UNDER EDITING (previously kiss with a fist), when ronny became thoth's avatar, she hadn't expected to spend her days stopping khonshu and his nefarious deeds. but that is exactly what she did and the age-old rivalry between the gods is what led her...
Steven had insisted that Ronny stay at home and rest but she had refused, despite his best efforts. She was tired and bruised and on the verge of a breakdown but she wanted to see Steven. She wanted to see him every single day and she yearned for his attention. It had been so long since she had yearned for someone like she had him. Not since her husband and the guilt was eating her from the inside-out but the love cancelled out any pain she was beginning to feel. Not that she would be willing to admit that. Not yet.
The cafe was quiet as Steven came over. A pack of Quavers in his hands and a happy little smile on his face. Ronny watched him, the corner of her lip turned up despite her best efforts. Steven had noticed the difference in her demeanour and she hadn't done such a good job at concealing the bruises on her cheeks but he didn't say a word.
"The sandwich's okay, yeah?" He asked. Ronny nodded and smiled despite the ache it caused her cheeks. Her sandwiches on the porcelain white plate were barely touched and Ronny felt guilty but it was her money she was wasting.
"I'm not really hungry." Steven's face fell a little and he placed the bag of now-opened Quavers down and reached out to grab her hand. It made her stomach feel weird - in the best way - but she tried to ignore it. Adjusting her hold so she could intertwine their fingers. He squeezed her hand and gave her one of his adorable smiles.
"Do you want to come to mine? I can make you vegan chilli," He requested. Ronny glanced around, wondering if Thoth was around. She hadn't seen the God for a few days and it made her worried but she tried to ignore it. She nodded and looked up into his eyes.
"I'd love to." Steven grinned and let her hand go as he began to eat his lunch. The two of them began to talk about their weeks and family recipes and egyptology, as usual. But Ronny was quieter than she usually was. There were moments where Steven just found her staring at him, not even seemingly listening, just watching. It made him embarrassed but when he paused or stuttered, Ronny urged him to continue and comforted him.
Ronny couldn't stop thinking about everything. The guilt, Marc, this entire situation. She didn't understand what was going on with Marc and Steven or whoever they were. And who it was that always spoke to her in Spanish. She had researched to find out what it could be and upon finding that it could be something named 'Dissociative Identity Disorder' everything made more sense but then it only brought more questions that she couldn't answer.
So, rather than questioning everything, she tried to live in blissful ignorance hoping that Marc and whoever the other one was, would stay hidden until a mission came around. It was a conversation she couldn't have with Steven. She just couldn't. What they had was too perfect and she was already teetering on the edge of shattering, this relationship couldn't too.
"Ronny?" Steven's voice brought her right back to reality and she looked up. Her face had fallen into a frown and her eyes were glassy. She hadn't even realised how close to crying she actually was. She pushed her fingers through her hair and smiled, entirely fake but believable, "My break is over. I need to go back, love." Ronny opened her mouth but couldn't find the words to actually say what she wanted to. So, she simply nodded.
The two then parted ways but Ronny stayed and sat in the chair at the cafe. Kaylea was due to meet her once Steven went back to his shift and then Ronny spotted her with the angriest look on her face. Kaylea dumped her bag on the seat and sat down across from Ronny.
"I can't fucking believe him." Kaylea seethed as she dropped her phone onto the table. Ronny raised an eyebrow, "You remember that Jake I hooked up with?" Ronny nodded, "Yeah he just went past. I hooked up with him again like two days ago and he just pretended like I didn't exist. It was definitely him. The fucking bastard." Ronny furrowed her eyebrows.
"You never showed me a picture of him." Ronny responded and Kaylea rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, he's not a big picture kind of guy. He doesn't have pictures with anyone, ever." Ronny scoffed and rolled her eyes before she passed Kaylea a copy of the menu so that she could order food for lunch.
"You've not shown me any pictures of Steven. Did I just miss him?" Kaylea asked absent-mindedly as she began to look through the list of items. Ronny pulled her phone out of her pocket and went onto her camera-roll. She scrolled through in search of a picture but found pictures that Steven had taken of her instead. She chuckled softly and tilted her head, smiling. She hadn't even noticed that he had taken them.
"Show me him then," Kaylea said, dramatically slamming down her menu. Ronny couldn't believe he had taken these photos. He had her phone passcode but she hadn't ever seen him take photos with it. She didn't care, it was adorable.
"I haven't gotten any of him but he's taken so many of me. He stayed the night like two days ago and he showed me this gorgeous avocado toast recipe he uses and I didn't even notice the pictures he'd taken of me." Ronny explained as she passed the phone over. Kaylea grinned and scrolled through, shaking her head slightly.
"You've got yourself a keeper..." Kaylea trailed off when she came to a picture that Ronny had skipped over. It was just the two of them in front of one of the sarcophagus' in the museum. It hadn't been a proper photo but Kaylea clearly didn't like what she saw, "Please don't tell me that's Steven." Ronny stared at her and Kaylea's face dropped.
"Why?" Ronny already knew what was about to happen. She already guessed what was about to be said and it still hurt when the words slipped out.
"This is Jake. The guy I slept with two days ago. He vanished before I woke up. Ronny, this guy has a Spanish accent. He doesn't even sound English. Do you really know him? Are you sure he has a British accent?" Kaylea asked. Ronny felt her throat close-up and she snatched her phone from the table. She stuffed it in her pocket and then grabbed her coat, throwing it over her shoulders.
"I'm gonna go. Just don't say anything to him, please." Ronny said quickly, stumbling over her words as she rushed towards the exit. Kaylea rushed to her feet but wasn't willing to abandon her stuff. By the time she reached the door with coat in hand and bag over her shoulder, Ronny had vanished into a crowd of tourists.
Ronny's feet carried her straight to the gift shop where she was sure Steven would be. Her worlds were imploding and Marc was playing some sick joke on her. Invading her life and threatening her friends and sleeping with them before attacking her in the dead of night. No amount of love for Steven would change how screwed up Marc was.
Her face had turned stony when she walked into the giftshop and Steven was just finishing up with a customer. She joined the queue and reached the front within a few minutes. He had that smile on his face again but Ronny just stared at him.
"I don't know what you're trying to do, Marc, but you've crossed a line. I am respectful of your private life so be the same to mine or get out." Her tone was neutral and she was using her American accent this time but the anger was raging behind her eyes. She then turned on her heel and walked away. Steven stumbled after her but Donna, his supervisor, was quick to order him back to the check-out. Ronny felt like crying and screaming and doing everything love had made her do all those years ago with her husband. But she did nothing.
Music and the Bus helped her calm down and by the time she had reached home, it all hit in a flood. The guilt, sadness, anger and complete and utter betrayal hit her like a truck as she collapsed against her bed. Her face in the pillows until she realised that she couldn't breathe and then she flipped over and stared at her ceiling.
Marc, Steven, Jake, whoever the fuck they were, they had made her love them while they were fucking her best friend and trying to kill her whenever they wanted to. Some part of her knew it was hypocritical to be angry because she had only befriended Steven to get closer to Marc and gain information. But this was different. Her intentions changed and she was beginning to love him, like an idiot. She was trying to move on from her soulmate to some guy that tried to kill her on a regular basis and lied through his teeth at every opportunity.
Ronny felt like screaming so she did. Her neighbour knocked to ask if she was okay and she went quiet after that.
