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darcy knew that today was a shit show.
fighting with her mom was already bad enough, but then her phone died the second she went to message tara, to tell her she was okay. so then, obviously, she was thinking, ‘well what the fuck do i do now?’
and that’s how she ended up at the front door of the nelson family, her hand raised in the knock position, for the last twenty minutes.
darcy was used to being in total control. knowing exactly what was going on, who she could talk to, who she could love. and then her mother made her leave without any money, some clothes and at most, a learners drivers license as her only id, and she’s been thrown for a loop, unsure what to even think anymore.
so obviously, she was overthinking about everything. what if nick didn’t want her here? of course she’d go, because she’s respectful, and loves her friend, but then what? tara’s parents couldn’t house her, charlie’s wouldn’t even if they could, and she could go down the list but again, she had no money for a taxi or a bus to anyone else’s house. she could go home, but that would be admitting she did something wrong and god she didnt. loving tara was not wrong. she would not..
she would not apologize for loving the girl she did. she wouldn’t apologize for loving girls at all. even if she was now homeless for it.
tara was worth all of this.
so she took a deep breath and she knocked on that fucking door.
and then immediately wanted to run back to the park and forget all this, but that went right out the window when she realized nick had already opened the door.
“darcy!” he said, almost excited to see her. “i wasn’t expecting you, i-“ and then he faltered, when he saw the state she was in. “.. what’s wrong?”
darcy dry-swallowed. she gently shifted her shoes back and forth as her bag hung off her shoulders as she spoke, “um.. is this a.. bad time?”
“no, no..” nick waved his hand with a small noise. “i was just getting ready for bed, what- what’s up?” he gently adjusted his grip on the door, and darcy kicked her shoes on the pavement. she took a second, collected her thoughts, before she found the words.
“.. can i sleep on your couch for a few nights?” darcy mumbled weakly. “my mom.. made me leave, um.. if it’s no trouble..”
nick just stared for a second, before moving aside immediately. “of course, my.. moms in the kitchen, i’ll have to ask her but.. yeah, come in. shoes off please.”
darcy nodded softly as she stepped in, pulling her bag and gently removing her shoes, placing them to the side. she felt grateful already, she knew nick was a friend but she didn’t know how close she’d consider them. after this, though? she’s considering moving nick up to the best friend slot. (after her tara, of course.) she moved into the living room, placing her bag on the floor and sitting down on the couch, thinking.
nick was worried about her.
he’d never heard darcy so quiet in his entire life.
he moved into the kitchen, gently knocking on the frame so he didn’t startle his poor mother. “mom?” his voice soft.
mrs nelson lifted her head, her face brightening as she saw her sweet son. she gently folded the paper she was writing on, nick assumed the grocery list, as she gave him his full attention. “hi baby, you know what you want for dinner yet?”
“um.. no, but uh.. can we talk?”
“another one?” she gently moved the dining room chair out for him, and nick sat down. he gave a dry laugh at her joke, and then looked up at her.
“not another one of my talks, i promise.” he smiled, shifting. he loved his mother, he knew she’d understand. “my friend, darcy.. she’s in the living room.” he watched his mothers mouth open to ask, so he added, in a quiet whisper, “her mom kicked her out.”
mrs nelson was quiet. nick pretended not to notice the way her jaw set, the way it did when she was angry, before she also whispered, “is it something you can share?”
“because of her girlfriend, i think. i don’t know, i’m just.. assuming.” nick replied honestly. “.. can she stay a few nights? i know.. when we have charlie here, it’ll get crowded, but.. she..” he swallowed. “i don’t think she has any money.”
mrs nelson seemed to look down at her list, flipping it back over. her jaw was clenched still, and nick just watched her hands for a moment before she lifted her head again. “darcy?” she called.
there was the sound of hesitating footsteps. the shuffle of socks on the hard tile as darcy came into the kitchen, “hi, mrs nelson.” she said softly, respectfully.
nick always really appreciated how kind all his friends were to his mom.
and he appreciated it more when his mother smiled. “what’s your favourite food? i’ve been trying to decide what to do for dinner for an hour.”
darcy gently rubbed her hand on the doorframe, like she was thinking. “.. uhm. i like pizza?” she said honestly, fixing her hoodie as mrs nelson hummed.
“do you have a place you’d like? or do you prefer homemade ?”
“oh, uhm.” darcy blinked. “i’ve never had home made pizza before.”
“then it’s decided, i suppose.” mrs nelson smiled. “please have nick text me what you’d like on it. and we have the landline, if you need to call anyone.” she motioned to the wall. “thank you for helping me decide dinner. you’re on the dishes tonight, though.”
darcy blinked. “oh.” she smiled. “yeah. yeah, alright. um.. can i use..” she motioned to the landline, to which mrs nelson motioned.
“all yours.”
“thank you.” darcy’s eyes were wet, looking between nick and his mother. “thank you so much, i.. i need to call tara..”
nick smiled a little too, getting up and nudging against darcy’s hip. “go ahead, call the missus.” he said. “you’ll have to deal with charlie and i though.”
“and you may bring tara here.” mrs nelson said as she grabbed the keys, holding them in her hands. “but nothing fancy.”
“mom-“
“what? if she’s staying, she gets the same talk you got with charlie. if that’s what that is?”
nick lovingly nodded, then rolled his eyes as his mother kissed his cheek, and then kissed darcy’s.
“please clear the table after you’ve called your tara.”
“… yes mrs nelson.”
“please, darcy.. you can call me sarah.”
darcy swallowed. “i don’t physically think i can.” which made mrs nelson laugh. she turned and left the kitchen, and after a little shuffling, the door closed as she left the house. and then darcy turned to nick. “i owe you.”
nick snorted a bit. “no you don’t, darcy, i’m serious.”
“i’m serious too, nick, i owe you everything.” she nudged his arm. “thank you.”
“just. don’t ever feel sorry for being you.” nick smiled. “no matter what your mom says. you’re the coolest.”
darcy dropped her head with a cough and then rubbed her face. “… i won’t.” she whispered. “i won’t ever be sorry for loving tara.”
“good.” nick motioned his head towards the landline. “call her, i’m sure she’s worried sick about you by now.”
“right..”
as darcy’s fingers slid over the numbers, the ringer beeping in her ears, she let a few tears slip out. but they weren’t tears because she was sad, or scared, and while the idea of having to go back to her mothers house for the rest of her stuff made her chest ache, she smiled.
and hearing tara’s voice, her musical, panicked tone in darcy’s ears, she smiled bigger. she didn’t mean to, but she interrupted tara, just to say,
“tara, love.. i’m so glad to hear your voice.”
because she was.
she wasn’t ashamed of her tara.