archieimagines:

Imagine Credence believing he’s not good enough for you.

requested by: anon
warnings: credence putting himself down 😦

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You took his hands in yours. They were cold and clammy, pressed together tightly, like he needed something to hold on to. “Credence,” you chuckled, rubbing his hands in yours. “Your hands are freezing. What are you so scared of?”

You were stood before him in a back alley, where your interactions had to take place. As a magicfolk, and he a squib who’s forced to live a life against magic, places for you to meet and be together were often back alleys. You really couldn’t be caught, but for you, it was worth it.

He didn’t answer, only kept his eyes fixed on something over your shoulder. He was holding himself like he should be ashamed again, a habit you’d been trying to get him to break for ages. He was doing well around you lately, but you could tell from how easily he sunk back into it that something was wrong.

“Credence,” you pressed, gently turning his face to look at you. And it almost broke your heart when he did. His eyes were brimming with tears, those deep feelings slipping out of their cages that he always tried to desperately to keep them in. “Tell me what’s wrong. Please.”

He parted his lips to speak to you and blinked, his tears falling from his lashes. His voice was strained and broken, but you understood what he said: “We can’t do this anymore.”

Your heart clenched in your chest. A thousand thoughts whizzed through your consciousness, and you felt like someone was stood behind you. They weren’t, of course, it was just the horrible, always leering presence of the social boundaries. It had you suffocated all the time. “What, is it Mary? Have we been found out – is- is that why she hit you this time?”

His brows pulled together at your words. “Of course not. I wouldn’t be stood here now if she had.”

This didn’t help the chill in your skin. “Oh, right. Then what-?”

“A man,” was all he said.

“A man? A wizard?”

He inhaled shakily, turning his eyes from you. “I don’t know how he knows, but… he does. Or, I think he does.”

“You think he does? Credence, that’s not enough for me to-”

“He says I’m not good enough for magicfolk. And when he said it, he…” He bit at his lips, and his hands, still in yours, grew tense. “He gave me this look.”

“What look?”

He struggled to get his words past his lips. “One that says I shouldn’t try to be around magicfolk, around you. One that says I’m not worth anything.”

Appalled, you inhaled deeply through your nose. You’d been trying to build Credence’s confidence for months, and you were doing well. And one word from a man who could see the change was all it took to pull it all back down again. You bit the inside of your cheek to keep from looking too angry. You forced yourself to be delicate as you raised his hands to your face, pressing a couple of sweet, calming kisses to his fingertips.

“He’s wrong, Credence. Nobody deserves you, and that’s because you’re too beautiful, too kind.” You met his eyes pointedly, with a determined light. “I’m so lucky to have you,” you said, and watched the warmth grow in his eyes. It was beautiful. You were so lucky.

written by: archie