A/N: Written on a promt suggested to me by evaernst
Original request/Promt:
Do you take prompts? Because I just reread your story about Miss P-and her children (story refrenced to is called 'The bird and her children', specified chapter is chapter 4). I like your idea of Miss Peregrine being allergic to bees and could you maybe write a story about how shortlt after Hugh movedto the home for peculiar children Miss P get stung by a bee and Hugh feels guilty but Miss P is not angry at all?
This is a side story to 'The bird and her children', and take place inbetween chapter 4 and 5.
last but not least I have no idea how a bee allergy works, everything is based off my own ideas, soem googling, and general meh they're peculiar I can do as I want. Hopefully not too inaccurate.
"Why do I have to screw everything up...she's going to throw me out, just like my parents did…"
Hugh hugged his legs closer, pressing them to his chest and slowly rocking back and forth. He had been hiding in the dark closet for god, or as he noticed many of the children said, bird knows how long, just crying and blaming himself for being such a huge idiot.
He had let his bee sting her
After all the times Miss Peregrine had reminded him she did not want the bees flying freely inside the house, and for all the times she had told him that there'd be dire consequences if he let them hurt anyone, he had still managed to lose track of one of them, not regaining control of it fast enough to stop it from stinging her.
In his mind, the scenes that had taken place next was still playing over and over, and he could see it and feel it just clearly as if he was experiencing it at that very moment.
Miss Peregrine's rigid fear as the bee first landed on her arm, holding her breath and hoping it'd go away.
He had tried to make it go away.
Miss Peregrine's attempted scream that dissolved into nothingness as she started choking, airways tightening and making it harder for her to fill her lungs, her breath remaining unstable long after she fell unconscious.
He had tried to help her, tried to assist her in whatever way he possibly could, but she wouldn't have him come close to her, stretching out her hands in front of ehr and signaling for him to stay away.
The red colour of Miss Peregrine's face as she closed her eyes and collapsed, everyone around him screaming as her head hit the floor.
He should have stayed and helped, but he ran away, hiding where he hoped and prayed no one would find him, leaving him all alone hiding from his sins in the darkness of a closet that they used to store bird knows what. He hadn't exactly checked before he stepped in and he just hoped it wasn't any of Enoch's creepy body parts.
In a closet without light there was no concept of time, and for all Hugh knew, he could have been in there for days and Miss Peregrine could have died hours ago because of him because of something he did even though he didn't meant to.
He hadn't meant to almost kill his mother either, but the two accidents were so similar that he started shaking just from thinking of it.
When his parents threw him out, Hugh had found Miss Peregrine and her peculiar children, but if they threw her out, then he truly didn't know what to do, or where to go. Considering he was just a child, he wouldn't even have the money for the ferry to the mainland.
And what made it worse yet, was that he didn't have any idea what he did wrong. Symptoms matching with over - sensitivity for exposure to certain substances, the invisible boy (Millard?) had said, but it was big boy words that he used and as of today Hugh still wasn't more than nine years old. Millard was the same age as Hugh but a whole lot smarter and therefor he talked like a big boy when Hugh didn't, and he knew what had happened and Hugh didn't.
So whichever way he turned it, hugh was left with a bad deed that he didn't know what it was and therefor accidentally had repeated, almost killing two persons in the process of it all.
Maybe one of them had actually died, something he couldn't know since he'd been hiding in the closet, a coward and an idiot at best.
"Hugh? Are you in there?" It's a smooth, kind female voice, that Hugh couldn't really place. He believed it belonged to the girl who could lift heavy objects, but it was hard to tell without seeing her face. "Hugh?"
He kept quiet. He didn't want to talk to her, not at all, and he more or less hoped she'd go away if he didn't show that he was in there.
"I think he's here Fe. Can you go and check?" The smooth female voice spoke again, seemingly having noticed his presence even though he said nothing, and was obviously talking to another person. The other person didn't answer the girl, but the door opened, and he was soon blinded by the light seeping in from the hallway.
"Close the door!" He demanded, not caring about giving up his position when they already seemed to know that he was there, anyway.
This time, he expect the other person, Fe he thought the first girl called him or her, to say something back to him, but he or she doesn't. Instead, the door close quietly beside the shadow of the person.
Hugh can hear tiny footsteps, and suddenly, a flashlight turn on, and he can see a pale, freckled face framed by dark, curly hair. His mind immediately recognise her as the Irish girl who could grow plants, Fiona, and he suddenly realise why she didn't speak to him. Fiona was mute, she couldn't speak.
She look at him with a kind, shy smile, sitting down beside him and smiling that shy smile of hers. She didn't show some note with a written down message, didn't try to use sign language, didn't try to communicate in any way.
"Is...is Miss Peregrine dead?" He didn't know why he asked, regretted it almost at once, but the girl just kept smiling, letting out a choked sound that he imagined was the mute version of a laugh. "Please tell me she isn't." While Fiona seemed to have been less concerned, Hugh was almost crying, honestly worried that Miss Peregrine was dead.
Upon seeing the tears in his eyes, the girl sitting beside Hugh suddenly became very serious, tapping him on the shoulders to get his attention before shaking her head from side to side, drawing a sharp line in the air. "No" seem to be her answer to his question.
"So she's okay?" He ask, almost too relieved breath and all of sudden not even crying anymore. How could he cry? Miss Peregrine was alive, he hadn't killed her after all.
The girl start swaying her her head a little, but it's impossible to see if she's going to nod or shake her head, because she stops before she could move it too much. There's a troubled look on her face, and once her head is still she open and close her mouth several times, as if trying to say something but lacking the words.
"Is she okay?" Hugh repeat the question, his hands forming the words in sign language. It hadn't really hit him until now, but maybe he could use sign language to communicate. He had learned it because his big sister had hearing issues, but it hadn't really come to use as his sister ran away from home while he was still pretty young.
Now, however, it seemed to be of perfect use, because Fiona's face lite up as she saw him for the words, quickly forming words of her own.
"She is tired, sick maybe, but she'll be alright. She wanted to talk to you." Fiona formed the words with her hands, careful not to be too quick as she was obviously fearing Hugh wouldn't have the time to read.
"She wanted to talk to me?" Hugh Was surprised. He didn't know much about Miss Peregrine, but he imagined he'd be the last person she wanted to see at the moment, since he had caused all this.
Maybe that's why she want to talk to to him.
"Yes." The girl nodded. "Will you come? Please?" She was very pleasent, still smiling the same shy smile she'd been smiling since she got into the closet, and though the thought of having to face the consequences of what he did is terrifying, her smile make him feel safe and secure, and he nodd.
"Yes, if…" he pause, his hands still, his voice quiet and a blush creeping up his cheeks. "If you'll go with me."
Another choked sound that Hugh was almost convinced was her equivalent to a laughter, and she nods, offering him her hand.
Hesitantly, Hugh accept the offer, grabbing her big, calloused hand, so big it swallows his entire soft fist, and he let her guide him out of the closet as he jump to his feet. Though he would never admit such a thing, he can't help but notice how cute Fiona look, dark hair in sharp contrast to her pale skin and mud and dark dirt from the garden mixing so well with the freckles on her face. Something about her entire, quiet presence make him feel entirely balanced and at peace, and he is convinced that he would not be leaving the closet ever again if it wasn't for her.
"Oh thank bird you got him out! I was starting to worry something happened!" Waiting outside the closet, was Bronwyn, the incredible strong girl. She sound honestly worried, and though Hugh could barely see anything as he was assaulted by the bright daylight shining through the windows, he can tell she's frowning, her brows knitted together in worry or disapproval.
Hugh can't help but feel like she's disapproving of him, of what he did. Suddenly, all the fears Fiona's presence chased away if back, piling on him like a mountain of dread and anxiety, making him want to run back and hide in the closet again. Sensing his dread and anguish, the bess inside his stomach awoke, buzzing and humming loudly as he fruitlessly tried to make them calm down.
"Are you making that noise?" Bronwyn glanced at Hugh, curious, and Hugh nodded quietly.
"Yes they...they're worried." He admitted, blushing, shameful. He had no right to be worried, when all that happened was his own fault, and he was more than deserving of any punishment Miss Peregrine might give him, even if it meant he'd be thrown out.
He really didn't want to get thrown out of the orphanage.
Suddenly he feel two strong arms wrapping around his upper body and lifting him up in the air, giving him what he supposed was meant to be a hug but felt more like a wrestling grip. "It's alright, honey. It's gonna be fine. Still, you need to get going. Miss Peregrine is waiting. Can you find your way to her bedroom on your own?"
First when she put him down does Hugh realise that the hug had been from Bronwyn, the strong but surprisingly gentle girl not wanting to see him worried and intending to calm him down by hugging him and reassuring him that everything was alright. It made him feel warm and actually a little less worried, the sliver of happiness produced by the thought of someone caring about him being worried canceling out some of his anxiety.
"Fiona was going to show me the way, she said." He smiled a little, grasping for her hand and finding it right beside his, warm and comforting and secure. "Well, she told me in sign language, that is."
At this Bronwyn highered an eyebrow, but nodded, heading off on her own as Fiona started tugging at his arm, compelling him to move along with him down the yellow-painted hallway. As they moved, Hugh discovered that he had only be a few steps away from his own room, which he shared with one of the other boys, Millard. Suddenly he felt quite stupid for running and hiding in a closet when he could have just headed to his room.
The continued walk down the hallways is quite, seeing as the only way to communicate would be if Fiona let go of his hand, but it's a comfortable silence and Hugh doesn't particularly mind it, so he make no attempt to escape Fiona's grip.
Soon enough, they're in the white painted hallway where the girls slept, Miss Peregrine's private sleeping quarters resting on the other side of the heavy oak door at the end of the hallway. Hugh has been in there before, as the headmistress insisted he slept there during his first week in the house, but looking at it from afar and not knowing what was waiting on the other side, it felt a whole lot scarier than the last time he entered.
"Go on, go in. She's waiting for you." Fiona encouraged, letting go of his hand to be able to speak with both hands. There was an accent to her 'speech', he noticed, a special little snap of her hand as she formed certain letters, but he didn't think of it further, knowing he was only trying to distract himself.
Slowly and with some difficulty opening the door in front of him, Hugh could both feel and hear the anxious buzzing of his bees starting again as he slipped inside and he quietly told the to shut up, because they weren't making things better. Hearing the heavy 'thump' of the door closing behind him, Hugh felt like a prisoner with a death sentence to his name, standing in front of the court judges and pleading for his life.
"Hugh! There you are!" Sitting on chair next to Miss Peregrine's simple bed, Millard stood up as soon as he caught sight of Hugh. He was, for once, dressed properly, and he thanked the bird for that small mercy, feeling anxious enough that he would most certainly have a heart attack is he had been addressed by a bodiless voice.
"Bronwyn and Fiona told me she wanted to talk to me." Hugh replied, trying to keep his voice from shaking and doing his best to hide the signs of his obvious distress and discomfort.
"She did. But I think you'll have to wait some, I don't want to wake her up." Millard nodded, gesturing to the bed, where Miss Peregrine lay sleeping underneath the dark-coloured covers.
Looking at Miss Peregrine, he suddenly realised why it had been so hard for Fiona to describe if she was okay or not, because looking at the headmistress, it was actually hard to tell. She looked pale, but her naturally light complexion made it hard to determine if it was a sickly colour for her to have, and though she seemed to be shivering slightly it was hard to say what it was supposed to indicate.
"She is doing pretty good, I think." Millard commented softly, patting Hugh on the shoulder. Subconsciously he had moved closer to the bed, and now he was standing next to Millard's chair. "The worst part is probably this"
Pulling away the covers from Miss Peregrine's upper body, Hugh revealed that she had been undressed so she was only wearing a thin tank top. It wasn't, however, her lack of clothing that Millard had meant to show her, but her left shoulder. The entire shoulder had gotten a raw, irritated red colour and was quite obviously swollen. Miss Peregrine, still sleeping, moaned quietly as Millard put back the covers, indicating that touch the swollen area caused her pain.
"My bee did that? Just one bee?" If Hugh had been anxious before, it was much worse now. He had never seen a simple bee sting having such a horrible outcome on anyone, and he couldn't even begin to imagine what kind of punishment such an injury would warrant.
"Amazing, isn't it? I've never seen anything like it!" millard exclaimed, a little too excited, and quickly hmmed. "Hmm, I mean it's quite bad. Anyway, I'm going to go now, so good luck when she wake up."
Quickly, Millard slipped out the door, leaving Hugh alone with the sleeping Miss Peregrine and the buzzing, fanatic bees trying to escape his stomach as the anxiety and fear of their owner got too much for them to handle.
"Shut up! We can't escape this anymore! It's our fault!" He swore, directing himself to the bees inside him, who calmed down somewhat when they heard his harsh tone. Indecisively, he tried to sit down on Millard's chair, only to stand up again, and the sit down once more. Nothing felt comfortable and though he knew it was mean, he wished the woman beside him would just wake up already so he could take his punishment and go, finally ending this endless torture.
He was just a tiny teenage boy who had almost killed his headmistress,the first person who had truly cared for him a very long time, by accident.
After a switching between sitting on the chair and standing up on the plush carpet a few more times, he finally sigh and decided on a compromise, sitting cross-legged on the surprisingly comfortable carpet with his back to the bed.
"Millard, what are you doing?" It's weak, half-mumbled and tired, but it's definitely Miss Peregrine speaking, worry lacing the words when she received no response. "Millard? Are you there?"
Realising that Miss Peregrine was awake, and that she didn't know Millard had left, Hugh quickly rose from his spot on the floor so that she could see him sticking up behind the bed. "Millard left, it's just me here."
He had expected her to be angry or maybe upset when she saw him, seeing as her current state was entirely his fault, and wasn't at all prepared for the kind smile on his headmistress face.
"Hugh! Wonderful! How are you?" The statement is followed by a light coughing fit as she attempt sitting up a little more in the bed, and Hugh wonder if the bee sting hurt her brain, too, because she is acting so weirdly.
How could she ask him if he was okay, how could she even care, when it was she who was bedridden, she who's left shoulder was red and swollen, she who had suffered so much. It was so much more kindness than he could ever deserve.
"I'm good, but it doesn't matter. Miss Peregrine I am so so sorry I really didn't mean for my bee to sting you, I didn't know it would hurt you that bad." He apologised, not being able to hold it back anymore. The guilt in him was so heavy to carry and he just wanted to get a let out for at least a little of it.
"Don't worry.I knew the risk I was taking when I accepted you to my family. Just be glad we got the best outcome on the situation." She smiled, again, trying to sit up just a little more and Hugh quickly aided her, organising the pillows behind her back to help her stay upright.
"You knew this could happen?" He asked, truly confused. If she knew the bees in his stomach might come to kill her, then why did she even let him into her house? Why would she put herself in that kind of danger simply for him, for one lonely peculiar little boy.
It didn't make sense
She chuckled slightly, but it quickly became a coughing fit and she stopped. "Yes. Believe it or not, this is not the first time I almost lost my life due to my bee allergy." Upon seeing Hugh's still confused face, she quickly continued. "I'm allergic to bees. Which means that as you can see, bee stings are harmful to my body. In worst case scenario, they can kill me."
"I know." Hugh said slowly, remembering the way she had looked when she fell to the floor, red faced and barely breathing. She had been dying when he left her. "You almost did. And I ran."
He looked down at the floor, focusing on a particularly interesting crack in the floorboards and not wanting to meet her gaze. He knew what she was thinking, knew that if she hadn't known the truth already she did now and that meant he had put himself up for the long expected punishment.
"You were scared, you didn't know what had happened. No one is blaming you for running and hiding, and especially not me. I understand."
He looked up, surprised, and saw her looking at her with a gaze that reminded him of the way his mother had once used to look at him and it filled with him with comfort and love, slowly chasing away the fear and anxiety plaguing him since the accident.
"So you're not going to punish me?" He asked, careful, not wanting to believe it to be true. In his old home punishment, often through being slapped or hit, was generously used to keep the children in line and prevent them from misbehaving, and he didn't expect it to be any different here.
This time, it was Miss Peregrine who looked surprised, shocked even. "Goodness no! Why would I punish you? It was all an accident after all." Suddenly, her face twisted, and first Hugh thought that it was because she was in pain, but the expression didn't quite right, and seemed more confused or concerned than pained. "Did your parents use to punish you often?"
Hugh jumped slightly at the question, not having expected it in the slightest, but nodded obediently. "Only when I misbehaved. Dad would slap me or hit me when I did something wrong so I'd learn not to repeat it."
Again, Miss Peregrine's face twisted, adapting that strange expression that Hugh couldn't quite tell what it really meant. Slowly, she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath and slowly exhaling as if trying to calm herself down. "We don't use that kind of punishment in this household." She said slowly, her voice tense with held back emotion. "Only when my children refuse to learn or correct their behaviour despite constant reminders, do I punish, and only in ways that are in no way harmful or abusive to the child. Do I make myself absolutely clear?"
It was obvious that the mention of physical punishment had made Miss Peregrine uncomfortable, and Hugh nodded sharply as she explained her rules concerning punishments, hoping it would made her feel better, only to realise that she couldn't see him with her eyes still closed. "Yes Miss Peregrine." He confirmed, after a second of thought adding. "So this mean that I will not get any kind of punishment?"
Slowly, Miss Peregrine opened her hawk-like eyes, the sharp blue gaze focusing on Hugh, staring into his eyes until he almost began to squirm, uncomfortable. "No, , you will not. I will, however, warn you to try and keep better control of your bees in the future. I'd rather not wish for a repetition of what just happened, as there is always a risk that it won't turn out so.." Her mouth twitched, trying to find the right word. "Favourable, next time."
'Favourable' is a word that make Hugh want to scream because it's so belittling when she use it to accompany the fact that if things aren't 'favourable' next time she'll die and it'll all be his fault, because no matter what he does he's a danger.
"Hugh. Hugh come here." She sees his distress, and is calling for him, wanting him to come closer because she's not yet strong enough to leave the bed and go get him herself. It frustrate her so much but it's impossible for her to change and so she beg.
Uncertain, Hugh moved closer to the bed, closer and closer until he was so close that Miss Peregrine's claw-like hand could scope his cheek, making him meet her eyes. They were so kind and warm when she looked at him, different from the stern glare she normally offered and made him feel so very safe.
"You are amazing Hugh. No matter what you do, no matter what happens, you will always be an amazing peculiar and i will always love you for it."
There was such honesty in Miss Peregrine's voice, and despite normally feeling so doubtful of his own value he couldn't help but believe her words.
He was amazing. He was good. He could do good.
Hugh had spent the whole day fearing what Miss Peregrine's punishment would be, but in the end, what he received was a gift and not a punishment.
He received the ability to believe in himself.