Roommates (A Conan Gray x Fem OC)

conan's pov

we step out of the restaurant, and the cold air hits me like a wake-up call after the warmth of the soup. liv loops her arm through mine, pulling me closer as we walk, her laughter still bubbling over from something she said earlier that i can't even remember now. that's the thing about liv — she's always making you laugh so much that everything blurs together in this constant, happy haze.

"so where to next?" she asks, tipping her head back to look at me. the city lights bounce off her face, making her eyes sparkle. it's not fair, really. she's so effortlessly stunning, and then there's me, probably looking like a mess with my sunglasses pushed up on my head and my jacket barely zipped.

"uh, your call," i say, because i'm terrible at making decisions. "you're the boss today."

she gasps, mock-offended. "am i not always the boss?"

"i mean..." i trail off, smirking, and she shoves me lightly, muttering something about how rude i am.

we wander down the street, no real destination in mind. new york's like that. you don't need a plan; the city just kind of takes you where it wants you to go. liv's pointing out random things as we pass — a dog wearing a tiny sweater, a couple arguing over which subway line to take, a guy juggling oranges on the corner. "see, this is why i love it here," she says, spinning around like she's trying to take it all in at once. "it's just... alive, you know?"

"i know what you mean," i say, and i do. there's something electric about this city, like it's always buzzing with possibility.

we end up at a little park we've never seen before, tucked between two apartment buildings. it's got fairy lights strung up in the trees and a couple of benches that look like they've seen better days. there's a small crowd of people sitting around, chatting and sipping coffee from paper cups.

liv pulls me toward an empty bench, plopping down and kicking her feet out in front of her. "okay, now we just sit here and people-watch. it's the best free entertainment."

"i love people watching," i say, smiling. liv knows me so well.

"look," she says, nudging me with her elbow. "that couple over there. tell me they're not on their first date."

she nods toward a pair sitting awkwardly on a nearby bench. the guy's fidgeting with his jacket zipper, and the girl's twirling a strand of hair around her finger. they're not making much eye contact, but every now and then, one of them will say something that makes the other laugh, and it's like they're trying to find their rhythm.

"totally a first date," i agree. "he's trying way too hard to be cool."

"and she's pretending she's not impressed," liv adds, grinning. "but she totally is. look at the way she's leaning toward him."

we keep this up for a while, making up backstories for random strangers. there's an old man walking a tiny dog that liv insists is a retired magician and his faithful assistant. there's a woman on her phone who's clearly in the middle of a dramatic breakup, if liv's reenactment of her hand gestures is anything to go by.

it's stupid and ridiculous, and i can't stop laughing. my cheeks hurt from smiling so much, but i don't care. this is what makes liv the best. she turns everything into an adventure, even something as simple as sitting on a park bench.

we're just about to leave when a group of girls walks by, and one of them does a double take. she stops, whispering something to her friends, and then they're all looking at us.

"excuse me," one of them says, stepping forward hesitantly. she looks about sixteen, her cheeks flushed with nerves. "are you... conan gray and olivia rodrigo?"

liv and i exchange a quick glance, and she's already smiling, that warm, disarming smile that makes everyone feel like they're her best friend. "yes, that's us," she says. "how's it going?"

the girl practically squeals, and her friends start pulling out their phones. "could we maybe get a picture with you?"

"of course," liv says, standing up and gesturing for them to come closer. "come on, conan, don't just sit there."

i groan dramatically as i get up, but i'm smiling. the girls huddle around us, taking turns snapping selfies and gushing about how much they love our music. one of them tells liv that "sour" changed her life, and another says she's been listening to "superache" on repeat for weeks. it's overwhelming sometimes, hearing stuff like that, but it's also amazing. knowing that something you created has had that kind of impact on someone? there's nothing else like it.

when the girls finally leave, liv turns to me, her eyes sparkling. "see? people love you. you're a star, conan gray."

"you're the real star," i say, and she rolls her eyes like she doesn't believe it. but she is. she's the brightest star i know.

we wander around the city some more, stopping to look at street art and popping into random shops. liv buys a pair of ridiculous heart-shaped sunglasses that she immediately puts on, striking a pose in the middle of the sidewalk. "how do i look?" she asks, flipping her hair dramatically.

"like a diva," i say, snapping a picture. "but you always do."

"damn right," she says, grinning.

we end up at a vintage record store, the kind that smells like dust and memories. liv's flipping through the stacks, pulling out albums and showing them to me. "oh my god, look at this one," she says, holding up a vinyl with the most ridiculous cover art i've ever seen.

"iconic," i say, and she laughs, tucking it under her arm to buy later.

time slips away from us, like it always does when i'm with her. it's only when my stomach growls loudly enough to make her laugh that we realize how late it's gotten.

"we should probably find somewhere to eat again," she says, looking up from the records. "you're gonna pass out if you don't get food soon."

"very dramatic," i say, but she's already heading toward the door, waving for me to follow.

we step back out onto the street, the city alive around us, and i can't help but think about how lucky i am. to have this life, to do what i love, and to have liv by my side through it all. she's more than a friend. she's my family, my constant in a world that's always changing.