Chapter Text
Louise loves her family, she really does. That’s why she still comes back for weekly dinner even though she now has her own place and is pretty decent at cooking her own meals. The warmth and companionship was unmatched…most days.
This day in particular there seemed to be something in the air. She'd walked into the restaurant after helping a few clients figure out their failing businesses, as she did every Friday. It was late afternoon and she tied an apron around her waist while Teddy chatted. There was a small rush, which had become more of the norm lately thanks to better marketing. Bob and Zeke were cooking up a storm, Linda and Tina already manning the front.
“Take five T, momma's got this,” were Louise's first words as she patted her sister's shoulder. It would've been more appropriate to say auntie, considering sweet sister Tina was heavily pregnant with the first grandbaby Belcher, but when was Louise appropriate?
And nevertheless Tina looked grateful. She'd definitely been on her feet far too long.
“Great, I'm gonna..go upstairs for a…bit,” the older woman said between breaths.
Louise got filled in on Tina's tables, and the shift went relatively normal for the rest of the night. After the rush had calmed, Bob and Linda took a little booth break. Gene popped in and went directly to the dishes. Linda eventually got up to take stock. Louise went over post ideas with her dad, he liked to make sure nothing was too flashy and they bounced puns off each other. It was a comforting routine that lulled Louise into a false sense of security.
The night ended with Louise and Zeke cleaning and locking up. They made their usual small talk, mostly about how Tina was fairing and how the nursery was coming along. By the time they got upstairs they could hear the rest of the family’s idle chatter and smell Linda's meatloaf. Now, Louise couldn't make out what was being said but she did clock how the words stopped flowing the moment they got to the landing.
Tina was the first to react, standing up and meeting her husband halfway for a kiss. While the mushy stuff went down, Louise sidestepped to see what help was needed in the kitchen. Her dad was just pulling a dish of something green and lumpy out of the oven. Without being asked, the youngest Belcher grabbed the jar of cheese sauce from the counter and poured it generously over the broccoli. Only way to stomach the stuff, she thought with a scrunch of her nose.
There was a comfortable silence between father and daughter that Louise relished as they put the finishing touches on everything. Fresh chives over the mashed potatoes, a tray of butter for the corn on the cob..they'd outdone themselves once again. Louise went to place the shakers and paper towels on the fold out table in the living room, and took notice of how everyone was staring at her when she did. Quiet once again. She leered at them. They were obviously up to something, but what? Like a tiger, she watched the herd for a sign of weakness.
When no one broke, she huffed and put a fist on her hip. “Dinner's ready, Gene come help me set up while the elderly rest.”
Their mom’s eyes got just a little wide as she shared a glance with Tina as she took a gulp of wine. Satisfied that she hasn't been imagining things, Louise followed Gene back to the kitchen.
Unfortunately there was no chance for interrogation as the middle sibling kept babbling on about their latest gig and who they saw there and with who. The word-brook was too fast for Louise to keep up with and without realizing it they'd already set the table.
The family sat down and began to dish out their plates. Despite earlier weirdness, dinner went down as usual. Linda was loud, Gene was louder. Everyone was jovial, even Louise who had by now forgotten about the previous queer moments. Everything was great. Picturesque in Louise's mind. That's when Linda was checking everyone's plates for seconds and asked her youngest,
“Another bushel of broccoli, hun?”
Louise paused mid-last bite of meatloaf. The table went still. “Huh?”
All eyes were bouncing between the two until Linda squeaked out, “Broccoli, hun. Did you want more broccoli?”
Hazel eyes narrowed suspiciously before Louise shook her head. “Nooo thanks, had enough of that for the year.”
And she's almost certain she heard a collective breath get released from the peanut gallery. But Linda's already moved on to making sure Tina and Tiny have had their fill, so there's only room for more speculation. Most of the conversation from that moment is on everyone's going-on’s. Usually when Louise is addressed it's to ask about her bookkeeping gig or how Phoebe 2 -a green bottle blue tarantula- is doing, but then Tina asked,
“Do any berry picking last weekend?” while staring directly at her dear sister. There was a twinkle in her eye that Louise just knew she was not imagining. Especially because it was coupled with a grin.
And that's when everything montaged through Louise's mind. Everyone looking at her like she'd grown an extra limb, Gene’s rambling about some event he dj’ed at, the broccoli slip-up…Louise stood up so quickly that her chair fell.
“I don't know what you're talking about and I was not with Logan Bush at Drag-on Knights, we just both happened to be there and got sat together and anyone saying otherwise is De. Lu. Sion. Al.”
There was a beat of a crazed Louise daring anyone to contradict her. When it seemed like no one would, she started to fix her chair and sit down. During the sitting motion, her oh so wonderful mother chirped up,
“Oh honey, we think it's cute that you like Logan. Besides, he cleaned up nice.”
And with that, Louise slipped and slammed her chin on the table.
Bob jumped up with probably the fastest reflexes anyone's seen out of him in years.
“Lin you can't just- Louise let's go check you out in the bathroom light,” he coaxed. Busy trying not to scream in agony, more over the betrayal of her family than the pain of a possibly split lip, Louise didn't notice the disapproving head shake the Belcher patriarch sent the rest of the family.
In the safety of the somewhat private bathroom, Bob looked at his youngest child. She was in her 30’s and far from a baby now, but she'd always be that scrappy kid to him. Especially now that she was leaning against the sink, arms crossed and face pink with embarrassment. At the moment she was facing him…or at least the wall next to him.
“You know they didn't mean anything by it. We're just..not used to the idea of you being around people like..that,” he fumbled.
Louise scoffed incredulously. “I'm around people all the time. I have friends, I go out!”
Bushy, graying brows shot up in a you know what I mean kind of way. Feeling her face get warmer, and a little wet, Louise huffed.
“Yea yea, I get it. Can't keep secrets unless I want to be mercilessly teased when I get found out.”
A warm smile formed under that old mustache. Bob went to give his daughter a comforting hug when he paled a bit.
“Lou-Louise you uh. You've got-”
It didn't take much thinking for Louise to spin around and put a wet rag to her bleeding lip before the sight caused her dad to pass out.
🍔🍔🍔
Back at her apartment, Louise put her tupperware of leftovers in the fridge and went to say hello to her favorite arachnid. While she was cooing over Phoebe 2 and ranting about her crazy night and family, the patio door opened.
“How'd dinner g-ooh what happened to your face, Bunny?” Shocked at hearing concern in her.. in Logan's voice, Louise looked up. As if something unspoken between them started to push out, he backpedaled. “You lose a fight on the way back?”
It was enough to make Louise give a good natured snort. “Yea, and you should see the other guy.”
Logan chuckled back, hands finding his back pockets as he examined the woman's face from across the room. A short staring contest ensued before Louise flopped on her loveseat with a groan.
“Gene dj’ed that night and now the whole family knows we..” she paused and gave a wild wave of her hand between them, “hang out.”
This time Logan snorted. He made sure the patio door was closed before taking the opposite end of the loveseat.
“They know we hang out? What's wrong with that?” A long arm was placed on the back of the couch, the hand at the end dangerously close to Louise’s face. Touching her cheek would be sooo easy, and her puffy, injured lip was begging to be gently caressed. For his safety, he held off and looked into her hazel eyes. Very miffed hazel eyes.
“It's wrong because now they know that I have emotions and feelings like some sick human!” She said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
He couldn't help but smirk. “So not just because it's me?”
Catching the gleam in his green eyes, Louise let out an ugh. “That's secondary, of course.”
Smirk turned into grin. This time, he didn't resist the urge to reach out. Logan ran the back of his trimmed nails down Louise’s cheek and brushed his thumb over her bottom lip. He watched the corner of her mouth turn up in a warning snarl.
“You're very biteable right now,” she growled.
He leaned forward, green never leaving hazel. “And you're very cute right now,” he teased just before teeth latched onto his finger. Not so gently that he wouldn't learn a lesson, but enough to not break skin.
Once satisfied, Louise backed off and grabbed the tv remote.
“You're coming to dinner next week by the way,” she said before putting all her bodyweight on him and turning on a Hawk and Chick marathon. Logan just chuckled again, draping one arm over Louise and combing through strands of a pigtail with the other as they settled in for the movie.