a strangers heart without a home

by myztify

Summary:

Fezco is in the not-so-nice part of town, in a house with a single mom and two teenagers, in an effort to place him ‘with his peers’. Unless these people have sold drugs for their grandma since the age of twelve, Fezco doesn’t think he can really consider them his peers.

 

or: after his grandma’s death, fezco moves into the howard home and becomes lexi’s foster brother

Chapter 1: one

Notes:

please mind the tags and avoid this one if fez being lexi’s foster brother bothers you

also, please ignore any inaccuracies around the foster system and suze’s ability to land a foster kid. call it poetic license 😁

fyi: fez is aged down here, the same age as cassie. lexi is one year younger and ash is thirteen

 

title from “Fade Into You” by Mazzy Star

Fezco doesn’t cry when his grandma dies; he knows she wouldn’t have wanted him to. Instead his bites down hard on his bottom lip as he watches her casket being lowered into the ground and wraps his arm around Ashtray’s shoulders as they walk away.

There was a small turn-out — mainly former associates of his grandma, all unsavory types who were involved in all manner of illegal activity, so he’s not surprised when he sees a cop car circle past the cemetery a few times.

They go to their favorite diner after the service, eat greasy burgers and drink strawberry milkshakes and talk about the good times. Although, he thinks if anyone overheard their conversation, they wouldn’t believe they were the good times at all. Watching your grandma pistol-whip a man who owed her money probably wouldn’t be a happy memory for most.

They go back to the house, share a joint, and go to bed, knowing that this will be the last night they spend in this house for a while, maybe ever. In the morning, Ashtray will go to his foster home and Fezco will go to his, and they will live apart for the first time in their lives.

Fezco doesn’t cry at his grandma’s funeral but his pillow is damp when he falls asleep that night.

 

- - -

 

He’s four months away from turning eighteen. Going to a foster family seems kind of ridiculous but CPS had insisted and found them both placements. Ashtray was moving in with a family on the really nice side of town, with two parents, their two kids and even a dog.

“A whole ass nuclear family,” Ashtray had said with a scoff when the social worker had told them.

Fezco is in the not-so-nice part of town, in a house with a single mom and two teenagers, in an effort to place him ‘with his peers’. Unless these people have sold drugs for their grandma since the age of twelve, Fezco doesn’t think he can really consider them his peers.

The mom welcomes him in and Fezco thinks she looks kind of frazzled — make-up smudged around her eyes and clothes wrinkled. But the house is nice, bigger than anything he’s ever lived in, and the social worker seems to really like her.

“I’m Suze,” she says with a smile. “My girls Cassie and Lexi will be home from school later.”

Fezco feels strangely pleased that it’s two girls. He didn’t want to deal with some testosterone-laden football douchebag or some guy that was looking to become his best friend. His grandma had raised him to respect women, to feel comfortable around them, so this was a great result in Fezco’s opinion.

Suze shows him to his new room — a box room in the far corner of the house, just big enough to fit a single bed and a dresser. It’s not as big as his bedroom in his grandma’s house, but it’s fine for the next few months.

She hovers in the doorway, telling him she’ll leave him to get settled, but pauses on her way out.

“Oh, and Fezco? My daughter Cassie, she’s very, uh… forward. But she’s a good girl. I want this to work, so please just be careful, okay?”

Fezco’s not sure what she means by any of that, but nods. “Okay.”

He leans back against the pillows on his new bed and pulls out his phone to text Ash.

Fez: yo, how’s the new crib?

Ash: these folks rich af. my room bigger than grandma’s whole house, it’s wild

Fezco smiles to himself. Maybe it would do Ash some good to get some experience of the nicer side of life.

Ash: miss you bro

Fez: miss you 2

 

- - -

 

Fezco’s palms start to sweat as soon as he sees Cassie. He hadn’t thought anything of her name when Suze told him but shit, he fucking knows this girl.

Her eyes widen comically wide as they land on him, and he knows she’s panicking. He wants to tell her not to worry, that he isn’t going to say anything to get her in trouble. He doesn’t exactly want to talk about what he used to do anyway — Suze was a nice lady, she didn’t need to know the details about the delinquent she’s invited into her home.

“Hi, I’m Lexi,” the younger sister introduces herself, thrusting out a hand for him to shake, with a wide smile.

He frowns slightly at her hand and takes it gingerly, amused as he shakes it.

“I’m Fezco.”

He thinks he’s seen her around before, but not as often as Cassie. She’s definitely never bought drugs from him, that he’s sure of.

“Nice to meet you,” she says and it sounds like she really means it.

She’s pretty, he thinks, warmer and softer than her sister, and so petite he thinks she would drown in the sweater he’s currently wearing. It’s a strange thought, one he dismisses almost immediately, but still — she was pretty.

“Go do your homework before dinner,” Suze instructs them, then levels Cassie with a look. “And I’m not talking to Lexi.”

Cassie huffs and rolls her eyes, and both girls spare one last look at him before they retreat to their shared bedroom.

“Watch whatever you want, hon,” Suze tells him, tossing him the TV remote. “Dinner will be ready in an hour.”

 

- - -

 

Suze’s chicken and potatoes are bland and unseasoned but he isn’t about to complain. He can’t remember the last time he actually had a home-cooked meal, instead of instant noodles or something that went into the microwave.

He doesn’t talk much, mostly listens to Lexi tell her mother about the school play she’s co-directing — Oklahoma, he thinks it’s called — and Lexi and Cassie sharing the latest school gossip.

He offers to wash the dishes when they’re done and Lexi volunteers to help, depositing stacked plates onto the counter with a smile.

“Are you going to school tomorrow? Mom didn’t mention anything about you enrolling at East Highland.”

He rinses off a plate as he answers, “Uh, Ion go to school. Dropped out sophomore year.”

Her eyebrows knit together as she loads dry cutlery into the drawer. “Oh.”

“I ain’t dumb or nothin’,” he says and he’s not even sure why. It’s not like he wants to impress this girl. “Just had other shit goin’ on.”

She nods as if she understands but he knows she doesn’t.

“Well, I could always help you enroll in a GED course, if you wanted.”

He doesn’t know if he’s interested, he’s never thought much about it.

“Um, maybe. I’ll have to get back to you on that.”

She smiles easily. “Okay.”

Fezco goes back to his task, scrubbing a plate clean and setting it aside to drain, the whole time trying to ignore the warmth blooming in his chest.

Lexi’s phone buzzes on the counter beside him and he glances it briefly, sees her wallpaper — a picture of her and Rue Bennett, arms wrapped around each other.

“You know Rue?”

She looks up from her phone, smiling. “Yeah! Do you?”

“Yeah, I know her. She’s cool.”

“We’ve been best friends since, like, pre-school. Now you’re here, we should hang out sometime, all three of us.”

“Sure,” he replies with a nod, trying to suppress his smile.

 

- - -

 

While the girls are at school and Suze is at work, Fezco goes to his job at the convenience store. He had inherited and sold it when his grandma had died, to an old couple who didn’t seem to know about it’s history or it’s previous owner. They agreed to give Fezco a job, and he spent most weekdays there, stocking shelves and tending to customers.

He gets his pay check on Friday and withdraws thirty dollars to give to Suze.

“S’not much but should cover your gas money or whatever.”

She frowns at the bills in her hand and then up at him.

“Fezco, I don’t need this. I’m supposed to be taking care of you.”

He shrugs. “S’fine, makes me feel better ‘boutchu lettin’ me stay here.”

He can see she wants to say more but he doesn’t give her a chance, slinking off to his room for his nightly FaceTime call with Ash.

 

- - -

 

They go to their diner. Ash’s foster parents had agreed to let Fezco take him for a weekly dinner, every Friday. Fezco had offered to take Ash anywhere but he had insisted on the diner.

“They good to you, man?”

Ash shrugs, staring down at his food. “They’re fine. Food’s good, better than at home. And they got this dope home theater in their basement.”

Fezco smiles. “Sick. You watched anythin’ good?”

“Not allowed to watch anything above PG-13,” he says with a roll of his eyes. “But we watched Shrek last weekend, that was funny.”

“Shrek’s tight,” Fez agrees with a nod.

“You got the better deal though, man. Livin’ with Cassie Howard — I saw those titties on Snapchat,” Ash says, smirking.

Fezco throws a fry at him. “Don’t talk ‘bout her like that, she’s nice.”

“What ‘bout her sister? She got good titties?”

Fezco laughs but it’s hollow. “Yeah, Lexi’s nice, too.”

 

- - -

 

Fezco’s eyes are burning during the drive home. Ash had hugged when he dropped him off — they had hugged more in the last three weeks than they had Ash’s whole thirteen years of life.

He was happy for Ash; his foster family were giving him a life he and his grandma never could, a life that he deserved. And he knew Ash was enjoying it, no matter how cool he tried to play it.

But Ash was still determined to go back to Fezco as soon as he was eighteen and out of the system. Fezco wasn’t sure if that was the best thing for him — he couldn’t give Ash that kind of life, one with home theaters and nutritious food and a huge backyard. But he knew Ash would feel betrayed if he didn’t come for him.

When he gets back to the Howard’s, most of the lights are off, except a lamp in the living room. He checks the room, finds Lexi inside, curled up under a blanket on the couch, profile highlighted by the light coming from the TV. He glances at the screen — Goodfellas.

“Hey.”

Her eyes swivel to him in shock but she smiles when she realizes it’s him. “Hey!”

“Goodfellas?” he asks as he takes a seat next to her, just to make conversation. 

“Yeah! My school’s film club is focusing on crime movies this year and I’ve decided to watch every mafia movie I can find.”

“That’s cool, this is a good one.”

“You’ve seen it?” she asks, twisting to face him more fully.

“Hell yeah. Me and Ash have watched it a couple times.”

Another pang of sadness hits, one that he fails to mask.

“Are you okay?” Lexi murmurs.

“Fine,” Fezco mutters, tone doing nothing to soothe her worries. “Just weird seein’ Ash, y’know?”

“Is he happy at his foster home?”

“Think so,” he answers. “Ash doesn’t give much away.”

“Neither do you,” Lexi says with a smile, head now resting against the back of the sofa. “Are you happy?”

Fezco mirrors her position, leaning back to gaze at her. Her features are lit by the light emanating from the lamp, and from this distance, he can see how her irises are not just brown but caramel, edged in dark brown with a hint of green. She’s not wearing any make-up and she is so much more than pretty, but he doesn’t know enough fancy words.

“Gettin’ there,” he replies, something like a smile pulling at his lips.

 

Chapter 2: two

Lexi watches Fezco smoke the last of his cigarette through the kitchen window, stubbing out the butt in a little bowl her mother has left on the deck for him. She goes out sometimes to empty it, finding far more ash than she was expecting. She’s pretty sure her mother is sneaking out with Fezco sometimes — despite “quitting” two years ago — but she hasn’t said anything to her about it. She’d let them have their little secret. 

He steps inside the kitchen, eyebrows raising when he finds her in the fridge, pulling out ingredients.

“You cookin’ dinner, again?”

“Yep,” she smiles. “Spaghetti and marinara sauce.”

A frown settles over his brow as he leans up against the island. “Why you always the one cookin’ for everybody?”

She shrugs. “I always have and I don’t mind — I like cooking.”

Her mother had made Fezco only one meal since he moved in — that dry, bland chicken on his first night — and then they had gone back to business as usual, with Lexi making dinner after that.

It really wasn’t a big deal. She wasn’t lying when she said she liked cooking and at least if she made the food, she knew it would have some seasoning.

“You doin’ too much, Lex,” he says, disapproval in his tone. Lex was new, something he’d just started saying. “Always takin’ care of people.”

“It’s honestly not a big deal.”

“Well, can I help?”

She surprised by the offer.

“Sure! Thank you.” She places two onions and a chopping board on the counter. “Can you chop these up, really fine? Cassie doesn’t like chunky onions in sauce.”

She doesn’t miss Fezco’s grumbled, “Maybe Cassie should make her own fuckin’ sauce,” as he picks up the chopping knife.

Lexi turns away to the stove, hiding her smile.

 

- - -

 

She has always been a good student, excelling at all of her subjects and always achieving high grades. But if there was a subject she really had to work at, it was math. Any kind of math really — geometry, trigonometry, algebra. None of it made great sense to her and her math homework always took the longest.

She’s hunched over said homework at the dining table when Fezco comes home, dropping his keys in the bowl by the door and toeing his sneakers off.

“Whatchu thinkin’ ‘bout so hard?”

She looks up at him, grimacing. “Is it really that obvious?”

He snorts. “You get this little wrinkle between yo’ eyebrows when you tryna figure somethin’ out.”

“I do?” She runs the pad on her finger between her brows and yep, there was a crease there.

Fezco’s cheeks are pink when she looks at him again.

“Do you know anything about ratios?”

“Hell yeah,” he says, dropping into the dining chair beside her. “Used to use that shit all the time when I bagged up drugs for my grandma.”

Sometimes Fezco says things like that and she’s reminded of just how different they are and why he’s here in her house. They come from such different worlds — she is so sheltered in comparison, even with an addict best friend and father — and his knowledge and smarts often came from practical experience, sometimes very illegal experience.

“Shit,” he curses, and the pink is there again, contrasting with his freckles. “Sorry. Forget I’m not talkin’ to Ash sometimes.”

“That’s okay,” she assures him. “It doesn’t bother me. You don’t need to apologize.”

Lexi hadn’t recognized Fezco the night he had moved in, but Cassie had, whispering frantically to Lexi once they were inside the safety of their bedroom.

“He’s a drug dealer!” she had hissed. “Maddy and I bought molly from him, like, six months ago.”

“So?” Lexi had shrugged. “He’s not doing it now and he seems nice.”

She stood by her initial assessment of him. He was nice, and sweet and thoughtful, and she knew he had been giving her mother money from his paycheck as if he needed to pay rent to stay with them.

“Still…” He rubs the back of his neck. “S’posed to be leavin’ that shit behind.”

“It’s fine,” Lexi assures him again with a smile. “Do you ever miss it?” she asks, without thinking.

He raises his brows in surprise, then takes a deep breath as he contemplates her question.

“Sometimes,” he admits. “I miss my grandma and livin’ with Ash. And it had its fun moments. My grandma was a crazy broad.”

“It’s obvious how much you loved her.”

“Yeah,” he sighs, a sad smile pulling at his lips. “Wasn’t always fun, though. Got raided by the feds a couple times, and when grandma had her stroke and CPS came over the first time, we had to flush all the drugs. So as much as I miss Ash, I ain’t sad ‘bout leavin’ that life.”

“Well I’m sorry about your grandma but I’m glad you’re here,” she admits, smiling softly. “I’ve really liked getting to know you, Fezco.”

He mirrors her smile. “Me, too, Lex.”

They hold each other’s gazes for a beat too long, and then his eyes drop to her homework again, moment broken.

“Lemme take a look at that problem.”

 

- - -

 

Rue comes by on a Saturday, fresh-faced and healthy; she’s been sober for months and in a better place than she has been in a while.

When she told her best friend that Fezco was the kid her mother was fostering, she had laughed out loud.

“Man, Fez is gonna lose his mind living with Cassie.”

“She’s not that bad,” Lexi had argued, but even she had her worries about Cassie’s capacity to cause drama in their house.

Lexi stands in front of Fezco and Rue as they lounge on the couch.

“Mean Streets or Once Upon a Time in America?”

“Mean Streets,” Fezco drawls as Rue yells, “Once Upon a Time in America!”

“Well I also vote Mean Streets,” Lexi says, secretly pleased that she and Fezco had the same preference. “So that wins!”

She takes a seat between them on the couch as the movie begins, huge mixed bowl of popcorn and M&M’s in her lap.

“M&M’s are a great touch, Lex,” Rue mumbles around a mouthful.

“Word,” Fezco agrees, taking his own handful.

She feels contentment wash over her as they settle in for the movie, flanked by her best friend and the guy she was starting to consider a close friend. It was nice having a little group to hang out with, instead of just her and Rue all the time, and sometimes Jules.

Although, she didn’t think the way she felt about Fezco was quite the same as the way she felt about Rue. And she definitely didn’t find herself daydreaming about the color of Rue’s eyes and what the exact shade would be called. 

As the credits roll, Fezco asks, “Yo, Lex, where you gonna rank this one?”

Rue frowns. “What are you talkin’ about?”

“Lexi’s been rankin’ all the movies she’s watchin’ for her club. Got a lil’ list on her phone.”

“Damn, Lex, living with Fezco for a few weeks and you’re already replacing me,” Rue teases, eyes flickering between the two of them. “You didn’t tell me about this list.”

“It’s just for my film club,” she says dismissively, not liking the way Rue was watching them. “I didn’t think it was worth telling.”

“Mmm,” she hums. “I don’t know if I like how much time you two are spending together, sharing every little detail of your lives. Just remember, Fez, she was my girl first.”

Lexi rolls her eyes, hitting Rue’s arm, while Fezco chuckles quietly beside her.

“I ain’t goin’ up against you, Rue. You crazy.”

She points at him. “Remember that.”

They order pizza and sit around the table while they eat, Rue and Fezco swapping stories about his grandma.

“Remember that gym bro who wouldn’t pay Ash for his coke, so Marie went outside and slashed all of his tires in front of him? Shit was funny as hell. Thought the vein in the guy’s forehead was gonna bust.”

Fezco scrubs a hand across his face as he laughs, eyes flickering over to Lexi, as if embarrassed.

“You make her sound like a psycho.”

Rue levels him with a look. “ Dude, your grandma was crazy. But, like, in a really awesome way.” She grins at Lexi. “Seriously, Lex, you should have met her.”

Lexi smiles, eyes fixed on Fezco. “Wish I had.”

 

- - -

 

That night — after Rue leaves her with a hug and another warning to Fezco not to steal her best friend — Lexi changes into pajama shorts and a matching t-shirt. She heads to her bathroom to remove her make-up and is moisturising her face when Cassie barges in, demanding Lexi leave so she can shower.

Lexi sighs but grabs her toothbrush, retreating to the main bathroom.

“Shit, my bad. Was just gonna brush my teeth. I’ll come back.”

Lexi looks up at the sound of Fezco’s voice, toothbrush halfway to her mouth.

“Oh, no! Come in, I’m doing the same.”

He plucks his toothbrush out of the holder and applies toothpaste to the bristles. Lexi looks him over while he’s distracted. It’s the most she’s ever seen of him, in a vest and black sweatpants, his arms as freckled as his face. He was always in baggy shirts and heavy jeans in the day, but now he looks relaxed and comfortable, and she can see his chain more clearly than ever before, hanging above the neckline of his vest.

Their eyes meet in the mirror as they both begin to brush, Fezco smirking around the handle of his. Lexi giggles, switching her brush to the other side.

They both take turns to spit and then Fezco pulls an exaggerated grin, scrubbing hard at his front teeth, making Lexi laugh again.

He finishes up first, spitting into the sink and rinsing again. Lexi is turning on the faucet as Fezco pauses in the doorway, watching her in the reflection of the mirror.

She meets his gaze, smiles softly.

“Night, Lex.”

“Night, Fez.”

Yeah, she was crushing hard.

 

Notes:

i love bring it on, in case you couldn’t tell 😉

Chapter 3: three

Living in a house with two teenage girls was an experience Fezco wouldn’t soon forget.

It actually seemed kind of cliche. If they weren’t at each other’s throats over something trivial, one of them was crying or eating all of the available snacks in the kitchen. And they spent so long in the bathroom. He thought Lexi would be furious if she realized just how many stereotypes she fulfilled.

He doesn’t mind it, though. The constant noise — hairdryers, bickering, giggling, slamming doors — was weirdly comforting and most of the time their arguments are dumb and pretty funny. A couple of times he had worried they were about to throw down in the living room, his eyes constantly flickering to Suze who didn’t look bothered in the slightest. Sometimes he thought this house saw more tension and conflict than his grandma’s, and they had had guns stashed in every piece of furniture.

Lexi is a little less screechy than Cassie, usually more cutting with her remarks and her glares, but he liked that she gave as good as she got.

Truthfully, he liked a lot of things about her. Probably too much.

What no one had told him about living with teenage girls was how good they smell. All manner of body sprays and lotions and scented candles filling the house. Lexi’s scent is secretly his new favorite thing — citrus body wash mixed with shampoo that smelled like strawberries, and soft perfume that carried throughout the hallway when she ran down the stairs for school.

All three women are gentle as well, in a way he never is with Ash; little affectionate touches as they pass each other in the kitchen, heads resting on shoulders when they got sleepy during a movie.

It hasn’t escaped Fezco’s notice that he was now included in those affectionate touches — Cassie bumping her hip against his to playfully move him out of the way, Suze reaching up to playfully rub the top of his head before he went to bed, Lexi squeezing his fingers whenever he talked about Ash.

That last one felt different to all the others — he could admit that to himself — filled him with a completely different kind of warmth. And the warmth concerned him; he remembered Suze’s warning that first day.

Turns out she had been right to warn him, but she had been talking about the wrong sister.

 

- - -

 

Ash is wearing a hoodie he’s never seen before when he picks him up.

“New threads?”

“Yep. Got these, too,” he says, lifting up his feet to show off his new Jordan’s.

“Dope.”

It was quiet in the diner that night. Fezco’s pretty sure most of the teenage population of East Highland was at Lexi’s play. She had invited him but he had declined as he didn’t want to bail on Ash, and she had assured him that she understood.

He has agreed to go to the after-party after he drops Ash off. It was at some rich kid’s house, not far from Ash’s foster home. Fezco felt some anxiety over it; he couldn’t remember the last time he’d gone to a party just to chill and not sell.

They order their usual at the diner plus an extra helping of onion rings. Ash always eats like a man starved, shovelling food into his mouth until his cheeks are puffed up like a squirrel.

Fezco chuckles. “Now I know they feedin’ you over there.”

Ash just shrugs in response, shoving another fry into his mouth.

“You good? Enjoyin’ school?”

“S’fine,” Ash replies. “Got my report card — all B’s and an A in math.”

“That’s wassup. Proud of you, bro.”

Ash ducks his head in embarrassment but he can see the pleased smile on his face.

“Been sellin’ some of our crypto, too. Steve’s been helpin’ me. He works in finance, understands all that shit.”

Fezco’s lips pull up in amusement. He can only imagine the look on his foster father’s face when this thirteen year old started asking him about how best to manage his crypto currency. Then again, he was a thirteen year old with face tattoos, so the man probably wasn’t surprised by much of the shit that came out of Ash’s mouth.

“Yeah, you makin’ bank?”

“Hell yeah. Our other investments doin’ good, too. Gonna buy some sick stuff for our place when we move.”

Fezco’s throat feels tight and he swallows back the lump resting there. So Ash was still planning to come and live with him in a few months. He filed that information away, not ready to address it when it made his stomach twist uncomfortably. 

“What’s your place like now? Seen Cassie comin’ out of the shower yet?”

Fezco can’t stop the laugh from escaping him, even as he scolds Ash. “Told you not to talk ‘bout her like that. But yeah, it’s good. They all real nice.”

He takes a bite of his burger and then he just keeps on talking, as if he can’t stop the words from spilling out.

“‘Specially Lexi. She doin’ this movie project, watchin’ all these gangster movies — some of your favorites. We watch a couple together every week. And she makes these dope cookies with big chunks of chocolate, not any of them shitty chips. Mad smart, too. Like, Ion know how she keeps all that shit in her head.”

When he’s finished, Ash is just staring at him, a little frown pulling at his brows.

“What?”

His eyes narrow. “You gotta crush on this girl or someshit?”

“What?” Fezco scoffs, fidgets in his seat, the linoleum squeaking beneath him. “Nah, man. She’s just nice, like I said. You’d like her, too.”

Ash doesn’t look so sure about that but Fezco isn’t going to try and convince him. He’s already embarrassed himself, talking about her as much as he has.

“Think livin’ with these chicks is fuckin’ with yo’ dome, bruh.”

He laughs softly, kicks his foot at Ash’s leg beneath the table. “Just eat your food, man.”

 

- - -

 

The party is raging when he arrives. Cars are parked across every inch of the large driveway and the street, and there’s music pumping through every open window of the house. He frowns as he takes in the scene — Lexi had told him it would be a bunch of theater kids.

When he gets inside, he realizes the after-party has escalated into a straight-up party; everyone was clearly using the play as an excuse to get fucked up.

A few people say ‘hi’ to him as he passes, shouldering his way through the crowd. He only vaguely recgonizes them, doesn’t know their names although they know his.

He finds Cassie first, in a tiny dress and heels she seems to be struggling to balance in. She’s with some other girl he recognizes, probably her best friend she’s always talking about. Her eyes are frantic as they land on him.

“Fezco! Thank god you’re here. You have to help me, Lexi is wasted, and I’m too drunk to take her home.”

“The fuck?” He hopes the panicked concern in his voice isn’t as obvious to her as it is to him. “Thought she didn’t drink?”

“She doesn’t usually but everyone’s been giving her drinks because her play was so good.”

“Shit,” he drawls. “Imma go find her. Take care of yo’ self, aight?”

She nods, squeezes his bicep. “Thank you!”

He pushes through the groups of people in the living room and into the kitchen, where he finds Lexi. She looks as put together as she usually does in a little collared dress and tights, but then he gets a good look at her face and sees her unfocused eyes and that smile that’s just a little too happy for someone who’s drinking jell-o shots in some guy’s kitchen.

“Yo, Lex, you good?”

She spins around at the sound of his voice, smile widening impossibly further.

“Fez! You’re here!”

She throws her arms around him, stumbling in her heels. He catches her around the waist, steadying her against his body. She smells good, like always, but there’s an undercurrent of alcohol and something sickly-sweet.

“How much she had to drink?” he asks the girl hovering beside them, watching Lexi with worried eyes.

“I lost track around the third shot of tequila.”

“Shit.” He holds Lexi around the biceps and pushes her back, straightening her up. “Let’s go some place quiet, aight? Getchu some water.”

She hiccups. “Okay.”

He grabs an empty solo cup and fills it with water from the faucet, Lexi leaning up against his arm the entire time. He takes her hand and pulls her out of the kitchen, ignoring the chorus of boo’s from her friends. She holds on tight to his arm as he directs them through the house. He finds a little nook off the dining room, surrounded by bookshelves and thankfully empty.

“Sit,” he orders her, pointing at the cushioned seat in the nook.

Lexi gives him a little salute as she does and Fezco snorts in amusement. Even drunk, she was cute.

He ctouches in front of her, places his hands on either side of her until she’s looking at him.

“Drink,” he instructs, tapping the side of her cup.

She takes a large gulp, sighing happily, and then goes in for another.

He raises his brows. “Good?”

She nods, so serious. “Really good.”

Someone taps him on his shoulder then and he turns to find some kid with acne looking at him, pulling back slightly when he sees the glare on Fezco’s face.

“Can I help you?”

“Uh, just wondering if you had anything, man.”

“Don’t do that shit no more,” he snaps. “Go bother someone else. Tryna take care of my girl.”

When he turns back to Lexi she’s smiling, caramel eyes twinkling with mirth.

“You just called me your girl.”

Fuck.

“Think you hearin’ things, drunky.”

She giggles, leaning forward until her forehead is resting against his. It’s a weird angle, and he feels cross-eyed when he looks at her.

“I really like you, Fez,” she says softly, pulling back just slightly. Their faces are still so close.

“Like you, too, Lex.”

“You’re, like, really pretty,” she slurs. “And so, so kind. The kindest guy I ever met.”

He’d be embarrassed if she wasn’t so drunk and probably wouldn’t remember any of this.

“Thanks.”

She stares at him for a long moment, eyes flickering between his, and Fezco knows what’s going to happen before it does, but for some reason he does nothing to stop it.

Her nose bumps against his as she leans in to kiss him, pressing her lips to his. He stumbles back from the force but doesn’t react, very aware of the fact that Lexi is kissing him, and she’s beyond drunk.

She applies more pressure but quickly pulls back when she realizes he’s not offering anything in return. There’s a pinch between her brows and her bottom lip is pouting out.

“Do you not like me?”

“Ain’t that, Lex. Just not gonna do this when you’re real drunk.”

She sighs loudly, disappointed.

“You’re such a gentleman.”

He grins at that. “Been called a lot of things, Lex, but never that.” He raps his knuckles on her knee. “Wanna go home?”

She nods. He stands and offers her his hands, helping her to her feet. She holds his hand again as they walk through the house, pausing in the living room to speak to Cassie.

“Imma take her home. You gotta ride?”

Cassie nods, leans up to kiss his cheek. “I’m fine. Thanks, Fez. You’re the best.”

Lexi falls asleep in the car on the drive home, head against the window. He supports her weight as he guides her inside the house, his arm around her shoulders. Suze is already in bed, so Fezco takes her straight to her bedroom.

He’s only been in there once or twice, but he knows instantly which side belongs to Lexi. There’s vintage film posters on the wall — shit his grandma liked, Casablanca and Roman Holiday — a stuffed cat resting at the end of the bed, and a ridiculous amount of books crammed into a tiny bookshelf. 

He turns down the floral duvet and helps her inside, removing her shoes before he slides her legs beneath it. He tucks her in, brushing back a piece of hair that’s fallen in her face.

He knows she’ll be annoyed in the morning about sleeping in her make-up and he briefly wonders if he should put a bowl beside her bed in case she feels sick. He shakes the thought from his head. He’s lingering, probably over-stepping his boundary, and she has her own bathroom only a few feet away.

He retreats to his own room and when he falls asleep that night, with his fingers pressed to his lips, he wonders if she would want to kiss him when she was sober.

 

- - -

 

He’s drinking orange juice in the kitchen when she wakes up the next morning. Suze left for work an hour ago, after telling Fezco where her stash of extra Advil was. He’s already showered and brushed his teeth, dressed for the day. He actually doesn’t expect to see Lexi so soon.

She looks surprisingly fresh-faced, skin now free of make-up and hair brushed out and falling around her shoulders. She’s in pajamas covered in little cartoon cactuses and fluffy white socks. She looks cosy, comfy, and he’s about to ask her what her secret is when he sees her wince and raise a palm to her forehead.

“Advil’s there,” he says, nodding towards the packet beside the sink.

She smiles gratefully. “Thanks.”

He wonders if she remembers anything from last night. Part of him hopes she doesn’t and a much bigger part of him hopes she does.

“Cassie get home okay?”

“Yeah,” she sighs, leaning against the counter with a glass of water in hand. “She’s still asleep, will be all day.”

“Know that feelin’.”

“You drink?” she asks with surprise.

“Sometimes,” he shrugs. “Don’t make a habit of it.”

“Well I’m never drinking again,” she declares with a groan.

Fezco laughs. “Whatever you say, ma.”

She sighs, chuckling softly. “Who am I kidding, right?” Her face softens, eyes gentle as she says, “Thank you for taking care of me. I really appreciate it.”

He shrugs, eyes falling to his OJ. “No big thing. Just wanted you to get home safe. Was wonderin’ if you’d even remember.”

“I remember,” she murmurs, and Fezco knows she isn’t just talking about the drive home.

She comes closer then, her socks silent against the kitchen tile. Stood in front of him, she is so small — Fezco isn’t exactly tall, but he still has a few inches on her. It isn’t the first time that he’s thought that she would fit nicely under his chin.

Tentatively, she raises a hand and places it on his chest.

“I’m sober right now,” she tells him softly, looking up at him beneath her lashes.

He gulps. “Clear-headed?”

“Completely.”

He’s not sure who makes the first move but they meet somewhere in the middle, her chin tipping up to meet his lips as he leans down. He catches her plump bottom lip between his own and it’s so soft, softer than he had imagined. Her hand slides up around his neck as her mouth moves against his, tongue slipping out to trace the seam of his lips.

He takes her cue and slides his tongue into her mouth, tasting the cherry chapstick on her lips and her minty toothpaste. She sighs into his mouth, pressing herself against his body. He puts his glass on the counter to free his hands up. They settle on her hips, pulling her closer until she’s pressing him into the counter, the edge digging into the small of his back.

They kiss for minutes but it feels like hours to Fezco, hours of pure feeling and contentment. She pulls away first, breath ghosting across his mouth. He instinctively chases after her lips, making her giggle.

“Thank you for not doing that last night,” she says, eyes liquid gold in the sunlight streaming through the window. “I wanted to remember it perfectly.”

 

Chapter 4: four

Fezco is washing the dishes again, as he always does whenever she makes dinner. She thought it was sweet of him, always looking for ways to help around the house. She had lived with Cassie for seventeen years and could count on one hand the number of times she had offered to clean up after dinner.

She’s leaning on the kitchen island as she watches him work, elbows resting on top. He’s wearing a white t-shirt and she can see the muscles of his broad back move beneath the material as he scrubs at a dish. Lexi’s teeth sink into her lip, appreciative, but then her eyes trail down, catching sight of the yellow rubber gloves he is also wearing, and she has to suppress a laugh.

She knows being in the Howard household has domesticated Fezco, but she thinks he likes it. He never complains, he’s always willing to help, and sometimes she comes home from school and finds that he has vacuumed, which he knows is her assigned chore.

All in all, living with Fezco is pretty great except for one small thing — he’s been here for over a month now and in that month he has kissed her a grand total of one time.

That kiss the morning after her play had been so good that Lexi’s toes had scrunched up in her socks, and her lips had tingled long after she left him in the kitchen. It was the most forward she had ever been with a boy — only her third kiss, ever — and she had hoped it was the start of something between them.

Fezco clearly doesn’t share that hope, because he hasn’t tried to kiss her again, and wouldn’t be alone in a room with her for longer than ten minutes. It feels like she made it all up in her head, but then she catches him staring at her when he thinks she isn’t looking, and her stomach does a little flip. His gaze is so intense, as if he feels the exact kind of longing that she’s experiencing. But then he looks away, moment over, once again like it never happened.

Her mother enters the kitchen,  patting Lexi’s butt with the back of her hand, a silent request to move so she could get by. The gesture startles Lexi, and she quickly straightens up, hoping her mother hadn’t caught her staring.

As her mother is pouring a glass of wine, Lexi thinks she’s found the perfect opportunity to bring up an idea she’s been mulling over for the last week.

“Hey, mom. Could we invite Fez’s brother over for dinner one night?”

Suze raises her eyebrows and Fezco pauses in his task, turning to look at Lexi.

“Uh, sure. You think he’d wanna come?” she asks Fezco.

“He’d come if I asked him to.”

Suze smiles. “Let’s do it. It’ll be good to put a face to all those stories. How about Friday?”

Fezco nods, a small smile on his face. “I’ll talk to him.”

Lexi grins, pleased. She pulls a can of soda from the fridge as her mother leaves, and then it’s just the two of them again.

Fezco is already looking at her when she turns back around, gloves now off and drying his hands on a towel. She leans back against the fridge, maintaining eye contact. There’s tension in the room, she can feel it crackling between them, and Lexi wonders if this is it, the moment he decides he wants to kiss her as badly as she wants to kiss him.

He comes to stand in front of her and leans in close, Lexi’s breath catching in her throat. She’s about to turn her head, to meet his lips with hers, when she feels his brush her cheek.

“Thank you.”

There’s a crunching sound as she watches him walk away and she looks down to find the can in her hand, now dented on one side by her fingers.

 

- - -

 

“How do you know if someone wants to kiss you?”

Both Jules and Rue’s heads snap over to her in unison, almost funny in their synchronicity. She sighs, leaning back against the counter in the girls bathroom, already regretting asking this question.

“Who you tryna kiss, Lex?” Rue asks, with raised eyebrows.

She shrugs, feigning nonchalance. “A guy who worked on the play.”

Rue’s eyes narrow in suspicion but Lexi is distracted by Jules’s excited reaction. She grins, clapping her hands together as she rushes over to Lexi.

“What’s he like? Tell me, tell me!”

She didn’t have to totally lie.

“He’s sweet,” she replies with a smile. “Caring and kind of shy actually.”

“Look at you,” Jules says, perching on the counter beside her. “You’re  smitten. ”

Lexi buries her cheek against her shoulder to hide her blush.

“Have you kissed him at all?”

“Once.”

“And?” She raises her eyebrows. “Was it good?”

“So good,” she sighs. “But now he’s acting like he doesn’t wanna touch me, and then I’ll catch him looking at me…”

“Have you asked Fez for his opinion?”

Lexi’s eyes flit over to Rue. “Why would I?”

She shrugs but there’s something shrewd in her expression.

“Getting a guy’s opinion might help.”

“When has a guy’s opinion ever helped?” Jules says dismissively with a roll of her eyes. “You need to take charge, Lex. You’re cute, sexy in a librarian-chic kind of way. I’m sure if you just tell this guy you want to kiss him, he’ll jump at the chance.”

She considers that. Maybe that was the problem — Fezco always saw her in her loungewear and pajamas, comfortable in her own home. She wasn’t exactly sexy when she was around him. But he had kissed her that first time in her fuzzy socks, so she’s not sure that he cares about her being sexy.

“You think so?”

“Trust me, he’d be stupid not to want you.”

Lexi releases a heavy sigh, wondering if it really could be that simple.

 

- - -

 

Later that night, she’s watching Real Housewives with her mother and Fezco, her eyes flickering over to him every few minutes. She hadn’t believed her mother when she told her Fezco liked to watch this show with her, yet here he was, laughing as Kyle and Kim started arguing on screen.

The sound of the front door slamming open and shut makes all three of them jump. Cassie rushes through the door, tears pouring down her face as she throws herself onto the couch beside Fezco.

“Cass?” she murmurs, frowning.

“McKay is such an asshole,” she cries, before burying her face in Fez’s shoulder.

He’s frozen in shock, not sure what to do. Lexi and her mother have to smother their laughter as his arm hesitantly comes up around her and his hand pats her shoulder gently.

“What happened?” Lexi asks, trying to get some sense out of her sister.

“Nate Jacobs has been talking shit about me and some other girls, and McKay just lets him do it,” she bemoans, voice muffled in Fezco’s shirt. “Why doesn’t he stand up for me?!”

“Nate Jacobs sounds like a lil’ bitch,” Fezco mutters, still patting her shoulder.

Cassie sits up then, wiping away the hair that’s stuck to her face.

“I know! Like, what is wrong with McKay? How can he be friends with him?!” She hiccups out a sob. “Sometimes I wish he was more like you Fezco. You’d never let anyone talk about Lexi like that.”

Lexi and Fezco’s eyes both widen, their gazes meeting across the room. Their eyes dart away quickly but Lexi can feel her face burning.

Thankfully, her mother doesn’t seem to have heard Cassie, eyes still focused on her show. In fairness, this wasn’t the first time Cassie had come stomping home in a flood of tears.

“I’m sure you and McKay will make up tomorrow, Cass.”

Cassie eyes narrow into slits and her entire face flushes red as she yells at their mother. “You’re not even listening to me!”

She marches off to their room and Lexi follows with a roll of her eyes, kind of grateful to put some space between her and Fezco.

 

- - -

 

When she returns to the living room an hour later, Cassie has finally calmed down and her mother has gone to bed. Fez is alone on the couch, watching Casino.

“Ooh, this is on my list!” she says excitedly as she takes a seat beside him.

She can feel Fezco shift beside her, as if he’s trying to put more space between them.

“I don’t have cooties, y’know.”

Fez frowns at her. “What?”

She laughs. “You’re so far away from me that you’re about to fall off the couch.” She lowers her voice as she asks, “Are you really that uncomfortable around me?”

“Nah, Lex, it ain’t like that. I just…” He swallows. “I needa be respectful to yo’ mom, aight?”

“What? What does this have to do with my mom?”

He groans, scrubbing a hand across his face. “You really gon’ make me spell this out? I can’t be feelin’ up Suze’s daughter while I’m livin’ in her house.”

Lexi snorts. “Last time I checked, we just kissed.”

He glares at her. “You know what I mean.”

She shifts closer to him, until her leg is pressed against his.

“I wouldn’t mind if you wanted to feel me up.”

“Goddamn, Lex. You can’t just be sayin’ that shit to a man.”

She giggles, leaning closer. “Why not?”

His face softens as he mumbles, “Makes me wanna kiss you.”

“So kiss me,” she breathes out and then she’s leaning forward to press her lips to his.

He responds instantly, moaning softly into her mouth as she towers over him on her knees, her hands cupping his neck as she deepens the kiss. In a spark of confidence, she swings her leg over his lap to straddle him, settling her weight against him. His hands clutch at her waist, holding tight.

They lips move together slowly, falling into a perfect rhythm, as if they’ve always done this. Her tongue slides against his and he tastes different this time — soda not orange juice, and a hint of smoke and cinnamon gum. She rocks against him experimentally, excited by his responding moan and the hard length she can feel between her legs.

“You can touch me,” she murmurs against his lips.

She feels the heavy swallow he takes beneath her hands and then he is sliding his hand up, along her stomach and rib cage, until his hand settles over her breast. She moans softly, arching into his touch as he squeezes. She’s not wearing a bra beneath her sweater so he easily finds the hard point of her nipple over the fabric, smoothing his thumb across it until she sighs in pleasure.

Above them, they hear the flush of a toilet and the click of a light switch. They both freeze before Lexi dives off his lap and back onto the couch, heart racing at the prospect of being caught. Fezco slumps back into the couch, his wide eyes finding hers.

“This is why we can’t do this shit, Lex.”

“Fez—“

“I’m goin’ to bed,” he says, cutting her off. She watches him adjust himself before rising from the couch.

Lexi deflates agains the cushions, rubbing her lips together. She can still taste him and she only wants more. She knew her mother wouldn’t be happy about her daughter and her foster kid making out under her roof, but she would understand if Lexi just talked to her. Right?

She groans in defeat, burying her face in her hands.

She gets ready for bed quickly, shame and desire still running through her in equal measure. She checks the hallway before she closes her bedroom door and sees that Fez’s room is dark, but there’s a faint light filtering beneath the door.

Tucked up in bed, she pulls out her phone.

Lexi: i’m sorry for kissing you. i get it now.

She watches the grey bubble appear and disappear on his side of the chat, again and again, the three little dots taunting her. Finally, a full minute later, he responds.

Fez: don’t ever need to apologize for kissing me

Fez: sweet dreams lex

 

Chapter 5: five

Notes:

a long chapter! things are heating up 😏

Ashtray spends his first two minutes in the Howard house taking the place in, his eyes darting all over. He always did this in a new place, trying to assess his surroundings — leftover instincts from a former life. Fezco watches the moment his gaze falls on Cassie, staring a beat too long. Fezco hits him on the back of the head.

“Watch those eyes, bro.”

“Fuck off,” he grumbles, rubbing his head.

Lexi makes dinner — chicken pot pie — and serves it for everyone with a smile. Ash watches her warily, untrusting of someone who smiles as frequently and as widely as Lexi. It could be unsettling for people like him and Ash, who had always been taught to only trust family, but he knew it was genuine, and that Lexi just wanted Ash to like her.

They dig into their meal, everyone making appreciative noises; even Ash seems impressed.

“S’real good,” he comments, making eye contact with Lexi.

She grins, pleased, eyes briefly flicking over to Fezco. “Thank you, Ash.”

Fezco takes a bit of pie to cover his smile.

As they move onto dessert, Lexi tells Ash about the next movie on her list.

“Scarface, it was Fez’s recommendation.”

“Scarface is the shit,” Ash agrees. “You should try some international joints — City of God, Gomorrah, shit like that.”

“You like foreign films?” Lexi asks with genuine surprise.

He shovels ice cream into his mouth as he mumbles, “Hell yeah.”

“Could you write me a list of your favorites?”

“Yeah, no problem.”

“Why do you guys only watch movies about old Italian men with guns?” Cassie asks, lip curled.

“‘Cause they’re cool as fuck?” Ash replies, as if it’s obvious. “And some of them ain’t fuckin’ Italian.”

“Language,” Suze chastizes, as if Ash hasn’t been cursing every two minutes since he arrived. She seems more amused than offended, smiling behind her wine glass. Ash just rolls his eyes.

“But don’t you ever want to watch something fun? Like, I don’t know, Clueless or The Princess Bride.”

Ash grins. “The Princess Bride is dope.”

“You’ve sure watched a lot of films, kid,” Suze comments.

“Wasn’t much else to do at grandma’s when we wasn’t selling,” he says casually, missing the uncomfortable smiles of the three women around him. “I got school and shit now, so I don’t watch as many.”

“Well you’re welcome to come over and watch movies with us, whenever you want,” Lexi assures him.

Ash is still eyeing her suspiciously, but replies, “Yeah, cool. Maybe I will.”

 

- - -

 

When he returns from dropping Ash at home, he finds Lexi waiting up for him, barely able to contain her questions.

“Did you think he had a good time? Do you think he liked us?”

Fezco smiles, touched and amused by her need for Ash’s approval. “Yeah, Lex, he liked you.”

Lexi grins, bouncing on her toes.

“I’m so happy. We’ll have to invite him over again for your birthday.”

“Sounds good.”

They settle onto the couch, turning the TV on. It’s too late to watch Scarface but The Nanny re-runs are good background noise, filling the silence that often became awkward between them.

Fezco had thought about kissing Lexi a lot since that night on the couch. She had felt so good in his lap, invading his space and his senses, but the guilt he felt about Suze had outweighed his desire for her.

Now it felt like the scales were tipping in the other direction. Lexi wasn’t making it easy on him — she seems to only wear tight yoga pants around the house now and he wasn’t convinced she even owned a bra anymore. But he had to be strong. It wasn’t that he didn’t want her; he just didn’t want to be an asshole to Suze.

“Speakin’ of birthdays… I gotta start lookin’ for a place soon, somewhere for me and Ash.”

He sees her face fall slightly with disappointment but she sounds encouraging as she says, “That’s great, Fez. I could help you look, if you want?”

“Yeah, thanks.” He takes a deep breath. “And maybe, uh… maybe when I gotta place, you could come over.”

Her eyes soften. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. And we could go out, get some food.”

“Like a date?” She grins, sitting up straighter.

He chuckles. “Yeah, like a date.”

She sighs deeply, still smiling. “How many months until your birthday?”

He smiles. “Two.”

She blows out a breath. “Gonna be a long two months.”

She wasn’t kidding. He didn’t know how he was going to cope if she kept walking around the house the way she had for the last week.

“It’ll be worth it,” he promises, because he knows it will be. He’d wait two whole years if it meant he got a real shot with her.

She takes his hand in hers, thumb rubbing across his pinky ring. She smiles softly.

“I know.”

 

- - -

 

His resolve doesn’t even last a week.

He can’t figure out if Lexi knows how much she’s tempting him, but she keeps wearing the yoga pants and she keeps going braless. He’s already noticed her fondness for short skirts and dresses but now she wears them with no tights, her long legs on show as she returns home from school, miles and miles of soft, pretty skin just there for him to feast his eyes on.

Fezco becomes very acquainted with his bedroom and his right hand. He hasn’t felt this consistently horny since he was twelve and going through puberty. And she’s not even doing anything particularly sexual. He’s seen tits that have turned him on less than Lexi’s bare ankles.

The final straw is her little pajama shorts.

He enters the bathroom one night to find her brushing her teeth again, grinning at him in the mirror. His eyes trail over her, taking in her dark blue, cropped t-shirt and matching shorts, the material tight around her ass, showing off it’s round shape and her cheeks just peeking out of the bottom.

He takes a deep breath as she spits in the sink and turns to him.

“I’ll just get out of your way.”

Fezco grabs her around the waist before she can leave, hands settling on the strip of skin between her top and her shorts. Her skin is as soft as he knew it would be, and he takes a second to luxuriate in the softness as she comes to a stop in front of him.

“Fez?“

He stares at her, blows out a big breath, literally feeling the fight leave him.

“Fuck it.”

He definitely makes the first move this time, his lips colliding with hers and swallowing her startled gasp. He backs her into the wall behind them, pressing her up against it while he slides his tongue into her mouth.

It’s a rough kiss, weeks of pent up frustration spilling out of him all at once. One of her hands cups the back of his head as she kisses him back, fingers trailing across his scalp, and he’s never realized how sensitive his head is before.

Now he’s started, he doesn’t think he can stop. He slides a hand beneath her shirt until he’s cupping her bare breast, the weight perfectly filling his palm. He runs his thumb across her nipple and the loud moan she releases makes him pause, take stock of where they are and what they’re doing.

He pulls back to look at her face, flushed and panting, eyes almost black with want. She’s beautiful, too beautiful, and he doesn’t want to stop kissing her but he knows he has to.

With one last kiss to her lips, he backs away, voice husky as he says, “Night, Lex.”

He doesn’t hear her soft reply as he shuts himself in his bedroom, once again.

 

- - -

 

Breakfast the next morning is an exercise in restraint for Fezco. Suze has already left, so it’s just the three of them sat around the table, eating from their various bowls — Fruit Loops for him, and yogurt and fruit for the girls.

His eyes constantly flick up and over to Lexi, unable to stop looking at her. She’s dressed for school, in plaid pants and a cropped red sweater, her nails painted in the same shade. A smudge of yogurt lingers on her bottom lip and Fezco watches, transfixed, as her tongue darts out to lick it away.

It doesn’t help that she’s also looking at him, his eyes finding hers every time. Her lips pull up at the corners when she’s caught, pleased and adorably shy.

If Cassie wasn’t here with them, he would have kissed her already. But she is, so Fezco has to be on his best behavior and pretend he isn’t replaying their moment in the bathroom, again and again, until it’s all he can think about.

Cassie’s spoon clatters against her empty bowl as she drops it, startling them both. She looks at them both, eyes slightly narrowed.

“You guys are being weird,” she says, eyes flickering back and forth between them.

Lexi laughs, unconvincing. “What? What are you talking about?” She abruptly stands and picks up her bowl. “It’s getting late, we should leave soon.”

She hurries out of the room, leaving him to sit beneath Cassie’s suspicious gaze.

“Hmmm,” she hums, casting one last look at him before she follows her sister.

Fezco eats another spoonful of cereal, releasing a harsh breath through his nose as he chews.

 

- - -

 

He works the late shift that night, and all the lights are off when he gets home. He tries to move as silently as he can through the house, making as little noise as possible as he washes his face and brushes his teeth.

He’s sat up in bed on his phone when he hears the light knock on his door.

“Yeah?”

Lexi’s head appears around the door, smiling gently.

“Can I come in? I can leave if you’re going to sleep.”

“Uh, no, come in,” he replies, palms already clammy at the prospect of being alone with her in his tiny room.

He places his phone on the bedside table as she takes a seat on the side of his bed. She’s in the little blue shorts set again, the ones that he’s spent all day thinking about. She brings a leg up onto the bed, resting her chin on her knee, and Fezco has to stop himself from running a hand along her bare calf.

“Wassup?”

She shrugs one shoulder. “Just wanted to talk, we haven’t seen each other since this morning.”

“You good? School okay?”

“Fine,” she smiles. “But I was kind of distracted.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah, couldn’t stop thinking about this guy that kissed me last night.”

He laughs shakily, rubbing a hand across his neck.

“Shit, Lex. I was kinda distracted, too.”

“Yeah?” She smiles, shifting closer until their legs are touching. “Sooo… does this mean you don’t want to wait until you move out?”

“Ion know,” he admits, because he hasn’t thought much about what last night means for them. “I just… know I want you.”

Her smile widens, her teeth piercing her bottom lip.

“I want you, too.”

She closes the distance between them, kissing him soundly. He kisses her back immediately, the emotions that have built inside of him all day, decompressing at her touch.

She moves into his lap again, her hands cupping his face as she slides her tongue against his. Fezco moans quietly as Lexi begins to grind against him, careful not to be too loud.

His hands slide down from her waist to cup her ass, grasping the soft flesh below the edge of her shorts. He moves his lips to her jaw, her neck, sucking lightly at the skin between kisses.

“Been thinkin’ ‘bout these lil’ shorts,” he says, squeezing her butt. “Think you tryna kill me, Lex.”

She giggles breathily, nails scratching lightly at his scalp.

“I could say the same to you in these vests,” she says, sliding her palms down his chest and over the material.

He chuckles. “Yeah? The vest doin’ it for ya?”

She kisses him in response, rocking against him as he guides her movements with his hands. His hands move up, tracing over the softness of her stomach and ribs before her cups both of her breasts. Lexi breaks their kiss, breathing out shakily before she grabs the hem of her shirt and pulls it over her head.

Fezco’s eyes immediately drop to her tits. They’re perfect, small and perky, her nipples the same shade of pink as her lips.

“Gorgeous,” he murmurs before he kisses her again, his hands back on her breasts, fingers pinching her right nipple into a stiff point.

She moans softly in pleasure, so he does the same to the left one, enjoying how sensitive and responsive she is.

“Can I touch you?” she asks, eyes dropping to his lap.

His mouth goes dry. “Yeah… whatever you want, Lex.”

She tugs at his vest, pulling at it until he gets the hint and pulls it over his head. Her hands are on him immediately, fingers melting into his chest hair and then trailing lower to the hair beneath his belly button.

His breath catches in his throat as she slips her hand into his boxers, wrapping her fingers around him. She shuffles back slightly to pull him out.

“I don’t really know what I’m doing,” she admits, shyly.

“It’ll all feel good, trust me.”

Fezco watches with wide eyes as she licks a stripe across her palm, and then her hand is back on his cock, wrapping around his girth.

“Fuck,” he murmurs, heading thumping back against the wall as his eyes fall closed.

She pumps him experimentally until she finds a good rhythm. Leaning forward, she kisses his neck, brushing the sensitive spots below his jaw, and Fezco knows he isn’t going to last long. It’s been a while since he’s felt the touch of anyone but himself and this was Lexi, that girl that he’d thought about everyday for the last month and a half.

“Is that good?”

He nods, biting into his bottom lip. “Tighter,” he instructs, moaning when her fingers tighten around him.

She continues pumping him, her thumb smoothing across the head on the upstroke, collecting the pre-come leaking out of him. His hands clench at her bare thighs as he gets closer, his breathing growing ragged.

“Gonna come.”

She doesn’t stop, watching in fascination at he shoots all over her hand, come leaking over her fingers and his cock.

“Fuck.”

He’s panting, heart racing. He looks down at the mess and quickly grabs for his discarded vest. He’s about to clean them both off when Lexi lifts one finger to her mouth, licking his come from her fingertip.

“Not as bad as I thought,” she tells him, inexplicably innocent.

He groans. “Fuck, Lex, you can’t do that shit.” He kisses her, once, twice. “How am I s’posed to keep my hands off you when you so sexy?”

She giggles, scrunching her nose up as if she doesn’t believe him.

He cleans her hand and his dick, and throws his vest into the laundry hamper. He’s never been happier than he had refused to let Suze do his laundry for him.

“Can I touch you now?”

She looks surprised by his question, a soft, “Oh,” tumbling from her lips.

“We don’t have to,” he assures her. “Whatever you want.”

“I want to,” she says quickly. “It’s just… no one’s ever touched me before. Other than myself, obviously.”

He feels dumb for the surge of possessiveness that pulses through him at the thought of being the first — the only — person to touch her.

“Lie back,” he instructs, shifting over to make room for her.

It’s a tight fit, curled up together on the single bed, but Fezco doesn’t mind. It gives him an excuse to press himself closer.

“Tell me to stop anytime.”

She nods, doe eyes blinking up at him. “I will.”

He slides his palm across her stomach as he leans down to kiss her softly. She gasps against his mouth as his fingers slip beneath her shorts and immediately find the wet heat of her cunt. She isn’t wearing panties and it’s enough to make Fezco half-hard again.

He traces her slit, parting her to gather her wetness, before his fingers begin to circle her clit.  Her moan is muffled by their kiss, his lips moving against hers as he moves his fingers over her.

He slides further down, finger circling her entrance before he slides it inside. She’s tight and warm around him and he can’t stop himself imagining how she’d feel wrapped around other parts of him.

His thumb returns to her clit and she arches up against him.

“Feels so good,” she whimpers, fingers clutching at his neck.

He adds another finger, pumping into her and continuing to circle her clit until she’s tensing and trembling, clenching around his fingers.

He only stops when she pushes his fingers away, giggling. “Sensitive.”

“Sorry,” he murmurs, kissing her temple.

He lies beside her, arm tucked beneath his head, eyes trailing over her. She’s flushed and smiling, beautiful in her post-orgasm haze. His hand smoothes across her stomach again and she shivers under his touch.

“I should go back to my room,” she whispers, nose nudging against his.

“Yeah,” he agrees, but neither of them make any moves, choosing to lie there just a little longer.

- - -

 

A week later, he’s in the store, re-stocking the potato chips, when Rue enters. She immediately grabs an ice-cream sandwich, perching herself on top of the freezer once it’s closed.

“Yo, how many times I gotta tell you not to do that?” He snatches the un-opened sandwich from her hands. “I ain’t own this place no more.”

She glares, snatching the sandwich back and then placing cash in his hand.

“I was gonna pay for it.”

He tsks. “Didn’t pay for the last five,” he mutters as he returns to the register to deposit the cash.

“So what’s goin’ on with you and Lexi?” she asks around a mouthful of ice-cream.

He can’t meet her eyes, focusing instead of placing the bills into the register while he answers.

“Nothin’. Whatchu talkin’ ‘bout?”

“Well a few weeks ago she was talkin’ about some drama kid, and asking me and Jules how you get a guy to kiss you.” He frowns at that. “Now she won’t stop talkin’ about you two hanging out together and hasn’t mentioned the drama kid once.”

“What drama kid?” he asks, leaning on the counter.

She shrugs. “I don’t know. Probably that Ethan guy Kat used to date.”

His brow furrows further. Lexi hadn’t mentioned an Ethan to him — did he need to be worried about this?

He shakes his head; he was being a fool. He knew Lexi wasn’t hanging out with no other guy. Maybe she was trying to get Rue off her back.

“That doesn’t matter anyway. You still haven’t answered my question,” Rue points out. “And Lexi hasn’t shut up about you all week.”

Fezco forces himself not to smile at that.

“We’re friends, we live together. Folks who live together also do shit together, Rue.”

She frowns. “So you’re saying there’s nothin’ going on?”

He breathes out harshly. “Fuck, man, no.”

“Well what’s wrong with her?”

“What?”

“What’s wrong with dating Lexi? She’s nice, she’s pretty, she’s hella smart.”

“Ain’t nothin’—“ He huffs. “I know all that,” he says, confused by the direction of the conversation.

“So you agree? You think Lexi’s pretty?”

He gapes at her trying to run rings around him, his confusion quickly bleeding into irritation.

“Too fuckin’ early for yo’ skinny ass,” he grumbles. “Ain’t you got school or someshit?”

“Skipped,” she answers, reaching into the freezer for another ice-cream sandwich. “I don’t have to pay for this one, right?”

“If I say no, will you shut the fuck up?”

“Maybe.”

“Fine, take it.” He narrows his eyes at her. “You should try eatin’ some real food. That shit ain’t good for you.”

She snorts, tearing into the packaging.

“Man, you sound like Lexi.”

 

- - -

 

“Think Rue knows somethin’s up,” he murmurs against Lexi’s throat.

Lexi pulls back to look at him, hand resting on his chest.

“Does that bother you?” she asks, and she sounds nervous.

“Hell no,” he answers immediately. “If I wasn’t livin’ in this house, I’d tell everyone you my girl.”

She smiles softly. “Am I? Your girl?”

His hands slide around her bare back. “If you wanna be.”

“I wanna be,” she replies, leg sliding along his as she leans in to kiss him again.

His palm smoothes across her thigh, grasping it to pull her leg over his hip and her body tight against him.

They had spent every night of the last week like this, tangled up in Fezco’s small bed, kissing and touching and making each other feel good. They were still using their hands on each other but Fezco knew it was only a matter of time before Lexi let him use his mouth. She was nervous — worried about how she would taste, as if he wasn’t licking his fingers clean every time he slid them inside her — but she was warming up to the idea. He wasn’t going to push her; he was just thankful she let him touch her at all, and would let her set the pace.

“You wet, baby?” he murmurs between kisses.

She nods. “Touch me, please.“

He slides his hands into her pants, once again filling his box room with her quiet moans, letting him love her in secret.

 

- - -

 

He had worried Lexi was going to combust with excitement when he asked her if she wanted to join him and Ash for their Friday night dinner.

“You checked with him, right? He’s not going to hate me being there?”

Fezco laughs, eyes on the road and his hand coming to rest on her knee. “Nah, I already told you, he likes you.”

She smiles, her hand covering his to squeeze his fingers.

She insists on getting into the backseat when they pick Ash up, so he can have the shotgun seat. Fezco thinks she needs to stop being so nice to Ash but he knew she was just desperate to get on his good side. He couldn’t deny that it warmed his heart that his girl wanted his brother to like her so badly.

Lexi stares up at the menu in the diner, unsure what to order.

“What do you guys usually have?”

“Double cheeseburger, fries and a strawberry shake,” Ash reels off. “Sometimes onion rings on the side.”

She hums. “That sounds good. I’ll have that, too.”

They take a seat in the booth in the back, each with their own tray of food. Lexi moans as she takes the first bite of her burger.

“Oh my god, so good,” she mumbles around her food.

Ash smirks in amusement. “Try an onion ring next.”

They talk about the usual stuff — Ash’s grades, the wrestling team he’s joined, his foster family and their dog. Lexi doesn’t say much, happy to let them catch-up.

“Buster is mad cute, though, bro. We gotta get a dog when you get your place.”

“Ain’t gettin’ no dog.”

Lexi gasps. “What? But dogs are so adorable!”

Fezco raises a brow. “Thought you was a cat person?”

“I am,” she agrees. “But I love all animals. And dogs are amazing — they’re so loyal, and sweet, and they’re always so happy to see you.”

“See, bro. Listen to yo’ girl.”

Lexi turns to Ash with a conspiratorial smile. “What kind of dog would you get?”

“Pitbull,” he answers easily. He’s clearly thought about it before.

Fezco worries Lexi is going to cringe at Ash’s choice, preferring something smaller and cuter, but she surprises him.

“I love pitbulls! And there’s so many of them in shelters. You could get a rescue.”

“That’s wassup,” Ash nods. “I like that — givin’ a lil’ mutt a new home.”

Fezco watches the exchange silently, smiling to himself. Something pleasant and warm blooms in chest as he watches his two favorite people getting along so well.

He wonders if the feeling is love. He knows what he feels for Lexi is more than anything he’s ever felt for a girl, but he’s never been in love before, and it was too soon, right? He’d only known her for a few months, had been dating her for less than that.

“So…” Lexi grins at him. “Have we changed your mind?”

“Fine,” he says, his smile betraying his tone. “We’ll get a damn dog.”

“Sick,” Ash mutters, throwing a fry into his mouth.

Lexi smiles as she reaches for his hand beneath the table, their fingers linking together and resting on the bright red linoleum.

 

Chapter 6: six

Her jaw is getting tired and the carpet is uncomfortable under her knees, but Lexi can’t stop now. Not when Fezco looks so wrecked above her, his chest heaving and breathing labored.

She takes him deeper, gagging slightly as his cock hits the back of her throat. Fezco moans at that, hunching over slightly. She tightens her hand around the base of him, her spit covering her fingers as she works her mouth over him.

“Shit, Lex, gonna come, baby.”

She knows he’s warning her, telling her that this is her chance to move before he comes in her mouth, but she wants it. She keeps going, keeping up her rhythm until his hands are clenching at his sheets and he’s releasing into her mouth.

She swallows the bitter taste, wiping at the edges of her mouth. It isn’t the best thing she’s ever tasted but the look on his face when she lets him come in her mouth makes it worth it.

“Come here.”

She re-joins him on the bed with a smile, curling up beside him. He wraps his arm around her, pulling her close.

“You too good to me, Lex.”

“Just repaying the favor,” she says, thoughts drifting to the mind-blowing orgasm he’d given her the night before with his lips and tongue.

“I should go back,” she says, kissing his cheek.

She smiles at him over shoulder, before she leaves his room, getting one last look at his handsome face.

Quietly, she slides back into bed, still smiling to herself. The last few weeks with Fezco had been some of the best of her life, filled with an intimacy she had never known before. She knew she was falling in love with him, with his soft eyes and rumbling voice and gentle smiles.

“Lex?”

Lexi jumps at the sound of her sister’s voice. She knows she could just pretend to be asleep but she’s already been caught, and Cassie would only try to talk to her in the morning instead.

“Yeah?”

“I won’t tell mom but… be more careful, okay?”

A shaky breath escapes her. “Okay.”

 

- - -

 

Lexi makes Fezco a special birthday dinner of his favorites — lasagne with homemade garlic bread and cherry pie for dessert.

“Damn, Lex, you ain’t have to do all this,” Fez says as he takes in the meal in front of him.

“It’s your birthday!” Lexi smiles. “I wanted to make something special for you.”

Fezco’s smile is so beautiful and soft, and she has to look away quickly before her mother sees the lovesickness written all over her face.

“You should be a chef, Lex,” Ash tells her, tearing off a bite of garlic bread. “This shit too good, for real.”

Lexi flushes with the praise. “Thank you.”

Fezco’s eighteenth birthday had been looming for months, the day he finally aged out of the system. He was sticking to his plan to move out as soon as possible and she had helped him find a two-bedroom apartment, that mostly importantly allowed pets. He had made a down payment with some of the money his grandma had left him; Fezco had tried to assure her it was all above board, even though  his inheritance was the sum of money his grandma was able to “clean” through the convenience store before her stroke.

She was so happy for him and that he was making things work for him and Ash, but she couldn’t deny that it worried her. They’d spent every day together for the last few months and she didn’t want to lose what they had simply because they didn’t see each other as often.

She also didn’t want to lose the strange little blended family they had formed — she and her mother and sister, and him and his brother. She would have to convince him to continue Friday dinners at her house once he moved out.

Her mother had told him not to rush and given him until the end of the month to get himself packed and ready for the move. It meant that she still had three weeks with him before they would no longer be under the same roof, but she knew there would be perks. They could finally be together — in the open, not just in secret — and his new house would offer them some privacy.

She watches him across the table, laughing with his brother, a spot of sauce adorably staining his beard, and smiles. Loving him in the open would make it all worth it.

 

- - -

 

When Ash has gone home, Cassie has gone to Maddy’s and her mother has gone to bed, she and Fez curl up on the couch to watch a movie.

They are finally watching The Godfather trilogy, after Ash insists that there was no point in doing a mafia movie marathon if you weren’t going to watch the OG.

“And you’re sure you wanna just stay in and watch a movie on your eighteenth birthday?” she had asked him after he had told her how he wanted to celebrate.

He had shrugged. “Got my girl, some snacks, a good movie. Seems pretty dope to me.”

Lexi pauses the movie as it begins, tucking her knee beneath her as she turns to him, a big grin on her face.

He eyes her. “Wassup?”

“I need to give you your gift.”

He groans. “Lex, I told you not to get me nothin’.”

“And I ignored you.” She pulls a small box from beneath the coffee table, hidden all day out of sight. She didn’t want her mother or sister to ask any questions. “Here. Open it.”

He still looks annoyed with her but he takes it from her hands, removing the paper and lifting the lid from the box. He stares at the contents for a long time, index finger carefully tracing over the gold chain.

“Flip this over,” she says, touching the small plate in the centre of the chain.

It’s blank on one side but the other has a small engraving, two tiny initials: M and A.

“I remember you saying your grandma’s name was Marie,” she explains. “I thought it would be nice to have something special, for both members of your family.”

His eyes are glassy as they meet hers and he surges forward to kiss her hard, his hand grasping the back of her neck to bring her closer.

She smiles against his lips. “Do you like it?”

“It’s… shit, Lex, no one ever got me a gift like this before,” he says, voice rough. “How did you afford this?”

She shrugs one shoulder. “I had some money saved up from my summer job.”

“Shouldn’t have spent that money on me.”

“I wanted to. I really… care about you, Fez.”

He kisses her again, his palm cupping her cheek, thumb rubbing across the apple.

“Thank you, baby. I mean it.”

He takes the chain from the box and clasps it around his neck, the plate glinting under the light of the nearby lamp.

She unpauses the movie and settles in beside him, tucked against his side and under his arm, her arm thrown across his stomach. She’s comfortable, happy, but she’s still listening out for any sign of her mother.

She’s looking forward to the day when they can do this without any worries.

 

- - -

 

Fez becomes so tired of Rue questioning him about their relationship that he agrees to let Lexi tell her the truth.

“I fucking knew it!” Rue yells, startling some of the other people in the cafeteria.

“Will you shut up!” Lexi hisses.

“Wait,” Jules says, jaw dropping exaggeratedly. “Do you mean Fezco the dealer?”

Rue rolls her eyes. “Do you know another Fezco?”

“Lex!” Jules giggles, hand covering her mouth. “You’re, like, a badass.”

“I am not,” she laughs. “And he doesn’t deal anymore.”

“Still… That’s so hot — a secret love affair! And he’s kinda sexy, all moody yet chill.”

Rue scrunches her nose up. “Ew.”

“Have you done it yet?”

“Not yet,” Lexi replies, pink rising in her cheeks. “But my mom’s on a work trip this weekend and Cassie’s staying at McKay’s, so I think Friday could be the night.”

Jules grins excitedly. “We need to go shopping, get you some lingerie.”

She’s sure her entire face is now red.

“I don’t know… I don’t think I can pull that off.”

“Of course you can, Lex! We’ll find you something in your style. Fezco won’t be able to keep his hands off you.”

“Okay,” she reluctantly agrees with a shy smile. “Rue, are you coming?”

“Do I wanna help you find lingerie to wear, when you fuck the guy that’s basically my brother?” she says, lip curled up in disgust.

Lexi shrugs. “Yeah.”

“God, fine.”

 

- - -

 

Lexi adjusts the strap of her bra again as she leans back on Fezco’s bed, wondering if this whole thing was a mistake. She felt kind of dumb, out of her comfort zone, although she supposed lingerie wasn’t supposed to be comfortable.

She had bought a sheer black matching set, with red roses stitched onto the cups of the bra and the thong. The material was kind of  itchy and thongs weren’t her usual style, but the bra made her breasts look rounder and perkier than usual.

She had kept her make-up light and her hair naturally curly, the way Fez liked it best, but she was worried she had done too much and he wasn’t going to like it.

She’s on the verge of a mild panic attack, palms starting to sweat as she paces around the small space, when Fezco enters his bedroom. He stops short in the doorways, eyes widening as they fall on her.

“ Fuck .”

“Shit, Fez! Don’t look at me.”

Fezco frowns. “What? Why?”

“Because I look ridiculous,” she groans, burying her face in her hands.

She feels him approach her, his body invading her space. He reaches up to remove her hands from her face, holding them in his own.

“Look at me, Lex.” She hesitantly looks up at him beneath her lashes. “You look fuckin’ beautiful… unreal, baby. You do this for me?”

“Yes,” she murmurs. “I wanted to look pretty for you. I wanted you to… want me.” She sighs. “It was Jules’s idea. It was dumb.”

“You always pretty, Lex, and I always want you,” he responds, cupping her face in his hands. “You got Jules’s addy so I can send her a fruit basket or somethin’?”

She laughs softly, leaning into his touch.

“So you don’t hate it?”

“Fuck no.” He steps back to get another good look at her, eyes trailing over her entire body. “What’s all this for, Lex?”

“Well we have the house to ourselves tonight, so I thought maybe we could… have sex.”

His brows shoot up. “You sure? You ready for that?”

“Yes, I want this. But… I haven’t done this before… so I don’t really…”

“I haven’t either.”

Lexi has to force her mouth not to drop open in shock. “Are you serious?”

“Yeah,” he laughs, ears tinging pink. “Fooled around with a few girls but I ain’t ever done the deed.”

She blinks rapidly, trying to process this information. “But… how… I mean, I guess I just assumed you’d be more experienced.”

“Nah,” he responds with a shrug. “Like I said, I ain’t no saint but I never met a girl I liked enough, you feel?”

“Yeah,” she breathes out. “I know what you mean.” She smiles softly. “So do you want to?” 

“Hell yeah.”

Her bra is the first thing to go — dropped to the bedroom floor so Fezco can cup her breasts before he lowers her to the bed — and then her panties. Later, when Lexi isn’t distracted, she will muse over how expensive lingerie is for an article of clothing that you wear for a very short time.

Fezco’s kisses are hungrier than usual, the anticipation of what’s to come making them desperate for each other.

“Gonna get you real wet, Lex,” he murmurs against her neck, punctuating his words with a kiss. “Want this to be good for you.”

He kisses a path down her body until he’s between her legs, splitting her open with his tongue and make her tremble and whine under his mouth and fingers. For once, she doesn’t have to hold back, moaning loudly as she comes.

“You good, baby?”

She nods, giggles. “More than.” She reaches for the condom she had placed on his bedside table. “Uh, are you ready?”

He plucks the foil packet from her, chuckling.

“Damn, Lex, you came prepared.”

Fezco strips out of the last of clothes, until he’s standing naked before her, his hard cock stiff against his belly, flushed red and weeping. She bites her lip as she stares at him, so overwhelmed with want that she thinks she might implode.

He rolls the condom on and settles between her legs again, lining them up.

“Ready?”

“Yeah,” she answers, taking a deep breath.

The initial push feels different than she expected - a mild burning as she stretched around his cock, her body making room for him. It’s nothing like the horror stories she heard from Cassie and Maddy, and she’s so wet that he slides in fully with no resistance.

“Feel amazin’,” Fezco mumbles into her neck, voice tight with restraint. “You good?”

“I’m okay, you can move,” she assures him, smoothing her palms up his back.

He starts a steady pace, pulling back and pressing in, until the burn disappears completely and all she feels is wonderful pressure. She knows she won’t be able to come like this but she doesn’t mind; it feels so lovely to be so close to him.

Soon, his rhythm falters and she knows he’s close. She turns his face to hers, kissing him softly, languidly.

She leans up to whisper in his ear. “You can come, baby. It’s okay.”

Fezco moans, long and low, and thrusts three more times before he’s coming and collapsing on top of her. She doesn’t stop touching him, hands rubbing along his back soothingly as she peppers the side of his face with kisses.

He rises up on his elbows to kiss her lips, hands stroking her hair away from her face, his touch soft and reverent. She doesn’t think she’s ever been this happy, felt this close to another person, and she wants to cry with it.

“Lemme take care of this.”

He disposes of the condom in the small wastebasket in his room and cleans up, as she pees and then slides back under his duvet. He joins her soon after, pulling her half on top of him so that they can both fit.

She settles against his chest, sighing in contentment as her fingers stroke through his chest hair.

“I’m really glad I waited.”

His kisses the top of her head. “Me, too.”

 

- - -

 

The sun streaming through his blind wakes her first. She blinks her eyes open, taking note of her surroundings. Fezco’s arm is a heavy weight around his waist, his face buried in the back of her neck, steady breath ghosting across her skin.

She strokes her fingers across his arm, feeling the fine hair, gold in the sunlight. Birds tweet in the trees outside and Lexi smiles, nuzzling back against Fez. As far as mornings go, this had to be one of the best.

She rolls over in his arms to look upon his sleeping face. He looks relaxed, youthful, his freckled skin free of any worry or confusion. She traces the slope of his nose with her finger, then his lips, feeling the plush softness.

She’s making a mental plan for their day when she hears the front door close downstairs, footsteps on the staircase.

She sits up in panic, sheet clutched to her chest as she looks at the open doorway. She shoves Fezco’s shoulder, desperate for him to wake up.

“Lex? Fez?”

Fezco bolts upright at the sound of her mother’s voice drawing near, wide eyes flitting over to her. Her mother wasn’t supposed to be back until later. Her heart is racing and she knows this is it — even if he could shut the door in time, there is no way she could explain her absence and her bed that obviously hasn’t been slept in.

Her mother pauses in the open doorway of Fezco’s room, hand covering her chest in shock, mouth hanging open.

The silence is deafening. Lexi doesn’t know what to say and she’s sure if she tries to talk, she’ll start crying.

It’s her mother who breaks the silence, finding her voice when the initial shock has worn off.

“Fezco, get dressed and come downstairs. Alexandra, go to your room. I’ll deal with you later.”

Fezco stumbles out of bed as soon as she’s gone, pulling on sweatpants and a hoodie.

“It’s gonna be okay, baby. I promise.”

He kisses her forehead before he leaves the room, and while she knows Fezco has never lied to her before, she’s not sure that she believes him.

 

Chapter 7: seven

Notes:

i can’t believe this is over 😭 i’m going to miss these two

thank you to everyone who read, commented and left kudos on this story ❤️

Suze is smoking a cigarette at the dining table when he finds her, tapping ash against the glass ashtray that rests on the table.

He steels himself as he takes a seat and forces himself to make eye contact.

“Suze, I’m so—“

She cuts him off. “I don’t want your apologies, kid.” She laughs humorlessly. ‘Y’know, I’m not an idiot, Fez. I saw the way Lexi looked at you, always blushing whenever you entered the room. And at first I shrugged it off, thought it was just a one-sided crush, but then I saw you looking right back.” She rubs the skin above her eyebrow. “I didn’t think I had to worry, ‘cause Lexi… she’s my good girl, the smart one, the one who doesn’t get mixed up with boys. But I guess I was lying to myself, ignoring what was in front of my eyes — I’ve always been good at that.”

He wants to interject, to argue, but he remains silent, lets her finish.

“I like you, Fez. I’ve loved having you here, in my home, in my family. But you’ve gotta see this from my perspective — I can’t trust you now. And while I’m not deluded enough to think you kids are just gonna hold hands, there’s gotta be boundaries. I cannot have you living in my house while you’re sleeping with my teenage daughter.”

“I really am sorry, Suze,” he blurts out, because he needs her to know. “We tried to wait until I moved out, but I just… I couldn’t…” He sighs. “I care about her. A lot.”

She smiles sadly. “I know, kid. And that’s why I’m not tearing you a new asshole right now, because I know you’re a good person. Still a child really, despite that old head on your shoulders. And I’m not mad at you for falling for Lexi — she’s a beautiful girl.” She takes a drag of her cigarette, exhaling with a sigh. “But I’m sorry, Fez — you gotta move out.”

He hangs his head. “I know.”

He waits quietly for her to walk away, so he can wallow in his misery alone for a little while, but he’s surprised when he feels her come to a stop in front of him. He holds his breath as she leans down, and then, very softly, presses a kiss to the top of his head.

He’s never disliked himself more while feeling so loved.

 

- - -

 

He leaves the next day, his small amount of belongings packed into a suitcase. He expects the tears from Lexi — even though he promised she could come over after she had dinner with her family — but Cassie’s crying catches him off guard.

“Yo, Cass, why you cryin’?” he drawls, wrapping her up in a hug.

“I’m just gonna miss you,” she cries, her tears staining his t-shirt.

“You gon’ see me all the time, trust.”

Lexi kisses him before he gets into his car, her hands framing his face, thumbs stroking his beard.

“Don’t cry, baby. Imma see you in a few hours.”

She sighs, bottom lip wobbling. “I know. I just wish it wasn’t ending like this.”

“It’s all good. Yo’ mom’s been real nice, all things considered.” His kisses her forehead. “Message me when you ready. Imma pick you up.”

He’s starting his car, the girls back inside the house, when Suze taps on his window. He rolls it down, brows knitting in confusion.

“Everythin’ good?”

“Here,” Suze says, handing him an envelope. “Not sure how much is in there now, but that’s every bit of money you ever gave me.”

He frowns, staring down at the envelope. “Suze, wha—“

She doesn’t give him a chance, smiling as she cuts him off. “Take care of yourself, Fez. And I expect to see you at dinner on Friday.”

He gives her a half-smile and a nod. “Imma be there.”

He drives away feeling lighter than he has in months, despite the heavy final day he spent there. His time in the Howard house had come to a close but he knew a small piece of his heart would now always reside there.

 

- - -

 

Lexi is grinning from ear-to-ear when she enters his apartment that night. She walks into every room, taking in the entire space, commenting on the size of the windows and her approval of the hardwood floors.

Admittedly there isn’t much to see — he had put the sofa, beds and TV from his grandma’s house into storage and it meant that his new place wasn’t completely empty, but it was still lacking.

“It’ll look better once Ash is here,” he assures her. “Put some personality into it.”

“I think it’s amazing,” she smiles.

“Was thinkin’ you could bring some stuff over. And Imma put a shelf right here,” he says, waving at the corner of the living room. “So you got somewhere for all yo’ books.”

She wraps her arms around his waist, grinning up at him. “You’d do that for me?”

“Hell yeah,” he says, wrapping his arm around her. “You my girl. Want you to feel at home here.”

She leans up on her tiptoes to kiss him, smiling against his mouth.

“Why don’t you show me your bedroom?” she murmurs, brushing her nose against his.

They undress each other, unhurried, both very aware of how alone they are; there’s no fear of being caught, and they don’t need to worry about being too loud.

He takes her in his bed, Lexi lay out across his new sheets, naked and soft and his. They’re still hesitant with their touches, unpracticed, but he knows Lexi’s signals, her tells, can hear the quickening of her breath and the high-pitched moans she releases as she gets closer to the edge.

He comes first, still overwhelmed by the feeling of her tight heat wrapped around him, but kneels between her legs as soon as he’s disposed of the condom, making her come apart beneath his fingers and tongue.

They lie together afterwards, in his bed that is big enough to fit them both comfortably. She grins, places a kiss on his chest, above his heart.

“I love this.”

“Me, too, baby.”

She settles against him, her hand moving across his stomach in a soothing motion.

“Are you excited for Ash to move in next month?”

There was a transitional period between Ash leaving his foster parent’s home and moving in with Fezco. Unbeknownst to him, their grandma had legally adopted Ash as a baby — Fezco was pretty sure she had done so with the help of some of her more connected customers. This meant Fezco — as Ash’s only living adult relative — had become his legal guardian. The social workers seemed wary of allowing Ash to move in with him but his brother had insisted that it was what he wanted, and they had listened.

Fezco had agreed, under the promise that Ash would continue going to school. And while Ash rarely admitted to liking anything, he hadn’t argued and made the promise easily.

It all seemed to be falling into place for them, but here, with Lexi, Fezco can’t hide the unease in his tone as he replies, “Yeah.”

She leans up on one elbow to fix him with a confused frown. “Why don’t you sound happy?”

He shrugs. “Ion know… I just… Ash is doin’ real good with his foster family. They take care of him, provide for him. They got money and a big ass house. Just don’t want him to come here and lose all of that.”

She cups his cheek in her hand, smoothing her thumb across his cheekbone.

“He’s not going to lose anything,” she says firmly. “And has it ever occurred to you that Ash might not care about money and a big house? Maybe he just wants to be back with his brother, his family.”

He sighs shakily, wondering if she could be right, if Ash living with him could be a good thing.

“You really think so?”

“Ash loves you, Fez. Anyone can see that. And you O’Neill’s are insanely loyal. There’s no world in which he wouldn’t prefer to be living here with you.”

He smiles. “Come here.” She leans down to kiss him, forehead resting against his as their lips part. “Thank you.”

She settles against his chest again, hand tracing across it as she asks, “Have you thought about what you wanna do?”

He had, a lot. Last night, as he lay in his room back at the Howard house, stewing in his guilt, he had made a plan. He knew they’d fucked up by sneaking around behind Suze’s back, but he also knew she didn’t hate him and hadn’t forbidden him from seeing Lexi.

He wanted Suze to think she had made the right choice, in trusting him with her daughter. And he had to make moves if he was going to do that.

“Yeah, actually… I, uh, I think Imma get my GED. So I can find somethin’ I wanna do, y’know? Somethin’ I’m good at. ‘Cause grandma’s money ain’t gon’ last forever, so I needa make some of my own. And I ain’t wanna work at the store for the rest of my life.”

“I think that’s great, baby,” she says sincerely. “I can help you. We can look at courses online.”

“Yeah?”

She nods. “I wanna help you, Fez.”

He cradles her head in his hand as he kisses her again, just a soft press of lips. He pulls back to look at her, eyes tracing over the soft lines of her face, her delicate features, the flush in her cheeks.

“Know it might be too soon but… I think I love you, Lexi Howard.”

Her answering smile is breathtaking, and Fezco can feel his heart racing in his chest.

“I think I love you, too.”

 

- - -

 

As happy as he is to be living with Ash again, he’s going to miss having the apartment to himself. Living alone had offered Fezco and Lexi a freedom they had desperately craved, and more importantly, the ability to fuck on any available surface in his home.

It had been a heady few weeks, with Lexi coming over most nights and only leaving after they had made each other come again and again. Fezco had never thought of himself as a horny teenager, fulfilling the stereotype of a kid who could only think with his dick. But Lexi had brought out a previously untapped side of him, a side that couldn’t wait to undress her and have her naked body beneath his.

So yeah, having Ash around all the time was seriously fucking with Fezco’s plan to keep boning Lexi whenever and wherever he could. But she was still spending most evenings and weekends in his bed, so he couldn’t exactly be mad about it.

The week Ash moves in, Lexi declares that she is done with crime movies and is starting a new project — iconic horror.

“What makes a horror movie ‘iconic’?” Ash had asked, as Lexi laid out the terms of the project.

Lexi had grinned, pleased that Ash was indulging her.

“I’m watching everything on Complex’s 50 Best Horror Movies list,” she had answered and Ash seemed satisfied with that.

They had watched two movies so far and tonight’s selection was one of Fezco’s favorites — The Shining.

“I had no idea this was one of your favorite movies,” Lexi says, settling between his legs, her back to his chest. She leans back to press a kiss to cheek.

Ash makes a noise of disgust, as he always did whenever he and Lexi showed affection.

“Oh, Ash, did you want a kiss on the cheek, too?” Lexi teases, laughing as Ash tells her to fuck off.

Fezco wraps his arms around Lexi’s shoulders as he chuckles, pulling her tight against him. He leans in to kiss her neck before burying his face there, taking in her familiar scent.

“Yo, we watchin’ this shit or not?” Ash grumbles, settling into the recliner with a bag of potato chips.

“Yeah, man,” Fezco replies, pressing play on the remote.

He sinks back into the couch, Lexi’s comforting weight settling against him, thinking he could get used to nights like this.

 

- - -

 

Fezco signs up for a three month GED course, determined to achieve the qualification so he could sign up for community college before the summer.

Lexi had offered to help him, but Fezco knew she had her own studies to focus on, and he wanted to do this on his own. So he spends all of his free time studying for the test, even taking his books to the store with him to read between customers.

Thankfully, his hard work pays off and by the end of Lexi’s Spring Break, Fez has a GED certificate displayed on his wall — upon Lexi’s insistence — and a place at the local community college in the fall, with a plan to major in accounting.

“Proud of you, Fez,” she murmurs, wrapping her arms around his waist.

And for the first time in his life, Fezco feels like he’s doing something worthwhile, for his future.

 

- - -

 

In late spring, all three of them go to the local dog shelter, to finally find a new member of their household. Ash hasn’t stopped begging him since he moved in but Fez had held off, giving him some time to get settled in. He knows having a dog is going to be more work than Ash expects.

They fill out a form at the reception desk, stating that they lived in a ground floor apartment with a little yard, and providing information about work patterns and arrangements when someone couldn’t be with the dog.

They take them through the kennels, letting them greet all of the dogs as they bark and beg for attention behind their individual gates. Lexi is enamoured with all of them, rushing over to a new gate every two seconds when she finds yet another dog that sparks her interest.

Ash won’t even entertain a dog that isn’t a pitbull and he knows he’s found one he loves when he comes to a stop near the far end.

“Fez!” he yells, urgently, desperate to show him.

He and Lexi make their way over and Lexi releases a high drawn-out ‘aww’ sound when her eyes land on the dog in front of them. A caramel pitbull with a white patch across his chest, his floppy ears still intact and a big, lazy tongue hanging from his mouth. Sonny his information label reads — like the fiery and rash Corelone brother, the one who kind of reminds him of Ash.

He’s definitely the one.

A staff member lets Sonny out and leads him to a cornered off visiting area. Ash settles on his knees as soon as Sonny is released from his leash and the dog is on him immediately, paws up on his shoulders as he licks him all over his face. Ash laughs, face bright and youthful with it, and he’s never seen this kind of unadulterated joy on his brother’s face before.

“Hey, boy,” Lexi says in a soft voice as she kneels beside them, hand smoothing across the dog’s wide head. He turns to Lexi then, sliding his tongue along Lexi’s chin and making her giggle.

They both turn to Fezco with wide, expectant eyes and Fezco laughs under his breath.

“We gotta take him,” Ash declares, scratching Sonny beneath his chin.

Fezco crouches down, holding his hand out to Sonny, pleased when he sniffs and then licks his palm, before nudging his nose against his fingers.

“You comin’ home with us, big man?”

They set up a home visit for the next day, so the shelter can approve their apartment. Lexi makes them stop by the pet store on the way home so they can buy dog food, some toys and other essentials. They each leave the store with an armful of goods, and a soft dog bed tucked under Fezco’s arm.

Lexi is staying late at school the next day when they go to pick him up — just him and Ash, and their new dog in the backseat, cruising down the highway.

Sonny immediately runs into his new home and crash lands on the dog bed beside the sofa, nuzzling into the fabric and rolling onto his back. The shelter had told them it could take a few days for him to get comfortable, but he seems more than happy as he receives belly scratches from Ash.

That evening, when Lexi has come over and they’ve settled onto the couch to watch a movie — The Texas Chainsaw Massacre — Sonny curls up beside Ash on the recliner chair, squeezing himself into the tiny space beside him.

Towards the end of the movie, he feels Lexi nudge his side and watches her nod towards Ash. Fezco’s gaze slides over and pleasant warmth settles in his belly at the image in front of him — his little brother, fast asleep in the chair, and Sonny stretched across his lap, snoring softly.

 

- - -

 

As the school year draws to a close, Lexi is busy prepping for college applications. She’s decided to only apply to schools in the state, despite Fezco’s frequent assurances that they could make long distance work if she wanted to go elsewhere.

“It’s not just because I want to be close to you,” she tells him. “Cass is staying in California, too, and there’s tonnes of good schools here. I’d be so happy if I got accepted into UCLA or Caltech.”

A few weeks before summer starts, her drama club throw an end of school year costume party.

“I thought people only dressed up for Halloween?”

She laughs. “Fez, theater kids never need an excuse to dress up in costume.”

Fezco puts on the only black suit he owns, a white shirt with a few buttons open, and clasps his chain from Lexi around his neck. He puts a cigar in his breast pocket and lets Ash dust some of the powder Lexi left in the bathroom on his collar.

He drives over to the Howard house and is greeted by Suze with a hug and a kiss to his cheek. He’s incredibly grateful that she’s still welcoming him in, and his guilt has lessened over the months since he’s moved out.

He almost stops breathing when Lexi descends the stairs in her costume. She looks like the perfect gangster’s moll, wearing a long blue satin dress, thin straps hanging on her delicate shoulders. The dress isn’t as low-cut as the one in the movie, but there’s a long slit up the right side, the creamy length of her thigh peeking out of the fabric each time she takes a step.

She smiles at him with red painted lips and smoothes her hands across the short, blonde wig on her head, adjusting the bangs on her forehead.

“Baby, you look…” He takes her hand, stepping back to appraise her from head to toe.

She giggles, stepping closer to run a hand across the chest hair peeking over his shirt.

“Alright, you two. Let’s get a picture.”

They pose for the picture — Fezco clasping his left wrist in his right hand and tipping his chin up, and Lexi beside him, cocking her hip and holding one of his unlit cigarettes between her fingers.

Lexi shares the picture with him and he sends it to Ash with a message.

Fez: in our elvira and tony era

Ash: broooooo

Ash: you look 🔥

When they arrive at the party, it’s raging once again, people spilling out of the house in various costumes, solo cups in hand. Fezco must have missed the moment the drama kids became responsible for the wildest parties.

“Oh my god, you guys look amazing!” Jules screams, rushing over to them to wrap Lexi up in a hug, her long ponytails trailing behind her. She’s wearing a little sailor outfit and he’s ninety-nine percent sure she’s supposed to be Sailor Moon.

“So do you! Have you seen Cassie?”

Cassie had gotten ready at Maddie’s house, and travelled to the party with a group of friends. They find her in the kitchen in her yellow, plaid Cher Horowitz costume, taking shots with Wednesday Addams and Selena.

Selena whoops when her eyes land on Lexi, running over in her purple heels to take her hand in hers. “Bitch! You look insane .”

Lexi blushes under the attention, spinning under Maddie’s arm when she lifts it over her head, her dress fanning out around her.

Cassie comes up beside him, giving him a one-armed hug.

“Hey, Fez.”

“Hey, Cass.”

“Your costumes turned out great,” she grins. “How are you? How’s Ash?”

“We good,” he replies. “He’s at home with Sonny right now.”

“I’ve gotta come over and meet him!” she exclaims, pulling him over to the counter. “Here, take a shot,” she says, handing him a pink plastic shot glass filled with clear liquid.

His eye flicker over to Lexi, unsure.

She laughs. “Come on, Fez. Do it! Let loose.”

“You too, baby,” he says, handing her a green shot glass.

They throw back their drinks, both wincing at the sharp taste of the tequila. Lexi laughs, pressing herself into his side as he sticks his tongue out in disgust.

“Haven’t done one of those in a while.”

She reaches up on her tiptoes to kiss him, her hand cupping his cheek.

“Fuckin’ gross,” he hears beside them and he breaks the kiss to turn to Rue.

“Yo, kid.” He looks her up and down, taking in her purple leather jacket and stick-on moustache, her curls slicked back on the sides. “The fuck you s’posed to be?”

Rue scoffs, offended. “Prince. Fuckin’ Purple Rain, man.”

Lexi chuckles, leaning across him to hug Rue. “You look great. I love your costume.”

They hang out in the kitchen with Cassie and her friends for a while, listening to them talk about their plans for the summer and the colleges they’re attending in the fall.

“What about you, Fez? You’re going to community college, right?” Cassie asks, turning her attention to him.

“Uh, yeah,” he answers, and he can feel his ears burning up as all eyes turn on him. “Think Imma major in accounting.”

“Accounting?” Kat asks, with raised brows. “That’s, like, really complex.”

“Fez is amazing with numbers,” Lexi interjects, leaning against him with a proud smile.

Fez clears his throat. “Ain’t no big thing,” he insists, but he’s touched by Lexi’s praise.

Later in the night, they find themselves on a couch in the living room, Lexi seated in his lap. His right hand rests across her legs while his left smoothes along the expanse of her bare back, exposed by the low back of her dress.

She kisses him sweetly, her red lipstick now gone thanks to his lips and the drinks she’s consumed.

“Are you having a good time?” she asks, thumb smoothing across the wiry hair of his beard.

“Hell yeah,” he says. “You theater kids are wild,” he adds, eliciting a laugh from her.

“I don’t think I’m wild,” she argues, hand running along his lapel. “The craziest thing I’ve done is sneak around with you.”

He grins, leans in to kiss her.

“You sayin’ Imma bad influence?”

“Never,” she murmurs, hand curling around his neck. “You’re one of the best people in my life.”

 

- - -

 

Fezco is kind of surprised when Cassie invites both him and Ash to her graduation ceremony.

“You’re family now,” Lexi tells him with a smile. “An honorary Howard.”

He makes Ash dress in his nicest sweater and jeans, and meets Lexi and her mom on the school football field, taking a seat beside Lexi in the section for family and friends.

“Hey Ash, you look nice,” Lexi greets them with a smile.

Ash grumbles a thanks under his breath, ducking his head in embarrassment.

He leans in to kiss Lexi’s cheek. “You look real pretty, baby.”

And she does, in a short yellow sundress, cat-eye sunglasses perched on her nose. His hand settles on her knee, slipping beneath the material to touch her bare skin.

They watch the parade of students make their way across on stage, cheering and hollering when Cassie appears, cap atop her head. Ash puts his fingers in his mouth and whistles loudly, while Suze stands up to take a picture on her phone.

Cassie rushes over to them after the ceremony, hugging each other them — even Ash, whose face turns pink as he tentatively brings his arms up around her waist.

They have lunch, at Ash and Fezco’s diner, now a family favorite after they introduced the girls. He settles in beside Lexi, clinking his milkshake against everyone else’s as Suze raises a toast.

“To Cassie!” She kisses the side of Cassie’s head. “Proud of you, hon.”

They dig into their food, Ash sharing stories about the latest cute thing Sonny has done and Cassie telling them about her dorm arrangements at Cal State in Long Beach.

He leans back in the booth as he listens, his arm settling behind Lexi. She snuggles against his side, brushes her lips against the edge of his jaw.

His eyes drift over to Suze across the table, where she’s watching them, her gaze soft and a smile pulling at her lips. Her eyes shift over to his, her smile widening as their gazes meet, and he smiles back, content and surrounded by all the people he loves.