Love-Love || OLD DRAFT

eight - eleven

A/n

Hey GUYS, here's a huge, HUGE shout-out to graves- who volunteered to be my beta reader and editor!!! Leave a comment here if you want him to treat us with free virtual pizza, lol. He's a sweetheart and you need to go show him lots of love, okay?! (lol I'm demanding *facepalm*) Go. Go. Goooooo!!!

....

I did not have a crush on Super Storm.

Granted, I had flirted with him a lot of times, praised him a couple of times, but it didn’t mean I was crushing on him—that would’ve been plain stupid. He was my enemy, albeit one I liked more than hated.

I liked Super Storm. In a lot of ways, I was envious of him. He still had a heart, he still dreamed of a better world and above all, he was still brave. He was stupid too if I had to be honest, but that was the thing about him; he was brave enough to be stupid!

Storm helped ease my pains, as crazy as that sounded. Of course, not on purpose. I was this annoying pest to him, one who caused destruction just for the fun of it, but to me, he was more than an enemy. He was my archenemy. He’d always been there whenever I was having a bad day and decided to uproot a few trees in a park. He’d always come whenever I tore off the roof of a pub just because I wanted a free drink.

I did not have a crush on Super Storm, he just made me feel... so incredibly alive! Before I had met Aspen, Storm was the only person who could make my heart feel glad. Yes, he would put me in jail all the time but that was his job and honestly, I did not know what I would be doing without him.

Whether I liked it or not (who was I kidding—I liked it), Storm was the motivation in my life to keep living, and keep causing trouble!

So I felt this strange tug at my heart when I saw Super Storm kneeling on the ground, his head downcast and his hands and feet were made immobile with the heavy creepers that kept him rooted to the floor.

Garnet ran up to hug Linden as we made our way back to the Bessimor. It looked nothing like an aquarium and everything like a rainforest had invaded an abandoned building. Trees and creepers grew from all places and a thin layer of water carpeted the floor.

I was busy staring at Storm when Roux came to my side and hissed, “You fucking liar.”

There were a dozen things I could’ve hissed back at her but I didn’t say anything.

“I’m curious, though,” Linden spoke up from where he stood to my right. ”Why didn’t you tell her I was alive and held captive?”

Because I didn’t really want you to come back, was what I wanted to say but didn’t. “I don’t have to explain myself to anyone,” I said instead.

Roux let out a laugh. “Yes, Lin, meet this new Gravel.” She made a dramatic show of introducing me to Linden. “He, who shouts orders to me, always questions my actions but never—ever—explained why he wouldn't kill Super Storm despite it being common knowledge that he could’ve done so with a snap of his fingers.”

My gaze was still on Super Storm when he looked up and our eyes met. He had his mask on, but there was a cut on his cheek that was bleeding. His hair was drenched and lay matted over his face. His eyes, however, looked anything but defeated.

“Come now, Roux,” Linden said in a soothing voice, “we all enjoy playing with our food. Don’t we?” He lightly nudged my arm with his elbow.

I did not reply. My eyes were locked on my enemy. Something about the way he knelt there, looking so helpless, did not make sense.

“Why isn’t he summoning the air?” I asked. “He can literally choke us with a single stare if he wants to.”

“Nature has the best drugs,” Linden said cheerfully, wiggling his fingers for an added effect. He walked up to Super Storm and I simply watched as he grabbed him by the hair. “You were so easy to catch,” he whispered to Storm. “Gravel must’ve been going easy on you.”

“Fight me in a… a fair battle… and then... we’ll see,” Storm growled in a voice so low it nearly broke me. He was supposed to be the guy with the snarky remarks and that hot attitude!

“Hmm, that’s such a hero thing to say.” Linden got to his feet and stood behind Storm, facing me with his arms outstretched. “He’s all yours.”

I held Storm’s gaze. “After we kill him, what then?” I saw a flicker of what looked like panic in Storm’s eyes as I said it, but it was gone as swiftly as it had come.

“You asked me why They let me out,” Linden said. “They let me out because I struck a bargain with Them. They gave me an offer which no one in their right mind would refuse.”

“We kill Super Storm and They back us in whatever we wish to do,” Garnet finished his sentence. “That sounds familiar, doesn’t it, Gravel? It was the same thing They asked from you when They held Lin captive. All you had to do was kill Super Storm and They’d have let Linden free.” The hatred in her voice was evident to all who could hear her.

I kept staring at Storm and said nothing.

“It’s alright now, Roux,” Linden said. “He’s here now with us and he’s going to fix it.” He left Storm’s side and walked up to me. “Kill him and you’ll be forgiven,” he whispered in my ear.

I finally turned to look at him. “Why don’t you do it?”

Linden chuckled. “Because he’s yours. I wouldn’t possibly dare to take that away from you, babe. Consider it my gift to you.”

I pushed at his chest, shoving him away from me. Linden merely grinned at my actions and caught my hand, placing a fistful of the earth in my palm.

I accepted it wordlessly and after a second's hesitation, I walked towards Super Storm.

My heart was thundering against my chest and I wasn’t sure why. He was my enemy and yes, I might’ve liked him a little, but this was a sacrifice that had to be made. The world was never going to accept me, whether I killed Storm or not, and feeling both my friends’ presence beside me, I knew the former would be easier.

“You should’ve killed me when you had the chance,” I told him, glad that the mask was covering my face—effectively hiding my emotions.

I saw a small smile etch its way onto Storm’s lips. “What.... and lose my... my favourite tennis buddy?”

A shiver ran down my spine and I dropped the pile of earth I was holding. My blood turned cold and my brain went numb. No, it couldn’t be. No, no, no, no, no...

My hands were shaking uncontrollably as I reached out to pull off his mask. He closed his eyes as my fingers touched the soft, blue fabric that hid the upper half of his face. I held my breath and ripped it off.

“Hey, Ridge,” Aspen whispered.