Roommates (A Conan Gray x Fem OC)

millie's pov

the sun was already high in the sky by the time we parked, and the heat hit me like a warm hug as i stepped out of the car. the sand stretched out in front of us, golden and endless, dotted with colorful umbrellas and beach towels. the sound of the waves crashing in the distance mixed with laughter and the occasional shriek from kids running around.

"let's grab a spot before it gets too crowded!" annie called, hauling a bag almost bigger than she was toward an open patch of sand.

the rest of us followed, arms full of towels, snacks, and whatever random beach gear emily had insisted we bring. conan carried most of my stuff, of course, because he's like that—always making sure i'm not carrying more than i need to. i tried to tell him i could handle it, but he just smiled and said, "humor me."

we set up quickly, spreading out towels and sticking an umbrella into the sand for shade. emily and tate immediately claimed the task of blowing up the beach ball, which turned into them trying to one-up each other in how fast they could blow. olivia rolled her eyes at them, but she couldn't hide her smile as she helped annie lay out the snacks.

"anyone going in the water yet?" i asked, tying my hair up into a loose bun to keep it out of my face.

"not me," conan said quickly, sitting cross-legged on his towel. "the ocean is cold. and there are sharks."

i laughed, peeling off my oversized shirt and tossing it onto my towel. the breeze hit my skin, and i stretched my arms over my head, already feeling more relaxed. conan's eyes flicked up, and i caught the way they widened slightly before he quickly looked away, his cheeks turning pink.

"you're really gonna let some cold water and imaginary sharks stop you?" i teased, slipping out of my skirt and kicking it aside. "come on, conan, don't be a coward."

"it's not cowardice," he argued, pouting a little. "it's self-preservation."

"self-preservation, my ass," i shot back, grinning. "you're just scared."

"i'm not scared!" he said, standing up now, but he stayed rooted to his towel like stepping onto the sand might somehow prove me wrong.

"then come in!" i took a step back toward the water, the waves lapping at my feet. "prove it."

he groaned, dragging a hand down his face. "fine," he said, grumbling like a kid who'd just been dared to do something ridiculous.

i laughed, turning and wading further in, the cool water rising to my knees. the waves rolled gently, splashing against my legs, and i looked back to see him hesitating at the shore.

"hurry up, conan!" i called, splashing water in his direction. "it's not even that bad."

he muttered something under his breath but finally stepped in, wincing as the water touched his ankles.

"see? not so scary," i said, backing up until the water reached my waist.

"speak for yourself," he mumbled, shivering slightly. "it's freezing."

i rolled my eyes, waiting until he was close enough before splashing him again. he yelped, glaring at me, but there was no hiding the little smile tugging at his lips.

"you're the worst," he said, splashing me back.

"you love it," i shot back, laughing.

we kept wading in, the water getting deeper, until a wave rolled toward us, higher than the rest. conan grabbed my hand without thinking, pulling me closer as it crashed over us. the water hit hard, but instead of pulling away, i found myself leaning into him, my hands resting on his shoulders.