Chapter Text
He looked at her as if it were the first time. As if he hadn't met her 14 years ago, when they began a lifelong rivalry. As if he hadn't seen her nearly every day for the past 5 years, working together at her dad's burger joint.
In a way, he did think of this as the first time. At least, this was the first time he saw her as someone other than the little girl whose bunny hat he took; the little girl who dropped a rotten melon on him and almost got his grungy teenage armpit in her face in return, the little girl who engaged in a snow war with him and yet still helped him when all the girl-jocks of his school were ready to pummel him in ice.
Standing at the bottom of the Belcher house steps in a simple green blouse and black dress pants, hair done up sans hat in a way that accentuated a face that’s been subtly changing, she looked more like a woman. He must’ve forgotten how to blink, because soon she was glaring at him.
“Don’t you say a thing Logan or I swear I’ll-” her threat was cut short by her mother’s own warning.
“Louise, be on your best behavior today.”
The way both Belcher women had their arms crossed and wore admonishing looks could almost be considered comical. The younger broke first, a hand coming up to her chest as she gasped in mock hurt.
“Mother, I am always on my best behavior.” She batted her lashes, Logan wondering when they got so long, as Linda grunted.
“I mean it Miss Missy. This is Tina’s rehearsal dinner, we want this to go as smoothly as possible.”
Before anyone else could say anything, Bob made his way down the stairs. He was still fussing with his tie and grumbling by the time his feet touched the ground floor. Linda gave a small smile as she stepped toward him. Her hands were up and reaching for the tie before she even spoke,
“Here Bobby, let me.”
Finding the simple exchange endearing, Logan grinned to himself. He risked another glance at Louise. The youngest Belcher was fidgeting with a stray bit of curled hair. Logan guessed she was trying to avoid the emotions involved in the scene, she never was one for sappy things. Before she could notice his gaze, Logan switched to looking at a suddenly interesting wallpaper peeling.
“Alriiight, let’s go rehearse that dinner!” Linda soon cheered.
“Lin that’s not what..nevermind,” Bob muttered as he quickly thought better than to try and correct his wife.
~x~x~x~
The rest of the night went more smoothly than any Belcher-related event had ever gone. Louise hoped that meant tomorrow would go just as good, despite it all being a love-fest. She may have a healthy dislike for these kinds of things, but she loved her sister and thought she deserved all the happiness she could get.
Zeke’s family actually wasn’t that bad. A few rowdy kids like he had been, but nothing she had trouble handling. What had been a problem for Louise was the guy who seemed to be staring at her all night. She had no idea what Logan’s problem was, but with her mother’s warning hanging over her head she hadn’t been able to confront him. Therefore she was happy to be back in the safehaven of her bedroom hours later.
Tomorrow probably won’t be any better, she thought as she looked up at her ceiling. In some cruel twist of fate, she and Logan had been chosen as the maid of honor and the best man. Louise tried her best to talk Gene into her nemesis’s place, but they were content with their role as flower bearer/dj.
“Can’t do the music and dance to it at the same time Lou, so no can do.” As she recalled her large sibling’s words, Louise felt her face scrunch up. Damn them.
And damn Jimmy Jr for having to be across the country last minute. She was going to be just fine having to do some menial tasks with her sister’s old flame, but noooo he got invited to feature at some prestigious dance seminar. He thought about turning it down to support his friends, but both of them had insisted this would be big for him. That was when Logan walked in for work and Zeke jumped to ask him to stand in. With all three giving him puppy dog eyes, the blonde found it hard to turn down such a big role.
Now she was going to have to dance with that stupid, smug not-so-rich-now boy and do her best to avoid his stupid, smug face. They’d be in close proximity and she wouldn’t be able to slap him for any of the various reasons she would normally find. She would have to be around Logan for hours. With not too many other things to do to distract herself. She’d have to sit there and her mind would fill with wishes of him complimenting her on how grown up she looked, how nice she cleaned up, saying anything to show that he realized she wasn’t a kid anymore.
Oh shut UP Louise Belcher! You do NOT care about that scuzzbag and how he feels about you. You’re just being a gross and hormonal person. Stop it!
The young woman berated herself for letting her thoughts get out of hand. Heaving a sigh, she threw an arm over her face and thought back to when Logan started working at the restaurant...
She’d recently graduated and turned eighteen, opting to take online courses for business rather than leave her family like some other traitor siblings. With only three people, the workload would sometimes become a little much. That’s why Bob had been so quick to hire Logan Barry Bush even against his daughter’s instant protests. The youth had recently come back from his own college exploits, but wasn’t quite ready to go into the work his parents laid out for him. Louise had been adamant about not hiring her arch-nemesis and was ready to start pelting him with condiment bottles the moment he walked in.
In fact, she’d had a bottle in her hand, arm back as soon as she heard the bell alert the family to the open door..only to freeze when she saw him. After the seconds it took her to take in how he’d filled out over the past seven years; taller, more broad, light scruff covering a jaw that had gotten more defined..the mustard bottle made contact with Logan’s face.
Louise watched as the bottle bounced from that face and landed in his hands. Her dark brown eyes went wide as he looked from the bottle to her and smirked.
“Guess you heard, huh Four Ears?” he said while gently tossing the bottle. After catching the bottle again he lifted the counter and officially invaded the most sacred space Louise had.
“Yo Mr. B!” he called without a second glance at the teen.
Louise watched in horror as Logan waltzed to the back and greeted her dad with a high five. She angrily wiped down the counter while listening to the banter.
“Logan! It’s nice to have you back,” she heard Bob say. Her face scrunched up as she mocked him, head tilting from side to side. “So you got your master’s? Congratulations.”
“Yeah I did, thanks. Cynthia wouldn’t pay for anything unless I did, something about wanting me to go into a cousin’s business. But since she paid in full already-” Ooof course she did. “-I figured I was free to cut ties.”
“Gene mentioned some of that. I was surprised when they said you were interested in coming back here.”
Louise gripped her rag and gritted her teeth as Logan replied, “Just thought it’d be a good place to try some of the things I learned in culinary classes.”
Bob’s excitement was so obvious, Louise wanted to gag. “You took culinary classes?”
Why don’t you just marry the man? she sneered as she scrubbed an imaginary spot on the counter - ignoring the plenty of actual spots.
Logan laughed and Louise felt her gut clench. “I needed something to cut through the horror of the other business majors.”
The bell jingled again and Louise had never been happier to see Teddy. She called out for a burger of the day before the handyman sat down. Bob could be heard going over the process with the newest burger flipper.
“Bob, Bob you have a new worker?” Teddy asked while leaning to see the kitchen.
“Yes Teddy,” Bob called back.
“Who is it Bobby? Anyone I know?”
Louise loudly groaned. Before the conversation could continue Logan showed his stupid face while putting the burger on the counter.
“Order up Four Ears,” he said, looking smug. Then he turned his attention to Teddy and finger gunned at him. “Long time no see Teddo.”
Louise. Rolled. Her. Eyes. And. Screamed.
Teddy, on the other hand, slapped the counter and gave a singular “HA!” while not noticing the girl’s outburst.
“Teddo, I LOVE it. Bob, call me Teddo from now on. Ahhh..who is this again?”
Louise couldn’t take it. She stormed out the restaurant while still wishing the door could slam.
She was sick to her stomach, obviously, at the idea of her worst enemy working in her most sacred restaurant and getting buddy-buddy with her dad and Teddy, and no one had even noticed. The sheer audacity!
The Release the Bracken burger sat on the bar for minutes before Teddy realized Louise never gave it to him.