Maggie stared at him for a moment, head against the pillow. Tate looked calm, he looked at peace. He had to be exhausted after the night they had. It had been the routine the past month or so, most nights she didn't have her kids she was here. They'd eat something, maybe watch something, a couple times they even went out to a movie. The two things that would always happen, though, were an insane amount of sex and going out for waffles after.
There were no labels, she liked that. It wasn't serious. She kept telling her self that. Even when her feelings shifted to something more. She watched him, sighing softly. It wasn't serious, she told herself, but she knew if they continued she'd fall in love with him.
She couldn't allow herself to do that. She wouldn't let it happen. Not again. So she quietly slipped out of bed and gathered her clothes. Within 5 minutes she was dressed and in the living room, a little disheveled but she'd make it down the hall just fine, and she was looking for her phone when the light turned on.
"The album is trash, luv." Maggie drawled, picking up the record from the rack, spinning it around to face the cover towards the record store clerk. "Final outing, yeah? Bollocks. The only original member is the lead singer. They use a drum machine for fuck's sake. Total sellout."
She dropped it back onto the shelf. "T.R.A.S.H....Trash."
PARTIES: Isa (@poisonousdelights) and Maggie (@woveninstardust)
TIME: Current (July 11th)
WHERE: The Carter household
SUMMARY: Isa is home for good and surprises Maggie with a visit. What Maggie doesn't know is there is another surprise right around the corner.
WARNINGS: None
Being away from Wicked’s Rest had almost been worse than the time Isa had spent in jail. Maggie and she kept in touch, of course, texting and online the best ways for the day to day. But what she had loved the most were the letters that would show up in her sister’s mailbox. It was a tradition that had been started when she was indisposed but the letters only brought on good memories despite their origins. They were what kept her going as she spent day after monotonous day being riled up by fellow inmates and made her smile when she felt like she never would again. Getting one at her sister’s brought on that little ache she used to feel, the longing for her old life to come rushing back and bring the one person she feared she couldn’t live without back into her sight. But it also brought on that whole feeling only Maggie’s words could.
That warmness she felt when she thought of her best friend made it so hard to tell her that she would be back in Wicked’s Rest sooner than she’d thought. She wanted to shout it to the rooftops when her sister had talked to her, to write Maggie right away and let her know they wouldn’t be apart for too much longer. But a surprise coming home? Well, that was too delicious to pass up.
She had been itching to get to Maggie’s place as soon as they had crossed the line into town but Isa’s sister had insisted on getting the apartment ready first with a knowing smile that the lamia hadn’t registered. It made her work twice as hard to set up her space to her liking until her sister was satisfied with the work they had done but it was too late in the night to head over. The next morning Isa had been up bright and early, dressed before Violet could even have her coffee, with her leg bouncing in anticipation while she waited. Violet rolled her eyes when Isa jumped up as soon as the mug was in the sink but a grin accompanied it as she took her keys in hand.
Before long, Isa was standing on the front walk of Maggie’s house staring up at the familiar window she climbed in not three months prior. Her sister was sitting in the car, no doubt still rolling her eyes, but Isa didn’t care, not now. Not when she was about to feel her heart burst in her chest with the joy that was threatening to overtake her. She knocked quickly, loudly, far too eager while she bounced on her heels. Her smile was blinding as the door opened and she finally caught sight of the girl she’d missed so dearly. “Surprise!” Her arms shot out to the sides, her excitement making her buzz while she itched to bring Maggie into the tightest hug. She couldn’t though, not yet. She needed to let Maggie get her bearings and realize what was happening.
Mornings sucked.
Especially when the sunlight peered through the window too early and Maggie got blasted in the face with pure sunshine. Especially since she didn’t even have to be up for work that morning. A day off, and she was up with the morning birds of her mother and father, listening to them chat over their breakfast about their plans for the day while she stared into a cup of caramel-creamer-filled coffee the size of her face
The other reason that mornings sucked, as much as she was reluctant to admit it, was that while her mother and father were each other’s best friends, her best friend was no longer in town. Yes, she talked to Isa every day since she’d left to spend time with Violet. Yes, she sent her letters and drawings just like she had for all the time when Isa had been in jail. But it wasn’t the same as getting to see her in person. A piece of Maggie was furious at herself for being sad about it. Isa deserved time with her sister. She deserved a break. She deserved ALL the breaks, after everything she’d gone through.
Her parents hardly noticed the knocking at the front door. They were too engrossed with the current topic of conversation- she was fairly certain she’d heard the words ‘cicadas’ and ‘lighthouse’ but was too groggy to really process it. And so, with a sigh, Maggie abandoned her coffee and trudged from the dining room to the front door, bare feet enjoying the morning coolness on the hardwood. It was probably Old Mr. Orislov from two doors down whose dog Winton had learned to climb over fences checking to see if they had a crazy yellow lab in their backyard.
Only, when she opened the front door, it was not Old Mr. Orislov, nor was it his dog Winton. Instead, standing just outside her doorway, arms outstretched, smile as bright and wonderful as it had been the last time she’d seen her, was Isa. Maggie’s eyes went wide as saucers, and she felt her heart stop for just a second before lurching like a freight train in her chest. Isa was back! In less than a second, the girl was all energy as she launched herself at her best friend, pulling her into the tightest hug and damn near falling over in the process. A delighted little shriek of laughter pealed through the air. Maybe she was finally having good dreams again. Maybe this was the best dream. If it was, she hoped she didn’t wake up.
There she was. Maggie’s sleepy frown started to morph into sheer excitement, pure joy, and she couldn’t stop smiling at the way her best friend lit up like a Christmas tree in the middle of summer. Isa felt her body lean backwards with the force of Maggie’s embrace, laughing as her own arms wrapped tightly around her best friend. The giddy feeling in her chest at finally seeing this girl’s beautiful face in person again was enough to last her a whole year at least, get her through any hardship. It had been so hard to keep this from Maggie but the reaction had been so worth the pain of it all. She’d have to thank the girl’s parents for also keeping their mouths shut later when she wasn’t busy refusing to let Maggie go. “I told you I’d be back. It just came sooner than I was expecting it to.”
She still kept her in her arms, Her fingers pressing hard into Maggie as if she were desperate to keep her right where she was. It had been too long since their last embrace, she had missed it too much. She felt warm and loved and like nothing bad could happen to her again in this girl’s arms. Isa hadn’t truly been home until this moment.
But it couldn’t last unfortunately. At one point she was going to have to let Maggie come up for air or else she feared she never would. And then they would just be two bumbling idiots walking around with their arms interlaced all the time. The chaos that could cause was tempting but Isa decided against it before pulling back, her grin still plastered to her lips. “Okay, that look was the best thing to ever happen to me, I just need you to know that.” The lamia bit into her bottom lip, anticipation filling every inch of her. She couldn’t wait to see the jovial surprise once again. “I also need you to know that I’m here to stay. I’m moving back!”
Isa was home. It was such a simple little fact, and yet the knowledge of it was enough to set Maggie’s world utterly upside down- and it was all the better for it. Video calls and texting and letters were lovely. No, scratch that, they were necessary. But being able to feel the other girl warm in her arms as she hugged her tight, hearing her laughter ringing like bells in her ear… it was different. It was better.
“How long have you been back??? Are you just here for a little bit- or- or- YOU’RE HERE!!!” The girl was practically dancing around, drunk with joy. She didn’t want to pull away, but she forced herself to (if only to drink in the sight of Isa, actually standing there in front of her house again. Maggie cradled the other girl’s face in her hands. She couldn’t really believe it- last she’d heard, she didn’t know when Isa was coming back. She didn’t know when her best friend in the world would grace the face of their little town again. Maggie couldn’t blame her for going… it wasn’t like Wicked’s Rest had been terribly kind to Isa since she’d returned. But greedily, selfishly, she was glad Isa was back. The rest of town be damned.
And then Isa spoke again. Maggie blinked, owl-eyed as she tried to process the words she’d just heard. Moving back. Isa was moving back, staying. STAYING. A peal of bright, shrieking, giddy laughter erupted from Maggie Carter as she tackled Isa back into a hug, sending the pair tumbling into the grass. A quickly muffled chuckle rang out from the house, just beyond the screen doors, where Mr. and Mrs. Carter watched the pair in amusement. But Maggie didn’t notice, nor did she care. “YOU’RE MOVING BACK! Where are you moving?!?! When are you moving??? How far away are you gonna be, oh my god this is the best day ever-”
There was something weirdly intimate about Maggie cradling her face. The two of them had no problem with affection, never had, but standing there staring into her eyes after months of not seeing that special shine in them made this physical connection deeper. She had half a mind to reach up and brush aside the lock of hair that had fallen into those wonderful doe eyes but Isa reluctantly told herself no. It was too much. She shouldn’t want to do that.
It didn’t matter anyway as she was on the ground in second, pure genuine laughter ringing through the air and mixing with Maggie’s delight. She rolled once, pinning Maggie beneath her in the soft grass. “I am! The new apartment is downtown. I know, right? Fancy upgrade from Worm Row.” She had her sister to thank for that. As much as Isa didn't like accepting Violet’s money she’d finally given in and let the older woman help her with the down payments required. But she drew the line when it came to the monthly rent. That would be up to her and her alone…or her possible new roommate as well.
“The apartment is already set up. Violet helped me.” She looked up then, seeing her sister leaning back against her car with that same knowing smile on her lips. Isa was still too distracted to really take it in. “But there’s one problem. It’s a two bedroom.” She paused, biting into the flesh of her bottom lip to stifle her smile. “And I have nobody to fill the other room.”
When they’d both been little, Maggie had drawn a picture of her and Isa living in a castle. It was their castle, she’d declared. Where they would live one day when they were older, because best friends ought to live together forever. They’d been so young and silly then, alight with a sort of magic that burned bright in childhood. But time and age came to dim that sugar-spun world they’d lived in once upon a time. They might not live in a castle together, but Isa would climb through her window and visit her… And then Isa was gone, plucked away from her life on a faulty charge. That childhood dream was lost to the realism of the situation. Maggie clung to the magic of the stories that fueled her youth because maybe, with those, she might be able to set her world right again.
Isa’s hair tickled her face as it hung down, illuminated by the morning sun that was starting to creep up into the sky. There was nothing so wonderful in the world as that sight. Time might pull people apart, but in the end, best friends always found their way back to each other. The words- more sage wisdom from her mother- rang in her ears. Sarah Carter, wondrous woman that Maggie’s mother was, was always right in the end. “Look at you, fancy pants in a downtown apartment!”
Her heart lurched at the word ‘problem’. She wasn’t sure she could handle another problem- well, for Isa, she could, but if the problem meant she would see less of the girl… well, she’d just have to grin and bear it, now wouldn’t she? But no. The problem was an extra bedroom. Maggie blinked in confusion. “Is Violet moving here, too?” Her head cocked to the side, confusion etching its way across her face. But that didn’t make sense… If Violet was moving, then Isa would have someone to fill the room.
It took a moment for the puzzle piece to fit into place in her mind.
They would not have a castle, as castles were cold and in short supply in the tiny costal town in Maine. But an apartment? With her best friend? “Really?” Her voice was hardly more than a whisper. If she spoke any louder, Maggie feared she might simply spontaneously combust with joy. And then the neighbors would probably be annoyed for such a commotion so early in the morning… “Are you- is the room- you want me to move in???”
Watching Maggie sift through all of this information was truly beautiful in every sense. The slight panic in her eyes when she heard ‘problem’ only served to remind Isa how much she cared. As much as she hated causing that panic she also adored the quiet confirmation of her best friend’s love that shined through. She could always count on that. Panic morphed into confusion. The wrinkle of Maggie’s brow was the most adorable thing that Isa had ever seen as she tried to work out what was going on. Her question had Isa shaking her head softly but she waited to speak until her friend could come to the correct conclusion because she was enjoying this far too much. Every new face, every new expression, was another work of art.
The exact moment that it clicked was the most beautiful of them all. Maggie’s eyes had widened, shimmering softly in the sunlight pouring down on them but she suspected some of that was the sheer excitement shining through as well. Isa was ready to confirm that she was indeed asking her to move in but she knew, deep in her gut, that she’d already gotten her yes. “Of course I’m asking you to move in with me, silly! Who else would I ever want to be roommates with?”
Over the years it had been brought up between the two of them. College roommates had been the first discussion that they’d ever had but then Isa had been arrested, her scholarship ripped away because of her conviction. Then, the discussion of it after prison but she hadn’t wanted to put Maggie in the position of having to defend herself for living with a supposed murderer. Then it was right before she’d left to stay with her sister but she couldn’t afford any of it at the time and being a financial burden to Maggie and her family was unacceptable. It was finally their moment. It was finally their time to live out this dream that they had shared since they were kids. “Think about it. You can decorate your room however you want and you can also decorate mine with your amazing art. We can decide on color schemes and what to hang in the living room and all of that good stuff. I have money saved up from a pretty good job I had near Violet’s and I am ready to go shopping.”
Maggie didn’t need to think about it. There was no thinking at all in the girl’s brain for a few moments. Instead, the only thing she could register was an absolutely maniacal amount of effervescent, golden, sparkling glee. It had been months since she’d felt even a fraction as excited. Well… she was equally as excited about the discovery and subsequent befriending of Mister Gator, but in a totally different way.
Childhood dreams were beautiful, but often intangible. Mirages made of the smoke and mist of imagination and wild revelry, before the world began to bog down one’s belief of what was and was not attainable. Isa, her wonderful, sunshiney, brilliant friend who had gone through so much suffering, sat there staring down at Maggie… offering a dream plucked up from obscurity. If anyone should have been given such a gift, it was Isa, not Maggie! Isa deserved the goddamned moon a string if she wanted it. The girl’s heart ached. She didn’t quite understand why, in such a gleeful moment, she felt a tinge of remorse. Rather than let it win, she reached up and plucked a bit of grass from Isa’s hair, pretending to consider the offer.
“Let me see… I get to bother you every day, and help decorate your room and apartment with art, and I don’t have to worry about you falling out of the window when you want to come over…?” A little hum filled her pause. “… okay thought about it, yeah, I’m moving in.”
“I’m going to have to cut out a window in your bedroom wall or something.” Because she was going to miss climbing up into Maggie’s room every night. There was something about the way sneaking into someone’s bedroom, undetected or not, that always reminded Isa of great pairings throughout history. Romeo with Juliet, Pacey with Dawson, Ellie with Carl, even Zack with Clarissa all flitted through her mind each time she climbed the trellis at night. Not to mention the little bit of exhilaration that came with it as well. She always like a little bit of danger mixed with her pleasure.
She’d lost focus though, her mind going to what she would miss about what they were leaving behind instead of listening to the confirmation of what they would have going forward. The words finally sunk in after a moment, Isa’s face brightening with Maggie’s agreeance, and before she could stop herself she wrapped her arms around her friend the best that she could in their position. In her excitement, Isa started to roll them, screaming her joy for all to hear as the laughter of Maggie’s parents and Violet filtered in. It wasn’t that she had doubts that Maggie would want this too but hearing the confirmation was a completely different story.
She’d landed on her back, reversing the girl’s positions as words started to flow from her mouth without Isa taking a breath. “I can’t wait! Oh my god, we’re going to be the best roommates ever! You’re going to love the space. It’s nothing too special, kind of small, but it has such great bones to work with. We’re going to have to get you a lot of paint before Periwinkle closes and maybe some things for your animals because there’s no way I would make you leave them behind at your parents house and we have to go food shopping-” Her sister’s voice rang out, the woman shaking her head. “Isabele, breath. You’re going to die from lack of oxygen before you can even move her in.” Isa stopped then but her eyes still clearly showed the excitement now coursing through her, her smile never dropping. “I can’t believe this is finally happening.”
If the neighbors hadn’t been awake, they certainly were now. Delighted squealing and laughter filled the little culdesac, rising up to greet the morning sky and join the birds in their morning melodies. Maggie could hear her parent’s laughter from just inside the house, bright and warm. They knew! They must have known the whole time… It would be strange not to wake up to the smell of her mother’s coffee or listening to her dad’s radio broadcast muffled through the walls at night… But home was not going anywhere. It would stay right there, where she could return to at any time and see the people who made it home.
This change was good. Better yet, her best friend in the whole world would be right there alongside her. And that made all the difference. Isa babbled about all the things they needed to do. Her hair was strewn out wildly in the green grass, her eyes alight with that fiery wonderful joy… Maggie would draw this, later. It would stay imprinted in her mind until pen could meet paper and the image could be born again.
Violet’s voice rang out from the car, amused to say the least. With a giggle, Maggie pulled Isa back upright, plucking stray bits of grass from the girls hair. The screen door creaked as her mother stepped out onto the porch, coffee mug clutched close to her chest. “Breakfast before all of that, though… there’re muffins waiting. Invitation’s open to you too, Violet…” Sarah Carter, her mother and woman of infinite mysteries, shot Maggie a knowing smile and a wink before disappearing back inside. How had she hidden muffins????? “Soooo… muffins and then moving?”
Isa allowed Maggie to help her sit up, working with the other to get the grass out of her hair. How embarrassing she must have looked in that moment, a mess with wild hair strewn about, but she didn’t care. She was still overjoyed by the news that Maggie was taking her up on her offer and nothing was going to bring her down from that high. Not today, not tomorrow, not for the next few weeks most likely. Sure, she was going to have to work to make sure Maggie stayed safe in their own home. Her sunglasses would be working overtime every night but it was something that Isa was more than willing to do. She would do anything to have the comfort of best friend just down the hall, to keep that comfort not just in her heart but within reaching distance.
She’d almost forgotten what it had been like to be away from Maggie, not able to talk to her whenever she wanted, to hug her whenever she felt like. The past few months away had reminded her of just how painful it was. Never again. She would never allow circumstances to pull them apart going forward and that was a reminder of the nag in the back of her mind to try and keep Maggie away from the more dangerous parts of their town. It would be a challenge because the woman was hard headed and refused to see that danger when it came to the things she loved but she would find a way.
Nodding her head, she wrapped an arm around Maggie’s shoulder as she started towards the Carter’s front door. “Muffins and then moving it is.” She could hear Violet shuffling behind them, the lure of breakfast too great to resist, and Isa smiled brightly at Maggie’s mom as the girl’s passed over the threshold. She would scarf down these promised muffins as quickly as possible. The sooner they were done the sooner they would start their new lives together.
“are you tired of looking at my face yet?“ noah joked, looking over at where maggie was painting. there was so telling how much time had passed really but they spent their time making light conversation before she fell back into her concentration, the only other sound being music playing off of noah’s phone. “i’d say i’d change it if you are, but there’s not much i can actually do about that.”
There's not a lot Maggie’s good at -- she’s shit at budgeting, her credit is a disaster, and her longest relationship is with Jack Daniels -- but she does have one special skill. A sixth sense, really, for knowing when someone needs a drink. Pretty useless talent to most, she figures, but as a bartender, it comes in handy. People love leaving big tips when they feel seen.
But it’s not the tips she’s thinking about as she slides the usual across the bar to the lone patron. “You look like you could use this.”
It was late in the afternoon and Clarissa was walking down an aisle of the supermarket. Bryce and Emma were spending some time with Siggy and Makoa in the hospital and she only had Olivia and Jilly with her. Rose was with Owen at the hospital - something about getting discharged - and though she had very vocally disagreed with what Rose was doing, there wasn’t much she could but help her friend navigate these cloudy waters she was on. And Viggo was buried deep in finals at the university so she was more than happy to spend time with the young girl. Pushing the cart, the woman was making funny faces and noises at the baby girl, grinning from ear to ear as her efforts were rewarded with bouts of giggles and laughter. Jilly was laughing at her antics so Clarissa turned her and reached down with one hand to tickle at her side. “Am I being silly?” She asked, laughing at herself and at the way Jilly had enthusiastically agreed to her statement. “Hey, why don’t you choose a box of cereal you want?” She suggested, watching as Jilly dash to the sugary option a few feet in front of her. With her eyes carefully watching her, Clarissa only took her eyes off of her to pick up her own box of cereal. By the time Jilly had dashed back and handed the box to Riss, Clarissa’s attention was on the person who had just entered the aisle. “Maggie?” Clarissa questioned aloud, praying profusely that she was wrong because there was absolutely no way in hell that Maggie was somehow in her town. @maqqicthckat
open to m
plot: give me two-sided unwanted love. Both sides are deeply in love with the other and both sides are like ‘fuck, really?? them??? really?’
Two weeks. Maggie had been nicotine free for two weeks until she came to this party and she saw him and she felt those feelings...again. She didn't want to be in love, it made her feel vulnerable and open, but if it was with a nice guy it could be worth it. But him? Of all people? So now she was outside after bumming a cigarette off of someone, watching the smoke disappear.
Almost as if her thoughts summoned him, she heard the door open to the patio and could smell is cologne. God she knew what he smelled like?!
"If you don't leave me alone, I will kick you in the balls so hard that they come out your mouth."
"You know, when you start out, they don't tell you about all the baggage that comes with being a magic user." the punky goth sighed, blowing some steam away from her cup of tea before taking a sip.
"All the glamour, none of the grime." she continued. "Normies pestering you constantly to lift or place curses, asking how to summon or banish evil spirits. Gets a bit old, doesn't it?"
