it was early december, and princeton plainsboro smelled vaguely of burnt popcorn and antiseptic, the fluorescents buzzed like they were on their last nerve and about to kick it, house had left the team with a stack of lab results and one comment about “weird proteins, or maybe the patients dodgy taste in hair product” then limped off with no further explanation,
chase- robin, though no one called her that yet, no one even know she called herself that, sat at one if the computer teminals, scrolling through results with a slightly shakey hand, her nails were painted a soft mauve, the polish clumsy and brushing the edges of her skin, her eyeliner, despite her best efforts.. was a disaster. smudged and running like it wanted to escape her face.
amber watched her from across the room, the others were off somewhere else, leaving just the two of them, and the low hum of machinery,,
amber was never one to waste time..
she strolled over and leaned against the desk, arms crossed, “we need to have a chat about your face.”
“look. ive got no idea what kind of weird phase youre in, i dont really care if its some quarter life crisis, or some dare or hazing from house, but you?” she gave him a once over “look awful.”
chases gut twisted, a familiar shame rose in her stomach, looking down, her mouth opened and closed a few times, “im.. working on it.” she muttered,
ambers face shifted, just slightly, but enough. “you having a go at something?”
chase hesitated, there was an opening for say how she was feeling , thin, but there, but this was amber, sharp as hell, could bite, but shes not really calling her names so.. “just.. trying to feel more like myself.” she said quietly, and then added “whatever that ends up being.”
amber blinked once, then squinted and folded her arms tighter, “well, yourself deserves a lot better than the trainwreck smeared on your face.”
chase let out a small suprised laugh, “its.. harder than ut looks in tutorial videos.” she paused, quieter “especially when your hands are trembling.”
a beat of silence, chase almost stammered out an apology, then amber sighed, “well first of all, you need to find your *own* style.” dhe was pulling a small bag out of her purse, “second, youve got a cracking bone structure, im not letting you waste it like this.”
chase blinked “youre not.. gonna mock me?” amber scoffed “for this shit show? yes. you wanting to do makeup? no.” she pulled out wipes, and micellar water, “now sit still, or ill poke you jn the eye.” she pulled up a chair and sat in front of chase, and started wiping the mess off.
ambers hands moved confidently, wiping away the old eyeliner and reapplying it with an angeled brush, a bit if foundation, a bjt of blush and lipgloss,,
when she finished, she tilted chases head toward the window light, “better,” she said, more to herself than chase, “youve got a face that could, and probably already does turn heads, use it.”
chase looked in the little mirror amber handed her, breath catching,
“you look good, dont get soppy on me.”
“youre a lot nicer when youre not going for peoples jugulars.” amber smirked, “keep that to yourself, i have a reputation.” chase didnt andwer, still looking in the mirror “thank you, really.” amber just shrugged “youre welcome.” and gathered her things “and chase? remember. go *with* the shape of your face, not against it, youre not fighting it.” chase laughed “noted.” and then amber got up, and left
my version on ao3; https://archiveofourown.org/works/68709001
my friends edit!! https://archiveofourown.org/works/68708376
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