Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The sun was beaming down on Jordan as they waited for Cate, Andre, and Marie to meet them in the quad after class. They pulled their sunglasses off the top of their short hair to shield their eyes as the others approached the table.

“Nice of you all to finally show up” they sardonically stated as Cate dropped her bag and settled into the seat next to Jordan. The others followed suit around the table.

“At least we showed up, it’s not like you gave us much notice,” Marie said, meeting Jordan’s eyes through the lenses of their glasses. They took that opportunity to look Marie up and down, noting her tight cropped top and snug jeans. Something about Marie riled Jordan up like no one had been able to before. They hated it but craved it at the same time.

“Well, not all of us have the ability to coast at number 2 without actually doing anything to earn it,” Jordan challenged, searching Marie’s eyes for the spark of fire that always comes out when they argued.

“Not today, Jordan,” Cate states with a glare at them and Marie, leaving no room for argument.

“What are we actually here for?” Andre asks. “Is it about the woods?” He whispered as he glanced around.

“Yes, I overheard a conversation between the dean and Tek Knight, we need to make a plan to have one or both of them followed.”

“That’s too dangerous,” Cate folds her arms over her chest.

“Well, we don’t have much else for leads.”

“It doesn’t matter, I already lost Luke, I can’t lose any of you too.”

Andre cleared his throat as Cate began to tear up, “What if we do it in pairs, Cate and I can follow the dean, and Marie and Jordan, you can follow Tek Knight. It’s only for a couple days and we can do it without getting caught. Tek knight may have cornered Marie today but I think that might’ve satisfied his curiosity. It’s worth the risk.”

“No, I'm not working with her!”
“No, I'm not working with them!” Jordan and Marie said in unison.

“Maybe this is a good idea, the two of you have an opportunity to work out your differences,” Cate had a hopeful expression.

Jordan met her eyes, “Absolutely not.”

-

Marie was sitting on her dorm bed looking through a crime history textbook when Jordan knocked on the door. She got up and adjusted her outfit in the mirror then shook her head. Why should she even care what she looked like, it's just Jordan, she doesn't care what they thought about her. But even thinking that she couldn’t get rid of the pit of anxiety in her stomach.

“Come in,” she said as she opened the door for Jordan, trying not to be distracted by how hot they look as their tall masc frame filled the doorway coming in. “So what’s your plan for following Tek Knight? There’s no way we can just sneak up behind him and eavesdrop.”

“Obviously,” they sat on Marie’s bed with a sigh. “We have to be prepared, he’d be able to sense someone around him being suspicious especially on campus since he’s already digging into Luke. We just need to know how much of it he’s aware of as a starting point. There’s a supply closet next to the office they’re allowing him to use on campus. I’m not sure we’ll even be able to hear anything but its the least dangerous option I’ve thought of so far.” They went quiet for a moment, a look of uncertainty crossed their face. “So unless you've got something better you can keep your complaints to yourself.” Jordan leaned back, resting their head against the wall, their muscles rippling under their shirt as it slowly creeped up, revealing the waistline of their underwear.

Marie had to calm her breathing and look away for a second, forgetting that they were discussing the plans for that evening.

“So I guess you don’t have anything better then, do you?”

“Um… No, that sounds fine. What time will we meet?”

“8pm at the southern part of the quad, wear black.”

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Marie adjusted the hem of her black long sleeve shirt and glanced around the quad. The sun was setting to the west and she turned her back to it, searching for Jordan. They were walking towards Marie, slowly, taking their time to appreciate the beauty of the sunset in front of them. It had nothing to do with the fact Marie was also in front of them, they thought to themself.

“Why aren’t you wearing black?” Marie gestured towards Jordan’s casual attire of jeans and a grey t-shirt.

Jordan chuckled, “I just wanted to see if you’d actually do what I said. And you did, surprisingly without question.” Marie’s face flushed with embarrassment, and maybe a bit of something else as she appreciated the intense way Jordan was looking at her.

“Let’s just find the closet and get ready for the evening. I want to get this over with,” she turned and started walking towards the building to the north.

“Stay close,” Jordan grabbed Marie’s hand; it was so much smaller than theirs in their grasp and for a second they questioned whether they were squeezing too hard. They dissmissed that thought immediately and walked briskly towards an inconspicuous door down the hallway. “In here.”

Jordan quickly pulled Marie inside the dark closet and used their unoccupied hand to press up against Marie’s lips to quiet her. She felt an indescribable urge to feel her lips against other parts of Jordan, and a small gasp escaped her mouth. Jordan’s hand tightened around Marie’s as they heard the distinct voice of Tek Knight travel through a vent in the room.

“You can’t threaten me! I know what you and Vought are up to.”

Jordan moved closer to the vent, straining to try and hear the other voice. While they moved, a broom from beside them slipped, causing Jordan to fall into Marie pressing her against the wall, flush with their body. A clattering noise echoed throughout the tight space, and Marie tensed up. Jordan could feel her muscles move and instinctively pressed themselves forward, whether out of attraction or protection they didn’t know, but there were more important things to worry about.

Tek Knight went silent. The feeling of arousal that Marie felt quickly turned to fear as the reality of their situation sunk in.

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They both froze and waited, listening to see if Tek Knight was moving towards the vent. It was silent. Marie’s eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness and she took in her surroundings for the first time. The closet was much smaller than she expected; the wall in front of her lined with cleaning tools and products and a sink positioned in the corner by the vent. She glanced over Jordan’s shoulder towards the door, then bit her lip to draw blood. Using her powers, she shaped two darts positioned towards the vent and door. She pressed into Jordan, standing up straighter in anticipation of a fight. Jordan leaned back, carefully avoiding knocking anything else over. They took a deep silent breath and turned towards the vent, knowing they’d do whatever they could to ensure Marie got out of this unscathed.

There were footsteps in the office, coming closer to the vent. Jordan tensed their body, ready to absorb any hits that may be coming. A rustling sound was heard, as if someone was squatting down to peer at the vent. Just as Marie was ready to launch her blood dart, a phone rang, startling both of them.

“Hello? Yes…okay, I’ll be there.” The sounds of rustling followed by footsteps traveled through the vent. Neither of the two moved a muscle, instead waiting a few moments until the door of the office clicked shut and the footsteps down the hall were no longer heard.

“We have to get out of here, now,” Marie whispered with a fiery look in her eyes. They wasted no time in leaving the closet, careful to wipe their fingerprints from the door and any surfaces they touched on their way. They didn’t say another word until they were safely back in Marie’s dorm.

“I can’t believe you were that reckless!” Marie shouted.

“Me? Reckless? What are you talking about? I had a solid lead, we know now that Tek Knight knows more than he’s letting on. This is a step in the right direction. We can finally figure out what happened to Luke.”

“I can’t do this anymore,” she shook her head. “I have people that I care about, and I can’t risk getting caught or kicked out of the crime program.”

“Of course, you’re just giving up as soon as something gets hard!” They said exasperated. “Things are dangerous here at this school, and you can’t just avoid it by ignoring it. I thought you wanted to stop crime, this is more important than looking good for a Vought campaign; you’re the perfect number 2, willing to follow orders without question…”

“From you,” Marie challenged, “because I trust you, not that I should.” They stood inches apart, Marie looked up to stare into Jordan’s eyes, they couldn’t remember anyone ever looking at them the way Marie did, like they were the best and worst person in the world at the same time. They felt seen for who they truly were, but Jordan’s insecurities quickly took back over; they had only been in their masc form all week. Would Marie still look at Jordan with that same intensity when they didn’t look like that?

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Marie reached her hand out to touch Jordan’s face, and placed her fingers along their strong jawline. She angled her face up at them, and gathered the courage to lean in and press her lips against Jordan’s. They took a second to enjoy the feeling of Marie in their arms, her lips on theirs. It seemed like everything went away, except the feeling of being perceived differently than they were, at no fault to Marie. This was something that constantly haunted Jordan, and they tried to brush it off as irrational anxiety, if Marie had a problem with how they presented she would say something, right?

During that train of thought, Jordan’s lips stopped moving against Marie’s. She pulled back, feeling insecure and embarrassed for reading Jordan wrong. She thought there was something between them, but it seems like she was just being naïve. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to…make you uncomfortable…” she stumbled over her words, she could feel the blood rush to her face.

“I just need a minute,” Jordan turned away on the bed, facing the window, their palms fisted the comforter.

“Did I do something to make you feel uncomfortable?” Marie asked softly. “I want you to know that I’m okay with you no matter what way you’re presenting, it’s just up to you what you’re comfortable with around me. And I’m sorry if I crossed a boundary by kissing you. You just make me feel a way I can’t explain, and it drives me crazy but makes me want you. And I understand if you don’t feel the same.” She looked down at her hands in her lap, tearing at her cuticles and watching the blood come to the surface.

Jordan was in awe. Their friends, of course, accepted them, but there had never been anyone romantically or sexually who actually knew them and accepted who they were in both forms. Not that they had much experience, but Marie didn’t need to know that. Jordan switched forms and leaned towards Marie, capturing her lips in theirs in a searing kiss. Marie grabbed at the hem of Jordan’s shirt, pulling it off, only breaking the kiss long enough to pass the fabric through. “No bra?” Marie smirked at them, kissing down their neck towards their chest. She took her time appreciating the sight in front of her, running her hands gently across their skin. A soft brush of Marie’s fingers against Jordan’s nipples caused a moan to escape them.

Marie pushed Jordan down onto the bed, took her own shirt off, then tied her hair back behind her head with an elastic. Jordan couldn’t seem to conjure a single thought with Marie in front of them like that. Her skin radiant in the soft glow of the dorms nightime lighting. They felt a surge of jealousy well up inside them in a way that they had never experienced. They had to make sure Marie couldn’t be satisfied with anyone else. Jordan reached up, pulling Marie down on top of their body, desperate for the feeling of her skin on theirs.

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Marie’s dorm room felt scorching hot, the tension between Jordan and her was palpable and seemed to fill Jordan with an insatiable desire. Marie had always admired their intensity in everything they did, but this unlocked an entirely new side of Jordan, desperate underneath her, but that wouldn’t last for long. Jordan, using their supe strength, flipped their positions and began kissing along the long column of Marie’s throat, licking and biting as they went. The moans and whimpers Marie was making sounded like heaven, what had Jordan gotten themself into? All they had done was kiss, and still, Jordan felt more turned on than they ever had in their life. They could feel the blood thumping in their veins as their heartbeat increased with their arousal. They felt a little embarrassed knowing that Marie could tell just how much they were attracted to her, and that they didn’t have the upper hand for once. Jordan switched to masc form so Marie could tell exactly where their blood was going, hoping to see Marie get flustered or stop holding so much power over them.

Marie was trying so hard to stay calm that she couldn’t even hear anything over the thumping of her own heart and blood traveling through her veins, let alone have the awareness to know just how much they were affecting Jordan. The neck kissing was something that seemed like a power on its own, seeming to completely disconnect Marie’s brain from the rest of her body. Jordan switching forms shocked Marie back to her surroundings and she became very aware of the impact she had on them, the evidence hard and long against their thigh.

“Can I touch you?” Marie asked in a soft whisper. She had never done anything like this before. After she got her powers she tried to keep her head down and make a life for herself, and that didn’t allow for many relationships.

“Please,” Jordan moved so they were lying on their sides facing each other, both having lost the rest of their clothes in the haze of attraction. Jordan’s fingertips skimmed across Marie’s side, leading down onto her hip where they settled against her smooth dark skin in a tight grip. Marie tentatively reached out to grab the base of Jordan’s dick, the heat of her hand caused Jordan to melt into the bed, eyes closed. Feeling less nervous without Jordan’s intense gaze, she began to move her hand, listening to the sounds they were making and taking note of what they liked. She didn’t want this to be a one-time thing; Jordan was like an addiction, and she was hooked.

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Jordan felt tension begin to pool in the pit of their stomach. The way Marie’s hand felt against them was like nothing they’d experienced before; they couldn’t control the moans escaping their mouth. They took a moment to look over at Marie, her eyes were focused on her hand moving over Jordan. Jordan felt like the luckiest and most powerful person in the world, seeing the way they were affecting Marie. Jordan wasn’t able to hold on to their bearings as they came over Marie’s fingers, the sound muffled by them biting their own lip, drawing blood.

“Fuck,” Jordan shakily leaned back onto the bed. “That was amazing.” Marie wiped her hand off and cuddled into Jordan’s side. Her fingers reached out to the cut on their lip. She used her powers to pull the blood back into the cut, then healed it. “Lean back,” they stared into Marie’s eyes. They positioned themselves between Marie’s thighs, staring with a hungry look in their eyes. “Is this okay?”

“Yes…but you don’t have to,” the shy look on her face made something well up inside Jordan.

“I want to,” they wasted no time in leaning between her legs and licking. The moans Marie let out immediately got Jordan hard which shouldn’t have been possible with how hard they just came. Their movements got more frantic as Marie squirmed on the bed. She looked like a goddess, framed in a soft moonlit glow, her head tilted back and eyes closed. She laid back, all her energy spent, pulling Jordan down next to her. They laid down, breathing in the soft lavender scent of Marie’s hair, falling asleep.

Jordan woke with a start, the events of the night before coming back in full force. Despite their abrupt wake-up, they slept surprisingly well, better than they had in weeks. Brushing off the last dregs of sleep, they sat up looking around the dorm room in the morning light. Marie was in bed next to them, curled onto her side. A beam of light shone through the window onto the middle of the floor, shedding a soft light throughout the small space. Jordan had to get out of there, before Marie woke up.

Jordan moved to stand, but there was movement next to them. Marie stirred, rubbing her eyes before looking up at Jordan. “Good morning,” she sat up, propping her back against the headboard.

Jordan stepped backward, moving away from Marie. “I can’t do this. Last night was a mistake. I have to get to number one on the rankings, and not by being associated with you. I know we have to be around each other when dealing with investigating Luke’s death but besides that, leave me alone.” Marie reached out, ready to respond, but Jordan had already turned and left the room.

Marie was lost. Last night had been good, she hadn’t imagined it, so why did Jordan leave that morning? If only Emma were here, she’d know what to say. Maybe she should just listen to what they said before they left, to leave them alone outside researching the woods. But Marie didnt think she could deny the attraction she felt. She would just have to convince Jordan to keep seeing her in secret so it wouldn’t affect their ranking. But how could she get them to listen? She remembered the way Jordan looked at her at the club. Her body felt hot under the seductive eyes they were sending all night, or maybe it was just the molly. But regardless, teasing them with a hot outfit definitely couldn’t hurt.

If looks could kill, then the entirety of the school of crime fighting would be dead under the stare of Jordan Li. The supe was sulking 6 feet behind Marie, trailing through campus as they headed to class. Marie was surprisingly oblivious to the success of her plan, thinking that the object of her thoughts was innocently walking behind her.

Jordan couldn’t believe what Marie was wearing, with the looks she had been getting Jordan would be shocked if they could make it to class without Marie getting recruited directly to the seven, strictly for her sex appeal. The thin fabric of her shirt hugged her body in all the right places, the color accentuating her natural beauty, and the light dusting of makeup that showed just how wholesome Marie was, doing her own makeup tied the whole look together.

“So I was thinking, I could really use your help on my writing assignment for the class Brinks used to teach. I’m sorry if that’s a sore subject, but I know you were the TA.

“Yeah, it’s ridiculous that I’m not still the TA,” Jordan got defensive, taking out their frustration on her. “No thanks to you speaking up when it mattered.”

“I thought you were over this!” Marie’s voice rose.

“Over it? Why the fuck would I be over it. Just because everyone else hated Brinks doesn’t mean I did. He was the first one to accept me for who I was.” Jordan was breathing hard.

“Use you, you mean. He was the first one to use you, and make you feel like he cared. I may not have known him the way you did, but I don’t need to to know that he wasn’t a good person. And I’ve already apologized for waiting to tell the truth. You can’t hold that against me forever. If you want to be mad at me fine, but don’t hold old shit against me.” Marie looked away from Jordan, her hands resting against her thighs. Jordan’s eyes followed, tracing over the side of her hips. Even when they were pissed at her, she was still the most attractive person they had ever seen.

“I am mad at you! How dare you show up out of nowhere, and everything turns to shit. Things were fine before you showed up, I was fine before you showd up. You make me feel alive in ways I can’t describe. You make me so angry sometimes, and yet I can’t help but be attracted to you. It like you have an extra power, they way you enchant the people around you and win over peoples hearts like its the easiest thing in the world. And I’m so jealous of how people accept you, and I was wrong for judging you in Brinks office, but I can’t go back in time. You should hate me, that would make all of this easier, because what happened last night can't happen again.

Chapter Text

Marie and Jordan hadn’t spoken in a week. Things were obviously tense when they met up with Cate and Andre to go over what they found.

“So we know that Tek Knight has some knowledge about what’s going on but not how much. We got interrupted and almost caught. Luckily nothing’s happned this past week so I think we’re in the clear.” Jordan tucked their hair behind one ear and adjusted their necklace to be centered. “What did you find out from Dean Shetty?”

“Nothing,” Cate sighed. “The only time we could find her was in class. She’s been in meetings and traveling all week.” She leaned back into her seat, her gloved hand resting over Andre’s. He looked up at her, conflicted, knowing they had spent most of the week in his dorm room, not looking for Shetty. Regardless they didn’t learn anything, so he didn’t correct her.

“I think we need to break into the woods together!” Marie had a look of determination in her eyes, which refused to meet Jordan’s. “ We should go see what’s happening there and get some concrete proof. Right now all we have is Sam, and if he’s found by the school we have nothing.”

“That’s a terrible idea,” Jordan stood up, raising their voice slightly. “What a good way for all of us to get caught and killed.” They grabbed their bag, “I’m headed to the library. Andre, Cate, could you keep trying to follow the Dean and let me know when you find something. Then we can discuss sneaking into the woods.”

“Why didn’t you have my back there?” Marie turned to Andre and Cate, “I thought you wanted to find out what happened to Luke and bring about some justice? We can’t just sit around and wait for something to happen.”

“You’re so naïve, Freshman. You can’t always jump into things headfirst.” Andre grabbed his and Cate’s backpacks and held her hand while she stood up. “See you around, Marie.” They walked back towards the dorms, leaving Marie in the room alone. She pulled out the phone she had gotten after she had been ranked, pulling up her texts with Emma. Thinking better of risking Vought seeing the texts, she decided to just go back to her dorm to find her.

“There you are!” Emma smiled holding out a white claw, “It’s Friday, what are you wearing tonight?”

“Tonight?” Marie reluctantly grabbed the drink from her friend’s hand, popping it open.

“Yeah, we’re going to find a party, get drunk, maybe high, make horrible decisions, and have an amazing night!” She opened up her closet, looking over her shoulder. “So what do you want to wear? Do you know what a certain supe ranked number 5 is up to this evening?”

“No, and I don’t care.” Marie grabbed the outfit Emma was handing her, going to her side of the room to try it on. She put on the bright red leather dress with black heels and adjusted the low neckline in the mirror. She had to remind herself that she’s not at Red River anymore and can go out and have fun. “Ok, where are we going?”

Dusty’s house was so loud that they could hear it from a mile away. They walked up the steps to the porch, leaning to avoid a drunk supe with hair on fire puking over the railing. “Let’s go in!” Emma grabbed Marie in a firm grip, she couldn’t get out of this now.

“You better not ditch me for a three-way!”

The light’s were off leaving only the led lights around the room and near the dj table to illuminate the sweaty dancing bodies in the middle of the living room. Off to the side there was a table of people playing poker with little bags instead of chips. The winner of the round pulled the pile towards them, opened one up, bringing their finger into the power and up to their nose with a sniff.

“I’m getting us drinks!” Emma yelled and disappeared around the corner leading to the kitchen.

“Thanks for not ditching me!” Marie shouted after her with a sigh. She looked around the room searching for a set of familiar eyes before shaking her head. She didn’t care if Jordan was here, she tried to convince herself. It's better if we stay away from each other. She wandered onto the makeshift dance floor, shedding her concerns.

It had been almost half an hour and Emma was still gone, but Marie was lost in the haze of dancing. It wasn’t until a scream broke out over the sound of the music that she remembered her friend was still looking for drinks. Marie pushed through the crowd, bumping into people who didn’t seem to care. “Emma!” She stumbled out of the crowded room into the quieter hallway. The first two doors were locked, leaving just the kitchen and another door. She tried the kitchen first, scanning the room for a head of short blonde hair. There was a couple locked in an embrace involving tentacles in front of the fridge, a horse, and a group of freshman boys shotgunning beers, but Emma was nowhere in sight.

Marie tried the other door in the hallway, revealing a set of stairs leading down into darkness. There were no other screams to be heard, but she continued down the stairs hoping to find Emma just laughing with some of her friends but terrified of what she might actually find. Marie made it to the bottom of the stairs and was facing a dark open room with several inlets in the walls leading to storage areas; it was too dark to see anything other than vague shapes. The door slammed behind her leaving her in pitch black darkness.

Another scream echoed through the basement, but it had come from the hallway above. “Ahhhhh, stop it that tickles!” A feminine voice giggled. It was just the couple from the kitchen. Marie let out a sigh of relief, Emma wasn’t in danger, but Marie was still in a dark basement alone and she didn’t feel completely safe. A rustling sound came from one of the storage areas near the back of the room.

“Take that!” The sounds of grunting traveled from the back of the room, “Such a tight hole,” Marie had to hold back a shiver of disgust, couldn’t people just wait until they got home to hook up? She started to move back towards the stairs when she realized she recognized that voice, Tek Knight. Marie moved closer, pulling out her phone to text Emma. Her eyes started to adjust to the darkness and she saw the shape of Tek Knight in front of a cylinder. There didn’t seem to be another person down there and she held her breath, hoping he couldn’t hear her. “Drip that beer all over me,” he moaned. He had his pants around his ankles and a keg handle in his hand. He was thrusting down into the top of the keg. Marie held her phone out, holding back a laugh and disgust, this was the blackmail they needed to get information out of Tek Knight. She recorded a short clip of him talking dirty and thrusting into the keg, then slowly went back up the stairs.

When she opened the door she planned to quickly find Emma then leave, hoping Tek Knight was too invested in his conquest to follow her. When she went to close the door, she was knocked over by a tall man in the hallway, and she fell, knocking another person over with her.

“Get off me, Moreau!” Jordan grabbed Marie’s hips, holding her steady. Despite the venom in their words, they held Marie softly.

“I need to speak with you.”

“I told you to leave me alone, this isn’t going to work out between us,” Jordan removed their hands from her hips, mourning the loss of contact. Why did she have to be everywhere, constantly reminding them of how they felt.

“Not just you, Andre and Cate too. It’s about Tek Knight,” she looked over her shoulder as she whispered, “but I need to find Emma first.”

Chapter Text

Jordan took Marie’s hand and guided her through the hallway, staring down anyone they encountered. People immediately moved out of the way, as if they could sense the determination in Jordan’s eyes as they traveled through the living room towards a set of sliding glass doors at the back of the house. The loud music faded to a dull roar as Marie closed the glass door behind her, stepping into the cool night air. “Where are we going?” She asked, still holding onto Jordan’s hand as they walked away from the lights of the house, she squeezed slightly without realizing, taking the opportunity to touch them while she had the chance.

Jordan looked down and dropped the contact between them as if they were burnt. “There’s a bonfire down near the river, Andre and Cate were there earlier and if Emma wasn’t inside she's probably there too.” They turned away, without sparing a glance at Marie, and headed down the sloping lawn towards the water. Marie hurried after them, trying to match their long strides.

A small group of supes were lounging around a fire with chairs scattered along the bank. Cate and Andre were sitting together, her gloved hand running through his hair as they laughed at what someone next to them said. Jordan was already near Cate and Andre, about 50 meters from where Emma stood by water when Marie noticed her. Emma’s body seemed tense and she was glaring at a figure down the rocky shore away from the group. As Marie got closer she recognized who it was, Justine. She had her back to Emma, which proved to be a mistake. Marie was too far away to do anything beyond watch in shock as Emma took a deep breath and charged toward Justine, grabbing her by the arm and spinning her around to punch her face. A sickening crack echoed over the idle chattering noise which was replaced by gasps of surprise. Justine’s nose was broken, flattened across to one side of her face, blood pouring down her chin. She spat the blood at Emma’s face, but Marie waved her hand in front of her, stopping the blood between their faces and dropping it to the ground as she ran closer to the scene.

“What is wrong with you?” Justine yelled, trying to free herself from Emma’s grip.

“Excuse me?” Emma tightened her hold on her arms, leaving deep red marks that would surely bruise. “You posted shit that was no one else’s business and haven’t even apologized!” Emma had clearly hit a breaking point, but Marie didn’t step in to stop her, Justine was just getting what she deserved. She tried to recall Justine’s powers but was drawing a blank. Was Emma in danger? Marie thought back to her previous encounters, Justine always put her on edge and made her feel vulnerable.

Marie stepped in, pulling Emma away from Justine. “Emma, come with me,” she said, trying to diffuse the situation and control her anger at the girl who had tormented her friend.

“All I did was tell the truth, just because you’re insecure and have an eating disorder doesn’t mean you can take your frustrations on me. What's really bothering you? Is jealousy?” She laughed, taunting Emma.

Marie watched the fire leave Emma’s eyes as Justine’s words sunk in. Her face was dejected and people started to pay attention to see what the commotion was about but no one stepped in to do anything. Marie stood by hoping that Emma would follow her and ignore the awful things Justine said, but Emma looked paralyzed and almost at the point of tears. Justine honed in on Emma’s reaction like a shark smelling blood.

“Poor little cricket, you’re such a disgrace to Supes, throwing up is the only way you get attention and it was barely enough to get you here. Now that everyone knows your little secret they see how pathetic you are,” her sneer was marred by the blood dripping from her nose. Justine had never been this outright mean, but the punch must’ve made her lose her cool. She opened her mouth to continue but Marie had other plans. She took her hand and motioned for the blood on her face to make a mask around Justine's mouth and nose, ensuring that no air could pass through. Justine’s eyes went wide as she realized the situation she was in. She started panicking, her hands clawing at her own face, but Marie held steady. As she clawed desperately trying to breathe, she fell to her knees at Marie’s feet, and Marie took mercy on her. Justine may be a bitch but she didn’t need to die, and Marie just wanted to scare her a little bit.

The entire ordeal lasted less than a minute but that was more than enough for the point to get across. Marie turned back to Emma, scanning her friend's face which was no longer dejected. There was fear in her eyes directed at Marie, and she felt the weight of her actions as she realized the extent of the situation. She was a monster, just like her sister thought. Terror filled her body and she became acutely aware of everyone’s blood pumping through their bodies. She couldn’t control herself, she was dangerous, she shouldn’t be around here. Maybe she belonged at Elmira, maybe coming here was a mistake. She looked back up at Emma, but only saw her sister’s young face staring back at her in horror. She couldn’t allow herself to hurt anyone else.

Marie ran off as several of the congregated people from the fire rushed to Justine’s aid. Hopefully they had all been too far away to see what actually happened. But Marie couldn’t think about the potential consequences of this getting out, she had to get away.

“Wait! Marie!” Emma called to her after unfreezing, but she was already back to the house.

Jordan’s POV

“Hey, Marie has something we need to discuss,” Jordan’s hand fell on Andre’s shoulder from behind but he didn’t look up. “I think it’s important,” Andre was too engrossed in what people around them were saying to pay much mind to a hand on his shoulder. Jordan moved around him hoping to catch his attention to no avail. What the fuck had been up with Andre lately? It seemed like he only cared about having a good time and Cate, but there were much more important things to worry about. Why was Jordan the only person who seemed to care about getting to the bottom of the experiments happening under the school? “Come on, seriously?” Jordan was exasperated, but Andre’s attention quickly shifted as the sound of a fist hitting flesh and cartilage rang across the riverbank and the subsequent yelling held his attention.

“Oh shit, a catfight,” Andre laughed. Cate looked disapprovingly at him as he made an inappropriate offhand joke that Jordan only heard part of. Jordan was too busy staring at the figures along the water.

“Is that Emma?” Jordan asked, but as they looked around and saw Marie approaching the scene, their doubts disappeared.

“Oh heyyyyy, its Jordan!” Andre laughed as he finally looked up at his friend, eyes blown wide. He was definitely not sober. Guess we won’t be progressing the investigation tonight, they thought with irritation.

“I need to talk to you, just give me a minute,” Jordan started rushing towards the water, but Cate grabbed their arm.

“What’s wrong?” She softly met his gaze appearing concerned. “Is it about our plans?” but Jordan was already shrugging off her grip. Jordan shifted into their feminine form then turned back towards the scene which had already progressed past yelling with Justine on the ground near Emma and Marie. They quickly covered the distance feeling a sense of panic rush over them at Marie’s proximity to the fight, ready to step in to protect her if needed. But their fears were unfounded as they watched her dash off towards the house.

“Marie, wait!” Emma yelled after her just as Jordan reached the riverbank. She turned to Jordan crying. “I-I-I fucked up…I shouldn’t…Marie just….” Emma struggled to force the words out through her tears. People were staring at the pair and Jordan realized this was much more serious than they originally thought as people yelled for an ambulance for Justine.

Jordan felt very conflicted. Emma was obviously not okay, and although they weren’t known for their kindness, they felt obligated to make sure she was okay since Marie ran off. But a deeper part of them needed to know if Marie was ok. What had been able to shake her so much that she would abandon her friend in a time of need?

Their concern quickly turned into anger as they thought about the situation, and about how selfish Marie was. Of course she’d abandon her friend, that's what she did, run away when things were hard. They knew they shouldn’t have let their attraction get the better of them. She might be hot but she was the reason everything started to fall apart, they couldn’t forget that. “Let's go back to my dorm, it’ll be okay.” They tucked the shorter girl under their arm guiding her away from the judgemental stares as she cried into their jacket.

Chapter Text

Jordan was simmering with anger as they made it back to the dorms. Emma was still in shock and could hardly feel Jordan’s crushing grip on her hand as she blindly followed them back to their single dorm. The halls were quiet as almost everyone was at the party, leaving only those who were sleeping for the night in their respective dorms. However there was someone watching from the dorm lounge entryway as Jordan pulled Emma behind them into their room with a loud slam of the door echoing through the hallway.

“Stay here,” Jordan huffed under their breath while entering the private bathroom after guiding her towards the bed. They stared at themself in the mirror, roughly pulling their chin length hair into a pony and splashing cold water on their face. “Deep breaths, don’t let her get under your skin, what the fuck is wrong with you? Shes just a girl, nothing special.” These thoughts echoed through Jordan’s head as they tried to calm their anger in order to be there for Emma. But it was more than just that, they needed to get Marie out of their head for good this time, no distractions, Jordan needed to make number one and this obsession was impeding that. This process must’ve taken longer than they thought as when Jordan left the bathroom, Emma was fast asleep on the bed, snoring softly.

The thought of climbing into bed with Emma was tempting, especially if Marie came looking for them in the morning. What better way to push Marie away than to make it seem like they were into Emma? That thought was quickly dismissed however since Jordan knew that what Emma went through was extremely traumatic and waking up to someone with no recollection of them being there would be too much of a shock and a violation of her trust. But maybe Jordan could mention it when she woke up. It wouldn't be anything serious, just an act to push her away from the both of them, since that seemed mutually beneficial. Jordan had no interest in Emma in any way other than platonic which made this perfect since it wouldn’t distract them from their greater goals.

While Jordan was plotting, Marie found herself in an alleyway just off campus, she felt her breaths come quicker and quicker as she tried to get as far from the situation as she could. Slumped against the wall of a building she felt the panic attack come over her, her vision tunneling, the only sound was her heart beating loudly in her chest, and the blood pumping in overdrive throughout her body, blocking out all sounds of the street nearby. Her adrenaline from the situation faded away as she slid down towards the grimy ground below her with her head in her hands. As her senses started coming back to her and her thoughts cleared she assessed the gravity of the situation. All it would take was Justine reporting the situation to administration and Marie would be sent packing to Elmira, if they didn’t just kill her outright. She knew the stigma that came along with her powers and she had vowed to prove that she wasn’t dangerous and could use her powers for good, but she broke that vow and now she had to face the repercussions. Running away before anyone found out was an option she considered but that wouldn’t work, not with GodU and potentially Vought after her.

Marie collected herself and tried to find a way out of this situation, she couldn’t go back to the dorm and face Emma, but she had nowhere else to go. She pulled out her Vought issued phone to look up a seedy motel that she could afford from her meager savings. Before coming to GodU she had worked part time in the kitchen at Red Rivers, making $2.50 an hour, however had spent most of it getting her materials and necessities for attending the University. When she turned the screen on she was greeted with an email from earlier that evening and it seemed like a stroke of luck. Victoria Neuman sent Marie a message to her personal email, how she got that Marie was unsure, but she wouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth. Neuman wanted to have a meeting with Marie as soon as possible and preferably when her disappearance would be unnoticed. While this seemed odd, Marie was too determined to give up an opportunity in her time of need and quickly typed a reply, asking to meet as soon as possible, hoping that she would get a response soon.

Without a second thought Marie quickly found a nearby motel and began walking to check in, when surprisingly she received a response. It was only a few words without the greeting or niceties that were in the first email: “54th St and Lamplighter Ave, 2 am. With a quick glance at the time she realized she only had 30 minutes to get to the location. Her attire was hardly professional enough for a meeting with a congresswoman, but it didn’t matter, whatever Neuman had to tell her seemed important. If Marie was valuable enough to contact for whatever reason she might be able to convince her to back her up when shit hit the fan at GodU. Any semblance of power when powerless was invaluable, and she turned off her phone, placing it in a hidden spot behind a newspaper rack and a building to come back for later. She knew that she couldn’t be followed or tracked when she met with Neuman. Once her phone was safely hidden she began her long trek across town.

Chapter Text

Jordan felt Marie’s lips press searing hot kisses across the column of their neck. Their chain felt ice cold against their collar, too tight as they took in a gasping breath. A moan escaped Jordan’s lips and they reached out their hands desperately tangling their fingers through Marie’s hair before pulling her face up to catch her mouth with their own to silence their uncontrollable sounds of pleasure. Marie’s lips curved into a sweet smile before she brought them down tenderly capturing Jordans own. They arched their back, pressing themselves into Marie’s soft form above them as they deepened the kiss, claiming Marie, hoping this kiss was forever burned into her memory.

Marie pushed her knees further apart, pressing herself against Jordan’s hard length while guiding Jordan’s hands to cup the curve of her ass. Without separating their mouths, Jordan gripped the sides of her hips, rocking her against themself with a steady rhythm. Jordan moaned into Marie’s embrace, opening enough for her tounge to make its way inside. Their hips started rocking as their kiss deepened and time seemed to stand still and last an eternity. A minute or an hour could have passed, Jordan was unsure, but both of them seemed to find release and they collapsed back onto to bed. Jordan went to touch Marie’s face, but their fingers never found purchase, passing through onto the surface of the pillow.

Jordan sat up with a gasp, staring around at the seemingly unfamiliar surroundings. As they regained consciousness, the events of the night before came back and their position on the floor made more sense. Emma was snoring softly in the bed across the room, and Jordan was very glad they didn’t climb into bed with her last night as they looked down at their body, noticing the bodily evidence of their dream and the obviously displaced fabric of the blanket. Jordan pictured Marie waking up in her dorm from a similar dream as they brought their hand down to grasp at their base. Her blanket would’ve slipped down her body from her writhing, displaying the hard peaks of her nipples pressing against the almost sheer white of her pajama tank top. Her sleep shorts barely kissing the tops of her creamy brown thighs as her hips rolled to meet her waiting fingers positioned between her legs. Jordan’s hands barely had to stroke before they felt themselves coming undone, their release painting the inside of the blanket.

Fuck, Jordan thought, this is exactly what they were trying to avoid. It was nearly time for class, and Jordan had to quickly get cleaned up in time to wake Emma up and get to their first class of the day. Jordan had their Supe metabolism to thank for their lack of hangover, and their gratitude was evident in their cheerful demeanor. Emma, in contrast, seemed to have a storm cloud above her as she went about her morning. She felt embarrassment from her actions the night before and especially shameful for the way she let her best friend run off, clearly distraught. She was silent as she got ready and followed Jordan out of the dorms.

Jordan considered proposing their fake dating idea to Emma first thing that morning, eager to get the lingering images of lasts night dream out of their mind, but Emma’s mood seemed to deter any form of conversation. They parted ways for class and Jordan took a deep breath of preparation before settling their hand on the handle to the door ready to face Marie and whatever else the day threw at them. Pulling their shoulders back, they pulled on the door handle, entering the room. Their eyes tracked across the room, scanning for a familiar set of eyes amid the sea of faces. Their search was in vain however as Marie was missing from the classroom, and would remain so for the rest of the day’s lectures.

Marie checked the time on her phone before opening the door to her shared dorm. She had to make sure Emma was in class before she went back to their room. Marie should have avoided it altogether, but she had nowhere else to go, and after last night's events she definitely needed the 4 hours she’d be able to get while Emma was in class. As she collapsed onto her bed, Marie felt her heavy lids fall closed, she thought about setting an alarm on her phone, but as soon as the thought entered her mind it was swept away under the cover of sleep, and Marie fell into a heavy slumber.

It felt like she had only blinked when she was awoken to a thunderous pounding on her door. Still disoriented from waking up, Marie stumbled to the door to open it for who she assumed was Emma. She took a deep breath, preparing her apologies, and turned the knob. She was greeted by Jordan’s fist poised an inch from her face, still in the process of banging on the door. Marie typically would have had no problem dodging the accidental punch, but her exhaustion from the night before coupled with her quick wake up left her groggy and unable to move her face more than a few centimeters back. A loud crunch echoed through the doorway as Jordan’s hand flew into Marie’s nose, the cartilage bending across her face to the right, blood dripped out of one nostril as Marie reeled back in shock.

“Shit! I’m pissed at you but I didn’t mean to hit you!” Jordan cried out.

Chapter Text

“Didn’t mean to hit me?” Marie clutched her nose and glared at Jordan. Jordan tried to reach out but Marie turned her head, “Get out!” She tried to shut the door but Jordan was able to slip inside and they walked towards the bed without letting their eyes leave Marie.

“I’m sorry, I really didn’t mean to,” Jordan tried for a charming smirk but the result was more of a grimace. “Look, I’m upset with the way you treated Emma, but I didn’t come here to actually fight you, unless you want to spar for our ranking,” they winked. For someone claiming to be upset, they seemed more nervous than anything, maybe it was too much jitter bean, or maybe they were attracted…Marie stopped that train of thought, refusing to give it any space in her brain. Jordan couldn’t be attracted to her, they hated her and the way she had made it into the rankings and the school of crime fighting. Besides, Jordan was the opposite of shy, someone so free to speak their mind and able to do so with bold and inspiring confidence. That means that if Jordan wanted her, she would already know by now, so any of this confusion had to be due to something else. Marie decided to be honest about the situation, but to keep the events of her meeting last night a secret, at least until they had more information from Tek Knight.

“I messed up and lost control last night. I was just trying to defend Emma, but I lost myself in the pumping of Justine’s blood and I used it as a weapon unprovoked. I get it if she hates me and wants a new roommate, but I just want a chance to apologize first.” Marie pleaded.

“Ha. You used your powers to attack Justine? I don’t believe it! I didn’t see anything that night, and Emma didn’t mention it at all.”

“Then why are you here if she wasn’t upset about that?” Marie sank down into her desk chair, a puzzled expression crossing her face.

Jordan’s face cycled through a mix of unidentifiable emotions before settling into a mask of indifference. “I thought you abandoned Emma and I was mad on behalf of her because she was exhausted and barely spoke that night.” Their shoulders dropped in relief. “I shouldn’t have come here so aggressively, besides we still have to work together on the Tek Knight investigation. Let me make it up to you!” The rapid change in demeanor shocked Marie. It was like Jordan was looking for an excuse to not be mad anymore, all of the intensity of their arrival had completely dissipated. Their eyes lit up in excitement, which made their appearance much more youthful and Marie was reminded of both of their ages. Growing up at Red River had made Marie face the reality of life much quicker than her peers, and for many of the other students, this was their first time living away from their parents. A new resolve to get to the bottom of what was happening at GodU strengthened within her as she looked up into Jordan’s bright eyes. “I’ll get you a coffee from Jitter Bean every morning for the next two weeks before class.”

“Don’t you go there already?”

“Yes…so? It’s the thought that counts, and I normally only get something for myself.” They fell back dramatically onto the bed as if their heart was wounded at the implication.

“I don’t even drink coffee,” Marie stated with a soft chuckle.

“Then I know exactly what to get you!”

The next morning, in the halls outside Marie’s first class, Jordan walked up holding two massive cups, with one extended outwards. It was a clear cup with a frozen brown liquid inside, “Its a blended dirty chai,” Jordan said as Marie hesitated to take the drink. “I figured if you didn’t like coffee, you might like chai, but its got a shot of espresso added so I can slowly convert you to liking the taste.” They smirked at Marie and watched as she slowly brought the straw to her lips. She saw Jordan’s pupils expand when she placed her lips around it and sucked.

“Mmmmmmmm,” Marie softly moaned as the sweet and spiced flavors of the drink hit her tongue. She had been skeptical that having a drink brought to her everyday was a good apology gift but she could definitely get used to it if this is what Jordan brought everyday.

Jordan had been extremely worried all morning about what to get Marie since she didn’t like coffee, but they were relieved that they chose correctly. They also were more than a little turned on. Watching Marie stare at them as she brought the straw to her mouth made heat rise within Jordan. And the way she looked so sweet as she took a taste and fluttered her long lashes up at them. Jordan wanted to reach out their hand and wipe the little bit of the drink that had made its way to the corner of Marie’s lips, but she noticed and quickly darted her tounge out to lick it off. Jordan could hardly bare it and had to look away and take a deep breath. Why were they acting so out of control? Usually they had people falling at their feet in attraction, not the other way around.

Chapter Text

Marie was getting emotional whiplash from Jordan. One minute she was getting the cold shoulder and the next it seemed like Jordan was trying to besties. As she sipped on the drink Jordan brought she tried to understand what their relationship to each other was. Rivals? No, they might bicker and Jordan seemed desperate for a high ranking, but a rivalry takes two and Marie’s aspirations weren’t joining the Seven. Friends? Maybe, she pondered, but the chemistry between them wasn’t that easily ignored despite Jordan being clear they didn’t want anything more. She swung her gaze towards the subject of her thoughts and immediately her analysis seemed correct. Jordan’s lip was pinched between their teeth, a slight blush across their cheeks brought their whole face to life, and the smoldering look in their eyes left little to doubt about their attraction to Marie. She considered trying to make Jordan give in to their attraction through subtle flirting, but her inexperience in relationships coupled with their close proximity due to the investigation meant that it could easily backfire.

“Thanks for the drink!” She exclaimed a little too loudly as she tried to distance herself from the alluring thought of Jordan and her together. Despite it seeming impossible, Jordan’s face lit up even more. Maybe Jordan’s need for the top spot in the rankings was more based in positive validation than she originally thought. Although Marie’s parents were alive for much of her early life, she was lucky that her parents supported her and never made her feel like she wasn’t enough; in contrast, from the brief interactions she had with Jordan’s parents, they seemed to have much higher expectations and their affection was conditional on that. “We should meet up after class to talk, maybe in one of our dorms.” Marie said as they found their seats and got settled. The lack of progress on the investigation had been bothering her but luckily due to her meeting with Victoria Nueman, they had some additional information that needed to be shared.

“Y-Y-Yeah, sounds good,” Jordan said while tapping a pencil on the table in front of them, eyes trained past the walls of the classroom into space. All the energy that had been radiating off their body seemed to become concentrated into Jordan’s hands. Their face stoic towards the projector screen while wood chips began flaking off the table below their pencil with each tap.

“What the fuck is wrong with me?” Jordan thought to themself as they replayed the events of the last few days over in their head. They were aware that they may not have the most emotional intelligence, especially related to starting a relationship, but they are always successful at bringing someone home. It was easy, get close, flash your most charming smile, if that doesn’t work then switch, wink once then look away, buy the person a drink, then invite them home after making them laugh at least once. It was foolproof and had never failed before, but Marie was different. They already went home with Marie then fucked it up afterwards so Jordan felt like the Deep out of water, which is just the Deep: Stupid. They needed a plan, so they spent their free time before meeting with Marie making a list of the best way to show Marie what they have to offer.
Don’t be a dick - they knew this would be the rule they would most likely break so although not really a plan, Jordan put it at the top of the list.
Give her gifts to show you care - Jitterbean everyday should hopefully keep Jordan on Marie’s mind.
Offer to help out with classwork - Marie is a freshman with a different background than most student at GodU, having a TA to look over her work might make her feel more comfortable and willing to spend time socially rather than academically.
No physical touch - Jordan would not be able to control themself if they got a chance to touch Marie again and they needed to show they can be chivalrous and restrained so Marie knows it isn’t just physical attraction

As night fell on GodU campus, Jordan was putting the final touches on their outfit, bulky and shapeless, the opposite of what they usually wear to go out, they put their chain and pearl necklace on at the last minute, not feeling like themself without it on. Marie frantically cleaned her dorm room, shoving Emma’s things under her bed when she saw the end of a half smoked joint on the ground. Marie took it as a sign and promised herself she would only take a small hit as she’d never smoked before, but it seemed to ease Emma’s anxieties well enough and Marie knew she could use some courage before meeting with Jordan. Despite the ultimate goal of determining the reason for the woods, Marie’s highest priority was getting Jordan to be honest about their feelings, even if Marie had to embarrass herself to find out.

Jordan knocked on the door, the sweet smell of incense wafting from the crack below. There were crashing noises inside, a yelp, then a small bundle of a human tumbled through the newly appearing opening.

“You came… here .. to my dorm.” Marie’s words tumbled out of her mouth without thought as she righted herself in the doorway and stared into Jordan’s eyes. Were there always this many shades of gold in their irises? How had she never stopped to categorize them all? Marie began to lose herself in the rich brown pools staring back at her but was interrupted with the clearing of a throat nearby. She swung her head up and down the hallway looking for the source as a chuckle sounded from the body in front of her.

“You made it!” Marie exclaimed. “I was worried you wouldn’t.” She continued to stand in the doorway.

“Can I come in?” Jordan asked, their heel clicking against the wood flooring of the hall. Marie silently turned and opened the door behind her, letting a plume of smoke out into the hallway. “I thought we were meeting for a research and planning meeting, not a bonfire.”

“Oh, is it smoky in here?” Marie asked innocently, unaware of the haze surrounding her. “I didn’t notice.” She started to move through the smoke in the room and subtly took a sniff, no evidence of her foray into drug use was apparent so she cracked the window slightly. She made sure of arch her back as she unlatched the screen to let the cool breeze into the room. She glanced over her shoulder to see if she had any effect as Jordan looked around the room, pointedly avoiding looking at Marie, for a desk chair to no avail. “Sit over here!” Marie plopped herself ungracefully on the bed behind her, kicking her feet off the side of her raised bed. Jordan moved towards the bed, then thought better of the situation and used their jacket to make a cushion on the floor. Marie felt her head start spinning, step one of her plan had failed. Seducing Jordan seemed like the easiest option and working on the bed would be the simplest choice. Seducing someone on the floor would be much more difficult. Jordan didn’t seem the best at communicating their feelings so getting them to act on their attraction would be the first step to getting them to admit to it. Marie would just have to try harder. She felt the effects of the weed creep up on her and her anxieties heightened. Was this even a good idea, what if she had read Jordan’s expressions wrong and they truly just liked arguing with Marie?

Jordan was repeating their list like a mantra in their head, don’t be a dick, and no touching rang out like alarms blaring between their ears. Marie had been acting odd, more frantic and erratic than usual; the new information she learned recently must be big to cause this reaction. Jordan had been surprised at the way Marie had looked at them when they arrived, so unguarded and longing; the look now seemed more likely to be due to concern rather than attraction. She was paranoid in the hallway, making sure no one saw Jordan enter. Jordan didn’t know if that was due to their investigation of Tek Knight or just shame at people associating Jordan with her. She seemed more forgetful, lighting multiple incense sticks and not noticing the smoke. The more Jordan went over her behavior, the more convinced they were that she was acting this way because she was scared of something. She rushed to the bed, eager to start looking for a solution, despite Jordan’s wish for it to mean something more. Thinking about the things they wished would happen, Jordan felt a wave of arousal come upon them, but they forced it down and focused on the present. They needed to stay grounded so they could actually be of use to the investigation instead of being distracted by their baser urges.