Work Text:
Terron was having a good day, so far. She had organized all the files her manager sent over the day before, made all her phone calls, and she even had time to meet her sister for a long lunch. Yes, today was a good day, and she expected it to end on a good note; that is, until she got the call.
The petite woman had just gotten back into her office from lunch when she felt the familiar buzz of her cellphone through her purse. She retrieved it without a second thought, and felt her face soften when she saw her husband’s name scroll across the screen. She closed her door and answered him.
“Hey, cutie. I already had lunch if that’s why you’re calling. Oh, that reminds me, Maron moved up the date for her baby shower so we need to go ahead and wrap what we got-” Terron paused mid-sentence after hearing no response.
“...”
“Babe?” she asked, “Is everything ok?”
“...I…I need…hurry home…can’t move…”
“Er, want to run that by me again?”
“...staring at me…help!”
Terron laughed nervously.
“What’s going on? You’re scaring me.”
She could hear her husband taking deep breaths over the phone.
“Look, I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s wrong.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Doctor Beek was a good man…at least, he thought he was. He had a good job that helped people, and he tried his best to live a morally good life. Sure, he didn’t have the most approachable demeanor, but he was always honest and straightforward and stepped up when it mattered most; however, he must have pissed off someone somewhere at some point in time, to a significant degree, because karma was a bitch and nothing humbled him faster than any creature that walked on more than four legs.
Like Terron, he too was having a good day after he woke up. He’d taken the week off from work to decompress and get some things done around the house. That morning, he kissed his wife goodbye, grinning like an idiot as she skipped out the door. He wasn’t sure how long he stood there staring out the window, but dammit if he didn’t feel the sudden urge to do something special for her. He smirked as he started concocting his plan, and he retreated to the kitchen.
As soon as he put everything he needed out on the table, he noticed a hamper that was propping open the door to the laundry room. Hmm…it wouldn’t hurt to run a load or two while he worked. He threw a load of darks in the wash and glanced down at his own attire - a black T-shirt and black boxer briefs that were his standard sleep attire.
‘Ah, what the hell,’ he thought, and he stripped down, adding his own clothes to the wash. He closed the lid and pulled his favorite apron off the hook on the wall next to the pantry to cover up.
It was a simple apron, soft pink in color. It was a gift from Terron, and though she bought it as a joke, he genuinely loved it and wore it almost every day. Just thinking of her sent a surge of determination through his body. He clenched his fist and took a deep breath - he was going to make the best damn French Bread she ever had.
A few hours passed, and the entire house smelled amazing. Terron would probably jump him the second she walked through that door. He let a goofy smile spread across his face as his imagination took over. It was still too early for her to be home, but maybe he could persuade her to take the rest of the day off? He smirked and reached for his phone.
A subtle movement out of the corner of his eye caused him to pause. He foolishly glanced in its direction, and a bomb of anxiety detonated in his chest. A little eight-legged freak stood perched, unabashedly, on the edge of the kitchen counter closest to the back door. He was unfortunately close enough to see its little pincers bouncing up and down.
‘Oh, hell no…’
Careful not to make any sudden movements, he lifted his phone, kept one eye on the intruder, and called Terron.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Back at Terron’s office…
“Take a deep breath…you good, now?”
“I’m…managing…”
“Ok, keep breathing. Can you tell me what’s going on?”
“I need you to come home.”
“Babe, I love you, but you’re killing me. Why do I need to come home?”
Beek’s timid voice dropped to a soft whisper.
“There’s a spider and - AH SHIT!”
“A spider?! A spider where?” Terron’s face paled.
“It was in the kitchen and-”
“What do you mean WAS?!” she shouted.
“I looked away for ONE second, and it just disappeared! I’m not safe here, Terron!”
Silence.
“Terron? Honey?”
“I’m here. I was booking a hotel for a few nights - I’ll text you the address. Don’t worry about packing a bag, just grab your keys and GET OUT OF THERE!”
“Um…about that,” Beek coughed and cleared his throat, “I can’t leave the house, right now.”
“What do you mean you can’t leave the house, right now?!”
“I’m doing laundry!”
“And?”
“And I’m not wearing anything under my apron!”
Terron's cheeks went aflame and she almost choked on her own spit.
“W-why not?!”
“I wanted to surprise you when you got home.”
“Oh, my god, this man will be the death of me,” Terron whispered under her breath.
“What was that?”
Terron squeezed her eyes shut and pinched the bridge of her nose, choosing to ignore his question.
“Ok, let me think,” she said, “Isak lives around the block - I can give him a call and see if he can swing by-”
“Don’t you DARE call that little shit for help!”
“Well, what do you want me to do, then?!”
“...I want you to come home…I know if we’re together, we can do anything.”
Terron sighed and started tapping her foot.
“I’ve only got three more hours here, maybe less if I rush through the rest of my tasks. Can you wait at least that long?” Terron tried to sound compromising, but in her head she was thinking, ‘Dear God, please let him find it and take care of it before I get home; if not, then I have time to buy spray and traps and holy water and matches and-’
“I made fresh bread.”
That one sentence cleared Terron’s mind immediately. In that moment, there was no terrifying arachnid overlord in her home - only tasty, tasty bread…and she’d be damned if any bugs got to it before she did. In the blink of an eye, her entire demeanor changed and her voice deepened.
“I’m on my way.”
She ended the call before he even had a chance to respond, grabbed her purse and made a beeline for her boss’ office. She knocked twice on the doorframe and peeked in.
“Mr. Spout, I have a household emergency I need to attend to. I’m putting in leave for the rest of the week.”
Mr. Spout and her locked eyes for a beat. She looked tense, and he could almost smell the urgency and desperation coming from her. He nodded.
“Understood,” he said, “I hope everything turns out well. Tell your hubby I said hi.”
“Will do!” Terron was about to sprint down the hall when Mr. Spout called her back.
“Wait, Terron! Take this.”
He pulled an aerosol can with a bright red label out from under his desk and held it out to her. She let out a huge sigh of relief and took it.
“Thank you!”
Terron raced home.