EUNOIA ━ diego hargreeves

45

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
──-ˋˏ☂︎ˎˊ-──

"NOT A chance, Diego," Freya snapped at him before he had another chance to say something contradictory. After splitting off from the rest of the group, the two of them found somewhere separate to argue in peace. "It's not happening, so don't even try it."

"I think it's the best option."

"And you think that because your cursed spawn is marinating inside me that you get to make my choices for me?"

Diego's jaw snapped shut, and he blinked several times. Finally finding his words again, he pointed a finger at her. "Did you just say marinating?"

Freya pursed her lips. She was supposed to be angry, she reminded herself. Don't laugh. "Don't change the subject. I know what this is about, okay? And imagine if Reginald didn't tell you anything about the baby. You would've had no problem with me going."

"Freya," he sighed, scrubbing a hand over his face. "I know you. I know you don't care what happens to you, okay? But I do. And yes, you're right, maybe before I would've have argued for you to stay. But I can't risk losing you and our baby. I go in there, I may die. If we go in there, succeed, and things go back to normal, I want you here with our baby."

"And if things don't succeed, we're dead anyway," Freya said bluntly. "Either way, I'm going."

"Do you have to make everything so goddamn difficult?"

She turned to look at him, her brows raised. "Do you really need me to answer that question? I'm not here to make your life go smooth-sailing. I thought that was very much given a long time ago."

"Can I just be right?" He demanded, losing his temper. "Just once? Just let me have one thing!"

Freya scanned the room, and reached past him to grab an item off the table. Without a word, she pressed it into his hand. "There."

"The hell is this?"

"You said you wanted one thing. There you go."

Diego's eyes narrowed, and before she knew it, he was kissing her. Roughly and passionately like he couldn't live without doing it. Like he couldn't breathe without her, and Freya gripped the back of his neck, pulling him towards her.

"God, I love you," he told her hoarsely through kisses. Freya's heart jumped in her chest.

Stunned, she pulled back to stare at him. Thunder rumbled from outside, but that was the only sound from around them. "What?"

Diego's eyes were wide. "Uh."

"Hey," there was a knock at the door, and Freya whirled around, annoyed and ready to hurl an icicle at the interrupter. It was Allison. "Hour is almost up. Come on."

Diego hurried on. Freya stared at the back of his head, throat dry, but nodded and followed after the two of them wordlessly.

"I think you can all guess which way I'll be voting," Allison stated once they were all together again. Freya sat next to Diego on the stairs, trying to catch his eye, half-listening to Allison's speech.

God, I love you.

Now, he refused to meet her gaze. She knew how he was. He felt vulnerable now, and because she hadn't said it back instantly, he was going to pull away.

Though he was an idiot. How could he not see how she loved him? How he was the reason she got out of bed every morning? Diego was a broody prick, but he was the sun that shone through the clouds each time it rained. Silently, she grabbed his hand, and interwove their fingers together, and though he still didn't glance her way, she felt him relax beneath her touch.