Chapter Text
Alice rode the train up to the address Gwen had given her. While this wasn't really anything special, just two coworkers going to hang out while their job slowly pushed their sanity further and further to the brink, Alice still decided to dress a little nicer than usual. Gwen was waiting for her when she rang the bell.
Gwen's apartment was very nice, much nicer than Alice's at the very least. The furniture was nice variations on forestry colors, lots of tans, browns, and greens. What Alice was not expecting was the amount of knick-knacks scattered around the tables, shelves, and bookcases. One of these such objects that caught her eye was an antique record player, which was odd in and of itself, but the fact that it was stocked with vinyl's of alt bands that Alice would have been convinced a few months ago Gwen would never touch even if her life depended on it. Alice was so distracted with how different it was from what she had been expecting that she didn't even noticed the man sitting on the couch.
"Is this your friend you were telling us about?" Alice was pulled out of her thoughts by a soft voice. She turned to see a small frail man sitting crouched on Gwen's sofa. While Alice was trying to view Gwen as less of a copy and pasted rich girl, she would never had ever considered Gwen being friends with a guy like this, scarred, graying, and wearing clothes that had to have been handed down a least twice by this point.
"Yes! This is Alice, and Alice this is my friend Jon."
"Hello Ms. Dyher. Jon Sims." He had stood up and approached, he only came up to Alice's mid-chest. She shook his head and tried to ignore the almost hand-shaped scarring on it.
"Must say say Gwen, I was not expecting your friends to look like a retired librarian."
"I guess you could say I am a retired librarian." Jon spoke up, he had the same uncomfortable glow in his eyes that Gwen had developed as of late.
"Is Martin coming today?" Gwen asked, sitting down next to Jon. She looked at him awkwardly before he moved over and opened a spot of Alice.
Jon smiled softly. "He will be, but he had to take Colonel Whiskers to his vet appointment."
"Colonel Whiskers? Is that the name of your cat?" Alice asked, already thinking it was fascinating to name a cat after military positions.
"Yes, do you want to see pictures of him?" Jon perked up instantly, already fishing around in his jacket pocket for his phone.
"Hell, why not." Alice leaned in as Jon showed her images of an adorably fluffy tortoiseshell. "Aw what a cute little guy." A crash from the other room cut off the cat viewing session.
Alice felt her skin bristle. She couldn't explain it but every since she had went spelunking into the Magnus Institute ruins she was always getting the feeling of being watched, and right now it was more intense than normal, even when she knew neither Gwen nor Jon were facing her. "Gwen" She hissed. "What was that?"
Gwen with an exasperated sigh responded. "That was my cousin." She stood up heading to doorway. "Elias! What are you doing! If you break the fine china I swear I will-" Alice turned around to see a familiar tall lanky blond.
"No way." Alice whispered. Gwen looked back confused. "Your, your cousin, he's my dealer!" On second thought it may not have been a good idea to admit that in front of a coworker and a person she barely knew.
"Elias!" Gwen turned around. "Why did you never tell me!" Elias scratched the side of his stubble. Gwen looked like she was about to burst a vein.
"Just never felt like mentioning it." He slumped down into the chair by the couch. Alice saw Jon tense slightly but continued to show pictures of his cat.
---------(*)-------
After a while there was a buzz.
"That must your other half?" Alice joked. She had pretty much deduced that Jon and this Martin man, a large strawberry blond man who appeared in most of Jon's pictures was his significant other.
Jon looked back at her with the softest eyes. "Yes, he is. Gwen do you want me to, or." Jon trailed off. Gwen shook her head.
"No Elias can get it," She scowled at him. "That's what he gets for not telling me." Elias threw his back and groaned.
"Really," Elias rolled his eyes, but did head over to open the door.
"Don't be to hard on him." Alice leaned over, her arm slung over Gwen's slender shoulders. "I mean, would you have really been glad to find out he sells drugs, and to little old me no less?" Alice leaned in closer, her hair tickling Gwen's neck.
Gwen averted her eyes. Jon looked up at the two of them, and smiled. Alice had started wonder when the barriers between her and Gwen had begun to fall, should she be worried, she was living through a living horror show, was it really safe to get close to anyone. Elias walked back in with the large man from Jon's phone. He was soft around the edges, he reminded Alice vaguely of Sam when they first met.
"You may want to step away," Gwen murmured. "I'm going to get some food, you have any requests?"
"Honestly, not really. As long as its edible I don't mind." Alice waved Gwen off jokingly. Gwen bit her lower lip, but just nodded and walked away.
Jon and Martin had sat down on the couch together, flipping through whatever streaming service Gwen had left open for them. Elias was lounging in his chair, chewing something between his teeth. He looked freakishly like Gwen now that Alice looked, its kinda embarrassing that she hadn't figured it out sooner. Why did it seem like all her thoughts seem to revolve around Gwen now? Alice could lie and say it was because she was lonely after Sam had more or less told her he didn't want her help or care. Yet, that wasn't it was it. Gwen opened up, she let Alice listen and actually valued the input she had. Alice could not say she understood Gwen's assignments or the feelings that Gwen had shared, but she did understood the feeling of being an outsider, even in your own skin. Maybe all the time the two had been trading back and forth jabs was just the precursor to whatever this was. Jon must have noticed something because he whispered something to Martin and came over to sit next to her.
"You care about her don't you?" Alice deflated.
"Is it that obvious? Thought I was better then that."
Jon chuckled. "I'm just very observant."
Alice fiddled with her thumbs before exhaling. "You know when it feels like you are lonely even when surrounded by people? Well that's what I've been feeling for a while, I hoped that Sam would lesser that feeling, but well...." Alice shrugged. "Maybe Gwen just makes me feel less lonely."
Jon looked over to Martin, who was giving Elias a death stare while they continued to scroll, his face full of longing and sadness.. "Loneliness is a very tragic thing. It pulls you away from those you love, if she makes you feel less lonely then I would say pursue that. You have only so much time on this world. Chase your dreams Alice Dyher, I have known to many whose happiness was cut short."
Alice buzzed her lips as she laid back on the couch. This man, Jon, he had an uncanny ability to see through her, but maybe that was a good thing? Gwen came out with bowls of spaghetti and glasses of wine. Martin ended up settling on the Great British Baking Show. Alice's focus was split, part of her was trying to focus on the show, the other part was focused on Gwen, the way that the lamps framed her face, making her eyes flow even brighter, from this angel she could see her sharp cheekbones and the slight upturn of her nose. Alice could see Jon, and even Elias were giving her looks.
Alice made a decision. Their boss was probably evil, their company was definitely was evil, and what the hell, they only did live once.
--------(*)------
Jon and Martin left much later that night. Gwen said goodbye and was clearly making more plans. Alice thought it sweet how comfortable Gwen seemed with the two men. Alice checked her phone, it was too late for her to comfortable check the tube, she had been too scared to be alone at night after the whole drowning victim thing.
"I'm gonna go for a smoke Gwennie. I'll be back soon." Elias said as he threw on his old jacket and walked out, leaving Alice and Gwen alone in the flat.
"Do you want to head home now? I understand that you need sleep, since we have work tomorrow."
In the low light Gwen looked amazing, her soft sad features made Allice's heart ache. Well it was now or never.
"I think I'll spend the night," Alice walked in closer, Gwen's breath hitched, as she walked back slightly.
"Well, I, uh, that sounds acceptable."
"Wonderful." Alice reached a hand out, a silent offering of peace, a promise of mutual care, a statement that they would stay with one another even through something terrible. Maybe they would die, maybe Gwen would become a monster, maybe Alice would go mad like everyone else at the OIAR, but at least she would have Gwen. They would face the world and its darkness together. "Just remember that I'll be here if you need me, both tonight and whenever..." She trailed off.
Gwendolyn Bouchard, leaned in closer and pulled her into a hug. "Thank you Alice, that means a lot."
"No problem." Alice squeezed her tight. "My dearly detested." She whispered and pretended not to feel the tears soaking into her shoulder.