Chapter Text
The sun is setting in the sky in a mixture of orange and red hues when Laurie arrives at Orchard House and rings the doorbell. The door opens to reveal Jo, dressed in a pair of sweatpants, her hair pulled back in a messy ponytail, and looking thoroughly exhausted. Before he can even open his mouth, she aggressively pushes him back onto the porch.
Laurie stumbles back, startled, "That's such a nice way to greet me, Jo." He remarks sarcastically once he's regained his footing, but Jo ignores him and slowly closes the door behind her, as if hiding from someone.
"Change of plans." She announces, crossing her arms over her chest.
Laurie frowns.
"What?"
"Amy called me, she got stood up by her date-"
"Date? Who..."
"She asked me to pick her up, but I'm watching the twins for Meg, so I can't leave." She explains, nervously biting her nails, and by the look on her face, she'd rather flee the house than go back in.
"And?"
"And I need you to get Amy for me, please."
Laurie's face falls, "Jo... today is the day we're supposed to..."
"I know, I know, Teddy." She whines and starts pacing in front of him, nervously pulling at her hair. "But Meg asked me to watch the kids, and I couldn't refuse, and then Amy called, and she was crying, and-and these kids have been driving me crazy for the last hour!"
She doesn't have to tell him for Laurie to believe her. Even with the door closed, he can hear screams coming from inside the house.
High-pitched screams. The kind that make you press both hands to your ears and watch helplessly as the chaos unfolds before your eyes.
"Please, Teddy, can you do this for me?" Jo says in a pleading voice, her brown eyes wide open and her hands clasped in front of her face, and Laurie swears he sees tears in her eyes.
Not only that, but her arms and hands are covered with little drawings; suns, stick figures, flowers.
What on earth did those kids do to her?
Laurie scratches his head, not very pleased with this sudden change of plans, but there is no way he can say no to Jo. Not when she looks like she is on the verge of collapsing.
"Yes, of course, Jo." He concedes with a small smile.
She exhales a deep breath of relief, "Thanks Teddy, I owe you one!" She exclaims and in a flash opens the door and disappears behind it.
Laurie stands there like an idiot for a few seconds, wondering what the hell just happened.
"Wait! Jo! You didn't tell me where she was!"
***
"What are you doing here, Laurie?" Amy grumbles as he stops the car in front of her.
She is sitting at a bus stop, her arms wrapped around her legs and her face buried in her knees, looking as miserable as her sister did earlier.
"How did you know it was me?" He asks her through the lowered window.
"You're the only person driving a freaking Mustang in Concord." Amy replies in a muffled voice.
Laurie laughs because it's the truth.
He is a spoiled rich kid who loves to show off his luxury cars and brand name clothes, why deny it?
"I was called to rescue a lady in distress." He announces in a silly voice, hoping to make her laugh a little, but his words have the opposite effect as Amy suddenly lifts her head with a scowl on her face.
"What? Jo told you what happened?"
Realizing his mistake, Laurie scratches his throat and grimaces. "Not-not really. Actually, she just told me that you got stood up and-"
"I'm going to kill her!"
He watches as Amy paces the sidewalk, ranting about how she's going to kill Jo when she gets home and something about cutting off her hair. He starts to get scared when she starts gesturing with her hands in a way that looks like... strangulation? No, it can't be.
Laurie debates for a moment whether or not to interrupt her. Dying tonight isn't in his plans, and Amy, as petite and small as she is, can be pretty terrifying when she wants to be.
Finally, when she's paced long enough that he thinks she might get dizzy, he decides to interrupt her. "Come on, get in the car, m'lady, so I can take you back to your château." He tries the silly voice again, but unfortunately it's a flop and Amy shoots him a cold glare.
"No."
"What?" He says in disbelief for the second time tonight.
"No. I'm not going home." Amy replies, kicking a rock with her shoe, her lips twisted in a pout.
"You know, you might freeze to death if you stay here."
As if on cue, a gust of wind blows against her, no doubt making her shiver, considering she's only wearing a t-shirt and skirt.
And yet.
"I don't care." She replies, crossing her arms over her chest, seemingly hell-bent on staying right where she is.
Laurie sighs and rubs his forehead, looking around at the dimly lit street and the dark, tall trees behind her.
This part of town is known as a hangout for teenagers looking for illegal activities after dark.
Laurie knows this because he used to hang out here with his friends when he was in high school. When he was stupid and lazy and irresponsible, as his grandfather liked to remind him when he came home high as a kite.
It's not an area her parents would want their daughter to be.
And it is definitely not an area he wants Amy to be alone at night.
So even if he has to fight to get her into his freaking Mustang, he’ll do it.
The icy wind hits him in the face as he gets out of the car, and he makes his way to the truck, under Amy's intent gaze.
Laurie rummages around inside the truck for a few seconds, then pulls out the black sweatshirt he always keeps inside for cases like this. Only this time it's not for him. Even though he's freezing too. That would teach him to refuse to wear a jacket this morning, because he thoughts it would ruin his outfit.
"What are you doing?" Amy asks, looking up at him in confusion as he pulls her closer by her hand until she is close enough that he can see the goose bumps all over her arms.
He shakes his head, "You may not care about freezing to death, which is weird by the way, but I do." He begins in a low voice, meeting her eyes with his.
He helps her into his clothing, slipping her arms through the sleeves first.
"And even if you don't, I'd hate for you to get sick on my watch."
Then he pulls the hood over her head.
"Besides, I refuse to deal with Jo's wrath."
And finally, he zips it up to her red nose, which he can't help but flick affectionately, afterward.
Amy looks up at him, all bright blue eyes and flushed cheeks, her pink lip caught between her teeth.
"Thank you." She mumbles, averting her eyes to her shoes as soon as she's said the words.
And while Laurie would normally have teased her for her reaction, he realizes that he, too, feels flustered as he takes in the delicate contours of her face.
He's aware of her crush on him, thanks to Jo's running mouth that blurted it out a few months ago. Before that he hadn't noticed anything, although now that he knows, some things make sense. Like the way he'd catch her looking at him when she thought he didn't see, the way she'd blush when he'd kiss her cheek to say hello or choose her to partner with instead of Jo when they were all playing together, younger. The fondness on her face, the twinkle in her eyes, the giggles... it was always there, and he never thought too much about it, always too focused on Jo.
But now that Jo is no longer his priority, he's not sure how he feels about Amy.
He's not even sure if she still likes him that way.
All he knows is that she looks adorable, that she is adorable, and that he likes the vision of her draped in the sweatshirt he wore the day before.
"No problem." His voice comes out hoarse and he clears his throat before adding: "I think we can find something else to do if you don't want to go home."
"What do you suggest?"
"How about I treat you to dinner?" He smiles.
"Dinner?"
"Yes, I'm starving and that way you can tell me what happened."
"I could eat, yeah." She shrugs, feigning nonchalance, but Laurie knows them, the March Sisters, and their love for food.
"Of course you'd give in for food." Laurie says with a playful eye roll. "You're so stubborn, worse than your sister." He says as he holds the car door open for her.
"Oh, but you love it." Amy teases over her shoulder, her long ponytail swaying to the side as she does so.
Laurie doesn't argue and follows her into the car, a small grin playing on his lips.
***
"This is so embarrassing, Laurie! We are not dressed for a restaurant like this. I look stupid." Amy whines, crossing her arms over her chest as they wait for a waiter in the restaurant lobby.
Laurie looks at her; her long ponytail and blonde locks, her long eyelashes and pink lips, her skirt and white Nikes, his sweatshirt and the long sleeves covering her hands.
Adorable.
"I don't know what you're talking about. I think you look lovely."
Amy narrows her eyes at him, "Stop lying."
Laurie frowns, opens his mouth to protest, but is cut off mid-sentence, "I'm not..."
"Mr. Laurence? Follow me."
The waiter leads them to their table, next to a wide glass window, on a side of the restaurant that is relatively empty, much to the relief of Amy, who walks with her head bent until she bumps into his back when he stops at the table.
"You can order anything you want." Laurie tells her once they are seated, and the waiter has left.
For whatever reason, Laurie feels the need to please her, if only to make her forget about her disastrous date and the idiot who caused the frown on her face. And if the dazzling smile she gives him in return is what he gets for spending his money on expensive food, he'll gladly do it.
"I've always dreamed of someone telling me that." She claps her hands together as she lets out the cutest giggle Laurie has ever heard.
"Well, then I'm honored to be that person." The words tumble out of his mouth before he can think of saying them.
Her eyes dart to him over her menu. She considers him for a moment, her eyebrows raised in surprise. Laurie holds her gaze, the slightest hint of a smirk twisting the corner of his mouth until she shakes her head and turns her attention back to the menu in her hands, as if she doesn't understand what game he's playing.
He doesn't know either.
Amy takes his words to heart and orders enough food to feed at least two more people: a steak as wide as the plate it comes in, a side of mashed potatoes that she asks to be drizzled with melted butter, smoked salmon and broccoli, truffle ravioli that Laurie warns her she might not like, and finally a cheeseburger and fries that makes the waiter turn as pale as the tablecloth.
They only have to wait 10 minutes for their food to be served. Laurie watches with amusement as Amy's eyes light up with each new dish placed in front of her. Their table is filled with more plates than Laurie has ever seen in his life, so much so that the waiter has to remove the vase in the middle to make more room.
The smell is intoxicating, the food is exquisite, and the intimate atmosphere of the restaurant is enhanced by the dimmed lights and jazz music played by musicians near the bar.
As he watches her take a generous bite of her cheeseburger, Laurie suddenly realizes something. He's known Amy since she was 12 and basically grew up thinking of her as his little sister. He's seen her cry and smile so bright her eyes disappear. He's seen her get so mad that she burned her sister's book and collapse on the floor from laughing so hard. He's seen her in her cute pajamas, curled up on the couch with Beth and dressed up for parties. He's seen her so sick she's thrown up in his lap and so excited she's jumped into his arms. He's seen her in so many situations, shared so many memories with her, and yet Laurie realizes, as she dabs a towel over her mouth, that he's never shared a moment alone with her.
There is always someone else, her sisters or her parents, his friends or his grandfather.
This is the first time since he's met Amy March that he's had a moment alone with her, and oh, how different she looks in his eyes now that he's noticed.
"This is so good, they should definitely add it to the menu!" She exclaims, food still in her mouth. "Here, take a bite." She leans forward on the table and brings the burger closer to his face until he takes a bite of it, in the same spot she did a minute ago.
"Delicious. I'll be sure to mention it to the waiter when we leave." He says with a small smile that hides the turmoil raging in his chest.
Oblivious, Amy keeps eating, keeps sharing her food with him and bringing her spoon filled with mash potatoes to his mouth and stealing his glass of wine to take large gulps, the liquid staining her lips red.
And Laurie watches her, his heart clenching every time she looks at him and his brain wondering what the fuck game he is playing.
Finally, halfway through dinner, after they've eaten the entire steak, cheeseburger and fries and each ordered a new drink, she tells him about her date. How this Peter guy had been flirting with her for months and still decided to play video games with his friends the night of their date.
"What's wrong with me?" She says more than she asks, her head resting in her hand. She doesn't sound sad or angry, just genuinely confused, and it makes Laurie wonder how many dates she's been on that ended the same way.
"It's not you, Amy." Laurie reassures her in the softest voice he can muster. "18-year-old boys are stupid... if not completely retarded."
"Boys in general, you mean."
Laurie brings his hand to his heart, "Thanks for that."
"Sorry... I didn't mean you, obviously." She apologizes with a small smile. She pushes the plates aside to rest her elbows on the table, and as she does so, a lock of blonde hair falls in front of her eyes. Laurie clenches his fist to stop himself from tucking it behind her ear. "I mean, you're not a boy anymore, since you're 21, that makes you a man, I guess."
"Does it, really?" He tilts his head to the side with a grimace, because sometimes it doesn't feel like it. Aside from earning his own money and living in his own apartment, there are still times when he feels as lost in life as he did as a teenager.
But Amy disagrees and says, "Yes. You look like it." Before hastily adding: "And you act like it, too."
And that red lip caught between her teeth, again...
"How?"
"You're not as ruthless as you were when you were younger. You used to be so insensitive sometimes, it was really painful to watch and experience."
She no longer looks at him, her eyes lost on his glass of wine, which she quickly picks up to take a small sip.
"Have I ever been like that with you?" Laurie asks in a rueful tone.
She taps the glass with her fingernails before slowly looking up at him. "Sometimes."
A sour taste fills his mouth as regret twists his insides, making him wish he could go back in time and erase all the times he made her feel unimportant. Not just her, but everyone around him. That's why he went to see Jo tonight, so they could talk, and he could properly apologize for his behavior last summer after she rejected him. Although he had already apologized and assured him that he was forgiven, there were still things that Laurie felt needed to be discussed more thoroughly between them.
But ironically, Jo changed his plans, allowing fate to bring Amy back into his life to remind him once again how blind he has been all these years.
"I'm sorry, Amy." He says as earnestly as he can, holding her gaze.
But Amy rolls her eyes and waves her hand dismissively. "It's okay, Laurie, I'm not telling you this to make you feel bad. We were talking about Peter and what a fucknut he is, remember?"
"Do people still use that word?" Laurie chuckles.
She half shrugs, "He deserves it." And Laurie silently agrees.
He lets her change the subject, though his thoughts continue to haunt him for the rest of the meal.
***
Laurie had never been so afraid for his life as he was right now.
"Amy, brake!"
"Which pedal is it?"
"Oh my..."
They somehow make it out alive, and Laurie takes the wheel again, chasing Amy out of the driver's seat.
"I strongly suggest you never hand in your license, for everyone's sake."
Despite all they've eaten at the restaurant, Amy assures him she still has room for dessert and drags him to a convenience store. They pick out three different ice creams, despite the cold weather, and eat them in the car as they talk. They've been talking all evening, and yet they always find a new topic to discuss or gossip about. Amy tells him about how she's been struggling to paint lately, and he tells her about Boston and his desire to pack up and travel for a while.
"Do you think you're going to accept Aunt March's offer?"
"I told her I would have to think about it." She answers vaguely, concentrating on the ice cream in her hands as if it were some kind of scientific experiment.
She might be a scientific experiment herself, because Laurie doesn't know how in the world she can still eat after everything she ate at the restaurant.
"Well, if you ever go to Paris, maybe I'll join you." Laurie says in a playful tone, but he means every word. He would love to meet her there. To take her to all the tourist spots and fill his stomach with croissants and coffee with her. It would be like discovering a new aspect of her and maybe a new aspect of himself, too.
His words make her look up at him and she smiles gratefully. "I'd like that."
Her eyes drop to his mouth, her eyebrows knitted slightly.
"Wha..." Laurie starts to say but stops himself when Amy's thumb touches the corner of his lips.
Her sweet scent engulfs him and Laurie swallows hard, his mouth suddenly dry.
"You can't eat properly, it seems." She teases, showing him the chocolate sauce on her thumb.
"Thank you." He manages to say it, though in a mumble.
Her grin is teasing, her eyes looking at him knowingly. "Anytime."
***
It's 10 p.m. when Marmee sends her a text message telling her to come home.
"So, what did you think?" Laurie asks her as they walk up the path to Orchard House.
"I think next time you should just take me to a fast-food place or a pizzeria."
"Next time, huh?"
She realizes what she just said and suddenly stops a few feet from the porch. "I mean, only if you want, I don't-"
Laurie cuts her off. "How about tomorrow?" He offers.
Her lips part slightly in surprise. "Tomorrow?"
"Yes. I'll pick you up around seven and we can go to that pizzeria you like."
It had been a long time since he had had such a pleasant evening, and he can't wait to do it again.
"Laurie..." She tilts her head to the side. "Are you asking me out on a date?"
"It depends." He shrugs. "What do you say?"
Instead of giving him an answer, she narrows her eyes and crosses her arms over her chest. "What are you doing, Laurie?"
"Nothing, I just want to spend time with you. As friends." It's a half-truth. He does want to spend more time with her. Just as friends? Sure. He'll take whatever she's willing to give him; if it's just friendship, he'll be happy with that. Although he can't deny that he'd be even happier if she wanted more.
"As friends." She repeats and he nods.
Laurie tries to act nonchalant, shoving his sweaty hands into his pockets, but his red cheeks betray him. Hopefully she thinks it's because of the cold. But by the look of amusement on her face, she knows exactly what is going on in his head.
"Yes. Friends. Isn't that what we are?"
She takes a small step toward him. Calm and composed, she raises her chin to meet his eyes. "I don't know. You tell me. You're the one asking me out on a date. I'm not sure that's what friends do."
Laurie clenches his fists in his pockets, as much to punish himself for his thoughts as to stop himself from touching her, pulling her closer and kissing her like he wishes.
"How about we figure it out tomorrow?" He manages to say, his eyes falling to her mouth and back to her sparkling blue eyes.
"Then I'll see you tomorrow." Her next move takes him by surprise as she leans up on her toes and plants a kiss on his cheek. Her breath is warm and comforting against the cold skin of his face.
At this point, Laurie wouldn't be surprised if she could hear his heart pounding against his chest.
"That's how your date should have gone, that guy's an idiot and he doesn't deserve you." He says as she walks towards her house.
She turns and gives him the most beautiful smile. One that warms his heart. "Good night, Laurie."
"Good night, Amy."
Adorable, he said?
Fuck that, she is beautiful.