Chapter Text
Zeke was alerted to the problem when he heard his girlfriend yelling from the other room of their apartment. He quickly sprang to his feet and sprinted down the short hall, his heart pounding in his chest. He skidded to a halt in the living room, panting hard. “T-Bird?? What’s goin’ on??” His head whipped from side to side, looking for the source of her cries. Maybe a burglar, or worse, a spider!
Tina just continued her monotone screaming as she ran for him, gripping his shirt in her hands and trying to shake him. With their height difference, it didn’t do much good. Zeke had topped out at over six feet, while Tine was just over five foot five. But he swayed back and forth with her motions, if only to make her feel a little better.
“AHHHHHHH!” She stared up at him, her eyes wide behind her glasses. “CODE LGCO!”
All he could do was blink down at her with confusion. “Do h-what?”
“CODE LGCO!!” Tina yelled again, louder this time. She tried to shake him again before giving up and letting go, racing into the kitchen and grabbing her purse from the counter. “We have to go! Right now!”
“Whoa whoa whoa, hold yer horses!” Zeke grabbed her arm when she tried to go past him, gently pulling her back to him. “Ya can’t just say that kinda stuff and not explain, T!” He put his hands on her shoulders, staring down at her. “What in the blue Christmas is goin’ on??”
“I’ll explain later, right now we’re wasting time!” she insisted, ducking out of his grasp and going for the door again. “Come on!”
“Woman!” he tried to protest, but he was already following her. Even at the ripe age of twenty one, he still wasn’t able to say no to her.
They made their way out of the apartment and to the parking lot, getting into his truck then heading down the road. He gave her a quick glance. “Can I at least know where we’re goin’? Since I’m the one drivin’.”
“Mom and dad’s,” she told him, staring intently out the windshield.
That made his blood go cold for a second. “Is everyone alright??” He loved the Belchers like his own kin. If anything had happened to them, he would be inconsolable.
Tina saw his expression and reached over to take his hand. “Yes, for the most part. No one is hurt or dying.”
A loud sigh of relief left him. “Oh, thank god.” That made him feel a little better. For good measure, he gave her hand a squeeze before letting go, putting his back on the steering wheel. He glanced at her again. “So…?”
Tina sighed and looked at him, her brow furrowed in a frown. “Remember Jason? The guy Louise has been dating for a month now?”
“Yes,” he said cautiously, looking at her from the corners of his eyes. None of them had actually met the guy, but Zeke remembered being told about him by both Tina and Louise. “Did he try anything?” Just thinking about it made his grip on the wheel tighten. Louise may have been a little shit, but she was their little shit, and if anyone hurt her they’d have a whole slew of people after them.
“No, at least not to my knowledge.” Her frown turned into a scowl. “But he did cheat on her.”
That took him aback. “What?? Why??”
“I don’t know, Gene didn’t say in his text,” Tina replied. “All he said was ‘Code LGCO’.”
“Ya keep sayin’ that like I’m supposed to know what it means,” Zeke said with clear confusion.
She ducked her head, her cheeks turning pink. “Sorry.” Her head turned to look at him. “It means ‘Louise Got Cheated On’.”
“Ohhhhh, gotcha,” he nodded.
They were quiet for the rest of the way to the Belcher home. Their apartment wasn’t too far, only about a fifteen minute drive. Tina had absolutely hated the idea of being too far from her family and Zeke had been more than happy to oblige her. They were his second family and being around them made his heart melt into a pile of goo. He’d liked Bob ever since he’d subbed for their home ec class in the eighth grade. The man had encouraged him to go to culinary school and had even helped him practice and study. Linda was one of the most amazing women he’d ever met and he loved how she always included him during family dinners and events. Gene was one of his best friends and had helped be a wingman for him when he’d started seriously pursuing Tina. Louise was like a little sister to him. He was always happy to help her out with her crazy schemes, and her feisty attitude helped to keep him on his toes.
He loved these people so much and could not wait to officially join their family one day. And if one of them was hurting in any way, he would always be there for them. Always.
They pulled up to the restaurant and parked in the alley beside it before getting out and hurrying to the door that led up to the apartment. There was a bike leaning against the large garbage bin just beside the door and Zeke made a mental note to ask about it. He had just raised his hand to knock when the door flew open and there was Gene. He let out an audible breath. “What took you so long??”
“I’m sorry, we came as fast as we could,” Tina said as both she and Zeke walked through the door and headed up the steps.
Gene closed the door and hurried after them, taking the steps two at a time. He seemed to be all legs these days, having shot up in height quite a bit. Taller than Tina but still shorter than Zeke, Gene had only just reached the end of his growth spurt, or so Zeke thought. Who knew, the boy still had a year or two to potentially get taller. He was still on the thicker side, but his legs were toned from doing dances in the school musicals and summers spent at the local community theater. At nineteen now, he was still that goofy kid that they all loved, but he didn’t mess around when it came to his family.
“She came home crying and I didn’t know what to do,” Gene explained as he led them down the short hall to Louise’s room, “so I texted you. She won’t talk about it and keeps saying she’s fine, but–”
“But it takes a lot to make Louise cry,” Tina finished for her brother, her mouth set in a stern line. “So it had to be bad.”
Gene nodded but stopped them before they reached the door. It was open, so he whispered, “All she would say is that he cheated on her. She won’t say anything else to me or mom, and dad is out at that conference today.”
“Where’s mom now?” Tina whispered back.
“She went to get some ice cream. She’s hoping it’ll help.” Gene peeked into the room. “Hey Lou? I got a surprise for you~”
“Unless it’s Jason’s head on a platter, I don’t want it,” came the reply, raspy and wan.
Zeke stepped into the doorway, a smile on his face. “We’re workin’ on that one.”
Louise was sitting on her bed with her back against the wall, her knees pulled to her chest and her arms wrapped around them. Her favorite bunny ears were on her head, which he knew meant she was really upset. The hat was faded to a pale salmon color now, with the tassels frayed and the ears themselves hung down instead of standing upright like they used to. Louise only brought them out now when she felt like she needed some extra support, and at barely five feet tall, she looked like a little kid again with them on.
To Zeke’s surprise, Regular-Sized Rudy was sitting with his legs crisscrossed beside her on the bed. One of his hands was in his lap tapping on his phone case while the other held one of hers, his thumb rubbing circles on her skin. He’d grown a lot since the fourth grade, sprouting up like a weed and only just a bit shorter than Zeke. He was still a string bean, though, and he’d never grown into his ears.
Tina stepped in, going over and sitting on the bed beside her sister. “You okay?” she asked, wrapping an arm around her.
Louise rolled her eyes, though the effect was lessened by the fact that her eyes were very obviously red-rimmed and puffy from crying. “Ugh, yes, I’m fine, stop crowding me.” But despite her words, she leaned into Tina’s touch, resting her head on her shoulder. Louise sniffed and closed her eyes, her hold on Rudy’s hand tightening. “Boys are stupid.”
“I hear that, sister!” Gene agreed, also climbing onto the bed and squishing himself into Louise’s other side. “They just aren’t worth it!” He threw his arm over Tina’s around his sister.
Zeke sat by Rudy, giving him a nod. The younger boy just nodded back, not looking at any of them. Zeke couldn’t gauge what he was thinking and decided that now was definitely not the time. This was about Louise and helping her feel better.
Thankfully, it didn’t seem to take long to draw the girl back out of herself. In no time at all, the Belcher siblings were both laughing and bickering with each other at the same time. They were a little too loud and a little too boisterous, but Zeke knew that he’d have them no other way. And he guessed that Rudy felt the same, judging by how he never let go of Louise’s hand.
Suddenly there was a knock on the door downstairs and a call of, “Kiiiiiiiiids! I have ice cream~!”
“You better have remembered the mocha chocolate swirl!” Gene shrieked, scampering off the bed and down the hall to the steps.
Tina sighed and gave her sister one last squeeze before also getting off the bed and onto her feet. “I better go help mom make sure he doesn’t eat it before she can get it upstairs.” She gave Zeke a quick peck on the lips before hurrying out of the room.
He couldn’t help but chuckle and shake his head at them. This family was his absolute favorite.
Rudy’s phone started to ring then. For the first time since they’d gotten there he let go of Louise’s hand. “It’s my mom. I better answer.” He uncrossed his legs and swung his feet to the floor, standing up. “I won’t be too long, Lou. Promise.” Then he hurried out, tapping his phone and lifting it to his ear. “Mom? Yeah, I’m fine. I’m at…” His voice trailed off as he walked down the hall.
There was a sniffle to his right and Zeke froze, then slowly turned his head to look at Louise.
Her arms clung tighter to her legs, her eyes becoming red and glossy again from unshed tears. She caught his eye and tried to scowl at him, but it was ruined when a tear fell down her cheek. “What are you looking at?” she rasped, harshly wiping the tear away.
He didn’t say anything, just scooted closer and opened an arm to her. He held his breath as she looked at him, then let it out when she crawled over to him and let her head thud against his chest. Zeke said nothing as he wrapped his arms around her, holding her to his chest as her shoulders started to shake from silent sobs. One hand rubbed her back as the other cupped the back of her head, and he pressed his cheek to the top of her head.
This wasn’t the first time Louise had cried with him, having found his willing silence a comfort to her when she needed a shoulder from someone. He’d always liked her for her feisty side, and through the years he’d come to also love her for that vulnerable side that she showed to a select few people. He was honored to be one of them.
“This is so stupid,” she croaked out, her tiny hands fisting in the material of his shirt.
“I know,” he murmured back, hugging her just a bit tighter.
“I didn’t even like him that much,” she groaned, turning her head to press her cheek to his chest. “But he asked me out and I figured I might as well see what all the fuss about dating is about, y’know? I mean, I’m seventeen and I never dated before. Not that it matters,” she added quickly. “But he seemed nice enough, and he listened when I bitched about work and school and he held my bag between classes and going home and he even helped me get a stink bomb planted in the teachers lounge!”
His eyebrows rose and he let out an impressed hum. She’d been planning that one for a long time now.
“And then he asked me to homecoming and I said yes and the dance was miserable but hanging out with him was actually kinda nice and,” she sniffed harder, her body trembling a bit, “and he–he kissed me, and I liked it, and god, what a sap I was!” She groaned again, shaking her head but not moving away from him. “What an idiot I was, thinking that he actually liked me!”
“You’re not an idiot, Lou,” Zeke scolded her gently, giving her a squeeze. “You’re not. You’re hurtin’, and that’s okay. Gettin' cheated on sucks, no matter the circumstances.”
“I just keep wondering what I did wrong,” she whimpered, clinging to him. “Like was I not nice enough? Was I a bad kisser? Were my pranks not good enough??” Her hands shook as she gripped his shirt tighter. “Was…was I not good enough…?”
Hearing all of this from Louise Belcher was one hell of a ride, and he knew that he needed to stop it right now. Every fiber in his being wanted to go hunt down this Jason kid and give him what was coming to him. How could anyone look at this girl and not see how awesome she was? But he shook that off, taking a deep breath to calm himself. Zeke unwrapped his arms from around her and reached up to grab her hands, carefully prying them from his shirt. He waited until she was looking at him to talk.
“Look, Lou. This kid sounds like a god damn fool. If he can’t see how amazin’ you are, then that’s on him, not you. Boys are stupid, especially when they’re teenagers, but that’s not an excuse.” He smiled and tapped her chin with one finger. “So you’re gonna go back to school and make him see just what he was missin’ out on. He’ll regret ever hurtin’ you and you’ll have the last laugh.”
“As I always do,” she agreed, giving him a watery smile. Louise scooted away from him, wiping her face with the backs of her hands. “If you tell anyone about this–”
“You’ll whoop my ass, I know,” he finished, grinning down at her.
Just then, Rudy walked back into the room. His expression seemed to be neutral, but Zeke could see the faint wrinkle of his brow, how his eyes were darker than they usually were. Had he heard anything just now? If so, he wisely chose to stay quiet about it, instead only saying, “My mom wants me to head home now.”
Louise visibly deflated a little before sitting back up. “Oh, okay. Thanks for coming with me.”
The boy nodded and smiled at her, a real one. “Hey, anytime. That’s what best buds are for, right?” His brow furrowed again. “Call me if you need anything, okay?”
“I will,” Louise nodded, giving him a lopsided smile.
“I’ll walk ya out,” Zeke said, standing up and walking over to Rudy. Call it a hunch, but he had a feeling that the kid needed to work a few things out before he left and it would be better if he wasn’t left alone. “Tell Tina I’ll be back in,” he called over his shoulder as the two boys headed down the stairs towards the door.
"ICE CREEEAAAAAM!" Gene shouted from the kitchen.
“YOU BETTER LEAVE SOME FOR ME, YOU DIMWIT!” Louise yelled, then Zeke heard her jump off the bed and run for the kitchen. Normally it would have made him laugh, but right now he had something to do.
Zeke and Rudy got outside and the younger boy headed over to the bike. Zeke raised his brows but didn’t say a word. At least he knew whose bike it was now. But Rudy didn’t even get on the bike, he just held onto the handlebars and stared at the ground. The expression on his face, the look in his eyes…Zeke had seen that look before. It was the same one he used to see in the mirror after Tina got her feelings hurt by a guy, whether it was Jimmy Jr. or Josh or Jordan, or some other guy of the week that she’d decided was the One for her. It had killed him each and every time, and knowing that there wasn’t much he could do for her had driven him crazy.
“Rudy,” he started, but was quickly cut off by the boy.
“Can I ask you something?” Rudy’s voice was quiet and breathy, and for a moment Zeke worried that his asthma was acting up. But there was no following wheezing, so he figured he must be okay there.
“‘Course,” Zeke said.
Rudy’s grip on the handlebars tightened, his shoulders shaking a little. “How did you stand it?”
Zeke cocked his head to the side, studying him. “Stand what?”
The boy finally looked at him, his brows drawn and his mouth set in a line though the corners were twitching down. “When Tina got hurt. How did you stand it? How did you handle just…” Rudy swallowed hard. “Just watching it happen?”
There it was. He’d know that this was coming. Rudy and Louise had been close since they were nine years old, and it was rare to see one without the other. Rudy practically doted on Louise hand and foot, and she in return had taken him under her wing and made him a stronger person for it. But that kind of friendship came with the price of having to see each and every time the other was hurt, and seeing that took a toll on a person. Zeke would know, having gone through the same thing with Tina before they’d gotten together two years ago.
Zeke sighed and leaned back against the bricks of the building, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “Honestly? I didn’t always handle it well. I threw a punch or two, and I definitely took it out on those around me with my words and actions.” He looked over at the other boy. “But I wish I hadn’t. I wish I’d talked to someone about it and let them help me work through it.”
“I don’t know what to do,” Rudy confessed, his face twisting with despair. “She came to me crying after school and I…I just…” He swallowed again, his lips trembling. “I just froze. I wanted to help her but I had no idea what to do. I’ve never seen her cry like that before, Zeke! Not Louise!” The boy scowled down at the ground. “And knowing that scumbag made her feel that way…”
Zeke pushed off the wall and walked over to him, pulling one hand out of his pocket and placing it on Rudy’s shoulder. He waited until he was looking at him to speak. “I know. I get it. I felt the same way with Tina. But Rudy…” He stopped, thinking of how to word his thoughts properly. “It’s ain't always about the nail.”
Rudy’s brow furrowed with confusion. “Huh?”
“So Tina showed me this video a while back,” Zeke explained, letting go of Rudy and using both hands to accentuate what he was saying. “It’s this guy and girl on a couch, and the girl has a nail stuck in her forehead. She’s real upset and tryin' to talk to him about it, but he just keeps asking why she doesn’t just pull the nail out. She tells him it’s not about the nail.” He looked at Rudy. “Do ya get it?”
The boy slowly shook his head. “Not really.”
“Well, I dunno if this is you, but in my experience, us guys tend to wanna fix things, especially if they’re hurtin' our loved ones,” Zeke said. “But sometimes there are things that we can’t fix. Sometimes the best thing we can do is be there for them.”
“But this is different,” Rudy argued, shaking his head again. “Zeke, Jason is a jerk.”
“I know, kid,” Zeke sighed. Damn it, he thought he was getting through to him.
But Rudy just shook his head once more, one hand letting go of the bike and starting to fumble through his pockets. “No, you don’t know. Zeke, he–”
Just then the door opened and Tina peeked her head out. “You’re still here, Rudy? Louise said you were going home.”
“He was, well, is,” Zeke told him, giving her a reassuring smile. “We were just talkin’ about stuff, man to man.”
“Is Rudy still here?” came Louise’s call.
Tina called back over her shoulder, “Yeah, he’s still here.”
There was the sound of footsteps and then Louise was at the door, staring at the both of them. “I thought you said you were going home, Rudy.”
“I am!” Rudy said defensively. “I was just asking Zeke a question first. About uhhh…” His eyes darted back and forth as he tried to decide what to say.
But Louise just waved it off. “I don’t wanna know. But here.” She stepped out, holding out something in a plastic bag. “Mom got this by accident. Non dairy ice cream.” Her nose scrunched in exaggerated disgust. “None of us here are gonna eat this junk, so I volunteered you as tribute. You’re welcome.”
Rudy smiled and took the bag from her. “Thanks, Lou.” He mounted the bike then looked at her again. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”
“Yeah, why wouldn’t you?” She tilted her head at him.
He rubbed the back of his head. “I-I didn’t know if you were gonna come back, I mean, no one would blame you if you wanted to take a couple of days off to–”
“Nope, abso-friggin-lutely not,” Louise shook her head. “If I skip, then that douchebag wins. He wants to cheat? Fine. But I’m not about to let him control the narrative. I broke up with him . He doesn’t get that satisfaction.” Her shoulders slumped a bit. “I wish there was more I could do to make him pay. I feel like jerks like him just get away with everything.”
“Don’t worry, Louise, karma is gonna catch up to him,” Tina assured her sister.
“I want more than karma,” Louise argued back, shaking her head and making the ears of her bunny hat flop around. “He shouldn’t get away with this! I can’t be the only one he’s done this to. He’s one of those types, we know that now.”
“Like Tina said, he’ll get what’s comin’ to him,” Zeke said, walking over to the door. “Now c’mon, let’s go back in. You and Rudy still got school tomorrow. Right, Reg Size?” He looked over at the other boy with a smile, but paused and blinked at him.
The expression on Rudy’s face was hard to place. His expression was neutral, but his eyes twinkled with some emotion that Zeke couldn’t place. It was almost the exact same expression that Louise had when she was trying to hide some devious plan. Zeke wasn’t sure that he liked the look of it on Rudy.
But before he could ask anything the boy just nodded at them. “See you tomorrow, Louise.” Then he kicked off and peddled out of the aly and down the road.
Louise shrugged and went back in, but Tina lingered in the door. She stared up at her boyfriend, her head tilted to one side and one corner of her mouth turned down. “Hey. You okay?”
“Hmm?” Zeke blinked down at her then smiled, mentally shaking the strange interaction away. “Yeah, I’m fine, T, no worries.”
“You sure? You looked really concerned there.”
“I’m fine, promise.” Zeke wrapped an arm around her and leaned down to give her a quick kiss. “We’d better head up ‘fore Gene eats all the ice cream.”
“Mom is doing her best to restrain him,” Tina chuckled as they closed the door behind them and walked back up the stairs to the apartment.
But through the rest of the evening, Zeke couldn’t get that last look from Rudy out of his head. It just felt way too ominous. He hoped he was wrong.