Chapter Text
The interviewer asked and Marie froze.
This was it, the pivotal moment, make or break, she took a deep breath and for a second, just a glimpse, she saw her mom out of the corner of her eye.
“It wasn’t just me actually-“ Marie said with her most charming smile. She continued before they could stop her.
“- Jordan Li, who unfortunately couldn’t be here today because of their duties as TA, was absolutely instrumental in taking down Golden Boy… they didn’t even hesitate, without them it would have been a massacre. They are my hero” Marie said with a slight blush.
She could hear commotion behind her, and was certain that she would get dragged off of stage and into a van.
She could see the woman in front of her, she maintained her professional smile and neutral expression, but Marie could hear her heart racing. She was pivoting.
“So am I to understand that it wasn’t just you who stopped Golden Boy?”
“That is correct, it was a team effort, we realised what we had to do… We knew Luke, but we knew we couldn’t let him hurt anyone… well anyone else, I know Jordan is heartbroken that we couldn’t save Professor Brink.” Marie replied.
“And what a team, do I hear some admiration in your voice?” Came the coy question.
“Absolutely, I greatly admire Jordan Li, they are genuinely a great fighter and incredibly brave.” Marie said with a soft smile.
“So there we have it, it is not one Guadian of Godolkin, but two… a pair that might have seemed like underdogs but in the end were the heroes God U needed.”
The interview concluded and that weird guy on crutches who seemed to be stalking her was limping away from Dean Shetty and towards her.
“That wasn’t what we agreed upon, I now have two marketing strategies that I can shove up my ass and I have to plan a new one for not only you but also Jordan Li… fuck you two are a hard sell. Why the fuck couldn’t you just do as you were told!?” He rambled while he limped away.
Marie exhaled and her calm lasted for about 30 seconds before she was approached by Dean Shetty.
“You chose the truth.”
It wasn’t a question.
“They deserve it.”
“So do you.”
“Maybe, but this way I’m not living a lie.”
“I could have you expelled.”
“I know.”
The Dean sighed.
“You just bound the two of you together for a long while, I hope you are aware of that.”
She guided Marie into a quiet room, She was shocked to see Jordan already sitting on the couch.
“They came and got me.” They said instead of a greeting.
Marie nodded and sat down next to them.
Dean Shetty sat down in the armchair facing them.
“So here is the thing, Jordan we are ranking you as number one, I sincerely hope your friendship With Luke has given you some insight into the role because this will be a trial by fire.”
Jordan’s face lit up like a Christmas tree. It was honestly adorable. They immediately shifted from masculine to feminine and looked at Marie like they wanted to kiss her.
Even Dean Shetty couldn’t help but smile.
“There is more, Marie we are bumping you to number two, I’m sure Jordan can go over the requirements for that with you. But here is the catch, you two are a package deal from now on, a pair – what Golden Boy and Cate should have been, what Homelander and Queen Maeve could have been.”
“Wait you mean a-“ Jordan began.
Shetty nodded.
“A crime fighting super hero couple. Yes, thankfully Marie was so gushing in that interview that I’m sure there is no doubt in anyone’s mind that you are an item.”
“You want us to pretend to be a couple?” Marie asked.
It was like a dark shadow passed over Shetty’s face, something went cold in her eyes.
“No I don’t want you to pretend to be a couple. I want you to be a couple, I want you to convince not just me but yourselves and your family that you are a couple. Because if you don’t I will expel both of you, I will make it seem like you drove Golden Boy to suicide Jordan and Marie you know what expulsion means for you.”
Marie and Jordan looked at each other.
No good deed truly went unpunished.
Jordan nodded and bumped Marie’s knee with their own.
Marie nodded too.
“Great! Our marketing team will be in touch with you, until then… I’m thinking soft launch.” Shetty said before she left them sitting on the couch in the meeting room.
“I am so sorr-“ Marie began.
“Don’t be, I asked you to tell the truth, and this was the closest thing to it… Andre is going to be pissed though.” The thought amused Jordan slightly.
“But now they want us to… you know.” Marie wondered when the 14 year old version of herself had takes over because she didn’t know why she was being this awkward.
Jordan hummed and leaned back into the soft seat.
“Did you mean it? What you said.” They asked.
Marie nodded.
“Then this should be fine, we will spend some time together, which to be honest we already do, then we will get to know each other, post some pictures and at the Galla I will introduce you as my girlfriend”.
The plan seemed comprehensive, they should be able to pull it off.
“So how do we soft launch this?” Marie asked.
“I have an idea.” Jordan replied with a smile.
That is how Marie ended up in Jordan’s bed with her legs over theirs.
The picture only showed that, a snapshot of her sock covered feet in a lap.
The caption read.
‘Unwinding after a long day.’