"And there will be someone that comes along one day and offers you an entire galaxy when you only expected a single planet."
~🎀~
I T W A S worse. Definitely worse.
Her drawing from last night was nothing compared to the real thing.
Upon her arrival in the school carpark, Falcon had appeared in front of her, as if he had been waiting, and bid her a soft good morning that had her nerves going haywire. She had taken one look at his captivating eyes and her insides turned to mush.
She didn't think any drawing could do them justice.
Freya fidgeted under his gaze and his lips tipped up at the corners before pressing a hand against her back, leading her inside the building. As they walked, she pulled the sleeves of her light grey sweater over her fingers as she usually did when she was feeling especially shy or small; something that seemed to happen whenever she was around Falcon.
It wasn't particularly hard; he was quite literally twice her size and held himself with a dominating aura that could intimidate anyone. She felt absolutely tiny next to him.
They finally reached her locker and Falcon leaned himself casually against the wall next to it, staring down at her unabashedly. She quickly got her things together, self-consciously touching the bow shaped bun at the back of her head that Kendra had insisted on doing this morning.
Hugging her books to her chest, she shuffled her feet awkwardly, a blush rising to her face as he continued to watch her. She shyly ducked her head down, watching the diamantes on her pink trainers glint in the light.
"What?" she asked after a few moments. She risked a glance up at him only to find herself unable to look away. He smirked slightly before straightening up from his position.
"Ready to go?" He questioned.
Freya nodded and he gently placed a hand on her lower back, leading her to her first class. After a few steps, Falcon leaned down to her ear, his hand curling around her waist. "You look beautiful, by the way," he said.
Freya's face heated more than she thought possible and she hid her smile behind her books as they continued to walk. They soon reached the door to her classroom and Falcon turned to her with a smirk. "I'll see you later, okay?" he asked, though it wasn't really a question.
Freya nodded quickly, biting her lip out of habit as she stared up at him. His eyes flickered down her face for a moment, his jaw clenching as he swallowed harshly. He took in a breath, dragging his eyes back up to meet hers. After another quiet moment Falcon nodded, almost to himself, and left without another word. Freya stood in her place for a few seconds before taking a deep breath herself and entering the crowded classroom.
It wasn't unusual for people to stare at her, but for some reason today felt different. All eyes followed the small girl to her seat and as much as she tried to ignore the multitude of looks she was receiving she couldn't help but feel each and every one burning through her skin. She wasn't sure what the newfound interest they had in her was; she had been there for years, there was nothing new about her. Unless, of course, it was about Falcon.
Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted when a lanky body sat itself down next to her. Penn. After yesterday's events, Freya didn't feel completely comfortable being so close to him so she tried to subtly shift in her seat to gain some distance. Her efforts were foiled when he leaned closer to her, his breath fanning across her face.
She immediately noticed the contrast between Penn's mint scent and the usual smell of smoke that seemed to follow Falcon everywhere. Had you asked her a few days ago which she would prefer, she would have taken Penn in a heartbeat. But as she sat there, she realised she missed the now comforting aroma she claimed to hate.
Freya shook her head. She was obsessing over the way he smelt.
She really was falling for him.
"How was the rest of your day yesterday?" Penn grinned, breaking her out of her thoughts once again.
She furrowed her eyebrows slightly, thinking back to the way he had acted the day before. He was acting as if nothing had happened. As if he hadn't almost made her cry, as if Falcon hadn't stormed out of the store hand-in-hand with her after practically threatening him.
Freya decided that he didn't deserve to be back in her good graces so quickly. "Fine," she said curtly, turning away from him to stare out the window.
It was quiet for a moment and Freya resisted the urge to glance at his expression. "Look," Penn laughed nervously. "If this is about what happened then I'm sorry."
Freya began to turn around, ready to accept his apology when he continued. "But you're just gonna have to get over it," he said. "I mean, you were acting like a brat."
Freya's eyes widened in alarm as she shot her head around to look at him. A brat? She had acted like a brat? She didn't know whether to scream at him or cry, though her body gave her little choice in the matter as she felt tears begin to gather in her eyes before slipping down her cheeks. Her chin trembled as she tried to keep what little composure she had left.
Penn's eyes grew large as he looked on in panic. "Shit-no-I didn't-I didn't mean that," he swore under his breath, his hands reaching out for her shoulders.
Before he could touch her, Freya shot out of her seat, wasting no time in running towards the door. "Freya!" she heard Penn call out behind her, but she was out of the classroom and down the hall before he could say anything more.
She had left her things back in the classroom, but she couldn't care less in that moment. What he said had hurt her and she didn't want to be around someone like that.
Maybe she had acted like a brat. Maybe she was a brat. But that didn't give him any right to call her that.
She rubbed at her eyes with the sleeves of her sweater, sniffling as she continued walking towards the bathroom. She didn't know what she was going to do; she had never skipped class before, but she did not want to be around Penn. She soon reached the bathroom, pushing open the doors as she let out a whine and another sniffle. She really wanted a hug.
Falcon's hug.
She reached the sink, pouting at her splotchy face and red-rimmed eyes. She turned the tap, splashing her face with cool water before drying off. Her face had calmed down slightly, but with the tears continuing to build, there was no hiding how she felt.
She took a deep breath, trying to hold herself together. She couldn't stay in there; the teachers on a break checked in at random times during the day and if they saw her there without a pass she could get into serious trouble. She exited the bathroom, figuring it was safer to walk around than stay in the same place. She made her way towards the front doors; fresh air would do her some good right now.
Her tears had stopped, but she couldn't fight the sniffles that came every so often as she walked down the halls. Upon pushing open the front doors, she was instantly hit with a familiar scent. Falcon had barely any time to register the arrival of the small girl before she had barrelled herself into his arms. On instinct, he held her closer, especially when he heard her sniffle.
He threw the cigarette in his hand into the bin close by, wrapping both arms around her as he kissed the top of her head. "What's wrong, princess?" he asked gently. "Why are you crying?"
Freya let out a whine, pushing her face further into his chest and letting out another sniffle. Falcon held her head in both hands, pressing another kiss to her head, her forehead, her temple. "Freya," he pressed a kiss to the other side of her head. "Baby, what happened?"
He lifted her head to make her look up at him, shifting her hair out of her eyes so he could see her properly. "You've got to tell me what's wrong so I can fix it, sweetheart," Falcon's forehead was creased in concern as he stared down at the small girl in his arms.
Freya's bottom lip trembled as she thought of what Penn had called her. Falcon pulled her back into his chest, crushing her against him as he rubbed her back comfortingly. "Shhh," he cooed. "Don't cry, love. It's okay. I've got you."
The wave of comfort Freya felt from him did nothing to help her composure, instead encouraged the onslaught of tears and whimpers. "Tell me what happened," he said quietly.
Freya hiccupped a few times, wiping the tears from her face as she cuddled closer to Falcon's warm body. "P-Penn called me a," she hiccupped again, a cry ripping out of her throat. "He called me a brat."
She cried again as Falcon's hold on her tightened. "Little bitch," he growled out.
He looked down at Freya's shaking form and his expression softened as he pressed a kiss to her hair. "It's okay, baby girl," he smoothed down her hair, holding her close. "Don't worry about him anymore, okay love? I'll deal with it."
Freya nodded, her cries calming as Falcon continued to rub her back, resting his cheek against the top of her head. This was where she was safe, this was where she was happy. She didn't feel the need for anything else.
Just him.
~🎀~