Prompt: So, your best friend meets a superhero...
And of course, it being Freddy Freeman and all, he goes all in, faster than the Flash. He never meant to neglect you in the process. Truly! Besides...you weren't feeling too bad about it. You totally understood and would be there for him, by his side like you had already been for years, no matter what. Wouldn't you? ... Wouldn't he?
Timeline: During/Post Shazam!, Pre S!:FOTG
TW/Content: Angst (hurt/comfort)⚡️Swearing⚡️Raised Voices⚡️Crying⚡️Comfort/Forgiveness⚡️Freddy being a dummy⚡️Mutual pining
Reader: Fem! She/Her/Hers Pronouns!
Requested by: A reader from my personal wattpad...yes, I grabbed this from my watty and reposted it here, IDC, y'all need content, I'm providing, that's all that matters😌🤲🏽✨️.
"Freddyyyy...! . . . Oh shit-..."
What at first was a joyful call upon bursting into his room, it quickly cut off into a quiet murmur, your (E/C) eyes landing on, not only the curly-head you had near scared to death, but another boy standing beside him. The room went silent, you tucking in your lips awkwardly to hold back an amused grin at their blank stares of confusion.
"Dude, how did you even get in here...?!" Freddy laughed suddenly and wildly, a grin stretching onto his face when you further shuffled into the room.
"Duh, I broke in." You joked, your gaze shifting between your best friend and the mystery kid. "What about him? Is he about to rob the place, too?"
Freddy watched you, both of your eyes playful as you pretended to pick-pocket small trinkets from his desk and into your pockets.
Your jesting intent vanished into a look of surprise, having known exactly what his words meant.
"(Y/N), this is Billy! I'm sure he'd gladly shake your hand, but he barely talks, so, I dunno."
Billy swiftly rolled his green eyes at the statement, and immediately, you couldn't help but dislike his presenting attitude. How could anyone remain so hostile with Freddy around? He was sweet and kind, funny, and always aiming to please. There was no need for anyone to be rude to him.
Not that it really stopped the Breyers, but, not the point.
You simply just couldn't fathom why anyone would find him annoying or...whatever! Not when you had been around the boy since the sixth grade. Not when he was so gentle and understanding, an amazing drawer with such cool hobbies and interests. Did you already mention sweet and kind? Not when he had the biggest, coffee-brown eyes and the most adorable pattern of freckles. The craziest laugh that always made you cackle ten times harder. The cutest nose, the softest looking lips...
"Why...why is she literally about to explode?"
Freddy snorted at Billy's murmured observation, leaving it now your turn to roll your eyes. Even so, you truly couldn't hide the deep blush as you desperately tried to cease the shaking in your hands. Freddy noticed this, keeping his true thoughts to himself while he watched you wipe the sweat away on the denim of your jeans and finally offer a polite hand to Billy.
He wondered why you blushed so hard all of the sudden, why your hands shook the moment you had been introduced to a kid you barely even knew. Hell, that he barely even knew! It was odd, seeing as you were never like that with him or anyone else you both mutually knew.
He had only ever seen you this way about some random celebrity you liked. About...-
"Y’know, your features kind of remind me of Jacob Elordi."
Billy's brows furrowed a bit at your comment, reluctantly taking your hand only to soon regret it.
'Oh god...' Freddy thought, annoyed with the fact he had not only been indirectly friend-zoned (for the millionth time), but was also now faced with possible competition.
"Oh god...!" Freddy then let out exasperatingly, tipping his head back before placing himself right back into his desk chair. "Don't get her started, man. She's never gonna sto-"
"-Hush!" You quickly interjected, before doing just that. "He's this actor from this show I like called Euphoria! You both kinda got the whole brown hair, green eyes thing going on, and you both have kinda prominent noses!"
"I..." Billy started, but you hadn't heard, lost in your own thoughts and observations.
"But he's a lot taller. And your eyes are a little more upturned. And you have dimples, which, I don't think he does. And your jaw is a lot more square. And-!"
"-I don't know who you're talking about." Billy cut in plainly. "And you can let go of my hand now."
Your brows knitted for a moment. Both at his bluntness and his statement before looking down and realizing you truly had been subconsciously shaking the boy's hand throughout your entire rant.
"Oh shit..." You mumbled again, swiftly pulling away and cursing it when you felt your cheeks grow hot a second time in embarrassment.
"Yeah..." And with that, he gave one last glance around the entire room before pushing the strap of his backpack further up his shoulder.
"Second door to your right." You and Freddy jinxed, sending each other the slightest of smiles at the coincidence while Billy was already halfway out of the door.
You finally let out the huff of air you hadn't realized you were hanging onto, moving towards Freddy's bottom bunk and pulling his pillow into your lap as you sat.
"Well...he's a real charmer, isn't he?"
"Yeah, he's not been told very many jokes." Was Freddy's quick response to your sarcasm. You were swift to dish out more, though, always able to match the boy's energy the longer you had been with him.
"Mm. Maybe you're just not funny."
"Augh-!" He gasped/scoffed, pressing a hand to his heart in deep offense. You gave an innocent shrug, giggling at him as he made attempts to defend himself.
"I quite literally am the most funniest person you will ever meet, (N/N). I-I can't even believe you just said what you just said-"
"Like, I- Hm..." Freddy quit mid-rant, nodding slowly with a point in your direction as if to give you props for your suggestion.
"Okay, second. Second most funniest. But you can't deny that I am funny, I mean, you laugh at all of my jokes!"
Against your will, it seemed, you found yourself giggling as you shook your head. Freddy nodding his faster while he struck out a hand exaggeratingly.
"See?! See?! Look at you, giggling away as if I'm just...just some clown sitting here for your amusement."
"God, Freddy...!" You cackled, having burst into real laughter that Freddy couldn't help but find himself admiring. A light pink even dusted behind his freckles, his heart speeding up once having accomplished bringing a genuine laugh out of you. He heard it damn near everyday, of course, but it never seemed to get old. It was why he was the tiniest bit sad to see it go upon watching your bury your face into his pillow to hide it.
It didn't last long, though, giggling himself when he saw you kick your feet furiously like a child to subdue your contagious laughter. What he couldn't see was the sudden scent you took in when you were finally able to gather yourself, forest pine meeting your nose with quick familiarty and comfort. Your own heart began to race, almost wanting to take another whiff while another hot flash began to set in. But, knowing it'd be too obvious, you decided against it and reluctantly lifted your head back up along with a comment that made Freddy roll his eyes at you.
"He did remind me of Jacob Elordi, though."
"What?!" You gasped in offense at his groan. "Dude, he's cute! Let me like who I like...!"
──────────── •⚡️• ────────────
Your words had rang through the boy's head all night long, early into the morning soon after he woke up, and even now during lunch as he made his way through the school halls and amidst the crowd of students going the same direction.
'...And your eyes are a little more upturned. And you have dimples! And more of a square jaw...'
'Let me like who I like!'
'Maybe you're just not funny.'
'Who's cute?!' Freddy thought, shaking his head as if he were speaking aloud. 'Was she talking about Billy or Jacob?'
He prayed it was Jacob because at least then, Freddy had a chance. A celebrity living millions of miles away, way too old for you...
Yeah. That's right. Freddy had done his research. A long time ago at that, leading him to believe that he most certainly had him beat.
For starters, he was here in Fawcett City with you, so...
But Freddy deeply didn't think his heart could take it if you were talking about Billy, who had already proven himself the 'cool and collected', 'bad boy' type. And, from other prior research, girls tend to aim for that a lot more than some goofy nerd with a crutch...
The scene he came upon further proved his point, having made it through the cafeteria doors and instantly caught sight of you and Billy sitting together. A smirk tugged at his lips, watching yet hardly listening to you rant on and on and on about who-knew-what. Billy was amused at your lack of awareness for his own lack of care, but the interaction looked all too different to Freddy, who continued to watch from a distance as he grabbed his food.
The lunch line inched forward unbearably slow, but it gave the freckled-faced boy enough time to further assess the situation. Trying not to make it obvious he was staring, only to whip his head back if and when he thought he heard your laugh. Tucking in his lips while just simply imagining the cocky or charming things he was spewing to possibly win you over.
He felt a little selfish at first, but...Freddy had to put a stop to it before it could progress any further.
"Flight or invisibility...?!"
You jumped at the sudden voice of your best friend, the boy slamming his plastic tray of school food onto the table and squeezing a chair in between yours and Billy's.
"Oh gosh..." You sighed, already prepared for the series of information about to come next. Billy, for obvious reasons, was not. His smirk never faltered, but the confusion was still quite clear as he gave a curt, "What?"
"Flight or invisibility?" Freddy repeated, but didn't even give Billy a chance to answer before he was off.
"Ya' see? Everybody chooses flight! Wanna know why?"
"...So they can fly away from this conversation?"
A snort came from your lips, but you swiftly turned it into fake coughs and the clearing of your throat at Freddy's side-eye. So, you were left with nothing to do but pick at you own food and tune out the rant you had heard nearly a bajillion times. The only thing that hadn't gotten tiring was seeing the bright glint in his eye while he talked about superpowers. A smile stretched across his face that put a grin on your own while he used his hands and arms expressively.
The shake of his curls, the pitch and volume of his voice all over the place, the urge to just 'boop!' his little nose whenever it scrunched up.
"...Sneaking around every-everywhere, 'tis- it-...it's a total villain power, right?!"
The embarrassment of everyone staring at your table as a result of Freddy's shouting snapped you out of your trance. Outside of the heat slowly rising to your cheeks at the attention, you were almost thankful. You felt as though you had no right to be crushing over the boy when he clearly had no thoughts of you other than being a best friend. For the past four years, it had been nothing but superheroes, shit-talking, and whatever else best friends do between you two, and you were confident in keeping it that way as to not ruin what good you already had.
"You're coming on a little strong, don't you think?" You asked as the conversation of the cafeteria began to pick back up, watching while Freddy swiftly gathered his food and crutch to follow Billy.
"Hush, (Y/N). I'm just trying to be nice. And I want my bullet back."
"Uh huh..." You nodded, resting your chin against the palm of your hand while your elbow sat on the table. "Are you sure you don't want me to go with? In case he makes a run for it, I mean."
"Oh, har-har, you're hilarious." Freddy scoffed, rolling his brown eyes while you giggled lightly. Before he left, he pointed a stern finger at you, raising his brows which caused you to roll your own eyes.
"Seriously, though. Stay."
"Woof." Was your only comment, causing him to throw you a joking wink.
──────────── •⚡️• ────────────
That was the last you saw of him. Well, not the complete last, but things felt...different.
It was never hard for him to make you smile. Whether that be a result of your inevitable infatuation with him or just the fact that he effortlessly tickled your funny bone was unknown. But regardless, your grin felt bittersweet while you watched him. Not in person at the edge of your bed, or over FaceTime on your phone...
But on the glowing screen of your laptop, watching his latest YouTube video upload from what once was a dead channel now blowing up under the new name, "Hero Manager" unlike the quirky, original one you two had made up a long while ago. "Superman's Left Ankle". God, you thought you two were twelve-year-old, miniature Kevin Hart's with that one.
Although, Freddy had always been the true comedian of your duo, and it was easily displayed now for millions to see.
"Shoot 'im in the face!!"
Including you, in the darkness of your lonely room.
You had gone through hours of footage, you were sure of it.
"Faster than a locomotive...!"
Just marveling at the fact that Freddy was seemingly achieving his dream. He met a real life superhero! And was his apparent manager of all things!
"What did'ya' see?! Did ya' see boobies? Were there nipples? Why-...why aren't you talking?!"
All of it bittersweet, because he never once told you. He never even mentioned the fact of a new superhero in Fawcett City, let alone telling you all of the daunting stories of being his personal sidekick. Not that he had to, of course. But given that you'd known him for so long and practically shared the obsession, you'd think...
He hadn't been talking to you much at all, now that you thought about it. He was no longer spending hours at a time at your house or texting you constantly with whatever odd thoughts plagued his mind. You missed his good morning memes and the walks to school, avoiding the Breyer twins like the plague in a weird mix of fun and fear while discovering new routes to school. Like it was a scene out of Mission: Impossible or something.
The only contact you two had shared within the past couple of weeks was him brushing past you swiftly in the hallway, attached to Billy at the hip. His new brother. Without even so much as a quick, "Hey." or a nod of recognition.
To say you were jealous was the least of it. Hell, hardly envious at all, knowing it was more of an irritation you kept pushing deep, deep, down. Letting it fester into resent that would bubble up to your chest. As a result, you slammed you laptop shut, unable to take hearing Freddy's voice through videos that you had watched over a million times already, even though they were spammed and recent.
Your flushed body calmed, the hot flash subsiding when your phone alerted you of a new text. You almost hated the way how quick giddy grew in replacement of your vexation. How you hoped this could be the chance at a real conversation. Of course, you wouldn't immediately push with strong questions. The boy wasn't stupid, he had to have known you've seen the videos by now.
You, of all people! Hell, you were one of his first ten viewers the second you saw he uploaded. 'Watch Hero Manager's First Video!' Was the notification, and God, you felt pride and excitement swell in your chest for him. So, of course, you'd gently lean yourself towards bringing up him and his new adventures with The Human Powerstorm. The Red Cyclone. Zap-tain America. Captain Sparkle Fingers.
do u have the hmw answers 4 our second period?
Your face fell, shoulders dropping from a tense excitement you hadn't realized you were holding. Your bottom lip went tugged in between your teeth, almost stinging at the sensation from how often you had been picking at it from nerves.
'No, no,' You thought, hurriedly typing your message. 'I can revive this.'
do u have the hmw answers 4 our second period?
I didn't think you were gonna do any hmw tho, you seem pretty busy lately😅
"Ugh...!" You felt childish for letting out such a tantrumous groan. Not that you could help it, flinging back down onto your bed and staring up at the ceiling to push back the tears that threatened to appear. This was how all of your newly short conversations went as of late. In person or over text.
He'd get you all riled up, hopes higher than the moon, when he tapped your shoulder or sent you a late night text. Just for it to be something stupid like, "Do you have a pencil?"
"Do you have the homework? Lemme' copy."
"...You look kind of tired."
That one nearly sent you tipping over the edge that day. Of-fucking-course you were tired! Tired of him acting like you no longer mattered, because now he has a new best friend. Tired of him practically ignoring you whenever you did try to pretend things were normal! When you would attempt to ramble to him about the Breyers picking on solely you, now that Freddy was ditching everyday, making him barely a target. When you wanted to talk about the things you always did.
You got tired of missing his laughter and his jokes, the way his hair fell lazily on his head and there you were, to brush it with your fingers into submission. Tired of missing his eyes and his freckles that matched, the clicking sound of his crutch against the ground when he'd walk beside you, the way he would breeze past you to grab something and you'd smell the faintest of sweet pine.
"Fuck this..." You grumbled, hastily pushing yourself off of your mattress and to your closet. You slipped on a pair of the first shoes you saw and threw on a jacket. You wouldn't be out too long, you assumed. You were tired of missing your best friend, especially when he was just next door.
You were so tired of things feeling so different all of the sudden, because things were different. And you couldn't stand it any longer. Not when it hurt this bad. Not when it physically made your chest ache as you marched out of the front door of your house and down the sidewalk.
Two houses and you were there, knocking on the door of the foster family household. Maybe a little too urgently, unknitting your brows at the way Rosa had met your (E/C) eyes with slight worry.
"Oh! (Y/N), sweetie!" She gasped, pulling you in for a much needed hug. Her body heat shielded you from the cold air nipping at any part of you that might've gone uncovered. "It's felt like forever since I've seen you last; where've you been?"
Had it really been that long? You almost shook your head against her shoulder. Yeah, you had just established it had been a couple of weeks, but what you didn't realize was how odd it must've been to everyone else. No more tea parties with Mary and Darla, no music sessions with Pedro or video game competitions with Eugene and Victor. No baking with Rosa...
In your mess of yearning for Freddy, you forgot to yearn for them, too, not that anything really stopped you from coming over sooner. Other than the unbearable awkwardness, that is.
"Just got a little caught up with school, is all."
"Well," Rosa sighed with a smile, finally letting you go and ushering you inside the heat of the house. "At least Freddy wasn't dragging you into all of his mess. Him and Billy have been up to so much, lately."
"Oh, wow." You sighed gently, trying not to let offense nor uninterest slip in your tone. How oblivious the woman was, not realizing that's something else you had missed that came along with knowing one Freddy Freeman. His wild and crazy shenanigans. Although, unlike Billy and him, the two of you had never ditched school...
Jealously clouded your mind, but you fought it to keep your voice light and even plaster on a polite smile, which Rosa returned.
"In his room. Why don't you go on up and say hi? I'm sure he'll be happy to see you!" And with that, she was off to tend to the rest of her kids, leaving you to trot up the stairs and plant your feet at his bedroom door.
You found yourself thankful, almost completely relieved, that it was shut. It gave you time to actually think for a moment, to prep your words and statements without solely relying on spur of the moment emotions.
You made the pivots on your heels as if you were going to pace back and forth, but didn't knowing it might be too loud.
'I've been missing you lately. Which I know wouldn't be happening if you weren't ignoring me... No, that's too forward and condescending. I feel like we aren't really...close anymore. I know you've been...busy...lately. But when's the last time we've-?...Ugh, no.'
The pit in your stomach weighed heavy, and if you remained here any longer, you thought you might cry at just the thought of saying things all wrong. You couldn't predict his reactions, nor his words, so you were just going to have to twist the knob and find out.
"Wha-?! Oh. Oh! It's you!" You nodded, fighting a giggle at Freddy's bewildered reaction. You wanted to remain semi-serious for this conversation, even if his wide smile almost completely stopped that from happening. You watched as he paused a round of Mortal Kombat on the-
Where the fuck did that come from?! A new TV, definetly higher quality than the old box TV that used to sit in its place. It was here you finally noticed all of the surrounding empty cardboard boxes. A new XBox, PlayStation, and set of controllers. New video games, some you swore you had already planned to buy him this Christmas. New merch littered the floor and his bed, new trinkets, new...everything.
"Where the hell did you get all of this stuff?" You asked, curious as to how it was even affordable when the boy was only making ten bucks a week doing his chores. And that was if he did them at all.
You barely received and answer, hardly a grumbled, "Early presents..." before he cleared off his desk to make room for-
"I'm actually kinda glad you just brought the homework over instead. Your pictures are always kinda blurry and it's hard to read."
Your jealously bubbled back up into your chest again. No, no not jealously. It had shifted into something more than that. Maybe a mix, but most definitely more. So much so that you didn't even allow Freddy a chance to clarify before you were speaking again, your tone of voice completely different from that of the easy-going one you had entered with.
"So, what...I'm just here to bring you your home-...No, excuse me, my homework, for you to copy off of? I'm supposed to just do that, and pretend like everything between us is just-...is just all good, right?"
"Tch." Freddy snorted a little, not yet catching onto the seriousness of your expression. He wasn't taking you seriously. He didn't seem to care. "Relax, it's fine. You don't have to come over every time I need it. I was just kidding about the blurry picture thing."
"That's not the point, Freddy." You seethed, and it was here he finally grasped onto your genuine irritation, watching as your gaze pierced through him like a knife.
"Wait, are you actually mad at me right now?"
His cluelessness, the slightly amused undertone in his voice, made you all the more vexed. So much so, you couldn't help but allow your voice to raise in the slightest and let your arms and hands help you do your talking.
"Oh, no shit, dude! Wow, I wonder why! Gee, let's take a look, hmm...oh, yeah, that's right! You ignore me for weeks, you don't talk to me, and when you do, you treat me like we don't even know each other...! Like I haven't been there for you for your worst and best moments. Like I'm not even your best friend anymore! I mean...who does that?! Do you even care!?"
"Are...are you serious right now? I-...No..." Freddy shook both his head and his free hand, slightly limping backwards to sit at the chair by his desk. "Don't even answer that."
"Why? You scared I'm being serious? You upset that I might be telling the truth?"
"No, (Y/N)." Was his stern reply. "It's because I have no idea what you're talking about. I literally talked to you yesterday!"
"No, you didn't." Was your scoff and eye roll in his direction, only to receive one right back.
"Yeah!" You burst, whipping your phone out of your jacket pocket. "At three in the morning, asking me if you missed a test because you ditched class for the millionth time, leaving me by myself! Treating me like I'm just some- some..."
"-Oh, my bad!" Freddy interrupted, raising his hands defensively without a lick of sincerity to his apology. "I didn't realize you had to be next to me twenty-four/seven to feel something...!"
"Like I'm just some throwaway!" You finished, but swiftly processed his words and continued on. "That's not what I'm saying and you know it! Acting like we haven't been by each other's side for years, just for you to ditch me for some kid that randomly shows up!"
"That is my brother, (Y/N)!" He gasped, and you could merely shake your head in disdain.
"He hated you when we first met!"
"So that's what this is about, huh? You're-...What? You're jealous?"
You pinched the bridge of your nose at his slow nod and remark, sighing while he kept going tauntingly.
"If I had known you were so easy to piss off, I wouldn't have bothered telling you anything at all."
"That's that problem!!" You burst, your throat beginning to burn at both your shouts and the threat of tears. "You never told me anything! You never talked to me, we never talk anymore. All you do is ask me for things and we never..." You couldn't find the words, but you swiftly and easily found evidence of your claims.
You shoved your phone into Freddy's face, scrolling through the weekly amounts of three sentenced messages.
"(N/N), can I have the homework, please? Do you have the study guide questions? Do you know the answer to number four? Do you have a pencil? Can you bring me my sketchbook? Can I do this, can I do that?" You mocked each message that flew by, your thumb continuing to scroll as he half-heartedly scanned.
"I'm not here to be you second goddamn crutch, Freddy!" His brows furrowed at your words, never having gotten the chance to explain himself before feeling the hurt of your words in his chest. All he could think about was how he could counter, how he could respond.
Something he typically did, usually reserved for run-ins with the Breyers. Never you, not that he was thinking clearly enough to stop himself, or listen to your dejected murmur before speaking.
"I thought...I- ugh...I thought I was your friend."
"Then maybe you shouldn't be here."
"-Come to think of it, I never asked you to be my 'second goddamn crutch' anyways! You stood up for me when I needed you, and that's fine! But I don't need you anymore! And if you seem to have such a hard time with that, then maybe, we never needed to be friends in the first place!"
Though your chest ached at his harsh words and tone, you ignored his glared and mulled it over. Longer for than what you would have liked, but you almost giggled when you came to your conclusion.
You shrugged, inhaling deeply as if releasing would allow you to let go of all of the hurt you felt in that moment.
Freddy found himself taken aback by your calm agreement, instantly regretting his words. So much so he was willing to take them back in an instant.
"-I shouldn't have made it seem like you owe me your time just becuse I chose to become your friend. That's not fair of me. You have your family now, you've always had. And now, you have a brother. One your age, at least. So, I understand why it's...why I'm..."
Your voice trembled and you turned away, making haste towards the door.
It didn't take long for Freddy to slip his arm through his crutch and attempt to hurry after you, but you had already fled down the stairs and unfortunately ran into Mary.
"(Y/N)?" She questioned, already worried like the rest of her siblings. It then occurred to you, as you looked up at the older girl with teary eyes, that the whole of downstairs probably heard your loud argument.
Your suspicions were confirmed when Billy stood in front of his new siblings with furrowed brows and a glint in his eyes that screamed, "I'm sorry."
But it didn't matter anymore. There was no point, and you knew that. Enough so to push past Mary gently and waltz through the front door, ignoring Freddy's rushed calls after you.
You were hit with the cold air again, knowing better not to run as you walked back into your house and to your room. Even through blurry vision, it didn't take you long to gather necessities into a minibackpack of yours, a charger, your wallet, the works, and throw on a heavier jacket. You thought about layering up your flanneled pajama bottoms too, but you didn't want to risk it. Too much time and you'd just be met with your parents or siblings questioning you and your distressed state, saddening you further.
"What happened?" Rosa came rushing into the den, her husband not too far behind. "Did (Y/N) leave already?"
Mary was quick to put two-and-two together, her sympathetic expression towards their front door immediately phasing into a look of complete disdain while her head whipped around to glare at Freddy.
"What did you do?" Was his older sister's accusing question, Freddy already pursing his lips together in shame. He didn't really want to answer, already in a state of self-loathing and debating on ignoring the questions thrown his way. Debating on going after you or giving you space. Although, he had given you quite a bit of space already, hadn't he...?
He wasn't alloted any time to draw a conclusion, Billy already walking towards him with a blank stare. Freddy huffed, watching as his brother walked past without a single word. Just his eyes, that urged him to follow up the steps. With one last look towards the door, he did, and he immediately felt like he was being scolded by an 'I'm not angry, just dissapointed' Victor the second he plopped down on his bottom bunk bed.
But, in all fairness...it was pretty hard to tell the difference between the two.
"Okay, am I missing something, or are you purposefully being an idiot right now?! Have you like, absolutely lost your mind, dude?!"
"First off, I can't even believe you would say...any of what you just said to her!"
"-Like, I know you can be kind of a dick sometimes. I mean, hello, so can I. But to her, man?! Really?"
Freddy didn't get to put a word in, Billy pacing back and forth as he went on in complete dismay and shock.
"I could've swore the whole, 'I'm keeping distant to protect (Y/N) because I love her' thing was you, duh, loving her! But, seeing as you just pushed her away into oblivion, I don't think ya' do!"
"-And second...!" Billy interjected again, leaving Freddy to sigh exasperatingly, almost theatrically. "I'm in...in awe at how you actually just let her walk away like that. Out of the house, maybe out of your life, forever!"
"Who let's the most amazing, pretty, ride-or-die chick just strut out of their life like that?! In tears, no less!"
"Freddy, that was probably one of the most stupidest things I've ever seen you do, ever! And I've only known you for, what, two...three weeks?! I-"
"-Billy, you're not helping!!" Freddy nearly exploded, burying his face into his hands while his brother finally shut up. "I know, okay? I know I messed up, I know that I...ugh..."
There was a long moment of silence, Billy waiting for Freddy to collect himself before the boy smoothed his hands up his face and through his disheveled curls. Disagreements had happened between you two, sure. Things always easy to just laugh off and forget about. But a full on fight?
"I dunno what to do." He sighed, pulling his bottom lip in between his teeth to keep it from quivering. "I-I thought keeping her away from all of this would make it so that she wouldn't get hurt. I didn't consider that I...I didn't mean to push her away entirely. I was the one to hurt her and now we both feel like shit because of it."
"Dude..." Billy let out a sigh of his own, almost that of a groan that caused Freddy to prepare for more lecturing. But instead, he was granted words proving a lot more helpful than anticipated.
"Tell her everything you just told me."
Billy took a seat beside him on the bed, placing an encouraging palm on his brother's shoulder.
"Find her," He specified. "Apologize...and tell her everything you just told me. That's what you should do."
Freddy turned his head to look at Billy, the brunette pulling away a bit with his hands raised in surrender.
"I mean, that's what I would do. I'm not as stupid as you, though, so I'd probably never be in this mess."
"Augh, shut up...!" Freddy groaned, unable to hold back a determined smile as he shoved Billy away. He stood, looping his crutch back through his arm and making his way to your house with hurry.
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He had never seen your house so dark before. The lights always on given the way your family would be scattered throughout the place, leaving switches flipped on in their wake. Never too quiet either, music or TV blasting, conversations happening over one another. Or even yourself, laughing or talking loudly at something you had seen.
Then again, your front door was never left just hanging open either.
Freddy had entered slowly, upon realizing he didn't have to knock, trying to somehow quiet the sounds of his crutch clicking against the ground. Though that was nearly impossible, it didn't worry him as much as the eerie feeling he had bubbling in the pit of his stomach.
Your parent's car wasn't parked outside, which had led him to the conclusion they might've been gone on an errand or something before you had even arrived home. But if that were the case, where were you? Did he dare call out?
He opened his mouth, but snapped it closed just as fast.
'No, don't do that. That's like, horror movie rule number one.'
His quick reminder interrupted his thoughts, but soon enough, he was back on track. Looking towards the direction of your room, he swiftly made his way to your door. Like your front door, it had been left open. Not wide open, but just enough to draw suspicion and worry to Freddy's head. Enough so to where he broke the number one horror movie rule.
No response, nothing to see but a trashed room that sent panic shooting up through his chest. Your clothes littered the floor, and your belongings had been tossed about as though they had no meaning. Hell, the only light that came from your house was the one that had been left on in your room.
With all of the apparent evidence and horrible thoughts only a very in love Freddy Freeman could have, he came to his rather morbid conclusion:
"What? She just left not too long ago, why wouldn't-"
"-She's gone, man! She's...she's...!"
Billy couldn't exactly process Freddy's yelling, more or less the fact that you had been kidnapped. And before he could get any further clarification that he was sure, Freddy had already hung up. He had already rushed back outside of your house and recklessly let his crutch fall to the concrete. Thunder cracked and lighting shot down, a freak storm, for he had already spoken the name.
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You kept your pace hurried, as if you were on the run. Of course, you weren't. But the feeling of bustling past people and wind nipping at your face kept you busy and distracted. Just so that the tears you kept forcing back wouldn't threaten to spill.
But jeez, was it hard. The more you thought about everything that had happened...the more you mourned the freshly lost friendship between Freddy and you...the more you continued to get lost within the city you, in hindsight, probably shouldn't have gone wandering too deep into...
The harder it became not to place yourself right there at that park bench, take a shaky, deep breath in, and finally allow yourself to cry.
As bittersweet as it felt, to finally release all of that tension at the expense of what could've been, you didn't get to for long before your head had went flying back up from your hands at the sounds of shouts from not too far away.
"Holy shit...!! Oh my go-...! There you are, oh my god, (Y/N), you're okay!"
"...What?" You squeaked out unsurely, nerves wracked at the sight through blurry tears. A man, caramel-colored curly hair hanging around his face while dressed head to toe in blue and gold. His white cape and large, yellow, lightning emblem further making him stick out to anyone around to see. Hell, if you didn't know any better, he was literally glowing.
"(Y/N), I thought something horrible happened to you, you scared the shit out of me...! Y'know, I've only ever fought one supervillain, and that was kinda recently, so I don't think I would've known what to do if I had to fight another one by myself..."
He began to speed walk closer to the bench you sat on, leaving you to quickly dry your tears and try to plan your next course of action. With very little amount of time to do so, you ended up scrambling away behind it as if the smallest of barriers would really protect you from whoever this crazy guy was.
"I don't know what you're talking about...!" You admitted hesitantly. "How do you know my name?!"
You couldn't bring yourself to ask who he was, because in truth, you kind of already knew the answer to that one. As he stalked closer, you were able to recognize his suit under the cloak of night. It resembled that of the new superhero that had been running around Philadelphia, and then, it clicked.
"I've seen you before! My friend posts these videos of the guy dressed in red, like, all of the time. And I saw you on the news, with those other superheroes...you all dress the same."
It was now his turn to give you a look of confusion, stopping in his tracks just before the bench while he tilted his head. He watched your gaze shift down to the ground, continuing to wipe away stray tears that further worried him.
"I mean-...Not my friend, just...someone I know, I guess. I dunno anymore..."
"You...you don't know?" He repeated, defeat laced in his own voice as if you really had been kidnapped. No. It was...it felt a lot worse than that. He had lost you because of a stupid fight and it was all his fault. Things can't exactly go back to normal after that, but he would try...
He sat himself down on the bench and patted the seat beside him, you awkwardly following his instruction when you realized he was trustworthy. He was a superhero, after all. What else would he be besides that?
"Do...you wanna talk about it? Maybe things could be worked out. Fixed."
"No..." You grumbled, shaking your head at his words. You pressed your face back into your hands to hide the onslaught of more embarrassing tears.
"Well, that's fine. We don't have to talk, we could just-"
"-No, no I do wanna talk." You interjected, your voice muffled. "I just mean no as in there's no point. I'm the one that ended it with him. And for good reason. We...we just didn't work out."
"Jeez, ya' make it sound like you broke up with him..." His joke eased the tension in the slightest, but you could only huff a little before giving a shrug.
Freddy faltered a bit, unsure if you were about to say what he thought you were.
"...It's stupid. It was stupid of me to think we might've had...I dunno...something more. We were just friends. And yet I went and developed this huge crush on him and messed it all up by being jealous and-and clingy. M'so stupid..."
"What? Hey, no, no, you are not stupid. You are like, the smartest girl I-...er, he knows, and if he can't see that, then he's the stupid one, don't you think?"
He softened when you looked back up at him, tears in your eyes and an unsure gaze to match as he went on recklessly.
"He was the stupid one, not to have seen it sooner. God, I mean, it was so obvious, how could I-. . .Clingy, but it just meant you cared and worried and that's all anyone could ask for in a friend. I should've...Gah..."
He groaned as he stood, his sudden movement making you rise up to watch him. Not to mention, you couldn't help but notice the odd act of him talking as though it was him you were referring to. It only worried you more. Maybe this guy was just some random in the evening. Or, even worse, a hallucination.
"I shouldn't have ever pushed you away, that was dumb. I was just...I just wanted to protect you, so that no one would come looking for you, because as we both know, a superhero's loved ones are like, number one bad guy target."
"How do you...? Wait...wait, I'm confused-..."
He ignored your hesitant words without missing a beat, simultaneously throwing all caution into the wind.
"And I never meant to make you jealous or-or hurt your feelings back there at the house. If anything, I was jealous because I thought you were getting close with Billy, and...I shouldn't have just treated you like you're only here to give me the answeres to my homework or whatever else you've helped me with. I'm sorry for treating you like shit, and I'm sorry I never told you everything you deserved to hear come from me."
"How...how do you...?" You were at a loss for words, soaking in the heartfelt apology that had come from some...random superhero rather than-
The man looked up from his shameful stare at the ground, and it dawned on him that not only did you not completely know who he was and this was probabaly really weird for you, but you might have certainly figured it out by now...
"Ah shit...I...I'm sorry, I have to go, I wasn't-...You weren't supposed to hear any of that. Er-...You were! Just not like this, I-...Oh, whatever, screw it..."
He gave up trying to cover his mistake, simply taking a reasonable step back.
"Just...don't freak out, 'kay?"
"A little late for that, but okay..." You murmured, rushing off of the seat and back behind it again.
You jumped at the loud cracking of thunder and shielded your eyes from the flash of lightning that hit the ground. In an instant, you were met with the very boy you had basically ran away from, his knees planted in the grass with a pleading look that had you on the brink of tears all over again.
"Freddy..." You repeated breathlessly, slowly making your way towards him as he stumbled through nervous words.
"I know, I know, I...I'm an asshole, and I should've told you sooner and I...I never meant to-to hurt you, (Y/N). Really, I didn't. And I know I've been a real jerk lately, but it was just...I just wanted you safe..."
"I know." You nodded swiftly, everything becoming clear as you gently stooped beside him. "But...Freddy, where's your crutch?"
He couldn't help but solemnly laugh, his eyes looking deep into yours in a sense of amazement. He couldn't believe that even after all of this, after the way he made you feel, you still cared enough about the boy to worry about his leg. To allow him to lean his head against you and shrug a little while you hugged him close.
"It's...in front of your house, I think. Outside."
"So reckless..." You murmured against the top of his head, having missed his scent, his touch...
"I know..." He nodded, releasing a shaky breath before looking back up at you.
"-I forgive you. And I'm sorry I went off on you like that. Earlier, I mean. I wish we would've talked it out, or...I don't know."
"It's fine. I lowkey deserved it." Freddy smiled. It slowly grew into a grin, one that you could recognize from a mile away. A shit-eating one, that immediately let you know the boy was up to something which left you to pull away with a smirk of your own.
"You actually have a crush on me?"
"Ugh, shut up!" You pushed him away slightly at his tease, your cheeks heating up at the question anyways while he laughed frivolously.
"Why don't we work on being best friends again before you start getting antsy, alright? And, not to mention, you need to start telling me these things more often! Like how you're an entire superhero, and that your siblings are, too! And-!"
"-Yeah, yeah, I hear you..."
I feel like some people might find the ending a bit rushed, but I was actually kind of going for that slow-burn, best friends whether you're lovers or not, type of feel/vibe, y'know? But I hope you enjoyed it regardless!!
