Sambea + accidental hand-hold in public
She had no clue when he entered her orbit. All her life she’d minded her own path, stuck to her goals, kept her distance. And all of a sudden, he was there with his own gravitational pull, hauling her close. Eclipsing the darkness that had always surrounded her like a burning star. Like the fucking sun.
How dare he, honestly.
The worst part was she couldn’t even blame him for the series of events that had lead to this. No, she only had herself and her damn curiosity — and maybe her secret longing — to thank for this ridiculous farce of an evening.
“So,” intoned the starchy woman, pursing her lips. Like seeing someone like Beatrix and someone like Harvey at one table was wrong. Distasteful. “How is it you two, er, got together?”
She’d been so damn close to finding them. To finding the answers she wanted. To finding the family she deserved. And just as hope started to peak and her spirits started to lift up, the universe had to make sure poor little Beatrix was kicked down once more.
When she’d first received the letter from the Academy that one Isobel Daniels and D’arcy Daniels attended, she’d been ecstatic. It was only when she opened the letter and read phrases like ‘each of our young ladies and gentleman come to our school from the most esteemed families in the Otherworld’ and ‘we cultivate the brightest of minds, kindest of dispositions, and bravest of souls’ that she’d known waltzing in and meeting them would be to good to be true.
As far as Beatrix was concerned, each word in that letter was a brick laid into the growing wall between Beatrix and meeting Isobel and D’arcy. Her only family. And if she’d been anyone else or remotely capable of expressing a feeling, she would’ve admitted how crushed she felt. How dejected and hopeless.
It was only when she saw the disgusting sight of Sky walking hand-in-hand with Bloom that she started to formulate an idea. An idea that could elevate her look, her reputation, and her bloody disposition all in one fell swoop. A buffer for her sharp edges, a teacher to educate her in the elusive art of being pleasant…
A teacher’s son.
Harvey had been perfect. Practically oozing kindness from his pores and constantly shimmering with charisma. The golden boy, the botany nerd, the charming fairy. And the perfect way for Beatrix to get an in. To mold herself into the perfect long, lost sister in a steady relationship and plead her case with the Headmistress of the school.
It had taken her three failed attempts at blackmail, two rebuffed attempts at bribery, and a full week of cajoling for him to finally agree to help.
“Fine. One night. And you’ll owe me.”
“Not looking for any new fuck buddies, thanks Harvey.”
“Christ. Not a sexual favor. I meant a helpful favor. As a friend. Wait. Sorry, you don’t have those. Forgot I was talking to the princess of darkness.”
Only problem was, Beatrix severely underestimated just how charismatic Harvey could be. Or maybe she overestimated how much his personality could soften hers. Because this stick-up-her-arse lady did not seem to be eating out of the palm of Beatrix’s hand. No, she seemed perfectly content to ignore Bea in favor of any scrap of attention from golden boy blinding the restaurant with his sweet, sunshine-laden smiles.
“It’s a long story actually,” he chuckled, leg fidgeting under the table, bumping into Beatrix’s. Every fourth shake, she’d counted.
She barely heard the rest of the story he made up, all she could hear was the echoing chasm of disappointment and anger at yet another obstacle thrown in her path. Another person who hated her. When would something finally go her way? When would Beatrix get to be the one who was looked upon with fondness and amicability? When would-
“Isn’t that right? Beatrix?” His leg brushed against hers again, this time more forceful, more deliberate than all the others.
“Uh, yes. Absolutely, Ha- Sam,” she corrected herself.
In all honesty, she hadn’t heard a word he’d said, too lost in her miserable musings and another failed scheme to keep up with the farce.
But when she looked up, it was to find an expectant and open look on the headmistress’ face… directed at her. At Bea. And suddenly Beatrix lost every rehearsed line, every practice conversation they’d had before they’d come here tonight.
Fuck, she thought. She had to respond with something. She wouldn’t let this opportunity slip through her grasp. Not again.
Desperate for something to buy her time, she reached for the stem of the water glass next to her, intending to take a long, fortifying sip, until she encountered a warm hand blocking her way. She was about to pull hers back instinctively when Harvey twisted his hand and held hers in his grasp.
So shocked and appalled — mostly at the fact that she could feel her cheeks heating up — she couldn’t help but dart her eyes to his, wondering if he’d lost his damn mind. He seemed to be quite sane though, giving her hand a small squeeze.
Encouragement, Beatrix realized. He was cheering her on.
Then, inexplicably, came that small quirk of the lips that had made every person in the room that evening fawn and soften.
For some reason though, this one seemed.. different. A little deeper, more real. Like all the other smiles were for everyone else, while this smile was for her.
And somehow, for reasons Beatrix would never care to explain, it was the spark she needed to turn to the Headmistress and flatter her way into a visit to the Academy.
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