Chapter Text
Jack would’ve never made it well in the new company if it wasn’t for Carter. He was there for a while and helped Jack with his programs and they became great friends. Hell if it wasn’t for Jack even Carter would’ve never met his wife.
They were the best of friends, and you wouldn’t believe how ecstatic they were when it turned out they were going to have daughters in the same year! Jack and his wife decided on naming their baby girl Angel, Carter and June decided on Gaige.
Things got concerning during the pregnancy for Angel. They almost lost her a few times and ended up being born 2 months prematurely, her and her mother’s life were in slight danger. Carter tried hard to consult Jack as much as he could, trying to keep his spirits up.
After a few months Angel was finally allowed to go home with her family. 3 months after Angel’s birth was when Gaige was born. They were supposed to be only one month apart but things happen of course. The two families couldn’t be happier, having play dates every week.
Angel was a bit taller than Gaige but definitely underweight, yet the two got along better than siblings ever could. It was just too adorable seeing them play around and talk in baby gibberish. Almost every nap time they laid together and held hands, moving them apart caused one of them to wake and cry if not reunited quickly enough.
They stayed close throughout the years, Angel tended to get sick more and suffer health issues while Gaige was alright. The two girls could be heard squealing in glee as the toddlers ran around the park with a few other kids. Jack and Carter were talking about work as they set up a picnic.
Angel needed a heart monitor as it was weaker than normal, it had a few sensors over her heart with wires connecting it to a small device that was clipped to her shorts. While the two girls were running around with the kids, one boy accidentally bumped into her and caused the device to slip out.
“I'm sorry!” The boy said quickly, he was a bit bigger than the other kids but had blonde hair and thick dorky glasses.
“You should be!” Gaige sassed a bit, helping her friend up. Another girl moved over, her hair was so bright in the light it was nearly white.
“I’m okay, don't worry-” Angel started before the girl pointed at her heart monitor.
“What is that?? Are you a robot or something?!” The girl continued before reaching to grab it, causing Angel to back up slightly.
“You can’t touch it! My mommy said others can't mess with it, it monitors my heart.” This didn’t please the bratty little girl who pushed Angel slightly trying to grab the device again. Gaige grew very protective over her friend, she got sick a lot and Gaige knew she was weaker. Aura, the one assaulting Angel, was a bit of a bully, but it didn’t mean Gaige should’ve shoved Aura away and made the other girl fall down and rip her dress.
“Owie!” Aura cried out loudly causing her mother to storm over, grabbing Gaige’s arm.
“How dare you hurt my poor princess!” The Karen scowled, gripping the small girl tightly as the woman’s hellspawn cried. The commotion caught Jack and Carter’s attention. The fathers quickly moved to the scene and pried the woman off Gaige. The two girls quickly ran into their mothers arms. Angel hugged Gaige tightly and thanked her, even though there were red marks left on the redhead’s arm, she never regretted her decisions.
The two always had fun, even closer now as Gaige decided to take the role of protecting Angel, even if Angel told her many times she doesn't have to. They soon started kindergarten together and no matter what the teachers tried, they always sat together, because if they didn’t Gaige would suddenly cause anarchy and riled up the class each time. However, unluckily the girls shared the same grade and class with the rich stuck-up Aura.
Although that didn’t stop them at all. They bonded further, building little machines and having adventures together with their cardboard rocket ships and drawn treasure maps.
Although, tragedy struck again. Angel’s mother was getting extremely sick, and she wasn’t getting better. June and Carter had the girl over more than usual so Jack could stay in the hospital most nights with his beloved wife. It wasn’t too long before she passed away.
Jack took it pretty hard, he struggled to complete his work and eventually was fired. Carter didn’t give up on his friend however, during this time June made sure to watch the girls, Gaige did everything she could to keep Angel’s spirits up.
After the funeral they had a sleepover, and Gaige swore she would protect Angel forever, like the knights in those princess stories.
By the time the two were in second grade, Jack finally managed to clean up, Carter helped him score a high spot in a new tech company called Hyperion. Things were looking up for them finally.
As they aged, Aura still picked on the girls heavily, never forgiving Gaige for their childhood scuffle. Her bullying didn’t affect the rebellious girl, even if she was 12 the redhead still proudly wore pigtails. So instead Aura targeted Angel more.
Angel was tall for girls her age, she was thinner than normal and had more visible bones, struggling to gain weight, wearing her raven black hair draped over her right shoulder, covering her eye. She wore mostly baggy clothes of course.
Gaige had her rebel stage hit early, wearing mostly punk clothes and spiked bracelets and a jean vest with many pins and patches on it. She favored her black and white leggings even if they were cut up and a black skirt to her knee. Oh, and those purple sneakers that no matter how battered they were she refused to give up.
With Jack’s new job, they were able to have a fancy computer now, Gaige and Angel were almost always on it. Though to their parent’s shock, the two figured out how to hack it and managed to cheat items from a game they loved. They became enticed and continued to keep diving deeper into computers, Angel favoring programming and cracking through firewalls, while Gaige liked building and taking them apart more.
High school hit the girls. They were in nearly every class together of course. All was going well, they hung out every day, Gaige just becoming more punk and Angel was jokingly emo as Gaige said. They still suffered being bullied, Aura having a possy now and tormenting as much as she could. Gaige never let down on her promise and somehow managed to guard Angel even when they had different classes she still walked her everywhere.
Things took another turn when a new student came to the school. He was a bit lanky, tanned with brown freckles and pine needle green eyes, with bark brown scruffy and shaggy hair. His name was Dennis Everdeen.
He was from the west coast of course, but he mostly wore black leather jackets, black jeans and band shirts. Nothing was a problem until one afternoon Gaige was hanging out with Angel.
“So you know Dennis right?” The rebel said as she kept her sparkling emerald eyes on her newest project. Her parents weren’t the happiest with the fact she kept stealing appliances and taking apart toasters. Angel was sitting with her legs crossed on Gaige’s bed, it was a mess but she didn’t mind, scrolling through websites.
“Yeah?” She raised an eyebrow, keeping her eyes on her screen. Gaige was humming as she continued.
“So he's in my class right? Robotics I mean, and like he's crazy good! Turns out his parents are like loaded and richer than Aura could ever be! Anyways he kept flexing about all the cool ass things he’s made and bought.” Gaige rambled on, looking back at her here and there.
“Yeah..?” Angel felt her focus drift completely to the topic, thinking how cool Gaige looked as she focused on making some robot, yet inside she also felt something swell in her chest, feeling worried. For years she kept feeling weirder with Gaige, she thought it was just what friends felt until the day Angel realized she had daydreams of being more. But that wasn’t possible, girls don’t date girls, it never happens and besides, it was bad.
She always kept it to herself, letting out her heart to her diary just to let it out, hoping that if she kept it away and kept it out of her thoughts, it’d die out. But even with all that, it felt like she was stabbed through the heart with her next words.
“I don’t know dude, I think.. I think he likes me, he’s been flirting a BUNCH! And I mean like, i dunno i think I like him? Eh who knows, what do you think Ange? He asked me out this Friday but I'm iffy on it, you think you can come with me just in case he’s crazy?” Gaige kinda shrugged, thinking about it slightly, shifting her wrench from hand to hand. Angel felt her heart tighten up, biting her lip slightly.
“Well if you like him..” She felt herself yelling and fighting her own words inside, yet she just can’t stop them from slipping out. “...You should date him of course. I’ll come with you totally.” No! She yelled internally.
“Really? Huh.. Well I mean there’s a first for everything… I’m kinda shocked you didn’t get a boyfriend before me, I mean you’re waaay prettier.” Angel flushed at the comment but awkwardly chuckled. The truth is of course people asked her out, she just blatantly said no. Her feelings bloomed when they were in middle school, as cheesy as it was, it was when she realized the feelings were more intense.
Angel slowly panicked as the days passed and Gaige chatted more about Dennis and she had to pretend she wasn’t slowly dying inside. Angel risked it all by even bringing her diary to school, she had more problems and just needed to get it out. It’s what her therapist recommended when she was in second grade to help her cope with losing her mother.
Gaige knew about that so luckily she never touched it, and even helped protect it for her. Angel couldn’t ask for someone better, and yet it made her heart ache more when she thought of that. But she couldn’t hurt Gaige with her feelings, she didn’t want to ruin this for Gaige. Yet she feared as the clock slowly ticked by on Friday. And she felt herself freak out internally when the bell rang and everyone hopped out of their seats, Gaige nudged Angel.
“Ready? I'm honestly nervous- Dennis has a car so he’s gonna take us to the mall.”
“Wh-Wha- Oh.. I uh.. He’s okay with me tagging along?” She felt even weirder going with them, but she also didn’t know the guy. Angel couldn’t abandon Gaige like that, especially if he was a creep.
“He bickered but it’s all good.” The rebel smiles widely and pulls Angel out of her chair. The girl barely managed to put her journal into her bag, unable to close it fully before she’s dragged along by the short girl’s surprising strength.
After getting through the crowd and parking lot, Angel felt herself shrink almost as Gaige dragged her along. Now Angel was kinda tall for a girl, roughly around 5’7-5’8, but Dennis was a 6’2, he was a star basketball player but seemed off to Angel. She never really met him except for now. His eyes were dark and cold, looking down slightly on Angel as he leaned against his car.
Which of course was a Tesla, sleek black with venom green accents, blaring some rock band.
“Sup Dennis, this is my best friend Angel!” Gaige was maybe 8 inches shorter than him, but that didn't scare her at all. Angel felt her nerves tingle as Gaige held her arm still, Dennis noticing before meeting her eyes, maybe it was her, but his smile didn’t seem warm.
“Hey. Nice to meet you.” He nodded slightly before moving to the driver’s seat and getting in. Gaige sighed.
“He’s just probably still salty a bit, his team lost a game.” She explained as she moved to shotgun and got in, Angel moving behind her and sitting in the back seat. It was a nice car, they all buckled in and she set her bag down as they talked about electronics. Maybe Angel was just overthinking this whole thing..
The three wandered the mall, they hung around the shops, making slight jokes, Dennis wasn’t half bad. He was pretty nice and surprised them by randomly buying things for them.
“You don’t have to do that, its okay-” Gaige protested slightly, she wasn’t fully used to other people getting her things. But he just pulled out his card and shrugged, ignoring and buying it.
“Why not? I have enough money to buy this place, I’m sure spoiling my girlfriend isn’t illegal.” Angel cringed internally, mostly just kinda trying to not intrude, but she couldn’t help overhearing them. Although she could’ve sworn Gaige was slightly uncomfortable being called his girlfriend.
They kept drifting around before heading to the food court and getting some Chinese food. Dennis talked with Angel a bit, asking how long she knew Gaige and everything as Gaige ate. (She had a big appetite.) Normally Gaige and Angel would split a booth with each other but this time Gaige sat with Dennis, another twinge for Angel.
Everything was going pretty smooth, after the meal they went to throw away their trash. Angel took a second longer to come back as Jack called Angel to check up on her. However when she looked back, the sight she saw tore her in two.
Gaige was making out with Dennis.
Why did, of all things that had to happen?! She felt choked up, like something was in her throat, barely looking to see if either of them caught her barely choking out “I have to go to the bathroom-” and sped off, trying to balance her breathing as she rushed to a stall. Her heart swelling worse in the empty stall as she shut the door quickly. Angel kept gasping, trying to calm herself before feeling hot tears stream down her face as she crouched down, hiding her face in her hoodie, completely ashamed.
Gaige pushed Dennis away slightly.
“What was that dude?!” She offered to hang out on a test date, not ya know, be actually dating yet.
“A kiss? What’s your problem? It’s a date, we are on a date. I’m not the one who brought someone along for it.” He kinda scowled, upset with her reaction, but if it was one thing Gaige was known for, it was pissing off rich people and not caring.
“No one kisses on the first date you weirdo. What’s your problem?!”
“My problem? I’m sorry Gaige but if you haven’t noticed I’m literally paying for everything and bought you a bunch of shit and put up with your faggot ass friend.” Dennis was being slightly loud and gestured out with his hand. That was the wrong move. Gaige scowled and looked at him in disgust before grabbing Angel’s bag quickly and shoving Dennis roughly, throwing the bags at him. He didn’t expect her strength and fumbled slightly, falling down on his ass.
“Fuck you! Keep your shit you fucking asshole! Don’t ever touch me or even talk to her ever again!” Gaige stormed off, she was fuming as she ran off after Angel.
Gaige lost all her anger when she opened the bathroom door and heard Angel sobbing her heart out.
Angel was trying to stay quiet but it was hard. She didn’t want to lose Gaige, she couldn’t lose her, not after she lost her mom. Angel’s headached from how hard she cried, her face burning with her sinuses blocked completely. She was trying to steady her breathing but it felt like every breath was a sharp stab to her lungs. Angel felt absolutely shattered. She sat on the bathroom floor, her head in her knees, she was caught up in her own head when something caught her attention. Someone moved up to her stall door and sat down against it, she recognized the jean vest, and her sob caught in her throat, still having tears streaming down her face.
“Hey Ange… Turns out… Dennis was a dick. Kinda made me kiss him.” Gaige sighed loudly, her voice sounded defeated, not very usual for the peppy girl. Angel felt embarrassed and sniffled slightly.
“I-I didn’t me-mean to…” Angel fumbled slightly with her words.
“Don’t worry about it, I messaged my dad to come get us. Wanna open the door?” Gaige’s voice never was this soft, she’s only like this with Angel, no one else. Angel took a shaky breath and stood up, Gaige stood up as well, smiling softly at Angel.
Angel was a mess, her eyes were red and puffy, she was flushed and her face was wet from tears and her nose was running. She didn’t meet Gaige’s eyes as she sniffed again. Gaige pulled the taller girl into a hug, closing her eyes and resting her head against Angel’s shoulder. It was oddly soothing to hear Angel’s breath slowly steady as they stood there for who knows how long.
Angel reluctantly pulled away, still not looking her fully in the eyes.
“I-Im okay now..” Angel took one last deep breath and smiled slightly at Gaige finally meeting her eyes. Gaige just softly stared back.
Angel didn’t realize it as she slowly leaned in and closed her eyes. Gaige was slightly shocked but felt herself leaning forward as well. They locked their lips for a while with their eyes close before they both finally noticed their actions. Angel’s face burned brightly as she nearly slipped from how fast she moved back. Gaige was flustered herself, shocked with her own actions as she took half a step back with a hand over her heart.
“Ga-Gaige I- I’m so so-sorry. I-I” Angel covered her hands over her mouth, she panicked completely, freaking out that Gaige was going to hate her and be disgusted.
“H-Hold on…” Gaige muttered looking to the side. She stepped forward again and grabbed the collar of Angel’s sweatshirt and pulled her into a deeper kiss. She left the taller girl in shock but she closed her eyes and kissed back. Tears were falling down her face again, but this time they were of joy.
Worried slightly Gaige pulled back and wiped Angel’s cheeks as the was smiling half laughing half sobbing in relief.
“W-Woah hey A-Ange! What’s wrong?” Gaige was worried she messed up with an awkward smile, Angel just pulled her close and kissed her again in response.
Earlier Gaige didn’t notice Angel’s diary falling out of the bag as she stormed off with Dennis yelling more slurs at her back before she was out of earshot.
Security came by to tell him to leave, he noticed the abandoned journal with Angel’s name on it. He snatched it off the ground before leaving the mall.