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A shoulder to cry on (Marella x Maruca)

A/N: The first part of this story happens before Marella learns she is a pyrokinetic. The rest of it takes place in LODESTAR.

"Miss Redek! Please pay attention to your session!" Said Marella's elementalism mentor. Marella's head snapped up. She had zoned out again. Her mentor shook her head slowly. "If you don't pay more attention in class, I won't hesitate to give you a detention." The mentor warned. Marella sighed. "Sorry." They got back to working.

At lunch Marella sighed. Today was one of her Mum's bad days. Ever since Caprice Redek had hurt herself when Marella was three, she had suffered brain issues. Her moods became unpredictable, and it was hard for Marella. She looked at the time on the atrium clock. She only had two more sessions before she had to go home.

(After school)

Marella arrived home. She could her Mum in the other room. Clearly, her Mum wasn't doing any better. "I'm home." Marella called half-heartedly. Her Mum took no notice of her. She went upstairs to her room. Her Dad knocked on her door. "Hey, how was foxfire?" he asked. Marella shrugged. Her dad came into the room, sitting down on the bed next to her. 

"Why, with all of Elwin's fancy medicines, why does she still get like this?" Marella asked, her eyes tearing up. "I don't know sweetie. But I do know we need to be there for her, and that's all we can really do." He said. He gave Marella a hug. Something shattered downstairs. "I need to go back down there, are you okay to-" Marella cut her Dad off. "It's fine." He nodded and went downstairs.

Marella laid down, holding her imparter to her chest. She knew she needed to support her Mum, but she couldn't be here right now. She knew it was selfish, but it was to hard to deal with this right now. She hailed Maruca. Maruca picked up right away, and her face showed up on Marella's imparter.

"Hi Marella, what's up?" Maruca noticed the tears in Marella's eyes. "My Mum's having a really bad day, I need to go somewhere, sorry but can I come over?" She asked, tears slipping from her eyes. Marella nodded, concern in her eyes. "Of course." Marella nodded and hung up.

Marella wiped the tears from her eyes, and walked upstairs to the leapmaster. She sent a text to her Dad, saying where she was going. She leaped to Maruca's house. Maruca was waiting by the leapmaster. When Marella arrived, Maruca immediately pulled her into a hug. She led Marella upstairs to her room. She sat her down her on a couch. "Do you want to talk about it?" "I don't know, it's just so hard." Marella burst into tears.

Maruca hugged her friend. Marella buried her face in Maruca's shoulder, sobbing. Maruca held her. Marella eventually looked up at her friend. "Do you wanna stay here tonight?" asked Maruca. Marella nodded. "If it's okay with your parents." Maruca nodded. "I'll ask them now." She went downstairs. Marella stared at where Maruca had been. 

Maruca always seemed to make everything feel better. Marella felt her cheeks warm at the realisation that she was staying the night at Maruca's house. Her hands shot to her face. Why did that thought make her feel like that. Marella sighed, Maruca was just a friend, wasn't she? Marella shook her head. She had more important things to deal with than weird feelings, right?

Maruca walked back in. "They said sure." Marella nodded, and texted her Dad to tell him she wasn't coming home that night. "So, what made it harder today?" asked Maruca. "It's always this hard, I just try to get through it. But today, it was just to hard to keep it in anymore. Like, at school I pretend to be fine, but it's hard. I'm really sorry to bother you with this." Tears welled in Marella's eyes. 

Maruca wiped away Marella's tears. "Marella, you can come over any time it gets to hard. That's what friends are for." She told her. Marella looked up. "Really?" "Of course." Maruca nodded. "Anytime." Maruca talked with Marella for a while. As she settled down to sleep, her in her bed, Marella on the couch, Maruca was filled with happiness, knowing she had helped her friend. 

But then she stopped. How did she really feel about the blond girl? Maruca's heart fluttered as she realised that Marella wasn't just a friend to her anymore. Maruca heart began to flutter even harder when she realised that she had a crush on Marella.

(time skip to LODESTAR)

Maruca was reading a book when her imparter dinged. It was Marella. The message read; "I'm sorry, but I need to be out of the house right now. I can't say why right now, but it's not the usual stuff." Maruca raised her eyebrows. She replied; "sure" and went downstairs to the leapmaster. Normally, Marella only came over if it was so hard with her Mum that she had to leave. When Marella arrived she was in a terrible state. She was crying, her shoulder were shaking, and the look in her eyes was enough to tell Maruca that this was serious. 

Maruca felt her heart ache to think of the pain the girl so loved must be feeling. Maruca grabbed Marella and helped her up to her room. " What happened?" Maruca asked. "I-i" Marella couldn't seem to speak. "I m-manifested." Marella choked out. "But that a good thing, when did this happen? I'm guessing you didn't get empathy?"  Marella shook her head. "I manifested a few days ago. Remember, Forkel tried to trigger it. I-i wanted to get empathy b-but." She sobbed.

"What did you get?" asked Maruca softly. "Pyrok-k-kinesis." Marella sobbed. Maruca's eyebrows shot up. "Oh." Was all that Maruca said. "Now you understand. I-i'm a monster now." Marella sobbed. "But you've never done anything wrong." said Maruca.

"There's a ban for a reason. To stop m-monsters." "Marella. Stop!" Marella jumped at the change in Maruca's voice. Maruca grabbed Marella's face, forcing her to look her in the eye. "Marella, you are not, and never will be anything like Fintan or Brant. You are stronger than this." Marella's eyes teared up. "But-" Marella was cut off by Maruca kissing her. When Maruca broke the kiss, she looked into Marella's eyes. 

"Do you really think I would have fallen for someone who is a monster. You are you, your ability doesn't matter. I still love you. Now stop crying all over your beautiful face" Maruca said, still holding Marella's face. "You l-love me?" said Marella. Maruca nodded. "You don't mind my ability?" Maruca nodded again. Marella pulled away from Maruca, wiping her tears.

She turned back to Maruca. "I love you too." She said. Marella kissed her. Maruca kissed her right back, wiping the rest of Marella's tears away. Marella eventually broke the kiss. "Thanks." said Maruca. "What for?" "Simple. You giving me a purpose." Maruca answered. Marella flushed. "Umm, your welcome?" she laughed. 

Marella and Maruca didn't know what the future would hold. But they knew one thing for certain, they'd get through it, together.