"Bell?" Luke kicked the bathroom door lightly in lieu of knocking, since he had his hands busy tying up his tie, "baby, we're gonna be late!"
There was no answer, so he tightened the knot and knocked on the door, hand already on the handle, "Bella?" Luke pushed the door open, they were long past any semblance of privacy, "are you using the bathroom, it's been- Oh," he interrupted himself as he found his wife standing right in front of him instead of sitting on the toilet, hands braced on the marble sink.
"What's wrong?" Luke frowned, feeling concern wash over him. Bella was really pale, lips pressed into a thin line as she stared inside the sink bowl.
"Stomachs'ssss..." She tried to answer him, only to end up drooling and panting, "ss'not good..."
"Oh, baby," Lucas gathered her hair back, "why didn't you say something sooner?" He touched her cheeks with the back of his hand, but it was cool to the touch, although quite clammy, "let it up, Bell, I got you."
A gag answered him, followed by a whimper, and then a splash of beige hit the bowl and Bella hyperventilated over it, trying to catch her breath. Luke scoffed, "you can do better than that," he teased her, patting her back, "bring it up, Bell..."
"Nu-uh-" Bella shoved his hand away from her back, shuddering, "gimme'gimme a minute..."
Luke dropped his hands immediately, lowering himself slightly so he could get a good look at her face. He opened the faucet to wash away the mess and wet his hand, running it over Bella's face and wiping her mouth, "better...?"
"No," Bella grimaced, gagging, but nothing came up, "my stomach's feeling horrible..."
He let out an unhappy noise, rubbing her back and waiting to see if Bella would be sick. Instead she gulped down convulsively a couple of times and blew out a little burp under her breath, sighing, "okay..uhm," she wiped the little tears glued to her lashes, "let me brush my teeth and we can go."
"We're not going," Lucas scoffed, frowning at her, "are you crazy? You're sick-"
"I'm fine," Bell rolled her eyes, removing his hands from her, "relax. I'll be fine, no need to worry."
She grabbed her toothbrush and Luke leaned back against the wall, glaring at her in the mirror, "that's not a smart idea, Bell. What if you get sicker?"
"The'wee-omeback'ome," Bella shrugged, leaning to spit on the sink and washing her mouth, as well as her face for good measure, "I'm fine, Lu. Besides, I wanna go."
"You? Wanna go to my lunch meeting?" He raised a skeptical eyebrow and grabbed her face, as if to feel a fever, "are you a body snatcher?"
Bella snickered, pushing him back as she walked back into their bedroom and she could grab her lipstick, "Yeah, those are super boring, but you said the Mayor is coming right? I like his wife."
"Marilyn? Since when are you two friends?" He sat on the bed, bewildered, watching as Bella finished getting ready.
"I wouldn't say friends," the ginger shrugged, sitting next to him and draping her feet on his lap so he could buckle her sandals, "but she's nice. I think maybe we could be friends, you know?"
"Isn't she a billion years older than you?" Luke mumbled, strapping her shoes and getting up with a sigh. Clearly this was a battle he wouldn't win.
"She's two years older than us, Lucas," Bella rolled her eyes, "she just seems older because of her husband."
"Those two are a super weird couple," Luke whispered judgementally, following her out of the room, "like, beyond the age gap."
"Because the mayor is annoying as fuck?" Bella snickered, smiling and jumping the last two steps of the staircase, sick stomach forgotten.
Vince was sprawled on the couch, laptop open on his lap, in his gym clothes. Luke sighed, turning around with his hands on his hips like a mother, "are you sure you don't want to tag along? Free food and drinks, man."
Vince rolled his eyes, "I'm not your child or your pet, you guys don't need to take me- Geez, Bell, you're pale as a ghost!" He exclaimed, interrupting himself.
Bella cringed and Lucas let out a smug snicker, "tell my darling wife that she really shouldn't come when she just threw up?"
"You threw up?" Vin echoed, looking concerned, "are you sick?'
"I'm fine," Bella glared at Luke, "what are you gonna do home all day?"
"I'm not staying in all day," Vince shrugged, still looking worried, "I'm visiting a couple apartments and then I'll have dinner with Max- As friends!" He exclaimed, as Luke opened his mouth to tease him.
"Friends, alright," Luke huffed, whisking the keys from Bell's loose grip, "well have fun on your not date date."
-------
Lucas had to admit, lunch was way more pleasant than he had expected it to be. Yes, he had spent the first half of it worrying over Bell, but she seemed way more in her element than during the previous times he had brought her to a work function. He still found her newfound friendship with Marilyn weird as hell, though.
His boss left around 2 PM, giving him carte blanche to leave as well, but since Bella and Marilyn had gone on a smoke break — well, Marilyn had and Bell had tagged along — Luke dealt up the charm and assumed they'd hang back for a bit more.
"So...Does the missus know?" Mayor Joshua leaned back on his chair, body language all open and inviting and Luke mentally scoffed. He fixed up a pleasant smile, biting down the full body shudder he got at the word "missus", especially when said in that condescending tone.
"Knows what?"
"About your political aspirations?" The man was smiling at him, "you're a politician, Atwood. I've been watching you all evening, you knew everyone in the restaurant, from the staff to the patrons, everyone came to greet you and you remembered names and tidbits about their lives... You're a natural."
Luke shrugged, uncomfortable with the compliment coming from someone he didn't like. Yes, he knew he liked politics and he most definitely adored people, but coming from Joshua it left a bitter taste in his mouth.
"I assume the missus doesn't know or approve?" The older man went on, blue eyes scanning Luke's face in search of a hint or a weakness. He shuttered his expression entirely.
"Why do you say that?"
"If she knows, then she doesn't approve. Your wife stands out... Style wise, of course," he raised his hands in a mock placating gesture and Luke's blood started to race, singing in his ears, "you couldn't run for a position with the whole witchy schtick, but you know this already...So either she doesn't or she knows and doesn't approve."
"There's nothing about me that Bella doesn't know," Luke bristled, biting the inside of his cheek as he tried to keep his tone neutral, "and you misread me, I have no political aspirations," that was a lie, but a strategic one. He could tell what this was, Joshua felt threatened by him. It had been obvious when he mentioned the people Luke greeted during dinner, when half of those hadn't bothered to greet the actual mayor himself.
The man squinted at him, clearly not buying it, "you come from a political background, you're inserted in the scene all the way to your elbows, son, and you don't want to be a part of it?"
Luke wasn't sure what pissed him off more, if it was the scathing remark about Bella, the fact the man had called him son or if it was the glaringly obvious hint at his mother.
"Not at all, sir," He lied, smoothly, pushing back his chair just as Marilyn rushed back inside the restaurant. Immediately he tensed up as he saw the concerned look on her face, delicate features pinched with worry.
"Lucas-"
"Where is she?" He asked, rushing up already, mayor and anger forgotten.
"Outside, she asked me to get you..." The woman frowned, seeming self conscious. He didn't quite run out of the restaurant not to cause a scene, but it was close.
Bella was leaning against the wall outside, facing it, hands on the rough texture and head hanging between her arms.
"Bell?" Luke stepped closer, already pulling her hair back and rolling it around itself to secure it on a knot. She was clammy and pale, "baby?"
"Que- HUrk-" she let out a little burp-retch and shuddered, "queasy..."
"Here," Marilyn stepped around Luke, holding out a water bottle and Luke took it, opening it, but waiting before offering it to Bella. She gulped down, brows meeting and wobbling slightly on her feet, then nodded.
"Gimme..." Bella turned around with a heavy sigh, leaning her full weight against the wall, "I'm really- uuurp," she muffled a burp in her hand, cheeks turning slightly pink, "I'm sorry, Mari..."
"Oh, it's fine, it's my fault anyway," the blonde was blushing and Luke suddenly realized she was their age. He really couldn't tell most of the time, with her sober, stuck up posture, the heavy make up and deeply conservative clothes.
"Not your fault..." Bella took a gulp of the water and leaned forward, so she could drop her forehead to Luke's chest, breathing out slowly.
"What happened?" He asked, rubbing her back and ruling out the flu, since she was still cold to the touch, just like in the morning. Surely the stomach flu would've made her feverish by now...
"Got nauseous with the- The cigarette smoke," Bella chuckled at her own expense and Marilyn's face scrunched up in distaste.
"I swear I'm trying to quit," she pouted, causing Bell to huff out a laugh and Luke to smile as he realized it was nothing serious.
"That's fine, not your fault my stomach's been a little bitch today..." Bella groaned, taking another gulp of water and then tilting her head back to look at Lucas, batting her eyelashes. Her face had some color back and her eyes were overly shiny, lashes clumped from when she had been heaving... She still looked so damn pretty, he had half a mind to kiss her, queasy or not.
Instead he held her chin, forcing their eyes to meet and Bell scrunched up her nose at him, "don't say it," she whined and Lucas rolled his eyes, pressing a kiss to her brow.
"I'm not gonna say it, but I'm thinking it," he teased her, thinking I told you we should stay home, "let's go home?"
"We don't have to, I'm alright now," Bell mumbled, her voice muffled by the proximity to him and Lucas kissed the top of her head.
"We're leaving, baby," it was not discussion, was a statement.
She let out a sigh, but didn't argue and Luke let go of her in order to go back in the restaurant handle the bill, as well as to say their goodbyes to the mayor. When he went back outside, Bella was leaning against their car, talking with Marylin in a low voice.
The blonde woman had her arms crossed in a weird self hug, expression pinched with sympathy and bitterness. She spooked like some sort of rabbit when she caught Luke's eyes and quickly ended their conversation, reaching in to squeeze Bell's hand in an amicable way.
"You have my number," Lucas heard her say, as he approached the vehicle, "text me, come over for tea."
"I will," Bella promised, while Luke bit the inside of his cheek to keep the incredulity he felt from appearing on his face. He forced a smile to the lady and then held the passenger door open for Bell, raising a puzzled eyebrow but that she either didn't see or ignored.
"Sooo..." He dragged the word as they drove back home, "you drink tea since when?"
"It was probably an euphemism for wine, Luke," Bella snorted, leaning her head back and closing her eyes, "I'm really sorry for ruining your meeting..."
"Oh, you didn't ruin it, the mayor was getting on my nerves," Luke drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, "what's wrong with your stomach? How are you feeling?"
"Just queasy," Bella was breathing deeply, eyes still shut, "probably PMS-ing."
"PMS-ing?" He frowned, mentally doing the count and when they stopped at a red light, he redid it on his fingers. Numbers had never been his strong point, "Bell, shouldn't you have had your period already? I last bought tampons over a month ago, did you get any when you went grocery shopping?"
As a rule, Bella wrote their list of groceries since she was the one who stayed home and he was the one who went to the store... But Vince was living with them now, maybe he had bought it...? But why would he, if she hadn't had her period yet?
"No," Bell opened her eyes, grimacing and rubbing her stomach, "it's late, you know my periods are whack," she leaned forward slightly, planting her forearms on the dashboard and groaning, "ugh, I feel sick."
The red light turned green, someone gave a slight honk behind them and Lucas was forced to turn his attention away from her.
"Do I have to pull over?" He asked, half paying attention, "you're late and you're nauseous, you don't think-"
"Nope," Bella cut him off, voice strong and none of that whiny tone from a second before, "no, it's just PMS-ing, trust me."
He let out a huff, nodding and staring ahead. She knew her body best, it was probably PMS.
----------------------------
"So did you find anything you liked?" Luke asked, opening a juice bottle and planting it on the counter next to where Vince was hunched as he worked on some bread loaf. Bella was still asleep.
"Eeh," Vin shrugged, wiping his forehead on his bicep since his hands were covered in flour, "I think the problem is that I don't know what I'm looking for."
"What do you mean?" Luke took a bite of his cereal, bouncing on his feet slightly. Later that day they had baseball and Lucas was thankful for it, because he was feeling antsy and anxious and couldn't pinpoint why.
"I mean, am I looking at any cheap apartment next to my job?" Vince asked, rhetorically, "or for a more long term commitment, with a good kitchen and maybe a guest room? My realtor keeps asking me these questions and I don't know what to answer..."
Luke could hear it loud and clear. Vince didn't want to move anywhere else, he wanted to go back home. To Wendy. Well, fuck that.
"That's alright, you can stay here as long as you want, Vin," Luke shrugged, forcing a lightness in his voice he didn't feel, masking the concern, "you don't have to figure things out immediately."
"I know, thank you again," Vin sighed, stopping kneading the dough, "I just... I do need to move on, Luke. I hate living in a temporary arrangement, I'm a routine type of guy."
"I know," Luke stepped closer to pat his back, "I can help you look for apartments if you want? I know you said you didn't want me meddling, but-"
"No, I think I do need help... Oh, hi beautiful," Vince's voice went up a note, a smile appearing on his face as Bella stumbled inside the kitchen, sleep drunk.
"Mor-morning," she yawned, promptly wrapping her arms around Luke and resting her cheek on his chest, as if she could take a nap standing.
"Morning," Luke grinned, pressing a kiss to the top of her head and picking up his cereal bowl, raising it over his wife's head as he continued to eat, unbothered, "you know, I still have the keys to that old apartment of mine, the one near the university..."
"That's absolutely out of my budget, Luke," Vince rolled his eyes, turning back to the dough.
"I'm the owner, you dumbass. If you're interested in it, we can adjust the rent accordingly," in truth, Luke had no need for there to be a rent and he would've just let Vin move in without charging him, but he knew his best friend would never agree to that in a million years.
Vin squinted, cheeks turning pink and Lucas felt a wash of triumph. He knew Vin had always loved that place, besides, he was a sentimental guy and the apartment was filled with good memories. Maybe it was what he needed, instead of some white apartment with no character or personality.
"Maybe..." He was trying hard to fight a smirk and Luke rolled his eyes, grinning. Vin's brows furrowed.
"Bell? Are you okay?"
Luke tilted his body back so he could look at her, who was still latched onto him. Her face was pretty pale, lips nearly the same shade as her skin, "baby?"
"Just... Queasy," Bella breathed in, eyes shut, and her grip around Lucas tightened, as if she was using him for support, "I'm fine."
Luke's heart skipped a beat and he fought, really hard, not to exchange a look with Vince, knowing his best friend would read the weird mix of excitement, hope and concern in his face.
"Do you wanna lie down?"
She shook her head no, rubbing her face and opening her eyes finally, "no, I was lying in bed for the past hour, wasn't helping. I got lonely."
Vin snorted, while Luke snickered, planting his cereal bowl down on the counter so he could wrap his arms around her and squeeze her to him, "you've got no business being this cuuuute-"
"Let go off me!" Bella's voice came muffled by his chest, but considering she wasn't sinking those claws of hers into his back yet, Luke gauged she really didn't want out of the hug.
He just hoped she couldn't hear his heart racing.
Not that Bell couldn't get queasy without him jumping to conclusions, it was just that after yesterday's conversation, he had lied awake in bed doing the math and she had absolutely missed a period since the last time they had bought tampons... It was hard not to get excited.
Oh yeah, he chuckled and loosened his grip, causing her to let out a relieved sigh and muffle a wet, disgusting burp against his pajamas shirt. He planted a hand on her back, "that sounded nasty..."
"My stomach's a mess," Bella sighed, resuming to her original position using him as a standing pillow, "what- what are you baking?" her question was directed at Vince, who was watching them intensely. Lucas had the distinctive sensation that the hardest part of them sharing a house was Vin watching them be cute together, it must suck.
"Pies," Vin gestured to the ingredients scattered across the counter, "apple and chicken, for lunch."
"Ugh," Bella scrunched up her nose, "chicken..." she shuddered.
Vin pouted, "you're not gonna eat? It's not just chicken, I mixed red sauce and corn, you love corn-"
Luke cringed as he saw Bella gulp down, "can we change the subject? How was the date with Max?"
Vince didn't dignify his question with a response besides a middle finger, still watching Bella like a hawk, and so was Luke, because he could feel the light tremble in her body as she fought to keep down the nausea.
"Bell..."
"Ugh, fuck-" She jerked away from him, pressing the back of her hand to her lips and rushing out of the kitchen.
"Shit," Luke hissed, running after her.
He found her curled up on the downstairs bathroom, knees on the ground as she gagged weakly over the toilet water, shaky hands trying to keep the hair off her face.
"Shhh, I got you, I got you," he pulled her hair back, cringing as Bell's whole spine curled with a retch, "oh baby..."
"It's ok'itsssok," she slurred, heavy breathing, "gimme a minuteURK-" Bella rocked forward, now managing to bring up a mouthful of liquid. She whimpered, wrapping an arm around her stomach.
She gagged again, then finally went boneless against him, as if her spine was giving up on her. Luke rushed to keep her sitting up, grabbing a wad of toilet paper to wipe her mouth and throwing it inside the soiled water, pressing the flush, "Bell...?"
"I wanna lie down," she groaned, sounding defeated, "I don't feel well."
"I know, I'm sorry," he kissed her temple, rubbing a hand up and down her arm and noticing she was covered in goosebumps, "you think you're done?"
"Uhm- Think so..." Bella's face scrunched up, "help me up?"
"Hold on to me," he instructed her, then carefully pulled Bell up to her feet, only for her knees to wobble. With a sigh, Luke wrapped his arms around her thighs and pulled her up completely, her arms instinctively wrapping around his neck.
Vince was anxiously standing in the middle of the living room, holding a steaming cup of something, "hey..." he moved closer, just a bit, "I'm really sorry-"
"Not your fault," Bella groaned, face pressed to Luke's neck, who kept walking and Vince had to follow up the stairs.
"I made you some peppermint tea..." Vince's cheeks flushed and he took a step so he was ahead of them, rushing so he pulled the door of the master suite for Luke and folded the blankets on the bed, "I hope you feel better."
"It's just my stupid period," Bella groaned, as soon as Luke planted her down on the bed, curling up into a little ball and tugging the blankets to hide her head, embarrassed.
Vince let out a sympathetic sigh, "that sucks," he squeezed her calf from over the blankets, exchanging a puzzled look with Lucas, who shook his head, trying to communicate that he didn't know, "uhm- I'm gonna go- uh- gonna go," he cleared his throat, planting the tea on the bedside table, "Luke, holler if you need anything."
As soon as Vin was gone, shutting the door behind him, Bella groaned loudly and pulled down the blanket that was covering her head. Her cheeks were a deep crimson and Luke snorted, he could count in his hands the amount of times he had see her embarrassed.
"Kill me now, Lucas."
"I'm not fit to be a widower," he rolled his eyes, pushing a fluffy, tangled curl away from her eyes, "Bell... Are you sure-"
"Yes," she glared at him, moving away from his touch and curling onto her side, "it'll probably come tomorrow or the day after-"
"You've never been this queasy before and you didn't have a period last month, Bell," he argued, poking her thigh, "c'mon, baby, we've been trying, you don't think this could be it-"
"It's not," her big blue eyes got a little too shiny, voice a smidge harsher, "leave me alone, Lucas."
"Look, I'm not saying I don't believe you, it's just- When did you last get a test done?" He chewed on his bottom lip, ignoring Bella attempting to push him off the bed, "it could be it..."
"It ISN'T," She insisted, kicking his thigh with a little too much force, "leave me alone, Lucas. I'm miserable as is, stop-"
"Okay, okay, okay!" He cried out, frustrated, "I'm dropping it!"
"Thanks!" Her voice was laced with sarcasm and slightly shrill, "go away," she buried her face in the pillow and he let out a groan.
"Bell..."
"Please leave me the fuck alone, Lucas," Bella exclaimed, looking visibly upset, "please!"
"That's not fair," he pouted, "I'm just as anxious as you are, I'm just as hopeful, you're not being fair-"
"I'm sick, I'm crampy, my stupid husband is pushing me about something I know I'm right! Yeah, I'm not being fair!" Bella's face scrunched up, tip of her nose turning pink, "just go away!"
"Okay..." He sighed, resisting the urge to say anything else, even as his brain supplied "you can't do this to me". He got up from the bed, dejectedly, "uhm- I'll be just downstairs, call me if you need-"
"I won't," Bella scoffed, not even bothering to look at him and Luke let out an annoyed huff, stomping out.
Vince was downstairs, having finished one pie and standing in front of the stove as he did the apple filling for the other. He glanced up as Luke walked in, marching to the fridge to grab a Gatorade bottle and shutting it with too much force.
Vin raised his eyebrows, but didn't say anything and Luke didn't volunteer any information either, glaring holes on their kitchen floor. Bella was being intransigent and that wasn't fair. He felt hurt and excluded.
"Do you want to-"
"She's being so fucking stubborn," Luke spilled, immediately, as soon as he got the slightest invitation, "c'mon, she's been queasy for days and she didn't have a period last month and I'm the crazy one for suggesting her to get a pregnancy test? When we've been actively trying? That's fucking ridiculous..."
"Uhm... Why doesn't she want to take a test...?" Vin's cheeks were pink and he looked alarmed, brown eyes huge on his face.
"Fuck me if I know," Luke scoffed, "stubborn? She says she knows her body best, which is a fucking lie because I always know she's PMSing before she realizes it, so-"
"Dude, you do not know her body more than she does," Vince snorted, rolling his eyes, "look... You don't wanna fight with her. If she's pregnant, she'll be pregnant a week from now too-"
"But I wanna know now! We both do! We've been trying for months now! I thought-" I thought I was the problem, Luke cut himself short, "look, I'm worried there's something medically wrong and now that she could possibly be pregnant she doesn't even wanna do the fucking test! It takes twenty minutes!"
"Yeah, but-"
"She's being stubborn for no reason," Lucas decided, ignoring Vin's interjection, "this is ridiculous, I'm gonna-"
"Luke, don't, leave her alone-" Vince lurched to try and hold him back, but Lucas was quicker and ducked under his arm, marching out of the kitchen and fishing his car keys, "where are you going- Dude, you're the one being ridiculous-"
"Getting a pregnancy test," Luke decided, despite the fact he was still in his ratty t-shirt, flipflops and loose sweatpants, "I can't just stand around without knowing..."
"Luke, she's gonna bite your head off and she'll be right-" Vince groaned, "c'mon, dude, chill out. I know you're anxious, but if it's a positive it's gonna be positive a week from now too. No reason to pick a fight-"
"I'm not picking a fight, Bella is the one who's being inflexible," he walked out of the house, "she's gonna be over the moon when its positive."
------------
He expected to find Vince in the kitchen when he came back, forty minutes later, and Bella still holed up in their bedroom, still mad at him. She could stay mad for hours, he knew that well.
Instead, he found Bell lying on the couch, head resting on Vin's thigh, as they chatted and Luke glared daggers at his friend, a wave of jealousy washing over him. He wasn't normally a jealous guy, but how dare Vince be giggling with Bell when she wouldn't speak with him. Fucked up.
"Bell," he walked closer and she lifted up her eyes, seeming to no longer be angry. Good sign!
"Hi," she sounded normal, happy even, "I'm sorry for snapping at you earlier," Lucas raised his eyebrows at the apology, clutching the pharmacy bag in his hand, "where did you go?"
"Pharmacy," he mumbled, feeling a little embarrassed for his earlier freak out, "uhm- I went to get you a pregnancy test..."
In fact, he had gotten three.
Her face shuttered, Bella sat up on the couch and scoffed, "Lucas-"
"Please?" He talked over her, "please, Bell, it's driving me crazy."
She crossed her arms to her chest, glaring at him, "it's not a positive, Luke-"
"You don't know that," he pointedly ignored Vince, still feeling jealous of how friendly he had been with Bell, and jumped over his legs so he could crouch down in front of the ginger, squeezing her hands in his, "baby, I really think this time-"
"Give me the stupid bag," she took it from his hands, still glaring daggers at his face, and jumped up to her feet, stomping up the stairs. Luke opened a victorious smile, only to catch Vin glaring at him.
"What?"
"You're acting like a dick, dude," Vin wrinkled his nose with disgust, "she's in pain and sick, you're making it worse."
"I'm about to make it better," Luke dismissed him with an eyeroll, "when we get the positive result."
"Uh-huh," Vince sighed, getting up, "I think I'm gonna have lunch out..."
"What? Didn't you make pie and all-"
"Yeah, but I don't wanna hang out with you right now and I don't wanna be in the way when Bella murders you," Vince shrugged, "see you later at the game."
"You're being soooo dramatic," Luke scoffed, walking ahead so he could follow Bella up the stairs. The bathroom door was shut, so he paced nervously in front of it, bouncing on his feet. His heart was racing. She was totally pregnant.
"Bell? You need me to get you water or something?" Did she have to pee in three cups because of the three tests or just one cup and put all three sticks in it? "talk to me, baby."
A sniffle answered him.
His heart sunk.
"Bell," Luke tried the knob, but the door was locked, something Bella never did, "baby, c'mon... What's going on? is it-" Negative?
"G'AWAY!"
He jumped back at the volume of her yell, the way her voice wavered and the sobs that followed. Oh no, "Bell...? I'm not gonna go away-"
A harsh sob answered him and he heard something vaguely colliding with the bathroom door. A soap bottle, probably.
Had he been wrong? But it hadn't been twenty minutes, there was no way the results were on the strips yet...
"Bella-"
The bathroom door unlocked and Bella chucked, with no small amount of force, the pregnancy tests straight into his chest, probably aiming at his head.
Her whole face was pink, tear marks down her cheeks, "just got my period, asshole. I don't need those," Bella's voice wavered, "if you could just listen to me about my own fucking body-"
"That's not- Bella, that's not what I meant, it was just-"
"Oh, you're anxious?" She shoved his chest, eyes welling up with fresh tears, "didn't sleep last night? Boo fucking hoo, Lucas! I could've been sparred from this humiliation ritual today, if you weren't such a stubborn asshole. Happy now?!"
"You know I never meant for that-"
"It's killing you to wait for a positive? Yeah, me too, Luke!" Bella shoved his chest once again and he wrapped his hands around her wrist, heart breaking, "you have no fucking idea how hard it is! It's not you second guessing your body at every little possible symptom, it's not you dreading a whole week of the month, every month, it's not you not even being able to be sick in peace without your stupid hus-husband," her voice broke, more tears coming up and Bella easily pulled her hands from his hold, "I don't wanna look at you today anymore," she circled him, collapsing onto the bed and curling up.
"No, no, baby, I'm sorry," Luke crawled on the bed, hugging her, "I'm sorry, I was a dick, I-" his heart squeezed, so much it physically pained him, as he could feel her crying, "I'm sorry..."
"Leave me'lone," her words stuck together, tears sliding down from the corner of her eye, into her ear, "please, leave me alone..."
"Bell, please," he begged, rubbing her back in a soothing manner, "I'm sorry..."
"Just leave me alone!" She snapped, shoving his arms away from her, "if you're really sorry- Go away."
Luke felt his own face burn, eyes prickling, "I'm sorry..."
"Yeah, you're fucking sorry," Bella rolled onto her side, turning her back to him, "stay away from me."
whoever you think it’ll fit best with, after all this shit happening, their body’s just finally done and they collapse from exhaustion. all disoriented and nauseous when they wake up, bc that always happens to me.
this totally didn’t happen to me recently, idk what ur talking abt.
anyway-
EVERYTIME I SEE THIS EMOJI I THINK ITS A GREEN FLOATING DUCK
Hiii, gonna call you Snake, unless you have a preferred nickname?
Also, yikes, I'm really so sorry your body puts you through this bullshit when exhausted. Mine responds to big emotional things by turning off, I'm a person who doesn't sleep alot, but when I'm Going Through A Rough Patch I'll easily sleep 12 hours straight.
And by someone who's going through a lot, I think you mean Vin or Wen, uh?
https://archiveofourown.org/works/82034471
by happyaspie
Peter spontaneously visits a new stationery store that popped up across the street from his Manhattan private school. He meets the owner, Ms. Pepper, and feels an instant connection. She’s kind, smart, and treats him with genuine respect. Of course, the next logical step is to make sure she and his dad become friends. That's not a big ask... right?
Words: 3453, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English
Fandoms: Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Tony Stark, Peter Parker, Ned Leeds, Pepper Potts, Happy Hogan, (Minor) Flash Thompson
Relationships: Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Ned Leeds & Peter Parker, Pepper Potts & Tony Stark
Additional Tags: Peter Parker is Tony Stark's Biological Child, Ned Leeds & Peter Parker Friendship, Fluff, Domestic Fluff, Slice of Life
read it on AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/82034471
I wish I had someone to pre-read my 23K+ WIP: Bio Kid Peter, setting his dad up to be friends with Pepper, the really nice lady who just opened a stationary shop across from his school.
I just-- I know there are lots of typos and spelling and whatnot issues... but what I really need is someone to help me figure out how to get from where I am to the ending I have in mind. Maybe even tell me if something is too repetitive...
It's not even like I'm working on it that much right now. (I'm in the process of starting a new job) And maybe THAT's the problem because I feel like I've fallen off track??
Wendy nearly dropped the phone inside the toilet as it buzzed and a name appeared across the screen. Vince.
She let out a squeal and rushed to grab it last second before it took a dive in the water, heart hammering in her ears as she shut the toilet lid and sat on top of it, still with jeans pooling around her ankles and just wearing panties, sweaty fingers struggling to unlock the screen.
Vince: Can I stop by tonight?
Yes, God, please. Maybe her prayers had finally been answered and Vin had seen the light and understood she hadn't been trying to hurt him, not for a minute.
Of course Wendy was aware she had overdone it during the Sunday call, but she had been hurt and furious, after waiting for him at the restaurant for hours and the worrying over his wellbeing, only to find out he had been with Bella the whole time.
The guilt hit later, not as soon as she turned off the phone, still too angry to really see clearly. It had hit her when Max returned to the apartment, shuffling awkwardly as if he didn't know what to do with himself, eyes downcast.
"Did you eat?" Wendy had asked, as she got ready for her shift at work. Work was good, it meant she wouldn't sit home, wondering if she had overdone it with Vince.
"I did- Grabbed something with Leo..." Max hadn't met her eyes, hands in his pockets, "got the place. Signed the lease..."
"Oh that's great, Max!" Wendy smiled, although she couldn't bring herself to be as excited for him as she probably should have been. She would miss his company, a whole lot. She'd miss that one week of bliss that all three of them had shared, before everything went to shit.
"Yeah, uhm- It's one of your picks, so thanks," he had looked up, finally, arms crossed to his chest, "on the phone, you said you found Vin- Did you talk? Is he okay? I tried calling, but he didn't pick up either."
"He's sick," She had shrugged, trying to sound nonchalant about it, "at the Atwoods. Bella's with him."
He had squinted at her, "how sick?"
She hadn't known. That was the first hint of guilt to seep past the anger. Wendy hadn't even thought to ask Vince what was wrong with him.
"Uhm- I don't know, I don't- I don't think it's anything serious. Just a bug..." So far, she hadn't lied to Max. Not really. She wanted Max to want her, stick by her because he was the one person who understood where she was coming from, besides Jon, of course.
"Ah, okay," Max sighed, "I'll call him in the morning. You're heading out?"
"Yep, graveyard shift," Wendy had walked closer, pressed a kiss to his cheek, "don't wait-"
And Max had turned his head, lips crashing against hers, a hand on the back of her neck.
That had been the second stab of guilt. So thick it made her flinch into the kiss, as if Max had pinched her, when instead he had just been about to sweep her off her feet.
It didn't feel right. Not without Vince, not when everything was fucked, not when she could tell Max was trying to hold her together with duct tape, spit and good intentions. This hadn't been how she envisioned them, there was a missing piece.
"I'm gonna- Gonna be late," Wendy had patted his chest, breaking apart the kiss, "don't wait up-" of course he wouldn't, she was only gonna come back at 6 AM, "uhm- Congrats on the apartment, honey."
Wendy wanted to throw up. Max wasn't honey. Handsome, Max, Daniels, babe- Honey was Vince. Just him.
"Thanks," he had pulled back, clearly wanting to say something and Wendy could had sworn she heard it loud and clear. What the fuck?
That had been Saturday night. Sunday came and went in a blur. Max and her barely talked, he was busy online shopping, eyes trained on the laptop screen, and she had passed out in bed until nearly 5 PM, followed by a quiet dinner and silence. So much silence. Max slipping out for work at 7 AM, pressing a kiss to her temple.
And now Vince was texting her.
She stared at the text, mouth dry and heart racing.
Vince: Can I stop by tonight?
Had he talked with Max? They were colleagues, they had lunch together. It wouldn't be a stretch to imagine Max had vouched for her, even if Sunday had been tense and silent. A spark of hope, maybe Max had talked sense into Vin. Maybe he was ready to come home, still pissed, but ready to come back. She was his girlfriend after all, wasn't she?
Wendy: Yes, of course —
She typed it, but didn't send, staring at the text. What if... What if he wasn't coming back? It wasn't reconciliation Vin wanted, but just to pick up more clothes and go away again, keep their distance. She certainly hadn't helped her case, yelling at him like that Saturday afternoon...
You're breaking my heart.
He had sounded like he was crying when he said that. At the moment, it had barely registered beyond a vicious thought of Good, because he was breaking hers too. Wasn't she supposed to be more important than his best friend's fucking wife? Bella had been Wendy's best friend, to Vince she was a relation that came with the territory. An in law. Why couldn't Vin just-
She didn't want to break his heart, but fuck if Vince wasn't turning hers to smithereens. How hard was it, to just love her, unconditionally? Just fucking pick her, not Bella. Who cared if Bella was hurting, hadn't she betrayed Wendy first? Taken a secret that Wen wouldn't tell a soul if she could, that she hadn't even told Bella to begin with, but rather collapsed in front of her, and then revealed it to Jonah, to hurt him, stealing away Wendy's agency over the matter.
Making her look weak.
She erased the text. Only Vin's on the screen.
Vince: Can I stop by tonight?
Wendy: Got tired of the Atwoods already?
She erased it again, then let out a groan and put the phone on the sink, pulling up her pants and washing her hands, then picking the device up again.
He had said tonight, she had a shift tonight-
Wendy to Jonah: Can you pick up my shift tonight? Emergency.
It took only a second for Jon to answer.
Jon: Sorry darling, rough bout of vertigo. Can't get up.
Fuck.
She clicked back on Vin's messages, staring at it for another minute. She desperately wanted to see him. If he was coming back home, she didn't want to put it off for another day.
Wendy to Claire: Hey C, do you think you can take cover my shift tonight? It's an emergency!! Please?
Was this good enough? She had no idea, nerves long fried.
Claire answered with a simple thumbs up.
She switched back to Vin's messages. It had been almost forty minutes now.
Wendy: Yes, ofc. Will Max come with you?
He didn't answer right away, but that didn't stop her from staring at his contact until it lit up, a speech bubble appearing next to it. And disappearing. And appearing again.
Vince: No, he said he's having dinner with Leo.
Ah. So Vin had sent him away. Wendy had no idea what to do with this information. Did it mean he wanted them have another screaming match or he just wanted her, with no Max.
Wendy: Ok.
Wendy hadn't felt this nervous in a long, long while. As she got ready, she had to resist the urge to run for the hills several times. Text Claire, say she had figured it out and could take her shift after all. Text Max, beg him to be there as backup...
Although Vince had the keys, he knocked.
She was trembling like a leaf as she unlocked the front door and stepped aside.
The first thing that crossed her mind was that he looked great. Just as good as the day she had met him, clad in that stupid varsity jacket, smiling with Lucas and Leo.
They had only been apart for a week now and yet Wendy felt like it had been infinitely more torturous than all those months away from each other when he was in Doveport.
The second thing Wendy realized, was that Vince looked like shit.
Sickly pale and like he hadn't slept a blink all week, curly hair falling limply around his face, her boyfriend looked terrible.
"Oh- wow, are you okay?" Wendy took a step back, so he could come in, and Vin shrugged, stripping off his jacket.
"Been better," he said quietly and she noticed just how raspy his voice was, as if he had gargled with salt.
"That's one hell of a flu, honey," she couldn't help the pet name, it felt marvelous to be said out loud, "come sit down. Can I make you some tea?"
"No, thanks," Vin shook his head, but he did sit down, so she assumed it was just about the tea, "how- How have you been?"
"Missing you," Wendy pouted, wringing her hands, "missing you a lot."
Vince flinched, looking away from her and staring at the rug in their living room. She had been here before, a year before, after she had broken up with him in a spur of the moment decision and Vince had come over to apologize for not telling her he was moving to Doveport.
This time it felt... Worse. Empty.
"You want to take a bre-" Wendy started to guess, but was interrupted as Vin talked over her.
"I think we should break up."
Her ears rung and Wen lost her footing entirely, head swimming with a crazy bout of vertigo, so violent that she stumbled to the side and braced against a wall.
Break up. As in them being... Over? Definitely?
"What...?"
He was pissed, she knew that. But she could fix this, Vince just needed to let her, she could-
"I can't do this anymore, Wendy. I want to break up."
"No, you- I can- I'm sorry," she stumbled over her words, blood singing in her ears so loudly she was struggling to hear her own voice, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have yelled at you like that, I shouldn't have-"
"Hey," at some point, he had gotten up and was lowering himself in front of her, brown eyes meeting hers, "Wendy, breathe."
"I know you're angry," her voice didn't sound like her own and Wendy swallowed past the sudden lump in her throat, trying to communicate that she could fix this, "I know. I'm sorry. I- I- I'll be better," her mind raced through the past couple of weeks. It had only been 2 weeks. He couldn't stop loving her in just two weeks, Vince was just angry. Hurt, "I can- I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you, I called you names, I said- Fuck, I said you're just like my parents-"
"Shh, honey, breathe," Vin was full on cupping her face now, pulling her closer by the arm, guiding her to the couch, "you're panicking."
She wasn't panicking, it was him who wasn't reacting enough!
"You- You don't love me anymore...?" Wendy whimpered, hooking her fingers on his shirt as Vince crouched down in front of her, so he could keep looking her in the eyes. She didn't believe it, couldn't believe it. He had- Just two months before he had promised he loved her more than anything. Children, no children. There was no way he had changed his mind over an argument, she had to make him see it-
"Wendy," Vince sighed, shaking his head, eyes a little too sparkly, "it's not like that-"
"Please tell me how I can fix this," she begged, "it's because I was- Fuck, I was so mean Saturday, it's because of that, right? I'm sorry, Vince, I didn't mean any of that, I was just angry-"
"It's not because of that," he interrupted her, face pinched as if he was in pain, "but I- I can't-"
"Let's do a break," she suggested, eyes burning and vision turning blurry. Anything but them being over, "Vin, Vin, Vin, look at me-" she grabbed his face, forcing him to look her in the eyes, "I'm sorry. Okay? I was awful- Please don't break up with me. Take- Take all the time you want, just-"
"I was gonna ask for a break," Vince whispered, his chin moving in her hand, tip of his nose suddenly slightly pink, voice wavering, "Saturday. I was."
"But?" Wendy wracked her brain, "please, Vin, we can fix this, we just need- Fuck, we'll do couple's therapy, whatever you want-"
"Apologize to Bella?"
Wendy pulled away, shocked, blinking several times and the tears she had been holding back fell one after the other. She felt like she had just been slapped, "this is about Bella?! You're breaking up with me because of Bella-"
"No," Vince scoffed, pulling back, sitting on the coffee table in front of her, "no. But all I have to do is bring up her name and this-" he gestured to all of her and Wendy flinched, feeling nauseous, "is back. Whoever the hell she is."
"You can't be serious," Wendy shook her head, "I get angry at one person and you want to break up- What- What about everything else you told me? Two months ago, Vince! Two fucking months ago!" Her voice raised as anger took over the sadness, "you said I was the love of your life and now you're just- Over Bella?!"
"It's not about Bella, it's about you!" Vince hissed, glaring at her, "you said it, this is you. And I can't- I won't be with someone who can be this cruel. Who can treat someone they love this shitty..."
"I don't believe you," Wendy ground her teeth, balling her hands into fists as she tried not to cry, "I don't. You love me. I- I love you. So fucking much. You know this- Couples- Vin, couples fight. All the time. We're just- It's just a fight..."
"It's not a fight," Vince shook his head, standing up and Wendy felt like a kid, still sitting down as he towered over her, arms crossed, moving across the room to put as much distance between them as he could, "I was gonna ask for a break, tell you to- Fix this. If you know how," his voice dripped with venom and Wendy suddenly could no longer see him past the tears, "get yourself together and then- Then we could get back-"
"Fuck, I'm not the monster you're painting me to be," Wendy whimpered, hugging herself, "I'm- You said you loved me. Why can't you just love me- All of me?" She sobbed, "am I so hard to lo-love? Why- Please-"
"And all of you, is cruel?" Vince's voice cut through her like a knife, "you broke my heart, Wendy... I- So many times, these past weeks, I can't even count it-"
"And-and you're breaking mine..." She squeezed her eyes shut, lowering her forehead to her knees, "pleas'don't-dothis... Please-" why couldn't he just stay? "I- I'll be better... I'll apologize to Bella. I'll apologize to anyone- Jussss' you said- Don't end this."
There was a pause, hesitance, and Wendy launched herself, latching on to it. He still loved her. She could turn this around. She'd apologize to anyone he wanted her to, she'd be better. Nicer, softer, gentler, like he wanted her to be-
"I'll- I'll call B-Bella right now..." Wendy sobbed, trying to think, looking around the room for her phone, "I'll fix this... Please, Vin, I can fix this, just let me-I'm not cruel. I'm not. I love you- And I can't just-Stop! You can't! I know you can't, you're lying to me- Or-Or-"
Or he had been lying all along.
It crashed over her like a wave, shutting Wendy up immediately. Maybe the lie wasn't that he no longer loved her, but that he ever had. Somewhere, in the deep recess of her mind, a voice whispered told you so.
She had been foolish thinking anyone could see all of her and love it. The good and the bad. And she should be angry at him, but instead all Wendy felt was immense disgust at herself. If she could cut the part of her that he didn't love with scissors, she would have.
"Please don't do this."
"I'm-" Vince locked his jaw, staring at some point above her head, "I'm gonna stop by tomorrow to pick up the rest of my stuff. I- It'd be better for us both if you're not here-"
Fuck. It felt like violence, that he could just talk about logistics, while her heart was breaking into a bunch of little pieces. It felt like a punch to her stomach, how resolute he was. Was he even listening?
"If you- You ever loved me," her voice broke, "please don't do this."
"And I'll leave my keys with Max- I do love you," his voice was harsh, angry now, "more than you fucking know."
"Then don't do this!" Wendy cried out, jumping up, "just don't do it. It's that simple, don't do it! Let me- Please, just don't do it. It's that fucking easy, I'll do the rest of the work, I'll- I'll be better. I'll apologize. I won't ever-"
"I wish you actually meant this," Vince said, in a tone so low she nearly didn't hear him. Wendy walked closer, trying to look him in the eyes, "I wish I believed you."
"I'm not lying," she shook her head, "we're happy. We're so happy- I can- You won't ever see me- Be like this again," she promised, grabbing his hands and dropping to her knees, which caused Vince to recoil, "we'll be happy again and I won't be mean and you won't-"
"And it won't be real," Vince groaned, grabbing her arms and pulling her up in one smooth motion, "don't fucking do this, Wen. Fuck, you think it's easy? You think I want this-"
"If you don't want this, don't do it!" She exclaimed, grabbing his shirt, "jusss-don't do it. Please."
How many times they had been at this precipice? How many times she had thought they were done for? When he moved away, when her relapse had happened, when she realized the futures they imagined couldn't be further apart... And yet, Wen realized now, none of those times it had been remotely real.
Now it was real. So real that she could barely see his face past the tears and so real that Wendy felt like she was dying. Vince hadn't ever, not once, said they'd break up. It was her, who had doubts and fears, he had believed in them from the first minute... And now he was ending it.
"I love you," Vince grabbed her face, pressed his mouth to her forehead, hands cupping the back of her head, "I love you so much... And I want you to be happy, Wen. I want-"
Yeah, he wanted all the good things in the world, while he was stomping on her heart. Wendy pressed her face to his chest, clutching him close, "don't do this- Stay, please just stay- If you love me, jusssstay-"
He pulled back, kissing the top of her head, unhooking her fingers from his shirt. His face was red now and Wendy could tell he was crying. Shaking too.
If she only could make him see that none of them wanted this-
"Wendy...." Vince opened his mouth, then closed it, regretting whatever he was going to say. Fine, I'll stay. I love you too much to walk away, "I'm gonna go now. Please, take care of yourself."
And then he was gone. The front door shutting behind him with a click. The cavernous silence of their living room. Just the sound of her sobbing.
literally nothing is getting me thru finals week better than this latest arc, it’s got me on the edge of my seat checking for updates every fifteen goddamn minutes.
Vince reminds me (appearance wise) almost exactly of my ex boyfriend, so I genuinely have such a soft spot for him. (Yeah I’m still in love with my ex lmao, Ik, I’m low-key pathetic rn lmao). The way Wendy is treating him has got me pissed off so much. Like, I’ve got a bit of a temper, and all I can say is that if Bella were to clock her, just once for emphasis, I would support her so fucking much. Absolutely no one talks to my Vince like she did, so beyond unacceptable. Full on rooting for them to breakup and Vince and Max to become a couple. Wendy doesn’t deserve that sweetheart of a man anymore.
anyway, excuse my rant, finals have got me stressed up the ass and said ex won’t stop cuddling me after he’s the one who broke up with me, so there’s that 🤦🏼♀️
Calli, girl??
First off, good luck with the finals!!
Secondly, babes.... what the hell is this situation with that ex. Come back here and explain yourself for the court!
I get that ex is a hottie if he looks like Vin, but GIRL 😭
I'm gonna tally that off as one more team "off with her head" for Wendy! Bell will not be clocking her, sadly, Bella is in her grown up, mature era. Sophia, in the other hand...
Right so it’s Toy Show Night here in Ireland which is a magical night every Christmas season where Irelands resident Late Night host goes fucking bonkers live on tv for three hours playing with all the hottest toys that year and they have kids and celebrities and absolute carnage-
I’m getting ahead of myself.
Basically it’s the night of the year where every house in Ireland gets a takeaway and eats a bucket of sweets in matching Christmas pjs and everyone has to have their tree up before it starts and it’s amazing but the point I’m getting at is I’ve just eaten the most food I’ve had in about 8 months and when I tell you I don’t think I’ve ever been this stuffed and it hasn’t even started yet and now I just HAVE to see someone unintentionally overstuffed for movie night (ahem, Vince or Luke, now that their both in the Atwood house) plz indulge me I’m also wine drunk
Okay so I wasn't gonna answer this ask bc I wanted to save the request in my To Write list, but ajfkdfdaskf that's so funny.
I never heard of the Toy Show Night but for some wild reason the minute you sent me this ask, my vanilla tumblr dash got FLOODED with people liveblogging it.
It sounded chaotic and delightful. I shall indulge you soon! ❤️
For the first time since Max had officially moved in, Vince wished he'd be gone.
He wasn't angry at Max, far from it, but the fact that the blonde was there, clearly feeling the tension in the air as they drove back home in deadly silence, was inconvenient enough.
If it was up to Wendy, the conversation would've started in the car, in the party probably, but Vince didn't like causing a scene and had no desire to indulge her wanting to do that.
While in the car, since Max was driving because he had taken one look at Vin's pale face and banished him to the passenger seat, Vince committed the capital mistake of picking up his phone in order to avoid Wen's huffing and puffing from the backseat and clicked on his Instagram.
He hardly used it, Vin was allergic to social media in general, but it was his birthday and he fully expected Sophia to post something overtly weepy that didn't fit her overall personality or his mother to have some horrible, cringe worthy video filled with his baby pictures. She had probably posted that on Facebook, he'd need to check later...
Wendy's photodump was the first thing on his page.
Today he's turning twenty sexy.
And the first picture was him, blowing out the candles of his cake, surrounded by his friends.
"Pull over," Vince turned off his phone screen, patting Max's thigh, and the blonde widened his eyes, spooked.
"What?"
"Pull-Over..." he choked out the gag, spreading his legs just in case. The car carpet could be cleaned easier than his pants.
"Shit, hang on, hang on-"
"Vin?" Wendy called out and just the sound of her voice annoyed him.
He threw the door open before the car had pulled to a complete stop, in an illegal spot no less, jerking with a heave.
"My God, Vin," Max cooed from behind him, as Vince retched violently, but didn't manage to bring up more than a mouthful of water and bile, "you're sick as a dog."
"I'm fine," he rasped out, clearing his throat forcefully and spitting on the side of the road, "sorry," he straightened up, sitting back and Max's hand was immediately on his face, probably searching for a fever, "I'm fine, upset stomach that's all."
"Uh-huh," Max didn't sound convinced and Vin opened his eyes in time to see the blonde turn, full body, to look at Wendy. From the rearview mirror Vin could tell Wendy was curled up, arms crossed to her chest, pissed off.
Max was being a fool if he thought she'd chorus with him in cooing Vin.
"Leave him alone, Max," Wendy said, bitterness dripping from her voice, "he's fine."
"Yes, I am," Vince ground his teeth, accepting the water bottle Max passed him and closed his eyes, just as the blonde pulled them back into the road.
They arrived just ten minutes later, Wendy stalking ahead like a sulky child, while Max hung back, clearly wishing the ground would open up and swallow him. Vince wasn't sure what to do with himself. He was beyond pissed at Wen, but he also didn't want to put Max square in the middle of a screaming match.
So finally he opted for walking to their bedroom, leaving Max in the kitchen with just a "I'll talk to her", that didn't explain he was about to rip Wen a new one.
How dare her post those pictures, when he had nearly begged for no party, made it extremely clear that it would hurt his best friend... Best friends, because who was he fooling, the thought of Bella seeing that post made him equally as nauseous.
Not just post that, but do it right after she had been keenly aware how little he wanted her to, when he had made it obvious they'd talk at home... He felt like he had just been slapped across the face.
"Wendy," Vince knocked on the bedroom door, "open up."
"GO AWAY."
He squeezed his eyes, thumping his forehead against the door, "Wendy, open the door."
"Leave me alone, Vince!" Now her voice travelled, much clearer, near the door. He counted to five, then to ten when that did nothing to help his temper.
You're just like my parents.
It made his eyes burn at such a wild accusation. Those assholes who had been so judgmental and demanding, they had given their daughter an eating disorder and caused a suicide attempt. He was just like them?
"OPEN. THE. FUCKING. DOOR. WENDY!" Vince was pretty sure he had never ever yelled at Wendy, and Max appeared at the end of the hallway, eyes wide, but fists clenched, something indescribable on his face. Anger? Fear? Confusion?
"WHAT!?" Wendy clearly didn't share Max's self preservation issue, throwing the door open with so much force that it caused a gust of wind, her face pink, eyes wide, "what the fuck do you-"
Vince pushed her back inside the room, kicking the door closed behind him and towering over his girlfriend, "what the hell is wrong with you? Why did you do that, Wendy?"
She paused, probably surprised by how much lower his tone was than expected, then crossed her arms, bottom lip jutting out in a petulant manner, "I have no idea what you're talking about-"
"Can you stop this bullshit?" Vince cut her off, sharply, "I made it extremely fucking clear, all week, that I did not want a party-"
"Oh poor baby, my steak is too juicy and my beer too cool, my girlfriend threw me a surprise party," she mocked him, rolling her eyes, "can't you be grateful like any other boyfriend would be?"
"Grateful?!" He took a step back, "that you weaponized my birthday to hurt my best friends? You want me to be grateful you caused me to lie to their faces? Delete that stupid fucking post, Wendy, and call them to explai-"
"You are out of your goddamn mind," Wendy rolled her eyes, "I'm not gonna call them. Are you insane, Vince? Can you grow a backbone and realize this is the time you should be standing by me, instead of playing mediator? So what if Bella felt excluded? GOOD. She was excluded! She betrayed my trust and hurt my best friend, I don't give a fuck if she's hurt!"
"Give me a fucking break, Wendy! Bella made ONE mistake, two weeks ago and she's been calling you non stop to apologize, you had the right to be mad at her, not to drag me into your fucking spat and not to do what you did tonight. Did you think of anyone but you?"
"DID YOU?!"
"I AM!" Vince took a step forward and Wendy took two back, for the first time her lip trembling. He took a step back, rubbing his face in an angry manner, "I am thinking of other people, Wendy! You're being cruel. To me, to Bella, to Luke... Hell, to fucking Leo. He didn't know the mess you were making, he told Luke about the party straight on. You have any idea how it makes him look?"
"Who cares!?" Wendy snapped at him, her voice trembling, "do you care about me at all? Doesn't it register to you that I'm hurt? I'm your girlfriend, I'm hurt, doesn't this matter to you at all? All you fucking care about is being in good terms with everyone, you're just-"
"Like your parents," he finished the phrase for her, his blood pumping in his ears, "isn't that what you said? I'm just like your parents?"
"Well, if the shoe fits," she clenched her jaw, eyes shining with tears, but refusing to let them drop, "it's that much more important for you to save face than it is to stand by me. Bella hurt me, do you understand that? I don't care if she's hurting, I want her to."
"Bella made a mistake," Vince cut her off, "and you're being cruel. Which I guess makes us both like your parents," he felt a jolt of viciousness as Wendy's mouth dropped, "you used me tonight. You manipulated me and you used me to get some petty revenge. In my book, that's leagues above anything Bell ever did."
Wendy's jaw worked, chewing on words and a single tear fell out, rolling down her cheek. She sucked in a sob, "you don't give a shit if I'm hurting, all you care about is your fucking best friend."
"You're being ridiculous, all I've done all week was defend you," Vince rolled his eyes, marching ahead to grab his pajamas in the drawer. Clearly this was not an issue they'd solve tonight, "you don't care you're hurting me, that's the truth."
"Break up with me then!" Wendy shoved his back, with all her force, which only caused him to stumble slightly, more out of shock than anything. Vin turned around, staring at her, mouth agape, just as she pushed his chest, angry, "dump me! If I'm so awful, just fucking be done with it already!"
Suddenly there was a knot in his throat, the size of an orange. His eyes were burning and Vince swallowed in, whole face burning, "it scares me, how quickly you jump to this every time we have even a minor issue," he said quietly, "sometimes I wonder if you love me at all."
"Don't turn this on me," Wendy whimpered, wiping at her face and shoving a finger on his chest, "you're the one calling me cruel, you're the one yelling at me for doing something nice for you, you're the one wanting me to forgive someone who hurt me- You are the asshole, Vince, not me."
He gulped down and his lips tasted salty, which made Vince realize he was crying now. He angrily sniffled, wiping at his eyes, "Okay," his voice trembled, "I'll be in the couch."
Somewhere, in the back of his mind, it registered that Wendy hadn't bothered to dispute when he said she didn't love him. His head was spinning too much, though, and he felt like he was gonna have a panic attack, so Vince grabbed his tooth brush and pushed past her, stalking to the living room.
Max was still standing like a statue at the end of the hallway, not even bothering to pretend he wasn't listening, eyes darting from Vin to Wendy as she followed him out of the room.
"That's it? You're not gonna-" Wendy sucked in a sob, "you won't even apologize-"
"I don't have anything to apologize for," Vince pushed past Max, dropping his clothes on the couch and crossing his arms, wanting to shrink into himself, "I didn't use you and I most certainly didn't try to hurt the people I love for petty revenge."
"It's petty because it's not you hurting," Wendy scoffed, her voice wavering, face pink as she tried to clean the tears off her face, "everything is small, until someone crosses your stupid boundaries and then it's the end of the world... It's petty because it's me."
There was a knife lodged on his side, that's how it felt. A knife Wendy was twisting, causing his heart to physically hurt.
"You can't honestly believe that," Vince shook his head, "you're- You're lashing out on me and I don't deserve this, Wendy. I made myself so fucking clear, you chose to ignore me, you chose decided hurting Bella took precedence over my feelings and hell, even if you weren't hurting me, Bell made one mistake, you're trying to ruin her relationships. I don't- I fell in love with a woman who's kind, who sees the goodness in everyone, not-"
"Not with me?" Wendy bit out, shaking with anger, "this is me, Vince. Surprise! Welcome to the real world, where your loving girlfriend got betrayed by her best friend and can't be sweet and bubbly all the time! Sometimes I just gotta be a fucking human!"
He eyed her up and down, struck with a clarity that was almost more painful than all the rest. More painful than Wendy's cruelty and everything she had said all night. If this was who Wen was, truly, then he wasn't sure he loved her.
Not someone who could wound their loved ones in such a meticulous, thought out style. This weren't angry words said in the heat of the moment, Wen had planned the party for a week, while he said he didn't want it, had made sure Luke knew about it, had gotten pictures taken and posted even when she knew damn well it would hurt Vin. This was... Mean, in a way that made his skin crawl.
"SAY SOMETHING!" She was huffing, chest heaving and ready to cross the room to push at him again.
This little, almost whispered realization made Vince feel lightheaded, Wendy's voice drifting to the background. If this was truly Wendy, then he wasn't sure he love her. He could love her in anger and in pain, in shambles, but hurting people...
"I really hope this isn't you," Vince said quietly, collecting his pajamas once again. He needed to get out of there, even crashing the couch was far too close for comfort, "and that you'll come to your senses. Because this... If this is who you actually are, then I don't see any reason in us being together."
This seemed to cut through Wen's haze, her eyes widening and her face flushing, as if he had slapped her, "what- Where are you going...?"
"Out," he moved forward, past Wen and Max — fuck, Max, he shouldn't be caught in this crossfire, he shouldn't be here at all, "I'm gonna crash a hotel, I can't stay here."
"Vince," her voice sounded entirely different, not at all like thirty seconds before, shrill and violent, but like his Wendy... And Vince hated it. How quickly she switched up, as soon as he gave her an ultimatum, it just made him feel like an idiot, "Vin, hold on-"
"No," he shrugged her hand off his arm, grabbing his motorcycle keys, "get your shit together, Wendy. You're hurting people. You're hurting Bella," her lips thinned at this, a flash of anger, "you're hurting Luke, you're hurting me."
He shut the door behind him with a heavy sigh, grabbing the handle in order to keep Wendy from opening it again and following him out. There was a frustrated noise inside, followed by something breaking and then Max's voice, soft and nearly overwhelming Vin with guilt, cooing, "hey, hey, c'mere, Wendy, c'mere-" and the sound of her sobbing.
Vince blinked until his blurry sight cleared up and let go of the handle, walking out.
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