Work Text:
“Are you free Friday evening?”
“I…think so?”
“Good. ‘Cuz we’re going on a date.”
Gru whirled his head around, staring plate-eyed at his pretty redheaded partner with a thrilled smile on her face. He hadn’t meant to be so abrupt, but the comment took him off guard.
It’d been almost a week since El Macho’s arrest, and exactly five minutes since Gru and Lucy were assigned their first mission as official partners. Gru enjoyed his partner’s presence after being separated for a couple of days, and the new, dizzying career path ahead of him. But, somehow the week dragged on. He wasn’t sure why, because at the same time he wished there was more time to spend with Lucy.
Or maybe, his internal chest-eating anxiety had something to do with it. The fact that he stared at Lucy’s number for most evenings, racking his brain on what to say. She must’ve been waiting for something, anything . A follow-up on his date request - which neither were sure was on the cards given the situation they were in whilst he asked.
Lucy wasn’t sure. Was his question just a one-off? A panicked state of delusion?
Thankfully, she managed to mention it before he could.
“O-Oh?” he stammered, and suddenly wished the heater above the automatic doors didn’t blast him with hot air.
“Mhm!” Lucy nodded, her hands shoving into her coat pockets. Mostly to hide the excited shaking in her palms. “I know you asked me first, but I’ve been kinda worried that you didn’t actually mean it.”
Gru’s lips parted. “I…I did, I just--sorry.”
His shoulders hunched. It wasn’t something he should’ve felt ashamed of, but the thought of leaving Lucy Wilde with false hope just swallowed him whole.
He cleared his throat again, “I think the whole situation just took me by surprise. I wasn’t sure if you felt…forced to say yes.”
“No way! As if I’d turn down spending time with you,” a hand rested on his shoulder, and he almost mistook it for electricity shooting through his limb, “I didn’t realise I made you so nervous,” Lucy snickered, her hand trailing down his arm before slipping away.
His anxiety chewed away at his attention, to the point he almost strode past her car. Clearing his throat, Gru shook his head with the least amount of assurance, “Not nervous, it’s only--you’re very nice to talk to, and I don’t want to mess up my words.”
Aw.
So nervous then , Lucy almost let slip past her tongue, which she bit down on with a smile. But who was she to tease him? His skittish demeanour was adorable, a word he probably would’ve recoiled upon hearing aloud.
“Well, if it makes you feel any better,” Lucy leaned in closer – noticing Gru held his breath as she did so – as she murmured, “I don’t wanna mess up my words around you, either.”
Gru chuckled--another anxious titter. He slipped into the passenger seat before she could notice the flush across his cheeks, hoping it’d pass before she started the engine. However, he forgot how small her car was. As she sat in the drivers’ seat, Gru tried his hardest to ignore the scent of vanilla and honey. He wondered whether that was her shampoo or body wash--whether her lips tasted the same.
He inhaled sharply. That’s inappropriate , he scolded himself.
Driving back to Gru’s house, Lucy’s eyes occasionally flickered from the road to her partner. She fought back a smile, noticing his hands struggling to find a comfortable position. Also fighting back her butterflies, her free hand reached for his, squeezing it tight and resting their entwined hands in her lap.
His chest tightened and loosened at the same time. Not sure whether to flinch or squeeze Lucy’s hand just as firmly. Her hands were smooth, a soft comforting blanket. Gosh, she was enchanting.
The silence used to be deafening, but ever since he came to his senses about his feelings, he embraced the silence with open arms. She became a safe haven; identified his boundaries, knew what he felt comfortable with. Whilst there was much more to slowly ease into, he knew Lucy wouldn’t push anything.
Even as he watched her drive, Gru appreciated the comfort of their major contrast. Her head gently swayed to the music on her radio, fingers of her free hand tapping the wheel. Usually, he preferred white noise or silence. Focus was key. He wouldn’t play music like this with Nefario, or alone for that matter. With Lucy, whether it was her voice or her music taste…his heart radiated his chest. An unfamiliar setting, so much noise, but it felt familiar.
Eventually, Lucy parked up the house that loomed over the smaller, assimilated houses. She glanced at him with a sweet smile. Gazing. Waiting for something. Neither knew what, but anyone else watching from afar could easily notice.
They both glanced down to their still entwined hands, and Gru--reluctantly--slipped away. He cleared his throat, reaching for the door handle. An odd feeling crept over him, but it was washed away as he caught Lucy smiling at him once he left the vehicle.
A little taller than the small car, Gru lowered his head and nodded. “Thank you.”
Lucy shrugged. “All good, partner. Not gonna let you swim back home, am I?”
Gru chuckled, tugging at his sweater to soothe the sudden hot sweat. He glanced at his front door, rooted to the spot before clarifying, “So…about the date?”
“I’ll shoot you a top secret message, for your eyes only,” Lucy winked. For good measure, she popped on her sunglasses. “Stay alert, Agent Gru.”
Gru finally shut the passenger door. With a sleek wave, he smiled as his partner drove away. She’ll message him. She’ll message him. Exactly what he should’ve done as soon as he officially signed a contract to join the AVL full-time. It was as easy as that. So why couldn’t he figure that out before?
His chest thumped twice as fast. Smile slipping away, Gru pressed a hand over his heart. The pace increased further than he found comfortable. Grunting in discomfort, he wiped a hand over his forehead. Sleek with sweat. He turned his hand over, staring at his palm shaking like a leaf withstanding a storm.
Was that normal?
Shutting the door gently, making sure the click didn’t disturb the girls, Gru yawned. Not even two days since the start of his full-time recruitment at the AVL, and he already felt the exhaustion wave over him. It was expected, of course. As a jelly and jam consultant for--too many months--he lacked the active minutes that kept his mind and muscles working.
Not that he was complaining, he already loved it. He never felt so alive, cracking cases, chasing down villains, spending time with Lucy…
And just as he recalled their day together, his phone dinged from inside his bedroom.
His heart skipped a beat. It was Lucy! Hopefully something related to their date night?
Closing his eyes for a moment, Gru peeked through one as he read the message.
New mission tomorrow evening, me and you!
Gru blinked. Oh.
Silas gave us another mission already?
Nope. This is Mission First Date. Top Secret. Wear something casual and comfy, appropriate for outdoors. Bring a coat, and most importantly, your wonderful self.
Gru exhaled. How did that almost go over his head? He glanced at his shaky hand as he typed back:
You really thought this out.
Do you accept Mission First Date, Agent Gru?
Are there villains involved in this mission?
Only if we look for them. I need an answer to confirm the mission.
Gru rubbed his face, trying to stop his laughter.
I accept the mission, Agent Wilde.
Fabulous. Meet me at my apartment for 5pm, I’ll text over the address. Be warned! This message will self-destruct in ten seconds.
Gru blinked. He watched as an explosion graphic covered the message, small digital ashes dropping to the bottom of the screen. With a cocked brow, he watched as the message returned to normal.
Technology was strange. And so was Lucy.
But that’s what made him fall for her even harder.
He tugged at the collar of his grey button-up shirt. Yes, shirt. Not his usual turtleneck.
Since he wanted to make an actual impression on this date, Gru decided swapping out his usual attire for something more formal was the right idea. It was funny, though. He criticised himself for his appearance, panicking that he didn’t look smart enough. Opposed to the thought that he wouldn’t even mind if Lucy showed up to their date in her pyjamas. As long as he spent time with her, that’s all that mattered.
After preparing his outfit, next on his list were the girls.
Pressing the end call button on his phone, Gru strolled into the living area. “Okay girls, I’ve ordered pizza–“
An upside-down Edith spawned above him. “Stuffed crust?”
“ Woah !” Gru flinched, staring bug-eyed at his middle daughter somehow glued to the ceiling. “Yes, sweetheart. Can you please get down from there?”
“It’s safe!” Edith shrugged, pressing a button that retracted the stilts she wore back to normal shoes. She skipped across the ceiling with a grin. “Nefario let me borrow ‘em.”
Gru turned on his heel towards Nefario, slowly, with a solemn glare. “Did he now?”
Nefario didn’t seem fazed. More impressed. “The girls will follow in your footsteps eventually, my boy.”
“Yes, that doesn’t mean encouraging them to walk on the ceiling,” Gru buried his face into his palms “and if I have to call off my date because Edith fell and sliced her head open, I won’t be happy.”
He must’ve been over-reacting. It wasn’t the most dangerous thing Edtih had done in the house, he’d lost count on his fingers. But, as Margo strolled past him with a bunch of DVDs in her arms, he felt that pressure in his chest subside. “It’s okay, she won’t be up there for long,” Margo sat beside Agnes, “we’re having a movie night.”
Agnes held up a bucket of popcorn with an already sugar-induced beam. “Yeah!”
“Hey,” Gru pointed a finger, “pizza first. And I hope this doesn’t disrupt your bedtime.”
“No, we gotta stay awake!” Agnes grinned, running over and grabbing onto his leg, “We’ve gotta hear about your date with Lucy!”
The thought of it once again lit his chest alight. A strange, burning sensation. Gru rubbed at his chest, trying to compress his pounding heart.
Not again.
Nefario noticed his discomfort. He patted him on the shoulder. “You alright?”
“I’m fine!” Gru replied in a high-pitched tone. He coughed, trying his best to ignore the pain.
Nefario wasn’t convinced, and as all three girls turned to stare, neither did they.
“If you don’t feel well, I’m sure she will–”
“I’m not cancelling,” Gru snapped, whipping his hand away from his chest. It was just mind games. There was no pain. As long as he ignored it, the problem wasn’t there.
Grabbing his jacket, Gru took a moment to kiss each girl on the head. “Be good for Nefario, I’ll be back later tonight, and we will discuss the date in the morning.”
“Tonight!” Agnes protested with a grin.
“In the morning,” Gru smirked, before his eyes flickered to the windowsill behind her. He caught sight of a vase and yelled, “ flowers !”
“Huh?” The girls murmured in sync.
Gru checked his watch, “See you later, be good!” And with that, Gru bolted out the door.
Nefario stood in the hallway, shaking his head. “The boy’s in a world of his own.”
With a determined exhale, Lucy glimpsed at herself in the mirror.
Calm down, you’ve done this before .
But, as she remembered the man who she was dating tonight, she couldn’t stop her shoulders from wiggling as a grin broke out. Who would’ve thought that herself, Lucy Wilde, would be going on a date with ex-criminal mastermind, Gru ? Her eyes caught the cut-out of Gru’s photograph on her pinboard - an article of his Jumbotron heist. Eyes widening, she ripped it down and stuffed it into the drawer cabinet.
Not that she was expecting to bring him home after the date, she wasn’t like that. But…just in case, sometime in the future, she did. She wasn’t sure how he’d react to his face on her wall.
TAP! TAP!
Her heart jolted. He’s here!
Releasing a big exhale, Lucy checked herself over once more.
“You got this,” she assured herself, with a final nod building up the courage to almost skip towards the door, opening it with a cheerful smile.
Which quickly dissolved to a jaw drop.
It was Gru, for sure. Not alone. With a cart - loaded with flowers. Roses, sunflowers, hydrangeas, tulips, you name it. He stood beside the cart with a timid smile. His eyes flickered across the redhead, stunned by her beauty. Almost distracted by his introduction.
“Uh…” Gru cleared his throat, struggling to form words, “I-I’m sorry that I’m late. The flower store was closed and I didn’t know which flowers you liked, so I just took the whole cart.”
He lay a hand on the cart, pushing it closer towards Lucy. Her silence petrified him. Gru widened his eyes, “I-I left the owner some money under the doormat! No stealing.”
At that moment, Lucy wasn’t bothered whether he stole it or not. He got her flowers ! Other than one relationship in the past, her previous dates never bought her flowers. Plus, this was the man renowned for being careless, selfish, dismissive - as Silas described him before they recruited him. But where was that man? All she could see was Gru, her date for the evening, dressed in a dapper shirt and waiting for her response with an anxious frown.
“These are beautiful!” Lucy beamed, grabbing his hand and squeezing it, “You’re so cute, thank you.”
His cheeks flushed. Her comment made him internally laugh. Even as a child, he couldn’t recall anyone calling him cute before.
“Okay,” Lucy looped her arm around his, “our location isn’t far.”
“Oh?” Gru popped an eyebrow, “Are you planning to kidnap me?”
Lucy shrugged, attempting her best villainous expression with a deep voice, “Only time will tell, Mister Gru. I may be a spy, but underneath…I could be a scandalous villain.”
Gru chuckled as she mimicked the hands-pressed-together stance. “Well, in that case, I’ll teach you the proper villain vocabulary. And how to laugh like one.”
Lucy faked defeat. “Darn it, looks like that’s the case. A Villainy 101 lecture.”
His cheeks hurt from grinning. Though he only knew Lucy for a short amount of time, he doubted there was a single villainous bone in her body. Even as an ex-villain with scandalous tendencies, he didn’t mind.
The location wasn’t far at all, so Gru’s stomach didn’t have to endure a thousand more somersaults. Halfway up the hill, Lucy ordered Gru to close his eyes. With the additional dramatic effect, she tied her polka-dot scarf around his eyes.
“Hey, I am trustworthy!” Gru protested.
“Gotta be sure,” Lucy laughed, wrapping an arm around his own to direct him, “you’re a sneaky one.”
After several instances of stumbling and almost tripping up the hill, Lucy finally directed him to a halt. The silence disturbed him a little. Was she still there?
Or…was she just directing him somewhere foreign, just so she could run?
No, no. She wouldn’t do that.
Why would you think that?
Besides, the thought diminished when she finally untied her scarf. Humorously, he still kept his eyes shut despite no reason whatsoever. Yet he took the lack of fabric as an invitation to open his eyes, and felt his cheeks radiated when he absorbed the sight.
A picnic blanket sat on top of the hill, accompanied by the sunset hues reflecting across the condiments that waited on the fabric. Platters of food, cups with bottles of drink, a vase of flowers - she got him flowers? - and…were those watercolour paints?
“Are you an artist?” Lucy smirked.
Gru twisted his lips. “I wouldn’t call myself Picasso, but I am alright.”
Sitting on the blanket, Lucy patted the space next to her. She even prepared pillows to rest on. “We shall see, because we’re gonna paint each other…” holding up a finger, she dramatically revealed two tiny canvases, “on the smallest panels in the entire world.”
A chuckle slipped from his lips as he took the canvas from her and sat on the pillow. It was literally the size of his palm!
“Oh, and we only have ten minutes to paint,” Lucy winked, “just for the dramatic effect.”
“Just ten?” Gru smiled.
Lucy thought for a moment, twisting her lips. “Actually…twenty. That’s pretty fair.”
Gru nodded. She was so cute whilst in thought. She was cute regardless. His chest tightening. Excitement, surely? To finally be spending time with Lucy outside of work. He knew Agent Lucy Wilde, but now he finally had the chance to know Lucy . He was smiling, there couldn’t have been another reason. Shoving the feeling down, he scanned the equipment that Lucy splayed out on the blanket. Tiny brushes, paints, pencils - he smirked. He’s got this in the bag.
Lucy prepared herself with an exaggerated alert stance. “Ready…go!”
Both picked up their canvas and pencils, and began sketching.
All was silent as the pair concentrated. They shared occasional glances from time to time to observe their subject, resulting in laughter or snickers. Lucy’s tongue poked out of her lips with a cunning smile, and Gru couldn’t help but adore the small quirk.
That wasn’t all he adored. What made this little activity exciting wasn’t just overall the bliss of painting, the bigger picture, so to speak. But concentrating on the small details of Lucy Wilde that took his breath away. How each ringlet of hair in her bun was perfectly intact, save for a few wild strands caught in the wind. Her emerald eyes. They glistened in the reflection of all things wonderful, and how her pupils widened in fascination. The freckles dotted across her cheeks, almost inviting him for a small game of dot-to-dot - though, he’d already guessed the picture would’ve been something as beautiful as the canvas of skin it mapped across.
And finally, her lips. Everything about them. Her smile. How they wouldn’t withstand true laughter. The sparkly gloss that coated across them, seemingly welcoming him with open arms. The same lips that kissed his cheek not too long ago. Warm, soft, loving.
Somehow, he lost himself within those twenty minutes. Luckily, he managed to complete just a sketch.
“Aww man, I should’ve given us thirty,” Lucy buried her face in her hands, chuckling lightly, “please don’t judge my art skills, I perform terribly under pressure.”
She reluctantly placed down her small canvas, and Gru held back a snicker. It was almost like painting with Agnes, because the small stick figure of him - bearing in mind, the scarf and the face were decent - was endearing to look at. All finished off with her swirly signature in the corner and a sweet love heart at the top.
That pinched his heart.
Tracing the lines - and cocking his brow at how long she’d drawn his nose - Gru smiled. “Well, there’s a special place on my fridge for this picture.”
Lucy chuckled in response. Whilst she wasn’t sure if he was serious or not, the blush spread across her cheeks in an instant. Rubbing at her face, she shuffled forward expectantly, eager to see his painting.
Gru glanced at his own drawing. Whilst he hadn’t even started on paints, he felt quite guilty that his art - not trying to brag - was slightly better. Whether she’d appreciate it or not was digging into his mind. Sighing with a smirk, Gru set his picture into Lucy’s hands, preparing himself for her reaction.
Lucy’s mouth fell open on cue.
Definitely impressed.
“No, freaking, way, ” Lucy gasped, her glistening eyes soaking up every careful line and shading of her face. Her heart and stomach both sung in chorus, adoring how utterly beautiful the little sketch was.
Itching to break the silence, Gru stammered, “Did I…ever tell you I was a Star Student of my Art class?”
Lucy’s ecstatic state continued as she stared at him with a grin, “Y’know what, I can totally see that.”
Gru chuckled. “Well, I had a lot of free time as a kid.”
Lucy grinned, “I bet everyone wanted to get a picture from you,” she delicately placed the picture next to her, her eyes refusing to break away from it, “I definitely would’ve.”
The words only prompted a “Hmm,” from the man, and instead provoked the worst memories from art class. No, nobody wanted pictures. Nobody cared about the pictures. Even of the impressive painting of the first man on the moon he made at sixteen - he soon found hanging at his locker, torn and tormented with red paint spelling the word LOSER .
But now, for the first time in his life, one of his drawings was… admired .
They spent almost an hour tucking into the food and drink, whilst finding themselves in conversation. Gru’s biggest query for Lucy, though it was a no-brainer for anyone with energy like hers - what made her want to become a spy? He discovered that she lost her parents at a young age, and though she had yet to find the villain who murdered them, she finds slight reassurance in taking down other villains to avoid another child losing their parents just as she did hers. Gru hadn’t realised he’d held his breath for so long as she told him.
She must’ve felt lonely and frightened for years .
“I…” Gru set down his drink, unable to focus, “if I’d known, I would’ve stopped being a villain years ago.”
Lucy frowned. “Don’t be silly, you didn’t know I existed. Besides, you weren’t a villain who hurt people.”
Gru opened his mouth to retort, but Lucy cut him off with, “Do you think I would’ve admired your work if I thought any different?”
He paused for a moment, and then shook his head.
Lucy smiled, although she desperately wanted to change the subject. Tonight wasn’t the night she wanted to get deep into her past.
“What about you? Why the moon?” she leaned forward, curiosity in her smile.
Though he felt reluctant shifting the focus onto him, Gru couldn’t help but mirror her smile. “Well, as you would’ve known, as you were apparently a fan…”
He gave her a knowing look, which she chuckled at.
“...I was on a lull. Nothing was big enough, and this pesky new villain got the next big thing,” Gru scowled, remembering the man-child that kidnapped his daughters, “so, I thought to myself, what is the next big thing?”
And then, Gru gestured above.
“The moon, of course!” Lucy finished with a grin.
Gru nodded. “And also, my Mom told me to text her when I stole something actually worth boasting about, and she said the moon as an example.”
“Smooth. Was she impressed?”
Gru scoffed. “I only had it for a few minutes before putting it back. She still doesn’t believe I held it.”
Lucy frowned, taking his hand with a gentle touch. “Well, everyone knows that you held that moon, and that’s insane. An amazing type of insane. Like, who else has done that? Nobody! You, sir, are a one-of-a-kind individual.”
Funny how a few simple words could make a person lose their own. That was a trick Lucy seemingly mastered, and somehow made his stomach do loops every time. Not just that…but the thought of Lucy planning this little date, even if it was just a picnic and a fun drawing session.
She put him first. He couldn’t remember anyone else doing that for him, ever.
Gru swallowed, “I’ve never had someone put this much thought into something for me.”
Lucy tilted her head, but soon followed his gaze across her little set-up. She smiled, tucking her legs under herself. “Well, you think this is cool, just wait until I get to the action side of dates.”
She chuckled, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “I mean, that sounds really crazy of me, I haven’t been planning dates in advance, I promise–they’ve always been just ideas to hang out–”
“It’s okay,” Gru calmed her rambling. He understood what she meant - and also came to the realisation during their PX-41 mission that Lucy was prone to tying herself in word knots. “Date or no date, I enjoy spending time with you.”
Whether it was the reflection of the sunset, or a slight blush across her cheeks, Gru adored the sight all the same. Did Lucy know how beautiful she was?
“I like this side of you,” Lucy smiled up at him, “well, actually, I like all the sides of you.”
They gazed at each other for a moment, Lucy grinning at her own joke. He was rarely ever sure how to respond to compliments, but instead he teased her with, “Which side?”
Lucy lay a hand over his. “The real one,” she answered, before finding a comfortable headrest in the shape of Gru’s shoulder, tucking her body close to his as her cheek grazed his jacket. With a smile, she closed her eyes. Relaxed.
And then the silence returned. Yet again, he wasn’t sure what type of silence it was. Even the traffic below and the echoes of children playing in the park nearby weren’t enough to help him waver it off.
His body was stiff, which hopefully wasn’t noticeable to the redhead who seemed comfortable relaxing against him. Her hair tickled his chin, sending shockwaves through his stomach. “...Lucy?”
Lucy lifted her head slightly, eyes still closed. “Mhm?”
“You look really pretty,” Gru swallowed, “I mean, you always look pretty, but I just wanted you to know that I…think you are. Pretty.”
Lucy grinned, fighting the flush across her cheeks. She sensed his stress, yet his effort alone made her fall for him so much more.
“Thanks partner,” she opened her eyes, the emerald shining so much brighter with the sunrise, “you look really pretty, too.”
A small titter slipped from his chest, unfamiliar with receiving such compliments. Also the tone of voice as she said it--was she mocking him? Surely not, but it was just too playful for him to tell. Her smirk told him so. But still…why couldn’t he just loosen up and relax ?
Lucy returned to cozying up against his shoulder. That wasn’t so hard to do, right? Why couldn’t he just relax with her? Gru tried leaning his head against hers, but it still wasn’t helping.
Why was she silent? Maybe she was waiting for him to add to the conversation. Or not.
Was this a good silence? Was it calming for her?
Was she bored?
Gru swallowed. He felt his chest crunch. Heart beating faster. His eyes clenched shut. It’s no big deal. She’s fine. She would say something.
But would she?
He swallowed again. If only his chest could stop –
It wouldn’t. But as he tried steadying his breath himself, thinking about it more led to shaky arms and legs.
Stop, stop .
He breathed through his mouth - more sharp than intended. Enough to attract Lucy’s attention as she turned to face him. Gru’s breath caught again.
She was so pretty.
And it certainly didn’t help when he couldn’t control his breath in the first place. Why was this happening? He took a short intake of breath. And another. Another.
It wouldn’t stop.
Stop .
He hadn’t noticed how his ears were muffled until Lucy asked, “You okay, partner?”
I’m fine.
Not fine.
Instinct told him to shake his head. He couldn’t lie. As soon as he did, Lucy sat up, fully alert. Her eyes focused on him.
“Hey…” Lucy lay a hand over his own.
His gaze glossed over, opting to stare ahead across the city instead. Though nothing registered--nothing at all. He wasn’t even aware that she was trying to comfort him. All he could think about was whether this was a heart attack or what was this?
Lucy understood what was happening. He couldn’t talk; his thoughts grasped his ability to communicate. She experienced her fair share in these circumstances, and whilst everyone reacted differently, she knew what helped her. All he needed was to know she was there. So, instead, she sat close to him, and squeezed his hand tight.
“Sorry…” he murmured, finally finding stability to form words. He groaned, rubbing his eyes, “ No…why… ”
“It’s okay,” Lucy shook her head, “you don’t need to be sorry.”
“It’s…” Gru tapped his fingers across his lap, “I-I haven’t done this…”
Lucy nodded, listening to each word. She was so patient.
“It’s okay,” she nodded, “I haven’t been on a date in a while either, you don’t have to–“
“No, no, I…I haven’t been on a date, ever,” Gru sighed as he glanced elsewhere, “I…you asked why I never said anything about the date…I wasn’t stalling the date because of you, I just--”
His gaze fell to the blanket. He tried focusing on the canvases drying off at the side, but even Lucy’s goofy painted version of him couldn’t freshen his senses. How could he deserve her? She was sweet, tender, and knew how to plan a perfect date without the fear of rejection prodding her shoulder.
Gru shook his head. “You deserve someone who knows what they’re doing and isn’t like… this .”
For a moment, Lucy’s silence almost made him believe that she agreed. Her lips pursed. At first, it almost sounded like he was rejecting her softly. But, as she sat on her knees, Lucy understood he wasn’t doing that - he was sabotaging himself. She placed her hands on each side of his head, lifting his glance and welcoming him with a smile. Waiting until she gained his full attention, Lucy smiled and replied, “The last thing I want is normal.”
He searched for a hint of regret--anything that implied that after this date, she’d disappear.
“Listen,” Lucy read his mind, “I can see you’re not used to this, and that’s okay. We can go as slow as you’d like, I don’t have anywhere else to be…except for 9pm on Fridays when new episodes of my favourite spy show are on.”
Gru chuckled with her. But, after gazing into the genuine gloss of her emerald eyes and that sincere smile, Gru let a slight smile across his face. She wasn’t leaving.
Lucy wasn’t his mother. Or Lisa. Or any kid screaming and pointing at him on the playground.
She was Lucy .
He lay his hands across hers, leaning into her touch. Closing his eyes.
And finally, he relaxed .
“Sorry.”
“No apologising,” Lucy shook her head, “we can sit here for as long as you need. And if you need me to leave you alone for a bit, I can do that.”
Gru shook his head. “Don’t go.”
Lucy’s head returned to his shoulder. “Wouldn’t even think about it.”
As he finally gained control over his breath, Gru exhaled. The cold air fresh across his lungs, rejuvenating his mind. He welcomed the soft breeze, cooling his flushed skin and soothing the static in his ears. Another sound - laughter. His head turned towards the bottom of the hill, where a park stood just before the entrance.
Humming a laugh, Gru gestured to the playground. “That’s the park I took the girls for our first ever picnic.”
Lucy followed his hand. She smiled, pleased that he seemed chilled out. “Oh yeah?”
“It wasn’t as well-thought out as this, though,” Gru shook his head at himself, unable to contain a snicker, “they asked if we had a ball we could play catch with, and I said yes. I brought a ball-and-chain.”
Taken back, Lucy laughed out loud. A hand flew up to her mouth, but she couldn’t suppress her giggles. “That’s so…oh my gosh.”
Gru grinned, “Edith actually managed to find a way to play with it.”
“I’m not surprised,” Lucy threw up her hands, slapping a hand on her forehead as she laughed.
The laughter subsided, however, when the kid on the swing propelled themselves toward the taller kid, booting them in the chest. The kick knocked them to the ground, and there was no sign of them standing after a moment. They pointed and laughed, before returning to the swing.
Gru and Lucy were silent. But they knew similar thoughts were shared.
“Did you see that, too?” Lucy asked, eyes still glued on the scene.
Gru nodded. “Yeah.”
And with that, the two rose from the blanket and made a break for the park. They watched as the taller kid rose to his feet, seemingly shouting something across to the swing kid. Jaw dropping, the swing kid leapt off the seat and called his sister over. Both of them seemed ready for a fight, as the boy rolled up his sleeves.
Before they could, Lucy slipped in between the two and shoved them apart. “Whoa, whoa, hey!”
One of the swing kids raised their fist at the taller kid, but Gru scowled. “Hey, keep your hands to yourself.”
Waiting a moment for the kids to calm down, Lucy gave them a sweet smile. “Now what’s going on here guys?”
The taller kid and his friend turned to Lucy. “We’re just trying to use the swing, but these guys keep trying to shove us off,” there was a crack in his voice, “they’ve been on it the entire time and we just want one go.”
“Tough luck!” the swing kid spat, “We’ve claimed this swing.”
Lucy glanced between the two kids. She spoke with a soft tone, “Okay, you can’t technically claim a piece of playground equipment. These guys just want a turn, I’m sure you can let them.”
“No!” the swing kid yelled, “Don’t tell me what to do.”
Before Gru could snap back at him for shouting at Lucy, another adult voice echoed behind them. “Excuse me!”
Gru and Lucy turned to face two furious parents storming toward them. The Mom, sporting a worse-for-wear blonde bob, glared at Lucy.
“And just why are you yelling at my son?” she snapped.
Lucy glanced around her. “I wasn’t yelling–”
The Mom stepped closer to Lucy, though her height wasn’t as intimidating as she believed. “Step away from my kids before you regret it.”
Whilst Gru wasn’t in the right frame of mind for an argument on his date, he stepped up in front of Lucy, “Are you threatening her?”
Beside her, the Dad finally tossed in his side of the coin with a snarky, “Calm down, Penguin.”
Gru raised his brows, and dared to step closer. Lucy flinched, grabbing his arm instead.
“Okay, guys, let’s just calm down,” Lucy felt her heart race. She was all for fighting criminals, but conflict with parents wasn’t something she was expecting out of tonight. Turning to both the parents, Lucy kept a solemn tone, “I don’t wanna fight. Your kids aren’t being fair, that’s all. I just asked them to–”
“You don’t ask them to do anything , got that?” the Mom jabbed Lucy in the chest, “they can play wherever they want.”
Lucy glanced down where her hand hit, and nodded, “Huh, well, now I know where they get it from.”
The Mom bristled. “Get what from, exactly?”
“I was gonna say their terrible haircut, but I meant the attitude.”
WHACK!
Lucy winced. A sharp bolt of pain spread across her cheek, the result of her late reaction to the consequence. She wiggled her nose, luckily the punch wasn’t agonising.
Gru, on the other hand, stood ready to commit murder. “Okay, that’s it–”
“No, no!” Lucy grabbed his arm, able to withstand his strength whilst in agony. “It’s not worth it.”
“Lucy–”
“Besides, you threw the punch wrong,” Lucy rubbed her cheek, facing the Mom once again.
Gru blinked. What?
The Mom arched her brow, crossing her arms. “Oh really?”
“You’ve totally got the confidence, but you’re lacking aim,” Lucy rolled her shoulders, “you wanna go straight down the middle next time, like this.”
WHACK!
“ AAH! ”
The Dad stumbled back, tripping over the slide in the process. He examined his hand after feeling his nose, gasping. “She… she boke my nobes !”
“And then, you wanna get this baby out,” Lucy withdrew her lipstick taser from her purse, “and do this .”
ZAPP!!
The Mom gasped as the tube of lipstick somehow sent an electric shock through her body, causing her to collapse beside her husband. He hadn’t noticed, however, too concerned about the dispositioning of his nose.
Their kids ran over to them, horrified at the situation. Lucy pat them on the shoulder. “They’ll be fine, just give them five minutes.”
She glanced at Gru, concerned that she might’ve frightened him off for good. The moose tranquilliser, now bringing out the lipstick taser? Maybe that was too far.
Luckily, he let out an airy laugh, meeting her gaze with befuddlement. “Aren’t you just full of surprises?”
Before she could get carried away flushing over his comment, the two other kids stared at the unconscious parents, before looking back to Gru and Lucy.
Lucy pressed a finger to her lips, unable to contain a smile. “This is our little secret.”
Nodding at her, though a little reluctant, the two kids eventually ran back to the swings. Soon, nothing more but laughter left in their presence. Gru and Lucy watched them with pleased smiles, content that nobody lingered around to interrupt them…before they heard the groans of the parents behind.
Lucy grabbed his hand. “...We should go.”
“Yep.”
“Well, this date surely was something.”
Gru turned to Lucy with a frown. “In a bad way?”
She patted his shoulder. “No way, in a super-awesome-romantic-kinda-illegal way!”
He chucked as they approached his front door. Also thankful for her driving him home, even though he was only around the corner of her little apartment. He certainly would’ve dwelled on the date if he’d walked, so Lucy keeping him company for that little bit extra was necessary.
Although, he grew concerned over the red mark on her cheek. “Are you okay?”
She knew what he meant, but swayed it off. “After giving that man a good punch? Absolutely.”
His furrowed brows softened, sparing another smile. She was okay.
“Lucy…” Gru swallowed, “Thank you.”
“What ya thanking me for? I should be thanking you for such a lovely date,” she gently punched his shoulder, before pulling out the small portrait of herself from her coat pocket, “and this ? I’m gonna be running to the hardware store to get something to hang this baby up.”
That alone made his heartbeat triple. Just her words. But, even with everything she said, he needed to clarify. “I just…being a villain gave the ignorance to not bother introducing myself to people. Nobody really wanted to know me for who I am, and I didn’t want to know them, either.”
Gru took a moment to appreciate how bright her eyes were. Full of curiosity. “But you? I want to know everything about you, Lucy. If you give me the chance.”
Lucy smiled. This was definitely the side she liked the most. The one that only she had the pleasure of witnessing. “I’ll give you a hundred and forty seven chances, Partner.”
Gru cocked his brow. “Very specific.”
Lucy stepped closer, a mischievous smile spread across her lips. “Is that too much for you?”
Shaking his head, Gru took her hands in his own. And, taking a breath, he pressed a kiss on top of her palms.
Lucy pressed her lips together, because if she didn’t, her smile probably would’ve broken her jaw.
Gru swallowed, reading her expression differently. Was that too much? Maybe he should’ve just said goodnight and let her leave, rather than being a creep too soon…
But instead, he watched as time slowed, restricting his reaction as Lucy’s face moved in and placed a tender kiss across his lips. Her eyes closed for the few seconds she kissed him, whilst his flickered across her face, counting the freckles across her cheeks. She didn’t stay, but lingered long enough for Gru to appreciate how warm her lips were. Their faces kept close together for a moment, before Lucy stepped back.
“Sorry,” she tittered, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, “too soon?”
There weren’t enough gulps to soothe his dry throat. Instead, Gru cleared his throat whilst battling a wide smile. “Uh..heh, no, no…just–”
“Like I said, we’ll take it slow,” Lucy squeezed his hands, giving him a reassuring wink, “that’s how the best stories are told.”
He chuckled at her little wink. Yes, perhaps slow and steady was for the best…but it was hard to admit he already missed the spark between their lips. They were standing outside his house, but those lips of hers would soon become home.
“Drive home safely,” Gru brushed his thumb over her palm.
Lucy nodded, blowing him a kiss before turning back down the pathway. Those little butterflies returned as she caught him staring with pure longing. They wouldn’t be apart for long. She’d make sure of it, if that potentially meant Mission Second Date.
Gru took the time to watch her get into her little blue bug. He chuckled as she offered him a wave. Once she switched on the engine and drove out of sight, Gru sighed. Not a heavy sigh, but one that felt like fresh air. He stepped up to the house, entering the hallway and closing the front door. He leant against the door, thinking for a moment.
And then, he giddily danced on the spot. A little squeal slipped from his lips, careful not to wake his daughters. He danced for a moment before retaining his casual stance, brushing his attire like nothing happened.
But the smile wouldn’t fade. Not a chance.
Music boomed across the meeting room, with a content Lucy dancing with a stack of papers and pictures. Whilst she loved to prepare pinboards for ongoing missions, she couldn’t shake the buzz from her date with Gru yesterday. She grinned as she stuck pictures up and connected string between them…only to realise her daydreaming messed up her rough drawn out plan.
She turned down the music, exhaling. Focus, girl!
Before she could fix the mistake, her phone interrupted with a DING!
Focus flew completely out the window as she opened the message from Gru:
Silas told me about another mission, he said meet him in Meeting Room Three?
Another one? Lucy twisted her lips, sitting on the edge of the desk as she typed back:
Dang, I’ve almost got our pinboard finished. Talk about timing.
I know, right?
Will be there in five!
Switching off the music on her laptop, Lucy sighed as she returned her files to their designated spots on the shelf. Sure, she was a major sufferer of procrastination, but it seemed like Silas caught her in moments when she finally found a groove. Regardless, it was about another mission. With Gru!
Lucy grabbed her coat and headed into the hallway, locking the office. Meeting Room Three was only around the corner, so her excitement couldn’t get the better of her before having to retain her professionalism. She loved her job so much, and the sensation overwhelmed her.
But, as she opened the door, she was surprised to only see Gru–
--with a fully decorated whiteboard behind him, with the words MISSION SECOND DATE spread across it.
Gru turned around with a marker pen in his hand. “Now…I have received some important information regarding Mission First Date,” he smiled as he gestured to the board, “and since that went very well, I have been given the order to green light our next stage.”
He swallowed, fiddling with the pen for a moment. “That is…if you’re up for it?”
Lucy didn’t need time to think as she rushed up to him, planting a kiss on his cheek. That was a definitive answer for him. And with that, Lucy took her seat. Gru cleared his throat, almost dazed from the kiss.
Dating stages come and go, but this one…she had a strong feeling about.