Chapter 36: Chapter 35 - Celebration 1/2
With Leo's sudden arrival, Lucy called for a celebration, with the Shield Family being the only ones invited to join. At first, the Father-daughter duo hesitated to join, not wanting to disrupt Lucy's reunion with her son. But since the two assured that the more, the merrier, the Shield's joined.
Lucy is ecstatic to finally do some family bonding with her son. And what better bonding is there than cooking with him? Of course, she invited Melissa to join! She knew Melissa had a bit of trouble making friends in the Academy, but she knew Leo would treat her like Siren back in Maine, with respect!
Honestly, Lucy is beginning to think that respect is a gene. Atreus, Leo's Father, was such a gentleman to her when he was courting her. A reason why she fell hard for the man and another reason why thinking of remarrying never even became a thought. Her husband died protecting them, and she wouldn't feel comfortable marrying another. It feels wrong for her.
Anyway, Lucy tasked Leo and Melissa to shop for ingredients. If Leo were to do it, they'd be having this celebration by next week! Even she struggled to navigate I-Island in her first month here. The entire Island has FOUR cities! And many local New Yorkers don't even know the whole layout of New York in the palm of their hand, much less four entire cities!
Plus, with the two children together, they could get to know one another. 'Thinking of them spending time makes me think back to Siren... I wonder how she's doing?' Lucy thought as she cleaned the house in preparation.
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Siren's POV
"Achoo~!" I sneezed hard, suddenly feeling my nose itch. 'Must be the weather. It's freezing here in Maine... but that's easy!'
*Clap!* *Clap!*
Clapping my hands to signal something, a group of boys came rushing toward me. My quirk makes my voice become a charm, almost like hypnosis; maybe it is.
I can still remember when Aunt Lucy taught me how to control it... I wonder how they're doing? In my musings, the boys brought me some heated tea and a new heat pack to stuff into my jacket.
"Ah, thank you~! Now, go and study; you guys are scoring low on tests~" She 'suggested,' making them scurry along to do her bidding.
"High School sure is fun~."
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In I-Island, Melissa showed Leo around, specifically how they acquire fresh ingredients. In their walk, Melissa mentioned how their animals are raised and procured.
"Wait," Leo raised his palms for effect, "so, your pigs and cows all reach maturity within a month of birth?" his eyes wide at repeating that. "Yup~! Cool, huh? The entire Island is self-sufficient, even with our vegetables and fruits. Not only that, our raw materials, from oil to metals too!" Melissa is proud to explain the happenings within the Island.
"I can guess for metals since material transmutation is known about the Island, but oil?" Leo questioned as they walked.
"With the Island roaming around the world, there are times when we encounter patches of plastic waste floating around. And it was actually Papa who thought and invented the device for it! With material science coming a long way, it's now efficient to commercially convert plastic to oil as a resource!"
Leo couldn't help but smile genuinely when Melissa talked so passionately. Melissa seeing his smile, smiled in return, unable to help it. Like a yawn, it's infectious.
"By the way, the suit you wore yesterday, did you make it with the help of your quirk?" Leo asked. It was an innocent question, truly. Considering he doesn't know of her quirkless status.
Realizing that Leo had no knowledge of her situation, she hesitated to answer, making the vibe awkward. 'Would he think I'm weird for not having a quirk? What if he strays away cause of my quirklessness?'
"Hey, you don't have to answer every question I dish out, y'know? I'm just curious, so I might not realize which questions become intrusive." Leo explained, not wanting to have beef with her.
Hearing his answer, Melissa lightly smacked his bicep, "It isn't like that!" waving her hand in denial. "It's just..." looking down, unsure if she should share it.
"It's just?" Leo repeated, not knowing what could damper her mood.
"I'm part of the 20% that don't have quirks; I'm conscious of everyone... not knowing whether they'd slowly drift away 'cause I'm quirkless." She slowed, uncomfortable with the situation.
With her dampened mood, she instinctively looked down. Leo hearing her situation, was shocked. Though when she drooped, he kneeled to reach her height better.
"Then isn't that better?" He said bluntly, not knowing how his words sounded insensitive. Even Melissa was stunned by his words that her dropping mood halted!
'It's better that I'm quirkless?' She has honestly never encountered a situation where someone openly mocked her. 'That just hurts...'
With Leo, not knowing the internal turmoil he had just caused, continued speaking. "Without a quirk, you easily proved to everyone that you made it with your hands. With only blood and sweat as your fuel."
Now understanding what he meant, Melissa couldn't help but give a slap to Leo's arms in frustration. "Couldn't you have started with that!?" Her emotions were in a bundle, and tears unknowingly dropped.
"Haha, sorry," He accepted the frustrated taps of Melissa and moved his hands to her eyes. He wiped off their tears with his thumbs softly, "I got to where I'm currently at because of my quirk. If I was quirkless, I wouldn't be anywhere. And certainly not wiping a beautiful girl's tears away," His last comment got her red as a rose. Cheesy, but it's the truth!
He'd probably be in some High School in Maine, being the quiet kid everyone ignores. Leo easily imagined it.
"*Giggle* You certainly know how to play with emotions," Melissa commented, letting him wipe her tears away. It was a gesture that she could get used to.
"Let's go; Aunt is going to wonder where the ingredients of her pork cutlets are."
"Then let's go," Leo moved, and princess-carried her, earning a startled "Ahhh!" from Melissa. "What are you doing?" Confused about his actions. Placing an arm around his neck for support. Luckily, she was wearing beige pants and not a dress. Else, she'd find it breezy from under there.
"Flying is faster than walking. Now, hold on!"
"W-Wait!"
*WHOOSH~!*
"AHHHHHH!" 'THIS IS FAR TOO DIFFERENT FROM THE SUIT!' She screamed internally.
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Eventually, they made it back, although Melissa looked far different from when she left. Her checkered shirt's button got undone at the top, its ironed cloth now filled with wrinkles. Her prim and proper hair is now frazzled by the wind blowing on her face.
And for Leo? Well, he's only giving off a shit-eating grin as he held the ingredients. This was what Lucy answered the door to...
So, imagine the shock on her face? She sent the two out properly clothed, and they came back like they hooked up in some tight cubicle with their clothes on. Leo's grin was goofy, looking like a virgin had just lost the card. And Melissa's clothes and hair were like rammed through a tornado!
Only now did Lucy think of this, 'They're teens, for God's sake! They're in their exploring stages... did they use protection? Gosh, did poor Melissa get ravaged by my son?' Such thoughts raced through her mind.
Quickly and 'calmly' telling Leo to drop the ingredients, Lucy hurriedly dragged Leo to her room to talk. "Melissa, dear, why don't you freshen up a bit? Wouldn't want your Father to see your clothes all wrinkled up!" She said before a *clack* came from her room, doors closed.
In her room, Lucy, in her anger, reached out for Leo's ear and pinched hard! Earning an elicit "Ouch!" from the son.
"Be honest!" Inching her face at Leo's ear, "When I told you to buy ingredients, did you two decide to hug like dogs and return home without the decency to at least hide your doings!?" Not wanting to blatantly say: Fuck and sex.
"W-Woah! Hold on, now. We did no such thing!" He exclaimed, standing up, accidentally pulling his mom up with him; she still latched onto his ear.
But Leo had to activate his quirk, or else he'd feel his earlobe get stretched... or worse, get ripped off! "Then why is Melissa looking like that?" Finally, letting go of the ear. At least she didn't whip out a slipper.
"Walking is old fashioned; flying is the new way to travel. Didn't know that?" Leo smirked, "And did you really think we did the thing? Do you really think so low of us?"
Only staring at her son, Lucy spoke, "I have seen how Melissa acts, so don't lump her in with those acts. She's easily influenced. But I haven't seen you for months, nor do I know any of your new friends!" Crossing her arms.
"Remember that kid you brought home once? What was his name?" Lucy asked, trying to recall a certain kid. "Andy? The one who could make toys?" Leo said, knowing where this was going.
"Yes! That kid! He brandished out a 'sausage' claiming his sister loves those! Not knowing it's a sex toy!" Lucy, exasperated, careful in controlling her voice, eles Melissa hears weird parts.
Raising his arms in defense, "Okay, point taken. You only met the weird one. But, I'll have you know, my friends are good people." Leo immediately purged a memory of Percy controlling vomit and making a Shark student puke fish guts out as he said this.
'I guess there'll always be weird ones...'
"Very well," Lucy conceded, ending it at that. "So... Melissa?" She side-eyed her son, voice calm and probing.
"*Groans* I will not be talking about this with my Mother," Leo facepalmed in embarrassment. Gasping, "You aren't mature enough to call me Mother! What happened to Mom?" She joked but went serious right after.
"But... you didn't deny... just know she's like a daughter. Treat her right; we're good. Treat her bad... you'll see a lawyer try and defend why child abuse was justifiable, understood?" She 'threatened' jokingly. Maybe. Leo wasn't sure about this one.
"Never planned on treating a woman bad; my parents taught me right."
"Aww! I wonder who they are?" At that, the two laughed. Clearly an odd duo of mother and son.
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Meanwhile, Melissa fixed herself up. Weirdly hearing her aunt argue with Leo, then suddenly, the two laughed. Curious, she thought about what they could be discussing.
Her face heated at the thought of it, "Gosh! Could they be talking about how I shrieked the entire flight? That's embarrassing!" Not wanting to think about it further, she got to prepping the ingredients. Trying to kill the blush she felt on her face.
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CHEERS!
I'm trying to make these chapters faster since its a long vacation. A reason why I pump chapters out slow is because... well... I lose track of time HAHA. I don't realize a week has gone by, I apologize for that.
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