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sirowsky · 3 years

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The Flowers Always Know

Description: When a mad scientist uses you as an experiment while you’re on holiday, the Heroics only just manage to save you. And in your recovery you become very close to the leader of the group. (Slow burn)

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Language.

Link to Masterlist

Comment: The aftermath of the confrontation leads to some unexpected fun. But also some annoyances.

Chapter 25

When you got home, Missy and Anita were waiting for you in the living room, and you could tell that they’d been worried. Missy had quite clearly been crying and she shot up and came to hug you the moment you stepped through the door. When you’d left the house that morning, you’d done it absolutely terrified for her safety, and while you hoped that that threat was gone now, you didn’t know it for sure. And that made it such a relief to see her safe and sound, and untouched by the darkness from your past.

“I’m so sorry I scared you, angel.”

“You just took off! I didn’t know where you were, and then dad got really scared cause he knew where you’d gone, but he wouldn’t tell me and I didn’t understand what was happening!”

She broke into tears again while she spoke, rambling everything out in a hurry as though she thought that she might not get it all out otherwise.

“I’m sorry, sweetie. I was really scared too.”

“Why?”

You took a breath and looked at Marcus to see if he was okay with you telling her the truth. He nodded and took your hand.

“The man from earlier… that was my brother. And he is not a good person.”

She pulled back and stared at you.

“The one you were so angry at you made the house shake? He’s your brother?!”

“Yeah. When we were kids, he hurt me really badly, and today… he threatened to hurt you too.”

She looked horrified, and it made your whole chest ache. Marcus’ hand tightened on yours, but he seemed to want you to do the talking. Missy was still holding you around the waist, and her grip tightened too.

“But, why?”

“Because you’re my daughter. Because he knew that by threatening you, I’d do what he wanted. And I did, but I did it knowing that I could, and would defeat him.”

“Thank you, Alma.”

“Hey, you don’t need to thank me for protecting you, that’s what families are supposed to do.”

“I know, I was thanking you for adopting me. That’s the first time you’ve called me your daughter.”

You smiled a little teary-eyed.

“Actually, it’s the second time.”

“When was the first?”

“Telling my ass-backwards no-good piece-of-shit-family not to lay a hand you.”

Missy smiled glowingly, but Anita scoffed.

“Are you ever gonna stop using that kind of foul language in front of her?”

“Sometimes, there’s just no substitute for a good expletive. Besides, have you ever heard her use one?”

Anita just cocked an eyebrow at you.

“Exactly. That’s because she’s smart enough to know that just because I’m beyond salvation, doesn’t mean she has to be.”

“It’s still bad manners, mujer.”

“And you’re still not fooling anyone. You were just as worried about me as Missy was. You can admit it, I won’t laugh at you. I might even hug you.”

“Hah, that’ll never happen.”

“Which part? Cause if it’s the hug you’re talking about – consider that a challenge accepted.”

“Don’t even think about it, loco.”

“Don’t worry. Obviously, I plan on getting you when you least expect it.”

“You really think you can sneak up on me? Oh, that’ll be the day.”

Your stomach suddenly growled, and Missy, being right in front of it, actually flinched and pulled away from you in shock.

“Holy cow! You weren’t kidding, dad, that really does sound like a bear.”

Marcus tried not to laugh, but his shoulders were shaking and his face contorted into a strained grimace.

“You guys discussed my intestinal vocalisations? Really?”

Marcus gave up and doubled over, laughing in earnest, while Missy tried to elaborate through her own giggling-fit.

“Good thing, too… or I might’ve… called a… wildlife animal rescue…”

“Alright, that’s it. I’ll give you something to laugh about!”

You attacked them both with tickling, knowing exactly where to hit them for maximum effect, and using your ghost hands to reach them both. Which was particularly annoying to them since those hands couldn’t be waved off. You chased them into the kitchen and continued your attack while telling them to yield, and never laugh at your stomach again, to which they both shouted – never! But after just a few minutes, your energy started to drain again, and you had to sit down on one of the kitchen chairs.

“Hermosa? You okay?”

“I think my body just remembered how much energy I wasted this morning.”

Anita came into the kitchen and clapped her hands together.

“Well, then, lunch it is. Who wants enchiladas?”

As was becoming your routine, you ate as much as the rest of them combined, all by yourself, and then all but passed out once you were full. You didn’t remember getting into bed, but you woke up there anyway, and the clock on the wall said 14:23. You’d slept for about two hours. You groaned a little and rolled over, accidentally elbowing Marcus.

“Oh, shit! I didn’t realise you were here, sorry!”

He just hummed a laugh, and slung his arm around your waist.

“You’ve done worse.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me…”

“How many times do I have to tell you, preciosa: you can attack me anytime.”

“Well, I’d rather attack you like this.”

You rolled on top of him and kissed him, and he made an affectionate sound in the back of his throat, but his hands came up to push your face away from his, after a few moments. You frowned. He’d never pushed you away before.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, of course. I just wanna talk to you.”

Damn. That was always a mood-killer. You rolled off of him again and sat up and folded your legs together so that you could rest your elbows against your knees. He just pushed himself up on his elbow and laid there looking like some Greek god.

“Okay. Let’s talk then. What’s on your mind?”

“Marriage.”

Gulp! Fuck… Give a girl some warning, for Christ’s sake.

“Oh…”

It was literally all you could choke out. But he just smiled.

“You do remember saying yes to me, right?”

You just nodded. Was that yesterday? Shit. What day was yesterday?

“Well, first off, there was something missing from that moment, but it really wasn’t planned, so I didn’t have time to get it. That said, I do have a ring picked out for you, and I am going to go and get it as soon as I can.”

You just swallowed hard, certain your voice was still non-existent.

“Second, I’d like to know what kind of wedding you’d prefer? I’m not saying we have to start planning right away, I realise that it’s a big deal, especially for you. I’d just like to start talking about it, get comfortable with it.”

Right. Comfortable.

“……I hv…”

Your voice really wasn’t cooperating. You tried clearing your throat, but it just sort of hissed. Thankfully, Marcus wasn’t fazed. He knew you well enough to know that your nervousness came from insecurity, not cold feet, and he also knew just how to help you with that. He sat up and scooted closer to you so he could kiss you in that tender way that made you feel safe and wanted, while his current washed over your whole body. It still came out hoarse, but at least your voice started working.

“I’ve never… I’ve never once thought about it. I have no idea what I might like.”

“Okay. Well, I’d like it to be small, just us and our closest friends. And I’m pretty traditional. I like the whole not seeing the dress before the ceremony, not sleeping together the night before. I don’t need a church, or an altar, just as long as there’s a priest to help me get through the vows, because I know I’ll forget how to even formulate sentences.”

“Wow. You’re pretty clear on all this. But then, I suppose I would be too, if it wasn’t my first time.”

“Missy’s mother and I, we did the whole celebrity wedding, and it was nice, don’t get me wrong. But it was more of a publicity stunt than our wedding-day. I always regretted that. I don’t wanna have any regrets with you.”

“Good. But I’m gonna ask for some time to think about this.”

He smiled.

“You mean ‘do research’.”

“Well, yeah, how else am I gonna figure out what I like?”

“Take as much time as you need, mi amor.”

You smiled and kissed him again, and this time he didn’t push you back, so you let your hand sneak under his t-shirt and lightly tickle him. He caught it and pulled you forwards until you were straddling him again, and right then, the door to the bedroom flung open and Anita scowled at you.

“Your timing, woman…”

“Oh, this time it’s not my timing, I’m afraid. You two had better make yourselves presentable. You’ve got company.”

Marcus groaned under his breath.

“Let me guess – Management?”

“Yep. And they’re less than happy.”

“Fuck. How much trouble am I in?”

“That depends.”

“On?”

She huffed a little, but her expression was dead serious.

“On your willingness to play by their rules.”

Thanks to that comment, you were angry before you even entered the kitchen, where the representative from management, and his assistant, sat at the table, along with a person from the PR section, sitting by the island, a woman you’d never liked to begin with. You might not have felt quite so confrontational towards them, if they hadn’t looked like they owned the fucking kitchen, just because they happened to be sitting in it.

“Good afternoon, miss. You’ve had a busy morning.”

“You have no god damned idea.”

Marcus had moved to the corner of the kitchen, behind the island, and you knew that Anita and Missy where in the living room. But this was about you. They were here to question you. You moved up to the table, but didn’t sit down, your energy was building with the tension in your body and you needed to be able to move around.

“Then why don’t you tell us.”

“Because this was a family affair, it doesn’t concern you.”

“It does when an entire acre of lawn is destroyed by an unregistered super.”

“Unregistered? Don’t fuck with me, Allen. I am in every record imaginable, from my time as a victim, right up until my self-appointed discharge – what? Two days ago? What you meant to say was: Unofficial. You’re only here because I’ve refused to become part of your little band of heroes (no offense, honey) which makes it that much harder for you to explain what happened, because you can’t cite it on official Heroics business.”

They squirmed a little in their seats. They’d been trying to get you to join the Heroics ever since your assessment was completed, but you weren’t ready for the spandex just yet. You might never be. You still saw yourself as a normal person, and you’d just started getting the hang of the whole Manager-thing when all this happened. You wanted a chance to actually get good at it, before you let it go. It didn’t mean that you wouldn’t still help, if you could.

“Your actions were witnessed by some of the staff-members at the clinic, and they’re all too happy to make statements to the press. You’re all over the news, honey. And we need to get out in front of that.”

The PR-woman. The thing you’d always disliked about her, was her falseness. She had this plastered on softness that she probably thought was endearing, but it really wasn’t. You’d seen her real self, and she was a viper, through and through. There was no softness anywhere inside of that woman.

“First of all – Don’t ever call me ‘honey’.”

The kitchen started rumbling a little as your energy began to fill the available space.

“Second – It is your job to stay ahead of the media. If you want me to make a statement, I will, but you won’t like it. Because I’m not gonna just read out whatever company-line-word-vomit I know you already have prepared in that folder of yours. I’ll tell the truth, short and simple, in my own words. Take it or leave it.”

She just glanced at Allen and his assistant.

“Third – I just had one of the worst mornings of my life. If you’re gonna come into my home, on a day like this… Do yourselves a favour and don’t antagonise me.”

You could almost feel Marcus smile over in his corner. He’d always loved it when you took charge.

“Okay, listen. You’re right. From our standpoint, this is a mess. Since you work for us, already, we can’t publicly address anything to do with your abilities without your expressed permission, and since you refuse to join the team, we can’t say that your actions were approved or valid either. So, right now, we can’t do anything to help the situation at all.”

“So, let me make a statement.”

They all looked extremely worried. But Allen continued.

“What would you say?”

“That I have a shitty fucking family that tried to exploit me, and since my powers are new, I had a little trouble controlling myself. But hey, nobody died, so yay! How about that?”

The PR-woman actually groaned. What the hell was her name? You were usually so good with names.

“Obviously, we’re not going to let you say that.”

“Let me?”

The kitchen started shaking, and you felt Marcus move towards you, but you kept him away with your power. You were angry, yes, but in complete control for once.

“That was a poor choice of words, from Miss. Chopper.”

Ah, right. You’d always thought of her as Hell-a-copter, that was why you couldn’t remember her name.

“Since you’re an employee of the Heroics, you have certain obligations too.”

“Yeah, I know. I can’t talk to the press about anything that relates to HQ without approval from Management or the PR division, don’t worry, I don’t plan to. But, let me be clear: I have no intention of being your fucking puppet either.”

“Charming.”

“Fuck you, Erica. I’ve seen you handle media circus’ before, remember. I know exactly how you keep people in line, and if you think I’m gonna let you control anything that comes out of my mouth – you’ve got another thing coming.”

She glowered at you, but her usually so well-oiled mouth stayed closed. Allen just sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

“Okay. How about this; we make an official statement saying that the events at the clinic were an isolated incident pertaining to a personal conflict involving a powered person. And that said incident is being investigated but since no one was harmed and the damage to the property is manageable, no legal action is being considered at this time. We don’t mention anyone by name, we don’t agree to take any comments, and you don’t use your powers in public again, without our approval.”

“Your approval? And if a kid falls off of a balcony and I use my powers to save it, you’ll - what? Fire me?”

“Of course not. But let’s just hope no kids fall off any balconies around you.”

“That’s it?”

“That’s the best I can do with what you’re offering us. Keep your powers off the radar, until the blowback from this incident has mellowed out, and then we can talk about where to go next.”

You just shrugged. It wasn’t a great solution, but it would have to do.

“Good. Then we’ll expect you back at work first thing Monday morning.”

“Fine.”

With that, they left, and you let your powers fade. You hadn’t used enough to drain yourself this time, and it made you feel a little proud of yourself. Marcus’ arms snaked around your waist from behind, and his chin came to rest on your shoulder.

“That was entertaining.”

“It was annoying.”

“You did good. If you don’t wanna be a Heroic then you’re not going to be, no matter how much they try to persuade you.”

“Thank you, honey. Ugh… I can’t believe that bitch called me that, in my own kitchen.”

Anita appeared from the living room, scowling at you again.

“Don’t even go there, she is a bitch, and you know it just as well as I do.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“You didn’t have to; your eyes are plenty judgemental all on their own.”

She just walked past you, and started making a fresh pot of coffee. Marcus kissed your cheek and then let go of you to go check on Missy.

“Hey, Anita, what day is it?”

“It’s Saturday. Dear lord, you are terrible at keeping track.”

“Yep. It’s a flaw in my design. Curiously, it didn’t reveal itself until after you hired me, though. What do you actually do at HQ, anyway? I never see you there, never see your name on any paperwork, never hear anyone mention your work, and yet, according to my contract - you are my closest superior.”

“Because I am.”

“Then why didn’t Management have a go at your scalp, too?”

“You don’t really think anyone of those clowns has the guts to take me on, do you? Even you had them trembling in their boots.”

She had her back to you, so you moved closer to her and was just about to slip your arms underneath hers to tug her into a surprise hug.

“Touch me, and I’ll pour coffee over your hands.”

“Damned it. How’d you know?”

Even from behind, you could see her smile.

“The flowers always know, loco.”

You actually looked at the flowers in the kitchen window, suspiciously, wondering if they could somehow speak to her. Shit. Now, that thought was gonna haunt you forever. There were flowers in every fucking room of the house…

Authors’ Note: I love criticism, don’t be shy to let me know if there’s anything you like/don’t like/have questions about.

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#marcus moreno #marcus moreno x reader #marcus moreno fic #we can be heroes #we can be heroes fic #pedro pascal fanfiction #pedro pascal characters

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