Love at First Sight

Chapter 8

"Adeline, this is Amelia." Alma says with a small smile as she watched the two, noticing Amelia's rather tight hold on the woman's hand.

"Miss Peregrines significant other." Amelia emphasizes to the woman. Adeline felt herself growing uncomfortable and moved her hand away from the woman's.

"Yes, I'm sure she already found that out." Alma says, noticing Adelines mood change.

"Of course. I'm sure you can see how amazing your ymbryne is." She says and Adeline knew she was trying to rub it in her face. She just went quiet and dropped her gaze.

"Enough about me, Amelia." Alma says, her tone only growing firm for a moment. The woman noticed and finally moved away from Adeline, walking over to her ymbryne and placing a soft kiss on her lips. Alma went to move away when she persisted and Adeline glanced over, both furious with the woman for touching her and noticing Miss Peregrines discomfort with the visible affection. So Adeline did the only thing that came to mind.

She sat up quickly and smacked the woman across the face, both Alma and Amelia looking at her in shock as the red mark formed on the woman's cheek. Adeline said nothing and walked off, Enoch smiling when she came out and she raised an eyebrow.

"Bloody hell that was a good hit." He compliments and Adeline felt the corner of her mouth slightly tilt up.

"Thanks."

"Do it again?" He asks and the woman seen Emma and Olive were behind him, smiling slightly from the scene.

"I just might if that woman doesn't back off. Al-Miss Peregrine clearly is uncomfortable around her."

"Maybe it's because we were nearby?" Emma offers and Adeline shook her head.

"Just because she may like it other times, doesn't mean it's right to do it when the person is uncomfortable. That rule still applies in a relationship, it doesn't matter if you are already together, you need to have consent."

"Write a speech while you're at it." Enoch mutters. "But you're right."

"What if Miss P isn't only like this because we're nearby? What if it's always like that?" Olive asks and Adeline thought it over.

"I don't know. Wouldn't they break up if that's how it was?" She asks and Enoch shrugs.

"We could break them up." Emma offers and Adeline sent her a glare. "What? I thought you liked her."

"I do. I love her with everything I have, but.." Adeline looked off as she walked down the hallway with the three. "But I want her to be happy. Even if it isn't coming from me."

Enoch didn't even make a comment as all three of them sent each other a glance as the woman walked ahead. Adeline went into the kitchen and sighed, glancing at the tea kettle. She went over and filled it with water from the sink before sitting it on the stove top, turning the burner on. She watched the stove top heat up, bringing her hands away from the kettle when she seen the ferns that were wrapped around her fingers. She went to rip them out when she stopped herself, remembering what Miss Peregrine said. She wouldn't do it, not when she seen how upset it made her ymbryne.

She jumped slightly when she heard someones heels tapping into the kitchen and seen the ravenette she loved. Even being in her presence could make her whole day better than before.

Until she realized what she just did. Her eyes widened slightly and she looked over at the ymbryne who sent her a raised eyebrow in response. Why wasn't she mad? Did she just imagine herself doing so?

"What?" Miss P asks and Adeline looked at her confused.

"Aren't you going to scold me?" She says and Alma tilted her head slightly, equally confused.

"Why would I? Do you want me to?" She asks and Adeline blushed at the word choice which only made the ymbryne more confused.

"No, no, it's just- what I did back there...?" She says, nervous and Alma bit the inside of her cheek as she pondered over what to say.

"She needed something to snap her out of how she's been." She says with a small smile. "But no more hitting people, understood?" She says and Adeline nods, looking away from her gaze. It still hurt a bit thinking about that woman's lips on her ymbryne.

"Dear, your hands." Alma warns and Adeline noticed the ferns grow towards the burner, quickly pulling them away and forcing herself not to tear them apart as she so wished to do. Alma noticed and gently took her hands in hers, looking over them closely. Adeline still could go weak in the knees just having her ymbryne look over her. Let alone touching her.

"Do you have any feeling in the ferns other than the roots?" She asks, meeting her eyes and Adeline looked over her blue eyes, half hypnotized by the woman's stunning features. "Adeline?"

"Oh, um, no I don't think. I've never really did anything other than just rip them out." She admits and Alma pursed her lips, running her thumb over the ferns.

"What if we tried just trimming them down? It won't hurt you like it does when you pull that out. When you do that it only makes your palms sore." Alma says gently and Adeline shrugged.

"Either way they're still in the way. It's easier just to take them out like I do." She says and Alma shakes her head.

"Not unless you're asking for an infection. And I don't see how using your peculiarity is possible when you have all these cuts on your hands. They'll scar if you keep it up." She scolds lightly and Adeline noticed how the woman was now holding her hands, looking her deeply in the eyes. She didn't realize how close she was to her, the smell of her vanilla smoke from her pipe was enough to draw the woman in, not wanting to turn away. She looked over the woman's features and could have sworn she stepped a bit closer, too lost to think about what she was doing. She dared to glance down towards the woman's lips, doing so and noticing a small mark on the woman's collarbone, not one that appeared to be from..that, but more like a bruise.

"Adeline." Alma says gently and the woman snapped out of the trance, quickly pulling away.

"Let me know please when the kettle goes off, I have to go do something." Adeline says quickly, rushing off to her room before Alma could say anything. She felt that hard aching fill her chest as tears built in her eyes.

How she hated the way she thought of Amelia and how she wished the ymbryne could be happy. But was she right from what she saw?

Is Miss Peregrine, her ymbryne, her strong stoic headmistress, also hurting too?