Fluent Freshman - Part 16
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Sweeties is very busy tonight but they get a table relatively quickly. He sees some people looking at their group all dressed in the ‘required’ attire for going out to Eden’s and reminds himself that maybe it’s for the best that people remember him tonight. It MAY help the police find his body in a shallow grave somewhere if they can piece together his last few hours.
Nicky stops by the salad bar and grabs three packs of crackers. He hands one pack to FF who just stares blankly at it before shrugging and figuring his stomach needs something so he opens the pack and just eats the crackers.
Nicky looks at him with an abundance of fondness that he doesn’t understand but shakes his head and hands a laminated menu over to him to order dinner from. “I know you’re not drinking but you still gotta take your meds before we leave.” Nicky reminds and FF nods. He reaches into his pocket to confirm that they’re there and feels something cheap and plastic.
Oh god, he forgot to take his Happy Meal Toy out of his pocket. No one needs to know that.
He shoves his hand into his other jacket pocket and the sandwich baggy with his single dose for his Ulcer is right there.
He starts to look at the menu when he realizes that everyone else already knows what they’re going to order since they apparently come here regularly. He tries his best to never be a regular at any place where they can see him and repeat his order back to him (Hello CVS girl, yes thank you for holding some Pepto for him. No he is very brand loyal and would not like to try Tums thank you.)
FF stands behind the art of the panic pick.
He has cultivated this ability over his many years of panicking. He can look at a menu and pick an item that might not be the thing he most wants on that menu it is something that he can eat or drink. Then while he has that pick queued up and ready to fly if a member of the waitstaff comes over before he’s actually read what’s on offer he has his panic pick.
A place like this has GOT to have a burger.
He finds it under the sandwich section easily enough and now he has his panic pick as he peruses the rest of the menu.
The waitress comes far faster than he had anticipated and slams waters down at each of their spots. “What can I get you?” She asks and before anyone says anything Nicky and Aaron slide over the two packets of crackers that she takes before looking at the empty packet in front of FF, “Just two?” She asks.
WHAT KIND OF CODE IS THIS?
“Just two.” Nicky says grabbing his trash and handing it over to her.
She shrugs, “Anything else on the menu I can get you boys?” She asks.
They all make their orders and Nicky, bravely, steps in to remind him he likes his burgers well done when the waitress asks.
“Sorry, I should have warned you.” Nicky laughs bumping his shoulder against FF’s “This place has this stuff called cracker dust, it gets you high but it’s not addictive.” He says.
Every single 80’s PSA goes off in FF’s head all at once.
NICKY “FLIPS TURTLES BACK ONTO THEIR FEET” HEMMICK DOES NOT LOOK LIKE HOW THE ‘JUST SAY NO’ ADS HAD SAID HE WOULD.
There’s not a trench coat! He wasn’t even wearing a hoodie with the hood up! There’s no sunglasses! Nicky had given him a baggie for his ulcer meds but IT WAS A SANDWICH BAG.
“I see.” He says out loud.
“Do you wanna try some.” Aaron asks. He double checks and yeah Aaron is still in the same club clothes he had left the house with. He has on a hoodie but the hood is down.
He does as any 80’s teen sitcom protagonist does by the end of the episode.
“No thank you.”
He thinks Mr. T would be happy that he said No. That ad had been especially nerve wracking as a kid when Mr. T ‘shakes some sense’ into the camera.
“Alright, no worries. Neil and Andrew don’t do any either.” Nicky says quickly.
The drugs come with the food and Nicky and Aaron pocket them before handing over cash to the waitress who just counts it right there. He focuses on digging into his burger and realizes it has jalapeños on it but Nicky volunteers to eat them with his nachos and lets the conversation weave around him as he polishes off his burger and takes his ulcer meds. “Oh cool, hand me the bag so I can keep our stuff in there.” Nicky makes a grabbing motion with his hands and FF just hands it over.
He zones out as he eats his fries. He wonders if Great Gran is upset watching him or if she’s happy that he said no to drugs. Maybe he should have said yes, then he could at least be blasted out of his mind when Andrew dragged him to the basement.
Well, it’s too late now.
The waitress comes and clears out their plates but picks up her notepad and pen again. “So, what ice cream do you boys want tonight?” She asks and looks straight at FF.
But FF is prepared.
Ice cream places are easy. His panic pick is a given, it’s Vanilla. Every ice cream joint has it so he barely even notices how his heart rate kicks up to 190 BPM and his palms grow instantly sweaty.
“Vanilla.”
“Sorry Hun, we’re fresh out.”
OH GOD. QUICK, SAY SOMETHING ELSE.
“Surprise me.”
NO YOU IDIOT SAY CHOCOLATE.
“Surprise you?”
RETRACT, IT’S NOT TOO LATE.
“Yeah. Surprise me.” He repeats and he can FEEL Nicky vibrating with laughter next to him.
“Alright Hun, I’ll surprise you.” She winks at him and he blinks back at her.
The rest of the table all order (They’re all normal people who order strawberry (neil), the special with chocolate (Nicky), Lemon Sorbet (Aaron), and Brownie Fudge (Andrew).
“Surprise me.” Nicky whispers to him.
“I panicked.” He whispers back.
“Yeah obviously.” Nicky snorts but pats him, “It’s fine. The worst is you might end up with Pistachio or something.” He pats FF on the back.
FF likes Pistachio and the world loves to make FF suffer.
“Here you go hun. We just got this in, it’s Mango.” She says setting down two scoops of a bright orange ice cream down in front of him, “With a little surprise.” She winks again as she sets the other ice cream down.
They all get started.
Why is the Ice Cream kind of spicy?
He eventually puzzles out that the waitress has served him a Mango and some kind of pepper (probably habanero) ice cream. She smiles when he thanks her for the surprise, tries not to let it show how much the spice is KILLING his stomach let alone the acid of the mango.
Andrew has his eyes narrowed on him and he’s sure the man doesn’t want him to make a scene at a place that seems to be a frequent haunt for the family. So he eats every last bite and ignores how his lips tingle.
“Ohhh it must have been good. Maybe we should get you her number.” Nicky says looking at his empty bowl.
“No, I’m good.” She was pretty but considering the acid currently swirling in his stomach she probably thought he was an asshole for asking for her to ‘surprise him’. Even if that wasn’t the case, what if she thought it’d be cute to serve him this spicy ice cream as a cute couple thing? His stomach can’t take that.
“Aw man you’re no fun.” Nicky pouts.
They pay for their meals and the waitress hands him his receipt with a wink. He nods back at her before shoving the receipt into his pocket next to the Megamind toy. “Have a good night.” He says.
“You too Hun.” She says.
They head out for Eden’s and in a way the ice cream is a blessing because his stomach hurts enough that he barely even notices his anxiety about being at the place where Andrew most certainly is going to stab him at least once by the end of the night.
MASTERPOST FOR ALL PARTS OF FLUENT FRESHMAN AU
NEXT
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An Interlude on Melidaan
(Please check the tags for content warnings!)
Stitch is sitting with Helix when he gets the call.
Helix had woken up for just long enough to squint, recognize Stitch, mutter something about his head having been trampled by a herd of banthas, and pass out again- enough to reassure Stitch that the surgery had gone smoothly. He doesn't like it when any of them are out of commission, but it had been agreed that de-chipping the medics was a priority so they could facilitate removals of the rest of the 212th when they were underway again.
Helix had volunteered first, with an expression that forbade disagreement. Needle's in pre-op now, Stitch knows- he'd hugged him tight and had told him not to worry, and Stitch had nodded against his chest and had told him he was going to worry anyway because that's what you did for your brothers, and Needle's smile had gone all soft around the edges before he'd vanished down the hall.
Stitch has a very long list of things you do for your brothers, and the list grows longer by the day.
And right behind worrying for your brothers is going to them when they need you.
"Needle?"
He knocks once, twice, three times before a steady voice tells him to come in.
He does.
Needle is sitting on the edge of the gurney, pale-faced, hands clutching the blanket under him so tightly his knuckles are turning white. Another person- Stitch had seen her at Jess's side, but had missed her name- is standing a safe distance away, head tilted back, pinching the bridge of her nose.
Stitch blinks. "What happened?"
Needle laughs, hoarse and hurting. "Nothing yet," he mutters. "I- can't. Apparently."
He shifts. "Sorry about your nose, Rittan."
The surgeon- Rittan- is olive-skinned and square-jawed and has a knot of scar tissue sealing shut the socket where her left eye should be. She wrinkles her nose assessingly, drops her hand, and waves Needle's apology off as she settles into her chair.
Stitch likes her immediately.
"Don't be," she says easily. "I've had worse. I once called a total evac when Bretta tossed me an apple and I saw a grenade. We've all got our own twitches."
It takes Stitch a moment to make the connection.
To realize why he's here.
And then he looks again at Needle's pale face and thinks-
Oh.
Needle glances up.
"I- can't," he bursts out. "I thought I could, but I- can't. I can't have- I can't-"
He stops. His shoulders sag.
"I can't," he repeats helplessly. "I can't. I want it out. I can't."
"But you know-"
"Yeah."
"And that it could-"
"I know."
"Or even-"
"Stitch."
Stitch's mouth snaps shut. Needle winces.
"I... know," he says slowly. "I do. I want it out. I want it out. I want it out."
He stops. Presses his hands hard against his eyes.
"I was this close to lying to both of you," he says eventually. "Tell her I'd get it done on the ship. Tell you I'd gotten it done here. And just-"
He shrugs. Helpless. Hurting.
"It could wipe you away," Stitch says desperately, and regrets it immediately when Needle's whole body jerks.
"So maybe I'll just sit here until the end of fucking time, then," Needle snaps, "because I can't let it stay in my brain but I can't let anyone else's fingers in there either! Not-"
He stops.
Stitch's whole chest hurts.
Not again.
"Sorry," Needle says hoarsely. "Sorry. I- hell. Rittan suggested calling someone, but- you can go. I'll figure it out. You can-"
Stitch has stopped listening.
A slow plan is bubbling to life in the back of his mind.
"Needle," he interrupts, "you trust me, right?"
"I- what? Of course-"
"And you want it out?"
Needle curls inwards, hugging himself.
"I don't want it to happen again, Stitch," he whispers, and Stitch nods.
Needle trusts him. Needle wants it out.
He can't let it be taken out.
But he wants it out.
Okay.
"I am going to get you something to drink," he says decisively. "Because hydration is important. While I think. You'll stay here?"
He's met with a wan smile. "Cross my heart."
Stitch hesitates.
(But Needle does this all the time. And it's- nice.)
After a beat, he cups Needle's face in his hands, leans down, and carefully presses a kiss to his forehead.
Needle's eyes are very wide, when he looks down.
"Did I do that right?" Stitch asks, suddenly feeling unaccountably nervous.
Needle's smile looks more like Needle, this time. "Perfect."
Oh.
That's-
That's good.
Right.
The plan.
He returns with a cup of grape juice.
(Needle trusts him.)
He hands it to Needle.
(Needle trusts him.)
Needle drinks, without a second's hesitation.
(Needle trusts him.)
Stitch catches both him and the cup.
"Pretty strong grape juice," Rittan observes.
She's- watching him.
Stitch meets her gaze. "Propofol," he says quietly. "Grape juice so he won't associate it with water later. I'll be your second."
Another item on the list of things you do for your brothers:
The things they can't.
Stitch is largely silent, as Rittan narrates every step.
Watching.
He can feel his heartbeat in his throat.
At one point:
"There's a lot of scarring," Rittan observes. "More than I'd have expected."
"Yes," Stitch says, and does not elaborate.
Needle is moved to recovery.
Stitch settles down next to him.
He doesn't know how much time passes before Needle's breathing shifts into something shallower. Faster.
Stitch knows panic when he sees it, and pokes him. "Needle."
"Mmph."
"Needle," Stitch repeats, and pokes him again.
"...'ch?"
"Yes. What's my favorite terrasaur?"
A moment of stillness. He sees Needle's eyes flicker beneath his eyelids, hears his breathing hitch-
"Needle. Needle. What's my favorite terrasaur?"
Needle's hands flex, curling into the sheet-
"'s a trick question," he manages. "Y'got two."
"What're the two, then?"
"...Blue. 'N tall."
"See?" Stitch whispers, smiling when Needle's eyes crack open and focus on him. "Still you. Still my Needle."
Needle's brow furrows, puzzled. "You..."
Stitch sits on his hands to stop himself from tapping.
"Stitch...?"
"Propofol in the grape juice," he whispers. "You couldn't. So I did."
A beat. A slow nod.
"Are you angry?"
A slow smile spreads across Needle's face.
"Good medic," he sighs, closing his eyes again, and Stitch carefully leans forward and rests his head on Needle's chest.
Feeling him breathe.
"I learned from the best," he whispers, and Needle's free hand reaches upwards and settles in his hair.
It'll be his turn in a bit, he knows. But Rittan will come and find him.
He's got time.
Needle's asleep by the time Stitch senses someone at the door.
He shifts as much as he can without disturbing Needle and looks up, expecting Rittan-
"Hey," Helix says quietly. He's leaning against the doorframe, eyes bright. "Everything go okay?"
Stitch nods.
There's a lump in his throat.
Helix pushes himself up and makes his way over, his gaze flickering towards the monitors. He stops at Needle's side, brushes his hair back-
Then he leans down and drops a kiss on his forehead.
Quick and swift as anything.
He keeps one hand there when he turns to Stitch.
"Rittan asked me to call you," he says quietly. "You want company?"
Stitch shakes his head. "You have to stay here. With Needle. Okay?"
A faintly puzzled smile flickers across Helix's face as he settles into the other chair. "Okay, Stitch. Second bed in here's free, too- I'll make sure it stays that way for you."
"Thanks, Helix," Stitch says. He gathers himself, stands, makes his way towards the door-
Then he pauses. "Did Needle get that from you?"
Helix glances up. "Get what?"
"The forehead kisses. He's good at those."
Helix snorts a laugh. "Doubt it. I think he was kind before he got here."
Stitch nods.
He thinks so, too.
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