Following

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37 Chapter 38 Chapter 39 Chapter 40 Chapter 41 Chapter 42 Chapter 43 Chapter 44 Chapter 45 Chapter 46 Chapter 47 Chapter 48 Chapter 49 Chapter 50 Chapter 51 Chapter 52 Chapter 53 Chapter 54 Chapter 55 Chapter 56 Chapter 57 Chapter 58 Chapter 59 Chapter 60 Chapter 61 Chapter 62 Chapter 63 Chapter 64 Chapter 65 Chapter 66 Chapter 67 Chapter 68 Chapter 69 Chapter 70 Chapter 71 Chapter 72 Chapter 73 Chapter 74 Chapter 75 Chapter 76 Chapter 77 Chapter 78 Chapter 79 Chapter 80 Chapter 81 Chapter 82 Chapter 83 Chapter 84 Chapter 85 Chapter 86 Chapter 87 Chapter 88 Chapter 89 Chapter 90 Chapter 91 Chapter 92 Chapter 93 Chapter 94 Chapter 95 Chapter 96 Chapter 97 Chapter 98 Chapter 99 Chapter 100 Chapter 101 Chapter 102 Chapter 103 Chapter 104 Chapter 105 Chapter 106 Chapter 107 Chapter 108 Chapter 109 Chapter 110 Chapter 111 Chapter 112 Chapter 113 Chapter 114 Chapter 115 Chapter 116 Chapter 117 Chapter 118 Chapter 119 Chapter 120 Chapter 121 Chapter 122 Chapter 123 Chapter 124 Chapter 125 Chapter 126 Chapter 127 Chapter 128 Chapter 129 Chapter 130 Chapter 131 The Phone Call Louise's First Costume When Keyla was Here A Day at the Garcia House The Keeper Sibling Bonds Once Upon a Time in High School Lillie's Recipes Lightning the Mentor A Miraculous Medical Aide Louise's Day Off An Ethereal Fairy Eternal Youth A Miracle Manifests Three Generals Deep Thoughts Over Lemonade A Miracle of Science Three Branches, Three Days Dreams of Heroes The Makings of a Thief Girl Time Wishing for More Courtney Larsen, Age 15 A Greenhouse Tour Odin's Evening The Keeper's Evening Cleo's Seventeenth Birthday Never to Thaw Again 2617's New Arx Techs Payday Party Prime's Board Game Party Temperature-Regulating Potions

Arx Nubibus
Ongoing 1011 Words

Chapter 119

532 0 0

"And just why wouldn't you say anything?" 

Haven sighed and buried her face in the armrest of the couch. She could hear Hot Rod yelling from the training area where Achilles was lifting weights. And, somehow, she knew the conversation was about her. 

"Well, it's a pretty recent development..." Achilles replied, barely loud enough for her to hear. 

"Because of you, I got humiliated in front of the entire Internet! You couldn't have just said something as simple as 'Hey - we're dating' and clarified the situation? No, I had to ask her out and wind up looking like a moron!" 

Maybe you are a moron, Haven found herself thinking. It was strange to not be the dumbest person in the room, but Hot Rod seemed to be lowering the bar more and more. Even stupid Haven could clear it. 

She ignored them and the conversation turned into a buzz of unintelligible noise for a while. How long, she wasn't sure. When the voices grew louder, she forced herself to sit up and look cute for when they inevitably walked into the room. 

"And you!" Hot Rod said as soon as he was in sight, jabbing a finger at Haven. "You just can't stop making yourself the center of attention can you? Attention whore! Slut!" 

She resisted the urge to scowl. Achilles was here. She couldn't afford to slip up. 

"Stop saying that to her," Achilles said firmly. "Barrier Maiden has done nothing wrong." 

Barrier Maiden. Yes. That was who she was. Stupid little Haven was supposed to have gone and died already. She was supposed to be gone, so why was she still here, holding back tears? 

No, no, no. There's nothing to be sad about. Haven needed to die. Now Barrier Maiden can take her place and be someone worth something. Anything. 

While she'd been lost in thought, Hot Rod had continued ranting. Not that she cared what he was saying. He was no better than some of the men she'd dated previously. At least he hadn't gotten violent with her yet. 

Yet. 

"Achilles, did something happen?" she asked, tilting her head curiously. The two of them looked at her, Achilles with a gentle look on his face and Hot Rod looking like he was about to blow. 

"Hot Rod's just a little upset that we didn't say anything about getting together. Don't worry about it," he replied. 

"But we've only been dating for a bit more than a week. Don't you keep the relationship a bit under wraps in case something goes horribly wrong in the first month? That way you don't have to explain the breakup to everyone." 

She'd definitely used this strategy in the past, in two main ways. One: The way she said it. Two: Claiming she was in a new relationship that wasn't stable yet so her mom would get off her back about it. Right now, though, she had to play the stupid cutie. 

"Is that a thing?" Achilles asked, frowning. Hot Rod just glowered at her. 

"For me it has been," she replied. "Half the time he asks me out and then we break up two weeks later. It's just easier if I don't say anything to anyone in that time so I don't have to explain why we broke up." 

Though it's always my fault somehow, she added bitterly to herself. Every time, her mom would list off the reasons Haven wasn't good enough and tell her to correct them. It was why she'd stopped telling her mom about all her relationships. 

"Maiden!" Haven pulled back slightly when Achilles leaped forward and grabbed her hand, kneeling down like a knight or something. 

"W-what?" she asked, trying to calm down her pounding heart. Seriously, where had this come from? 

"I won't break up with you! Ever! No matter what, I'll stay by your side so you can proudly tell the world we're in love!" 

Extreme. But okay. He'd change his tune eventually, but not until Haven slipped up. As long as she played her part as his perfect girl, he'd keep her around. Good. 

"Thanks," she said, blushing and turning away. It wasn't entirely an act. Nobody had talked to her so...passionately before. Maybe back in high school, but that was ages ago and teenagers were completely unreliable. 

"Okay we get it, you're lovebirds. Now can you stop making me wanna gag?" Hot Rod asked, folding his arms with a frown. 

Are you sure it's not just that you wish you were the one with me on your arm? Haven thought, keeping her face bashful in front of Achilles. It wouldn't do to glare at Hot Rod and ruin the illusion she'd crafted. 

"Apologies! We'll keep future lovey-dovey moments to private areas," Achilles said, standing and letting go of her hand. 

Haven held back a laugh at his overly serious purity. Had he ever had a real girlfriend before? Just hearing she'd had previous breakups had been enough to make him swear eternal love to her - not that she could afford to buy it. Sometimes you got dumped out of nowhere, and she'd learned to be vigilant of that possibility. 

"Maybe you two should just break up now," Hot Rod glowered. 

Wasn't he just sore about the fact that she'd rejected him? Really, he was so petty. 

"Never! Maiden and I are destined for each other. The Good Miracle Giver brought us together for this." 

Sure. Whatever was convenient for him. 

"Achilles," she murmured softly, blushing and turning away. Really, it was too much for her. If she wasn't careful, she'd burst into laughter at just how much he reminded her of a ham actor. 

"Okay, have fun with your slut," Hot Rod said, waving at them as he left. 

Haven looked shyly at Achilles, who pulled her into a hug. Really, he was too much. Part of her felt bad for deceiving him, but the other was happy he thought of her so highly. 

Was this the first time someone had praised her so much? Affirmed her worth so easily? 

Whatever the reason, she wanted to be the perfect girlfriend for him. 


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