Multi-Fandom One Shots

You Left (Carol Aird)

Carol was a whirlwind; an enigma wrapped in temptation wrapped in natural beauty. She glowed with a smile and she was an allure without one. And yet, for some reason, she chose to shine on you. 

You were nothing with no one there for you, a dangerous position. But you were well prepared. Your father taught you about cars and your mother taught you about people. They weren't good parents. They had expectations you couldn't reach. As the son your father would never get, you could fulfill that fantasy at home, but no self-respecting Little League team would let a girl play. Your mother never wanted kids and she tried to grow you up faster. Eventually, they both broke you then just left you. The system meant to protect you placed you in homes more dangerous than the streets and you were screwed from the start. Not that you knew. 

So you walked the streets like you owned them, as a child would their bedroom, as an adult. You had a job and a roof (when you fancied one), and you lived your life. And then, in came Carol. 

You were on a job more unusual than most of yours. You were following a man whose wife paid you to discover if he was cheating. They usually were. So you were in this god-awful bar on men's night which meant listening to the cub's, breathing in the nigh-toxic fumes men gave off, trying to squeeze through the crowd. Child labor would've been easier. You stared from afar on the off-chance he'd seen you before, a drink in hand you would never again willingly taste again. Your prey was speaking to another man and you suddenly worried this was one of those bars. You could handle yourself, but there was no way you were under the radar if this place was men only. 

You weren't unnoticed anyway. Someone stepped beside you and a glance assuaged your fears. She was blonde, very pretty, and she looked like she had money. "Is that your beau?" she asked. You supposed it wasn't too much of a jump; you were staring at him. "He's very good at looking important, isn't he?"

You snorted out a laugh. 

The unknown woman was enraptured by the split second of amusement and light mending all of your features. Carol was very good at knowing someone through very little interaction. By how out of place you were but that you were still here, she guessed you were like her. The set of your face told Carol you were a business woman and you were but you were still here. She guessed you were like her. The set of your face also told Carol you were very serious about anything you did. Usually not Carol's type, but she wanted to melt that hardened exterior from the first laugh. 

"I'm more curious about the harder man," you finally responded. You thought she would be snide and vanish. So far, she'd only asked one question which you hadn't properly answered. 

Carol tried to read your soul when she leaned in. Grey orbs explored the half of your face her breath was grazing. "He's old money. Your not-beau is trying to pitch a business idea Harge has heard a thousand times. With the deal he's trying to strike, he may as well go to a bank to put the house up." 

You looked over at the blonde abruptly. Even she jumped. Having your answer, you began to strike, you began your farewell. "So Harge is yours." 

She knew him by name and the specifics of the deal. With a sarcastic grin, Carol flashed you an impressive diamond ring. "My husband. Though, not for long." She regarded you, looked closely. From the sudden twitch in your leg to your grip on your coat, Carol could read you even with those walls you tried to protect yourself with. "His deals just take longer and longer these days, even the ones he turns down. Would you like to go for a coffee?" Before you answered, Carol had on her coat. "I could do with the fresh air."

You stared, unmoving. You did want out of the bar and there was a coffee shop in either direction once out. But people didn't tend to like you. You weren't good with them, and mostly preferred your shadow life. Even still, this embodiment of light intended to drown you in it. You hadn't undressed, at all, so there was nothing to prepare. You could just walk out, even without the woman, but that was rude. But you were bad with people.