Work Text:
Looking back, of course, it makes perfect sense. Part of Aisha should have expected it, maybe part of her did, but she ignored it.
It went like this:
Sam is Aisha’s best friend from childhood. Since they were in preschool at the same expensive palace while their parents worked their corporate jobs and all their wants and needs were taken care of. Sam is Aisha’s best friend who has never made her feel unimportant even though Sam was prettier, smarter, had more friends. Sam, who always made time to FaceTime Aisha during the summers when they were both traveling in different time zones, a literal world apart. Sam, who was Aisha’s first crush, maybe even her first love.
And:
Tory is Aisha’s karate friend. The first time they met at the dojo, there was some unspoken understanding, we are scrappy but they are not going to get the upper hand on us. Tory is Aisha’s karate friend who runs extra drills with her after practice when she needs them and meets her at the gym and meets her eyes in the mirror during warmup. Tory, who is fierce and cunning and wickedly smart but doesn’t care about school. Tory, who Aisha fell for fast, fell for hard.
So of course, by some twisted fate, Aisha would realize instantaneously that introducing the two of them was a bad idea. Sam sees Tory first, standing on the balcony, assessing the scene. Sam was in the middle of saying something, waving her hands around and beaming, when she trailed off. Aisha looked over her shoulder and saw Tory, taking it all in.
Aishe went to tell Sam hey, this is my Karate Friend ™ and also maybe my second real crush because you’ve been the only coherent thought I’ve had since we met but Sam’s face was…doing something. Something Aisha didn’t recognize, which was strange since Aisha could read Sam like an open book.
It wasn’t until Sam and Tory are inches apart seething over Sam's accusation that Tory stole Mrs. Larusso’s wallet that it hits Aisha how cosmically wrong this is going.
Because now, clear as day, she can see it:
Sam her cheeks flushed pink, hair beginning to puff from the humidity, eyes wide and livid. The way her jaw is taught but face is still placid. Aisha can read the no, no, no, no, no in her eyes as some subconscious part of her realizes what’s happening, that she can’t stop it.
And:
Tory’s scathing smirk and sun kissed shoulders and taut abs, hair sticking to her forehead with sweat. Hands curled into fists but secured by her side. Aisha can see the way she’s leaning into the freefall, fully aware of what’s happening and making no efforts to stop it.
Yes, it makes sense that the two of them would fall heads-over-heels for each other the minute they met without realizing it, (it would take them years to realize it, so much time that the pain begins to dull for Aisha, but never enough time that she stops wishing she had introduced them.) because, of course they would.
It was the perfect start of a love story, it just wasn’t hers to have.