if Shannon makes Linh and Fitz date i’m just going to imagine it’s an arranged thing and that they have a huge library and spend their time reading and baking as besties, there is no romance involved , feel free to expand if u have time and want to do so -t1sb
yknow
linh and fitz fake dating
that... that could actually be a legit idea.
like imagine, Alden gets up on Fitz's case because Fitz is really just not in the mood to date anyone, he doesn't want to. It's not something he's interested in, and literally everyone is chill about it except the adults, who think that the Golden Vacker Child(tm) should really be getting along and finding that perfect bride. Alden's worried that Fitz is still hung up on Sophie, which would be bad because Sophie's an awful genetic mistake and would be bad for their family's reputation. Della's worried that her son is abnormal, or there's something wrong with him. The grandparents are all asking about children and dating and matchmaking and whatever and Fitz just wants none of it.
And so, Linh kind of just presents the idea. At a winnowing gala she was forced into a dress that itches and burns on her wrists, that makes the water louder and hurts her back and her shoulders. She's sitting next to him at his gala, because really, she's the only one who knows him. No one else cares about anything but the idea of a golden child, a perfect husband, and Linh is simply a friend who just happened to be on the list.
"Fitz," she says, one day, when he's halfway to tears over the fact that his dad came by and half-ordered him to start dancing with his matches. "I'm on your list. You can dance with me."
He takes her gloved hand, and she pretends she can't feel the water in his blood pulsing through him with every heartbeat. That she can't understand the dangerous whispers of the sweat on the back of his neck. Because, firstly, that's odd. Secondly, none of her business what his water is up to.
"My parents have been literally shoving me towards marriage, too, and I literally would rather die. Like, honestly."
Fitz laughs, like, "Me too."
She thinks on it for a moment. "Fitz," she says, "What number match am I, on your list?"
"A hundred and seventy," he said, pointing at the ribbon with the numbers on it. "And that's if and only if my dad's okay with me marrying a twin. I think he'd kill me for it."
"My dad would kill to have me marry a Vacker," Linh answered, simply. "But we don't have to get married. We just have to occupy our parents' minds long enough until they can't push us into it, anymore."
Seventeen year old Fitz squints at sixteen year old Linh. "What?"
"I'm saying," she said, her voice getting a bit gentler. "We fool them. You're like, my older brother who cares too much and it comes out in angry ways, sometimes."
Fitz chuckled, almost sadly. "You're the most powerful hydrokinetic the world has ever seen. You're so impressive, it's scary. And you're also like, Biana's friend. I can't date you."
"I don't want to date you," Linh said. "You're not my type. No one has been, so far," she said, her voice getting a little quieter, more embarrassed. "It's weird, I know."
Fitz shook his head. "Not weird," he said. "I know exactly what you mean."
"I suggest," Linh said, a tentative smile forming on her lips, "That we, like. Fake date? Friend-date? Tell our parents that we're head over heels for each other, just to keep them occupied in their own ideas of who we are, but just," she smiled, there. "You like baking, right?"
Fitz nodded.
"We can bake together. Dex has been meaning to get me into movies lately, anyhow. He mentioned you liked some series called Harry Potter?"
Fitz smiled, just a little. "Yeah," he said.
Linh sighed. "I care about you, you know that. But it's not a lovey-dovey kind of way. I don't tend to care about people like that. And it sounds like you don't either."
Fitz nodded.
"So," she said, a smile forming across her lips, hopeful and excited. "Baking date, this sunday? Just for fun?"
Something inside Fitz relaxed, his heart and mind stopping churning.
"Linh," he said, "I think you're the best person in the whole world."
The hydrokinetic giggled, and it sounded like she'd relaxed some, too. "Well," she said, "I don't think I am, Fitz. But I'm glad you're up for enjoying my company."