Chapter Text
“Nice work,” Selina compliments Edward as she sets her tray down at their usual table. “Loving the new lunch schedule. How long did it take you to hack it?”
Edward takes a large bite of his peanut butter sandwich. “Not too long. Was just-“ he swallows- “missing a certain bit of firewall bypass. After that- easy.”
Bruce starts in on his lunch. “I’m glad too. I like having you here, ‘Lina.”
“Awww, I love you too,” Selina coos. She neatly lifts an apple slice off of Bruce’s tray and jams it into Edward’s mouth. “Vitamins, Eddie. So! Did you two see the performance we’re doing this year?”
Edward swallows irritably. “Stop doing that. I’m perfectly capable of feeding myself. And the play- Celebrating Austen, or something?”
“Yep! Good thing I joined the drama club last week. We’re going to have so much fun.”
Edward looked up warily. “We?”
Selina giggles. “Oh, didn’t I mention it? I signed you both up too. Sorry I didn’t tell you earlier, but you’d probably have backed out. Tryouts are this afternoon.”
Edward nearly chokes. “Lina!”
Bruce shakes his head in disbelief.
“You have to! Weren’t you both listening? The play is a bunch of scenes from different Austen books and we have a bona fide Mr. Darcy right in front of us!“
“I’m not,” Bruce says plaintively.
“Rich, aloof, socially hopeless, and has his eye on someone widely believed to be below his stature.” Edward ticks off on his fingers, a slow grin forming on his face. “I see no lie.”
“Don’t get too smug, Eddie,” Selina purrs. “You’re trying out for Elizabeth Bennet.”
“Wh- I am not!”
“Why not? You’re such a drama queen already!”
“Exactly,” Edward says crisply, but Bruce can see his shoulders tensing slightly. “It’d be compounding a felony.”
Bruce folds his arms. “If I have to, you have to.”
“You are both going to try out.”
“And you?” Edward rounds on the grinning girl. “Which character are you going to inflict yourself on?”
“Lil’ old me? Maybe I could throw on a blond wig and be Jane. I’m the innocent clueless type, you know?”
Bruce scoffs at exactly the same time Edward does.
All three snicker.
“So you’ll do it?” Selina finally presses.
Edward sighs. “We don’t have a choice, do we?”
“Nope. But you’ll love it. I can introduce you to some friends of mine.”
“Oh, joy,” Bruce says, gazing bleakly into his salad.