*Author's Note*
Thank you for the faves, follows, and reviews.
Drowning In Melancholy Feels
Gem POV:
After Brock found out about Blane he was pissed. He used our bond to rant so much that I found myself sealing off the bond left and right. Things with me and Blane were great. Or at least they were until Thanksgiving break loomed. I was going home for the holiday, which pissed him off since his family was having a big get together in Middletown, Connecticut and everyone was expected to attend with their significant other. Apparently, everyone in his family were soulless so they used the term significant other instead of soul mate. We fought about Thanksgiving all the time.
Tonight included.
"Gem, this is important. My family's expecting me to bring home somebody since I'm not single anymore." Blane sharply told me as we ate in a very posh steak house in DC's Penn Quarter.
"I know what your family's expecting, but I promised my family I'd be home for Thanksgiving. I can't break that." I told Blane while cutting a slice of my butter braised filet mignon with my fork and knife.
"Missing one Thanksgiving isn't going to hurt them, my love. I think they'd understand that you need to meet your boyfriend's family." My boyfriend told me while spearing some of his lemon glazed grilled asparagus with his fork.
"I don't want to miss Thanksgiving with my family, Blane."
"But you want to miss it with mine." Blane barked, stabbing his asparagus a bit roughly.
"I don't even know them yet to want to miss out on seeing them." I retorted around a mouthful of high-end steak.
"You'll miss out on meeting them." Blane curtly told me, cutting into his own steak a bit forcefully; more or less tearing it with his knife and fork.
"Blane-" I began only for him to drop his silverware onto his milk-white bone china plate and go into a bitter tirade of, "Gem, why're you being so selfish? I take you out to a nice dinner; spoil you and you can't even do one thing for me. Well, actually you can't do two things for me, but I won't go into that."
"I told you, I just don't feel ready for that yet." I hissed defensively about the second thing I wouldn't do for him. Yea, he wanted more then kisses and making out, but I just wasn't ready for that yet. I even talked to Darcy about it and she said since I had a strong soulmate bond I prolly felt uncomfortable doing anything with anybody else. I tried to roll my eyes at her logic, but I guess she had a point. I'd fool around via the bond with Brock without hesitation, but Blane wanted to fool around and I got a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach and stopped anything before it could heat up and truly start.
"Yes, well, you better get ready eventually cause I've got needs." Blane tightly told me while spearing a piece of asparagus with his fork. "Hmm, where did you say you're from again?" He asked, bring his fork up to his mouth.
"Bensonhurst. It's a neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York." I reminded him while eating my own asparagus.
Blane stabbed his forgotten steak with his fork and picked up his knife, resuming his cutting of it, while making a pensive face. "Well, since it's Brooklyn's only a couple of hours away from Middletown, I suppose we could visit both families."
"So, one for dinner and one for dessert?" I asked for clarification.
"Yes." He nodded before biting the piece of filet mignon off of his fork. "We'll do dessert with your family since mine's adamant about dinner." Blane explained, cutting another piece of his steak.
"Okay." I relented to the compromise. At least I'd still be seeing my family for the holiday.
"Talk about dessert, let's order the lemon méringue tart before we get back to Willowdale."
"I'm not really a lemon tart person." I admitted while polishing off my small, high-end steak that cost a fortune at the posh place we were in.
"You need to eat more than cheesecake and cannolis, my love. Now, just expand your palate and have the lemon tart." My boyfriend smiled a bit passive aggressively while reaching for his drink.
I wasn't in the mood to argue with my classy as fuck boyfriend, so I just put on a fake smile and nodded. As he snapped his fingers, asking for our server, I felt a sense of melancholy pass over me. Oh god, only a month in and I'm making arrangements to meet his family; I'm even eating lemon tarts too.
Brock POV:
I was running night time exercises with STRIKE Alpha when suddenly a strong sense of melancholy hit me right in the chest. Instantly I knew Gem was upset; I knew it was cause of her new boyfriend, that Darcy dubbed man slut, too. Fuck, the feeling was so overwhelming that my chest tightened painfully as I slid around a corner, decked out in tactical gear and night vison googles. I was looking for the agent that was pretending to be a hostage or the agent playing hostile as I pushed thru the ocean of melancholy that I felt myself drowning in.
I would've been fine pushing on too, but when a slight feeling of disgust mingled into the drowning in melancholy feels I knew I had to contact Gem, even tho I was doing a damn STRIKE exercise. I swear, if I fail this shit over her and man slut's problems… Creeping along at a slow pace and keeping my eyes peeled for either agent I needed to find, I asked my soulmate, "What did lover boy do? I'm drowning in melancholy and disgust over here while trying to run a night extraction exercise with my team."
"It's nothing, Brock." Instantly popped into my head.
Nothing my ass. "It's not nothing, baby. I can feel that you're upset on a deep level."
"It's nothing, really." Her tone was too shaky for her to be telling the truth about it being nothing. "We were just arguing about where to spend Thanksgiving and something else got brought up." She sighed, only to quickly toss in as an afterthought, "Oh, and I'm stuck eating a lemon tart cause I need to broaden my dessert horizons."
"Jesus, Gem, you've only been with him for a month and he's making you feel like shit with holiday plans and dessert?" I asked, even tho it sounded my like a pissed out statement since my mental voice was harsh and gravally right now.
"He's not-" Gem began to deny, only for me to firmly cut her off with, "Gem, baby, don't lie to me. We're bonded in all the soulmate ways; I know when you feel like shit."
"It's not that bad, Brock. I'm just overreacting; don't worry about it."
"Don't tell me not to worry about it. You're my soulmate, I've got a right to worry about you when I feel something's wrong."
"Nothing's wrong, Brock. We just bickered for a bit and I'm eating a lemon tart. That's it." She snapped a bit defensively. A bit too defensively for nothing being wrong.
"Mhm…" I sighed, unconvinced by her sorry excuse. "Shit, give me a sec." I told her as I found one of the agents I was looking for. "Put your hands up and identify yourself!" I yelled at the agent to differ whether he was 'hostile' or 'hostage'. The agent didn't say a word, just charged at me. Quickly, I held up my training gun (it was like one from a laser tag arcade) and 'shot' him in the tact vest that had a sensor in it.
"Damn, Comander Rumlow, you didn't even try to talk me down. Just shot me." The agent told me, as a way of ending my exercise. Hmm, guess I passed (again).
"Can't negotiate with hostiles." I simply told the agent.
"Come on, most of your team's completed their part in this." The agent told me while gesturing for me to follow him out of the tactical maze thru a nearby trap door.
"Sorry about that, I was finishing up my STRIKE exercise." I apologized to my soulmate for the quick disruption my training exercise caused our discussion.
"I just finished desert; I need to go."
"Baby-" I began only for her to interrupt me with, "I need to go, but I'll reach out to you later."
"Yea, okay." I told her right before she closed off the bond.
Gem POV:
"You're really going to Connecticut with man slut?" Darcy asked incredulously as she lounged on her bed, flipping thru a magazine while I packed the last of my things.
"Yes, and stop calling him that. It's mean." I told my best friend while going over to my small dresser to grab some more things for my overnight bag.
"I just call it like I see it, and sister he just has a slutty aurora." Darcy told me while shoving her nose into her SoapNet magazine. Hmm, she must've found an interesting article to read.
Rummaging thru my sweater drawer for some things that were appropriate for meeting my boyfriend's family, I came to Blane's defensive with, "No, he doesn't, he's just charming and charismatic."
Looking over her magazine, Darcy's blue eyes narrowed behind their thick black chunky framed glasses. "Gem, I was raised on Culver's campus so I've seen plenty of guys like Blane and I'm telling you he's a slut. He's just charming you to have a 'good girl' to bring home to his family, but once your back's turned, he's going to be out looking for skanks to hookup with."
"Darcy, stop. He's not like that." I weakly ordered my friend, slamming my dresser drawer shut.
"Sure, he is, but you just don't want to see it cause he flashes you that spellbinding smile and sweet talks you into thinking he's a great guy when he's a flaming pile of shit-poo." Darcy told me, putting her magazine down and sitting up on her bed; glaring an invisible hole into my overnight bag. "He's causing problems with you and your soulmate too, Gem." She pointed out as I placed my stack of neatly folded sweaters onto my bed.
"No, he's not."
"Yes, he is." My best friend quickly responded. "You never talk about Brock anymore. Before Blane you used to talk about him and even tell me jokes and stuff that he told you, but now that doesn't happen."
"Brock's my soulmate who I'll never meet and Blane's my boyfriend, who's here with me right now and wants to be with me. Why would I talk about Brock when I'm with somebody else, Darce?" I ranted slightly while packing my sweaters.
"Cause Brock's your jacked-booted thug soulmate that you're meant to be with. I swear, we should've just gone into that old man political bar and annoyed the shit out of the stuffy politicians with our Poli Sci questions cause if we did then your head wouldn't be up man slut's ass right now."
"My head's not up his ass." I defended myself while zipping up my bag.
"Yes, it is, Gem." Darcy snipped back. "Hell, just take a damn Kit-Kat break and you'll see how man slut's dragging you into his web. He's a soulless, Gem, and you're not. You need to think about that."
"I might as well be a soulless since Brock doesn't want me." I sighed, flopping down on my bed.
"He said that he doesn't want to meet you yet, not that he doesn't want you."
Rolling my eyes, I scoffed, "Whatever, same thing."
"No, it's not the same thing, sister. It's not and you know it."
"Why do you care so much about me and Brock's soulmate status?"
"You're my best friend and we're as close as sisters. I only want the best for you; I want you to be happy like I am with Billy and I know that Blane's making you miserable as fuck."
"I'm not miserable as fuck."
"Maybe not yet, but you're getting there."
A knock sounded at the door accompanied by Blane's voice asking, "My love, you ready?"
"Be right there!" I called out while narrowing my eyes at Darcy and telling her, "Don't meddle with me, Brock, and Blane." Standing up and placing my bag's strap over my shoulder, I assured her, "I'm happy with Blane and I'm sure Brock's happy with whoever."
"He's not seeing anybody; if he was you would've told me." Darcy smugly retorted as I crossed over our small room; reaching the door that was decorated with a picture collage she made.
"Bye, Darcy." I told my best friend right before opening the door, only to see Blane standing in the hallway wearing a designer sweater with his hands shoved into his pockets. He beamed at me and I gave him a blushing smile before we silently walked down the hall together in order to start our holiday vacation.
Darcy POV:
"Gem's being stubborn as a mule about Brock. She's still going home with man slut for the holiday." I ranted to Billy via our soulmate bond as soon as my door slammed shut and Gem was stalking off down the hallway with man slut. God, I hated him. Douche-nugget looked like he was carved out of cream cheese. His man slut essence was strong too. So strong that I'm sure Anakin's got a lower midichlorian count then man slut's got game.
"If I was in town, I'd get rid of him." Billy seriously said. My soulmate was so romantic; I was so lucky to have him.
"I know; I'd even help by tazering him a few times too." I smiled, happy that my jacked-boot wants to help my sister from another mister get rid of man slut. "Do you think I need to send Brock another email? I don't know if my last one got thru his thick skull or not."
"Send one." Billy encouraged me. "Can't hurt. Maybe he'll even reply this time."
Rising from my bed and storming over to my computer desk, I grumbled, "Bastard SHIELD Jack-Booted Thug better answer or else I'll just have to call him."
"You can hack into his phone records; get his number." Billy reminded me as I sat down at my desk and fired up my laptop.
"Yea, I can also get into his bank accounts and crack open any and all legal documents of his too if I wanted too." I casually added in. Not to brag or anything, but I was an awesome hacker.
"And that's why I love you."
"Oh, but I thought you loved my big boobies." I teased, giggling just a bit for humorous sound effects. Sound effects of all kinds are very important in our soulmate relationship.
"That too, babe." Billy chuckled. "Go send Brock an email; get the fire light under his ass about Gem."
"Bye, love you too, my Boo-tiful Butthead." I smiled, opening up the browser I used for all my dark web hacking and shenanigans.
After saying goodbye to Billy, I send Brock an email. He better read it and act cause the longer Gem's with man slut the harder it's gonna be for him to be with my sister.
Brock POV:
I knew Gem had left with her boyfriend (Goddamnit, my soulmate having a boyfriend just sounds so wrong coming out of my mouth. Fuck!) to head up to Connecticut just because I could feel her apprehension seeping thru our bond. She clearly didn't want to go. That much I could tell. She was too tense; too sad. I tried to talk her out of the trip, but she wouldn't listen. Gem insisted that she needed to meet Blane's family; that they were expecting her since he told them about her.
Motherfucker!
She's my soulmate, not his. She shouldn't be going to meet his family. She should be back home in Bensonhurst, doing a big Italian-American Thanksgiving; watching the Macy's Parade and football, not in Connecticut for the damn weekend.
The music he had on sucked too. I swear, if I ever get my hands on that jackass, I'm gonna strangle him for getting shitty songs stuck in Gem's head.
I wasn't going to bother her this weekend, but after receiving a very heated email from Darcy, I decided to reach out and attempt to talk Gem out of her weekend trip. I knew I was throwing a Hail Mary, but it was worth a shot. I didn't want to lose my soulmate to some snobby, rich-bitch soulless man slut that looked like he was carved out of Philadelphia Cream Cheese (as Darcy so eloquently called him in her email). Luckily, I was in my office just waiting for Pierce to send me on the next detrimental mission so I'd be able to talk. Leaning back in my office chair, I reached out to Gem with, "You halfway to Connecticut by now, baby?"
"Not halfway. More like a fourth." Was her honest sigh of a response. Yea, she was fucking miserable and she wasn't even there yet.
"Ah…" I nodded even tho she couldn't see me. "So, there's still time to talk you into just having him drop you off in New York then?"
"No, Brock, there isn't."
"Baby, we both know that you don't want to meet his family. Just put an end to the torture before it begins and have him drop you off in Bensonhurst at your uncle's."
"Brock, meeting his family's important to him. I can't just flake out."
"It's not that important, you're not his soulmate."
"I know, I'm your soulmate, but you don't want anything to do with me."
"Fuck, that's not true and you know that, baby girl." I quickly countered earning me a sigh thru our she could protest, I quickly told her, "You wanna meet my Pops? You can meet him; I'll tell you where he lives in the neighborhood and you can spend Thanksgiving with him." God what was I doing? Was I really this desperate to get her away from Blane? Yes, yes, I was. Fucking goddamnit.I concluded my impromptu suggestion with a soft, "He'd like that since he's always alone and you'd be able to avoid meeting Blane's family in Connecticut."
A long pause appeared in the space between out bond before she sadly sighed, "No, Brock. It's too late for that. I already made a commitment to visit Blane's family."
"Fuck Blane's family. He's not your soulmate, I am. You should be jumping at the chance to meet my Pops over the holiday."
"And you should've jumped at the chance to meet me, your soulmate, but you didn't so shit changed."
Fuck, I was so tired of her attitude towards us not being able to meet. I swear… "Stop being such a bitch cause I can't meet you yet. You know my fucking job's dangerous; I don't want to put you in danger, baby."
"We agreed to live our lives without the soulmate expectations held over our heads for a while. Just let me do that, please." She pleaded with me, hoping that I'd give in and let this go.
Not a chance. Not this time. Not when she's going home with man slut for the holidays. "I can't do that, anymore, baby. Not when our future's on the line."
"Our future! What future, Brock?" Gem snapped at me. "All we do is talk and fool around thru the bond. We have no plans for the future, we have nothing except for a way to keep ourselves from being bored out of our minds when we don't have anything else better to do."
"Don't you fucking dare act like I don't want a future with you cause I do. I fucking want to be with you more then anything in the wor-" I began to pour my soul out, only for her to abruptly cut me off with, "I need some time, Brock. You had time to 'grow up'; I deserve that too." It went silent for a moment before she added in, "I was ready to meet you a couple of months after our bond formed, but now that you're ready to explore something I don't know if I want that."
"Baby, please, just go spend the holiday with my Pops. Go to 1825 72nd Street, Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, New York. Please, just stay with him and we'll work out our shit. I'll do anything and I mean fucking anything to make up for the past, baby girl." I begged and groveled. Eh, I was desperate. According to Darcy's email I was a snap of a finger away from losing my soulmate. I had to stop that from happening, especially since I lived most of my adult life believing I didn't even have a soulmate.
"I'll see what I can do, Brock." Gem told me before closing off our bond.
Fuck, if she doesn't go see Pops then I'm screwed.
AN:
I know, I know, I said that Brock and Gem would finally meet in a couple of chapters, but guess what? I lied, lol. It's gonna be maybe 3 more chapters since I want to cover Gem's Thanksgiving holiday and then do some skipping around to the things that happens that makes Gem have to grow up and pick between Brock and Blane (don't worry she'll dump him!). I'll try to get the next chapter started soon, but with new product training at work I'm quite exhausted a lot these days. Anyways, I hope you guys liked this chapter.