InsaneJournal

Anton Saxon (fireman) wrote in angelesic, @ 2025-04-28 17:12:00

So what if they were exes and Lenore was now having two boys arguing with each other on a teacher’s weird, cryptic post about cancelling all the classes and stuff? They were still friends and she did not feel like she could go to Trouble Squad with her boy issues. Anton would at least get a kick out of it, if anything. Maybe he’d even have some advice for her. Additionally, so what if she didn’t give Anton any heads up that she was coming over?

Lenore walked straight into his room without any preamble, threw herself down on his bed as she did often enough that someone probably thought it was a problem, somewhere, maybe, and sighed. “Antonnnnnn.” She groaned, pouting. “I have problems that I don’t know who else to go to and you are the only one I think might have some legit advice? That won’t be like mad at me about it.”

She sat up on her elbows, that wild curly hair all over the place from the hard throwing-herself-onto-the-bed thing. “Do you have popcorn? You’re gonna need it, because my problems are RIDICULOUS and not like real problems but problems to me but it’s like also spilling a lot of tea and there’s gonna be some real hot goss involved so like, we probably need snacks for this.”

---

Anton had been sitting with his phone in his hand getting lost in scrolling when he should have been reading something for class. The book was open in his lap, that counted for something right?

Lenore's arrival was a familiar occurrence to him. He was used to her just walking on in like his room had an open door policy or something. She flung herself onto his bed and he closed the book slowly and put his phone aside. “Alright, you have piqued my interest.”

While they may be exes it was water under the bridge. He was more her friend, and it was far better this way. “Hot goss, well then snacks are a must.” Anton got up from his bed and went to where he stored his snacks, coming back over, flopping down next to her. “We have chips, not popcorn but something and some assorted candy.”

He lay on his side and propped his head up on his hand. “Lay it on me. What is your boy problem?” He was making an assumption, but if it wasn’t a real problem but a problem for her and some gossip he felt he was on the right track.

---

He got her. That’s why they were such good friends. Maybe if they had tried for it later on in their friendship, it might have been different - but Lenore valued their friendship a lot. She wouldn’t ever tell him that, she wasn’t one who let people really get to know her very often. Friendly with everyone, but known by very few. That’s just the way she liked it.

“Salty and sweet, that works well enough. Popcorn next time.” She’d have to pick him up some and stock it up in here. “The problem, Anton, is there are two of them. Boys.” She groaned and laid back down, all limbs all over the place, even if she was only 5’ tall. Somehow, like a cat, she took up all the space.

“You saw that post from Professor Welling right? Well, Alec was talking to him and then he was like ‘oh I’m not dating your daughter, I’m trying to woo Lenore.” She said, looking point blank at Anton like that was a ridiculous notion. “Alec. Alec freaking Deeks. Is into ME.” What the fuck. Tori’s bestie. Her old bestie’s ex. Her… new friend? Who was thinking up a date for them?

Then of course, there was Tis. “Tis took me on a date, too, by the way. And my GOD, was it a date. I mean, I thought shit like that only happened in movies and tv shows. We snuck out and he flew me to Vegas, Anton. Freakin’ Las Vegas on a private jet.”

She let that hang, her eyes wide, and then shoved some chocolate in her face, all while still lying down. “What am I gonna do?”

---

“Popcorn next time,” he nodded. “I used it up watching conversations unfold.” He hadn’t really, but it was a fun mental image. He had just snacked on it while watching a movie.

“Damn girl, two boys. Plural.” Anton eyes went wide. The very idea of her actually dating someone proper was a bit out of Anton’s scope of Lenore, but that could be his own experience. Not that he would change his friendship, and he was over the whole dating thing by now.

“Wait, Vegas?” Anton’s mouth dropped open. “When did you get scooped up into a romcom? Colour me jealous. Cute boys and fun dates.” Anton sighed almost wistfully.

“Well, do you even want to be in a relationship exclusively? I think that is a good place to start with this so-called problem.” Anton tried to keep his face neutral and not laughing like he wanted to. To Lenore this was indeed a problem.

---

“Hopefully next time we can eat it and chat about other people’s problems.” She added, groaning. She was embarrassed by her own problems, she knew how ridiculous this was.

Plural indeed. She bit her lip and then sat up again, this time pulling her legs under her to sit cross-legged in front of him. That way she wasn’t almost choking on the chocolate she was stuffing her face with.

“Vegas, I don’t know man, I thought he was joking. I met him outside and he drove us in his nice freakin’ car to the airport, we hopped in a private plane where the seats are like, couches and they made me coffee? A shaken ESPRESSO, Anton! And like twenty minutes later we’re in Las Vegas. He took me shopping.” She added, hands in the air now.

“Dolce and Gabana, Anton! What do I do with that!” She put her face in her hands, groaning. “And Alec, Alec knew when the auditions were over and everyone got their parts and I argued with Vi, he knew what I needed and he took me to a rage room and got me ice cream.” She liked them both. They liked her.

Given their history, it wasn’t surprising that Anton asked her that particular question. “I think so. I mean, I wasn’t looking for it. We were all just kind of having fun, and when I flirted with Matias I thought - like obviously that boy wasn’t gonna catch feelings you know? Because he’s Tis. But then he went and did all that and told me he thinks I’m special and calls me princesa, and Alec is out here getting me on a level I didn’t think most people could and, I don’t know.”

She huffed. “I want to just crawl back into my cave.”

---

Anton simply listened to her relay her date. “Shit,” he let slip out. “I don’t even know how to process this.” Anton could not imagine that sort of life or being that sort of rich. “You can’t even drink!” Not the most useful statement he could have made.

“Do you know their intentions on exclusivity?” Anton asked before he put a chip in his mouth. He had his feelings about Tis and didn’t want to make Lenore feel any sort of way. The guy could be an asshole in Anton’s humble opinion. To him the date felt like the guy was showing off and buying her interest, whereas Alec was attempting to understand her needs.

“Are you looking more for exclusive as well?” Anton asked before adding on. “I won’t feel bad about any of this, for the record.”

---

“We did drink.” She pointed out. “C’mon, Anton.” She scoffed, laughing. “With enough money and confidence no one really asks questions. But yeah, shit is right.” She had been surprised by the whole thing. “I told him I didn’t need all that you know? He just kept saying he wanted to see me happy. Fed me a nine course meal. NINE COURSES. With the first course being something called an amusing bush or something.” She was not cut out for the fancy life.

“All I did was sneak him into the women’s bathroom.” She replied, sighing. She wasn’t good enough for that life. She was… just Lenore, crass and unrefined, she let her mouth run all the time without ever thinking about what she was saying.

She let out a huff, glad that he was reassuring her about not feeling bad. “Good ‘cause don’t think I don’t realize the elephant in the room here is me. Hi. I’m the problem.” Taylor Swift was just perfect for all occasions. “I think they both want to be exclusive, at some point, but we didn’t get that far. I told them both I wasn’t wanting to choose anyone, that this wasn’t a contest. They seem alright with that, for now.” For now.

Frowning, she looked up at Anton behind long lashes. “You’re sure you aren’t upset? I feel - bad, now, kinda. I mean, you know what I mean.” She wasn’t really good at feelings, he knew that. “And you can totally laugh at me, if you want.”

---

It all seemed over the top to Anton, but he could see how she could be swept off her feet. “Amusing bush?” Anton raised an eyebrow. Rich people were weird, and who needs a nine course meal really? Even he thought that was a lot of food.

“Why did you sneak him into the women’s bathroom?” Anton asked. Though he ought to be focusing on the all I did part but he was more curious about why he needed to in the women’s bathroom.

“Well, I guess continue on as it is for now? But keep communication open? Dating is allowed. Dating is seeing people and going on dates and not settling right into a serious relationship.” Anton hoped that was some level of encouraging..

“Of course I’m fine. We don’t work as a couple, you weren’t ready and now you are. That is personal growth.” Anton smiled. “Besides, as gorgeous as you are I’m not interested in you in that way anymore. Even if you wanted to have been someone's girlfriend at the time, I think we would have ended up here anyway.” It was amicable and no hard feelings. They had both grown and changed since then anyway.

---

She followed the eyebrow raise with one of her own because yeah, it was weird. Rich people were weird. “Its basically a teeny tiny bite of food that’s meant to make you more hungry or something. I don’t even know, but it was amusing.” At least the name fit. Lenore was fairly certain she was not meant for that lifestyle but, it had been fun to pretend about it.

“So this fancy hotel had these super fancy bathrooms and he told me that mine would have like attendance people to fix my make-up and stuff and probably a couch and his had cologne and whatever and so when I came out of the bathroom I told him to come in with me to see the couch.” She laughed, remembering. “It was funny.” And a lot more innocent than he might have been thinking.

Continue on as they were doing for now sounded like the best option. “I just don’t want to hurt anyone.” She said softly, frowning. “I feel like there’s no way not to do that now and that’s just never what I wanted. For you, for them.” Lenore was, surprisingly, a highly empathetic person. “I don’t know how to make everyone happy.”

---

“That is ridiculous,” Anton replied with a roll of his eyes. “Food is supposed to fill you up. But I guess they are gonna to say something like it is an experience.” He exaggerated the word experience and even went as far as to use air quotes.

“Who needs all that in a bathroom! You just gotta go.” Anton couldn’t believe rich people, it seemed like a waste. He was not meant for this rich lifestyle, and he was fine. Also, maybe it was because of who it was.

“That’s the thing, Lenore, you aren’t ever going to make everyone happy. That is impossible. You just need to be understanding and gentle in the hurt and apologise in a really meaningful way. No, I am sorry you feel that way but sorry for your actions.” Anton looked at her and was being genuine with his advice.”You may hurt people, but as long as their is open communication and expectations are out there and they agree then it is them who are willing for the hurt to experience the good now.” Anton finally sat up and crossed his legs. “And you didn’t hurt me. Not really.”

---

“Right? I guess its because there’s nine courses. So weird.” It had certainly been an experience, though and she couldn’t lie - the food had been incredible. “Some fancy chef shit, I dunno, but a lot of it was REALLY good.”

Lenore snorted in a laugh at that, because she agreed - all you needed to do was go! “Rich people are in a different reality than us, I think.” Lenore hadn’t grown up rich, she was… maybe middle class. Not really poor either, just kind of in the middle there. So she did feel very outside her element on that date, despite how fun it had been.

He was right, of course, and Lenore knew that - she just hated it. She hated hurting anyone. She was fairly certain she had taken the break up she initiated with Anton harder than he had. “You’re right, I know I just - hate the idea of it. I like them both, for different reasons.” Did she like one more than the other? No, genuinely not. Anton’s reassurance that she hadn’t hurt him, not really was not altogether reassuring. She gave him a look, eyebrow raised, the disbelief plain. “I’m sorry for that, if I did even a little bit. You’ve always been a good friend, one of the best.”

---

“They really are different,” he agreed wholeheartedly. But, he supposed it was nice that Lenore could be treated to all those fancy things and be treated like a modern-day princess.

“That is normal to like people for different reasons. Explore it, but with open communication.” Anton smiled, giving her a reassuring pat on the knee. “Unless, are they poly? Are you poly? It's an option just putting it out there.” His face gave the appearance of not being serious about that comment but also he kind of was.

“Look, really, it’s okay. I thought you were gorgeous, still do for clarity, and I asked you to be my girlfriend. You said yes. You weren’t ready and I respected that and really I was young too. I would be much more serious about dating now than back then.” Anton felt that if he dated someone now, there was the potential for forever. It somehow just felt different.

---

Lenore tilted her head to the side, uncertain. “Oh, shit.” She said after a minute, eyes widening. “What if I am poly?” Could that be why the idea of commitment had been so terrifying to her? She’d always thought it was… something else, maybe, something broken in her or just her young age that made her unwilling and afraid.

She honestly had never considered that before. That would make things a lot more complicated. She had no idea if they were or not. “I’ve never thought about it, not really. I mean. Wow, uh.” Was there some kind of self discovery opening up here? “I guess I should figure that one out too huh?”

Fuck, that was a lot to figure out. Lenore was still young, but she wasn’t that young. She was an adult, and getting adultier by the day. Even if she didn’t want to, that’s where life was headed and she probably should have thought more about these things. “You’re still as hot as the day I met you - mm wait, no, hotter.” She said, laughing. “Water under the bridge though and all that, I just - you know, I don’t know.” Shaking her head, Lenore huffed. “I’m not making sense anymore.”

---

Anton raised an eyebrow as Lenore spoke and came to a possible conclusion about herself she had not before. He had not meant to blow her mind and make her start to question everything. Though poly was an option, and maybe that was what she needed. It wasn’t for him to say though. “Well, guess you have some self-reflecting to do.”

“Well thank you for that boost of confidence,” he smiled and pulled her into his arms for a hug, she had no choice in the matter. “Water under the bridge and all that. But wanna watch a movie?” Anton asked, “Leave the overthinking for today and start up again tomorrow?”

---

There were zero objections to the hug, and Lenore wrapped her arms easily around him to hug back. “Right, right, no overthinking today.” She agreed, holding him in the hug for a little longer than was strictly necessary. It was comforting, and Lenore hadn’t realized how badly she needed just a friendly hug until that moment. After a few, she let go.

“Yesss let’s watch a movie. Something silly and dumb so I can shut my brain off and figure my life out like tomorrow or never.” No one really figured their whole lives out, anyway. “Ooh, should we order pizza?” She asked. If they were going to be hanging out for a whole movie now too, they should definitely get food. “Any fun gossip on your end?” She questioned too, brow raised. “I’ve got more.”

---

“You know I will never say no to pizza.” Anton nodded his head along as he spoke. He hadn’t planned to chill and watch a movie before Lenore waltzed in but he was happy to fill the time with a friend and something silly and dumb so they both could shut off their brains for a bit.

“Gossip? Me? Nah, nothing juicy going on in my life.” He all of a sudden felt like a bit of a bore. “Maybe that’s a good thing these days?” Anton shrugged.

---

Bringing her phone out she went ahead and opened up one of the pizza apps she had - which she was ashamed to say there were at least four of, because the girl loved pizza - and picked the one she remembered Anton preferring. “Mm, probably a good thing, yeah.” She agreed, sighing. She should take a leaf out of his book.

“I don’t really have any other gossip either - Tori and Chase had a huge fight, and now Tori is being super weird. Have you noticed that? Did Chase tell you about the fight?” She asked, forgetting for just a moment that maybe she shouldn’t have brought that particular fight up.

---

“What?” Anton looked over Lenore with concern. “She didn’t mention. What did I miss?” Anton furrowed his brow. “Last time I talked to her, she seemed fine.” Then again, that could change on a moment's notice around these parts. “What would those two have to fight about?”

---

“Mmm just some dumb girl drama, but Tori was real mean about it, Chase was upset.” She hated the way things like that broke up their squad so quickly, so easily. She just wanted everyone to be together all the time, no issues. “I think it’s all fine now but, yeah. So lame.”

---

“Oh. Well as long as things are cool now.” Anton was still concerned but was just going to push it to the back of his mind. He knew there were things that he and Chase didnt’ share and if she needed him she would come to him.

“So, thoughts on what movie?” He could easily go with something he had seen a million times that was lighthearted but as he was not the one with the height of two boys on his shoulders he would let Lenore pick.

---

“I want to watch something dumb.” She finally sat all the way up, scooting over a little towards Anton so they both were comfortably on the bed. Physical proximity never bothered her, it was something she craved. It made her feel safe, grounded. Time couldn’t slip too far away if someone was there to ground you.

“Mmm what was that Mall Cop movie? Paul something.” That was dumb, and one she’d seen more than once. “It’s super old but, still pretty funny. Or maybe we can watch a series, like, Schitt’s Creek or something. Seen it before but its always good for a laugh.”

---

“Oh, you can get me with Schitt’s Creek any time.” He said as he got out his computer to pull up the show. “I just love Dan Levy, David is an icon.” Anton chuckled as he went about getting them all set up. He started the first episode.

Settling down next to Lenore, he smiled and looked over at her. “I’m always here if you ever need to talk.” Anton wanted to reassure her. Even if it was talking about new potential boyfriends.