Villain and violent (infant and innocent)

Intertwined, sewn together.

"Did we have a fun time in the woods?" Lilia says as the two wind back the path towards the group. She says it in feigned annoyance, and Agatha can hear the teasing tone underneath. She smirks.

"Time of my life actually." She retorts. Rio gives her a sly glance and something flutters in Agatha's chest.

"Why did you run off?" Asks Jen bluntly, and Agatha sees Alice roll her eyes and mutter 'tactful as always' under her breath.

"To get away from you. Obviously."

"But-" Jen starts before Alice gives her a not-so-subtle whack on the leg. "Okay." She says instead, but she narrows her eyes suspiciously.

Agatha and Rio sit back down where they were before. They're only sitting microscopically closer to each other than before, but to Agatha it feels like she's practically sitting on Rio's lap. She can feel her cheeks reddening, but she can't identify the feeling. She can't tell if it's embarrassment, excitement, anticipation, or something entirely different.

(It's not love though, that's for sure. No way)

Lilia says something about checking on Teen, and to Agatha's surprise, Rio volunteers. She says something like 'Just going to make sure he hasn't gotten himself killed again,' but it's a bad lie, and it warms Agatha's heart just slightly to see that Rio actually cares.

Is this her way of saying sorry?

Regardless of what Rio's intentions are, she leaves her seat and Agatha misses her. The quiet woosh of air as her.. friend walks past is physically painful. It's like her soul has reached out and formed an attachment so strong that no amount of force could break it. It hurts and Agatha wants nothing more than to rip it apart with her bare hands.

She never wants to rely on anyone ever again.

No.

She abruptly, and consciously, rips herself away from that train of thoughts. Nothing good will come from continuing down the tracks. She takes a breath and picks at the skin around her fingers absent-mindedly. She's so engrossed in trying to think about nothing that she doesn't even notice Alice perch beside her.

"You okay?" she says quietly.

Agatha almost cries out loud in surprise, before her ears grow hot and she looks round in embarrassment to see if anyone is watching. To her relief, Jen and Lilian seem deep in conversation, and she turns to Alice with a smile plastered on her face.

"Peachy." She says, but not without a hint of sarcasm that she's sure Alice probably won't pick up on.

Alice picks up on it.

"You know you can tell me anything, right? I'm not the best at advice but I just.. Well I'm a good listener. And I'm pretty good at keeping secrets."

For a second, Agatha actually considers telling her what happened. Just for a second, the rational part of her mind argues with the rabid-cat-stuck-in-the-corner part of her mind.

The rational part loses.

"Good to know, emo. Sorry, I won't be spilling any secrets, because I don't have any secrets."

It comes out harsher than she intended and she feels a pang of guilt as something that looks like hurt flashes onto Alice's face. Before she can say anything, though, Alice says,

"You know, even though you don't care about us, we care about you, Agatha. And I wish you could realise that."

And wow, if that doesn't just pour salt in the wound. But before either of them can say anything more, Rio comes stalking back with a slightly pale Teen in tow, and Alice goes back to her spot next to Jen.