Even in an Alternate Lifetime

Family

A/N: I know some of you are gonna start with the Dom Toretto meme- lmfaoo. Enjoy <3
__________________________________
__________________________________

Marinette's POV:

  Leaving the hotel felt awkward, considering the expressions left on my friends' faces. The looks they shared towards my cousin and I, told an eerie story which caused me to suspect them to dislike him.
Even I was surprised by Nicholas' sudden appearance; it was unpredictable, and the reason why I felt dreadful for abandoning my friends. Fortunately, something that allowed me to remain positive were the fond memories of waking up to the sunrise with Adrien, sleeping over at Chloe's and meeting Luka. Last night was by far the most amazing night... at least until my cousin arrived.

  As Nicholas helped with my bags, I was led to the front of the hotel, where his friend, Roy, stood, leaning against the dark shaded car. It's been years since I've seen him, which gave me a slight feeling of discomfort. I wasn't sure whether I'd greet him with a handshake, a peck on the cheek or even a hug; therefore I just waved.

"Hey, Roy. Long time no see!" I said, as I smiled and delivered a small wave.

"Hey, Mar. How have you been?" he asked in a flirtatious way, as he reached for my hand with the intention to kiss it. I instantly grabbed my bag from Nicholas' hand, carrying it to the trunk of the car, in an attempt to avoid the predictable gesture.

"I-I've been good, great actually. And you?" I asked back, steering the conversation away from my rude act.

"I've been better," he replied without an expression, as he turned back towards the driver's side in a petty way. His response caused me to tense up, but I knew that Nicholas was there, in case anything ever got out of hand. Although I've never witnessed an enraged nor abusive Roy, he's always carried anger issues in the slightest, which is why I take precaution either way... mostly because he and I were never close.

The tall, dark haired boy made his way into the car, as he slammed the door behind him in an aggressive way. I stared back at my cousin with a bemused face, as I continued to close the trunk. Nicholas then shrugged with wide eyes, shocked at the tense atmosphere that had built up between us. By the looks of it, Roy's first impression was far from welcoming; this left me thinking, was he always this presumptuous?

"Uhm. Shall we get going?" Nicholas asked, clearing his throat in an awkward way.

"Y-Yeah, of course," I struggled to say. I calmly walked towards the car, as Nicholas opened the door for me with a slight smile. Nodding, I entered the car in an elegant manner, which has always been a natural reflex, and continued to buckle up.

  The entire drive home was mostly silent, but Nicholas managed to start a minimal amount of small talk to avoid an awkward 15 minute drive. Although Roy hadn't said much but 'yeah' or 'mhm' with an added fake giggle, I had hoped that he'd get over his mini-tantrum.

  Finally, after the long lasting awkward moment, we arrived at the mansion. Nicholas looked as if he had just met the devil or something— possibly referring to my father, since he stood tall at the front of the house. Personally, I wouldn't think my cousin and father had a terrible relationship, but when they greet each other, it's almost impossible to get the two to shake hands. What was there to hate about my beloved cousin? We look very similar, we get along, our mothers were twin sisters who also adored each other. Where exactly did this hatred come from?

  My father stood by the front door of my house, as he stared down at his luxurious watch on his left wrist. As always, the so-called 'busy man' had limited time before he got back to work. His usual words were practically memorized deep within my head; he'd most likely say something along the lines of, "Right. Well I need to get back to work." As if. Need to get back to work, headass. Instead, he should be arranging a new eating schedule for me, since I'm basically starved to death.