Work Text:
September 2023
Clarice had been working at the farm for about three years. The two gentlemen who ran it- well, she assumed Derek ran it, since he was always there- were kind, although Titch was often gruff. Clarice liked the aubergine farm. Working there during the Third Cube War wasn’t ideal, especially since the owners were considering laying them off during the winter (as happened every year). This year, though she anticipated that there would be scant few other jobs during the winter. So everyone would either enlist or starve.
“Like my girlfriend did,” Clarice said, leaning both her palms on Titch’s desk. He frowned, steepling his fingers.
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Yeah, I know.” Clarice huffed. “It was stupid! It was so fucking stupid! We fight sometimes, but for her to just up and enlist!?”
Titch and Derek exchanged a glance.
“I’ll make you some tea,” Derek said quietly, then slipped from the room. He and Titch had started doing that so much more now: whatever had happened between them the past spring, they were in sync now more than ever before. Clarice twisted her head to watch Derek leave the office and head for the black-and-white tiled kitchen.
“Sit,” Titch said. She crossed her arms and sat, irritatedly tapping her foot. Titch set his pen aside. “Business is done for the day, so you have my attention. Uh, if you need it.”
Despite herself, Clarice’s mouth twitched into a half smile.
“You’re still not great at the whole ‘people’ thing, Boss.”
“That was always more Derek’s thing,” Titch admitted, but he, too, was smiling. “Are you still with your girlfriend?”
“Yeah. I just…” Clarice sighed. She leaned forward, both elbows landing on Titch’s desk. Titch didn’t blink. “I just feel helpless, y’know?” Titch’s eyes darted towards the kitchen before finding Clarice’s again. “Like there’s so much she can do that I can’t, and I can’t even protect her while she’s doing it. I’m proud of her! Or I want to be, anyway, but…”
“But you don’t like how these events are coming about,” Titch finished softly.
“Yeah, something like that.” Clarice shook her head. “You and Derek seem to have it so together.”
Titch coughed. “We talk,” he said, which Clarice didn’t think was too helpful. Derek chose that moment to reenter, so Clarice straightened up and accepted the steaming mug of tea he passed her. She took a sip as Derek settled himself in the chair beside Titch’s. It was strong, black tea with fruity, floral notes. Clarice didn’t drink enough tea to recognize it, but it was pleasant and hot, which was good enough for her.
“Will you be all right?” Derek asked after a minute of all three of them drinking their tea.
“Yeah, yeah,” Clarice said quickly. “Um, my work here won’t be affected, or anything.”
“Not what I was asking,” Derek pointed out, “but that’s good to know. I meant, how is Clarise?”
Clarise tilted her head, considering. “She’s… upset. Angry. Feels like this is retribution for that argument, even though she knows it isn’t.”
Derek made an encouraging noise.
“Mary had been talking about enlisting for a while.” She sighed, looking up just in time to catch Derek and Titch exchanging another glance. “I guess it was just time. Y’know?”
“Yes,” Derek remarked. “I do.” Clarice sniffled, nose running a little from the hot tea. She rubbed her nose on her sleeve, prompting a tsking noise from Titch, who handed her a tissue. She took it and blew her nose, then, not knowing where to put the used tissue, balled it up and shoved it into her pocket. Her overalls had seen worse than a little snot.
“You guys just seem to have it so together,” Clarice mumbled to her lap. “I don’t get it.”
She looked up to see Derek smiling sadly at her.
“Have you tried just talking?” he asked. “Listening to her, without judgement?”
“It’s a little hard,” Clarice protested. “This isn’t- I don’t know- how to divide chores, it’s her life at stake! Am I wrong for not wanting my girlfriend to be in danger!?”
“You aren’t wrong,” Derek reassured her, reaching out to her arm before pausing with his hand midair. Clarice sniffled again and angrily wiped her eyes. “But I don’t think it’s me and Titch you need to be talking to.”
“I know,” Clarice grumbled. She got the tissue back out and blew her nose again. “But she’s leaving for training on Monday. I don’t…”
Titch and Derek waited patiently for her to gather her thoughts. Clarice sniffled again, overcome with gratitude for her two weird, gay bosses who, despite Titch’s gruffness and both their tendencies to push themselves to exhaustion (Derek would deny it, but he was almost as bad as Titch), cared. They cared so fucking much, more than Clarice’s girlfriend-
No, that wasn’t fair to Mary. At her heart, Clarice knew that. She just…
“I want this war to never have happened,” Clarice said miserably. “I wish it wasn’t happening now.”
“So do I,” Titch admitted. “So does everyone, I think. But it is, so we have to rely on each other, not let our differences rend us apart.” He and Derek exchanged another meaningful look that Clarice was too tired and teary-eyed to decode.
“Talk to Mary,” Derek urged. “Please. Don’t let her slip away thinking you hate her for this.”
“I don’t-” Clarice and Titch both started to say, then stopped. Titch was looking at Derek.
“I know, love,” Derek said quietly. He leaned in to press a quick kiss to Titch’s lips. Clarice looked away: it was oddly like seeing her parents kiss. “I meant her.” He nodded at Clarice.
“I don’t hate her,” Clarice finished, voice catching on the last syllable as the words tumbled out of her and then kept coming. “I hate this situation, I hate this war, I hate that she’s leaving, I hate that I can’t let her go, but I don’t hate her.”
“Tell her that,” Titch implored, “because she won’t know for certain unless you talk to her.”
Clarice nodded a little. She blew her nose a final time and shoved the now-truly-disgusting tissue into her overalls pocket. “Thank you for the tea,” she said as she rose. “And for listening.”
“Any time,” Titch assured her with a wave of his hand. “Please keep us informed.” Derek nodded.
Outside the office, after she had closed the door behind her because Titch was insistent that it be kept closed, probably for an attempt at privacy if she had any guess, Clarice pulled out her phone and fired off a message to Mary.