Chapter Text
Rue comes to stay before classes start up again, in the last couple of weeks of summer vacation.
It’s been months since they’ve seen each other in person since life has been crazy for all of them but through it all they’ve managed to maintain their close bonds. Lexi regularly facetimed Rue in the months and weeks leading up to her visit, Fez texts her frequently and she even sends Ash a direct message here and there.
With each facetime Lexi can tell that Rue is doing much better than she was in high school, like being out of those pastel corridors and from the weight of it all has given her friend room to breathe, to flourish even. Her visit is written on the calendar that hangs on the fridge, Lexi marking her name there with little stars drawn around it. When Rue sees it later as she goes to get some juice, she smiles at the thought of Lexi being excited to see her.
For so long she felt like a burden, but she has clarity enough now to see that she is loved.
And if she didn’t already know it then Lexi and Fez are sure to tell her, along with Jules of course who is killing it in New York. Long distance didn’t really work out for them but they’re still close friends and Rue knows she’ll love her forever, but not everything is meant to last and she’s made her peace with that.
It was touch and go for a while and she almost relapsed but she keeps herself on track, goes to meet Ali for pancakes, helps Gia with her homework and cooks them all dinner so her mom doesn’t have to. She mends all the metaphorical fences she had broken the years before and she feels settled for the first time in a long time.
She’s also glad that one thing in her life is constant though: her friendship with Fez and Lexi.
Lexi hears a knock on the door, a familiar rhythm tapped out on the door and she smiles excitedly over at Fez, as she gets up and starts fluffing the pillows, Ash throwing her a look as she zips around making sure everything is tidy before answering the door. “I’m pretty sure Rue doesn’t give a shit if the place is clean Lex” Ash says, flicking through the channels for something to watch. Lexi pulls a face at him but doesn’t reply and heads to the door, pulling it open and squealing as she sees Rue standing there, a duffel bag at her feet as the two girls hug.
Rue looks healthy, she’s dyed her hair a lighter brown and it suits her, her outfits put together and Lexi is struck by the fact that she’s not wearing her customary burgundy hoodie. She knows what that hoodie means to Rue, so the fact that she’s not wearing it now, says a lot, no longer using it as her security blanket.
Fez laughs as he sees how tightly they hold on to each other, not an inch of space between them. “Lex, I kinda can’t breathe” Rue teases, as Lexi lets her go sheepishly, “oops, sorry Rue, I just missed you so much!” she replies, pulling her friends bag inside as Rue greets Fez. Rue returns the sentiment, smiling widely as Fez kisses the side of her head, “what’s good kid?” and she fills him in a little as they all sit down, Ash giving Rue a fist bump and a nod of the head in acknowledgement. He shifts over and pushes a bag of sour patch kids to her, not admitting it but he knew they were her favourite.
Rue looks around as they all catch up and Lexi watches as her friend’s eyes catch on the photos they have spread up on the wall and on the shelves, the little touches that each of them have spread around their home to make it their own. Her eyes linger on the photo of Lexi and Rue from preschool, in a small frame next to the window, side by side with one of Lexi, Cassie and Rue from her birthday party as kids. Lexi sees it all but doesn’t say anything, content to just watch and be in the moment as it feels like another piece of the jigsaw fits into place.
They have a movie night to celebrate her first night over and order Indian takeout. Rue waggles her eyebrows and mock retches as Fez leans over the back of the couch to kiss Lexi goodbye, the couple smiling into their kiss at her reaction. Knowing that it’s all in good fun. Ash perks up and him and Rue start teasing the couple, Ash even high fiving Rue as she flops back dramatically. They become allies in this and Rue can’t help but affectionately give him a little side hug which is equal parts awkward and adorable, but Lexi keeps that thought to herself.
Rue had been one of the first to find out about Fez and Lexi - seeing as she was so close to both of them. While at first it felt like her two worlds colliding in the weirdest way, when she actually sat and thought about it, they made sense together.
Fez had always been softer than he made out and Lexi was sensitive in the same way, both shouldering the burdens of everyone around them and being a stable force.
It sort of made sense that they found that in each other too, a grounding point, or a touchstone.
Lexi takes her to campus with her one day for a little tour. Even though classes aren’t on, the campus is open for visitors. Rue spins around taking it all in and they lie on the grass in the campus quad and talk for ages. Rue tells Lexi about what life is like back in East Highland and fills her in on any gossip. Cal Jacobs is still in prison, Nate is at college somewhere in the midwest, Maddy is in L.A. with Kat and Jules is thriving in New York.
Lexi holds Rues hand as she tears up a little, talking about how much she misses Jules sometimes and how she’s been going to therapy, still trying to deal with the loss of her dad. Rue explains how she still feels that weight in her chest sometimes but she’s trying and that’s what counts. “Think I can almost call myself a good person now” Rue jokes, a little wry, self deprecating tone as she says it, Lexi shaking her head in response.
“You are a good person, no almost about it. I’m so proud of you Rue” Lexi replies, earnest and warm, “you’re doing so well and I know your dad would be proud of you too. You figured out what to do with it all”. Rue nods, clearly choked up and they sit there, watching the clouds go by, the wind ruffling their hair, settled on the pillow of green as they cry softly, laughing as they take in each others tear streaked faces. Both thinking back to a similar conversation they had years ago, on Lexi's bedroom floor, knees pulled together which had breathed new life into their friendship.
“Why do we always end up crying somehow?” Rue asks, wiping her arm across her face as Lexi passed her a tissue from her purse. Lexi shrugs, “I don’t know but I guess because we feel safe enough to y’know? I’ve missed you forreal, have you thought about college or whats next?” She asks gently, not wanting to be pushy.
Rue nods, looking around a little then down at her hands, tearing a few blades of grass and sprinkling it back on the ground. “Been kind of thinking of picking up and moving somewhere, maybe doing a counselling course at the community centre, kinda like what Ali does for me but go for it properly y’know? Or if that doesn’t work out then maybe something to do with food, I'm actually pretty good”.
Lexi smiles encouragingly as Rue looks up, trying to see what she thinks. “That sounds like a great idea Rue, you’ve been sober for nearly two whole years now and if you can help other young people who are struggling then I say go for it” she says, grasping Rue’s hand in her own where it lays next to hers.
“You think so?” Rue says slowly, and Lexi nods as she responds, “I know so, you’d be great, if you decide to do that or if you decide to go for something culinary then you know you have me behind you - Fez too”.
Rue just hugs her quickly in response, sniffing as she wipes her face. “Thanks Lex, I’m gonna think about it and see what happens”.
Lexi overhears Rue and Fez talking one night, it’s late and she’s about to step out of their room to get a glass of water but she stops once she hears the murmur of their low voices. She peeks out and can see the tops of their heads, sitting on the couch, Rue is smiling, her true smile rather than the one she pastes on every so often as she tells him a story, her hands animated and Fez’s low chuckles in response make something light unfurl in Lexi’s chest. She creeps back to bed, not wanting to intrude on the moment, letting them have their own time. Knowing that they wouldn’t mind, there’s always space for her, with them but she appreciates that they have their own friendship, nurtured in a time when she was elsewhere.
Rue cooks’ dinner for them, cutting the vegetables methodically and seasoning some chicken, boiling the pasta as the chicken bubbles in a creamy sauce on the stove. Lexi is sitting on the counter, watching as she sees Rue navigate it all like it’s second nature to her. Rue has always been so filled with energy, frenetic in her movements and in the way her mind works so seeing her move calmly and with purpose, in the simple act of making some food for them all is kind of heart-warming.
Rue shoots her a look every so often like she knows what Lexi is thinking, passing her some cheese to grate and cracking a joke about feeling the pressure of a live audience but is otherwise content, making up four plates and setting them on the kitchen counter. Fez comes in and squeezes Rue’s shoulders, dropping a kiss on Lexi’s cheek and talking about how good everything smells and Rue smiles, pride in her eyes as Ash basically inhales his food, complimenting her between hasty bites.
They spend a day at the beach, Lexi making sure they all have enough spf on, Fez especially. She has to admit she takes as many excuses as she can to spread the lotion on him, dropping a kiss between his shoulder blades as she spreads it over his broad arms. Fez laughs as she tickles him slightly when she gets to his waist, her fingers dancing over his ribs.
“Are they always like this?” Rue asks, tipping down her oversized yellow sunglasses as she stares at them, a pair she had picked up at a thrift store on the boardwalk. “All the fucking time bro” Ash grumbles, “just be grateful you’ve never walked in on them, nearly had to pour bleach in my fuckin’ eyes after seeing Fez’s ass one time” the disgusted expression on the boys face makes Rue burst into laughter, drawing attention from some of the other beachgoers.
Lexi and Fez are so used to it by this point that Lexi only blushes a little, shooting back at Ash “trust me Ash when you meet the right girl you’ll be just as gross as us, speaking of, how are things going with that girl in your history class, Jade?” Lexi smiles, a touch of deviousness to her usually sweet expression. Ash shuts up immediately and goes a shade of red that none of them have seen before, and he just slumps back, pulling his bucket hat onto his face, muttering under his breath.
Rue pulls Lexi and Fez up as they go into the water, the waves lapping at their bare feet as she splashes them both. They mess around and laugh till their stomachs hurt, and Lexi is struck by the thought; this is how it was always meant to be. She wishes that they could have had more moments like this growing up, she wishes that their lives had been less turbulent, more filled with beach days, ice-cream runs and aimless drives.
At least they had this now though. And when they’re saying their goodbyes to Rue a couple of days later as she gets her bus back home, the three of them pressed together in an impromptu group hug which Rue had initiated – Lexi thinks they’ll always have this, it’s just as unbreakable as her and Fez, friendships that will last the test of time and weather any storm. Though she thinks the worst of the storms are mostly behind them now, no approaching storm clouds to tear them asunder, Lexi hopes for clear skies.
And she gets them, they all do. And years later as Rue comes over again, to a different home, this time to meet their new-born daughter for the first time, Lexi looks up and sees endless blue against the canopy of trees, the clarity of it making her smile