socloverit | week 11, wednesday afternoon

[She's been maybe sort of kind of putting this off. She shouldn't bother him while he's recovering, she doesn't want to make things weird, she doesn't want to deal with Marinette too, he's probably not coignizant anyway. Excuses, excuses, excuses, and it isn't until Wednesday that Clover gets the fuck over herself, says he could have died, he could have died, he could have died again and again and deigns to be out and about at regular human hours; kitchen first, then the medbay.

She does still wait until Marinette isn't around because she isn't that over what a shithead she is, but Wednesday afternoon, Clover peeks her head in around the medbay door—just being here makes her anxious; she hasn't stepped foot in this room in over a month, and she still glances up to the cabinets before she looks for Adrien.

aaaaand she's just standing here?? like okay the plan was to look for Marinette and then make sure Adrien was awake before she actually like walked in but in practice she's just like, standing half-in the doorway, scythe just kinda peeking out next to her, chillin'. hi, clover??]

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[Adrien's awake and even sitting up-- he's not paying attention to the door, instead he seems to be trying to play furry crossing one handed. Even footsteps don't make him look up, Grell and Marinette having switched coming in and out a lot, but Plagg was sitting on his lap and did notice, and immediately goes to fly off into Adrien's jacket, which is enough to make him look up.]

--Clover! [his first reflex seems to be some form of pleased surprise before he hunches back in on himself, staring at his lap instead of at her. Of course she's not here for him, what is he, stupid? She hates him, he messed up. But he's already addressed her so all he can do is try to work through the awkwardness, probably:] Did you... were you looking for something? Grell's not around right now.

[she and grell get along, right? he has no idea anymore. he thinks he remembers them fighting monday morning, but...]

[She starts and for a moment just freezes, and she doesn't understand seeing him swing to and from almost looking happy to see her. It might make sense for him to look so uncertain if it came after he realized who it was, but...

She shouldn't be here, she thinks; he hates her and he should and she deserves it because she doesn't have any remorse or regret for what she's done, she's only caused problems, she'll only keep doing so, she has no cause or want to fix herself and Adrien does not deserve that.

Her expression only scrunches with distaste a little when Grell is mentioned.] No. Uh... I, um. [And okay, she's inviting herself the rest of the way into the medbay, and when she steps through the doorway she holds up, in the hand that isn't constantly carrying her weapon around, a plastic baggie full of cookies. People like sweets?? Throwing food at the problem seemed like a solid strategy??? She's short on ideas.] Used to work in a café? So I, um. Made some cookies. ...I hope you like chocolate chip?

[He looks up at her when she comes in, frowning in confusion at the cookies. He tries to smile, awkward and unsure, but he ... doesn't understand. At all.] I... yeah? I like cookies. [it's weird, Clover'd never stricken him as the kind for pity, but he can't think of any other reason she'd bring them now, after everything. He doesn't know how to react to it at all.] Thank you. You didn't have to. [there's a second before he adds, hastily:] Not that I don't want them! I just mean... You didn't have to force yourself to...

[he swallows dryly and forces his smile to stay in place]

You don't have to force yourself to be nice to me because I'm injured. I know you hate me.

[She's only just past the doorway, so there's distance between them still when he says that and she just—stops. It had sounded so childish when she said it and felt more vicious before she did, but she had said it, and she meant it then.]

I— [She moves to hold the scythe low in front of her in both hands, still mindful of crumbling the cookies. Giant laser scythes are weird and cumbersome things to fidget uncomfortably with, but here she is. Her voice is quiet, and she doesn't look at him; Adrien can force all the smiles he wants, but Clover couldn't make an effort to keep her expression from falling if she wanted to.]

I don't. I don't hate you.

[She doesn't want to say she's sorry and she doesn't want to say she shouldn't have said it because when it comes down to it, she wants Dorian dead, she's furious she was stopped on days she has enough energy to be angry. She would try again if she was given the chance.] I just... [So what else is she supposed to say instead? The way the next words come out a low sort of mutter tells enough that she knows how stupid it sounds.] I don't know. I thought you'd like them.

Really?

[it's blurted out when she says it first, his voice small and ridiculously hopeful-- he might pretend otherwise but Clover's anger had obviously affected him, and the sheer relief that sentiment brings him staggers even him. It's also the mix of everything, probably-- he's felt himself too near a breaking point more times than he can count this week-- but just the knowledge that Clover doesn't hate him, that she tried to bring him cookies as an apology, it's enough to make his eyes well up and he tries to blink away tears rapidly, rubbing at his face with one hand and a wet laugh. His other arm moves to make the same movement to no avail, because he hasn't exactly unlearned that yet.]

I do, I-- I do like them, m'sorry, I don't know why I'm-- [he takes in a shuddering breath] Thank you.

[Clover can feel her stomach drop, watching Adrien get so excited over something that feels—not small but it should be, it should be insignificant and meaningless that she says she doesn't hate him because he should hate her because all that drives her anymore is spite and fury and vengeance and someone like that shouldn't mean enough to someone like Adrien to get a reaction like this from him.]

No, no, of course I don't, how could I... [After Light died and he took care of her, wouldn't let her be alone that weekend as much as she pushed—there's not much he could do now that could get her to hate him after all of that.

But now she's tearing up too and she doesn't really know what else to do but prop the scythe up against the wall and set the cookies on a table on her way over to him so, not entirely selflessly, she can haul him into a shaky hug.]

[the hug takes him by surprise, and it's enough to choke out a sob out of him as he tries to hug her back as best he can.]

I thought-- I really thought... [he can't explain himself properly, not right now, not in the state he's in, all he can do is grab at her and try to bring his breathing back to normal so he stops crying, fuck--] I kept messing up and I never wanted to make you feel worse, you have to believe me--! But someone would've fought back or done something if we hadn't and...

[yeah he can't even form a sentence anymore, too busy trying to stop his crying]

[And that's where Clover's last little shreds of almost-togetherness snap and now she's crying, too, face pressed against Adrien's shoulder (the one with an entire arm attached to it; she's at least considerate about it), hugging him tight. She wishes she weren't stopped, that he'd let her deal with the consequences on her own because she's sure she could have, would try again if she ever could, but—]

You—you already did so much for me, I couldn't—I couldn't ever...

[all right nope now the kids are just sobbing on each other this is fine

Clover's definitely not letting him go, though]

[I GUESS THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN FOR A FEW MINUTES, THEN. A lot of mutual hugging and crying. After some time's passed, Adrien's calmed down enough to at least breathe properly, still clinging to Clover but trying to move so they can, like, have an actual conversation, maybe? Well. They can try.]

... I didn't even know you could bake. [he Tried and that's what's important. apparently.] I'm glad... m'glad you're okay, though. I was worried.

[he means about her mental state after everything, but it probably feels ridiculous to hear that from the kid who is in the medbay with over half an arm missing.]

week 11, wednesday afternoon

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