Espio X Reader (A Short Story)

Part 7

Espio walked back into the room where Vector and (Y/N) had been sitting; the two were talking quietly now, the crocodile nodding and handing the girl a tissue whenever she needed one. The chameleon smiled at the two, glad they were finally getting along.

Vector raised his gaze, before clearing his throat. The (a/t) startled and lifted her head as well, before going silent and lowering her ears.

"Well, what did you learn?" Vector asked, leaning back in his chair as he always does.

"... Not much..." Espio said slowly, before walking over, "What were you two talking about?"

The crocodile glanced at (Y/N) before shrugging and moving his hands behind his head, "That's up to (Y/N) to decide, whether she tells you or not."

The purple ninja raised a brow at the crocodile. Was he finally understanding her limits? If so, what was she talking to him about? Considering their relationship so far, Espio was both surprised and proud of the (a/t) for even talking to Vector at all.

Her gaze lingered on his for a moment, before she lowered it again, and he crouched next to her, resting a hand on her arm,

"Would it be alright if you filled me in?" The chameleon asked. Maybe she was telling Vector more about her situation, about her past or something. He'd be extremely grateful if that was the case, instead of needing to push her for answers.

"I was telling him..." She mumbled, "About my family..."

The ninja let out a sigh of relief, before taking the seat next to hers, "Well, I'm all ears."

She glanced at him, a sort of confusion crossed her features, before the (a/t) let out a shaky sigh and nodded.

"As I just told Vector... My brother and I are the only ones in my... Family..." She said slowly, "My father was... Never in the picture... And my mother... She died a few years ago due to... Illness..."

The chameleon blinked, she was really telling him her life story. It was that easy. He felt something stir in his chest, was it pride? He was definitely grateful she trusted him enough to even tell him.

But something else stirred in his stomach. Guilt? Knowing he was abusing his trust with her to get answers just didn't sit well with him. Yet... She was so willingly telling him, the guilt started to fade.

And instead another emotion sat in his stomach. She opened up to Vector before him? After he had been so supportive, after he helped the two get along in the first place, Vector had hated her guts at one point.

Was this jealousy?

"We weren't a wealthy family." (Y/N)'s voice snapped Espio out of his emotional quarrel, "We were actually very poor. That's why mother... She couldn't afford medicine..."

He nodded, showing he was listening. He couldn't let his thoughts envelop him now, not when he could miss something vital.

"She started dating anyone, any sort of man that had money." The (a/t)'s ears had drooped, "Most of the men were... Cruel... But all she wanted was to be able to... Support us..."

"One day my brother had had enough, and he stood up to one of the guys. He got beat for it, and the guy took it out on me as well." Her eyes turned dark, "And my mother... She died of an illness... It was an illness..."

Espio and Vector shared a glance, before the chameleon leant forward, now resting a hand on her own,

"Was it really an illness?" He asked slowly, carefully. He didn't need to know the finer details, but it could help.