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Chapter Text

In all honesty, you don't know why the most renowned villain decided to live in Freedonia. You barely stayed one day here, and you are close to murdering someone. Maybe that was the point. Live in a happy and irritating place to fuel your fury and commit heists to unwind. Even so, it's too much, especially the Cheese Festival.

You sigh, looking at the imposing house up on the cliffside, and curse your lack of forethought. It was obvious that it wouldn't be easy, but you hoped, foolishly you know now, that somehow you could get the chance to see Robert Felonious aka the Bald Terror, and ask to be his trainee. It's a miracle in itself that you know about him. The man is the most elusive villain in existence. No one managed to get a glimpse of him, but you did. You saw him when he committed one of his crimes and his figure is engraved in your mind.

You ponder if your lack of preparation is a sign. You booked the flight to Freedonia without even thinking of a plan. You resign yourself to the fact that you made a foolish move. You grind your teeth when a group of children run toward you and push you into another person.

"Sorry" you mumble, turning only to be met by a wide chest.

"No worries," the accented voice says softly as you lift your gaze.

You blink several times. The man in front of you has a striking resemblance to the Bald Terror. The obvious differences are that he is younger, and his golden blond hair is the farthest it can be from balding or even thinning.

Mesmerizing cobalt blue eyes hypnotize you and when you acknowledge that the man is blushing under your intense gaze you realize that you were staring. Fortunately for you, he breaks the silence.

"Are you a tourist?"

"Yes, yes I am. Did my lack of accent give me away?" You intone in jest.

He chuckles "Yeah. Did you come to the Cheese Festival?"

"Yep. Uh..." You hold out your hand "... I'm F/n."

He takes your hand, the warmth hitting you full force, and it expands so much that your cheeks become red when he kisses your hand "I'm Dru."

It becomes clear to you, the longer you gaze at the man in front of you that he must be the son of Robert Felonious. You smile. It seems Lady Luck is on your side.

You crank up the charm "Do you think you can show me around? Being a local and all..."

He grins brightly from ear to ear as he nods vigorously ruffling his blond locks a little "Yes! Come along!" He makes his way through the crowd with a spring in his step.

"The Freedonian Cheese Festival first began in 1810 to honor the betrothal of the Crown Prince Frederick and Princess Adelheid of Fontina-Gruyère" he informs you as he takes you to where music plays and young children dance.

"Wow. The festival is that old?" You say as you look at the boys dancing with plates of cheese and the girls twirling around them, apparently choosing the males if they take their cheese and eat it "What are they doing? Is this a game?"

He shakes his head "No. This is the betrothal ritual. It dates back to when the festival first began, and it was performed by Frederick as well. Now it's a local thing."

You blink several times and look at the children, wondering who was the idiot that decided that having 12-year-olds choose their partners at such a young age was a good idea.

"Oh... so, you did this dance as well?"

He stiffens slightly "Yes. Once."

You huff amused "Obviously. You don't look like the harem kind of guy."

His focus shifts to the ground and you briefly think your joke wasn't well received but then he looks back at the dance and nods with his long nose to the last boy dancing "That was me when I was 12. No girl picked me."

Bewilderment strikes you since he seems like a nice man and adding to that his father's cover-up business makes the blond both handsome and wealthy.

You bump into his shoulder "You can't really tell me that you wanted to be betrothed at 12." Blue eyes lock to yours "Besides where's the fun in that? You now have the option to choose for yourself and woo whoever catches your eye."

He smiles bashfully "That's a fair point. What about you? Anyone in your life?" He inquires as he leads you to a candy stand.

"All on my lonesome."

You watch his childlike cheerfulness as he browses the candy selection and you do wonder if you aren't mistaken. He seems too innocent to be related to Robert.

You nearly take a step back when a lollipop appears in front of you. Your gaze jumps from it to the blond's smiling face.

You take it "Thank you. Lemme just pay for it."

He waves the notion aside "I already did" he informs you as he licks his own lollipop and offers you his arm.

You blush slightly as you place your hand in the crook of his arm. You do wonder if he is like this with everyone he meets, but that idea slowly dissipates when you don't see any of the other locals come to interact with him as you walk aimlessly around.

"What are those guys trying to do?" You point and discard the stick of the lollipop.

He throws a glance as he does the same "Oh, they are racing each other."

Your eyelashes flutter at the sight "On a giant cheese grinder and sitting on blocks of cheese?"

"Yep."

This town becomes more absurd to you by the minute "Why are there so many pigs on the streets?" You ask as one starts to sniff your legs.

He swats the animal away "It's the national animal."

"Seriously?"

He nods "I know it's odd, but this is the truth. Oh!" He grabs a T-shirt and on the front is written in bold letters 'Freedonia' with the map illustrated below "What do you think?"

"Uh... that you are from here and don't need it?"

He laughs and, to your surprise, your heart flutters in your chest "Not for me, silly! For you!"

"Oh..."

You don't get the chance to say that you don't want it because he already pays for it and gives it to you.

"Here you go."

"Thank you."

You find it a little odd that he throws away his money for you, a complete stranger.

"Where are you from?" He inquires as he helps you into the seat of the restaurant next to the souvenir shop.

"The States."

His eyes simply shine at your answer "Really?! What's it like?!" He utters leaning his head on his propped-up hands.

"Uh... loud, crowded beyond measure, the usual."

"Awww... I wish I could see it" he intones with longing in his eyes.

Confusion sweeps into you "Why don't you?"

Again, you see him stiffen "My father is against it."

Your eyebrows are close to your hairline "You are a grown man. Why is it his decision?"

He looks nervously at the table "He is my father." He tells you again like that is the ultimate answer "What would you like to order?" He asks softly as the waitress comes by the table.

"Surprise me."

He smirks "Ok. Oh! Do you have any allergies?"

The question takes you by surprise "Cheese" you say and see horror strike his face, making you chuckle "Joking, joking! I'm allergic to dill."

A sigh of relief escapes him before his smooth chuckles leave his lips "You had me there" he turns to the waitress "Two Special order pasta and two cinnamon hot chocolates, please, and thank you."

The woman nods almost bored and goes to place the order.

"You will love the food!" He beams "The pasta is made with different kinds of cheeses, and it's topped with gold flakes!"

You feel the blood leaving your face. What he describes will be, more than likely, pricey. You resign yourself to making your own bed. You will starve until you go home.

The hot chocolate is brought swiftly and Dru takes a sip from his. A small moan escapes him that makes both your cheeks and his pink.

"I... really like hot chocolate" he breathes out, in a way trying to justify his reaction.

"Is cinnamon hot chocolate your favorite?"

"Yes. It's the best in the world." He murmurs softly, with his cheeks tainted red.

You try your hot chocolate and while you can't say you share Dru's fervor about it, you admit that it tastes good.

"This is the first time I tried it."

His eyebrows go up "Really?"

"Yes" you play with your cup and wonder why you feel so nervous all of a sudden "So, what do you do for work?"

As soon as the question leaves your mouth you understand why you have the jitters. It feels like a date.

He looks embarrassed and you briefly think you made a faux pas "I... don't really work. My family owns a business. We export pigs."

"Oh! That sounds fancy." You chide yourself since it was painfully obvious that he wouldn't divulge the villainous nature of his family.

"Eh... I guess so. What about you?"

Your mind goes a mile a minute as you think of a plausible job that would pay you enough to get here while the waitress places the plate in front of you.

"I..." Your eyes dart around, trying to find some inspiration "... am a..." You focus on a group taking a photo "... a photographer." You lie.

"Really? That's awesome!" His fork stops midway, and he frowns slightly "Where's your camera?"

You nearly choke on the food which is indeed as delicious as he claimed "I... lost it...?" You mumble.

His mouth drops open "You lost it?"

"At the airport. They are still searching for it. Maybe it didn't even leave the States." You go along with your lie.

"That's awful! You can't take pictures of Freedonia!"

You wave dismissively "Eh, it happens. This is amazing" you point to your plate.

He looks at his pasta "Yeah" he utters meditatively "Won't your boss be upset that you didn't take photos?"

You inhale deeply "He will understand..."

His expression doesn't change as the waitress comes to pick up the plates and leave the check. With trepidation, your hand goes to it but his large one falls on it. He doesn't hesitate to pull a black credit card from his white jacket and hand it to the woman.

"Thank you. It was a lovely meal" he says scribbling the tip that makes your eyes bulge in shock.

You stare at him as he smiles pleasantly at the waitress and wonder how much money he has to throw it away on such huge tips.

He offers his hand "Ready to go?"

You nod, placing your hand in his. He barely manages to take a few steps when the first drops of rain hit your heads. You look up and the dark clouds look angry as they let out more and more raindrops. His hand leaves yours and when you look you see him unzipping his white jacket.

He takes it off and holds it up above your heads "Summer rain, it will pass immediately. Where are you staying?" he asks almost casually as people run around you to shelter.

You barely register his question because you marvel at how good he looks in his sky-blue dress shirt "I forgot the name of the hotel but it's near a bar called the 'Tipsy Unicorn'."

He starts walking toward it with you, making sure that the rain doesn't get you wet. When you are halfway to it the raindrops have nearly stopped.

"Woah. That was a quick one" he says smiling as he lowers his jacket.

You shiver since the rain made the temperature drop suddenly "Thank God for small miracles."

He notices immediately and you blush when he puts his jacket on your shoulders "Here. It will keep you warm until we reach your hotel." He then resumes strolling with you.

You are near it when a car pulls up and an elderly male comes out and rushes to the two of you.

"Master Dru, I have been looking everywhere for you!"

The blond beams "Fritz! Let me introduce you to F/n" he waves his hand in your direction "Y/n this is Fritz." He introduces and you are still confused, not understanding who the older male is.

"Hello..."

He bows shortly "Good evening" he turns back to the man next to you "Your father is home!"

Dru becomes rigid and that makes your excitement falter "Father's back?!" A nod from Fritz is his confirmation and the young man turns to you, his face pale as a sheet "I need to go home" he quickly breathes out and runs to the car "Bye, Y/n!"

"Bye...?" You intone as the two get in the car and speed off.

You enter the hotel and make a beeline to your room. Only when you enter do you realize that the pleasant smell you were feeling comes from the jacket on your shoulders. You breathe in the expensive cologne that clings to it and you wonder if you can return his garment to him. Maybe this is your ticket to meeting the Bald Terror.

You ponder the man you met today. Dru is nothing like his father or maybe he is just a very good actor. You remember even now when you first saw Robert you were intimidated by him in less than a second. Dru, on the other hand, gives you the impression that he is the living embodiment of a golden retriever.

You sigh and decide that the day was made pleasant by the blond. You nuzzle into his jacket and your cheeks steadily become red as you think of him. You chide yourself. This isn't the time for fruitless dreams to cloud your mind.

Chapter Text

You grimace when you hear a knock on your door. You open one eye and throw the entrance an annoyed glance like it offended your ancestors. Silence greets you for a few seconds and you close your eye, ready to go back to sleep.

You groan when another soft knock rings. You stand up and glare at the clock. Too early for your liking. Again, a knock is heard.

You groan "I'm coming!" You march to the door and yank it open "What?!"

The man on the other side yelps in surprise and you are met by cobalt blue eyes.

He smiles brightly "Good morning, Y/n!"

You stare at the tall male in bewilderment "Dru? What are you doing here? How did you know my room number?"

"Oh, I asked at the front desk" he looks bashfully at the ground "I was wondering if you wanted me to show you Freedonia today."

Well, since your plan to return his jacket went up in smoke, you might as well try to find an opportunity today.

"Sure. Let me change first."

That's the moment his gaze shifts from your face down your body. The red color that overcomes his cheeks can rival a cherry.

He looks away and fidgets with his hands "Y-yeah. I will wait downstairs." With that he spins on his heels and dashes down the hall.

You close the door and rub your face. Sighing, you prepare and go down. He isn't in the lobby, but you see his figure outside. You exit and see him, bouncing on the balls of his feet. He is too cheerful so early in the morning.

"I'm here" you mumble as you bite into the apple you snagged from the fruit bowl in the lobby.

He turns and grins "I was thinking of taking you to the amusement park."

"Uh-huh. Apple?" You offer sleepily the fruit, and he looks at it like a confused owl.

He takes it and breaks it in half easily before offering back the half you bit into "Thank you" he takes a bite before giggling excitedly and going to a red sports car "I have something for you!"

When your mind registers that the expensive car is his, your jaw falls slack "Is that your car?!"

He comes back with a nicely wrapped gift "Hm? Oh, yes. Do you like it? I have a few. I can show them to you."

"What does a ‘few’ mean to you?"

He taps his mouth with a finger as he thinks "30 give or take."

You are certain that your jaw is lost somewhere on the ground. You wonder if Robert would be open to adopting you because you won't lie, a luxurious life while being a villain sounds fantastic.

You blink several times when the present comes in front of you "What's this?"

"A gift for you. Come on, take it" he places it in your hands and practically trembles with excitement as he waits for you to open it.

You eye it cautiously "It won't explode, right?"

Confusion sweeps into his cobalt eyes "Why would it explode? That wouldn't be very nice."

You really can't believe that this naïve and innocent man is related to one of the most renowned villains. You tug at the bow and open the wrapper. Your eyes widen when you see a camera. Not only a camera, but one of the most expensive on the market.

"Do you... like it? I didn't know what camera you used so I bought the best one."

You sigh and rub the space between your eyebrows "Dru, I can't accept this."

Confusion shines on his face "Why? You can't refuse a gift!"

"It's too expensive!"

He shrugs "Eh, it wasn't that expensive. Pocket change." His answer annoys you and you turn, marching toward the beach "Hey! Where are you going?!" He runs after you, but you don't stop.

You plop down on the warm sand and stare at the sea. Timidly, he lowers next to you, and you can see he is nervous from the way he plays with the sand.

"Did... did I do something wrong?" He inquires in a small tone that reminds you of a child.

You sigh "Dru, you are throwing away your money on my behalf. Yesterday you paid for everything and now you bought me a high-end camera. Why are you doing this?" You ask, turning fully to him.

The corners of his lips are down as he gazes at the sea "I never had friends... well... anyone really. You were the first that gave me the time of day."

Your heart breaks at his confession. With how bubbly he is, you couldn't have imagined how lonely he must be.

He lets out a humorless chuckle "This..." He nods to the camera "... is the only thing I could think of to show you that I appreciate your company." He admits and by now his eyes are a little glassy.

You hesitate only slightly before you reach out to push his blond locks out of his eyes. He blushes when you caress his cheek, and he leans into the touch like a kitten.

"You are remarkable. Do you know that?"

His face can rival Rudolph's nose in intensity "You really think so?"

"I do." You take the camera out and aim it at him "Say cheese."

He beams "Cheese."

You snap his picture, and it comes out. After a few moments, Dru's face appears. The smile he has is contagious even through the photo and you know that it isn't due to the camera's performance.

"Can we take a photo together?" His accented voice inquires almost shyly.

You gaze at him, and he is indeed blushing and biting his lip, making your heart beat a little faster "You have to take it. Your hand is longer than mine."

He nods quickly, ruffling his blond hair a little "Ok!"

He takes it and snaps a picture. When he brings back the camera and photo both of you were captured with wide smiles on your faces.

"It looks good."

"Yes. Do you think I can make another one so I can have a copy of this as well?"

"Ok."

He stretches out his arm and again smiles, but before he pushes the button you react on impulse and kiss his cheek. He stays frozen as the picture comes out, his face such a bright red that he can replace a lighthouse.

"Dru...?" You breathe out, afraid that you overstepped.

He comes back and brings back the camera and stares at the photo. He is still smiling in it but in his gaze the surprise is evident.

"Um... why did you kiss me? I liked it" he adds quickly "Don't think otherwise, but why?" His hypnotizing eyes lock to yours and he waits for your answer with bated breath.

"For everything you did since I bumped into you."

He smiles gently "It was nothing."

"Nothing?! You are a saint."

His grin falters at the word slightly "Yeah... um... ready to go? There's an amusement park a few miles away."

"Show me the way."

He stands up and offers his hand. You take it and get up, but to your surprise he doesn't release your hand, walking with you to his car. He opens the passenger seat and helps you inside before getting in himself.

"Is something wrong?" He asks when he sees how intently you stare at the console.

"It's a stick shift."

His eyebrow goes up "Yes...?"

"How do you drive it?"

His other eyebrow joins the one near his hairline "You don't know how to drive with a manual transmission?" You shake your head "Do you want me to teach you? You can drive back."

You light up "Can you, please?"

He nods energetically "Yes. So, we have three pedals. From left to right we have the clutch, the brake, and the accelerator. First, we need the gear to be in neutral." He moves it quickly "Then you press the clutch all the way to the floor with your left foot" he does so "Now we turn the key and press the break with the right foot." You listen to him attentively "Parking brake down and move the shifter into the first gear. Remove your foot from the brake pedal and slowly place less pressure on the clutch. Then press the accelerator gently." The car starts moving "And we're off! Did you get it? Do you want me to show you again?"

"I got it. You are a good teacher."

He grins "You think so?"

"Yes. Did your dad teach you how to drive?"

His smile vanishes in a flash, and you are shocked to see his mouth twisted down "No. Fritz taught me."

"Um... what is Fritz to you?"

"He is our butler."

"Well, Fritz taught you well."

He nods solemnly "To get into second gear you take your foot off the accelerator and press the clutch" he moves the shifter into the second gear "And now again release the clutch gently and press the accelerator softly. That's all it is to it." He intones in a lifeless tone, and you wonder what kind of man Robert is if his son is like this at the mere mention of him.

Watching him like a hawk you place your hand on his on the gear stick. He flushes and looks at you from the corner of his eye before focusing back on the road. You see that the tension in his shoulders lessens, but he is far from his usual self.

"What's your favorite color?"

It has the desired effect since a charming smile graces his face "Red. What about you?"

Your heart skips a beat since he turns his hand and intertwines his fingers with yours "B-blue" you stutter slightly, but not enough for him to notice "Favorite season?"

"Summer. I like the sun on my face. You?"

"Spring, specifically when the flowers start blooming."

A soft smile teases his lips "That's a good one. Do you play any instruments?"

You don't know if the heat you feel is from the sunny day or from his thumb stroking your hand "I can't even play a kazoo."

He chuckles "That bad?"

"Yes. What about you?"

"Violin and piano."

Your mouth falls open "Wow. That's amazing!"

He blushes "You think so?"

You nod "Yes. How could you think it isn't?!"

He shrugs "My father doesn't think so."

Your heart cracks at his small confession "He is wrong. I would love to hear you play. Music always sooths me."

He gives you a lopsided grin “Maybe I can play for you sometime” he says before he stops the car "We're here." He practically bounces out of the car and comes to open your door like a gentleman "The roller coaster is awesome!" He informs you as he takes your hand and walks with you to the gate. He stops dead in his tracks when he sees the lock on the front gate "I... didn't know it was closed... I'm so sorry!"

You look calmly at the lock and go to jiggle it a little "A flimsy one." You take out your lockpick kit and begin to fiddle with it, making it pop open in a few seconds.

"You can lockpick?" His accented voice asks next to you, and you freeze, realizing what a big mistake you made.

You gulp "Yes...?" You turn to him, but you don't see suspicion on his face, but rather awe.

"Can you teach me?! Please! Pretty please!"

You stare dumbfounded. How can the son of a renowned villain not know such a simple skill?

"O... K... Lockpicking lessons for your driving lessons. Sounds fair?"

"Yes, yes, yes!"

You close the lock again and step to the side to allow him access "Here. This is the tension wrench and the pick." You hand them over and he is close to giggling in happiness "Now, you will apply light pressure with the tension wrench in the keyway" he pokes out his tongue in concentration as he does what you say "And you are going to push up, one by one, the pins inside the keyway with the pick." You barely finish and the lock pops open much to your disbelief.

"I did it! I picked a lock!" He jumps up and down, snickering in glee.

You stare in utter surprise "Are you sure this is your first time?!"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Dru, you did it in less than a few seconds! Do you have any idea how extraordinary that is?! Especially for a beginner?!"

He flushes a bright red "Do you think so?"

"Yes!"

He smiles brightly at you "I think it's because you are a good teacher."

"Suuure, because having skills like yours has nothing to do with it."

He waves his hand dismissively "Trust me. You are the cause. Now, let's go!"

He grabs your hand and runs with you into the park. To your utter terror, he dashes with you to the roller coaster. You don’t have the heart to tell him that you are afraid because his eyes simply shine with excitement. You grip the bar and tremble as the roller coaster goes up the track. You close your eyes and grind your teeth when it descends at full speed, completely ignoring the ride, despite Dru’s enthusiastic sounds next to you. You are a little green around the gills when you step out and that must be the cause that stops the blond from suggesting another round. The other rides are nice and pleasant, but they don't compare to the prize booths since the blond man is dead set on winning you plushies even though he can simply take them. You watch with wide eyes as he hits the bullseye with guns and knives without breaking a sweat.

"Wow. Who taught you that?" you finally exclaim when he succeeds yet again.

"Fritz did" he admits as he takes a penguin plushy to give you.

You don't comment. It seems his father is quite absent from his life. You take the toy "So, are you ready to see if your driving lessons were fruitful?"

"More than ready" he intones as he holds open the door to the driver's seat.

"I will say now, if I have an accident, I will have to sell a kidney to pay the damages."

He chuckles as he buckles up "I wouldn't make you pay. Remember what I said about starting the car?"

"Yes. Lemme just..." You follow his instructions and to your delight, the car starts moving "I did it!"

"Yes, you did! I'm so proud of you!"

You beam but your smile drops when you can't shift into second gear "What's wrong with it?!"

His hand comes over yours on the shift stick "Hey, take it easy. I'm here and everything will be fine. Take your foot off the accelerator and press the clutch" he says softly and when you do, he moves your hand and shifts into second gear "Now press the accelerator again. See? You are doing great!"

You give him a grateful smile "You are great."

He blushes and looks out the window to mask it, but he keeps his hand over yours on the shift stick "You are too kind."

"Sooo... can I take you home?" You jest, wiggling your eyebrows, but it doesn't have the desired effect.

He looks gloomy as he gazes out the window "At your hotel, please."

Your cheeks dust with pink, but when you see that it lacks innuendo and that he is still sorrowful you deduce that he is in no rush to get back home.

You squeeze his hand "How about we grab some lunch?"

His spellbinding gaze turns to you, his eyes jumping from your profile to your hand "Yes, that would be nice" he says softly, a smile teasing his lips.

He doesn't say anything else, but he plays with your hand. Caressing it and drawing patterns on your skin absentmindedly and making you a blushing mess.

You arrive at the hotel, and you stop the car. He rushes to open your door and you barely step out when a heavily accented voice pierces the air.

"Dru!"

He stiffens and panic enters his gaze as he turns to the tall man coming toward him like a steamroller "D-dad!" He stutters and starts trembling.

Your awestruck response quickly vanishes when you see the blond's reaction to his father. You pay more attention and while Robert shares the same eye color with his son, his gaze is dark, the kind present in people capable of murdering someone for fun.

"What the Hell are you doing?!" He hisses, clenching his fists and twisting his mouth in an ugly sneer.

You take a step back and to your astonishment, despite his fear, Dru puts himself between you and his father.

"I... I was showing Y/n Freedonia" he utters in a small tone.

Robert throws you a fleeting glance and if looks could kill you would be dead. Luckily for you and unfortunately for Dru, his father focuses back on him.

"Can you not be a disappointment for 5 minutes?!" He growls and grabs the younger male's ear, twisting it and making him yell in pain "Why can't you be like your brother, Gru?! At least half the villain he is!" He growls in a low tone, but you manage to catch it. He then drags the blond male to the gold-colored car "Fritz, get Dru's car!" He orders the butler as he throws his son into the passenger's seat with such force that the car shakes.

"Yes, sir." The older man says running to the red car behind you.

Dru looks at you sadly, waving slightly as his father drives off with him.

"Excuse me, miss. I need to get into the car" Fritz says hastily.

You move to the side "Dru has a brother?"

The man clearly wants to lie, but he knows you heard Robert "Yes, a twin” he whispers like it’s a secret “He doesn't live here." With that, he gets in the car and speeds off.

You stare after the cars, feeling bad for Dru and cursing his father. You can't believe you wanted to ask him, no, beg him, to take you as a trainee. If he treats his son so badly you don't even want to know what he would have done to someone who isn't his flesh and blood.

You go to your room and pack your bag. You hesitate slightly, but you put the camera, T-shirt, and Dru's jacket in your bag. You leave the hotel and go to the airport, ready to go home and search for this brother because you have a hunch, from how Dru reacted, that his twin is in the States.

Chapter Text

You wonder if elusiveness is a family trait. You searched all over the internet and found nothing about Gru. Not even when you searched Villain-Con appearances. You don't lose hope and start looking through the papers. You strike gold when you go through the 'Modern Criminal' newspapers and find him. From what you can see from the picture attached he resembles Robert more than Dru. Balding and if you take into account the black and white photo you guess that his hair is darker. The article informs you of a heist he pulled off and you must admit he sounds as impressive as his father. You have your lead and it's now easier to look after Gru Felonious.

You won't be as foolish as you were with his father. You will first scout him and see if he is just like his father or not. You can't imagine working for someone like Robert after you saw how Dru reacted to him. Your heart twists as you remember the blond and you shove your feelings to the back of your heart. You don't have time for this.

You wait, patiently, in the coffee shop you discovered he frequents. The bell rings and when you look you see him. You can't help but stare. The newspaper was old, but you never thought that he would be bald already. Your eyes instinctively note the differences between him and his twin. Compared to the blond who walked with his back ramrod straight, Gru has a hunched gait. His clothes are black, and you find it a little funny that he can have a devil versus angel theme with his twin. His eyebrows are dark brown, and you think that that must've been his hair color before he lost his hair. He looks at the long line of customers and his eye color matches his brother’s, but it has an edge to it. Not the kind present in Robert's, but one you feel drawn to, like a child up to mischief.

He sighs and opens his jacket. Your eyes widen when he pulls out a gun and you wonder if he is as evil as his father. He grins and pulls the trigger freezing the customer in front of him, then the next. When the line is frozen, he walks to the front and takes the coffee from the stunned barista with a smile. He places a few coins in the tip jar and turns away, freezing the customers in the booth to his right. He turns and aims at you as well, but you react quickly, grabbing the mirror off the wall and placing it in front of you as the ray approaches you. It bounces and hits the barista.

You peek out and see him looking at you in bewilderment.

He puts the freeze ray back into his jacket and comes to your table "You reacted quickly. Impressive" he intones in an accented voice that doesn't match either of his family members.

While Robert's accent was thick, Dru's was light and almost playful, but the bald man sounds like something in the middle of the two.

"Thanks...? I'm still learning."

His eyebrow goes up "Learning?"

You size up the opportunity "I want to be a villain."

He scoffs "It's not easy."

"You are one" he gazes at you with suspicion "I saw an article about you and how you stole the Fabergé egg."

"That was ages ago." He intones and to your surprise slides into the seat in front of you.

"It was remarkable nonetheless."

He takes a sip of his coffee and frowns "Decaf" he throws a glance at the front and sighs when he sees that there's no one left to make the coffee.

You push your own toward him and he eyes it with skepticism "Have mine."

"How do I know it isn't poisoned?"

You stare at him blankly and quickly take a sip "Would you look at that? Not dead."

He rolls his eyes but takes the offered drink and takes a sip cautiously. His eyes light up "It has cinnamon."

"It's the autumn special."

The corner of his mouth twitches upward "I like cinnamon. Anyway, you want to be a villain."

"Yes."

"What are your skills?"

This feels more like an interview "Lockpicking..."

He huffs in amusement "I could do that since I was 3."

While you are impressed, you grind your teeth since he interrupted you "Breaking into high-security places mainly. I stole the Pink Star diamond."

His eyebrows shot up "You stole that?!"

"Yes. The security was insane, but I managed it."

He taps his mouth "How do I know that you aren't lying?"

"Put me to the test. If I succeed you agree to let me train under you."

He stares dumbfounded "You want me, to teach you how to be a villain? You already stole something!"

You sigh "Yes, but I am limited to that alone. I have zero combat skills for example or weapon expertise."

"Hm... you might waste my time."

You clench your jaw and wonder how he can be related to Dru "How about I prove you wrong? I would do anything to show you that I'm not wasting your time."

"Anything?" You flush a bright red and slowly he realizes the implication of his question and he waves his hands frenziedly "Not something like that!" He takes a deep breath, his cheeks burning "I want to steal the Statue of Liberty."

Your jaw clangs to the floor "THE Statue of Liberty?"

He shakes his head and chuckles "No. The small one from Las Vegas. Maybe the Eiffel Tower as well. Are you up for it?"

You nod "Ready."

He smirks "We will see. Come along" he stands up and moves toward the door.

"Wait, you mean now?!"

He holds the door open "Obviously."

"But I didn't have time to plan! See their security!"

"Think of it as your first villain lesson. Think on your feet" he says with an evil chuckle as he leads you to a tall, tank-like car "Now, hop in."

You gulp and get in, wondering if you made the biggest mistake of your life "Uh... what are these?" You breathe out when you see yellow little figures staring at you.

"These are my minions. Minions this is... uh... sorry, I didn't catch your name."

"You didn't ask for it" you intone annoyed "F/n L/n."

If anything, your attitude amuses him "Pleasure. I'm Gru Felonious."

"An honor."

His cheeks become dusted with pink, and you wonder if the twins got any positive feedback in their lives because you start to think the opposite.

"Do you have anything? Blueprints of the building? How many guards?"

He shakes his head, almost amused by your inquiry "No. It's a job on the go." He goes to drive, and you tentatively take the seat next to him.

"Do you do this kind of heist often?"

"No. Only when I need an adrenaline shot."

You are tempted to ask him about his twin. But something about the way Fritz talked about Gru gives you pause.

"So... you have siblings?"

He throws you a fleeting glance "What are you doing?"

"Small talk...?"

"I'm not a fan of it."

You pout "Ok."

He sighs when he notices your face "Fine. 3 questions. That's all I will give you. No. I don't have any siblings."

You blink several times. That can't be right. Why doesn't he know about Dru?

"Uh... parents?"

"From all the questions you could ask you are going for the boring and useless ones. I have my mother. My father died of disappointment when I was born."

You gape at him "You?! A disappointment?! Who is the idiot that calls you that?!"

"My mother and I think I will introduce you to her just to see you say that to her face... if you have the courage to."

"Try me."

His deep chuckles wash over you "A tough cookie, aren't you? And you ran out of questions."

"What?! I have one more!"

"No. You don't. You asked who thinks I'm a disappointment and I answered."

"That's not fair!"

"Life isn't fair."

You cross your arms and huff annoyed, but that simply entertains him as he continues to drive. Between the two siblings, Dru is more polite compared to Gru and you dearly miss him.

"What made you want to be a villain?" His voice pulls you out of your thoughts.

"Why would I answer?"

"I think I'm allowed 3 questions."

"You think."

"It's equitable and fair."

"Life isn't fair."

He groans "Fine! Don't answer. See if I care."

A few moments pass and you can see that he is indeed affected by your lack of cooperation from the pissed-off grimace on his face.

"The excitement when you plan a heist. The thrill when you pull it off. The satisfaction when you succeed. That's what drew me in."

His cobalt eyes lock to yours for a few seconds before he focuses back on the road "Hm. Anything you wish to steal?"

You grin impishly "The DuPont Diamond."

He smirks "Nice. Are you ready for your first heist on a whim?" He asks parking the car by bashing several others in the parking lot.

"Let's do it." You follow him out of the car and nearly laugh when he puts on a pair of sunglasses.

"I will distract them at the poker table, and you go after the statues."

Something doesn't sit right with you. It doesn't match up with what he said earlier. If he wanted adrenaline to pump through his veins, then he wouldn't volunteer to be the diversion.

"Ok."

Both of you enter the building and as he said he goes to the poker table, while you avoid the cameras. Your eyes scan the room. 1... 2... 7 guards are near the statues and 3 cameras are aimed at it. You move into the blind spot and advance. You barely approach when the accented voice yells.

"Look! She is trying to steal the statues!"

You pale. That was his plan. He didn't want to partner up with you but wanted a scapegoat and you are the fool that fell for it. You scowl as the guards rush to you and you take from your pocket and allow to fall on the floor a smoke bomb.

The security men start choking on the black smoke, aimlessly trying to get a hold of you, but you quickly put your glasses on and activate them. Your vision turns to green, and you see everything. You bypass the security and take both miniatures.

You put them on a drink cart and cover them. You take the jacket of the boy responsible for the drinks and push him toward the guards. As expected, they jump on him blindly. You take the cart and move toward the exit, but when you step outside you see Gru's tank speeding off.

"That bastard!" You hiss and come to the car that just stopped in front of the casino "May I park your car, sir?"

"Yeah, that's what you are for!" He says with a haughty tone as he throws you the keys.

"Right away, sir."

He goes inside and you put the items you stole in the car. You panic slightly when you get into the driver’s seat and see that it's a stick shift.

"Ok. I got this. Dru taught me." You hype yourself up and start the car.

You begin slowly but quickly get used to it, but you aren't foolish to think you are safe. You enter a parking lot and stop near a car. You go to it and your eyes scan it with a critical eye. You take the jack from the car you stole at the casino and put it under the new one. The car's alarm goes off, but you quickly lift it up and it stops.

"Easy peasy."

You effortlessly break into the car and transfer the statues. You leave the parking lot, intent clear to show Gru how your fist looks up close.

Chapter Text

It doesn't take you long to find his address and the house painted in black stands out like a sore thumb. You go to the door and bang on it, covering the peephole.

Frustrated sounds ring from behind it and the door clicks open. The moment you see him, your fist flies and you hit his cheek hard, knocking him on his ass.

"You bastard!"

He rubs his bruised face and stares at you with wide shocked eyes "How did you find me?!"

"You think you are so hard to find, Einstein? News flash, the electricity contract is in your name, jackass!"

He gets up "Can you stop with the insults?"

"No! You left me there, you bastard!"

"Yeah, so? Did you really think that I would teach you to be a villain? Or even better, did you really think I would take you, a nobody, to become my partner in crime after just meeting you for a few minutes?" He crosses his arms defyingly "You are more naive than you let on."

Your blood bubbles in rage "Excuse me? Naive?!" You go to the car and throw out the stolen items "I did my part! I managed to get these despite you! And now you dare call me 'naive'?!"

His eyes jump from you to the statues "Did you really think that this was the aim? They won't miss this garbage but the money I took! That's what a villain does! He takes valuable items" he insists on the last two words.

Your hands are shaking in anger "No wonder you are a disappointment" you snap and see his face fall "You are incapable of seeing when someone genuinely wants to help you! Go to Hell!"

You get in the car and speed off as he looks after you shocked.

You barely manage to overcome your ire. You can't believe how bad Gru is and that says something since you met his father as well. You do wonder if Dru is the only decent one. You resign yourself to your fate. You didn't manage to find a mentor to guide you down the path of villainy, but you are dead set on not giving up. You will become a villain and a famous one at that.

You start planning to steal the DuPont Diamond. That will show Gru that you don't mess around. It's tedious to find the blueprints of the museum and even more so with how secure the pink diamond is. You are somewhat discouraged, but you don't give up, going from one idea to another even when you are doing simple tasks like grocery shopping.

You take a cartoon of eggs and place them in your cart, but when you try to move away a hand comes and stops your cart by gripping it.

"Hey! What gives?!" You hiss and your eyes go up the arm until you meet cobalt eyes "Oh. It's you" you say almost bored "Do you mind? I want to finish shopping before I reach old age~."

He rolls his eyes "I wish to speak with you."

"Do I look like a genie? I don't grant wishes."

He is utterly unimpressed by your answer "Look, I just wanted to say..." He takes a deep breath and seems in physical pain when he continues "... that I'm sorry."

Your eyes widen "You are what now?"

"Please, don't make me say it again."

You push the cart past him "My hearing is bad."

He groans "I am sorry."

You stop looking at the candy in your hand and gaze at him "Hm." You acknowledge lightly.

He narrows his eyes "That's it?! That's all you have to say after I apologized?!"

"Well... you weren't specific, were you? For what did you say 'sorry'? For using me as a scapegoat? For lying to me? For leaving me there? The possibilities are endless" you utter annoyed.

He rubs the space between his eyebrows "Are you really making me work for it?"

"Yep."

"I am sorry for using you and stranding you there… and lying to you. There? Happy?!"

"Not really."

He looks positively outraged "Not really?! What else do you expect?! For me to go down on my knees?!"

You tap your mouth in thought "I wouldn't mind that honestly, but after the last stunt you pulled, I won't fall for your words. What the Hell do you want? If you think you will rope me into another heist just so you can use me, think again."

"I am genuinely trying to apologize! You were right" he looks to the side, his face downcast "I am a disappointment. I couldn't see that you were truly nice and just wanted to help me. I..." He shrugs slightly "... in this line of work, you come to expect to be stabbed in the back. You either are stabbed or do the stabbing. If... if you want, I will teach you how to be a villain."

Your eyes widen "What's the catch?"

He shakes his head "No catch. I will teach you how to be a villain and in exchange, you help me with heists" he holds out his hand "Deal?"

You eye his hand like it's a live wire "You are suspicious."

He sighs "Look, you were pleasant company. As much as I like my minions they are... limited. So, what do you say? Partners?"

You look up at him and exhale "Fine" you shake his hand "But I swear if you pull another stunt like the last one, I will cut your family jewels."

He pales "Noted" he releases your hand and quickly grabs some apples and throws them in your cart before walking away.

"Hey! What gives?!"

He smirks over his shoulder at you "Your cart is full of candy. Add something healthy for a change."

"The eggs and salad are healthy!"

"That's exactly one meal. You do know you need 3 meals a day, right?" He asks almost playfully as he adds some meat to your cart.

"What are you, a nutritionist?" You retort annoyed.

He places some tomatoes in the cart before grabbing the sides and leaning closer to you "You want to train under me. I expect you to not faint when we are pulling a heist."

You flush slightly because his smoldering eyes are mesmerizing "Noted."

"That's a good girl" he intones as he resumes putting items in your cart while your face burns from his words.

"I hope you plan to pay for all of these" you finally utter when you manage to subdue your blush.

He stops reading the ingredients on a sauce jar and his cobalt eyes shift to you "Me? Why would I pay?"

You cross your arms "Seeing as 90% of the groceries in this cart were put in by you, I think that is the logical course of action."

"Since when are villains 'logical'?" He replies, putting the jar back on the shelf and plucking a different one "Don't you have money?"

You roll your eyes "So that's your diabolical plan to munch off of me. Sorry to disappoint you, mister, but you were the one who stole money from the casino, not me."

He narrows his eyes at you "Can you not announce to the world what I did?" He hisses in a low tone "God, you are annoying" he declares as he puts the jar in the cart "Are you always like this?"

You don't snap at him because his words lack bite "Much, much worse."

He rubs the space between his eyes "Fine. Fine, I will pay for this, but only because I owe you for the distraction at the casino."

"How generous of you. Where is the caviar in this supermarket?" You inquire looking around, but not actually searching for the aforementioned item.

He pales "I don't have that kind of money!"

You can't help it, you burst out laughing because his distressed face is priceless "You are lucky, I don't like caviar" you inform him, and he frowns deeply.

He scoffs "As if someone like you has good taste" he snaps, aiming to insult you, but you won't let him get the upper hand.

"Well, I asked you to mentor me, that says something" you remark and pat his chest as you pass him with the cart.

His cobalt eyes jump from side to side in thought as he tries to discern if you insulted him or not, but his pondering is interrupted by your inquiry.

"What is this?"

His gaze jumps to the jar you are pointing at and his eyebrows slowly climb his forehead "You don't know what that is?" He asks surprised.

"Do I look like a MasterChef?"

"This is basic! How do you not know?! What do you even eat?!"

"Eggs and salad as you saw in my cart before you decided to buy things I don't know how to cook" you answer bluntly.

"How did you survive for so long?" He whispers incredulously.

"With talent. So... any evil plans on the horizon?" You ask as you add some hot chocolate to the cart.

He eyes it before grabbing a box of cinnamon hot chocolate and adding it next to yours "Not really. I'm open to ideas."

You look at the flavor choice and a small smile graces your face "The Declaration of Independence?"

You refuse to admit that the mischievous twinkle that ignites in his cobalt eyes is entrancing or that the way his mouth curls in a devilish smile makes your heart falter in its rhythm.

"That sounds promising" he intones as the gears of his mind spin in thought.

You push the cart to the checkout and the bored-to-tears cashier starts scanning the products "Are you game?"

He nods, pulling out his wallet and paying before taking the shopping bags in his arms "I am, yes."

You quickly follow after him as he starts walking in the direction of your apartment. It seems he did a thorough job finding you.

"I will tell you now, I won't be the distraction," you say firmly.

He chuckles "You are a thief, you will help me steal it" he states matter-of-factly, climbing two steps at a time the stairs that lead to your home "We need to check the security."

You unlock the door, and he strolls inside like he owns your apartment. Your eyebrow jumps on your forehead at his attitude, but you don't comment on it.

"A problem I can solve easily. Give me 30 minutes tops."

He waves his hand at you as he opens and closes your cupboards "Go ahead."

You don't move, continuing to eye him with narrowed eyes "What do you think you are doing?"

He throws you a look over his shoulder and points to the ingredients he pulled out of the shopping bags "Lunch. I thought that was obvious." He turns back to the stove, not giving you a spare glance.

You roll your eyes and go to your computer. You honestly don't know what to think of him. Not only that, but you aren't entirely sure his intentions are pure.

You make a note to be wary around him since you don't want a repeat performance of the casino. You begin your search and the more you discover the more your face contorts in disbelief.

"Well?" The accented voice breathes in your ear, and you yelp in surprise.

"Don't scare me like that!" You hiss, but he is amused by your angry kitten reaction.

"Noted. I finished cooking" he tugs you lightly until you get on your feet and follow him "Did you find anything?" He inquires after you are seated at the table.

"It's so protected that it's crazy" you mumble, looking at the mouthwatering food skeptically "Did you poison it?"

The look on his face shows you that he isn't impressed by your quip "I will have you know, I'm an excellent cook."

"I will be the judge of that" you respond haughtily as you take a bite of the food. Your eyes widen when the flavor tickles your taste buds "Wow..." You whisper absentmindedly.

He crosses his arms and grins smugly "Told you" he replies smugly as he samples his dish as well "You were about to tell me what security systems the Declaration of Independence has."

You take a deep breath and recount what you found out "When the Declaration is on display, it's surrounded by guards and video monitors and, of course, all the people that came to see it. It's beneath an inch of bulletproof glass, surrounded by an army of sensors and heat monitors that will go off instantly if someone with a high fever gets too close."

He grimaces "That doesn't sound too promising."

You nod and continue "When it's not on display, it is lowered into a four-foot-thick concrete, steel-plated vault. That section of the museum happens to be equipped with an electronic combination lock and biometric access-denial systems."

He rubs his lips in thought "This is like being between a rock and a hard place."

You smirk "There's something we can use. The Preservation Room.”

One of his arched eyebrows goes up his forehead "Go on."

"Do you know what the Preservation Room is for?" When he shakes his head, your grin widens "That's where they clean, repair, and maintain all the documents and the storage housings when they're not on display or in the vault. Now, when the case needs work, they take it out of the vault, directly across the hall, and into the Preservation Room. This room is our best shot."

He takes both his and your empty plate and puts them in the sink "Maybe, but there's still the electronic combination and the biometric system."

You tap the table with your fingers in thought "I can crack the electronic combination" you tell him shortly.

He leans against the counter and crosses his arms "I'll see if Dr. Nefario can invent something to help us with the biometric system."

Your eyelashes flutter in surprise "Dr. Nefario? THE Dr. Nefario?"

He gives you an apprehensive look "Yes...?"

You chuckle "So, you didn't make the freeze-ray yourself? I'm displeased. I thought you were an inventor as well."

He is ready to give you a sharp retort, but stops when he sees the mischievous twinkle in your eyes "Ha-ha. You think you are so funny, don’t you?" He breathes out, before turning to the sink and, to your surprise, washing the dishes.

You move next to him, picking up a towel to dry the plates "So, is this heist green-lit?"

He finishes and wipes his hands before nodding "I think so, yes."

You study his cobalt eyes and decide to be extra careful during the robbery because you still don't trust him.

That soon changes the moment he pulls you to safety when the guards fire at you during the heist and makes sure both of you get out alive and with the loot in your grasp.

Chapter Text

You observe awkwardly the numerous minions gathered around you while you stay seated in a curled-up position in your chair.

"This really isn't necessary" you utter yet again, peering in the direction of objects flying from behind a wall.

"You were injured!" Gru's accented voice rings in his secret lab as he rummages after the first aid kit.

Your eyes widen in surprise when the minions move aside to allow access to none other than Dr. Nefario.

"So, you are Y/n," he says, studying you with a critical eye.

"Yes...?"

He clasps his hands behind his back "I have a weapon that can turn you inside out."

You grimace at the information, trying to comprehend why the older male decided to tell you that "O...k...?"

"If you hurt him, I will use it on you" he threatens you in such a light tone that one would think he is talking about the weather.

You stare dumbfounded, too shocked to even utter a word and that's how Gru finds you when he comes back.

His eyebrows climb up his forehead and his cobalt gaze jumps from your shellshocked expression to Nefario to the minions and back.

Ultimately his eyes rest only on the older man "What did you do?" He asks, his voice tainted with annoyance.

"I didn't do anything" the elder replies innocently.

You swallow hard "I think the events of the day caught up to me, Gru," you speak faintly as your heart races irregularly in your chest due to fear.

Gru's expression turns soft, and he waves his hand dismissively at the other man and minions "Go! You stressed her enough" he orders lightly as he drags a seat in front of you and sits down.

Reluctantly, the others do leave, especially when the tall man throws a withering glare their way.

"Let's see," he says gently, opening the first aid kit and taking out some disinfectant "This will sting. Try not to cry your eyes out," he says teasingly.

"Sur- ouch!" You hiss.

"Told you," he chuckles as he continues to tap your cheek with the sterile gauze "You are lucky that the bullet just grazed you." He declares, blowing lightly so your injury won't sting as hard.

A blush blooms on your face "I'm lucky that you had good reflexes and pulled me out of the way."

He shrugs slightly "Eh, I just saw the shooter in time" he replies nonchalantly as he picks up a bandage and places it on your quite minor injury "There, all done," he says proud of his work.

You smile and get lost in his eyes "Thank you, Gru."

He beams at you, and you see the exact moment he realizes that he is too close to your face. He pulls back hastily, his face so red that a cherry would be jealous.

"You're welcome" he rubs the back of his neck and looks bashful "You were great today."

You scoff "I nearly got shot."

"But you didn't. I was there to prevent it" he stands up and puts the first kit away "Can you believe it? We stole the Declaration of Independence!" He proudly states and you can't wait for the next time you will pull a heist because his smile is breathtaking.

Your phone’s ringtone cuts through the silence, and you groan in discontent. You blindly search for it on your nightstand and when you grip it you bring it to your ear to answer.

"Yeah?"

"Morning, sleepyhead. I have a plan for a heist. Come by my home as soon as possible."

"Fine." You answer almost asleep again.

"That means now, Y/n." He breathes out annoyed, accurately guessing that you were dozing off.

You sigh "Fine, fine. Getting up."

"Atta girl. See you soon."

The line goes dead, and you move sluggishly around to prepare. It's torture to get from your apartment to his house, but you reach it after a few hours. When you knock the poor door is close to getting pulled out of its hinges when he opens it forcefully.

"What took you so long?!"

You take a bite of your apple, feeling unimpressed by his question "I live on the other side of town and have no car. Plus, it's rush hour so early in the morning, everyone is going to work. Apple?" You offer pacifyingly.

He pinches the bridge of his nose and grabs the apple biting into it forcefully before passing it back to you "Come in already."

You follow him astonished. You thought he would split the apple like Dru did, but he had no qualms about biting into it as is. You have another bite of the apple as you proceed to accompany him, and upon entering the elevator that leads to his laboratory, he takes the apple and consumes another piece.

"I didn't realize how far you lived" he intones, passing the fruit to you for the last bite.

"The rent is cheap there."

"Hm. If you want... you can move here..." He whispers as you step out of the elevator.

"Here? In the lab with the minions and Nefario? No, thanks." You reply shivering at the thought of being near the scientist that threatened your life.

He rolls his eyes and points up "Here. In my house. I have enough rooms." He flushes when you stare at him intently.

"Oh... if it doesn't bother you, sure."

Heat seems to radiate from his flushed cheeks "I wouldn't have suggested it if I wasn't comfortable with the idea. Now then, I want to steal the Jumbotron!" He says excitedly like a child on Christmas, and you can't stop the smile from stretching your lips.

"How did you fit all this in your apartment?!" He asks when he sees all the boxes and you know he promptly regrets volunteering to help you move.

You reply honestly "Will you believe me when I say that I don't know?"

His cobalt eyes take in the stacks of boxes "You can't actually expect to move all of this..." he waves to the boxes exasperated "... to my house!"

You cross your arms "And what do you suggest? Do you want me to throw away all my things?!" You hiss.

He sighs and rubs his face "How about you bring things you will use?" He taps the boxes that have 'kitchen' scribbled on them "You don't need this. My kitchen is fully stocked and let's be honest, the kitchen isn't really your scene" he says in a placating tone.

You can't even argue with that "Fine, I won't take those."

His eyes dart to the other boxes and his blue gaze settles on a random one.

He goes to it as in a trance and opens it "What's this?"

With your heart fluttering in your chest and your ears ringing, you pale when he pulls out Dru's jacket.

He looks it over and he isn't stupid enough to even think it belongs to you "Whose jacket is this?" He inquires with a hint of suspicion infiltrating his accented voice.

Do you confess? Do you tell him that he has a twin? It's really not your place to disclose this information and, if you are truthful, you don't think his father would be a good influence on him.

"Yours!" You blurt out.

His eyebrows go up in surprise "Mine?" He asks, reexamining it with a critical eye.

"Yes! Yes! Yours! I saw it and thought you would like it!" You speak at a rapid pace, hoping he buys the lie.

He tilts his head to the side, looks the garment over again, and puts it to the side. You watch as he removes his ever-present scarf and black jacket to try on the white one.

He zips it up and looks down at himself "You got my size right" he says surprisingly astonished by the fact "How do I look?" He inquires softly.

You bite your tongue to stop yourself from saying 'like Dru'.

You smile "You look good. Black is definitely more your color, but you look good in white as well" you confess.

He beams and you blush an intense red when he comes to you and kisses your forehead "Thank you for the jacket."

He spins on his heel and goes back to the boxes "Let's sort through these so we have fewer boxes to carry" he says as you remain rooted to your spot blushing for a few more moments as he shifts through your things.

You shake off the haze you are in and wonder if your decision to move in with him will come to bite you in the ass later on.

"Morning, sleepyhead" his voice tickles your ears the next day as you plop down at the kitchen table.

You decide he is indeed an early bird just like his twin "Morning. Smells good" you mumble sleepily.

He places a cup of coffee in front of you "Breakfast will be done shortly."

You take the cup and sip your coffee with contentment "You are spoiling me."

He gives a dismissive huff despite his pink tainted cheeks "In your dreams."

A few moments pass in companionable silence until he comes to the table with the plates. You eye the food and your mouth waters at how good it smells. You take a bite and swallow. It tastes as good as its scent.

You take another swing of coffee and smile at him "This is..." you freeze since you feel your throat constrict and swell.

Gru stares at you freaked out "Y/n... what's wrong with your face?!"

He watches you as you run to the fridge and take out an EpiPen. His eyes widen and he comes to you, taking it from your hand, and quickly injecting it into you. His heart hammers in his chest, calculating how far the phone is if he needs to call for an ambulance, but to his relief your swelling goes down.

"You are allergic?!"

You nod, breathing deeply "To dill."

His eyes widen "I added dill to the cottage cheese. I am so sorry. I didn't ask if you are allergic to anything."

You wave dismissively "It's my fault. I didn't tell you beforehand."

"No!" He says firmly "It is my fault for not asking" he helps you back into your seat, takes the plate away, and brings you a new coffee cup "Let me make you something else. Are you allergic only to dill?"

You relax in your seat "Yes."

"Stuart!" He calls for the minion and he comes into the kitchen "I need you to go to the pharmacy and buy another EpiPen."

"Que?"

The tall man sighs "This", he shows the EpiPen "Actually buy two just to be safe. Go!" The bald male then goes to the fridge and starts pulling out ingredients "Are you feeling better?" He asks timidly almost.

"Yeah. Don't worry." The look he throws you tells you that he is doing exactly that "I'm not dead."

His eyes narrow at you "Don't you joke about that!" He hisses and gestures towards you with the spatula as if he is challenging you to a duel if you dare repeat your previous statement.

You don't say anything else. Sipping your coffee as he cooks.

He elects to break the silence "I will have to throw away the food and scrub the fridge."

You blink several times "Why?!"

He turns off the stove "I can't risk the contamination."

"You don't have to do that..."

"Yeah, I do. You didn't see how your face looked like. I won't risk that happening again" he declares, putting in front of you a plate of pancakes.

You wish to argue further, but you can see in his eyes that his decision is firm. You look down at the food and chuckle "Did you shape the pancake like a dead guy?"

He flushes and shrugs "Yeah. It's fun" he defends himself.

"It is. Thank you, Gru."

He takes his seat and resumes eating "You're welcome, Y/n" he says softly swearing that he will be more careful in the future.

You groan and shiver "Why is it so cold?!"

He chuckles as he opens the door to the coffee shop "Maybe because it's still winter?"

The barista sees the two of you and starts making your order like her life depends on it.

"I don't like it. My nose is cold."

He shakes his head in amusement and cuts the line to take your orders and some cupcakes "You don't like winter. Got it. What season do you like?" He asks when he comes back.

"Spring."

He nods and something flashes in his eyes "Because you like to see the flowers bloom?"

You freeze. It's a coincidence, right? He just guessed.

"Yes. How did you know?"

"Just a hunch. Here", he takes off his scarf and puts it around your neck "Now you won't be cold" he takes your hand and walks to his car with you, oblivious to your red as a cherry face.

You take deep breaths to calm your galloping heart and his cologne drifts from his scarf. You automatically compare it. While Dru's is light like a fresh breeze, Gru's is more spicy, down to earth almost, and both tickle your fancy.

"What's your favorite season?" You ask as he drives.

"Winter. I like the smell of cold crisp air."

The opposite of Dru, which fits him perfectly.

"Favorite color?"

He gives you a sideways glance "What are we doing, playing 20 questions?" He asks amused.

You shrug "I want to get to know you better."

He hums "You are asking me something painfully obvious. Look at my clothes, house, car- everything is the same color."

"Black?"

"Like my soul" he confirms dramatically.

You burst into laughter "Your soul is vanilla at best."

He gasps in mock hurt as he parks the car "How dare you?!"

Spontaneously, you bestow a kiss on his cheek, causing his cheeks to ignite in a deep shade of red. You quickly scramble out of the car before he notices your flushed face and come face to face with three little girls.

"Um... hello?" You say awkwardly wondering what degenerate parent lets their children out on the streets so late at night.

"Uh, hi. We’re orphans from Miss Hattie’s Home for Girls..." The glasses-wearing girl speaks as Gru comes next to you and stares them down "...we’re selling cookies so, you know, we can have a better future!"

"Do we look like we care?" The tall male drools bored.

"Gru!" You shoot him a nasty look that makes him flinch before you gaze at the girls again and smile "Do you have Minty Mints?"

The eldest girl beams and takes a box from the wagon the girl in pink has "Yes, we do have them."

"Two boxes, please. And if you have Cinnamon Swirls two of those as well."

The girl hands you the four boxes and you turn to Gru, looking at him expectantly "Pay the girls" you say lightly with a saccharine smile since you don't want to open your wallet and tempt fate since you have the photo of you and Dru hidden there.

He hesitates just slightly, contemplating arguing with you, but with a sigh, he pulls out his wallet "How much?"

"20 dollars."

"20 dollars for some cookies?!" He complains outraged.

"Delicious cookies, Gru" you reply lightly as he pulls out the money and counts.

"They better be" he grumbles and gives the money, soon after his face turns an intense pink color when you pacify him with a peck on his cheek.

You smile good-humoredly at the three girls "Ignore him. He is related to Grumpy."

The kids start laughing alongside you while cobalt eyes glare at you reproachfully.

"Ha-ha. You think you are so funny" he pinches your cheek lightly and puts his hand on your waist to guide you toward the house.

You wave the girls goodbye "Go home! It's too late for you three to be outside!"

"We will!"

You enter the house and glare at the man "Don't be such a grouch" you tell him as he helps you remove your coat.

"I'm not!" He protests, following you to the living room and sitting down next to you on the couch.

You are unable to fully enjoy your hot chocolate as the television screen suddenly illuminates, displaying the image of Dr. Nefario in a video call. Both you and Gru shift your focus to him, perplexed by his sudden call.

"Gru," the scientist says gloomily "I know what you must be feeling. I too have experienced great disappointment. But in my eyes, you will always be one of the greats."

Cobalt eyes meet yours as you share a look before the bald male looks back at the elder man "What? What happened?!" He inquires confused.

Nefario waves his hands exasperated "It’s all over the news. Some fella just stole a pyramid. They’re saying he makes all other villains look... lame."

You see Gru attempt to process this as you stare at the screen in absolute shock.

Gru darkly replies "Assemble the minions!" He grabs your arm and rushes with you to the rhino chair and presses the button. Immediately the room converts the dark decor, pulling back, to reveal mechanical circuits. The cannon drops from the ceiling and turns into a pod. The tall man pulls you into it and then the shaft drops quickly toward the lab.

Long fingers push the pause button, and he practically yells at a group of minions "Minions assemble!"

The elevator then resumes its course, and you study the man next to you. His mouth is set in a thin line. Clearly, the news affected him greatly. He is practically seething with rage, his hands trembling with the sheer force of his wrath.

The lift stops and he pulls you lightly after him as a sea of yellow minions assemble in front of a platform. You take note how the villain schools his features into a smile as he takes the stage with you. Cheers, applause, and whistles erupt and that seems to lighten the male's foul mood.

You watch spellbound how he interacts with the small creatures, calling them by name and inquiring about their life. You barely manage to distinguish a few minions since you moved in and still mix up their names and yet, Gru knows all of them.

"Hello, everybody. Alright!" He moves his hands elegantly in a sign that the mass of yellow needs to settle down "Simmer down. Simmer down!" The minions quiet down "Thank you, okay. Now I realize that you guys have probably heard about this other villain who stole the pyramid. Apparently, it’s a big deal. People are calling it the crime of the century and stuff like that. But am I upset? No! I am not." He sees you glaring at him with a raised eyebrow since his voice was telling "A little", he concedes "But, we have had a pretty good year ourselves. And you guys are alright in my book!"

A minion eagerly raises his hand "Ooh ooh ooh!"

Gru understands the gibberish it speaks because he chuckles "No, no raises! You’re not going to get any raises", he focuses back on his audience "What did we do? Well, we stole the Times Square Jumbotron!" He gestures excitedly to the Times Square enormous screen.

"Nice, huh? That’s how we roll! Yeah, you all like watching football on that, huh?!" He says with glee as the minions cheer "But that’s not all! We…", he gestures between you and himself "… stole the Statue of Liberty!" The minions’ cheers dwindle when the small replica is revealed "The small one from Las Vegas. And I won’t even mention the Eiffel Tower!" A minion wheels in the tiny Eiffel Tower "...also Vegas" he clears his throat "We stole the Declaration of Independence!" The minions start applauding with enthusiasm and Gru is pleased that he has the audience's attention again "Okay, I wasn’t going to tell you about this yet, but I have been working on something very big", you frown baffled since he didn't tell you anything "Something that will blow this pyramid thing out of the water! And now, thanks to the efforts of my good friend Dr. Nefario", he indicates the scientist and gives him a fond look, one similar to a child gazing at his father "Oh yeah, there he is. He’s stylin’."

You can't overlook the parallels. Dru had Fritz growing up and Gru has Nefario. You smother the anger bubbling inside you at their awful parents.

Gru presses a button on his remote and a diagram appears on the screen behind him "We have located a shrink ray in a secret lab. And once we take this shrink ray, we will have the capability to pull off the true Crime of the Century! We are going to steal..." He doesn't get to finish because the minions erupt into applause and cheers that are so loud that the tall man can barely speak over them "Wait...wait! I haven’t told you what it is yet!"

You take cover behind Gru when a small rocket flies through the room and lands with a huge kaboom.

"Dave. Listen up, please!" The bald male says annoyed as he snakes his hand around your waist and presses a button that makes the platform under you rise up "Next, we are going to steal..."

You cling to him "What are you doing?" You hiss.

"Hush", he whispers "... the moon!" He announces to all assembled as with a press of a button the metallic cupola opens to reveal the full moon from outside "And once the moon is ours, the world will give us whatever we want to get it back! And we will be the greatest villains of all time!" He declares flamboyantly as the minions cheer "That’s what I’m talkin’ bout!" He says satisfied.

"Are you mad?!" You growl, but he ignores you as he picks up his ringing phone.

"Yes?"

You hear Nefario's voice drift through the device "Hello, Gru. I’ve been crunching some numbers, and I really don’t see how we can afford this. It can’t be done. I’m not a miracle worker!"

The tall man chuckles "Hey...chillax. I’ll just get another loan from the bank. They love me!" He closes the phone and holds you a little tighter.

"Loan? Bank? Banks don't give loans so crimes can be committed!" You spat out and grip his arm as the platform goes down steadily.

One of his arched eyebrows goes up "The bank of evil? You never took a loan from the bank?"

You stare at him incredulously "I didn't know a bank of evil existed until a minute ago!"

"Well, now you know" he declares plainly.

You are a little anxious about this whole loan thing, but the villain seems to know what he's doing, and you allow him to take the lead. As he drives the car to your intended location, you observe the passing scenery while attentively listening to the tranquil music chosen by him.

An eyebrow goes up your forehead when the song is abruptly interrupted by Gru's phone and 'Mother' is displayed on the screen. You shift your attention fully to him when he answers.

"Hello, mom. Sorry, I meant to call, but..."

An accented voice flows through the speakers "I just wanted to congratulate you on stealing the pyramid. That was you, wasn’t it? Or was it a villain who’s actually successful?" She says and starts laughing like mad, making your anger bloom rapidly.

Gru grips the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles turn white "Just so you know mom, I am about to do something very very big. Very important. When you hear about it, you’re going to be very proud."

You watch him and in this moment you see Dru in him, both failing to reach their parents' high standards.

She sarcastically replies "Hah. Good luck with that."

Your ire takes over "Bitch."

In the next second, his cobalt eyes jump to you stunned. He is utterly speechless, as he stares at you with his jaw dropped in awe and astonishment.

"Who said that?! What did you call me?!"

"Bitch. Want me to spell it out for you? B-I-T-C-H! Gru is the most amazing man I've ever met! He is an incredible villain and a remarkable person, and you dare try to say otherwise? Why? Because you are his mother, and you think you have a free pass?! News flash! Your opinion has no value! Especially as long as I am around! I hope you will have a wonderful life at the senior center where NO ONE will visit you!" You press the red button to hang up and groan in rage "I hate your mom!" You declare and refrain from saying that you hate his father as well.

"Y/n", he breathes out softly and when you turn you flush brightly since he looks at you like you just strung up the stars and he seems a step away from kissing you "Thank you" he finally utters and you nod.

"Well, you got your wish. You saw, firsthand, how I would interact with your mother."

He laughs wholeheartedly "I regret not having some popcorn."

You watch as Gru pulls up in front of a bank. Your eyes narrow slightly when you notice the small space in between two cars.

"Um..." you don't voice your question because he maneuvers his tank smashing one of the cars and then the other.

"Seriously?!" You deadpan, but he looks at you innocently.

"What? There was no space to park" he declares walking out of the tank and waiting for you.

You step outside "You could've parked down the street!"

He enters the bank with you "Where's the fun in that?"

You frown when he leads you past the sleeping receptionist and into the restroom "Uh... Gru, what are you doing?" You ask when he lowers his head at a urinal.

You are taken aback when lasers come out and read his eye. Immediately after a door opens to a long corridor.

"Going to the bank" he states as he enters.

You follow him, looking around curiously as you pass a series of statues featuring a man being progressively crushed by a pillar. You remain behind when he goes to the front desk and addresses the receptionist.

"Felonius Gru to see Mr. Perkins," he says, and your mind must be playing tricks because it sounds like his voice is wavering.

The woman nods "Yes, please have a seat." She utters monotonously.

Gru strolls to the couch, and you take a seat next to him on the red leather sofa. He quickly unrolls the blueprint of his plan and stares at it.

"Are you ok?" You ask timidly since you never saw him like this.

"Yes," he pauses briefly before shaking his head "Not really."

"Why?"

"The moon was my dream since I was little and now, I'm so close to getting it", he whispers "It's so..." he trails off.

"Overwhelming?"

"Yes! Exactly!"

You smile "Feels familiar."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, one of my dreams was to work with an amazing villain and here I am” you declare, smiling dazzlingly at him.

Pink dusts his cheeks "Oh", he chuckles bashfully "Yes, here you are. Um... maybe you can give me a kiss for good luck?" He asks shyly almost as he taps his cheek.

Your face lights up with a rosy glow, but you don't hesitate to peck his soft skin. He instantly beams and seems a little more confident.

"Mr. Felonius Gru? Mr. Perkins will see you now" the receptionist's voice rings.

He gets up and before he walks down to Perkins' office, he narrows his eyes when he sees another villain come down the hall "I'll be right back" he says before leaving.

You remain on the couch and feel eyes on you. You subtly glance around until you notice that the nerdy villain who came to the bank is staring at you. You avoid eye contact, but his sneakers squeak as he comes to your couch and slips next to you.

"Hey. I’m applying for a new villain loan. Go by the name of Vector.”

You slide down the couch to get away, but he smiles and follows you, oblivious to your discomfort "It's a mathematical term. A quantity represented by an arrow with both direction and magnitude!" He points to the arrow on his chest "Vector. That’s me. Cause I’m committing crimes with both direction and magnitude! What's your name?" He blurts out quickly.

"Uh... F/n."

"Pleased to meet you", he pulls out a futuristic-looking gun with a piranha inside the barrel gasping for air and you stiffen "Check out my new weapon. Piranha gun! Oh yes! Fires live piranhas. Ever seen one before? No, you haven’t I invented it. You want a demonstration?" He asks and the piranha falls out of the barrel "Oh... ah... shit. So difficult sometimes to get the piranha back inside my..."

You watch disgusted as Vector and the piranha tussle on the ground. You are half amused and cheer for the fish when it bites the male's nose. You are absolutely disappointed when Vector pulls the piranha off his face and gets back on the couch, struggling to stick the piranha back in his gun.

"So, what are you doing here, Y/n? Getting a loan?" He asks casually as he battles the fish.

To your absolute luck, the male's head is suddenly encompassed in ice. You turn and see Gru with his Freeze Ray out, glaring angrily at the younger man. You get up and rush to the exit without waiting for Gru. You linger outside, next to the tank, until he emerges from the bank. His face is dark with anger and you don’t know why.

"Thank you for helping me."

He nods tersely as he enters the car and doesn't say a word as he drives away.

"Uh... did you get the loan?"

He shakes his head "No. He wants to see the Shrink Ray first," he nearly growls, and you attribute his rage to this inconvenience "After we get home, I will go and steal it."

You don't comment. Honestly, with how angry he looks you don't want to be near him lest he shifts his wrath to you. He doesn't waste a second after you get home, jumping on his airship and flying away posthaste.

"How come you didn't go with him?"

You turn to Dr. Nefario and shrug "He didn't tell me to join him. He was in a foul mood since we left the bank."

The older man narrows his eyes behind the googles "Hm, doesn't sound like him."

"I don't know why he is so angry. Especially since he will get the ray and show it to Perkins."

"Did anything happen besides Perkins refusing the loan?"

"Dunno. Gru didn't say anything. Oh! There was a nerdy villain there as well. Vector is his name. Does Gru know him?"

"No. Did this Vector do anything?"

"Besides trying to flirt with me and failing? No. Gru froze his head before we left the bank."

The older man has an 'a-ha' moment, humming in satisfaction now that he elucidated the mystery "Ok. You can go up. I will call you when Gru comes back."

You turn and walk to the lift "Thanks."

You go back up in the house, getting busy with tidying up and preparing dinner. You slide the stuffed chicken into the oven when the TV comes to life and Nafario's face is displayed.

"He's coming back. Take cover" and with that, the screen turns black.

You frown and take the elevator to the lab. You stare incredulously when Gru and the two minions that went with him descend through the trap door on a miniature version of the aircraft in which they left.

"What the Hell happened?!"

Gru gets on his feet and ire burns in his cobalt eyes "That punk that was flirting with you happened! He attacked me, stole the Shrink Ray, and used it on my ship!" He yells, anger tangible in every single word he utters.

"Why are you yelling at me?!" You retort, your own voice raising "I didn't do anything!"

He grinds his teeth, spins on his heels, and marches deeper into the lab.

"Don't", Nefario's voice stops you from going after the bald male "Let him cool down."

"What's gotten into him?"

"I have an inkling, but I need to talk to him" is stated simply.

"Ok. I will just..." you point to the pod "... go back up."

You leave, hours pass and Gru still doesn't come up. You eat your dinner and leave him a neatly arranged plate in case he comes to the house after you go to bed.

The next day there's no sign of Gru and when you call Dr. Nefario he informs you that the bald man left to retrieve the Shrink Ray. You take note that he did indeed consume the meal provided to him and even reciprocated by leaving a plate of breakfast for you.

After you finish eating, you go out to buy groceries, sluggishly perusing the items in the supermarket just so the times passes.

Ultimately, you finish shopping and make your way back. The moment you enter you know that something is off because you hear Gru talking in the kitchen.

"Okay, rule number two: you will not bother me while I’m working. Rule number three: you will not cry or whine or laugh or giggle or sneeze or burp or fart. So no, no, no annoying sounds. Alright?"

"Does this count as annoying?" A young child's voice asks, and the frown line between your eyebrows appears with your confusion.

You enter the kitchen and gawk at the three girls who sold you cookies a while ago "What is this?" You ask, putting the shopping bags on the counter.

Cobalt eyes snap to you "Y/n, these are the girls. Girls, Y/n." He says plainly "I adopted them" he adds, and your eyes become as big as saucers.

"You WHAT?!" You growl and he shrinks just a bit.

"Are you our new mommy?" The smallest asks and you see hope in all the children's eyes.

You swallow hard and walk out of the kitchen.

"Y/n!" Gru calls after you as you forcefully close the door to your room.

Night falls and you are still seething with anger. How could he go and adopt three little girls without your knowledge?! You are close to starting to throw things around again when you hear it. You pause and knit your brow. The soft cello music drifts through the door and you open it, following it as in a trance. You inhale sharply when you see Gru playing the instrument in the living room.

Your pulse rushes through your veins when you see his fingers drift over the cords, caressing them and making them bend to his will. One song after another and you find your body relaxing, your ire melting away with every musical note he creates. Finally, he stops and turns to you, smiling delicately.

"I didn't know you played any instruments."

He huffs amused "I learned the cello when I was young", he places it back into its case "I didn't play it for several years."

"Why now though?"

The gentle smile he has on reminds you so much of Dru that it pains your heart "I don't know. I had a feeling you would like it."

It hits you. All the incidents you dismissed as pure coincidences weren't that. Gru does have a link with his twin even though he doesn't know it.

"I'm sorry", he practically whispers "I'm sorry I didn't discuss with you my plans."

"Plans? Gru, you adopted three little girls on a whim!"

"It's all part of my plan! Dr. Nefario is making cookie robots, and the girls will deliver them to Vector since he made a big order. That way I can break into his home and steal the ray."

You rub the space between your eyebrows "Why did you complicate yourself so much? I could have gone and flirted with him a bit, giving you enough time to steal the ray."

He clenches his teeth and looks away "No", he says firmly "You aren't a slab of meat to dangle in front of that annoying punk."

"Oh", you breathe out not knowing what else to say, but you are moved by his declaration "And then what?"

"After I get the Shrink Ray, we will get the loan and steal the moon."

You cross your arms "I'm not talking about that. What will we do with the girls?"

"Send them back. What else?" He says dismissively.

"Gru", you hiss "They are human beings, not some toys!"

"What do you expect? That we will keep them and be one happy family?" He retorts.

"I don't know, but you are unnecessarily cruel. You adopted them, you can break their little hearts like that!"

"They don't care! Margo already told me that she won't consider me her father" he informs you and for a moment he gives off the impression that he was bothered by it.

You sigh "I don't care how you do it, but I expect you to fix this."

He nods "Tomorrow I will steal the ray from Vector and see what I can do with this other issue."

"Ok", you hesitate just slightly before leaning to peck his cheek "Good night, Gru" you utter softly as you turn to leave.

His hand comes to caress the spot you kiss "Good night, Y/n."

You bolt up in bed startled when your phone rings like mad. You dive to get it and groan when you see who is calling.

"Yeah?" You answer with a yawn.

"Please come to the dance studio on Flint Street."

You move the mobile in front of you and yes, it still displays Gru "Why?" You ask, putting the phone back to your ear.

"Please, Y/n" he begs before hanging up.

You grumble and, as fast as you can, you prepare and leave the house. It doesn't take you long to reach it since the rush hour has passed and you enter the establishment munching on your second apple. You nearly choke, amusement bubbling inside you, when you see Gru in the center of a long bench with moms, holding all of the girls’ things. That is quickly replaced by a sentiment you don't wish to name when you notice how the moms sitting next to him bat their eyelashes at him, completely taken by the man who is sitting awkwardly among them.

He sees you and relief washes over him. He dumps the girls' things in his spot on the bench as he rushes to you "Thank you" he breathes out relieved.

"Why did you call me here?"

He takes the apple from your hand and bites into it, avoiding your gaze "Those mothers are terrifying" he mumbles.

You glance at them and see how their smiles fall when they see you with Gru. You chuckle "Are they or is this trauma from your own mother?"

He narrows his eyes at you "Don't psychoanalyze me."

"I'm not. Your mother is just awful," you refrain from adding that his father is just as bad.

You take note of the pink slips of paper that peek out of his pocket, and you grab them "What are these?"

"Tickets for the girls' recital of Swan Lake," he tells you bluntly as he finishes the apple.

Your eyebrows quirk upwards as you glance at the children. Your heart twists when you see the three girls dancing, but solely focusing on you and Gru.

"Weren't you supposed to go to Vector?" you ask, changing the subject.

"They didn't want to deliver the cookies because they had practice", he nearly snarls "I will go there afterward."

A grunt leaves you when the little one runs and attaches herself to your legs "You came to see us!" She says enthusiastically.

You pat her head and look at Gru for help, but you are almost taken aback by the warmth flickering in his cobalt eyes as he looks at you.

"Uh... yeah...?" You whisper, not knowing what to say "You three are good", you add and they relish in the compliment "Um... Can you run by me your names?"

"I'm Agnes!" The youngest says, trying to crawl up your leg like a kitten "And those are Edith", she points to the one in pink "And Margo" she finishes by showing the spectacled-wearing girl.

"I'm..." you stop, thinking how to introduce yourself.

Do you say 'mom' and make their hope flare when Gru is against this? Now that you think of it, you honestly never contemplated having children and the man presented you with three just for a heist. You look into their innocent eyes and feel bad. You make a note to talk to Gru about this issue extensively.

"I'm F/n", you reiterate lamely and nod to the tall man "Can you get their things?"

"Sure."

He goes without complaining while you manage to pry Agnes off your leg and walk with the girls to the car.

"How old are you?" You ask once you enter the tank.

"I'm 12, Edith is 8 and Agnes is 5", Margo informs you, examining you like a hawk "You didn't want us" she states suddenly and so painfully blunt that you nearly stagger.

"I wouldn't say that" you start slowly, gathering your thoughts quickly "Gru simply surprised me and I'm not a big fan of surprises."

Speak of the devil, the man enters the car and throws the girls' bags in a chair "Ok, listen up, please. You three change so we can deliver the cookies" he practically orders before dragging you to the platform and going up to the driver and passenger seats.

"What will we do with the girls afterward?" you whisper the question once you are seated, and he drives.

"I'll handle it."

"Gru, we need to discuss this" you hiss.

He throws you a look and his irritation shines brightly "I will handle it after I get the ray."

You bite your tongue, and the retort you wished to shout at him effectively stopped. How you wish he was more like Dru and listened to what you had to say.

He stops the car, and he nearly bounces on his feet in excitement "Alright, our first customer is a man named Vector", he declares once the platform takes both of you down.

Margo looks at her order form "But he’s a 'V'. You know, we’re supposed to start with the A’s, then we go to the B’s, then we go to the..."

You elbow the man when he mimics the girl talking and his blue eyes throw icicles at you.

"Yes, yes, I went to kindergarten, I know how the alphabet works!" He interrupts her "I was just thinking that it might be nice to deliver Mr. Vector’s first, that is all" he utters in a sickly sweet tone as he leads the kids out of the car.

He slams the tank door shut, and Margo, Edith, and Agnes make their way down the sidewalk toward Vector’s place.

"It’s almost over...it’s almost over" he repeats the sentence like a mantra, and you glare at him disapprovingly.

You watch the girls on the video screen as they enter the gate and then the house without issue.

"Stay here. I will be right back."

You are so angry with him that you merely wave him off. You wait calmly, watching the surveillance camera and after a while, the kids emerge from Vector's home. You pucker your brow since the man didn't return and you open the car's door to greet them.

"How did it go?"

"Good" the eldest replies aloofly.

You see something come your way and when you turn you stare, your cheeks heating up, at Gru running toward you, waving his pants around in his arms happily.

He laughs joyously "We did it! C’mon girls, let’s go" he climbs in the car and a split second later the minions come sprinting with the shrink ray.

You enter and watch the man wide-eyed "I would have pegged you for a boxer's man, but not for smiling faces ones."

Your comment has the desired effect. His whole face becomes so red that the tomatoes are envious. He feebly tries to hide as he tries to put his pants back on without falling in his haste to dress up.

"We took the ray" he grumbles as an excuse for his attire.

"And you gave Vector a striptease as well?" You inquire above a whisper when you pass him.

He glares daggers at you but doesn't say anything, simply dressing up and joining you at the helm of the car. He starts driving home, stealing peeks at you from time to time. Before he can ask you anything, the spectacled girl's voice rings as she and her sisters come up the platform.

"But what about the other people who ordered cookies?"

"Life is full of disappointments", the bald male intones "For some people" he adds with a devilish grin.

Agnes sees something out the window, she points and then shouts as loudly as a banshee. The vehicle swerves as Gru tries to figure out what is wrong, and you cover your ears to block her ear-splitting yell.

"Don’t do that!" Gru chides the child, throwing you a worried glance when he sees you grimacing.

Agnes shrikes excitedly "Super Silly Fun Land! Can we go? Please?"

"No," Gru says dismissively while you look out the window at the amusement park the children point at.

"But we’ve never been! And it’s the funniest place on earth!" The blonde kid announces, her tone pleading for the two of you to reconsider.

"Don’t care" the man says emotionlessly.

"Please? We'll never ask for anything ever again! Please?" Margo interjects as well, and you make the mistake of looking at them.

Three pairs of begging eyes greet you and your heart goes out to them. You seek Gru's gaze and see the evil smirk that slowly twists his lips.

"Liiight bulb" he breathes to himself, but you overhear and immediately frown as you wonder what the man plots.

He easily pulls the car into the amusement park's parking lot and takes your hand, leading you and the girls out.

"What are you planning?" You hiss after the girls run ahead toward a rollercoaster.

"Nothing," he says while a mischievous glint shines in his eyes.

"Come on!" Edith calls after you and you gulp when you see the ride.

Gru stops you from walking to it "Goodbye have fun!" He tells them, turning with you before you can protest and heading towards the exit.

"Uh, sorry, dude, they can't ride without an adult." The park worker calls after the two of you and Gru stiffens.

"What?" He nearly growls, staring down at the park employee, but it has no effect on the younger man "Ugh. Fine", you try to pry your hand free, but he holds it firmly "Oh, no you don't. If I have to go on this ride, so do you."

"Let me go, Gru!"

"No" he states plainly maneuvering you in the cart behind the girls.

He is amused by you when you grip the railing, but he follows suit when the cart plummets down. Both you and the man scream in terror while the girls have the time of their lives. Finally, after several loops and corkscrews in a row, the ride ends.

The kids jump out of the ride chit chatting excitedly among themselves while you and Gru get out on unsteady feet and green-faced. You don't know if you should find it funny or not that Gru is similar to you when it comes to rollercoaster rides and not his twin.

"Hey, are you ok?" He voices softly, although he is experiencing discomfort himself.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's not do that again" you breathe out, straightening and huffing when you see your likeness on the monitor, immortalized in a scream on the ride you just left.

"I can't agree more."

"Oh my gosh look at that fluffy unicorn!" The youngest exclaims pointing to the main prize at the shooting gallery "He’s so fluffy I’m gonna die!!!"

"You gotta let us play for it," Margo expresses, her eyes jumping from you to the man and back.

Before he can protest, you squeeze his hand and look pointedly at him.

He sighs and addresses the slimy vendor "How much for the fluffy unicorn?"

The young man chuckles "Well...it is not for sale. But all you gotta do to win it is knock down that little spaceship there", he points to the smallest of the spaceship targets, and you immediately think that Dru could have done this with his eyes closed "It’s easy!" He adds as a means to convince you two.

Gru nods and slaps a dollar bill on the table. The vendor slurps on his drink and presses a button that opens the curtains and readies the cork guns. The girls start firing and all, as expected, miss.

"Ah come on. One more time" Edith begs, looking at you.

"Just one more! I accidentally closed my eyes" Agnes adds and you focus on the cobalt gaze fixed on you.

He rolls his eyes exaggeratedly but gives the vendor another bill. You watch as the girls try to shoot the tiny spaceship and your mouth drops open in surprise when this time Agnes’s cork hits the target.

"I hit it, I hit it! Did you see that?" She asks happily, looking at the two of you "I hit it!"

Your eyes narrow when the video sign above the game reads 'YOU LOSE'.

Gru reacts the very next second "Whoa, whoa, whoa...what was that? She hit that! I saw that with my own eyes!"

The vendor gives Gru a smarmy smile as he flips through a stack of dollar bills "Hey, buddy. Let me explain something to you", he points to the back of the range "Ya see that little tiny spaceship? You see how it’s not knocked over? Do you know what that means, professor?" The vendor leans over the counter and gets right in Gru’s face "It means you don't get the unicorn!" He notices Agnes' teary eyes and isn't moved by them "Someone’s got a frowny face. Better luck next time!"

Gru stares at the vendor, then at you, and lastly at the girls. His blood begins to boil, but he remains calm and smiles at the vendor "Okay, my turn" he gives the money to the vendor and tugs at your hand lightly, nodding toward the girls.

You react, ushering the kids to the side as he walks a little farther from the game. He calmly reaches into his coat and pulls out a small gun that transforms into an enormous ray gun. He presses the trigger and an orange blast connects with the back of the shooting range, leaving no sign of the targets just a giant gaping hole.

Gru turns to the vendor and grins wickedly "Knocked over!"

The vendor trembles, silenced while Gru pockets his weapon and grabs the unicorn, handing it to Agnes. Margo and Edith cheer while Agnes hugs the animal tightly, all three utterly unperturbed by the fact that Gru fired a weapon and destroyed public property.

His face blossoms with color upon feeling the touch of your lips on his cheek, and his heart flutters as you bestow upon him one of the warmest gazes he has ever received from you.

"I'm proud of you."

His heart stops and restarts, beating faster than before, just from your words "Really?"

"Yeah. You are a total papa wolf", he chuckles as you throw a look at the girls as they run to a stand where they face paint people "Gru... I think..."

"That we should keep them" he finishes your thought, gazing at them with his mouth quirked up.

You nod "Yes. Is it crazy?"

He shrugs "Eh, we can make it work", he holds out his hand "Partners?"

You take it "Partners."

"Hey! Come and have your faces painted!" Edith says as she comes and takes your hands, pulling you two with all her might toward the stand.

"We chose for you!" Agnes says cheerfully, pointing to a bunny design.

"Oh, no. No, no, no" the man refuses vehemently, but you easily maneuver him in the chair.

"Come on. I will get one as well, so we match."

He beams "We have a deal."

Chapter Text

As you step into the living room, you notice Gru preparing to call the bank "Where are the girls?"

"Playing with the minions", his blue eyes take you in worriedly "Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah, that corndog from the amusement park finished tap dancing in my stomach."

He lets out a soft chuckle "Can you order some pizza while I call Perkins?"

You nod "Sure."

He smiles softly and kisses your forehead "Great. We will get that loan, and the moon will be ours!" He chirps, and you can't help but smile.

"Just a little more."

"Um... wish me good luck?"

"Good luck, Gru," you utter gently and peck his cheek.

You leave him grinning broadly and wander to the kitchen. You place the pizza order and calmly wait. Suddenly, the stillness shatters as a door swings open with a thunderous bang, and you hear the relentless echo of furious footsteps barreling toward you, each step pounding like a war drum. Gru enters, his features a perfect poker mask as he drags the girls after him.

"Stay here," he intones with such haunting emptiness that it sends shivers racing down your spine, leaving your hair standing on end.

He gazes at you with a sorrowful intensity, but just as quickly, he turns away, his posture practically shouting that something is wrong. Then, with a determined resolve, he strides out of the kitchen, leaving you engulfed in an unsettling perplexity.

"What happened?" You ask the children as they look at the ground guiltily.

"He was talking with someone on the TV, and that man said some nasty things about Gru," Edith replies, and you pale when you realize that they were in the living room.

You stand up "Stay here", and with that, you rush upstairs. You gently rap on his door "Gru?"

"Come in," his voice drifts after a few agonizing seconds.

You enter cautiously, and you stop dead in your tracks when you catch a glimpse of him huddled in a corner, sitting on the cold floor, with his beefy body curled tightly around his knees. Tears stream down his cheeks, glistening like fragile diamonds, each drop a testament that something wrong definitely happened.

"Gru", you whisper and go to him posthaste "What's wrong?!" You ask as you kneel next to him.

"She was right", he says, his voice cracking "I'm a failure."

You bristle, knowing full well that he is referring to his mother "You aren't!"

"I am, Y/n! Perkins refused the loan! I FAILED!" He proclaims with fervor, and in that moment, a fresh tide of tears spills forth showing just how upset he is by this.

It hurts you when you see him like this, and you curse his mother and his father as well, knowing full well that both twins went through this kind of treatment from their parents.

"So what?"

Glassy cobalt eyes focus on you "What?"

"So what if we didn't get the loan? Let's make our own rocket! Nefario can make it!"

"We don't have money."

"I can sell some of the things I stole and… metal! We have enough scrap metal to make it work. If not, we will hit the junkyards! Take apart the cars! Who needs the bank!? We can do this!"

He stares at you like you are heaven-sent "We will build our own rocket," he voices, a delicate dance of disbelief entwined with a flicker of hope "Yes... we will build our own rocket!" he utters with conviction, wiping his eyes and smiling brilliantly at you.

As you descend the stairs, you stretch as a lazy yawn escapes your lips, a testament to the peaceful slumber that has gently cradled you until now. The secret heist you pulled to gather more money for the rocket took a toll on you.

"Alright, now when we put our cups together, we will make the clink sound with our mouths. Ready? Edith?"

"Clink."

You hear Gru's voice in the living room, and you peek inside. Your mouth drops open in surprise when you see the tall man sitting on the floor and having a tea party with the girls.

"There we go. And now we drink!" He instructs them and all drink the tea from their cups.

He effortlessly pours another round into the tiny cups and even fills up the fluffy unicorn toy's cup as well.

He picks up his cup, and his cobalt eyes scan the three girls "Let's see... Agnes?" He says softly and the two clink their cups while making the sound with their mouths "Very good, Ag-" he stops talking when he sees you leaning against the door frame, smiling softly at him. He flushes a bright scarlet "Oh... Y/n, you woke up... Um..." He stands up awkwardly and you leisurely come next to him.

"You are having a tea party without me? Rude," you utter playfully, easily scooping the unicorn's cup and holding it up "Gru?"

With his cheeks aflame and a shy, tender smile lighting up his face, he leans closer and gently clinks his cup against yours.

"Clink," you both say, and his breath stutters when your hand comes to the small of his back to caress it gently a few times before you take a seat on the floor next to Margo.

"Oh! You have sandwiches as well!" You intone, pleasantly surprised, before glancing up at the man "Sit down, Gru. Have a sandwich."

He practically drops down next to you, his cobalt eyes staring at you with an overwhelming warmth. He hums and pours more tea, pleased that you didn’t mock him as his mother did; that cruel laughter still rings in his ears even now when she stumbled upon him, hosting a beautiful tea party when he was just a child.

A deep grimace etches across your face as you lie helplessly in bed, engulfed by a searing pain that seems relentless. You yearn for relief, for the sweet escape that only the pills can offer, but for now, you’re trapped in this anguish, waiting with bated breath for them to kick in.

There's a knock on the door, and it opens a crack before you get the chance to answer.

"Y/n?" The accented voice drifts.

"Hm?" You groan.

"Are you ok? The girls told me you weren't feeling good."

"Not really."

The door opens fully, and he steps inside "What's wrong?"

You shake your head, holding your abdomen tighter "It hurts."

His eyes widen, and his gaze scans your figure "Are you injured?!"

You give him a pointed look, and after a few seconds, he comprehends what you mean and blushes.

"Oh... can I bring you anything? Tea? A heated pad?"

"Tea. I can't stand heated pads. I am that unlucky."

He leaves the room in a rush and comes with the tea "Did you try pills?"

"Yes," you practically drink the tea in one large gulp "I'm still waiting for them to do their magic," you whisper as you lay back down.

He looks at your suffering form, and you feel the bed dip behind you. You flush a bright red when he hugs you from behind, one of his large hands caressing your abdomen gently.

"Better?"

You are surprised to hear the question whispered in your ear over your erratic heart beat: "Yes. Your hand is warm."

He chuckles "Glad to be of service."

A few precious moments drift by in blissful tranquility before a gentle chuckle escapes your lips.

"What?"

You peek at him over your shoulder "You do realize that we have three girls, right?"

The blood leaves his face "Oh God..." He sighs "I need to find a solution for the pain."

"Gru, this can happen to them, but it's not mandatory. It's different for everyone."

He shakes his head "Even so, I can't have you wallow in pain."

"It's not so frequent."

He narrows his eyes "Your point? Those months you do feel intense pain need to disappear."

You stroke his hand over your abdomen "I like this solution."

He blushes slightly "It's not enough. I will see what I can do."

"You're an angel."

He rolls his eyes "Sure. Let me flap my wings to reach the kitchen and prepare lunch", he kisses your forehead before pulling away "I will bring your food here, so don't move."

You agree with a nod, and he leaves the room.

"Y/n, look!" Edith says enthusiastically as she shows you the score she obtained on her handheld console.

You briefly stop brushing Margo's hair before resuming "Wow! That's so high!" you say softly as you finish and start braiding the oldest girl's hair.

"I bet I can get an even higher score!" The blonde declares.

You chuckle "I have no doubt. You are done, Margo", you declare as you finish braiding her hair.

"Thank you" she utters, smiling brightly at you and making you wonder if anyone before you did this for her.

You beckon the youngest girl "Your turn Agnes."

"Yeah!" She breathes out, running to the spot Margo vacated and giggling happily.

You feel the brunette's eyes on you. It's been a regular occurrence for some time, and you don't call her out about it. You brush the dark hair and nearly get lost in the activity if it wasn't for Edith's shouts at the game, Margo's gentle inquiry about book recommendations, and Agnes' mumbles as she plays with her unicorn.

You finish braiding the little one's hair, and you are shocked when Edith swaps places with her, taking her pink hat off to allow you access. You pause for a second, flabbergasted by the turn of events. The blonde girl always refused to take off her hat, to the point that you and Gru joked in private that it was glued to her head. And yet, here she is, willingly taking it off for you to brush her locks.

With a light shrug, you reach for the brush once more. You can hear the infectious laughter of the youngest girl as she suddenly dashes toward the door, her excitement radiating like sunshine in the room. When you turn your head, you see Gru, leaning against the frame and gazing at you with such a warm expression that it makes your cheeks heat up.

He quickly scoops Agnes in his arms before she gets the chance to climb up his leg like a koala "I came up and didn't find you in your room."

You point to the braid you are doing "I got caught up in hair styling."

He chuckles and quickly puts the dark-haired girl in her bed "Come on; it's beddy-bye time."

She pouts in protest but doesn't complain when Gru tucks her in. The tall man then goes to Margo's bed, who has already climbed on the mattress.

You finish with Edith's hair and swiftly tuck her in bed. "Good night, girls," Gru and you say as you leave the room.

"Good night!" They call after you in chorus.

"You are really good at this" the man says softly, his cobalt eyes regarding you with admiration.

"Eh, I do what I can."

"Do you want to be pampered as well?"

You turn to him, a whirlwind of confusion swirling in your mind at his question, and your heart skips a beat as you catch sight of the delicate pink hue dancing across his cheeks "What?"

"The hair brushing and braiding."

"Oh, no. I am too tired to braid my hair."

"I can do it for you," he declares, suddenly finding the floor fascinating.

"You know how to braid hair?" You ask incredulously.

He nods "Believe it or not, I had long hair once", he says, somewhat defensively.

Your mouth twitches upward "Well, if it isn't too much trouble, sure."

He smiles charmingly "No trouble at all," he assures you as he follows you to your room.

As you settle into your chair at the vanity, your heart starts racing as he gently lifts the brush and runs it through your hair. Each stroke feels like a delicate caress, and it nearly makes you melt. You sink into blissful relaxation, and a soft moan nearly escapes your lips when he gently begins to braid your hair. As you gaze into the mirror, your heart races with fervor, captivated by his every movement as he immerses himself into this simple task with the same dedication he does for his evil plans.

“All done”, he declares, stepping back to admire the excellent job he did.

You turn in your seat and look up at him. His smile halts abruptly when he notices that your gaze is silently pleading for his lips to meet yours. He feels the overwhelming urge to surrender to that longing, to close the distance and taste your lips. Just as he is about to lean down and claim your mouth, a crash is heard down the hallway, and the minions’ nervous babble rings through your door.

He lets out a heavy sigh, frustration swirling within him, mingled with the regret of not kissing you. With a heavy heart, he turns towards the door, his steps echoing with his irritation.

“Good night, Y/n”, he utters before exiting the room.

You watch, amused, as Gru tries to put the girls to bed, but they’re running all over the place, evading him and giggling.

"Come on, it’s bedtime! Did you brush your teeth?" He asks Edith, who nods, but you can see when she crosses her fingers behind her back "Let me smell, let me smell", the man demands, noticing the mischievous glint in her eyes. He grimaces when she breathes in his direction "You did not!" He chides her, but Agnes jumps on him laughing "Put on your PJs! Hold still! Okay, seriously, seriously! This is, this is beddy-bye time. Right now. I am not kidding around. I mean it!"

You step in "Come on, put on your PJs," Gru glares at you incredulously when the girls obey.

"But we’re not tired," the blonde protests after they change.

"Well we...", he moves his hand from himself to you and back "... are tired!"

Agnes holds up a small book "Will you read us a bedtime story?"

"No," the male says automatically.

"Pretty please?" She tries again while you watch the scene smiling.

"The physical appearance of the please makes no difference. It is still no. So, go to sleep."

"Gru," you utter softly, and the girls look up at you and then at the tall male.

He sighs exaggeratedly "Ahh, fine."

The girls smile brilliantly, nearly bouncing on their feet as Gru takes the book from Agnes and sits down on the floor next to the girls’ beds. He looks at you expectantly and smirks, pleased when you sit on the floor next to him.

"Do you want to read it?" He inquires, waving it airily.

"No. You have a nicer voice than me."

Pink dusts his cheeks "Alright. Sleepy Kittens" he reads the title, and his eyebrows go up "Sleepy Kittens?" He repeats when he opens the book, and blinks rapidly when three kitten finger puppets are revealed "What are these?"

"Puppets. You use them when you tell the story" the little one informs him sweetly.

He sticks three of his fingers through the back of the book, operating the finger puppets, and grimaces slightly "Okay, let’s get this over with. Three little kittens love to play. They had fun in the sun all day. Then their mother came out and said, 'Time for kittens to go to bed.'" Gru looks up from the book with a revelation "Wow, this is garbage. You actually like this?" He says teasingly, and you refrain from agreeing with him.

Agnes lightly pushes his face back toward the book "Keep reading!"

Gru shakes his head, groans exasperated, and turns the page "Okay, alright, alright, alright... Three little kittens started to bawl, 'Mommy, we’re not tired at all.' Their Mother smiled and said with a purr, 'Fine, but at least you should brush your fur.'"

The blonde points to the miniature brush "Now you brush the fur."

Gru picks it up and unenthusiastically brushes the puppet kittens’ fur, making the girls smile "This is literature? A two-year-old could have written this", you squeeze his forearm reproachfully "Alright", he stops his tirade and turns the page "Three little kittens with fur all brushed said, 'We can’t sleep, we feel too rushed.' Their mother replied with a voice like silk, 'Fine, but at least you should drink your milk.'"

The youngest points to the page "Now make them drink the milk."

He makes the puppets drink milk from the saucer depicted on the page "I don’t like this book. This is going on forever."

"If you stopped complaining every sentence then you could reach the end."

He glowers at you, but you smile innocently as the girls snicker at your quip.

He turns the page and stiffens slightly when Agnes snuggles closer to him "Three little kittens with milk all gone. Rubbed their eyes and started to yawn", all three girls unconsciously yawn, and so do you and Gru “'We can’t sleep, can’t even try.' Then their mother sang a lullaby", Gru turns the page “'Goodnight, kittens, close your eyes. Sleep in peace until you rise. Tho’ while you sleep we are apart", he pauses and his eyes become glassy “'Your mommy...loves you with all her heart.' Realizing what’s happening, he blinks rapidly and immediately slams the book closed "The End! Okay, goodnight!" And with that, he nearly runs for the door.

"Wait!" Agnes shouts as you get up, and Gru halts in the doorway.

"What?"

"What about goodnight kisses?" she inquires, and Gru tries to keep his emotions in check.

"No! No! No! There will be no kissing or hugging or kissing." He leaves, and the girls turn to you, hopeful.

You smile lightly, "Give him some time. We are adjusting to having you. Come on, off to bed." They simply beam when they see that you remain to kiss their foreheads "Good night, girls."

"Good night... mom," the sleepy reply comes from all three, and you nearly hug the floor in your shock.

You exit their room in a stupor and find Gru staring intently at the wall. When you shift your attention, you notice that he is looking at the framed 'Felonius Family Tree'. You nearly sigh in sadness when you note the absence of Dru and are close to laughing when you see the terrible rendering of Robert. However, your breath hitches when you see a rudely made version of you in crayon next to Gru as well as the girls drawn under you.

You chuckle "They are talented."

He nods and leans down to trace your depiction "I will ask Dr. Nefario to make another one and add you with the girls," he states calmly while your heart flutters fitfully "I really didn't like that book. We need to buy them some new ones."

You draw in a long, deep breath and let it out slowly "Gru, they were orphans. Probably the little money they managed to gather was used to buy that book" his cobalt eyes snap to you, and you can see in their depth that he didn't think of that "It represents them. Three girls, three kittens, with someone that cares and loves them" you take him by surprise and a blush extends down his throat when you hug him "The same thing you wanted as well when you were little."

His arms come around you as he tightens the embrace "I... still don't know what I did wrong. Why my mother never cared for me."

You curse her and Robert "She is an awful human being. You can't do anything but move forward and leave her in the past."

He hums and disentangles himself slightly, enough to lead you to your bedroom. You are thunderstruck when he sits on your bed and pulls you lightly. As you lie together on the soft mattress, your arms wrap around him, reciprocating his tender embrace. You don't comment because you know he needs it. You can feel it in the slight tremor of his hands and in his stuttering breath. You stroke his back, far from surprised when you feel tears fall on your neck as he nuzzles further into your warmth. Briefly, you regret not bestowing this to Dru as well, but at least you can help one of them overcome their childhood trauma.

Everyone, from Dr. Nefario to the minions, works like crazy to build Gru his rocket, but despite everyone's enthusiasm, it's a slow process.

"Y/n?"

You lift your eyes from the cables you were connecting to see that the bald man has stopped his activity "Yes?"

Cobalt eyes gaze at you conflicted "The girls' recital falls on the day of the heist. I tried to change the date, but Dr. Nefario was against it."

"Oh... well, if you agree, I can go to the recital while you steal the moon."

He looks at the ground "I don't want to miss it..."

You bump into his shoulder playfully "Then you better hurry up and make it back in time, mister."

He chuckles "I'll do my best", he looks at the clock "It's lunch time", he stands up and offers his hand like a true gentleman.

You take it and let him lead you to the lift. The elevator goes up quickly and the moment it reaches the living room, Gru stiffens next to you when he hears an older woman's voice.

You frown at his reaction and enter the main room to find a small female sitting on the sofa with the girls, looking through an old scrapbook. She looks oddly familiar, but even so, you are ready to walk to her and tear her away from the girls, but the bald male's hold on your hand stops you. 

"Mom, what are you doing here?" the tall man asks, and you are certain that your jaw clatters to the floor.

Gru's mom? She looks so... frail... you quickly compose yourself, remembering that appearances can be deceiving.

The woman ignores him entirely, pointing to something in her book "...and there he is in the bathtub. Oh! Look at his little buns."

The girls giggle while Gru is mortified "Mom, not cool", he utters, his voice heavy with a deep sense of resignation that seeps into every syllable.

She points to another picture in the photo album "And here he is all dressed up in his Sunday best."

Another round of giggles resounds in the living room, and Margo adds between chuckles "He looks like a girl."

"Ha-ha. Yes, he does. An ugly girl," the woman states, and your ire ignites the very next second.

With strength you didn't know you possessed, you manage to pry your hand free from Gru's and steamroll to the woman, plucking the photo album and glaring at her angrily.

"Gru, take the girls to the kitchen", you practically order, and you see recognition flash in the older female's eyes.

The girls rush to the man while you and the woman have a stare-down.

She starts speaking the moment the door closes behind the others "So, you are the one that talked to me on the phone."

You throw the album in the rhino armchair and cross your arms "Yes. F/n L/n. You must be Marlena Felonious."

As you utter the name Gru mentioned, a wave of recognition washes over you. In that moment, the pieces fall into place, and you understand—the reason she felt so familiar suddenly becomes crystal clear. The family tree – you saw her depicted there.

"Ja", she stands up "I didn't appreciate how discourteous you were to me on the phone," she hisses, but you don't even flinch.

You shrug "I still consider you a bitch and Robert a bastard."

She pales "W-what?"

You smirk like a devil "Robert Felonious. You know, Gru's dad. I met him when he pulled a heist", you lean down "If you dare act like a bitch to Gru or me or the girls, I will tell your son about Robert. You don't want that, do you? After all, you hid the truth all these years", you pick up some lint from her coat "It would be a shame if someone came and ruined everything, right?" You growl, and she flinches.

"Ja..." She steps back, and her gaze goes up and down your figure "...well, at least my son has good taste in women," she states before walking to the door.

You refrain from saying that both her sons have good taste. You will keep Dru as an ace up your sleeve against Marlena. You follow her and see the tall man stand to attention when his mother comes into the kitchen.

She approaches him and pats his arm "Oh, I’m so proud of you, son. You’ve chosen a remarkable woman."

With that, she strides over to the table and sinks into the chair beside the girls while Gru is frozen in a stupor. A chuckle escapes your lips at his flabbergasted expression.

“Oh! Gru, I'll tell you something else as well”, Marlena says, throwing you a shit-eating grin “She's got a good, solid, baby bucket.”

Both you and her son feel a deep flush of embarrassment wash over you, a warm tide creeping into your cheeks as you come to the poignant realization that his mother was determined to have the final word.