copy cat || paul lahote

nora woke up to the sound of birds cawing outside her dorm window, the breeze drifting in from the open window. she blinked against the early morning light, stretching lazily before grabbing her phone. there were a few texts from laila, a couple of notifications from group chats she had barely participated in, and one from her dad—just a simple, "happy birthday, kiddo. hope you have a great day."

she sighed, pushing the phone onto her nightstand. her birthday didn't feel like much of a celebration this year. not when so much had changed. not when she was miles away from home, from everything familiar. but she only had one class this morning, which meant the rest of the day was hers to do whatever she wanted. maybe she could find some sense of normalcy, even if it was temporary.

after finishing up her class before eleven, she grabbed her bag and headed out toward north beach. it wasn't la push, not even close, but it was the best she had for now. the sand was a little paler, the waves a little smaller, but she settled up against a large rock, absentmindedly drawing shapes in the sand with her fingers. the rhythmic crashing of the waves calmed her, a reminder of home, of simpler times when her biggest worry was finishing a race or sneaking in extra practice hours. she missed running along the shoreline, the damp sand kicking up under her feet, the familiar scent of pine and saltwater filling her lungs.

she barely noticed someone approaching until a familiar voice broke through the sound of the waves.

"happy birthday."

nora's head snapped up, eyes widening as she saw paul standing a few feet away, his hands stuffed into his pockets, a lazy smirk tugging at his lips.

"you—what?" she stammered, pushing herself up onto her feet. "you're here?"

"of course, i'm here," he said, stepping closer. "you really thought i'd forget?"

she stared at him, still in shock. he looked the same, effortlessly confident, a little wild, his dark eyes watching her with that intensity that always made her stomach flip.

"i mean..." she started, rubbing the back of her neck. "you didn't even text."

"because i wanted to surprise you," he said, shaking his head with a chuckle. "guess that worked."

nora let out a breath, a slow smile tugging at her lips. "yeah, it did."

he took another step closer, and before she could react, he pulled her into a hug. a real, full-bodied hug, his arms tightening around her as he buried his face in her hair for a brief second. she melted against him, her heart hammering against her ribs. he smelled the same—woodsy, a little smoky, a scent that had become comfortingly familiar.

when he pulled back, his hands lingered on her arms. "got something for you."

her brows lifted as he reached into his pocket, pulling out a small, wrapped box. "paul," she started, but he cut her off.

"just open it."

paul pulled something out of his backpack, a box wrapped messily in paper that looked like it had been crumpled in his fist at some point.

"okay, don't judge the wrapping job," he muttered, handing it to her.

nora smirked, peeling back the paper. inside was a sleek pair of high-performance running shoes, ones she had been eyeing for months but hadn't splurged on.

her breath caught. "paul, these are—how did you—?"

"you never shut up about needing new ones," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "figured you'd like 'em."

she stared at him, warmth spreading through her chest. he listened. he actually listened.

"like them?" she echoed. "paul, these are perfect."