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Part 40 of Year of the OTP 2023 Challenge
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2023-Year of the OTP
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Published:
2023-07-25
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1,236
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1/1
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20
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Be The Girl You Wanna Be

Summary:

Lexi might be trying too hard. Fez admits that he likes her for her.

Notes:

I MISS THEM. SO MUCH. 🥹 I'm powering through the end of the month for YOTP so I hope you like this! Thoughts welcomed!

Year of the OTP 2023 - July prompt #4: "batman won't like this"

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Work Text:

 

 

*

Being passive, being on the sidelines sucks.

And… Lexi is tired of it.

Instead of biking the main-road avenues and down a long, unlit street crowded by woods that Lexi is pretty sure has been rumored to be cursed, or some shit… she hitches a ride with a guy from Biology AP class. One of the school's linebackers. He reeks like honey-lemon menthol cough drops.

(And there's, of course, a suspiciously white powder under his nose…)

Lexi's classmate eyes her bare, newly shaven knees while driving, and offers her an unopened can of High Noon Tequila. 

She accepts, smiling halfheartedly, but she doesn't drink. It's a shit grapefruit flavor anyway.

(What's with the Dragon Ball Z wig?)

It's probably dangerous to be here, and to be doing this, but whatever… Lexi is over playing the good girl around everyone she knows. The quiet one. The wallflower. At least for tonight. It's not getting her anywhere. It's not gaining any confidence to hook up, or even have a nice time.

As soon as he parks the lime-green Hummer, Lexi disappears.

In the entrance-way, she can't see a thing through the cascades of bubbles in the air. Ugh, whatever. Lexi ducks around the people slow-grinding, her eardrums reverberating with deep bass. She remembers one of McKay's college friends owns the place. Or rather his highly affluent parents.

Not far from her, someone in an inflatable Minions costume drops into a break-dance move.

Lexi runs into the guy she's honestly here for — Fezco, in an oversized white jersey and a double set of gold chain-necklaces.

"Hey."

Fezco blinks, gazing up with his eyebrows raised when she speaks up. 

"Hey, Lexi," he rumbles. Smoke wisps out between Fezco's lips. "I didn't know you were gonna be here."

"Kat invited me. So yeah, uh," Lexi says, bashful. She clutches at her Dad's old overcoat. "I think she might have ditched me? Can I sit?" Yeah, it's a lie, but — Fezco's expression softens, and he pats the nearby faded couch cushion. Lexi doesn't plop herself down, like she might have.

"Sorry to hear that." Fezco pauses, staring confused as a Little Red Riding Hood, wearing red three-inch heels, and a Fred Flintstone pass them. Lexi stares along with him, finally understanding when she didn't. "Yo. Yo, is it just me or is everyone wearing Halloween or some shit?" he asks. 

"I guess," Lexi responds. "I didn't know it was a costume kind of party…"

(That explains Batman ordering someone out a minute ago.)

They laugh for a moment, getting comfortable.

Fezco grunts. His eyes drift back to her, and Lexi's heart pounds. "How have you been, shorty? What's with you?"

"I'm… I'm okay," Lexi says giddily. Be cool, be cool, be fucking cool. "How are you, I mean?"

"Much better now that you're here," he admits, shrugging a little. "This party wasn't no good enough."

"Stop," Lexi breathes, unable to hide her widening smile.

Fezco's own smile appears.

"You want me to?"

"… no."

"Why you got a coat on though?" Fezco points out, taking another drag of his joint. "It's hot as hell."

Her heart pounds harder.

She stands and unbelts the old overcoat. It tumbles off Lexi's bare shoulders. The silver sequin checkerboard mini-dress glimmers under the house-lights. Kat insisted Lexi try it. Maddy slathered Lexi's face with a foundation brand named 'Chantecaille' and nanoblur creams. She meticulously glued each halo-pearl and silvery, diamond-cut rhinestone on Lexi's eyelids layered in black glitter and fuchsia-red matte pigment.

In a heart-stopping moment, Fezco goes upright. His face tightens thoughtfully.

"Damn, Lexi…" he rasps. "You look good."

Overjoyed, Lexi holds down the beaming smile longing to be free. Her cheeks warming.

(Fezco must be used to prettier girls, she wonders. At least there's this. At least she's here instead of the other girls.)

"Oh, this thing?" Lexi awkwardly smooths over the dress. "I mean… it's a party, right? Everyone dresses like this."

He considers this, nodding.

"Word. But… I like you because you're not like most of 'em, you know," Fezco mumbles.

Lexi's mouth thins. 

Oh.

"Right, right," she says, pretending like her stomach isn't flip-flopping. A guy dressed as mustard bottle yells about alcoholic shots, getting in her face, and Lexi grabs one. It tastes like a sour raspberry puree. She winces. Lexi takes another, and another, before feeling a hand on her.

"Hey. Hey, careful." Fezco elbows aside the very drunk guy, turning her. "Don't lose yourself in the hard stuff."

Lexi gulps, still wincing and letting a concerned-looking Fezco walking them away.

"Sorry…"

(Now her stomach feels like it's flip-flopping full of tadpoles.)

"They got HBO upstairs," Fezco tells her. "Ain't nobody worth bothering. You wanna watch a movie with me?"

Lexi nervously glances around.

"Batman won't like that…" she says, remembering McKay's friend and his angry finger jabs for a couple of rowdier party-goers.

At the bottom of the staircase, Fezco makes a slight face.

"Fuck 'em," he states. There's no hesitation out of him. Lexi envies that.

In her head, she hears Maddy's voice…

The thing about confidence is no one knows if it's real or not…

"Yeah," Lexi declares, grinning, reveling in the heat lingering where Fezco touches her arm. "Screw them."

*

It's the most ludicrously overindulgent bedroom Lexi has ever seen.

Polished brass fixtures… velvet sheets… elm root wood veneer for a decorative changing-screen…

She's pretty sure this is a master bedroom. For Batman's parents. Whatever. They flip on Young Frankenstein, because Fezco has never seen it before, Fezco inclining against the white-cushioned headboard on the left side, and Lexi perches on the right side's end. 

The mattress feels too squishy-soft. It's bothering her.

"Do I smell bad or somethin'?" Fezco says suddenly, and Lexi realizes he's been ruefully watching her.

She gasps. Lexi's hands flail up.

"No, no, no! It's… it's me…" Lexi droops her shoulders, biting her lip. "I don't know what I'm doing," she murmurs.

"What do you mean?"

(Ugh… why does the person Lexi really wants have to be so calm and cool?)

The corners of Lexi's mouth quirk.

"I was… trying to impress you," she admits, sheepish. "I've never dated. I'm not very experienced with… this."

Or telling a guy this…

Fezco looks her over, silent, and it's much less nerve-wrecking that Lexi expected.

He folds his arms.

"You know you can just be you, Lexi. With me."

"Mm," Lexi hums, beaming. She scoots herself more left. "I think I'm getting that now, thanks."

Fezco curiously watches her, then looks back at the gigantic flat-screen television. He mentions Ashtray. Ashtray has been taking online college-level courses in mathematics and business programs. Illegally. Lexi doesn't think getting an education should be illegal though.

She thinks about Maddy's words again…

Listen to me… it's important. Be that bitch, okay?

Be her.

Be the girl you wanna be…

For the briefest of seconds, Lexi hitches herself up on one hand. She waits. Until Fezco can sense her, can lean out if he wanted to. When he doesn't, Lexi braves a kiss. Oh, god. It's happening. She's doing it. Lexi's lips press softly, smilingly over Fezco's.

A sweep of irresistible warmth clouds her.

"That was me being me," Lexi whispers, falling back on her bottom. 

One of Fezco's thumbs trace her jaw.

"Hell yeah," Fezco says contently, bringing an arm around her. Lexi's head tucks against him.

She's not gonna get tired of it.

Not him.

*

 

 

Notes:

Commenting can be hard! I wish it was easier than staring blankly at the screen and struggling with words. So you don't have to use words. Not always! 👏 Emoji comments can be lots of fun! In the spirit of other ficcers -- here's my comment cheat code!

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