Aelita

by Lune-Solei

Here-in lie the twenty-five things Aelita doesn't always talk about. Will contain hints of slash, canon het, het in general, friendships, family, and growing up. "7. Odd complains about his sisters, but Aelita thinks they're all wonderful."

8. Wonderful

7. Odd complains about his sisters, but Aelita thinks they're all wonderful.

"These are the Harpies," Odd states. He flops on his bed, hands filled with photos. Aelita frowns at the pictures he lays out on the floor next to them. Kiwi wanders over, nosing at one of the prints until Odd gently pushes him away.

"Harpies?" she questions. The girls in the photos all have varying shades of blonde hair, the same wide smiles and delicate ears. They don't look like mythical beings that are part bird.

"Don't let their charming exteriors fool you, Princess. They're menaces." He stabs a finger at one photo. "This is Adele. She's the oldest and thinks that makes her in charge of the rest of us. Then Pauline, she's too nosey for her own good. She has eyes everywhere."

Aelita hums, picks up the two photos to study Odd's eldest sisters. Adele's gray eyes are more serious than Odd's. She has a pair of red sunglasses perched on top of her head. Pauline's photo is in profile as she wanders along a coastline, the wind tugging at the long orange skirt she's wearing.

"Then there's Elisabeth and Marie." He holds up a photo with two girls making identical faces at the camera. "Lisa's basically Ulrich in girl-form. Football, track, swimming, skiing – she'll do anything that involves sweating. Marie's the tiny one here. She's been in ballet since I was born."

He pauses as Aelita picks up the last photo. It's a candid one, the girl in it obviously unaware. She's bent over a large wooden instrument, some kind of oversized violin-thing. "This is…Louise?"

"Yeah," he says. She looks over at the way his voice changes. He's staring at the photograph, eyes unreadable. After a moment, he catches her watching, offers a smile that's more of a grimace. "Lou's…the devil in disguise."

"Ulrich said she was nice enough."

Odd's eyebrows raise questioningly. "Ulrich talks about Louise?"

There's an undercurrent to his tone, something she can't quite parse out. She's sure she's overstepped somehow. She turns back to the photo, shrugging. "I asked him about your sisters. I wanted to be prepared to meet them."

"I'm telling you now."

"Yeah, but you're biased."

"Yet Ulrich says Louise is nice enough?"

Aelita shrugs again. "He said they all were. That you exaggerate about them."

Odd hums, face finally smoothing into his usual carefree smile. "Let me see if I can find the pic of when I dyed Lou green. That was epic."

. . … . .

Marie doesn't trust her. She makes that evident enough as soon as Aelita steps out of the car. The third youngest Della Robbia is tiny. She has piercing blue eyes and a foxlike face. Her arms are crossed over her chest and she tilts her head to the side, eyes narrowed against the sun.

"So, this is the new friend?" she questions.

"Yes, Tippy Toes. Don't be a Lou." Odd bumps his shoulder into hers as he passes into the house. Marie sidesteps gracefully, resumes her previous position and stares at Aelita. "Kiwi, c'mon!"

Aelita offers a small smile and wave to Marie. "Hi," she says.

Marie's eyes flick over her, from the dirty soles of her Converse, over the maroon tights and light pink dress. "I guess you fit in aesthetically." Aelita glances down at her outfit, frowning in confusion. Marie glances past her, toward the driveway. "Odd! Your dog's digging Mamma's flowers!"

"Kiwi!" Odd hollers.

Marie disappears into the house without another word. It's going to be a long month.

/

"What are you doing tonight?"

Aelita looks up from where she's lying on the rug in front of the fireplace. She'd been alternating between dozing and reading and the dozing had been winning. Marie looms over her, the light cast from the fire oddly elongating her small frame and making her narrow chin more pronounced.

"Uh…?"

"That's what I thought. We're going to a party."

"We?" Aelita sits up, brushes the hair out of her face. She's been letting it grow out again and it's a weird blend of pink and blonde now. "Odd didn't mention-"

"Odd is not invited," Marie announces. "He is the worst wingman, ever."

"I don't have any party clothes."

Marie's eyes flick over her. "I'm sure Louise or I could find something for you to wear." Aelita hums, uncertain. "Are you in?"

Aelita twists a frayed thread at the hem of her sweater, bites the inside of her cheek. "Yeah," she agrees.

Marie leads her upstairs and into Louise's room. Odd's youngest older sister is seated at her desk, mirror perched on top a stack of books and make-up spread around her. She flashes a smile that's all teeth reflected in the glass when they enter.

"You convinced her?"

"Of course," Marie replies.

Louise twists, lips stained vibrant red. "You look nervous; it's just a party."

"You have been to a party before, haven't you, cuz?" Marie questions. She's disappeared into Louise's dresser, digging through and discarding clothes.

"I've been to a few school ones," Aelita replies.

"Oh, you're in for a treat," Louise grins. She gets up, circling around behind Aelita. Aelita can feel the other girl's hands clamp down onto her shoulders as she guides her toward the vacated chair. "Heelen always throws the best ones."

Marie tosses three dresses at Aelita. She manages to catch them, holding each one up to look at. "So, what do you do at that fancy school?"

Aelita hesitates, stares at the red dress in her hands. It'll clash horribly with her hair, she thinks, setting it aside. "Study, mostly."

"Boring," Louise yawns.

"Pretty much," Aelita laughs. "Movie nights, video games-"

"Any cute boys?" Louise questions, eyes bright. "Odd won't tell us anything."

"I thought you had a thing for Ulrich," Marie interrupts. She holds up a pair of wedged heels that make Aelita's toes curl.

"Well, obviously." Louise sniffs, grabs a make-up brush and unscrews the lid on her bronzer. "That goes without saying. But there could be other options."

Marie laughs, sprawls across the bed. "In your dreams, Louise," she says. She flashes Aelita a quick grin attached to wriggly eyebrows. "Louise's been trying to get her hands on Ulrich Stern since Odd brought him here that one time." Her smile shifts to a knowing smirk. "Maybe that's why our dear little brother hasn't invited him back, eh, Louise?"

Louise rolls her eyes, dabs bronzer onto Aelita's cheekbones in great sweeps. "Whatever," she mutters. "Maybe you could help with that, hm? You must see Ulrich around school. Does he talk about me?"

Aelita hesitates, glances between Odd's shark-toothed sisters. She feels like a seal. "Only when I asked him about you all," she says honestly. "He's kind of…interested…in someone else."

Louise's eyebrows skyrocket into her hair. "Do tell."

"Just, another girl at school."

Louise throws a victorious look at her sister. It's at odds with the news Aelita just gave and she doesn't understand the gesture. "Aw, well, what a pity." She sets the bronzer aside, picks up the eyeshadow palette. "Close your eyes." Hesitantly, Aelita does so. Louise's brushwork is surprisingly gentle on her skin.

"What about you?" Marie questions. "Anyone that's caught your eye?"

Aelita flushes, her face turning an unbecoming shade of red the same hue as the dress Marie had suggested. "No," she says, voice high like the time she and Odd had sucked helium from Yumi's balloons. Unbidden, she thinks of late-night conversations and steady hands.

Marie laughs, long and loud. "Sure, cuz."

/

Marie grips her hands, laughter bright from too much champagne, and kisses both her cheeks. "You are a beautiful bride," she says, voice loud and smile wide. "And your groom cleans up nicely as well."

Aelita grins, fizzing with warmth and happiness, and maybe too much champagne as well. She reaches out, grabs Jeremie's hand to tug him away from where he's chatting with Odd's father. "He does, doesn't he?" she asks.

"Does what?" Jeremie questions.

Aelita kisses him, enjoys the way his face still reddens with embarrassment and quiet pleasure. She feels like she's dancing on clouds, on sunshine, on the bubbles that tickle her nose with each champagne toast.

"What's that for?" Jeremie asks, smile pleased and genuine.

"Why not?" Aelita questions. Jeremie tilts his head, studies her intently. His smile widens and he pulls her in for another kiss, this one lingering, this one attracting catcalls and cheers.

Marie just laughs, grabs Aelita and pulls her away to where Adele and Pauline are cooing over Astrid. The toddler looks up, smiling with bright eyes and reaching with chubby hands. "Lee-lee," Astrid crows.

"Your wedding's more fun than Adele's was," Marie comments. She yelps as Adele's foot connects with her shin. "It is."

"At least you wore sensible shoes," Pauline agrees, safely out of reach of her older sister. She winks at Aelita. "Always said you caught on quick."

Aelita grins, bright and cheerful, happy and content, feeling like she finally belongs.

. . … . .

She meets Adele at the end of that first summer visit. Adele seems so much older than the others: already at university, model-stylish, and not prone to participating in her siblings' antics. Aelita can't help but feel a little intimidated by her.

Adele arrives late one afternoon, a week before she and Odd, and Kiwi, are set to fly back to France. She has bright red lipstick and the same serious gray eyes from the photograph back in Kadic. She offers Aelita a fleeting, cursory examination, and an easy smile.

"So, you're the new friend," she says. It comes out warmer than Marie's greeting. "I'm Adele."

"I know. Odd's mentioned you a lot."

Adele's mouth twitches. "Nothing complimentary, I'm sure." She turns away, hefts a lightweight bag over her shoulder. Aelita catches a glimpse of a camera through the unzippered opening. "You, on the other hand, he's nothing but praising."

Aelita feels herself flush a bit. She runs a finger over the kitchen counter. "I'm sure it's exaggeration."

Adele laughs. "He does love his stories," she agrees.

Aelita shifts again, eyes the glimpse of camera lens. "Are you a photographer?"

Adele's eyebrows draw up, but her smile settles into something more genuine. "Attempting to be. Are you interested in photography?"

"I think so." She slips her hands into the pockets of her shorts. "I haven't really had much experience."

"Let me put my stuff down and I'll show you some of the basics."

/

"I can't feel my feet," Adele sighs, sinking into a chair at the table Aelita's seated at.

Pauline makes a tutting sound that doesn't sound at all sympathetic. "I told you not to wear those shoes."

"Trade with me?"

"Absolutely not," Pauline says. She shifts, tucking her feet under her chair.

"Pauline."

"Adele."

Aelita smirks as she eats the cheesecake in front of her. Across the room, she sees Odd piling more cake on a plate. Elisabeth had told her they'd had to account for Odd's appetite when setting up the kurvfest and she's still not sure they properly accounted for just how much Odd can eat.

"I can't not dance at my own wedding," Adele wheedles.

"Sounds like a you problem."

"Here," Aelita says. She toes off her own shoes, kicking them over to Adele.

Adele flashes her a bright smile. "And this is why you're my favorite," she says, voice steady and sure like she's decreeing a law. Pauline rolls her eyes and makes a face behind her sister's back.

Aelita grins, taking Adele's traded shoes. They're atrociously uncomfortable, pinching her toes and loose in her heels. She kicks them off almost immediately. "Yes, well, like you said, can't have you not dance."

Adele leans in, plants a kiss to her cheek, and then gets to her feet. The crown on the top of her head glints in the hanging lights and her gown falls sleek and stylish. She flicks Pauline's forehead as she passes and the second-oldest Della Robbia yelps and glowers. Aelita grins into her cheesecake.

"Why do you look so pleased with yourself?" Odd questions. He drops into the vacated seat next to her, carefully arranges the spread of cakes he's accumulated in front of him. "And where are your shoes?"

"She traded with Adele."

Odd pulls a face at her. "Why?"

"She wanted to dance."

"So? Make her dance barefoot."

"Odd, it's her wedding."

Odd shrugs, digs into the nearest dessert and shovels it into his mouth. "So? She should've thought ahead."

"Exactly what I said," Pauline agrees, nodding.

Aelita rolls her eyes, kicks Odd in the ankle. "I'll make sure to remind you of this conversation when you need something at your own wedding."

Odd chokes on the chocolate cake, glares at her before relaxing his face into one of his easy grins. "Not gonna happen, Princess." He reaches over, spears a piece of her cheesecake. "I'm not getting married."

"Someone will tie you down eventually, little brother," Pauline comments, eyes amused and fathomless.

Odd snorts, eats Aelita's pilfered cheesecake. "Don't hold your breath, Polly."

Aelita raises her eyebrows at him, steals the cream-and-strawberry cake. "I'll take that bet."

"They're terrible influences on you," Odd sighs.

. . … . .

"Ugh," Yumi groans, tossing her bag onto the cafeteria table and slumping into a chair.

"You look like shit. Like you fought off a megatank by yourself," Odd comments. "And lost." He spears a strawberry onto his fork. "Good night?"

"Odd," Jeremie warns.

"I hate you," Yumi mutters.

"What happened?" Aelita asks.

"Hiroki. Little brothers are the worst."

Odd nods sagely, pops three more strawberries into his mouth. "Almost as bad as big sisters."

Yumi glowers at his wide smile. "You have strawberry seeds in your teeth." Odd shrugs, returns to his eggs and Yumi sighs. "He somehow hid some stupid alarm in my room that he could remotely set off. All. Night."

Odd cackles while Aelita hums and pats her shoulder sympathetically. "Reminds me of when one of my sisters hid a bag of crickets in my room. I didn't sleep for days."

"Louise?" Ulrich asks.

"No, Lisa."

"Somehow," Yumi says, voice dry, "I think you deserved it." She reaches over, swiping Odd's croissant while he protests.

. . … . .

Elisabeth isn't too far off Odd's description. She and Odd have the same lithe build, though she's a good head taller than her brother. She's invested in various sports, whether it's participating in them or watching them. Aelita's first day is spent listening to Elisabeth rant ad nauseum about Norway's chances in the World Cup. She smiles too often, too freely, to be a complete comparison to Ulrich though.

"So, what are you into?" she asks, sometime on the fifth day.

They're sitting in the back garden. Louise is practicing her oversized-violin-instrument-thing (Cello, Louise had informed her primly) in the house. Aelita's been distracted listening to the swoops and sighs of the instrument. It's a counter to the synth-pop sounds coming from the small studio shed where Odd and his mother have disappeared to.

"Hm?" Aelita questions.

"Interests?" Elisabeth asks, laughing. She nudges Aelita lightly with her elbow. "Sports?"

"Oh…I'm not really…sporty," she says after a moment. "Ulrich's the athlete of the group. And Yumi."

"Nothing?" Elisabeth says, voice rising incredulously at the end of her question. "Not even hockey? I thought that was a Canadian requirement."

Aelita shrugs, face flushing. She picks at the grass beneath her bare legs. "I left Canada when I was little. I don't even remember it." It isn't a lie, she tells herself, not a whole one anyway. She doesn't remember it, she doesn't have to say it's because she was never there. "I guess…I like running? I'm decent at track."

She does enjoy running, it reminds her of the quieter times on Lyoko. Just her, exploring the world, jogging through the sectors. No fighting, no near-death experiences. But running on Earth brings scents, something that had been sorely missing on Lyoko. It brings the comforting thu-thump of her feet on the ground, the feeling of sun-drying perspiration, the reminder of where she is by the burn of her lungs.

"Running's good," Elisabeth says, nodding. "A lot of self-discipline since you're only relying on yourself." Aelita can feel Odd's sister watching her. "That seems fitting," she adds after a moment. "You seem pretty self-sufficient."

"Not really," Aelita says, laughing a bit.

"Hm." Elisabeth flops back into the grass, pulls a bended knee to her chest to stretch. "Odd gets nightmares."

Aelita blinks, thrown by the sudden subject change. "Does he?" she asks, genuinely curious. "I've only heard about his snoring."

"Ever since he was little. He'd wake us all up screaming like he was about to be murdered. And we hadn't even shown him Chucky yet." Aelita's mouth quirks a little. "I always thought it was strange, y'know? He was so young, what could terrify him so much?" Elisabeth switches legs, bending the other one up to her chest. "But you get them too, don't you?"

Aelita feels the smile freeze, turn brittle, on her face. The summer sun feels too cold and too hot simultaneously. "What?"

"You've been having nightmares since you got here. I noticed the second night, and again last night." Elisabeth sits up, bends forward with arms outstretched to touch her toes. "What are they?"

"Nothing," Aelita replies immediately. "I don't remember. I didn't even know I was having any."

Elisabeth turns slightly, eyebrows raised. "Strange," she comments, "that's what Odd says too."

/

"Aelita!"

Aelita turns, nearly being barreled into by the taller blonde. Elisabeth lifts her off the ground, hugging her tightly. "It's good to see you!"

"Hi, Elisabeth," Aelita greets, wrapping her arms around Odd's sister. Elisabeth releases her, reaching over to ruffle her hair.

"Back to the pink, huh?"

"It felt more…natural."

"Suits you," Elisabeth agrees. She reaches down to grab Aelita's backpack. "C'mon, we should be able to catch the bus back in time for supper."

"I can take my bag-"

"Please, you're a guest. Mamma always raised us with manners." She flashes Aelita a grin.

They chat amiably on their way to the bus and Aelita feels some of the weight lifting from her shoulders. Jeremie had left her in Florence, making his way back to Sciences Po, and there had been a certain…emptiness…that hadn't been there before. When Elisabeth had reached out to her about visiting Rome she'd leaped on the offer.

Elisabeth's apartment is small but filled with natural light and football equipment. Aelita drops her bag on the understuffed sofa and stares out the window at the busy street below. Elisabeth putters about the kitchenette, fills two glasses with tap water. There's a small balcony off the sitting room with two chairs wedged onto it.

"Pop the window, give it a good tug it gets caught sometimes 'cause of the paint," Elisabeth instructs.

Aelita reaches out, grasps the window knobs and tugs until the panes sway open. The warm summer breeze pours in.

"Perfect," Elisabeth says. She climbs over the window ledge and slumps into one of the folding chairs. Aelita follows her out, sits in the other chair, and takes the proffered glass. Condensation beads beneath her fingertips. Elisabeth catches her hand, wry smile in place. "Don't think I didn't notice," she comments. She tilts Aelita's hand this way-and-that, studying the way the sun glints off the small diamonds, the way it highlights the different colors of the tourmaline. "Congratulations, kusine." She knocks her water glass against Aelita's.

Aelita can't suppress her grin. She tucks the loose strands of pink hair behind her ear and stares down at her newest piece of jewelry. "It's pretty, isn't it?"

"Gorgeous," Elisabeth agrees with a nod. "This from that boy you were with? The one with the glasses?"

Aelita's smile widens. "Yes," she agrees. "Jeremie."

Elisabeth nudges her lightly. "Don't keep me in suspense; how'd he pop the question?"

Aelita sets her glass down on the tiled floor. She tucks her leg beneath her and feels her face warm though she isn't sure if it's from the memory or the sun above them. "He surprised me in Geneva. In hindsight, I should've suspected something. He kept asking about train times and schedules."

"Dead giveaway."

"I guess I just didn't…I didn't think he'd come, you know? He has school and he's always valued education. And he wasn't the biggest fan of me traveling. It just didn't seem like something he would do." Elisabeth's eyebrows have crawled halfway up her forehead and Aelita pauses, eyebrow raised. "What?"

"Clearly," Elisabeth intones, flicking water at her, "he values something more than education."

Aelita flushes. She twists her ring around her finger. "It was perfect. I mean, even before the proposal. Three days in Geneva, just us? It was like, like I'd known before, abstractly of course, but being there? Seeing him out of academics and, and everything? It was like I knew this was it. He was it." She gives her ring another twist. "And then he proposed, like he knew it too."

"I'm surprised Odd didn't let it slip to the rest of us," Elisabeth comments. She sips her water, props her feet on the iron railing. "He's terrible with secrets."

Aelita smiles, fiddles with the ring absently. "Probably because I haven't told him yet." Her eyes glance up, meeting Elisabeth's wry smile. "You're the first one to know."

Elisabeth's smile widens. "Oh, I can't wait to tell Odd that."

. . … . .

"Are you dating my brother?"

Aelita blinks, stares at the young woman in the kitchen. Next to the newcomer, Odd's face turns red. "Polly!" he shouts, thumping her in the arm. "Why do you assume that every person-"

"Because I know you, little brother. And, no offense, but I trust you as much as I trust a shark." The second eldest Della Robbia flashes a smile at Aelita. It's got the mischievous curl she's come to associate with Odd's own smile. "So?"

Aelita's face heats and she knows it's nearly as red as Odd's. "No," she says, voice firm. "Odd's just a good friend. He's helped me a lot with acclimating to Kadic."

"Acclimating," Pauline repeats, eyes bright. "Never mind, you're much too smart for Odd."

"Polly!"

Pauline just grins, wide and easy.

/

"Hot chocolate?"

Aelita raises an eyebrow, looking up from the scarf she's attempting to knit for the fourth time. "Catch?"

Pauline grins, settles onto the sofa next to her. "You learn quickly." Aelita raises her other eyebrow inquisitively. "Just looking for some idle chatter."

"I somehow doubt that." She takes the offered hot chocolate, gratefully allowing herself to be pulled from the disaster of dropped stitches and uneven rows. "And what do you want to chatter about?"

"Oh, nothing in particular." Pauline takes a long drink from her own hot chocolate. "I hear you went to a party with Louise and Marie."

"It was fun." She doesn't think of awkwardly hovering on the edge of the party, a cup of something ghastly put in her hand. She remembers the strong beat of the music, the way the DJ had mixed the music into an uproar. She remembers Marie finding her, sweaty hand gripping her wrist as she'd pulled her into the crowd of dancing teens, Louise yelling over the noise incomprehensibly.

"Let me guess, Louise ran off with Tor – tall, blonde, strong shoulders – and Marie wouldn't get off the dance floor?"

"Pretty much," she agrees, smiling. She licks the chocolate residue from her lips. "Odd was furious that we didn't invite him."

Pauline smirks, dips a finger into her drink to swipe a dollop of whipped cream. "That's because Odd and Louise have the same taste in boys. And he and Marie have the same taste in girls." Aelita blinks, surprised, and Pauline's eyebrows raise. "Don't tell me you didn't realize."

"No, no, I knew about Odd…"

Pauline's smile widens into another grin. "Oh, you caught him, didn't you?"

Aelita flushes. "There was an incident-"

"An incident?" Pauline's eyes narrow. "With Odd?"

"We all walked in on him and another boy in his room. They were…involved."

Pauline's nose crinkles. "No wonder Elisabeth says you have nightmares." She sits up straighter, tucks her knees beneath her chin. "Enough about my brother's involvements. Anyone strike your fancy at that party?"

Aelita flushes, stares at her hot chocolate like maybe it will answer for her. "No," she replies after a moment, voice honest.

Pauline is quiet. When Aelita lifts her eyes to meet the older girl's gaze, she notices the way Pauline is watching her, studying her. It reminds her of the way Jeremie would stare at a piece of computer code, trying to parse out the meaning between the strands. "Ah," Pauline says, voice soft, understanding. "Well, maybe that's for the best."

Aelita doesn't know how to respond to that. She sips her hot chocolate, runs her thumb over the scarf she'd meant to knit for Jeremie. Pauline hums, settles into the sofa, and launches into a story about Elisabeth and an untimely football to the head. Aelita mimics her, settles into the sofa, listens and smiles in all the right places.

After, Pauline nudges her lightly in the side with her elbow. "What's his name?"

Aelita finishes her hot chocolate, contemplates the dregs like she's reading tea leaves. "Jeremie," she says finally, softly, cheeks red like Odd's around to overhear, to tease, to tell. Pauline simply nods.

. . … . .

Odd stomps up the bleachers like Sissi herself is hanging around his neck. Aelita exchanges a glance with Yumi, all wide eyes and thinned lips. Odd huffs, throwing himself onto the bench next to Aelita, knees jostling Tamiya's back in front of them. The younger girl half-turns, glowering.

"Sorry," Odd says, sounding anything but.

"What's wrong?" Aelita asks.

"Claire turn you down for another date?" Yumi asks.

Odd's glower sours even more than previous. "My sisters are absolute harpies," he grouses.

Aelita heaves a sigh, presses her shoulder into his. "What did they do this time?"

"If Lou asks me one more time to-" He cuts himself off, shrugs his shoulders like Kiwi shaking water after a bath, like he's sluicing his bad mood away. Aelita watches, amused and concerned as Odd settles into his easygoing sprawl, eyes trained on the football field where the teams have begun playing. Ulrich's got control of the ball, running toward the goal and Aelita hears the cheers, feels the vibrations of hundreds of feet stomping on the bleachers in excitement. "Never mind. It's nothing.

"Doesn't seem like nothing," Yumi comments. She leans around Aelita, eyebrows drawn together in concern. Absently, she rubs at her wrist, thumb brushing dark lines of ink. The corner of her mouth quirks upward. "Siblings are all annoyances."

Odd nods, cracks his neck in a way that makes Aelita flinch in sympathy. "Some more than others," he mutters darkly.

In the next moment he's on his feet, fists pumping in the air as he cheers on Kadic's first goal of the game. Aelita sighs, resigns herself to not knowing, and joins her friends and classmates in cheering. She figures Odd'll either let it go or seek her out later to complain. Nothing she can do about it now in any case.

. . … . .

"You and Odd don't get along, do you?"

"Is that what he's said?" Louise looks up from the sheet music spread before her. Her blonde hair is tied back in a messy bun, eyes bright with curiosity and something else Aelita can't quite identify.

"No," Aelita says. She enters Louise's room cautiously, crosses to sit next to her on the bed. "Not in so many words," she adds.

Louise hums and there's a twist to her mouth that isn't quite happy, isn't quite unhappy. "Odd…Odd likes to view himself as above reproach. It's fun. He's immature, and worse…he doesn't even realize it." She shifts her sheet music to the side. "It doesn't matter."

"It sounds like it does."

Louise huffs a breath. "Odd has the unique ability to drive you absolutely crazy while also destroying himself in the process." She runs a finger along the top of a sheaf of papers. "You should be careful, or he'll drag you right into his personal purgatory."

Aelita hesitates, lets the moment drag out long and slow. She can hear the ticking of a clock from somewhere. "What did he drag you into?"

Louise's mouth quirks. "I wasted literal years trying to one-up him over a stupid, idiotic boy." She looks up, meets Aelita's eyes. "Odd's a good person, deep down beneath all the sass and posturing, but he's not someone you should trust."

Aelita rubs idly at the itch on her ankle, keeps her gaze level with Louise's. "I think you're wrong."

"Most do, until he proves me right." She turns back to the sheet music, shoulders squared and dismissive.

Aelita stares a moment longer before getting up and heading back to the hall.

/

New band, the text reads, Rabbit Foot. Pretty decent.

Aelita screws up her face, staring at Louise's text message. Sounds weird, she writes back. Genre?

Punk-adjacent. I'm sending Odd back with their CD. Listen to it.

K

Remember my purple dress? The one from Heelen's party?

Yes…?

Too much for a first date?

YES

Damn

What do you do if a boy likes you and you don't like him?

Tell him no and move on?

He's persistent

Tell Odd, he'll probably punch him

I don't want Odd in trouble

Find a boyfriend then?

:|

Blood Tide's pretty good

It sounds gross

Heavy metal with orchestral backing. Odd's dramatic and saying they're cross-contaminating, but it's actually an interesting composition.

Limewire?

Probably

Gap year – pros and cons?

Pro – no school
Con – n/a
Y?

Thinking about taking one

Burned out already?

Something like that

Do it

/

Louise finds her sometime after the next round of champagne is popped. She links their arms together, warm against the evening chill, and guides her away from the chatter and the laughter, the lights and the dancing and the music. Aelita's still feeling a bit floaty, has been since she woke up, since she and Odd lounged on her bed eating strawberries and petit fours, and she feels a bit like she's floating now.

"Happy?" Louise asks. Her hair is coming loose from the updo she'd twisted and pinned it into, tendrils falling around her face, along the back of her neck.

"Effervescent," Aelita agrees, smiling.

"Gee, even a nerd when you're sloshed."

"I'm not sloshed."

"Tipsy then."

Aelita shrugs, concedes the argument. Louise leans against a low garden wall and Aelita mimics her, arms loose at her sides as she watches her guests mingle and celebrate. It's a little odd, a little bitter, a little overwhelming seeing all these people here to celebrate her and Jeremie. Odd's family has taken over a series of tables, her own friends squeezed into one off to the side where Yumi is talking, head bent, to Sean-the-hot-tattoo-guy, and Jeremie's family is spaced out at the other two tables.

"Marie considers you her cousin, y'know?"

Aelita glances to the side, to where Louise is watching her siblings argue at one of the tables. "Oh?"

Louise hums, hand smooths along her skirt. "It took a while, but yeah." Aelita nods, not quite sure how to respond. "I know you aren't. I don't know why you're pretending to be, or why Odd thought he could parade you around like you were-"

"I wasn't- He wasn't- We weren't-"

Louise levels steady, unflinching green eyes on her and Aelita trails off. "At first, I thought it was like Pauline suspected, that you two were secretly dating and this was his hare-brained scheme to get you in the house without our parents questioning it. But…that wasn't it, was it?"

"Odd is the closest family I have, had," she corrects, thinking of the new band around her finger. She watches Yumi get up, wrap Jeremie in a hug, feels her heart skip-skip at the reminder.

Louise nudges her, waits until she turns her head to focus on her once more. "Yeah, I saw that," she says. "Marie was wrong, doubting it. We all were. You may not be blood, but you are family, Aelita Belpois."

Aelita feels a thrill up her spine, at the words, at her name. She can't suppress her grin, can't stomp down on the excited squeal or the hug she envelopes Louise in. Because this, this is real. Not a fake name or half-truths and omissions. She has a family now.