Chapter Text
Lydia instinctively stepped between Barbara and Betelgeuse, planting her feet and pushing her hands forward. Obviously, she knew she wouldn’t be able to stop Barbara from going through her, but she hoped her defensive stance would slow Barbara down long enough for her to explain.
“Betel…” Barbara started to speak, but Lydia waved her hands and silently begged for her to stop. She could hear Adam racing to them, but she knew she could get this under control if she acted quickly.
“What? What is it? Hon?” Adam’s voice carried through the house. Lydia stared at Barbara, still remaining silent, her eyes begging for a chance to explain.
“Lyd…” Barbara looked at Lydia, confused, but continued. “Lydia just startled me. We’re fine. Nothing to worry about.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
Adam stood in the doorway behind Barbara, unable to see past her. Lydia turned to Betelgeuse and back to Barbara, mouthing the word ‘please’. Barbara sighed and turned to face Adam.
“She just startled me. We’re okay. I just need to be more aware of my surroundings.”
“Okay.”
Adam didn’t seem too convinced, but he took Barbara’s words and left. Barbara turned back to face Lydia.
“What is he doing here?” Barbara’s voice was low and laced with venom.
“I have questions.” Lydia finally found her voice. “And he is the only one who can answer them.”
“Well, by all means, ask away.” Barbara moved to step inside the room, but Lydia put her hands back up.
“I need to do this alone, Barb. I have to get answers and, if you’re here, I can’t trust that he’ll tell me the truth.”
“You can’t trust that he’ll tell you the truth, anyway.”
Betelgeuse almost laughed.
“Can’t trust me? No. Shouldn’t trust me? No. It’s more’n that, innit? You just don’t want to take a chance that we could actually make up.”
Lydia whipped around, her eyes shooting daggers at him. He put his hands up and took a step back, sitting on the bed.
“I will talk to him alone, Barbara.” Lydia paused and Betelgeuse smirked as he realized what she was about to say. “He is my husband, after all.”
Barbara grumbled something about being just a call away if Lydia needed her, then the door was shut and Lydia and Betelgeuse were alone, at last.
For the first time since the wedding, he actually got to see her. Her skin was translucent and her eyes were sunken. He found himself wondering if she’d eaten anything recently.
“Why ain’t ya in school?” He broke the silence, unable to think of what else to ask.
“Don’t feel like being there.” Her reply was so cold he felt a chill in the room around him.
“Why?”
“I don’t think we need to talk about that.” Lydia moved across the room to sit in front of her vanity. “Do you often stay inside my mirror? Do you watch me?”
“Not… Always.”
Betelgeuse found himself feeling almost self- conscious as Lydia stared at him. Her gaze made his skin crawl, almost as if thousands of bugs were skittering over him. He discreetly shook his head.
“Not always?” Lydia turned from him, pressing her fingers into the mirror. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“I mean, Babes--” Betelgeuse’s voice sounded foreign and distant from himself-- “that, sometimes, I like to be near ya. Like to hear your voice or watch you do homework…”
He trailed off before letting himself finish. He liked how she danced when she thought she was alone, how she focused when she did her homework, how she lined up the perfect shot with her camera. He couldn’t let her know how often he found himself just watching her-- no ulterior motive.
He remained so lost in his on thoughts hat he didn’t realize that Lydia was still and silent at the vanity. She dropped her hand to the table, wrapping the other around her own waist.
“How often do you come back?” Her voice was soft and clear, wavering with emotion.
Betelgeuse dropped his head and closed his eyes.
“How often do you come back?” Lydia squeezed her eyes shut, silently praying for an answer that made her feel better. She didn’t know if she wanted him to say that he’d been here since the wedding or that he’d only just returned. In the first case, he’d deliberately not spoken to her in months. In the latter, he’d run off with his new-found freedom the moment he got the chance.
“I ‘s in tha Waiting Room for a while.” Betelgeuse finally responded. “But, tha moment I got out, I came back.”
“How long, Beej?” Tears pooled in the corners of Lydia’s eyes.
“A li’l while, I guess.”
Betelgeuse stared at his hands, twisting the spot that should have had a wedding ring on it. He cursed himself silently for never getting a ring. Lydia had to wear one; he should too.
That cursed voice in the back of his mind yelled at him.
‘What happened to not caring? Soft. Fucking idiot.’
He shook his head, silencing the voice.
Lydia turned to face him. He stood, searching her eyes as he stepped toward her. He saw nothing that stopped him from moving forward.
He pulled her into his arms, cradling her head against his chest.
“I’m sorry, Babes.”
Lydia watched in silence was Betelgeuse stepped toward her. Her mind was screaming at her that she needed to run away, push him back.
He wrapped his arms around her, pressing his hand into the back of her neck and pressing her face into his chest. She tensed for a moment before sinking into him. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she breathed deep, the smell of moss and dirt invading her senses.
She’d forgotten how much she loved that scent.
She took another, deeper breath and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him closer.
Betelgeuse felt her press herself closer to him, wrapping her arms around him. He smiled against the voice in his mind and pulled back a bit. She kept her face down, her eyes trained on her feet.
‘It’s now or never.’
He moved his hand from the back of her neck to her chin, gently tilting her face up so she was forced to look at him.
Her giant, dark eyes met his and, for a moment, he forgot everything except her.
Without a second thought, he leaned down, pressing his lips to hers.
Lydia felt him pull away and she knew what was coming next. He wanted her to consummate the marriage. He wanted full freedom.
She felt his hand leave her neck and trail across her skin to her chin. She sighed, knowing he would ask. At the very least, he would ask.
He tilted her face upwards and their eyes met. She saw longing, lust, hunger… But, no ulterior motives. He seemed entranced rather than wishing to entrance.
He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. She stared at his face for a moment before she let herself relax into him. She let her eyes slide closed and opened her mouth, breathing him in.
Betelgeuse felt her relax and her lips open. He couldn’t hold himself back anymore. He pressed forward, exploring her mouth with his tongue. He felt her sigh and, encouraged, lifted her from the ground.
She wrapped her legs around his waist and pressed into him.
‘You might just get the consummation without all the theatrics, after all.’
The voice in his mind pulled him from the moment. He pulled out of the kiss, staring down at Lydia. Her lips were bruised from the force of the kiss, her cheeks flushed, her eyes almost glazed over.
“Ya had some questions?”
Everything in Lydia’s body screamed out as Betelgeuse pulled away. She stared up at him, searching for the reason.
“Ya had some questions?”
His voice was deep and raspy, almost like he had to force himself to stop and think. Lydia smirked, intertwining her fingers behind his neck.
“I do.”