Carulia Oneshots

Realization

~word count: 992

The time was 7:57 AM, and Carmen lay staring up at the ceiling. Her body ached from the previous day's caper. Lately, everything ached. Each muscle, each bone, her own head. It had been a few years since she began working to kill VILE's operations. Every caper had started to feel the same; same operatives, same kinds of artifacts, same plans, same everything! She mentally screamed at these thoughts.

"Carm?" A voice called from outside the door. Carmen deduced it was Ivy's. Ivy knocked on Carmen's bedroom door and awaited a reply.

"Come in," she replied in a hoarse tone. Ivy entered with a concerned look present on her face. She took a breath before stating, "Shadowsan's starting to worry. Zach, too."

"Worry about what?" Carmen didn't sit up but rather continue to glare upwards. She was unsure what everyone else was so worried about. Her issues were hers alone, not everyone else's.

"About you. Not getting up, and not eating."

"They shouldn't be worrying," Carmen groaned. "I'm fine."

"They don't think so," Ivy shook her head. "If something's bothering you, we need to know so we can help."

Carmen sighed. She knew very well she'd be unable to win this argument when putting thought into it. So, she finally sat up. Her hair was a mess. She was wearing the same outfit she had for the past two days. A basic red tank top and grey sweatpants.

"I don't feel great right now," Carmen admitted and shuffled to the doorway where Ivy stood. "I'm so tired all the time and my thoughts certainly aren't helping either with moral."

"Your thoughts?" Ivy questioned with a raised brow.

"I'm thinking about her, again, Ivy."

"Oh." Carmen had confided to Ivy about her feelings about a particular short-haired ACME agent. Ivy wasn't real great with understanding crushes and all that, she had promised her that she'd be there to talk. Especially as of late, Shadowsan and Zach were really covering for Carmen out in the field. And basically weren't present most of the time.

"Everything hurts, too, Ivy," Carmen frowned. She stepped back and sat on the edge of the queen-sized bed. Ivy sat beside her. She clutched her chest.

"How does it hurt?" Even though Ivy wasn't all that smart, she knew when to listen.

"Almost every day is a cat and mouse game," she inhaled and threw her arms up, "we're chasing them and ACME's chasing us. But then, times where we see Jules, I feel like getting caught. I feel like collapsing and throwing my hands up."

Ivy listened to Carmen ramble about her aching body and yearning heart. For whatever reason, Jules was the only person in the world she wanted to see all the time. Not even her own crew, as sometimes they were a bit brash. Nonetheless, she still appreciated everything they had done for her.

However, Jules was just so calming to be around. Their short lived conversations had a long lifespan in Carmen's mind. Where they first interacted, Mumbai, replayed in her head the most.

Sweden was a memory she'd rather forget, but that wasn't Jules' fault. It was only later when they shared a cup of coffee near Julia's work that Jules truly believed ACME wouldn't hunt them down to a bell tower.

"With all your Julia talk, sounds like you better answer what your heart wants and go see her." Ivy chuckled.

"I wish," Carmen softly sighed, "but it would be odd to show up randomly, yeah?"

"Well you've done it before at one of her seminars, haven't you?"

"I have," Carmen shrugged, "doing it a second time seems odd, doesn't it?"

"Who cares? Stop making excuses to dodge seeing your favorite ACME agent." Ivy nudged Carmen with her elbow. "If you're needed for a mission with week or next, I'll cover for ya."

"Thanks, Ivy."

After a short half hour of conversation. Carmen's phone rang from the bedside table, she reached for it and answered.

"Player?" She mumbled. Ivy sighed, stood and walked out of the room, returning to whatever she was doing before. She closed the door behind her.

"I got a good one for ya, Red," Player grinned. Carmen didn't reply for so long that Player thought something had happened, "Carmen? Carmen?! Are you there?!"

"Huh?" Carmen shot back. Her tired eyes almost blinking separately.

"Are you alright?"

"Uhm," Carmen blinked.

"'Uhm' is not a reply, Red, what is going on?"

"I'm not in the headspace for a mission. Just not well." Player went quiet. Presumably thinking. Carmen rubbed her temple as another headache was brewing.

"Did something happen?" He finally asked.

"No, just, nothing feels quite right." She paused, "I'm thinking—"

"Thinking about?" From Player's end, he played with a fidget spinner.

"That I need a break."

"The great 'La Femme Rouge' needs a break?" Player teased. "That's a new one."

"Yeah, yeah," Carmen chuckled and rolled her eyes. 

"Fine by me. Ivy said to me awhile back that'd she cover if anything went haywire. I'll consult her, just let me know if need anything, 'kay?" Player hung up before Carmen could say goodbye.

Carmen placed her phone back on the nightstand, she stood up and stretched. She stepped out of her room and shuffled towards their headquarters's kitchen and living room area. There, Ivy sat a stool, on a call. Carmen reached for the fridge, opening one of its doors and grabbing something to eat. Ivy had hung up by now and swung around to watch Carmen.

"So I take it you're going to see Jules?"

"Yes, yes I am."

"Good," Ivy grinned. She took off with a packed bag and headed towards a door that led to their multi-car garage. "I've gotta get going for the caper but call me and spill the details when you're in England."

"Will do." Carmen waved. For a rare moment, Carmen was glad to get on another flight and fly to some other place. This time was wasn't spending it chasing after a stolen artifact, she was going to take things slow and spend time with Jules. It took awhile but Carmen finally had realized that she loved the ACME agent. Truly.