Work Text:
Rodrick woke up to the feeling that one of his arms was asleep. The numb static-y feeling crept up his arm and even with great concentration, he couldn’t summon his fingers to move. Normally in a situation like this, he would simply move his arm into a position that better promoted blood flow. The only problem was that his arm was underneath the sleeping body of his girlfriend whom he would rather not wake. Instead, Rodrick tried to distract himself from the numb feeling by looking around the room. Regina George’s room was illuminated by moonlight which allowed Rodrick to see the large white vanity in my corner with a huge mirror and stacks of makeup and beauty products. On the other side of the room, her closet door was covered in pictures and mementos. In the darkness, Rodrick couldn’t quite make out what was on the walls but he knew what was there: polaroids of him and Regina, film photos she had taken at some of his shows during her (short-lived) photography hobby, the birthday card Rodrick had written her, and of course photos of her with her friends and family. But that was of secondary importance to Rodrick. Above him a glass chandelier swayed and twinkled in the dark.
But Rodrick’s arm still felt like sparkling water. He was certain that any more blood flow loss would lead to amputation. So as carefully and delicately as he could, he removed his arm from under Regina’s back. The operation was a success and his arm was freed. Rodrick draped it over the edge of the bed, allowing gravity to return feeling to his extremity. He was just beginning to gain motion back in his hands when he heard movement beside him.
Regina rolled over and murmured to herself, still half-asleep.
“Rodrick” She whispered quietly after a moment.
“I’m here.” He replied. Cursing himself for not being more careful.
“Why’d you move? I liked the way you held me.” There was something sweet about the words that Regina said but Rodrick knew that they were not to be taken lightly. She never shied away from telling him, and everyone else for that matter, what she wanted.
“My arm fell asleep, I couldn’t feel my fingers.”
“You need your fingers to play drums.” She said quietly, still drowsy.
Rodrick couldn’t help but feel a smile spread on his face. When they first started seeing each other, Regina had been adamant that she would rather be caught dead than be seen at one of his shows. But now she was his biggest supporter. Cheering louder than everyone else in whatever basement they happen to be performing in, dutifully working the merch table, and even negotiating gigs at actual venues around town. Everyone in Löded Diper called her their manager and she pretended to be annoyed by the title.
“And other things.” Rodrick replied, mischievously.
He felt a pillow hit his head.
“You’re so gross.” She sighed, more awake now than before.
“Am I really? You don’t seem to mind it if I am.” Rodrick retorted.
Rodrick’s now fully-restored fingers groped for Regina in the dark and pulled her close to him.
“I used to mind.” She replied, as she settled her head into the crook of his neck.
“What did you think of me when we first met?” Rodrick asked. It was a question he had wanted to ask Regina for a while but he hadn’t found the right moment.
“Do you want me to be honest?”
“Yes.”
“Well, don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Regina said. She hadn’t lost her quick and biting wit but now she at least (sometimes) had the self-control necessary not to say every mean thing that came to her mind, "Honestly, I thought you were kind of a loser. I didn’t like the way you dressed, like you were too cool for clean clothes and I didn’t like that I could smell your body spray from 10 miles away. And the first time I heard your band, I wanted to rip my eardrums out.”
“Wow” Rodrick exhaled.
“You wanted me to be honest, didn’t you?” Regina exclaimed, taking hold of Rodrick’s face in her hands. She gave his cheek a light slap.
“I don’t think that anymore!” She added quickly
Rodrick liked the attention Regina was giving him so he pretended to feel more hurt than he was, making sad faces at her.
Regina leaned down to kiss him, long and hard. Rodrick’s arms tightened their grip on her body.
“Better now?” Regina asked as they pulled apart.
“Much better.” Rodrick beamed. Not really very hurt after all. He knew how this story turned out.
After a moment, Regina asked: “And what did you think of me when we first met?”
“I thought you were the fakest, most spoiled rich girl I had ever seen.”
“Hey!” Regina exclaimed, reaching over to hit Rodrick with a pillow again.