18
Title: 18
Universe: Runaways
Rating:
Summary: Molly Hayes at 18.
Molly rested her chin on the table and quietly counted the candles on the cake. The number hadn't changed since the last time she'd counted, five minutes ago. Eighteen little flames danced over the dark chocolate frosting.
She reached out and swiped a finger through the frosting, bringing it to her mouth quickly. It tasted like Chocolate Frosted Sugar Bombs, and that made her smile.
Two hands came to rest on the back of her chair, and Molly tilted her head back to look up at Victor. He arched his eyebrows at her and grinned. "Ten more minutes," he said.
"It is sooo creepy that you know that," Molly pointed out.
"You're the one who wanted to do this at the exact moment," Victor retorted. "I do note that I seem to be the only one here."
"I'm doing a thing with everyone tomorrow. Today's... special. Something that should be kept between the only ones who haven't turned 18 yet." She smirked, and he scowled.
"I thought we were done with that."
Molly reached up and tugged at a forelock, her smirk transforming into a smile. "I want to spend my birthday with you. Just you. No Chase with his stupid novelty joke presents, no Nico being all broody, no Xavin and Karolina being all kissy-face."
"Alright." Victor sank into the chair next to Molly and pulled out a brightly wrapped box. "For you."
She picked it up, resisting the urge to rattle it. A quick thought ran through her mind --box is too big for a ring-- then ran back out again.
They sat in companionable silence while the candles flickered, then Victor held up a hand. "Five... four... three..."
Molly took a deep breath as Victor counted down the last seconds of her seventeenth year, then let it out when the cyborg cried out "Zero!"
The candles flickered and went out under the sudden assault.
"Congratulations. You can vote now."
Molly rolled her eyes and reached for her present, ripping open the bright paper and pulling the top off the box. Inside was a bright pink, suspiciously pig like hat. Molly arched an eyebrow and looked at Victor, who grinned. Molly hadn't worn a hat like that in years. "Cute, Mancha," she said, lifting the hat out of the box and holding it up. Something fell out of it, landing with a little thunk amongst the tissue paper. Molly set the hat aside and retrieved the source of the thunk, holding it up.
A thin silver chain tangled in her fingers. Dangling at the end was a small locket with an infinity symbol embossed on it. She opened it up and found herself looking at two faces she hadn't seen in seven years, facing a picture of a much younger Molly. "Oh..."
"I... do you like it?" Victor asked as Molly closed the picture of her parents.
"I love it," she assured him. "Help me put it on?" She was blinking rapidly, but she wasn't crying. She'd already shed all the tears there were to shed over her parents.
"Sure." Victor took the necklace, slipping behind Molly and fastening the chain around her throat. His hand lingered on the side of her neck, his thumb brushing her jaw.
"Thanks."
And that was all there was to say.
Universe: Runaways
Rating:
Summary: Molly Hayes at 18.
Molly rested her chin on the table and quietly counted the candles on the cake. The number hadn't changed since the last time she'd counted, five minutes ago. Eighteen little flames danced over the dark chocolate frosting.
She reached out and swiped a finger through the frosting, bringing it to her mouth quickly. It tasted like Chocolate Frosted Sugar Bombs, and that made her smile.
Two hands came to rest on the back of her chair, and Molly tilted her head back to look up at Victor. He arched his eyebrows at her and grinned. "Ten more minutes," he said.
"It is sooo creepy that you know that," Molly pointed out.
"You're the one who wanted to do this at the exact moment," Victor retorted. "I do note that I seem to be the only one here."
"I'm doing a thing with everyone tomorrow. Today's... special. Something that should be kept between the only ones who haven't turned 18 yet." She smirked, and he scowled.
"I thought we were done with that."
Molly reached up and tugged at a forelock, her smirk transforming into a smile. "I want to spend my birthday with you. Just you. No Chase with his stupid novelty joke presents, no Nico being all broody, no Xavin and Karolina being all kissy-face."
"Alright." Victor sank into the chair next to Molly and pulled out a brightly wrapped box. "For you."
She picked it up, resisting the urge to rattle it. A quick thought ran through her mind --box is too big for a ring-- then ran back out again.
They sat in companionable silence while the candles flickered, then Victor held up a hand. "Five... four... three..."
Molly took a deep breath as Victor counted down the last seconds of her seventeenth year, then let it out when the cyborg cried out "Zero!"
The candles flickered and went out under the sudden assault.
"Congratulations. You can vote now."
Molly rolled her eyes and reached for her present, ripping open the bright paper and pulling the top off the box. Inside was a bright pink, suspiciously pig like hat. Molly arched an eyebrow and looked at Victor, who grinned. Molly hadn't worn a hat like that in years. "Cute, Mancha," she said, lifting the hat out of the box and holding it up. Something fell out of it, landing with a little thunk amongst the tissue paper. Molly set the hat aside and retrieved the source of the thunk, holding it up.
A thin silver chain tangled in her fingers. Dangling at the end was a small locket with an infinity symbol embossed on it. She opened it up and found herself looking at two faces she hadn't seen in seven years, facing a picture of a much younger Molly. "Oh..."
"I... do you like it?" Victor asked as Molly closed the picture of her parents.
"I love it," she assured him. "Help me put it on?" She was blinking rapidly, but she wasn't crying. She'd already shed all the tears there were to shed over her parents.
"Sure." Victor took the necklace, slipping behind Molly and fastening the chain around her throat. His hand lingered on the side of her neck, his thumb brushing her jaw.
"Thanks."
And that was all there was to say.