more forward! set up a picnic and make her favorites, and then tell her! she won't get it unless you tell her!"
you nodded and smiled. "you're right. thanks, dorothea."
the girl only put her thumbs up and pushed you out of her room. "now go get your girl! the whole school already knows!"
"wait what-"
the door was slammed in your face before you finished. you headed towards the dining hall, getting ready to prepare the best goddamn picnic in the history of picnics. you took hours hand picking each ingredient to make mercedes's favorite dinner, drink, and dessert before placing them neatly in a basket and spreading a cloth out on the top of one of the monastery's towers.
you found petra wandering around and sent her to find mercedes and tell her where to meet you. and then you waited.
nerves almost consumed you before you heard light footsteps coming behind you.
"mercedes! it's nice to see you," you grinned.
mercedes's cheeks flushed slightly at the scene in front of her. "oh, my, y/n! is this for us?"
"it's for you, mainly," you said nervously, "i made everything your favorite."
mercedes smiled at you again and sat next to you as you opened up the ribbon-tied basket and brought out the dinner. together, the two of you talked and laughed throughout the evening and into the night, before mercedes began to yawn.
"are you tired?" you asked.
"yeah, a little," she replied, "but i don't want to leave yet."
you shifted nervously, and then opened up your arm. "we can lay here for a while, if you want."
mercedes looked up at you and scooted closer, snuggling into your arm and laying her head on your shoulder. your thumb rubbed circles into her arm as you laid your head on hers. finally, you got the courage to speak.
"listen, mercedes," you began, "um, i don't know if you know this, but all of the things i do for you isn't just because we're friends."
mercedes lifted her head slightly. "huh? then what was it for?"
"it's- ugh, it's because i like you. like, i really really like you. and i tried so hard to make it known to see if you felt the same but nothing i tried worked. so, i understand if you don't feel the same but-"
as soon as they came, mercedes's lips were gone from your cheek. she nestled closer into your side and used her hand to cover her face as she smiled.
"silly goose," she laughed lightly, "i like you too."