#dewdropwrites

You both stood before a brown door, Eva's name was written in a gold font across the glass insert. She was a woman of control and certainty, the opposite of the person you could ever be or wanted to be. You found facts and logics often clouded emotions, building a dam around much needed emotions. Despite this, you admired her.

"Mrs Grace," She began.

You froze.

There had been a time where hearing that name caused you to immediately tear up. Your sweet, doting husband, the man who left you to save the world. All your best memories included him, as well as the worst. Bile almost forced its way up your throat, but you pushed the feeling aside and took seat in the cushioned chair sitting just in front of an oak desk.

"Please, don't call me that."

Eva nodded and took a few small strides to the chair just behind the desk. Once she was seated, she was already logging into her computer. All of the files and videos that Dr Ryland Grace had sent over on the probe had been saved to a hard drive that only herself and others with special permission were granted to use. Everything from the research on astrophage to an introduction to Rocky were all sorted by level of importance. Effortlessly she pulled up a video, her fingers pausing as she opened it to full screen. "Okay," she spoke your name with a slight shakiness. Eva had originally planned to watch this video herself, however in the back of her mind she knew it was never going to be for her, not after she had sent him unwillingly to his death behind the back of his wife.

"I am not sure if you recall, but Dr Grace was sent out with probes to show his findings and send them back to earth as soon as possible," your chest tightened, "There is one specifically for you." Your eyes widened as you swallowed whatever bile you originally held bac. Erratically. you shook your head. You had gone years without seeing your husband and yet each day never got easier. He left you for a mission in space, one that he knew he would never return on, and he did not even bother to tell you until it was already too late. You both had to live with the consequences. Eva simply didn't have the heart to tell you the sacrifices she was willing to make at the time for the sake of all of humanity.

Her hand gently swivelled the screen to face you. "I will leave. I suggest you watch it," your name left her lips one last time. You took note of the sorrow and almost look of guilt that was furrowed deep within her brows. You didn't understand why she looked that way, not when this was nowhere near her fault. She may have been a prominent leader and decision maker in project hail Mary, but she was not the one who sent your husband on an endless trip to space to die. Or at least that was what you were told to believe. She stood, her dark coat swaying with each step she took closer towards the door. For a moment the slim woman turned back, her gaze resting on your tearful and scared eyes. "I will be outside when you need me." With one last nod she slipped outside, off to find you both a coffee... maybe two for herself.

You on the other hand could not even turn to acknowledge her. The cover screen of the video showed grace in his "I have potential!" graphic tee. It was the same one you had gifted him for his thirtieth birthday as a joke. He would have worn it every day if he was able to. The blonde was looking off screen with that gentle smile he typically saved for his students. Admiration and care pooled in his eyes, a certain glow to him that made this all too unbearable.

"I can do this..." you whispered.

Finally, you pressed play.

"Rocky, is it centred?"

His voice flooded the audio and for a moment it was like he was right next to you. You paused, choking back tears. You never moved on, simply returned to work as the school counsellor and dreaded the damned questions of your husbands eight grade science class. You pressed play.

"UH. Rocky don't know word. What is. question." There was a chuckle that came from your lover before he assisted his newfound friend to hold the camera on a slightly better tilt. Grace shook his head. "She just needs to see my face." he hummed in approval, suddenly unsure of what to say. They didn't have much space left in the memory drive, sow whatever important message he had to tell you he just had to say it. But after so long without you, with so many words and thoughts and feelings muddled in his brain all at once it became difficult to find the perfect thing to say to you. His wife, the woman he hadn't seen in over a few years now was probably still devoted to him, as he was to her and just as lonesome as he was, despite his friendship with Rocky.

"Hi..." He began, only to be interrupted by a brown rocklike structure to jolt in front of the camera. "Hi Grace mate!" Rocky emitted with a bright beam despite his faceless characteristics. Grace rolled his eyes, but there was a smidge of a smile forming across his aged face. He looked different, worn and tired, but still the same man you fell in love with.

"I wish I could see you right now. I never wanted to leave you like this, and I am so deeply sorry for not being able to see you... to um. to warn you before leaving. I didn't know I was leaving either..." He admitted, "But-!" He exclaimed, "I don't want to leave you empty handed." There was a moment of silence, neither rocky nor grace spoke.

You almost couldn't handle the flood of tears ready to roll down your face, drowning you beneath their salty weight. You had already seen Rocky from photos that a few other senior workers had given you the blessing of seeing. it seemed that Rocky was a good companion for Grace, and you appreciated that, even if the only thing you wanted in the moment was the peace of your husbands' arms wrapped tightly around you. You pulled the jacket on tighter, attempting to soak up the last warmth of Grace before paying attention on the video. You had turned away for too long, missing a small second where Rocky had gone off after Grace's request of privacy.

"He can still hear me, you know. Echolocation and all that, privacy is at a premium nowadays," he snickered, "Not like I had much anyway with you around." His eyes watered and he sighed, looking down at his lap.

His glasses slid down the slope of his nose, and you almost felt the urge to fix them despite being years away from him.

"I don't have much to say, just this," Grace inhaled deeply and pulled his glasses to the side. tears had already began forming, even as he tried to wipe them away. He would typically attribute it to dust or some fluff that had gotten in his eyes, but not this time. "It's been lonely without you in the mornings. I have Rocky, but it's not the same without you. I don't get to feel you or talk to you... God, I can only see you through a polaroid from our wedding." He rubbed his temple and closed his eyes.

You heard a small rumble in the background but didn't pay no mind to it as silent tears cascaded down your cheeks until you were nothing more than a mess of tears and snot.

He sighed once again, pushing a few stray curls away from his face. "I don't want you to forget that I will forever be here for you, even when I am light years away and... and not able to come home. We're hoping I can find a way back after I help Rocky, but I don't want to get your hopes up, sweetheart. I love you." He smiled at you.

And then it was over. Graces voice died off with the video and the screen turned black. Unable to move, paralysed by grief, you simply sat and sobbed. There was no attempting to console you. Grace was alive, but rather it felt he had died years ago, and this was just a simple façade of a way for you to forgive the betrayal that he had caused you. No. There was no point in holding a grudge, not at this point anyway. You understood that grace meant every word, and that was all you needed as you curled up in his jacket.

It had only been two hours since you posted the sweet photo of Iida and your local stray, and yet for some reason you couldn't help but yearn to post more. An abundance of photos had been compiled in your phone's gallery, so many to the point where your phone had taken upon itself to make a personal folder just for your sweet boyfriend, Tenya Iida. Most were of him resting against your chest, dark hair messily spread across his face as he slept soundly against your warm skin, while others were more serious, such as the professional photos taken of him at sports events. Every single photo held a memory, whether it be enjoyable or embarrassing and you planned to treasure every single one of them.

While you were already pressing the small plus at the bottom of your screen, Iida had found his way towards your spot on the lounge. Your eyes flickered upwards and your face softened into a sweet smile. The relationship you shared had been built upon mutual trust and a genuine bond. You were there for him when his brother was injured, pushing him until he finally opened up. In many ways, that was the beginning of your gentle relationship. You sighed at the thought, something that Iida had picked up on almost instantaneously. He set himself down next to you, arm gently wrapping around your waist to pull you into his warm chest. It had been two years since graduation, and five years since you first started dating. Although he had been rather shy with any displays of affection in the beginning, he was completely comfortable now.

"I saw your post.." He whispered into your ear, the cool frame of his glasses brushing against your cheek as he leaned in to rest his head against your shoulder. Your cheeks flushed, nose scrunching up as you recognised the subtle hint of amusement settled deep beneath his words. "Did you like it?" Your eyes lit up at his small nod against your warm skin, feeling the soft touch of his lips against your cheek.

Iida couldn't stop that gentle smile that spread across his face at your words. He found it silly how desperate you were to finally announce to the world that you were dating through your socials. You'd taken a long break after an incident in highschool, hence why you were only now hard launching your boyfriend across your Instagram feed. He gave a gentle nod and soft hum, his hand squeezing your waist before he finally spoke again.

"Madame Chloe, the car is waiting for you," Chloe's butler, or as she called him 'Jean-whatever-your-name-is', alerted the girl from behind her bedroom door, his knuckles wrapping against it with a gentle knock. 

The blonde girl let out an obnoxious groan, yanking her yellow jacket on over the top of her black and white striped shirt. As overly dramatic as usual, she shoved the door open, ultimately pushing the poor man down and storming to the front of the hotel. She got in the white limousine and left for school.

~~~

The next day started the same as all the others. You struggled pulling yourself out of bed, showered in cold water despite how much it made your joints ached and then returned to getting dress. Today you wore a knee brace on your right knee, favouring your left more than usual. You were yet to notice the effect that the miraculous had on you outside of your hero persona. Grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge you didn't bother waking your parents to say goodbye. Reaching for your bag as you stood just in front of the front door, you took one look back into the house before you simply left, not giving the house a second look. You were starting to grow tired of the same routine. Waking up, leaving the house with no goodbye, going to school and then returning to a battle against an akuma that you weren't even allowed to fight yet. Part of you wanted to get your hands dirty, aching and yearning for the adrenaline that would rush through your system whenever there was a slight mention of a supposed akumatization. 

While the walk itself wasn't long, it felt as if it took an hour. You were tired from the nights work. Akuma's had become rare, and you were still yet to properly face one without just lending the occasional hand of whisking away surrounding citizens so they wouldn't get hurt. With each day that had passed you had easily memorised the walk to school, rarely needing your own mind to take you there when your legs already knew the way. Letting your feet guide you, your mind started to wander a bit.

The truce you made a few weeks back flashed through your mind. You hadn't really interacted with Chat Noir since then, but you were sure something had changed between the two of you. You recognised his small glances towards you, instead of being greeted with sharp eyes, they were more curious. Although he was still jealous of you, envious of the attention you received from Ladybug, you were proud to say that you no longer thought that the feline heroine hated you. Your last patrol together was the night before. He didn't speak much, but when he did, it didn't seem to come out as harsh as usual. He was a strange boy, that was for sure. 

Not realising that you'd already made it to your class, you almost walked into the door. Shaking your head, you pushed open the door and stepped inside. What you were yet to notice was the blonde girl standing next to the doorway, her foot sticking out just enough to make contact with your ankle. The connection sent you tumbling to the ground with little to no witnesses other than Sabrina. Your water bottle rolled across the hardwood floor. The blonde smirked down at you. She found an empty joy in watching you crumple to the floor, falling to pieces from such a simple manoeuvre. 

"Whoops!" she feigned shock, "Maybe you should watch where you're going next time, foreigner." The smirk on her face made you feel sick. For the first time in years, you felt humiliated. You didn't have the time to process the hurt that you felt, both physically and somewhat mentally. Putting on a brave face, you pulled yourself to your feet, favouring your left side to the point your leg buckled slightly under your weight. "Listen, I don't understand what I have done to you that makes you believe tripping me over is the answer," you began, "I'm sure there's a good person inside that heart of yours." 

Your words made her crystal eyes widen momentarily. They seemed to hit a vulnerable spot within her, but as soon as it came to her it disappeared. "You don't know what you're talking about. You are ridiculous!" She huffed, easily hiding the slight pang of guilt she felt under a snobby mask. Sabrina looked at you, her eyes were the window to her soul. Guilt was plastered on her face, leaking from her pores with every second she stood near you. Yet, the girl did nothing to defend or help you. She simply pulled her head down and held Chloe's books tighter to her chest. You never liked being forgiving, but you would have forgiven the two with a simple apology or explanation even if it wasn't to your standards. You rolled your eyes, moving from the door to place your bag next to your desk in its usual spot. Gaining no reaction from you, Chloe left without sparing a second glance, practically dragging Sabrina out by the wrist. 

You regretted coming to school so early. Tears threatened to fall as you finally let the weight of the situation fall upon your shoulders. You truly couldn't think of what you had done to Chloe. In fact, it wasn't until today that you had properly spoken before. Taking in one last shaking breath, you wiped your eyes with the sleeves of your sweater. There was no point in letting her words or actions get the better of you. If you were to be akumatized, who knows what would happen. Rolling your right ankle under the desk you bit down on your bottom lip. She didn't sprain your ankle, but it definitely left you with a jolt of pain when you moved. You hoped it would go away on its own, not needing the extra pain when your knee was already burning. 

The opening of the door pulled you from your thoughts. Quicky wiping your eyes, you scrambled to pull your textbook from your bag. Your hands shook from the previous interactions, almost making you drop the pencil you held.

Curious eyes stared down at you as the young man made his way to his seat. He sat down next to you, flashing his usual friendly smile. He spoke your name, and you finally looked up. Graced by the solemn look on your face, Adrien frowned. The two of you had grown rather closer over this last month, exchanging numbers and often riding home together. He knew to an extent the struggles you faced each day, but he had never seen you look so disappointed and dejected. 

"Are you alright?" 

The words hit you like a harsh wave, stinging as it crashed against your warm skin. Instead of answering, you simply sighed. Although the desire to understand the situation, to ultimately make you feel better, burnt deep within the core of his chest, Adrien hesitated. He nodded. "I understand. I'm here." His warm palm brushed against your shoulder once again, however instead of pulling away like you typically did, you leaned into it. 

The blonde boy's eyes widened, his breath hitching in his throat. He had never really had such a seamless interaction with the someone. The warmth of your shoulder spread throughout his palm, coursing through his veins as if it were his own blood, his lifeline. His reaction didn't go unnoticed to you, although you were much too busy sulking about the previous situation. A heavy distaste for the rich girl sat in the pit of your stomach. Not even Adrien could pull you out of that hatred.  

~~~

The day was over almost as soon as it begun. After your little interaction with Adrien earlier, he had promised to take you to the park after school. His simple excuse to his father, with the bribery of his bodyguard, was that fencing practice just so happened to be running late. It was the entire reason you were walking next to him, chortling at the jokingly snide comment he had made about the ladybug pin on your bag. You could only assume he was joking. 

"What? Do you really believe that Chat Noir is better?" You rose a brow, simply teasing the other. The look of pride that flashed through his eyes made your playful façade falter. You shook it off as nothing, the small upturn of his lips distracting you from your own scepticism. There was something about his little scoff that made your stomach flutter. It felt so familiar, yet at the same time so out of reach. You chalked it back to another time you had hung out, maybe you had heard him scoff that way when he drove you home? You shook your head and turned your attention towards the taller boy. 

He rolled his eyes slightly, a sight you didn't see often under the guise of his bodyguard. "Of course! He's so much cooler than Ladybug and Clementine," that made your eyes widen, "Plus, his cat puns are hilarious. I just don't get how you can't see that." The boy shrugged. Adrien had completely dissed your alter ego straight to your face. You kept your reaction hidden deep. Perhaps the next time Clementine had patrol, they might pay a visit to the blonde boy and teach him what true humour was. You nudged him with your elbow as you both walked along the cement path. You still limped from the earlier incident, but it luckily didn't hurt as much as it typically did. "Clementine is the coolest, thank you very much! And Ladybug can literally repair everything with some like, magical ass words. How is that not cool?" 

Adrien blushed, the tips of his ears flushing red as you nudged him. He wasn't entirely sure why he felt like this. He assumed it was because you were good friends. Yeah... that was the reason. 

~~~

Your debate lasted until you two found yourself in front of your home. It seemed cold, most likely due to your parents being in their own separate places. Ever since you began to manage your won diagnoses, they began to lay off of you a bit. What used to seem overbearing and protective had turned into minimal interactions and borderline neglect. 

Turning to face Adrien, you offered him a sweet smile. "Thank you... For today, I mean. This meant a lot." You weren't lying when you said that. The whole interaction with Chloe had left you rather down in the dumps and it seemed he was the only person to truly pull you out of it. He returned your sweet smile with a boyish grin of your own. The way you looked at him in that moment with nothing, but pure gratitude and care made his heart race dangerously fast. 

He shook his head quickly, golden locks flickering in front of his eyes before settling to frame his face. He was always picture perfect. "It's what friends are for." Those words stung, but once again you were dumbfounded as to why. Adrien held your bag out for you to grab, you couldn't remember when he had taken it, but you were grateful, nonetheless. Muttering another soft 'thank you', you let your fingers linger on his. The soft caress of his plush skin against you had your mouth running dry. Quickly pulling away, you finally spoke up.

"Call me when you get home." 

You left no room for an answer, gripping your bag so tight that your knuckles had shifted from their usual flushed colour to a pale white. The door shut and you retreated to your room. 

Adrien stood outside of your house; his mouth slightly open with unsaid words. That was uncharacteristically odd, but he simply assumed you didn't want your parents to meet him. He was understanding of the relationship you held with your parental figures, so he didn't plan on pressing anytime soon. Instead, he began his way home, the only though on his mind being the way your fingers left a lasting spark in his palm. 

Word Count: 2151

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Not even a week ago she found you in the head of diagnostic's embrace, your head buried in the crook of his neck and lips just brushing against his collarbone. You seem to fit as perfectly as a completed puzzle. It left the poor brunette so confused, especially when she had assumed that no one else could ever reach beneath the man's cold exterior. Yet, here you were, gentle and forgiving as your hand trailed under his back, nails scratching his skin in a comforting manner. Everything that she wished she could be for him had blossomed within you.

Foreman was the first to speak. "Wilson knows he's dating House.. right?" It came out a little amused, although mainly shocked. Who would ever think that James Wilson would cheat on his boyfriend? Cameron's eyes widened, the shock never leaving her face. Surely this wasn't right, they had to have been seeing this out of context!

Except... you kissed him.

You were the one to initiate.

It left them both bewildered, with Foreman assuming that you knew nothing and poor Cameron assuming that you were taking advantage of the two doctors and knowingly leading them on.

Not too far from where the two ducklings were hiding, stood Chase. He had witnessed the scene before them and it hardly phased him one bit. He certainly didn't think it was right, but who was he to get in between the gritty cracks of his boss's relationship? It wasn't his style, not when they were all typically on thin ice.

It had been a week of seeing your casual flirting with the two, yet no one had seen you together. Cuddy had noticed almost immediately the discourse that ensued between House's employees, cursing silently as the wreaked havoc attempting to confront you on your home wrecking infidelity. You barely noticed. Being a nurse was hard work and left you constantly on your feet, leaving you utterly exhausted and susceptible to coercion from the ducklings.

The next day rolled around rather quickly. Foreman, Chase and Cameron all seemed to stick around you whether you liked it or not. Noticing your exhaustion, Chase (who was somehow now roped into the situation) had convinced you to draw blood for their patient, claiming that his veins were blown, yet when you walked in and did it with ease, the door locked behind you.

Confusion etched across your face, your head snapping up as you placed the pass vial of drawn blood in its little metallic tray. "What's this for?" You managed to speak up through a yawn, not necessarily threatened by the three. You knew of your antics, as anyone did. It was rather well known in your department what House was like and there was no doubt that his ducklings were beginning to pick up on those habits.

"How are you so casual?" Cameron was the first to speak after you, "You're ruining their relationship! You're quite literally getting in between them—" she was cut off.

"Cameron! They might not know.." Foreman butted in, although the look on his face wasn't hopeful as his eyes fell on you. Chase however, was just as wide eyed as he usually was. "Look, we're not here to accuse you of cheating or breaking them up, we're just asking for you to leave House and Wilson alone," he began, "We're finally getting a break from House, if he finds out Wilson is cheating on him, then it will ruin him and we'll be the ones getting punished."

His reason was sound. It didn't make sense why you were beginning to smile, let alone cackling like a hyena.

"What?" You stammered over your words momentarily, one hand on the patient's rolling table before you doubled over and continued to laugh. It caught the attention of the nurses and doctors outside. However one doctor in particular looked more satisfied than any other. House was watching the whole interaction from outside, flagging Wilson down in the hall and gesturing for him to watch. The poor brunette looked mortified as he watched the situation play out.

Did people really think they were cheating?

You shook your head. "I'm not cheating or home wrecking with anyone—"

"But—" Cameron tried to intervene, yet this time you were the one to cut her off.

"Yes, I kiss Wilson, and yes, I kiss House. That's what people in a relationship do." Your words weren't harsh, just full of blatant amusement. Your laughing had turned into a soft chuckle. "It's none of your business what we do in our relationship, which is why we never told anyone."

Their poor look of shock and shame simply made you shake your head, your eye catching on the two men watching. "Now, if you'll excuse me. My boyfriends are waiting for me in the hallway to go home." You excuse yourself, sliding the glass door open after unlocking it and immediately walking to your lover's. Seeing House's amused look only caused you to shake your head.

"He knew the whole time, didn't he?" Wilson pointed out with that slight shocked yet perplexed look he wore whenever House did something outlandish. You simply nodded, taking their free hands and tugging them away.

"We're stopping by Cuddy's office. She owes me twenty," House announced, only to hear yours and Wilson's sigh of defeat. Of course he'd bet on their relationship.

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