Picture Day
by Frankie'N (formerly No one and Nobody)
A/N: Hi, readers! If you're new here, I hope you like this little oneshot. If you left a positive review/favorited this before: thank you for your support! I just wanna let you know that after— wow would you look at the time— ten years, I've decided to spruce up some of my old oneshots. I now present to you the new (and hopefully improved) version of "Picture Day." This story received a little less tweaking than my other stories did, as I felt it deserved less.
Edited: May 2018
Disclaimer: Don't own Martin Mystery. You know how it goes.
Picture Day
Diana was just a tad bit miffed.
Martin cackled at the thought of just how huge an understatement that was.
To be more precise, he would say that she now looked eerily similar to an unattended-to kettle: she was completely red and flushed with rage, steam was practically coming out of her ears, and her yelling had been reduced to a dangerous hissing noise.
"Oh come on," he reasoned in between peals of laughter. "You don't have to get so worked up about it!"
He was right, actually. Compared to the colorful and downright impressive (depending on who you asked) array of insults he had used against her in the past, this was nothing. There just so happened to be a little photoshoot later in the afternoon, and all he did was tell her not to go.
"It will be in a studio with lights and everything. Why would we want you there to ruin it?" was what he had said.
She hadn't gotten too angry yet, save for a scathing reply and a little "Very funny, you big jerk." for good measure.
And it was because of that less-than-stellar reaction that he had felt so unsatisfied.
He'd been in a terrible mood the whole morning, irritated with the whole photoshoot idea. In that moment, he'd wanted nothing more than the twisted satisfaction of dragging her mood down with his.
It was a family photoshoot, after all. His least favorite type.
"Okay, okay you got me." he had pretended to admit. "The real reason I don't want you to come is-" and here he had sucked in a large helping of air for dramatic effect "- I'd never agree to having actual proof of being related to you."
And click— he had set her off. "I should be the one worried about that!" she had yelled back, flushed with embarrassment and anger. "What would people say if they found out I even knew you?!"
The twisted sense of satisfaction he'd earlier longed for came rushing at him then in spades, but still he wanted more. "You're right." he had grinned, "All the girls would be asking you for my number-"
"And your autograph?" she had interrupted sarcastically, positively seething. Outwardly, he'd only sniggered at her reaction.
He loved to irk her, and to be quite honest, he just couldn't ignore that little part of him that constantly hoped she was jealous. "Why yes, and my autograph. You'd want to avoid the hassle, wouldn't you?" he had added with a flourish.
And that was how he had arrived at the understatement: that Diana was just a tad bit miffed.
"Alright, before you explode, little teapot, you should remember that we both agreed to not be seen together in the pictures. I don't want anyone to know we're related, and you, in turn, feel the same-"
"We're not related." she cut him off coldly, her tone clipped.
For a moment, they held each other's gaze, both strangely silent.
She looked at him with hurt and determination in her eyes.
He looked at her with disbelief in his own, and a hint of something softer.
Then he laughed breezily, ending the moment. "Great. So you won't go then?"
Without saying another word, she left, slamming the door of his dorm room behind her.
Martin fell backwards onto his bed and raised his eyes to the plastic glow-in-the-dark galaxy he'd stuck onto his ceiling not too long ago. With that last question, he got her to leave. That was what he had wanted.
"We're not related." she had said.
He let out a long-suffering sigh and folded his arms across his face.
He hadn't wanted her to see him smile at that.
Diana shifted uneasily in her assigned seat at the long picnic table. She was at the studio with her entire blood family and step-family. That is, save for one particular little pig of a step-brother.
She fumed, fumed, fumed. She fumed all she wanted because he wasn't there to point out that she was fuming. She fumed in her seat. She fumed all the way to her spot in between her mother and step-father when they started to pose for the pictures.
Snap— the photographer took the first shot. And still, no sign of Martin.
She stopped fuming.
It was around this time that Martin found himself at the park, of all places. He found himself there whenever he had to think (rare occasions).
He tried amusing himself on the swings, pacing back and forth slowly.
He tried the see-saw, but that was obviously pointless without Diana on the other end to humor him.
Eventually he settled himself on the park bench, slouching against the cold metal of the seat, sinking deeper into his thoughts.
It was around this time that Diana took a seat beside him.
The motion didn't startle him. He didn't even flinch.
They sat together quietly, observing the colors of the sky and the rustle of fallen autumn leaves at their feet.
Finally, Diana broke the silence. "You didn't come."
"No, I didn't." he said. "You didn't stay."
"No, I didn't." she said.
They watched as another cloud drifted by, and because he just couldn't stand it any longer, he blurted out: "I wish we weren't-"
"We're not related." She assured him firmly. From the corner of her eye, she could see the smile gradually inch across his face. She found herself melting at the sight of it. "We aren't related." She repeated, her tone cautious. "And maybe... maybe we don't have to pretend that we are?" She left it as a question, unsure of herself.
Martin laughed softly. "Maybe." He teased, getting to his feet.
Diana scrunched her nose up a bit when he teased her, then frowned when he got up. "What are you doing?"
He only looked at her and held out his hand.
"What are you doing?" she demanded again. "And where are we going?" she added— but her frown was already melting away.
He grinned at her. "Forward." was all he said.
No more words were exchanged as she smiled and slipped her hand into his.
.
.
A/N- I'm okay with how this little edit turned out. I hope you guys like this version better, too! Let me know what you think! And for updates on my work and other stuff, check my profile! :)