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y/n had never hated someone so much in her life. well, maybe that was a little dramatic, but when it came to chrismd, a football youtuber who seemed to live and breathe for making her miserable, hatred seemed like the only word that could capture the frustration she felt every time she saw him.
it all started with a prank war. it should have been a harmless competition between friends, but chris made it personal. he'd swapped her football boots for a pair of neon pink ones, covered her favorite jersey in glitter, and posted a cringe-worthy video of her face as she found out. to him, it was all part of the fun. to her, it felt like an attack on her pride.
"you know," chris smirked one day as they crossed paths in the studio, "you've gotten a lot better at taking a joke. i didn't think you'd last this long."
y/n shot him a look that could melt steel. "i'm not here to be your punching bag, chris. so, you can keep your pranks to yourself. next time you mess with me, i won't let you off easy."
chris chuckled, the sound warm and teasing. it was enough to drive her up the wall. he loved that he could get under her skin. and she hated that it worked.
the rivalry between them continued to escalate. the pranks became more elaborate, the insults sharper, the tension undeniable. but what really got to her was how he could always bounce back from it all with that annoying, confident smile of his. it wasn't fair. he was too good at this game they were playing.
and deep down, despite all the anger, a small voice in the back of her head whispered something she wasn't ready to admit; she couldn't stop thinking about him.
one day, they were both chosen to play on the same team for a charity football match, much to her dismay. it was supposed to be for a good cause, but all she could think about was how much she hated sharing the field with him. she had no choice but to play along, though. the cameras were rolling, the sponsors were watching, and she couldn't exactly bail out in front of thousands of people.
"ready to lose?" chris asked with that cocky grin as they stood side by side during warm-ups.
y/n rolled her eyes. "you wish."
————
the game kicked off, and to her surprise, things weren't as bad as she expected. he wasn't an awful teammate; at least, when he wasn't mocking her every move. the chemistry between them was undeniable. they passed the ball seamlessly, anticipating each other's moves as if they had been working together for years. it was just... easy.
but then, during the final play of the match, things went south.
chris had the ball, weaving through the opposing players with impressive skill. she knew the moment he was about to make the perfect pass to her. everything inside her told her to get ready. and she did. she sprinted forward, eyes on the ball.
but just as she was about to receive it, another player intercepted. the crowd groaned as the momentum shifted, and the other team scored a last-minute goal, clinching the win.
"damn it!" y/n hissed under her breath, frustration building inside her. she threw her hands up, staring at the scoreboard.
chris jogged over to her, his face serious for the first time all day. "it's not your fault."
she glared at him, refusing to meet his gaze. "yeah? you sure about that? i was open, chris. you should've passed."
his jaw clenched, but instead of snapping back, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her aside, away from the group. the crowd's cheers were muffled, but y/n could still feel the heat of the loss burning in her chest.
"what's your problem, y/n?" he asked, voice low and urgent. "you always have to make everything harder than it needs to be. we were doing fine until you started overthinking it."
her eyes widened in disbelief. "are you blaming me for the loss? you could've passed. it wasn't just me out there."
chris's eyes softened slightly, and for a moment, she saw the frustration in them—he wasn't angry at her. he was angry at himself. "i'm not blaming you," he said quietly. "i'm just... tired of this constant tension between us. we're not enemies, y/n."
she swallowed hard, heart racing as she stared up at him. there was something in his eyes now—something that wasn't there before. vulnerability. it was a look she'd never thought she'd see on chrismd, of all people.
"then what are we?" she whispered, unsure if she even wanted to know the answer.
he hesitated for a moment, and then, almost imperceptibly, he leaned in closer. "i don't know. but i can't keep pretending that i don't care."
y/n's breath caught in her throat. she felt the weight of his words, the sudden shift in the air around them. the banter, the rivalry; they'd been a shield, a way to keep the truth buried. but now, it was out there.
before she could respond, chris's lips were on hers.
it wasn't soft. it wasn't slow. it was fierce, urgent, as if he were finally giving in to something he'd been denying for far too long. y/n's hands found his shoulders instinctively, and she kissed him back, a wave of heat rushing through her.
when they finally pulled apart, both breathless, the world around them felt different. the tension was still there, but it had shifted into something new. something neither of them could name just yet.
"i hate you," y/n muttered, a grin tugging at her lips despite herself.
chris chuckled, his forehead resting against hers. "yeah, i think i might love you too."
