Chapter Text
Linh had followed Marella home after Foxfire, planning to finish some homework they didn't get the chance to in study hall and just over all hangout. "So, what do you think we should do first?" Linh said in her almost always cheerful tone. "Im really backed up on elementalism, and The Universe".
"Im thinking elementalism. I don't think I got the homework done for last week!" Marella replied giggling the way that makes Linh's heart skip a beat. Linh didn't really know why she felt this way towards Marella. She was mostly just her friend in the beginning , bonding over being shunned, Marella being a Pyrokinetic, and Linh being the Girl-Of-Many-Floods. The way her bright red hair curled slightly and swayed with the slightest movement. "Uh, hello Earth to Linh" Linh didn't realize she was staring until Marella called it out.
"Sorry, just lost in thought". The thinly veiled excuse hidden behind a smile, and the shuffling of fabric as she bent over picking up her elementalism notebook which was, quite empty. "Where are you at? In my class we just finished learning how to bottle different consistencies of liquid".
"I haven't done that yet, to be honest I'm almost as bad as Sophie when it comes to elementalism. My mentor gets spooked every time I pick up a vial". She said flashing a smile that almost made Linh want to hug her then and there, but she resisted the temptation. The comment about Sophie didn't go past her either. Whenever the redhead talked to, or even mentioned another girl made Linh want to put her in a bubble to protect her forever. She let it go though, because she knew Sophie was hopelessly in love with like 3 different boys most likely, and more pining over her in the shadows.
"Haha" Linh managed to pull off a almost genuine sounding laugh. She saw the look in Marella's eyes and knew that Marella knew something was wrong.
"Are you alright?" She spoke softly. "You got somethin' on your mind? You can tell me everything y'know". Yeah right, like Marella wasn't the biggest gossip in Foxfire. Besides she couldn't tell her about the crush shes had for her for weeks on end. Constantly thinking about her, night and day. "Heyyy" Marella said snapping her fingers. "Man, you're really spacing out today. Do you need something to drink? I think we have some juice in the fridge or water".
"No, I'm fine!" (obviously lying) "I've just got someo- something else on my mind right now". 'Oh no!' She thought, Marella would definitely catch that slip up, and right on cue:
"Hey, I heard that! You got a crush". She teased Linh in more ways than 1 unknowingly as she leaned closer and Linh could still smell the weird fruit she had for lunch on her breath. Being so close made Linh want to throw up from anxiety.
"What? Nooo, that was just a slip of the tongue". She was NOT getting any better at lying.
"Stop fibbing already". Marella said flashing another smile that made Linh want to die from love. "Who's the lucky guy, or gal, I don't judge". Thank goodness she wasn't homophobic. Most people in the lost cities were because of the Match Making. They focused more on making productive members of society, rather than preferences. That made Linh want to hide that she liked girls even more. She told Tam about it when they were a little younger, when they were still living in the Neutral Territories. He thought it was fine, and besides him she told no one else. Not even Sophie her second closest friend, and obviously not Marella, her best friend.
"I... Can't tell you, its a secret". Wow, she needed to get better at this lying thing and fast, before this very awkward conversation, at least for her was over.
Marella let out another laugh as she said "You know you cant hide things from me". She was right of course, Linh could barely keep a secret for her life, but this actually was for her life. At least without major embarrassment every time they ran into one another. "I can see the blush on your face, ooooh! Is it someone we know?" she said as she put her book to the side to sit closer to Linh, making her face burn more. 'YEP definitely someone you know'. "If you don't give me a hint in the next 5 seconds Imma start guessing randomly".
This was getting bad, how could Linh tell her? If she even gave 2 hints Marella would definitely figure it out, she could read people in a way even Empaths can't. She started to panic as she heard Marella start to slowly count down from 5.
"5, 4, 3 and a half, 3, 2, 1 and a quarter, 1, 1 eighth, okay I'm giving you a lot of chances I'm just gonna spitfire and you stop me when I'm right okay?" She didn't even wait for Linh to nod or say something before she started to rattle off names. "Maybe Sophie, I saw how you acted when I mentioned her earlier, little bit of a reaction, but still no?, okay Keefe?, Fitz?, hell, Stina?" Of course none of them were right, if she kept going at this pace she'd never guess herself, so Linh replied:
"Its... Someone we know". 'Understatement of the millennium' She thought.
"Good! You said something, so if its someone we know... In our friend group?" Linh didn't know why she was complying, probably because she knew Marella would squeeze the information out of her like a tube of tooth paste. "GASP! Could it be... Dex?, Wylie?, No? I thought that was a good bet, seeing as you lived with him for a few months. Oh!" 'Oh fuck she got it, the only other person she could guess is Biana and herself!' "Biana!" When she still didn't get a reaction she had this look of confusion on her face. Like deciding if Linh was Lying, or into her brother, which would be SO WEIRD AND GROSS. "Wait..." She counted on her fingers, mumbling to herself. "There's no way it's Jensi, so that leaves us with..." He face lit up bright red. 'Its okayyy, just calmly reach for you home crystal and... where is it? Its in my bag fuckkkkk' She knew it'd be way too obvious if she reached down into her backpack for it.
"Um, Marella?" She tested. "Are you, um okay?" Her own face feeling like the sun. She panicked as Marella turned over a shocked looking face mixed with an expression she couldn't read. 'Man, what I would give to be an Empath right now!' "Im sorry, I'm... just gonna go..." she stuttered out as she quickly stood up reaching for her bag and book still on the bed.
"Wait, Linh". 'Oh no, what's she gonna say!' She worried as she slowly turned around to face her crush, red in the face, mouth hanging open like a fish. "Do you, really think that about me?"
"Y-yeah". Oh God what was she saying! her face became redder than Marellas hair. "Yeah I do". WHY. Why'd she have to find out like this!. She cowardly turned her head to the side home crystal in hand. She was gripping it so hard her knuckles turned white.
"I, don't know what to say... So, I... I feel the same way!" If an Elvin mind could shatter from relief, Linh would be on the ground deep, deep, in her subconscious. She could see Marella's face super nova from that confession. Her own face felt like everblaze as she really processed what Marella just said. She had to sit back down for it, home crystal falling to the plush, cushiony floor. They just looked at each other in disbelief. Then they both leaned forward, and, hugged! It wasn't exactly was Linh was hoping for but it would do. "Linh?"
"Yeah?" She replied shakily.
"Will you be my girlfriend?" Her grip tighted on Linh's Foxfire cape, nearly ripping it in half.
"Wont it be super weird in public though? People don't really like Lesbians". She questioned.
"Is that a no?" She could feel Marella start to tear up, her body lightly shaking as they held each other.
"When did I say no?" Linh replied sounding actually happy again for once. A playful smile, and a little laugh appeared. Then all of a sudden, Marella pulled back and they started at each for 3, 5, 10, 15 seconds. Linh could see the freshly dammed tears rolling down Marellas cheeks. She whisked them away into vapor with a flick of the wrist.
Out of nowhere Marella leaned in and playfully kissed Linh on the lips. It felt very warm, and she could taste her lipstick, it was tropical. Maybe citrusy? She seemed to like oranges alot. They pulled apart and just... looked at each other, staring into the others eyes. "Marella put on a smail and said "We still have to do our homework y'know". Linh giggled at that as she grabbed her notebook again and leaned into Marellas neck.
She thought about it for a second, testing to see if the words felt right, so she said them, "I love you,"
"You too, even if others hate it." Linh Hummed in agreement and pressed another kiss onto her cheek before going right back to where she should be.