Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Lexi stood at the door, apprehensive to knock. Why was she even here? She wondered to herself and glanced over to her bike leaning against the wall.

Fuck. She could just quickly jump on and peddle away. But she knows what would happen if she did. She’d be thinking of him non-stop again. And be back here another day and the whole thing will happen again and again.

She sighed getting annoyed at herself and knocked on the door.

Ashtray was listening to music as he was checking the pills he got under the magnifying glass. No bad. He poked the pill a few times with some tweezers to make sure it wouldn’t crumble and reduce itself to a wasteful dust he wouldn’t be able to push. He heard knocking on the door and turned towards the noise and then looked at the monitors sets up for the front door camera.

It was that chick Lexi.

Ashtray had only briefly met her properly after Fez came back stuttering when Cal had left the store and puffed out his chest to intimidate them. Ashtray left the fridge after a brief sit down to get his adrenaline down, asking Fezco “yo, what the fuck did he want?”

Lexi looked bewildered to where Ashtray stood halfway out of the damn fridge, and ducked her head down when she saw how Fez’s eyes were just watching her. Ashtray shook his head. “Yo. Fezco? Do you think that mother fucker will be back ‘round here?”

Fez finally looked away from Lexi and lazily replied with, “Ion know, man. But we preparin’ just in case.” Ashtray understood, gave a nod of his head, and went back into the fridge.

—————————

Ashtray smirked a little as he hit the mic button.

“Who is it?” He asked. Yeah he knew but fuck it, he wanted to see what she would say. Would she say she’s a friend of Rue’s or Fez’s? Will she fumble with her words?

“Um…it’s Lexi?….I-…I’m a friend?” He could see how she cringed at herself as she said it.

He left the room and closed the door behind him, making sure it was locked as usual. He walked down the hallway and heard Fezco walking around upstairs about to descend them as Ashtray got to the door to open it.

“Yo, who is it?” Fezco asked as he walked down the stairs, sneakers off, cigarette behind his left ear.

Ashtray didn’t answer and opened the door. There stood Lexi looking at her bike then suddenly let out a big smile to Ashtray.
“Hi”
Ashtray nodded but kept his face stoic of emotion. Fez walked up behind Ashtray. “Lexi Howard. What are you doing here?”

Lexi’s eyes went from Ashtray to Fez and then back and forth.

“I…um…actually I came to….well-“ she began before Fez smiled and said, “nah your good, come on in.” He moved back and pushed open the screen door, then took the other door from Ashtray so he would hold it for her.

Ashtray laughed under his breath as he retreated into the kitchen to make a snack. In reality he wanted to watch them struggle to communicate with one another since all these two ever did was stutter and smile.

He got a bowl out on the kitchen counter and began to get himself some cereal, real slow.

Lexi stood there hands behind her back as she smiled at Fez and briefly looked around the place. “Nice home.”

Ashtray laughed then let out a cough as he pretended to be busy. He started looking at the huge choice of cereals to choose from. All three of them.

They both looked at Ashtray then back at each other as Fez let out a quiet ‘thanks’

“Would….would you like a drink or something to eat? A sandwich?” Fezco asked her.

Ashtray closed his eyes and shook his head as he opened them. Did he just really offer her a fucking sandwich?

“Um…a drink would be nice. Thank you”

Ashtray was done with his cereal and turned with a bowl and spoon as Fez walked towards the kitchen as Lexi stood there.

“Your name’s Ashtray? Right?” She asked carefully.

He nodded again.

She briefly looked at Fez then back at him wondering what to say as she gave an awkward smile. “That’s an..interesting name.”

“I once ate cigarettes from an ashtray as a kid”

She didn’t know how to reply to that and also was a little shocked he actually spoke to her and shared something about himself.

“Did you know that the ashtray’s existence was dated back to around the early 19th Century?” she randomly let out.

Ashtray stood there holding his bowl, with a small frown. “But some people say it might have been the 1400s” he replied back.

Lexi stood there a little surprised.

“What? I deal drugs I’m not stupid.” He let out and retreated back to his room.

Fez was grinning as Lexi was talking to Ash. He never thought about the history on the ashtray. Like what? But the fact she just KNEW that blew his mind.

What else did she know? He just wanted to listen to her talk.

He got them two orange juices and placed the glasses on the counter where Ash was before he left.

“Um…here you go.” He smiled softly and Lexi thanked him.

He wanted to know why she was here. Why did she come here? To his home?

Was it to see him? Was it because she was scared of what happened at the shop and wanted to ask if he’d seen Cal?

Why did Cal ask about her telling him who he was?

“So, w-would you like a tour?” He asked. He don’t know why he asked that but it just came out.

She stood with her hands together in front of her now and nodded with a smile, her dimple showing.

He pointed a thumb behind him. “Well, this is the kitchen.”

She laughed and nodded. He loved that he made her laugh. He wanted to do it again.

And he motioned to the living room. “That’s obvious I guess.”

She laughed again with another nod.

He walked down the hall and pointed at various rooms and just said what they were or let her look in them. When they reached his grandma’s room we was a little worried, only because he didn’t want her to think that he had hurt his grandma in anyway or the image of her in bed would shock or disgust her.

“Um, so this is my grandma’s room. She’s….sick so I-I look after her.” He said as he opened the door.

Lexi looked into the room as he opened the door. He kept his eyes on Lexi as he pushed it open. She looked at the woman who laid in bed, hooked up to various machines and drips.

Lexi looked back at Fez. “You’re also a full time carer for her?”

He nodded and sheepishly looked away at his Grandma then back her. “She makes good company, sometimes” he ended that with a one shoulder shrug. Lexi smile in the way she did when he said she was the coolest person at the party. Like she felt her inside melt.

What a selfless and caring man. What was he doing wrapped up in all this? She realized just how soft and kindhearted he really was.

After talking about his Grandma, they moved to the opposite room that was the last one. His room.

“Um this is my room. There’s not much else to the house. There’s Ash’s room and some other places but you don’t need to be seeing them.”

Lexi understood what he meant and wasn’t expecting him to open his bedroom door, but he did.

She peered in and saw how normal his rooms was, apart from some things that took her by surprise.

His bed had an old wooden headboard to it, and the pillow case had a galaxy print on it. That made her smile. Did he like space? His blanket was navy blue and furry, looking comforting and really soft. Also another furry blanket that had money printed on it. That one made her chuckle a little. Then she spotted the big French fries novelty pillow. The decor was like the rest of the house, not touched at all.

She saw how he had random posters of things he liked like comics and movies, but not too many. He was very neat and kept things in order by the looks of it. She even saw some figures on a shelf. She expected his room to be either the bare minimum or full of things she saw in other boy rooms when they went to parties and she would wander off looking around since everybody would just usually leave her all alone.

It had cute things that he obviously liked and meant something to him. She didn’t want to pry, but maybe he didn’t have a childhood like other kids and this was some of that old self showing through.

“I, er….I like comics and shit but I don’t read shit like you do.” He scratched the back of his head a little as she turned to look at him.

“I like it.”

———————————————-

After awhile they were both sat down on the sofa talking. They forgot how long for, and to be honest they didn’t care either. Ashtray walked into the kitchen to grab a drink when he heard them laughing together about something. He rolled his eyes as he grabbed a coke can from the fridge and shut the door to it.

Lexi was sat on the sofa with the knitted blanket on her knees as she sat with her shoes off and her feet on the sofa. Her arms around her legs hugging them as she laughed and spoke softly.

Fez had one arm on the back of the sofa slightly facing her listening and laughing to the things she’d say.

What the fuck was happening?

Was Fez falling in love?

Love?

Was that even capable in this business?

Was it too dangerous to let anyone love you or even love someone. They could get hurt, they could be used against you and dragged into
matter that would put them in danger.

Ashtray watched them as they spoke until Lexi realised he was there and turned her head to look at him, shifting her body more on the sofa towards Fez.

“Hey”

She was speaking to him. Including him and not leaving him out. He wasnt used to that. He was just seen as some young kid that ain’t got a future and brushed aside because he isn’t big enough to deal with or even worth talking to. He blinked a little taken back.

“Yo” he let out.

“Been busy?” She asked with a soft smile.

He let out a stiff nod. “Been checking the quality of the new batch of C2-57 pills. Not bad.” He drank from the can.

Lexi blinked back at him, mouth gaped a little. “Ummm..” she said quietly. “Cool”

Fez laughed. “Hey Ash, do you want to get some pizza tonight or summon?”

“Sure” he answered and walked closer to where they were sat.

Chapter Text

Rues voice:

They talked. They laughed.

It was like they’d known each other for a long time.

Fezco wasn’t even aware of anything else other than Lexi and her voice. He just listened and smiled.

He took in everything she was saying.

He liked her company. He liked her.

He was just Fezco with her.

No one more, no one less. 

Lexi didn’t even think that she was rambling when she was with him. She just spoke.

She never felt like she was just talking to fill the silence.

He genuinely wanted to listen to her talk.

And she liked that.

She didn’t know one person that actually listened or like what she had to say.

They were in their perfect bubble with each other.

No one else existed.

Just them.

————-

Ash was sat on the one orange sofa chair, pizza eaten, his coke can empty on the table as he grew tired. This was weird. The whole situation was fucking weird.

And what confused him was that he wasn’t sure if he liked or not.

A part of him was on egde. But then he thought well….he was always sort of on edge. If you stay ready you ain’t gotta get ready. 

But then another part of him liked how calm things were. It was like when they would watch movies together and just….be brothers. There were plenty of times they did that, of course. But to have another person present was weird but weirdly nice.

Of course he didn’t let them know that. Fuck no.

He sat there very rarely giving a smile than his usual scowl or unamused face as they spoke about random things. Lexi even asked about drugs and compared to learning about them was sort of like science class.

Ashtray thought for a moment. “Ye, I guess what we do is sort of like school. No need to go to that fuckin’ place then.”

Lexi leaned her head on the arm of the sofa and asked, “How so?”

Fez was sat next to her on the other side of the sofa and was just looking at her as he took another drag of his cigarette.

 
“I do science with drugs, math with money, geography from goods location, gym with boxing, and English, well what else is there to know?” He shrugged and leaned back in the chair.

Lexi blinked for a moment taking it all in. “True….wait boxing?” 

Ashtray then stood up and let out, “G’night” leaving them two alone as he walked off to his room and closed the door.

Lexi sat up from where she was leaning and looked at Fez. “Boxing?”

He chuckled as he took a drag, “Ye, he does boxing. He’s ain’t one to mess with.” 

Lexi nodded. The silence was about to fall on them until Fezco broke it by asking, “So…..um…what brings you here?”

He then let out a soft laugh. “Kinda stupid to ask since you’ve been here for a while, not that I mind! It’s cool… but…I-I’m just wondering why?”

Lexi let out a soft sigh as she was about to tell him the reason why she went to the store. 

“That night at the store, I…didn’t want a drink.” She looked down at her hands then back at Fez as she spoke, he sat just looking at her. She saw how his brows lifted a little when she said that, like a glimpse of hope hit him.

“Really?”

She nodded. “I wanted to tell you that Cal Jacobs came to my house and interrogated Cassie and me. He was threatening to call the police and say we were holding information about the party.”

Fez nodded as he took another drag and then put out the cigarette. “He came to your house?” He sat up more, getting serious but Lexi’s hand wave calmed him. 

“Don’t worry. It was nothing. He tried to scare us into telling him but I didn’t say anything.” She looked him right in the eyes as she said that. She was damn proud she didn’t tell Cal anything either. 

She watched as a small smile played on Fez’s mouth, as if he was also proud of her.

“But…..but Cassie….she told him. I’m so sorry. I really am. I don’t know what’s happening with her, or what’s she’s going through right now but….but she’s been acting really strange and we even had a fight about her telling him and I said she’s a fucking idiot-“

“Yo, Lexi, it’s cool. Nothing happened. And Cassie is probs dealing with some shit her self. I know she’s cool. It’s ok.”

He was focused on how worried she looked, the little crease between her brows as she frowned. He wanted her to relax and not feel worried about him, but he deep down felt his stomach feel something because she was so worried.

“I know but…I should have just warned you at least but-“ she let out a frustrated groan, leaning her head on the back of the sofa which made Fezco laugh a little.

“What?”

She turned her head to look at him as he also moved his head to do the same. “…..when I saw Faye…I just…I don’t know I just…couldn’t? I couldn’t say I came to see you. That I….wanted to see you.” Her voice went quiet at the end but he heard. His breathing picked up a little along with the fluttering in his stomach.

“You ain’t gotta worry about her. She’s just stayin’ because of a favor I owe to someone. That’s all. She sleeps on the sofa, or passes out in the bathroom, until I help her back to the sofa.” His voice was soft and quiet.

Lexi blinked at him. “You’re so caring.” She thought, but said it out loud.

Fezco smiled.

His grandma told him never to fall in love because it was the one instinct he wouldn’t be able to trust.

One thing was for sure. 

He trusted Lexi Howard with his whole heart. 

Chapter Text

(Rue’s voice)

Lexi stayed talking to Fez until late in the night.

She brought up that she was currently directing a play at school.

Holding auditions, writing her story and making it into a production to show the whole school.

She felt like she was doing something for herself for once.

Something she actually wanted to do.

Not following anyone else or their terms.

But only herself and her own. 

——

“So you like…held auditions for your sister and friends?” Fez asked as he sat on the sofa, his left arm draped over the back of it.

Lexi nodded. 

“Bet that was weird at first.” He commented and she laughed a little.

“I guess. Hearing people yell lines at me that Cassie has said was an experience.”

Fez chuckled. “I bet.” 

“But like…I finally feel, like, the first time in my life I’m doing something for myself.” She gestured with her hands as Fez sat listening to her. He nodded.

“Ye, best to live your life for yourself and not for others, you kno?”

Lexi thought for a moment. “You seem to help everyone, even if you don’t need to.”

Fez took a drag of his joint. “Ye. But, I don’ kno’.” He admitted. He knew he did. But he couldn’t help it. He wasn’t like what people saw.

And he knew that’s how Lexi saw him, not like how everyone else did.

“I like that you help people” she admitted. 

He smiled and looked down at his fingers that held the joint. “You do?”

Lexi let out a noise of agreement. 

“Well..um…I like how you’re finally standing up for yourself.” He quickly took a drag of the joint. God why did he just say that.

Lexi smiled and watched him as he smoked. His long lashes fluttered as he took the drag. He really was something completely different.

What she saw and experienced each day seemed the same bleakness that felt like a routine that was starting to get dull. But now, since she met Fez, it was starting to not feel so bleak. Not so dull anymore.

“So, you got all your friends in the play?” He asked looking at her.

She pursed her lips thinking and let out, “yeah, well. People will be playing them, with different names.”

“Are you worried they’ll be like….angry or upset with what they’ll see?” He asked.

Fez was actually curious what the hell she was writing and what they’ll see.

Will she let them know how they make her feel?

He wondered….

Lexi was thinking for a while and kind of shrugged and let out a nervous laugh. “Kind of…I guess. But also…not really?”

Fuck it. He thought.

“Am I in it?” He didn’t look at her as he asked. He kept his eyes on his hands again before dragging his eyes up to finally look at her when she didn’t answer.

She was sat there staring back at him. Her cheeks began to burn a little as he stared at her. Those eyes. 

“Um….I haven’t finished writing everything yet..but we’ll see” she awkwardly let out and ended it with an even more awkward laugh.

Fez nodded his head softly and took another drag.

Lexi felt her heart pick up.

She actually wrote a scene of the New Years party. But she didn’t want to just tell him about it. God no. That would be humiliating. 

“Fez…” Lexi let out.

She didn’t say his name often but when she did, damn did Fez want to smile. He kept his cool though, with the joint at his lips. He nodded his head up as if to say, “wassup?”

“Would you like to come and see the show when it’s ready and finished I mean. Like would you like to come and see it?” 

He exhaled a big cloud of smoke, making sure not to blow it in her face as he nodded. “Ye. Yea, I would.”

Lexi smiled and nodded, breaking out in a big grin and she laughed softly.

 
If she was on the phone with him or alone right now, she would be kicking her legs in the air, scrunching her face up with the biggest grin and maybe even have a little dance.

She pulled her knees back up to her chest and leaned back looking at Fez.

Yes. She was finally doing what she wanted to do and making herself happy. 

Chapter Text

(Rue’s voice)

Fez told Lexi he would drop her off home. 

He wasn’t prepared to let her ride her bike home this late at night.

They spoke about music. Recommended songs and talk like they’d known each other for years.

It’s a comfort that settled on them like a warm blanket on a cold night.

It felt right. It felt good.

Like home.

———————————————

Lexi hit the stop button on her phone, ending the song she played for Fez as he drove with one hand while the other was on his lap. 

“That’s what you listen to?” He asked generally interested if that’s the type of music she liked. 

It was different and nothing like he’d expect. But he liked that. He liked that she was just so full of surprises and never ceased to amaze him.

She smiled shyly looking at her phone. “Yeah, it’s a little odd I guess.”

Fez glanced at her next to him then back on the road. “Nah, it’s cool. You like what you like. Reminds me of that…um…like gameboy music or some shit. It’s cool.”

Lexi smiled to him as he kept his eyes on the road. She was just fully staring at him now. 

The shape of his nose, the close shaved hair that showed the shape of his head. She then realised she was thinking about the shape of his head and blinked, bringing herself back to reality. She wanted to laugh at herself but suppressed it. 

“Is it this one?” He lifted a finger from the steering wheel and pointed at her house.” 

Lexi looked up and sighed a little. She wanted the car ride to be longer. But she wouldn’t admit that. 

Not right now. 

Her head felt all over the place but in a good way. And the feeling fluttering in her stomach was one of welcome. 

It felt nice.

“Yeah” she let out quietly.

Fez noticed that she didn’t sound very happy but he didn’t comment on it. He turned off the engine and watched her as she sat there looking at her house.

“Um…is your mom gonna be, like…cool with you coming home now?” 

Lexi doesn’t take her eyes off the house. “I don’t think she even realised I wasn’t home.” 

And that hurt admitting that. 

Fez felt his brows lift a little as that took him by surprise. Who couldn’t notice this girl? Who couldn’t care about where she was or what she was doing?

All Fez wanted since he officially met her at the party was what she was doing, thinking, fuck even what she was reading. 

He shook his head softly. “Lexi…” he wanted to tell her she mattered. That she should feel better about herself but he couldn’t say anything when she looked at him.

Those big brown eyes looking at him with so much hidden pain.

He blinked at her then let his eyes fall onto her lips. He let out a soft cough and shifted in his seat. “Um…so…I’ll  h-help you with your bike.” 

She felt herself let out the breath she was holding when she watched his eyes look at her mouth. She nodded with a smile and opened the door. Fez also got out of the car and quickly popped the trunk to grab her bike. 

He insisted pushing the bike for her as they walked to her door. 

“I better cut quickly in case Cassie….you kno’ being with me.” His tone made him sound almost sad. 

Lexi turned to face him as she took hold on her bike, her porch behind her. 

“Fuck her.” She smiled to him. 

He let out a chuckle and looked down at the floor.

“Thanks, for like, comin’ to see me Lexi Howard.” He smiled to her, hands in his pockets as he stood there like he felt shy.

She grinned at the use of her full name. “Thank you for a lovely night, Fezco.”

It was late and dark but she swore she saw his cheeks turn a little darker. 

He motioned his head to the few steps leading to her front door. “Get home safe.” 

Lexi let out a laugh and nodded. “Thanks.” She put her bike on the porch and opened her front door before she turned and waved to Fez who even lifted a hand from his pocket and waved back before turning and walking back to his car. 

Lexi closed the door but watched through the window as he drove away.

She turned, leaning her back against the wood. She felt herself smile again. 

Her eyes went over to her mom in chair, long asleep. Probably passed out from a night of drinking wine. 

Lexi walked over and turned off the TV, removed the remote from her mom’s lap, and placed a blanket over her before retreating upstairs to her room.

It wasn’t very late but she was dreading coming up with something to say to Cassie if she asked her where she’d been all night.

She wanted to tell her that it wasn’t any of her business since the last time she asked if her sister was okay, Cassie bit off her head and snapped back at her. She loved her sister but she was getting really sick of her acting so weird with her.

Opening the bedroom slowly, she braced to see Cassie either asleep or awake on her phone, ready to grill her ass. What she found instead surprised her. Her bed was empty.

Lexi entered her room and closed the door. Even the bathroom was empty, the door open but lights off showing no vacancy or presence of her sister.

She wondered for a moment where she could be but then just shrugged it off. Mkay was probably meeting up with her and trying to work something out between them.

Lexi fell back on her bed, looking up at her ceiling thinking of the night. The flashes of Fez’s smile, eyes, face, nose, hands, shoulders, everything was taking over every thought. She turned her head over to the neatly folded clothes on her dresser. 

Her eyes landed on the dark folded piece wedged between two light colored sweaters, as if being protected. 

There hidden beneath some of her clothes was Fez’s green sweater. 

Chapter Text

Rue’s voice:

Fez drove home like usual. 

Music playing, joint lit. 
he was just thinking about the night.

The fact that Lexi came to visit him was still making his head spin a little.
He was just surprised she would still want to see him after what she saw at the party and the store.

He felt himself wanting to see more of her.
As if the presence of her was even more soothing than anything else, even the lit object currently between his fingers.

————————

Fez locked his car and looked around the street before heading up the path to the front door. Ever since Cal Jacobs came for a visit, and left with more than what he bargained for, thanks to Ash, Fez felt a little more on edge, just in case he tried anything else. He knew the man wouldn’t try anything, he gave him his word and he seemed like he was telling the truth, but there’s no harm to stay alert.

Once inside, he walked through to the living room and looked at the pizza box neatly put on the counter. And the two glasses were long gone, cleaned and drying in the kitchen. 

Fez threw his body on the sofa and let out a deep sigh. He sat there staring at the tv. The blank screen facing him, the soft reflection of himself and the yellow glow from the lamp keeping him company.

The fluttering in his stomach had finally stopped, yet he kind of missed it. 

It was an odd feeling that Fez hadn’t really felt before.

He brought both hands up and rubbed his face, bringing his hands to then roam to rub the back of his head. 

The thought of Lexi liking him for helping people was on a loop in his head. She liked him.

‘Not like that bro’, one part of him yelled, but the other part didn’t say anything. 

He moved off the sofa and strolled towards his grandma’s room. Opening the door and checking on her. Placing the blanket higher on her body and making sure the machines were all okay. Once satisfied, he shut the door behind him and went into the room across the hall.

Rue’s voice: 

Fezco didn’t know how to fall asleep at first. He was just replaying the night over and over. 

The same went for Lexi. 
They both just laid there thinking about each other. 

It was weird how they both felt like they had finally found someone they could be comfortable with. 
Someone who saw them for who they were. 

Not someone who was more or less just in the background. 

And not someone who was nothing more than a drug dealer.

Looks can be deceiving.

————————————————

Lexi sat at her desk, bored out of her mind. It was Friday and a whole week had almost past since Fez dropped her home. 

She glanced at Rue’s empty desk, her brows furrowing with worry. She hadn’t seen her for a few days. She knew that Rue wasn’t in a good place, you could just look at her and see that. But she still cared and wanted to help her as much as she could, but she couldn’t do it unless Rue wanted to be helped.

She’d been texting Fez, of course. They would send random messages to each other quite a lot since the night she sat on his sofa and told more about herself.

She would even send random facts and he’d send back awestruck replies or questions. She’d find herself smiling each time her phone lit up or vibrated. Only for her smile to fall if is wasn’t from the freckled boy.

She needed to give the sweater back to him. She quickly typed out a message about meeting tonight, hiding the phone under her desk. 

Hopefully he would say yes.

“Hi! How are you today? Are you working at the shop tonight?” She was so tempted to put a kiss at the end of it but she refrained her thumb from doing so and hit send. 

Soon enough he replied back. “I’m gd Lexi, how u doin? Ye, I am. Wassup?”

“I’m good, I just wanted to know in case I had to stop by, I’ll make sure to say hi.” She typed out then erased it. 

“I’m cool thnx.  I wanted to come and hang out wiv u.” Again, she erased it. 

she thought for a moment, wondering what the fuck to reply back. She also didn’t want him to wait long for a reply, not that he probably cared, he had other shit to deal with and probably didn’t care about her like that. 

But the image of him stood there with his cheeks going darker the night he dropped her home flashed in her mind and made her think differently. 

“I’m good thnx. I just wanted to stop by the shop n wanted to make sure u’d be there.” She typed quickly and hit send. 

Straight away she got a text back. “Cool. Ye, stop by! I mean if u’d like.” 

She smiled and put her phone away.

———————————————-

Lexi rode her bike, music blaring in her headphone as she swerved, turned, rolled, peddled her way to the store. The green sweater was folded neatly in her backpack. 

She decided to wear a denim skirt, some white socks with flowers on them, a pair of vans, and dark green cardigan with a white-T-shirt under it. When she looked at herself in the mirror, fixing her hair so that it was down but sort of like how it looked the first time she went to the store, she realised her outfit kind of looked like Fez’s at the party. She chewed on her bottom lip thinking if she should quickly change but she grabbed her bag instead and practically ran out of the house, telling her mom she’d be back later. 

Pulling up to the store, she placed the bike against the wall like last time but something made her freeze.

It hit her that she kept his sweater for a while. How the fuck would she explain this to him? How could she explain why she took it?
Why did she take it? Before she could even think of anything Fez’s voice broke her current staring contest with the backpack she took off and placed on the bike seat. 

“Nice to see you again.” He let out leaning on the doorway of the fire exit.

Lexi smiled to him. “Hi”

He smiled back to her and asked if she needed anything from the store. 

Lexi’s eyes went to the brightness of the store behind him then back to his face as he stood there. He had that hopeful puppy eyed looked he had the first time she visited.

“Is anyone else here?” She rambled out. 

“Um, no. Ash is at home looking over a few things and Faye is with her boyfriend in a car somewhere.”

Lexi’s hand went to her bag and she quickly unzipped it. “I er….I have something for you. I mean…I have something of yours….Not that I took something of yours, you…you left it at the er….at the party.” Lexi’s voice died down a little with a cringe after she heard herself rambling on and quickly looked into the bag to break the eye contact. 

Fez was a little confused but also a little happy that she said ‘I have something for you.’

His eyes broke away from her face, watching her brows crease gently as she fumbled with her bag. He looked at the item in her hands when she pulled it out. 

There, folded neatly in her hands was his green cable knit sweater. 

He forgot to grab it when he left the party. To be honest he felt a rush of adrenaline mixed with slight shame when he looked at Lexi again when McKay finally pulled him away from Nate. 

He wanted to go up and tell her this wasn’t like him. This was business. And it was very rare that he had to get violent. He hated it and knew it wasn’t really a part of who he was, but what he had to do. 

He stepped out of the doorway, looking at the sweater. “You grabbed it for me?”

Lexi nodded as he looked at her and back at the sweater a few times. “I thought, well, If you took it of to go beat Nate up, then you must like it a lot.”

Fez laughed a little looking at it then he looked at her. “Ye, I do like it a lot.” 

Lexi felt her cheeks begin to heat a little before he took it from her. “Thanks, it means a lot.”

“Don’t mention it.” She tried to play it cool but her cheeks still felt like they were hot and she internally cringed at herself. 

———————-

Fez was sat on Lexi’s bike and was riding it with her carefully sat on the bars, her feet dangling over the wheel, making sure she didn’t hit it as he went around the car park in random patterns or circles.

He told her to hop on when after talking a while and asked if she really liked riding her bike. After come coaxing, and Fez helping her on as he sat on the seat, he began peddling softly, making Lexi laugh out and hold on for dear life at first before she began to relax and just enjoy the moment.

They spoke about random things again. Laughing together as they nearly crashed the bike or tipped over a few times. 

A silence fell on them for a while as Lexi’s chuckling softly stopped. Fez was steering the bike in a straight line along the car park. “You kno’, I was kinda worried you….you wouldn’t wanna see me after seeing that shit at the party. I’m real sorry I didn’t get to say goodbye.”

Lexi could tell he was sort of frowning without needing to turn and look at him. “Fez…don’t worry about that. That was, like, ages ago.”

He was just looking at her back as he steered and then turned the bike softly to go back the way he came.

“Ye, but still…..sorry you had to see that shit Lexi.”

Lexi shrugged while holding on tight to the bars. She really didn’t care about Nate. To be honest, she felt conflicted watching Fez beat the shit out of him.

Half of her was in shock and another was….awestruck. 

“He had it coming.” She said softly and heard Fez let out a soft chuckle. “Word.”

—————

Chapter Text

Rue’s voice:

Fez and Lexi.

Lexi and Fez.

She played with the words in her head a few times.

Letting herself smile at the thought of him.

Their texts to each other made her laugh.

She could just hear his voice and how he’d say it.

She hadn’t felt this way before.

It excited and scared her.

What she was scared of, she wasn’t really sure.

But she remembered something Fez said to her on that sofa many nights ago.

The warmth of the air from people dancing. 

The smoke swirling, catching light from the yellow lamps lit around them. 

The way he giggled to a comment she said about the party. 

The fact she was fearless. 

So, fucking fearless.

——————-

Since the reveal that Cassie was in fact, for some reason, fucking Nate Jacobs, she’s been a mess.

Lexi tried talking to her many times about it. She would get doors slammed in her face, yelled at, Cassie breaking out in tears straight away, everything apart from her remaining calm and talking about it with her sister like she used to. 

One night when Cassie was calm in her bed, just laying there, red faced from crying but the hysterical loud sobs had slowed down to muffled cries then to just tears falling silently from her eyes, Lexi walked over to her side of the room and kneeled down next to her bed.

“Cass, come on this isn’t okay.” She had enough of seeing her sister like this. It was insane. 

“You don’t understand!” She began to yell again. Lexi just sat there taking it.

“We’re in love! And they were broken up! It’s not my fault!! They weren’t together! Everyone can judge me all they fucking want! But he is in love with me and I’m in love with him! And now everything has gone to shit!”

Her face seemed to have turned an even deeper shade of red and snot began to shine from one nostril as she sat up a little to let all that out then broke out in a deep throaty sob and fell back down on the bed.

Usually Lexi wouldn’t argue back but this had been going on, the same yelling and the same excuses, for the past few weeks. 

Lexi was sick of it.

“Do you hear yourself?” She said quietly.

Cassie looked at her as she moved her head on the bed. She could see Lexi’s face a little from the light shining from her side of the room.

But her brows creased at her younger sister.

“Look at yourself. Do you think this is normal?” She raised her voice.

Cassie crossed her arms and looked away.

Lexi stood up and began yelling back. “You say your in love with him but look at yourself. You’re a fucking mess. This isn’t love. This isn’t like you. If he loved you he would be here standing up for you agains’t everyone, but he isn’t Cass. He isn’t. Is this why you’ve been getting up at 4 a.m. every morning?”

Cassie didn’t answer but she uncrossed her arms, looking at anything else but her.

 “He came to Maddy’s party and gave her a gift in front of you and it seemed pretty sure that shit was still going on between them. Look at you! You’re hear sobbing over a piece of shit that doesn’t care about you. He used you. He doesn’t want you!” That hurt yelling that but it’s what she needed.

Cassie’s head whipped to her sister and she opened her mouth to say something but Lexi cut her off. 

“No! And to say they were broken up doesn’t make shit better and you know that! She’s your friend. Your best friend. And you do that? Even if they were broken up, you don’t do that shit to your friends. You’re being selfish and a fucking bitch. And the fact you tried to take the attention off yourself by trying to put the focus on Rue when shit went down is fucked up. You saw the state she was in and you would have thrown her into the pit if it meant taking the heat off yourself. Nate isn’t in the clear either, he’s a fucking asshole anyway and deserves just as much shit, if not more. I don’t know what the fuck has happened to you. But if this is all because of Nate, that’s made you this way….and you’re okay with that? Then you two deserve one another.” 

Cassie was staring back at her as she spoke. She couldn’t answer. She couldn’t think of anything to say. 

Lexi walked over to her room, grabbed her mini backpack and stormed out of the room as Cassie began to call after her.

Lexi stomped down the stairs and headed towards the door, phone to her ear. She knew she couldn’t call Rue, and there wasn’t really anyone else she considered one of her own friends.

Except Fez.

“Fez, hi. Can I come over? You are? Okay…um…is it okay if I come over to there then? No, it’s okay I’ll ride my bi- oh, okay, see you soon.” She ended the call as she stood there by the front door. Fez was on his way to the store since he was working there for the night but insisted he’d pick her up and take her along with him. 

“How’s she doing?” 

Suze’s voice broke the silence as Lexi stood there looking at the door.

 
“She’s a mess mom. I’ve given up trying.”

Her mom nodded and took a sip of her wine. “All this over a dude….” She lightly chuckled and drank some more with a shake of her head.
Lexi watched her mom sit there looking back at her. “Who was that?…On the phone.” She asked.

Lexi would have just said ‘oh a friend we’re going to study together at their house, I’ll be back later.’
But she had enough.

“It was Fezco.”

“Fezco? What kind of name is that?” She took another sip. Lexi just watched her mom. She looked down at her glass then to her youngest daughter.

“He a nice guy?” She softly smiled when Lexi smiled back to her.

“He’s the nicest person I’ve ever met.”

Her mom nodded and raised her glass. “Well good for you.”

Lexi’s fingers fumbled with her phone a little. “He….he beat up Nate Jacobs at the New Years Eve party…”

She raised her glass again. “Well good for him.”

Lexi laughed then heard his car pull up. “I’ll be back later, I just….I need to get out of here.” 

Her mom nodded and smiled. “I trust you.”

And with that Lexi opened the door and ran a little to the car.

——————

Chapter Text

Rue’s voice:

Lexi had been escaping to Fezco’s home for a while.

It felt like the only place she could go without anyone bothering her.

At home it was still the same. 

Still a mess.

Fezco loved that she wanted to be around him so much.

He wondered what she felt about him.

Was he just a friend that didn’t use her kindness?

Was he a friend who didn’t ignore her feelings or pushed her aside?

Was he more than  a friend?

He wanted to ask. 

He wanted to know.

But from what Fezco already knew.

He didn’t care, as long as she stood by him, he’d stand by her.

—————————————-

Lexi got in the car and said hello, quickly moving her hands away from her hair. Making sure the rain didn’t ruin the two curled pieces she had rolled up all morning. 

Fez gave her a soft smile. “Hey.”

He watched as she looked down at her lap, patting the material of her dungarees she was wearing. She didn’t look happy. And she didn’t sound happy on the phone.

“You okay?” 

She looked up at him and he could tell she wasn’t. She broke out in a smile and shook her head. “Yeah, I’m fine. I just-“

“Lexi, it’s cool if you ain’t good, you kno?”

She blinked at him and then shook her head a little and looked down at her lap again. “I just…I…need to not be here right now…and you…Fezco….you’re literally the only person I want to be around or…turn to right now.”

Inside his stomach was fluttering again, and he suppressed the smile he wanted to give to her from hearing that, but she wasn’t feeling good and looked like she needed a cry to be honest. He nodded his head and gave a soft smile as he quickly grabbed his phone.

Lexi watched a little confused.

“Yo Ash, you coming back?… Soon? Kay, close up shop, I ain’t working tonight. Cool. See ya soon.” He ended he call and began to drive off.

Lexi looked back out the window to her house, the rain hitting and running down the glass as she saw her Mom stood at the window. 

—————

Ash arrived home, luckily the rain eased up a little, but the overcast shadows didn’t look promising for the rest of the night.

He walked through the back door, the one that was in his bedroom, and plopped his backpack on the computer chair, he quickly turned on his computer and the monitors for the house. 

He heard soft voices coming from the living room. 

Peeking through the window that lead through the kitchen area to the living room, he saw the top of Fez’s head and the top of another.

From the colour and the laughs Fez was letting out, it had to be Lexi.

Ash quickly moved his bag to his bed,  opened up discord, typed out a message and then opened up a stocks page to keep track of for the night, he glanced at the monitors before making his way up the few steps that took him to the rest of the house. 

He bowled towards the kitchen area. “Yo” he let out giving Lexi and Fez a quick glance.

Fez lifted a hand that was holding a joint and gave a nod of his head. “You all good Ash?”

Ashtray nodded and licked his bottom lip. “Yea, no problems today. Going to keep an eye on the opi stocks and get some more from Kinto from dis. Also going to see what’s new on there.”

Fez nodded and looked at Lexi who was smiling at Ashtray as she turned her head to look at him from behind the sofa. 

Ashtray met her eyes. “Hi” 

Lexi grinned but it was hidden from the back of the sofa. “Hey. How are you?”

Ashtray glanced at Fez then back at her. “Um, yea…good I guess.” And with that he walked off towards the fridge, grabbed a drink and some snacks and walked off back to his room. 

He was gonna ask if she was okay, but to be honest he hated small talk. He wasn’t used to it. And he just wanted out of that situation as they looked way too homey for his liking. 

He turned his head towards the window as he sat down, soft laughter starting again as he began to type out some messages to Kinto.

—————-

“Well you know, what… what you should put in the play” Fez let out as he blew out some smoke.

Lexi’s soft laughter was still bubbling in her chest.

“That time I beat Nate’s ass at that party.” He let out a laugh at Lexi’s reaction as she broke out with a laugh.

“No!!“ she chuckled. Even though it would have made one hell of a scene. 

“Oh god.” She let out thinking about people witnessing that and seeing Fezco in a bad way. They didn’t know why he did it. And they didn’t need to know either. But Lexi didn’t like how people saw him as the bad guy for what he did.

“I don’t know…Cassie isn’t doing too well.” Lexi looked at Fez as he sat there smoking and listening.

“I’m worried that…she’s going to see the play and she’s gonna ..freak out.”

Fezco already knew the play was about her friends as she told him about it before and the auditions she had to hold for it.

But he shrugged softly. “Yeah I mean…everybody gets their feelings hurt. You kno’?”

“Yeah.” Lexi agreed. 

“Some people…some people need to get their feelings hurt sometimes.”  Fez laughs softly. His Grandma once told him that people will take advantage tange of kind people, and she was damn right. 

“Yeah.” She agreed again and her face fell a little. 

“I said this last time but it really is like like for the first time in my life I’m doing something for myself. And not someone else, and that’s kind of shocking? You know?” She looked at him and Fez laughed.

“Shit.”

“You auditioned for Cassie and shit, but like…what exactly is..the idea behind the play?”

Lexi thought for a moment. “I don’t know. It’s…it’s like about a group of girlfriends who sort of.. grow up and grow apart.” She watched his face as he listened, she noticed how she saw his lips curl up ever so slightly in a smile.

“Damn so,… it’s like Stand By Me vibes?” He smiled to her.

Lexi slapped the sofa as she felt herself smile. “Yes, exactly! I love that movie. That’s… exactly it!” She really did love that movie. The feeling of friendship, loss, the bond of friends that felt so real and yet seemed to just dissolve.

Fez looked down as Lexi sat there grinning. The fluttering in his stomach began to grow again. He loved that movie too. He wanted to tell her but he had no idea how to say so without blurting it out or sounding like he was just saying it to make out they had something in common.

“Yeah come on now, I’ve watched that movie like fifty times.”

Lexi’s reaction was one he wished he would have recorded, her voice went up so high to hearing that. The excitement and pure happiness that he also liked that movie. “Have you really?!”

He shyly smiled but played it off. “That’s my shit. Come on.”

Lexi was smiling so hard when he looked up at her. The rain began to pour even more, he liked this feeling. It was nice and felt so…safe?

Like he could just be him with her and not worry about saying too much or trying to keep up a strong face.

A thought came to him.

“In fact,…. my..my grandma has it on DVD.. you know.” 

Lexi looked at him and then over to the wall where she saw a small bookcase, maybe where the DVD’s were.

She looked back at Fez who was just looking at her. “Should we watch it?”

Lexi…Sitting on his sofa….Watching a movie together. If the joint in his hand didn’t have any affect on him right now and how chilled he felt he would have jumped up and maybe ran over to hug Ashtray. Who would of course pushed his ass away asking, ‘bro what the fuck?’
Instead he broke out in that smile of his, his tongue coming to his teeth as he let out a laugh and said, “Hell yea.”

Lexi laughed as he quickly stood up, pulling up his jeans as he walked over to a small cabinet where he had a stockpile of DVD’s. Lexi leaned on the arm of the chair watching him as he called out random movie titles as he looked for it.

“Got it.” He held it up to show her and stood. 

He grabbed the knitted blanket that was next to her on the sofa and gently placed it over her legs.

Lexi smiled and looked up at him. Her big brown eyes looking right into his own.

He blinked and smiled own at her. “In case you get cold.” 

Without another word he walked over to the tv. 

———————-

The credits began as the theme song began to play. 

Lexi cried, tears running down her face as she smiled and looked at Fez when he turned to look at her from hearing her cry.

He shook his head and took a drag from the joint. He was worried she was crying about earlier. He didn’t want to press what was wrong at home. Since she mentioned Cassie, he knew something was up between them. But he wanted to give her a space where she felt like she could just relax and be herself. Rather than one to keep thinking about the bad things that were upsetting her.

He knew why she was crying. The movie was damn sad. He had cried to it before, many times when he was younger. 

“It’s so sad.” She laughed and softly sobbed. 

Fez laughed softly and bought a finger up to his eye. “Got something in my fukin’ eye.” He let out and looked over to Lexi who was laughing at him. 

She loved what he was doing. 

He was joking but also letting himself be vulnerable in front of her. She wondered if he did this with anyone else? Was he always shut off?

And had to hide his emotions because of what he did?

They looked at each other and both let out a laugh before then laid their heads back on the sofa, looking at the TV screen.

Lexi was smiling to herself. She hadn’t thought about home at all. Well, it didn’t really feel like home right now, but being here did. She felt at ease. 

Yeah, she was currently sob crying but that was to a movie. Not to an argument with her mom or sister. After being told she’s worthless, or feeling hurt from her friends ignoring her. 

She was just enjoying a movie and happy crying. Letting herself just enjoy the moment and the emotions from a carefree movie watch…with Fezco, who made her feel as if she was home. Her thoughts faded away when she heard something. 

Her smile grew even bigger when she heard Fez starting to mumble to the song. 

Leaning her head back she moved it to the song and to his humming and even joined in singing along with him softly. 
Fez was singing along out loud now with her. Bringing up a hand to his face, Lexi watched as he acted out a shedding tear to the lyrics, making her laugh.

They both sang out the line, “Stand By Me..” while looking at each other. 

Fez watched as Lexi sang along and sang out the line. He glanced at her hand that was laying on the sofa between them. The fluttering began to grow along with his breathing. He wanted to hold it. He hadn’t touched held her hand or even touched her hand yet, but he wanted to. 

He looked at her face again, she sat there still singing but smiling at him. He looked back and forth between her face and her hand and then just did it.

He gently moved his left hand to hers and moved it more towards him a little, gently rubbing his thumb over her hand and fingers as he sang the words and shyly looked at her face, he wanted to see if this was okay. If Lexi protested or pulled a face he’d let go immediately, but she didn’t she smiled even more and her cheeks even blushed a little, more tears sat near her eyes as she smiled. 

Fez still held her hand as he looked at the joint in his fingers. He needed to break the eye contact, his head felt like it was swimming. 

He was holding her hand and she was letting him.

If he could remember anything forever, this would be currently at the top of his list. 

The soft, warm hand in his as the music credits still played in the background.

They sat like that for a while until Fez broke the hand holding to suddenly mimic playing the violin. He saw tears still in Lexi’s eyes from the movie, and wanted to keep making her laugh. 

He didn’t want to take his hand away, now it felt cold and empty.

 
Lexi looked at her empty hand when he moved it away, missing the gently brushing of his thumb and the warmth but then broke out laughing when Fez started to play his invisible violin.

“This shit goes hard.”

He then turned to Lexi. “For real tho, if …if your play is anything like Stand By Me…you not gonna have no problems.” He laughs
Lexi smiles to him. She wanted to say thank you. She wanted to say so much. She wanted his hand back.

No matter what would happen or how they felt. 

Fezco was really someone special to her now. 

And she would stand by him. 

Chapter Text

Rue’s voice:

That night Fezco dropped Lexi home.

They were reeling from a high.

One of the best highs each had felt in a long time.

And no drug was involved. 

The moment Fezco took her hand Lexi felt like her heart would burst.

And since then, the feeling hasn’t stopped.

The same went for Fezco.

The feeling from her hand in his was a new one and it was intoxicating.

He still felt heat on his cheeks from thinking about it.

Smiling, laughing, talking to each other in the car. 

They enjoyed their peaceful, unbroken, pure time together.

——

Fezco insisted walking her to her front door again. 

“Fezco, you don’t have to-“ Lexi began to protest as he also got out of the car. 

“Naw, naw. Someone could come and snatch you up from me.” He let out. He realised what he said and let out a little chuckle and looked down at the floor shyly.

Lexi smiled to him as they picked up each other’s pace and walked towards the front door.

“Thank you again, for a lovely night. I had a lot of fun.”

Fez nodded his head and quickly glanced at her. “Ye, me too. Me and Ash usually have movie nights and shit. So, um…you should come by some more and, like…join us? If-if you’d like.” Lexi watched him as he kept glancing at her face then at anything else. 

What they didn’t realise was Suze had opened the door and was stood there with a glass of wine in her hand.

Lexi notice that Fezco stood a little straight as he looked at someone who was behind her. 

“Well, did you have a nice time?” Suze asked.

Lexi quickly turned around to her mom. “Oh, hi mom. Yeah, I did….” she was wondering what the fuck to say.

“Um…Hello Mrs. Howard. I…um…I’m a friend of Lexi’s. Fezco ma’am. Nice to meet you.”

Suze heard how he asked her daughter to join him and someone else for movie nights at his. And she had to admit it, hearing this poor sod stutter and shyly ask her daughter was damn cute. 

“Fezco……interesting name. And nice to meet you, too. Um….Fezco…I wanted to say thank you for helping out Lexi tonight. I really appreciate it. Thank you for being a gentleman.”

Lexi was stunned for words. Her mom stood there actually like a normal mom.

Fezco let out his usual chuckle laugh and bowed his head to the floor a little. “Naw, no problem. Lexi knows she can stand by me any time.

And thanks for the compliment. Much appreciated ma’am.” 

Lexi was looking at him as he spoke and when he glanced at her when he said stand by me she smirked back to him.

“Have a good night Mrs. Howard. And I hope to see you soon Lexi. G’night.” And he smiled to them both as Lexi walked up the porch to her mom who raised her glass to Fez. “You too sweetie.”

Once Lexi was inside she was expecting her mom to say something. To say something about him, anything bad, a sarcastic comment, anything negative, she was waiting for it for some reason. 

But she didn’t, Suze just stood there and sipped some wine. And looked past Lexi to the door and pointing a finger. 

“I like him.” 

And with that she went to the living room and sat down in front of the TV.

———————————-

Lexi’s eyes went to the shop as it came into view. She was riding her bike back from school after having another after school rehearsal.

She could drop in and say hi…..

Without even thinking much more about it she was pulling up into the car park, placing her bike against the wall of the fire exit like she usually would.

Walking in the store she smiled, excited to see Fezco just sat about working. She suddenly froze in place when she saw Ashtray sat on the counter, leaning back against the cigarettes, typing on his phone.

Oh fuck.

She didn’t know why but she didn’t know how to actually speak to Ashtray. He was very serious for a kid and didn’t really talk much to her.

 
He looked up from his phone when he noticed whoever entered the store not say anything or even move. He looked at Lexi standing there, she looked a little surprised and taken back.

He let out a snort of laughter which took her by surprise even more, he looked back at his phone. ”Fezco ain’t working today.” 

Lexi’s mouth opened and closed. “I….er….actually I came for a-a drink.” 

Ashtray snorted again and nodded. “Ye, sure. Like you did the time Jacobs came to the store.”

He put his phone in his pocket and looked at her. 

Lexi looked around the store with her eyes and then let out a sigh. “Fine. You got me.” She walked closer to him as he sat there hands clasped together in his lap.

“You real caught up on him huh?” He asked. 

She shrugged then crossed her arms as she leaned back on the fridge. “Maybe.”

“And he’s down bad for you.” 

Lexi’s guarded stance eased a little as she let her arms fall to her sides. “Wait. Really?”

Ash shook his head. “You too really are dense. Didn’t you two watch a movie together the other night? Singing and shit? Fuck.”

“You two watch movies together too right?”

“Ye, but we’re brothers. He just sits there and watches. He don’t fucking sing or cry. After he got back I didn’t see him smile so much to himself before. Shit was weird.”

Lexi smiled to herself. 

“See? You’re doing that shit too.” He clicked his tongue and shook his head again. “You two got it bad.”

Lexi felt her cheeks begin to burn and let out an awkward laugh. “Well….um, don’t you like anyone like that?”

Ashtray looked at her as if she’d grown a second head. “I ain’t got time for that shit. I’m making sure the mortgage gets paid off, we don’t get into any trouble, and making sure sales are pushed.”

Lexi felt suddenly sad. 

“Don’t you….don’t you ever like, just do kid stuff? Like, do you miss being just a kid?”

Ashtray’s usual serious face eased for a moment, but only just slightly before he shook his head again. “It’s all I’ve ever known. Nothing to miss.”

Lexi’s heart felt heavy all of a sudden. She wanted to help and protect him. He had nothing like a real childhood but was thrown into the lion’s den, just like Fezco. They didn’t have a normal life at all.

“Fezco invited me to join you guys to watch movies sometime….I…er….I hope that’s okay.” Lexi looked away from Ashtray’s stare.

“Sure.”

She looked back up to him. “Wait, really?” 

He raised his slit eyebrow to her reaction and didn’t say anything.

Lexi blinked and awkwardly stood there. “Oh. I…I thought you didn’t like me being around or was getting annoyed with…” her voice died down when she realised she was rambling on.

“If I didn’t like you, you would know by now.” He replied back which surprised her. The serious, quiet, very protective little brother of Fezco, liked her.

She felt a little proud that he did. Like she got through that tough exterior.

“Oh….good.” She smiled. 

“You gonna buy summin or not?” Ashtray’s voice broke her little proud bubble.

Chapter Text

Rue’s Voice:

They spoke every single day.

Every. Single. Fucking. Day.

About anything.

Fezco would call up Lexi to talk and she would do the same.

Laughing, smiling, sharing personal stuff.

They consoled one another.

One night Cassie didn’t come home.

Lexi felt bad that she started to not even worry about her sister.

To tell the truth, she didn’t feel like her sister anymore…

Lexi missed the old Cassie.

And Fezco was always there for her to talk to.

He would sometimes just close his eyes and lay back, listening to her voice.

He could listen to her forever.

And she would do the same.

As if they were meant to be there for each other.

————

Lexi laughed as she sat on her bed, knees up with a book faced down on her legs. Long forgotten as soon as she saw her screen light up with Fezco’s name.

“So what book was you readin’?” He asked

Lexi actually forgot the item was still in her lap and blinked down at the book and then smiled. “Oh! Erm…it’s just a collection of short stories from various writers.” 

She looked at the cover and closed the book, putting it at the end of the bed and moved back to leaning against the headboard. 
“You really are smart you know that?” 

Lexi felt her cheeks burn. He would always do this. Compliment her, and she wasn’t used to it but the feeling she got was intoxicating. 
“Fezco, I just read-“

“Nah, I remember when I first met you. And I thought, ‘damn.’ Especially when you started to come by more with Rue and hang out more. The shit you would say would just blow my mind shawty.”

Lexi smiled and bit let lip to hearing her nick-name. He started saying it a week ago and she loved it. 

“You remember that?”

She heard and huffed laugh come through. “Course I do. How can I not? Ya kno?”

————————-

Lexi thought back to that day.

Rue has asked her to hang out and of course she obliged. Rue told her they would just walk around, here and there and maybe get some food and watch a movie. Sounded grand to Lexi.

“Can we stop by here?  Get some things for…you know later and stuff?” Rue asked and shrugged a shoulder, narrowing her eyes from the bright sun, trying to see Lexi in the daylight.

Lexi nodded and walked towards the store. “Yeah sure.” 

Her eyes went to the ice cream freezer and a drinks cooler that was outside. “Hey, you want an ice cream?” She asked.

Rue was more focused on getting inside and talking to the dude she was told about but she didn’t want to go alone and thought well if Lexi did see anything she wouldn’t say anything. 

She quickly looked at Lexi and let out a, “yeah, sure, yeah.” And went into the store. 

Lexi was looking over the freezer and cooler, wondering what to get.

She opened and closed the door after struggling to open it for a bit and then looked up through the window right in front of her.

And there he was. 

She saw Fezco talking to Rue but only saw him properly when he stood up and opened the freezer door. She was just staring at them wondering what Rue was doing until he leaned in as if being handed something and then handed it to Rue quickly.

Fezco said something to Rue and motioned his head to Lexi as he was looking at her. She quickly looked away from his stare and walked into the store to buy the ice cream she grabbed. 

She walked in with an awkward smile and lifted her hand with the ice cream. “I grabbed us these.”

Fezco looked up and down at her and he nodded his head. “Good choice.”

Lexi looked at him and smiled. 

“Lexi this is Fezco. Fezco this is Lexi.” Rue introduced them and shifted awkwardly as if she felt a little awkward. Little did Lexi know why at the time.

“Lexi Howard.” Lexi pushed her hand forward and then cringed at herself. “Sorry, I don’t know why I did that.”

Fezco let out a laugh and shrugged one shoulder. “Nah, you got manners and shit. S’all good.” He went to shake her hand but was too slow as she brought her hand up to hide her embarrassment briefly. 

“Do we need anything else Rue?” She asked her friend who stood there watching them. She shook her head, hiding her smile. 

Lexi walked closer to the counter to pay until Fezco lifted a hand. “Nah, you good. My treat.” He let out.

Lexi smiled and lifted her brows. “Oh… thank you! …you-you sure?”

He nodded and grabbed a neatly rolled joint that was hidden behind his ear that she didn’t see. “Ye.” Was all he replied and he shyly looked away. 

“Anytime you guys wonna’ drop by, feel free, kay?” 

Rue smiled to this and told him she would. 

Lexi just smiled and nodded her head and looked away from the glances he was giving her.

———————

“Luckily you liked those ice creams….’cause it got you to keep comin’ back.” Fez laughed.

Lexi looked at the phone in her hands. “It wasn’t the ice cream.”

She swore she heard him chuckle out “aw shit”

“Well…for Rue it was something else….” Lexi’s voice went sad at the thought of her friend. Rue’d sudden loss of her dad and turning to anything to take her away from the pain she was feeling. To feel anything other than the pain or nothing at all seemed to be her goal most of all. She just wanted to see her dad again.

And so did Lexi. And that was probably why she didn’t tell anyone about Rue. She was also missing her dad. But her circumstance was way different to Rue’s. Her dad was gone forever, no way to get in touch, or just the thought he was still around. 

Lexi’s dad disappeared, yeah he wasn’t around but the thought that he was still breathing, that she knew of, was one of comfort compared to the thought of her dad no longer even existing. 

“You….you know I was always hopin’ you would come back with her to the store ya’ kno?” His voice sounded so soft and quiet.

Her stomach felt like it dropped to hearing that, but in a good way. “Really?” 

“Ye. Every time Rue would show up…I….I’d be like lookin’ for you. Times when you wasn’t there, damn Lexi I’d be so hurt.” He laughed at the end which made her laugh too.

He really liked her from the first time they met. 

“Remember when I tried weed?” Lexi randomly let out. The memory was burned into her brain. She cringed thinking about it. She though why the hell not when Rue suggested it.

They headed to Fezco’s house one day, but just sat in the living room. Not seeing the rest of the house, not that she can remember that really other than waking up to Fezco and Rue laughing, calling her Bobby and saying there was a fire. 

She didn’t know Rue drew a beard on her face until she got home and Cassie said, “Nice new look.”

Fez giggled down the phone. “Yeah, I was worried about you tryin’ it. Didn’t want you to feel like you had to…”

“…..I dressed up as Bob Ross for Halloween because of that day.” She confessed.

She couldn’t tell because she obviously couldn’t see him. But Fez was grinning widely now. He knew she did, and he saw her at the party when he arrived dressed as Tony Montana. 

He saw Rue and Lexi sat on the sofa at the party and went to go over and join them until some guy grabbed his elbow and asked him for some pills. He glanced back over to them before turning his back to make the deal, but by the time he turned around he saw Rue and Lexi both stand and make their way over to the other side of the room to another sofa, watching Rue bend down and talk to some young kid and girl sat down.

Fez thought he best just find a place to chill since he just came here to deal and relax, choosing to go sit outside near the pool with less people. He took one more glance of Lexi stood there, blue shirt, fitted jeans, that wig on her head and he smiled to himself before heading outside. 

“I saw you. I wanted to come say ‘hi’ but….you guys were busy and I had some shit to deal with. But I’m sorry I didn’t get to tell you how cool your costume was Lexi.”

She was blushing again. “Thanks”

She wanted to tell him she saw him too. She spotted him in his suit, the white substance over the front of it resembling Tony from Scarface. She wanted to go up and tell him he looked great and she liked that movie too. 

She wanted to tell him she liked him all those years ago.

But she was just happy they were able to reconnect and feel as if they’d been talking every day since he looked at her through the window.