i know that i've got issues, but you're pretty messed up too.
either way, i found out i'm nothing without you.
Penguin, down there helping Poppy? What do you take him for? It’s much more fun to sit up in the ceiling and watch the awkwardness develop. If Poppy had hoped that Bryce would have found a new beau in the years he’s been missing, then she’s sorely mistaken; the way his face lights up when he sees her makes her heart sink.
She had liked him. He was hot and a gentleman, and there aren’t many of those around – but he’d vanished after one date, and in all honesty she hadn’t spent the majority of that date with him anyway; she’d been somewhat preoccupied helping Draco give birth. It’s not a case of turning to Draco in Bryce’s absence or “he was there for me when you weren’t,” because Poppy had never considered her relationship with Bryce to be serious (in the same way she doesn’t consider anything or anyone seriously) and Draco had seemed the more logical choice anyway, because she’d known him longer and her feelings were stronger. Even now, confronted with the man from history, she doesn’t regret her decision to marry. Bryce is still hot, and still a gentleman, but he doesn’t make her heart skip a beat in quite the same way.
Seeing the look on his face, knowing what’s coming and having already sorted out what her feelings are, it’s not as difficult as Poppy had initially thought it would be to turn her head to the side and let Bryce’s kiss touch her cheek instead of her lips. She can feel a hot flush creeping up her neck and is just wondering how to let him down gently when he shifts her off his lap and stands up. Oof. Ignoring the hand he offers, Poppy scrambles to her feet and slaps him heartily on the back.
“No worries, ol’ buddy, ol’ pal.”
Penguin shakes his head. ‘Trying too hard,’ he mutters telepathically.
Poppy points a finger at him. There’s a BANG like a firework and the monochromatic dog yelps as he suddenly soars six feet in the air before dropping back to the ground with a bit of a SPLAT sound (don’t you just love onomatopoeia?). Grumbling, he slinks off and tries to make a dignified retreat under the bed, but unfortunately most of the gaps underneath beds aren’t large enough to accommodate full-grown male Great Danes. There’s a loud CRASH as the bed falls over sideways. With a start and a whine, Penguin runs out of the room with his tail between his legs and vanishes from sight. Serves him right.
Feeling slightly empowered because divinity actually worked for once, the Eurasian girl turns back to Bryce, who is offering to lob her through the ceiling. Sounds more fun than using the stairs, but she doesn’t trust her magic not to throw off his aim and ‘accidentally’ send her shooting out through the window instead. From the first floor down to the ground isn’t a massive difference, but it’s still a painful one. Also, now that she’s conceived the idea, there can be no doubt that her magic is already concocting an even worse one.
“Yeah,” she says vaguely, rocking on her heels slightly. There’s no nice, un-blunt way of putting this, so it’s just going to have to come out. “Bryce, I have a husband. I married Draco while you were gone.”
Sorry dude. Better luck next time.
POPPY
and honestly,
my life would suck without you.
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