"Ast, I wasn't-" Astrid could hear Sloane calling her name as she left the greenhouse, her shoulder bumping against Fei's before walking down the graveled path. Muttering only loud enough for herself to hear, Astrid criticized herself for falling into a trap of deception. She hated to admit it, but Sloane played the part of a sympathizing Sparrow very well. She locked herself in the bathroom, staring at the sink as she tried to calm her ragged breathing.

But as the time the two women spent together replayed in her mind, she felt more and more hurt. The moment I put down my protective walls, the person I think I can trust stabs me in the back. Astrid slowly looked up at the mirror, watching as her pupils grew wider and darker, almost like there was no life in them. But the more she stared at herself, the more she could hear voices taunting her. Not only were they echoes of the old man, but also her own voice.

Her hands gripped the counter, the cold marble edge digging into her palms, whispering for them to stop. But as they grew louder and louder, her grip on the surface became stronger than ever. "SILENCE!" She yelled through gritted teeth. Just as they appeared, the voices stopped their taunting, and Astrid's eyes finally returned to olive green. The sun was getting closer and closer to setting, and it seemed unlikely that her siblings were coming to save her. They probably didn't even notice I'm gone. Not surprised.

Astrid walked downstairs to the entrance hall and stepped into the living room where the siblings had gathered, and she could hear Jayme and Alphonso talking about their latest brawl. "You were basically screaming for help," Jayme teased. "I wasn't screaming, I was kicking his ass!" Alphonso defended. Sparrow Six smirked as she recalled more of the events, mentioning how he was curled up on the ground, unable to breathe. "He's lucky I was there. Otherwise, he would've passed out!" Jayme said, popping a few sour patch kids in her mouth.

Sloane sat on one of the couches, a few feet away from where Astrid was standing. She glanced at her, hoping to catch her attention and perhaps telepathically convince her to talk privately. But Astrid glared back in response before returning her gaze to the rest of the Sparrows. "Doesn't look like your family is coming anytime soon," Fei said, adjusting her sunglasses. "I'm sure they're just working out the final details. Takes them a while to do anything nowadays," Astrid replied with a fake smile.

Ben slowly stood up from his seat near the fireplace and walked towards the Umbrella. He seemed unusually happy as a grin formed across his usually grumpy face. The way the floorboards creaked under his footsteps sent a few shivers down Astrid's spine. With a hand behind her back, she prepared to teleport to another part of the Academy in case he was planning to do something to her.

"Relax, you're free to go," The Squid Boy finally calmed the awkward tension. But even then, Astrid still had her doubts. "And why are you doing that?" She questioned. "Gesture of goodwill. But I want you to pass along an important message to your family." Ben explained. Astrid slowly nodded, assuring him she would tell them. Part of her knew what the message was, but the other half was oblivious to what was about to be said. "Let Marcus go. And if any of you hurt one hair on him, we'll come for you. And I promise we won't be so hospitable next time,"

"You could've left out the threatening part, Ben. I don't take those very lightly," Astrid smirked. Fei stood from her chair, squinting behind her thick sunglasses. "You'll do as we say, or else..." She arched her back, releasing a few ravens and having them swarm above Astrid. "I know, birds in my brain," the Shadow Girl rolled her eyes. "Don't forget your tote bag!" Ben snapped his fingers, and Alphonso placed a dark gray and red bag on Astrid's right arm.

What kind of pretentious heroes give out tote bags? Astrid thought to herself, but smiled and quietly thanked her captors. "Hope you enjoyed your stay!" Ben said. The rest of the Sparrows stood alongside him, and they each gave the Umbrella a combination of a glare and a warning. But as Astrid caught sight of Sloane, she looked rather guilty. But not wanting to fall into another trap, the blonde shook her head and walked out the front door.

The distance sounds of police sirens were heard a mile or two away as she stepped onto the pavement, closing the front gate behind her. The night had grown cold, and if it weren't for the Sparrow jacket she obtained earlier, she would have felt the unforgiving temperature. Slowly walking down the sidewalk back to the Hotel Obsidian, she could hear another faint noise in the distance. It sounded like someone was trying to get her attention with a "Psst!"

Astrid looked around, wondering where in the world it was coming from. But as the sound continued, she looked towards the alleyway, and from the faint glow of light, Astrid saw Sloane leaning out of her bedroom window. "Astrid! Hey!" she waved. What does she want now? Before she could muster a thought, she suddenly felt like she was floating. The tips of her toes left the ground, and she slowly floated into the alley, watching as Sloane guided her with a glowing ball of white.

There were moments Astrid felt she could be dropped at any moment, but after seeing Sloane being careful enough not to bump her into any of the walls or lose her focus, she felt somewhat safer. But even this was not enough for her to trust her again. The moment she touched the concrete of the balcony, she didn't know what to say. It was one of the scariest yet exhilarating moments of her life. 

Sloane gestured her to enter, and with some assistance with her tote bag, Astrid climbed into the bedroom, watching as Sloane closed the dark pink curtains. "We have to be very quiet," She whispered, finally turning to the Shadow Girl. "What do you want from me, Sloane?" Astrid sighed, arms crossing over her chest. Sloane clasped her hands in front of her, glancing at the ground before locking her gaze back on the Umbrella.

"I wanted to apologize for earlier," She admitted. "Is this another one of your games? I made the mistake of falling for it earlier, and I won't do it again," Astrid questioned. Sloane shook her head, telling her she didn't understand what was really going on. "We were being watched, the only reason I stopped being... myself in front of you was because I couldn't risk putting you in even more danger. They're crazy," Sloane explained. "But I want you to know that I meant every word I said,"

Her excited chatter of traveling the world and being free echoed in Astrid's mind, and although it took a while to fully register that Sloane was being genuine from the get-go, a smile etched onto her face, making Sloane smile as well. She felt the Sparrow gently grab her hand and lightly squeeze. "Can I tell you another secret?" Sloane asked. "Of course," Astrid nodded. "All my life, I've dreamt of finding my true love. And... I never thought I would because I was different than most girls,"

"I know, your part of a crime-fighting family with incredible powers," Astrid responded, tucking a piece of Sloane's hair behind her ear. "No Ast, what I'm trying to say is... I'm bi too. Somehow, I've always known. I just didn't tell anyone because I was scared of being treated like how you were. To be dubbed a freak by the people who hate us," she opened up. The longer Astrid stared at the woman, the more she felt her heart pound as she admired everything about her. She was so beautiful both inside and out.

"I'm sorry. I've just ruined everything, haven't I?" Sloane grimaced, fearing the prolonged silence. "Oh, I'm such a-" Before she could finish her sentence, Astrid wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close and crashing her lips onto Sloane's. It all caught the Sparrow completely off-guard. But the longer it lasted, all she could think about was the woman she just met and fell head over heels for. She quickly kissed back, their lips moving in synch as passion coursed through their veins.

Slowly rising above the ground, Sloane wrapped both arms around Astrid, one resting on her waist, the other resting on the back of her neck as she pulled her into another intoxicating kiss. Feeling the sudden floating, Astrid pulled away and looked down at the ground below, a little hesitant about what was happening. But Sloane brought Astrid back to her, flashing her smile. "I've got you, I promise," she cooed.

"What if someone hears us?" Astrid looked worried, the closed bedroom door peering out of the corner of her eye. "As long as we're quiet... there should be no problems," Sloane's seductive whisper sent chills down Astrid's spine. "Do you trust me?" Astrid's eyes twinkled at the thought, and with four little words, she gave her answer.

"Yes, I trust you,"

~~~~~~~~~

It all felt like a dream. And the longer the moment lasted, Astrid wanted to pinch herself, making sure Sloane wasn't a figment of her imagination. But with every kiss and gentle touch, she was brought back to reality and this sacred moment between them was indeed happening. When it was over, the two women snuggled together on the ceiling, feeling the gentle hum of their hearts. "Was it okay?" Sloane asked, resting her chin on Astrid's chest. 

"That was... wonderful," Astrid chuckled, still in shock by it all. Sloane grinned, softly stroking the Shadow Girl's left cheek. Over the years, Astrid had a few one-night stands. But none of them could compare to the night she spent with Sloane. With her, she felt loved and safe. Even if their love was forbidden and could cause more tension between the households, their romance was a risk they were willing to take.

"I should get back to my family before they send someone after me," Astrid reluctantly sighed as the Hotel Obsidian crossed her mind. "You can stay a little longer, I don't mind," Sloane slightly pouted. "I'd love to, but if we're to make this work, we can't arouse suspicion," the blonde whispered. The gravity girl slowly nodded, considering her point. And with a single upward swipe of her hand, the two landed back on the bedroom floor and got dressed.

Creeping down the hall and to the front doors, Sloane quietly opened them, wishing her lover a good night with a final kiss to her lips. "When will I see you again?" Astrid questioned. "Soon. Now go on, before someone sees you," Sloane shooed, watching as the Umbrella closed the metal gate and walked to the end of the street.

 During the walk back to the hotel, Astrid didn't need a coat to protect her from the cold. Her time with Sloane left her feeling all toasty inside. Her cheeks glowed bright pink. And even with the night sky, people passing her could see the color in her cheeks. Suddenly, a burst of blue light ripped through the city, making the young woman stop in her tracks. Maybe it was just a harsh night wind? But a few seconds later, the wave of blue light came hurtling back, and she could hear the sounds of screams and the streetlights flickering on and off. The whole street had gone silent, and everybody on the sidewalk had disappeared.

Without another thought, Astrid sprinted down the street and through the revolving doors into the hotel lobby. Everything and everyone seemed to be okay, but she needed to find her siblings. Climbing up the stairs to where the pool tables were laid out, she could see the Hargreeves hunched over, talking to one another. Luther looked up, catching glimpse of the sister he hadn't seen since the previous night.

"Little late to the party, sis!" Diego called out, noticing her as well. "I was being held captive by the Sparrows," Astrid explained. "What?" Viktor gaped. "Did none of you even notice?" Astrid placed a hand on her hip. Almost immediately, they all started saying how relieved they were she was okay and asking how she got out. But Astrid could tell their concerns weren't as genuine as they were trying to portray. The only two people who seemed to really care were Viktor and Luther.

Number Seven walked over and embraced her, saying he was sorry that nobody came after her. "It's fine. I love your new haircut, by the way," Astrid smiled. "Thanks. And hey, after this. Do you mind if we have a little talk?" he questioned. His sister nodded in response before the both of them joined everyone at the pool table. "Did they hurt you?" Allison inquired. "The Sparrows? No, but I did have to deal with Ben's stubborn ass," Astrid replied, setting her tote bag in the center of the table. "But other than that, they were excellent hosts,"

Allison examined the bag's content, surprised to see a water bottle, a record album, and a variety of other things. "Some of them may be jerks, but there are a few nice ones. We might have been a bit too harsh," Astrid further explained. "Says the girl they kidnapped," The Rumor rolled her eyes. "What did they want, Ast?" Diego whistled. "They want Marcus. Apparently, he's gone missing, and they think you guys have something to do with it," Astrid replied.

"Well, we don't have him," Viktor stated. "Damn. I was hoping this could all be settled. And now, we have another problem," Astrid sucked in a breath. "People have started to disappear," A loud crash and clatter caught the Umbrella's attention, and they looked over to the racks to see a young boy looking at the shattered vase in surprise. "Who's the kid?" The Shadow Girl squinted. "That little delinquent is Diego's son. Lila's his mom," Klaus answered.

Wow. I knew something was serious between those two back in Dallas, but I didn't think they'd be doing that. Astrid thought to herself. "For the last time, I don't know if he's my kid or not. Lila could've kidnapped him for all I know!" Diego groaned. "I swear to god, you sound like Dad," Luther hissed. Well, this is gonna be a long and frustrating night.

A/n: Normally, I don't go into detail regarding romance scenes. But I've decided to step out of my comfort zone just a little bit. Now, I will NOT be writing full-on smut scenes, but the most I will do is a steamy make-out. I like to appeal to the character's emotions, so I hope I did this scene justice. But anyways, stay tuned for another chapter!

With love,

Dusk Marie 💖☔