Doughnut Love

CONFESS TO YOUR CRIME

It was already past midnight, and the entire house had gone quiet. Doors were shut, lights dimmed, and everyone had long since retreated to their rooms. Everyone except Lucy. She lay awake, staring at the ceiling, her mind replaying the ride home from school like a movie she couldn’t pause.

And she was certain of one thing.

She enjoyed every second of it.

The wind, the speed, the warmth of Penelope’s back pressed against her… It made her feel fluttery in a way she didn’t want to admit out loud. Maybe Penelope wasn’t as bad as she originally thought. Maybe there was more to her than the smug grin and chaotic energy. But that wasn’t the only thing sitting heavy in her thoughts.

On the bike, Lucy had held Penny really tight—partly because she was scared of falling, but also because Penny felt... soft. Comfortable. And she could’ve sworn that Penelope had actual melons for boobs. Round, warm, ridiculously full melons. That alone was enough to make her feel tingly and embarrassingly self-conscious.

With a groan, she dragged herself off the bed and stood before her mirror. She eyed her own chest, then her waist, then her overall shape. Objectively, she was pretty—5'7, hourglass figure, long black hair, striking green eyes, and soft, plump lips. Her glasses were her signature touch, something she never removed unless absolutely necessary. But one thing was confirmed…

Her boobs were definitely smaller. Much smaller.

She let out a long, dramatic sigh, the kind that came straight from the soul, then flopped face-first onto her bed. Her laptop was still open, so she rolled onto her stomach and began scrolling through her files lazily, trying to distract herself. But then something caught her attention.

A new file.

Dated today.

Her eyebrows furrowed. “What…?”

Across the hall, for the third time, Penelope stepped out of the shower. She couldn't sleep either.

Every time she closed her eyes, the memory of Lucy’s tiny arms wrapped tightly around her waist kept replaying. She had felt Lucy’s grip—small but firm—and something inside her had shifted. A strange urge surged inside her, an urge to protect her. To hold her. To keep her safe.

It was ridiculous. It was confusing. But it also felt… right?

And then her thoughts kept drifting back to Luke and the mess she needed to sort out. Everything was complicated. So instead of lying awake overthinking, she slipped into her clothes—oversized shirt, jogging shorts—and made a decision.

She’d talk to Lucy.

And maybe grab some doughnuts on the way. A 2-in-1 mission.

When she reached Lucy’s door, she knocked softly.

And Lucy opened the door immediately, like she had been standing right behind it. Penelope blinked, completely distracted for a moment.

Because Lucy was standing there in full SpongeBob pajamas. Top, bottoms, socks. Everything. And somehow she looked… adorably chaotic.

Penelope cleared her throat. “You’re having trouble sleeping too, right? It’s like we’re twinning. Don’t you think?”

She strutted inside like she owned the place.

“Yes, please, come in,” Lucy said dryly.

Penelope gasped dramatically. “Oh my Lucinda. Was that sarcasm? I didn’t think you had that in you.”

“The criminal,” Lucy said calmly, crossing her arms, “never rests until he knows there’s no evidence against him.”

Penelope blinked. “What—”

Before she could finish, Lucy launched at her—more specifically, she launched her SpongeBob plushie at her—whacking her repeatedly with surprising force.

“What the—?!” Penny sputtered, trying to dodge the plushie as bits of her own hair got into her mouth. “What is wrong with you?! Why am I under attack?!”

“Oh, now you act clueless?” Lucy snapped. “Now you pretend you don’t know what you did?”

Penelope stared blankly, completely lost.

Lucy groaned loudly, stomped to her laptop, and spun it around. A video played—a security cam clip of Penelope, hungry and mischievous, rummaging through the doughnut stash and eating the last three doughnuts with zero remorse.

Penelope watched it, shrugged, and said, “Ohhhh. So that’s why you’re mad.”

Lucy raised the plushie again.

“Wait—WAIT—okay okay!” Penny yelped.

“The doughnuts were from last night,” Penny defended. “If I didn’t eat them, they would’ve gone to waste.” She stood confidently, hands on her hips.

“I was supposed to eat them this morning but I was in a hurry and—”

“Oh yeah,” Penny said, interrupting without shame. “The test. How was it?”

Lucy deflated instantly. The test had been canceled. She shut her eyes and sighed.

“You,” she pointed accusingly, “are going to make me a new batch of doughnuts because you had no right to sneak into my room. That is very disrespectful and unmannered!”

Penelope was already wheezing with laughter.

“And what,” Lucy said sharply, “is funny?”

“Nothing,” Penny giggled. “Nothing at all. It’s just… I’ve never seen someone look so cute while being this angry.”

Lucy froze.

Eyebrows furrowed, cheeks warming, she grabbed the poor SpongeBob plushie again and lunged.

But Penelope was ready this time.

As Lucy swung, Penny caught both of her wrists gently, bent them behind her back with almost no effort, and made her drop the plushie. Then—still holding her wrists—she pulled Lucy closer.

Suddenly their faces were just inches apart.

Their breaths hitched. Slow, warm, synchronized.

Lucy stared into Penelope’s eyes. Penelope stared right back.

Softly, carefully, Penny released her wrists… and placed her hands on Lucy’s waist instead. Her eyes trailed downward—from Lucy’s eyes to her parted lips, where the tip of her front teeth peeked adorably.

Her heart thudded. She glanced again at Lucy’s glasses—slightly fogged. Annoyed by the barrier, she reached up, slid them off delicately, and placed them on the bed.

Lucy’s eyes widened. She looked at the glasses… then back at Penelope.

Her body refused to move. Frozen and melting at the same time, she took a shaky breath as Penelope leaned in—slowly, carefully, her cupid-bow lips inches from Lucy’s—

KNOCK. KNOCK.

The soft knock shattered the moment.

Lucy jerked back like she’d been electrocuted, quickly fixing her hair and snatching her glasses off the bed.

“You… you should go to the bathroom,” she stammered, avoiding eye contact.

Penelope, pulse racing, slipped silently into the bathroom.

Lucy inhaled, exhaled, then went to open the door.

Grace stood there.

And from the look on her face, she didn’t seem like she came for something simple.