#stinerella

Dex: And now for the introduction of our newest member!

(stinella oneshot because i think stinella is the most underrated ship out there)

The stormy gray clouds rumbled overhead, raindrops relentlessly sprinting down to the ground. The white-capped mountains in the distance towered above the rolling green fields and the silver crystal mansion that was Sterling Gables. Stumbling up the hill were two girls, one leaning on the other’s shoulder and sobbing into the burgundy fabric of the other girl’s tunic.

“Almost there,” Stina whispered to the sobbing girl, wrapping her into a tighter embrace. Just one more minute, then you’ll be safe.

Stina looked up at the glowing windows of Sterling Gables, a figure of her mom peering outside at the two girls. Stina only saw a shadow of her mother, but she already could tell she was frowning.

Stina furrowed her brow. When she reached the main path, instead of following it to the doorstep, she trailed off toward the woods. Rain-soaked pine trees that Stina knew all too well nodded in acknowledgment to the girl who had taken refuge beneath those green leaves too many times to count.

The sobbing girl sniffled and looked up with bloodshot ice-blue eyes. “Where are we going?”

“A place to warm up,” Stina answered, holding the blonde girl tighter against her shoulder. Her eyes narrowed in determination; her mind saw the task of getting Marella safely under a warm roof as a challenge. And Stina Heks never backed away from a challenge.

The faint, warm glow of the building Stina was looking for glowed against the drenched pine trees. Stina picked up her pace, Marella’s small body still nestled into hers, and reached the wooden door to the abandoned unicorn stables. She threw it open and ducked inside.

The stables smelled like a mix of a crackling fire and a bunch of stale unicorn poop, but the place had an air of comforting atmosphere that was hard to explain. Maybe it was the familiarity of the place to Stina, or maybe it was the knowledge that nobody but Stina could ever come here, because nobody would ever think to check.

Stina rested Marella’s tiny figure on a stack of hay, sitting down next to her and caressing her cheek. Red and puffy eyes looked up, so weak and empty of hope, that Stina felt a part of her cold, dead heart grow life, only to be broken once again.

“Where are we?” Marella croaked, relaxing ever so slightly into Stina’s touch.

“The old stables,” Stina informed, gesturing at the old wooden walls desperately in need of a paint job. “Nobody will find us here.”

A stray tear dripped from Marella’s freckled cheek, falling onto the stack of hay below. “You promise?”

“I promise. And I’m sorry.”

Marella’s red eyes narrowed and she backed away from Stina’s warm hand. “Why?”

“Because I wish you didn’t have to endure all the things you carry.” Stina growled at the thought of the scene in the hallway, the scene where Sophie dropped Marella like a hot rock, the scene where she didn’t even bother to ask Marella if she was holding up like she was oblivious to just how much stuff Marella-

Marella’s lips quirked upward into some sort of sad smile. “I manage.”

“You shouldn’t have to.” Stina could feel her eyes well up with tears. Tears for the girl who tried so hard, fought like hell, but always seemed to be picked last.

“You shouldn’t have to take care of me like I’m a child, but here we are.” A sound that sounded something like a cross between a whimper, a cry, and a laugh escaped from Marella’s lips.

Stina forced a smile, even though her heart felt like it was being ripped out of her chest. “It’s not childish to be taken care of.”

Marella granted Stina a snort of sarcasm and Stina’s heart healed and shattered a little bit at the same time just hearing the hint of humor in Marella’s voice. “It sure feels like it.”

“Who told you it was childish? To be taken care of?” Stina propped herself up with one elbow resting on the haybale.

Marella opened her mouth, but nothing came out. “A voice deep down, I guess.”

Stina smiled. “Tell the voice to deepthroat a cactus then.”

A laugh bubbled up from Marella’s throat, making Stina’s heart swell with pride. I did that. I made her feel better. No one else. “I’ll try that. Thanks.” Marella’s eyelids drooped a little and she flopped onto the stack of hay. “Can I..um-”

“Rest? You don’t have to ask me,” Stina teased. Marella rolled her eyes and closed them, resting her small head on her hands.

some redheks/stinella/marella x stina comfort fluff for you guys <3 @camelspit i know ur a stina heks fan so you might enjoy this !

Stina never found joy in causing scenes. This day was no different, but it seemed that she managed to cause one anyway.

Stina didn’t even know why she did it! Definitely not the angry or hurt glances the girl with the blonde little braids and ice-blue eyes gave her (that somehow stung a lot more than the glares from all the other prodigies) when she got into fights with Sophie Foster. Nope, definitely not. Stina didn’t even know Marella well at all! Stina had no explanation as to why she felt a sharp pain in her heart- which, to be perfectly honest, she thought had gone numb a long time ago- when Marella looked at the new brown-eyed prodigy with a kind of hopeless longing. It was a mystery she did not have the proper knowledge to solve. Either that, or she just didn’t want to. Stina didn’t want to think about the latter.

It started when Stina accidentally noticed that at Marella’s table, Sophie began to invite her more renowned friends to her table. Stina also accidentally noticed how much Marella looked like a kicked puppy when Sophie and Fitz stared into each other’s eyes for a little too long, how Marella slowly ended up farther down the lunch table, farther away from Sophie and everyone else while they all talked and laughed and ate.

Sophie began to become more interested in Fitz’s younger sister after a while. The morning of the event, Sophie was twirling her golden hair with her finger as Biana ranted about her classes. Marella managed to look even more hurt this time, which made Stina feel like someone stabbed her in the chest. Why she felt so strongly about the girl with the braids, she didn’t know. She swears, she really didn’t!

Biana soon disappeared into the hallway, letting Sophie’s gaze drag along her glossy brown hair as she walked away. Marella pursed her lips, eyebrows slanted angrily. Marella stood up abruptly, stomping over to the trashcan. Sophie followed her, apparently carrying a sudden awareness of Marella’s feelings that made Stina want to slap Sophie across the face and say, “You had your chance! Go away!”

Stina couldn’t hear what Sophie and Marella were saying by the trashcan, but the furrowed brows of both girls and the way Marella waved her hand accusingly at Sophie told Stina all she needed to know

Okay, maybe that was a lie. Stina might have wanted a little more information.

“-ignoring me like I don’t exist!” Stina heard Marella yell, tears forming in her icy blue eyes. Curious prodigies began to form a circle around the two girls, murmuring about the new girl and the one with the obsession for her. Stina felt her frown deepen a little more at that word- although she still couldn’t figure out why.

“I told you I was sorry!” Sophie yelled back. “And if you really cared about being included so much, you could’ve told me how you felt!”

“I shouldn’t have to!” Marella cried. “You know how horrible they are, how they think they’re better than everyone else! Why did you want to hang out with them so bad?!”

“Because I didn’t want you following me around like a lost puppy all the time!” Sophie retorted. The whispering crowd fell silent as Sophie’s eyes widened with guilt. Tears began to spill from Marella’s eyes and onto the lunchroom floor and a broken sound escaped from her lips.

“Marella, I’m-”

“No. You’ve said enough,” Marella managed to say before breaking down into tears.

That left Stina with two options. Mind her own business, or get in front of the whole school and make a fool out of herself.

Stina was the kind of person who would definitely be more willing to choose option one. Which was why she was extra surprised at herself when she found her arms pushing herself through the crowd.

Stina felt all the staring eyes on her. Stina Heks, the girl everyone only pretended to like. What’re you going to do now? they whispered mockingly. Might as well embarrass yourself to the max, I suppose.

Stina felt a rush of adrenaline pump through her blood. You’re right. I might as well.

“Are you okay?” she blurted out to the girl with the ice-blue eyes. Everyone started whispering again and Stina could already hear some of the words being passed around like a crowd-surfing rockstar. 

“What?” was all Marella had to ask, eyebrows furrowed with confusion.

“What are you doing now, Stina?” Sophie snapped. “This isn’t any of your business.”

A fresh wave of murmurs traveled among the crowd again. Yeah, why does she care?

Are Marella and Stina Heks childhood friends?

Is this Stina’s way of insulting Sophie by stealing one of her friends?

Does Stina have a crush on Marella?

Stina pushed that last one far, far, far away.

Stina smirked at the way Sophie glared at her like she was a wicked witch coming to eat her limbs off. “It doesn’t have to be. You just told one of your friends to fuck off.” Stina had to laugh at the irony. “Aww, will you look at that? It looks like for once I’m being the reasonable one here. Sorry, Brown Eyes. It seems like you can’t be the better person in every situation anymore. Too bad.”

Sophie growled. “You don’t deserve her, better person or not.”

Stina’s smirk dropped. Something deep, deep inside her shattered like glass, unleashing a raging monster of doom onto the world. Stina laughed again, this time even harsher than before. Her laugh was about as far away from her eyes as Stina was from the stars.

“You think I don’t deserve her?” Stina snarled. “You’re the one who yelled at her in front of the whole school. How’s that for not deserving her?” When Sophie’s mouth was too unattached to her jaw to speak, Stina chose to continue.

“You think I’m such a horrible person, but then you go and treat your friends like this,” Stina spat. A sound something between a cry and a laugh bubbled up from Stina’s throat. Stina turned to the girl with the icy blue eyes red with tears and the snarky comment she was about to make died in her throat. Stina looked back to Sophie, who never tore her gaze away from the girl she hated, never bothering to look at the girl she managed to hurt for so long. Stina looked at Sophie’s other friends, glancing between Sophie and Stina nervously like this was just a petty school fight. Like their friend wasn’t choking on sobs right in front of them.

Stina scoffed. “You’re a terrible friend. I hope you know that.” And Sophie’s brown eyes widened, but never looked at Marella. Not once. Stina had no idea whether Sophie simply forgot Marella’s existence in the world or couldn’t bear to look Marella in the eye. Either one made Stina want to lay a punch to Sophie’s jaw.

Marella looked up to meet Stina’s gaze and Stina’s breath caught in her throat. The girl looked at Stina with eyes full of something Stina had never seen directed at her, not once. Something about it was intoxicating, worthy of getting drunk on every time Stina made Marella smile. It made Stina feel, for the first time in her life, a word she would never even associate with herself until now. Good.

“Are you okay?” Stina asked again. This time, she wasn’t blurting out. It wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment mistake.

Marella opened her mouth, but nothing came out. The murmuring crowd fell silent once again.

Marella walked toward Stina carefully. At first, one foot at a time, her eyes switching between her feet and Stina’s gaze. Then, finally, Marella closed the distance between her and Stina and took her hand. Stina’s heartbeat picked up as Marella looked up at her again, with that look in her eyes that made the entire cafeteria seem more vivid.

“Thank you,” Marella whispered in Stina’s ear, and it took every ounce of self-control in Stina not to shiver against her voice.