Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Bdubs happily munches on his sandwich. Normally, when he’s on his lunch break, he takes the time to text Etho about whatever new thing caught his attention that day. But at the moment, all his attention has been focused on the frowning woman before him who has been staring at her phone screen for the past couple of minutes.

He swallows his bite and finally pipes up. “Is your phone broken?” he asks.

“Hm?” Valerie looks up, blinking at Bdubs as if she only just now realized he was in the room. He waves at her. “No, it’s not broken.”

Bdubs hums, taking another bite of his sandwich. He goes to ask a question but remembers that his mouth is currently full of food. He attempts to keep his mouth closed as he speaks. Valerie cringes and waits for him to finish. “Sorry Bdubs, I didn’t catch that.”

He swallows once more to clear up the rest of his bite. “Why are you frowning at your phone then?” he repeats.

“Oh.” Valerie taps her nail against the side of her flower themed phone case. “My friends just told me that they won’t be able to join me for this flower viewing event at the parc next weekend.” Valerie frowns even more. “I could always go by myself, but…”

She shrugs and Bdubs can’t help but frown alongside her. He would offer to go with her, but he’s pretty sure he’s working next weekend with Cleo.

“Hmmmmmm,” Bdubs taps against his sandwich. “Have you tried asking any of the Hermits?”

Valerie nods, pursing her lips. “I even asked Xisuma.”

Bdubs gasps, making her chuckle. “Yeah, he uh, he’s also unavailable,” Valerie explains. “He has a meeting with some of our suppliers to go over their contract, so he had to turn me down. Looked really upset about it too, for some reason.”

The two tilt their heads back to stare at the ceiling, sighing in sync.

“What happens if you can’t find someone to go with you?” He asks.

“I guess I just, won’t go,” she says. “I don’t tend to go out by myself unless I absolutely have to.”

But she totally wanted to go. Bdubs could feel it. Why else would she go as far as to ask their boss to go with her? Then again, Xisuma was a cool guy, so that probably wasn’t a fair thought to have. But he didn’t think the two were that close.

He thinks.

Maybe he’ll have to watch the two the next time they interact. If anything, Bdubs felt as though Valerie interacts more with…

His eyes widen.

He tilts his head back down to look at her. “Have you asked Etho yet?” Bdubs asks.

Valerie tilts her head to the side before looking back at Bdubs in surprise. “Nope,” she realizes, turning to her phone. She hesitates. “Would he even want to go?”

Bdubs tuts at her, waving his sandwich in her direction. “Nu uh, wrong question,” he chastises teasingly. “Ask him if he’s free!”

Valerie purses her lips but starts tapping on her phone. “If he says no, you have to pay for the emotional damage this will cause me,” Valerie threatens, ignoring how Bdubs almost chokes on his sandwich in favour of holding her phone out in front of her face.

Valerie: Are you busy next weekend?

EthoS: nope

Valerie: cool cool

Valerie: would you wanna go to a flower thing at the parc next Sunday?

Valerie: with me?

Valerie: please?

EthoS: what time?

Valerie: I mean

Valerie: the flower viewing is all weekend

Valerie: but they also have these areas where we can look at butterflies, and that starts around 11 I think

EthoS: I can pick you up around 10:30 am?

Valerie: really?!

Valerie: you’d go with me???

EthoS: sure

EthoS: sounds fun

Valerie: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Valerie: dude you’re the BEST!

Valerie: 10:30 sounds great :D

EthoS: *thumbs up*

Valerie gets up from her chair with a cheer, holding her phone up in the air as she twirls on the spot. Bdubs smiles at the sight.

“Sooooooooooo,” he drawls. “He said yes?”

“He actually did!” Valerie exclaims, holding her phone up to her lips to hide her own smile.

Bdubs’ face splits into a wide grin. He throws out his sandwich wrapper and gets to his feet, grabbing her hand and twirling Valerie around in a circle until she’s dizzy with laughter. And just dizzy in general. He then pushes her towards the entrance to the break room.

“Time to get back to work!!”

Valerie: Lizzie I need you to be honest with me

Valerie: *sends picture*

Valerie: does this look cute?

Lizzie: hold on a moment

Lizzie: VALERIE

Lizzie: are you going on a DATE??

Valerie: WHAT

Valerie: NO??

Lizzie: hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Lizzie: suspicious

Valerie: Lizzie please, I need advice

Lizzie: okay okay

Lizzie: when’s your…outing?

Valerie: in a couple hours

Lizzie: oh

Lizzie: yeah that looks cute

Valerie: what do you mean “oh”???

Valerie: does this look bad??

Lizzie: I mean

Lizzie: it’s good for the time you have

Valerie: SO I LOOK BAD???

Lizzie: I didn’t say that!

Valerie: YOU IMPLIED IT!!

Valerie: that’s it

Valerie: I’m not going anymore

Lizzie: what?! No, you can’t do that!

Lizzie: Also, I thought this wasn’t a date. Why do you care so much?

Valerie: it’s NOT a date!

Valerie: can’t a girl want to look nice when hanging out with a friend?

Lizzie: who’s the friend?

Valerie: Etho

Valerie: I think you met him when you lot came to visit, but I’m not sure.

Lizzie: then no

Valerie: Lizzie wtf

Lizzie: okay wait that sounded bad

Lizzie: Etho’s your friend right?

Valerie: yeah

Lizzie: right now, with just the dress, you look like you’re getting ready for a date

Lizzie: which you don’t want right?

Valerie: not really no

Lizzie: NOT RE—okay

Valerie: he’s in a QPR

Lizzie: oh nvm then

Lizzie: basically Valerie

Lizzie: you can look nice when going to hang out with a friend

Lizzie: no questions

Lizzie: HOWEVER!

Lizzie: questions MAY be raised if you go to it looking like you’re going on a date

Valerie: this is hurting my brain

Lizzie: welcome to society

Lizzie: you chose to come back to it

Lizzie: which I’m so happy you did, don’t get me wrong

Valerie: aw Liz :]

Lizzie: so, while the dress is cute

Lizzie: we need to tone down the “date” look

Lizzie: does Maggie have a jean jacket in her closet?

Valerie: she won’t stop making them

Lizzie: perfect

Lizzie: go grab a dark one, wear dark tights, and keep the shoes.

Lizzie: you’re going to be the cutest friend ever

Valerie: yes chef! o7

Lizzie: Oh yeah btw

Lizzie: what’s the outing?

Etho parks in front of Valerie’s apartment complex and checks his phone. He notes that he’s a few minutes early, but still sends her a quick text informing her that he was there.

He… honestly doesn’t know why he agreed to come if he was being honest. He liked nature, sure. But Etho never really found himself all that interested in flowers. Or butterflies, apparently.

He taps against the side of his phone, scrolling back up to their conversation. Even through texts, he could tell that she was nervous to ask him, for some reason. Then again, outside of the game nights that Bdubs drags him to and chatting while she works, the two haven’t exactly hung out one on one. As such, their friendship had mainly developed through texts.

A knock on his window makes him look up. Valerie waves at him from the other side. He unlocks his car, taking a moment to process her outfit as she slides into the passenger seat. Etho looked fine, he knew that. He had gotten Cleo to help with his outfit. Yet somehow, he feels as though he underdressed for the occasion. “You… you look nice.”

“Thanks!” she beams at him, buckling her seatbelt. “Did you like the image I sent you this morning?”

Etho laughs. “The one with the flowery good morning message in it?” he clarifies, double checking that Valerie is all set before backing the car out. “I did, yes.”

She cackles, plopping her purse on her lap as she leans back against the seat. “I’m glad,” she says, grinning at him. “You look nice too by the way.”

A small smile sneaks onto his face, hidden by his face mask. “Thanks,” he says, before beginning the drive.

When Valerie got into the car, a part of her couldn’t help but be worried that this entire outing was going to be awkward because while she was friends with Etho, she couldn’t really think of a specific time where they hung out just the two of them. Or at least, one that didn’t involve him driving her home after a…panic attack. Yeah, let’s go with that.

So, sue her, but she was pleasantly surprised that she was having as much fun as she was. And if she could trust the way his eyes crinkle whenever she makes a silly comment, Valerie’s going to assume that Etho is probably enjoying himself too. For her own sanity.

The event Valerie had dragged him to is a flower showcase. Aqua Town had many public gardens, but whenever spring comes around, and the flowers have bloomed, some would hold viewing events where people could come to look at them. They tend to wait until a week into May before opening the viewings to give the flowers a chance to properly bloom.

“So…what makes this event different from just visiting the gardens on a random day?” Etho asks, interrupting Valerie’s information dump. “You don’t even need to pay for admission.”

Valerie pouts. “Well, yeah, but they also prepare little signs with facts about each of the flowers,” she points out, clasping her hands together with a bright smile. “There’s also something really magical about seeing the flowers so soon after they’ve bloomed.”

Etho stares her down. Valerie lowers her hands and begins to fidget with her purse strap. Under his knowing gaze, her shoulders drop as she sighs.

“…They also give out free food and refreshments.”

“There it is.”

Valerie pouts again, making him laugh. “Stop laughing!” She whines, only succeeding in making him laugh harder. “All the drinks are themed after whatever blooms are in the garden this season! And—and all the foods are like the little meals you find in tea sets and—stop laughing at me!”

“I’m not!” Etho swears, his laughter puttering out as he takes a couple shaky breaths. “I just think that it’s oddly adorable of you to be so excited about themed foods.”

Valerie splutters. “Are you saying I’m not always adorable??”

“Yes.”

“Rude.”

He shrugs. “Anyways, if you like themed foods so much, you could totally just make them at home,” he points out. “I thought you liked to bake.”

“Okay, well. That’s a lot of effort I can’t be bothered to giv—oh my gosh stop laughing at me!!!”

Etho has stopped walking now in favour of holding his stomach as it tightens, tears leaking from his eyes as he fights to breath. Valerie’s face blooms a bright red at his reaction, covering her face with her small hands before looking at the floor as his uncontrollable laughter spills out from him.

“I’m sorry,” he eventually says, wiping his eyes once he finally manages to calm down. However, one last chuckle succeeds in slipping out, his face mask failing to muffle it. He holds his hands up in self-defense as Valerie begins batting her fists against his arm. “Stop—stop—I’m sorry! I’m—ow—I’m done now!”

Valerie stops, breathing heavily as she stares him down with a pouty glare. Her cheeks have softened into a rosier appearance, betraying her lingering embarrassment. Etho feels a little bad, but since she hadn’t walked away from him, he presumes that she isn’t actually hung up about his teasing. Probably. But just in case…

“Come on,” he says, nudging her with his elbow. “Did you want to go see the flowers first? Or the butterflies?”

He refrains from doing a little fist bump as Valerie relaxes, her expression switching to a thoughtful one. She turns around on the spot and looks over the expanse of the garden. There were a couple signs spread throughout the area that held fun facts about the butterflies they held, along with signs that labelled every plant. But Valerie’s eyes are drawn to one of the tents closest to their current position which were designed for more butterfly-specific viewings.

“Can we go look at the butterflies?”