InsaneJournal

Have you ever met someone and known you belong with them?
Who: Alice Ayres and Verity
When: During Oliver’s pancake supper
Where: Wood Estate
What: Random run-in?
Rating: Low
Status: Complete!


Verity was in a fairly good mood, considering. She had pancakes in her tummy and a sparkling water in her hand. She’d met some new people and had cuddled with Oliver for a bit, so today was ending a lot better than it began. Morning shifts at her work were boring and slow. She would much rather be around people--though from time to time she did relish in being able to organize things the way she wanted them set.

She turned away from someone who was also turning away--going to get more pancakes, she said--and came face to face with Alice. The two women were both so tiny, they really did come face to face. Rather than face to armpit as it was usually the case with Verity. She put on a smile. It was tentative.

Alice grinned when she saw Verity, waving and trying not to look awkward. “Hey! I’m glad you came.” The thing had been Oliver’s idea, not hers, but she really was glad to see Verity. Alice had seen Jefferson and Grace and was actually hunting down some orange juice for the little girl. “How’re you?”

“Good!” Verity said, and she really meant it. Though she felt incredibly awkward around Alice, she was really trying to be more... friendly. Open. Whatever. She wanted to be better acquainted with the other woman, especially because of how close Alice and Oliver were. Though, that was also part of the reason that Verity felt awkward. Alice and Oliver were so. very. close.

“Better now I’m off work and spending time with friends,” she added, grinning. Though, Fred and George were two of her absolute best friends, and she got to see them all day at work. “How are you?”

“Good!” Alice beamed, looking as happy as she proclaimed herself to be. “Jefferson’s here with Gracie, and Oliver’s laughing. You’re smiling too. My day is made.” She even had the day off from work, so there was nothing to bring her down.

“Gracie? Is that...” Verity paused. She remembered Jefferson saying something in his email to her about a little girl he was adopting. She glanced around, as if expecting to see him come around a corner, or something. Only, they were outside. No corners to be found. “Is Gracie the name of Jefferson’s daughter?” She hesitated, almost putting the word ‘new’ in before ‘daughter.’

Alice nodded, grinning as brightly as she ever had or would. “She’s … I really have no idea to describe her. She’s completely perfect. I spend the day with her after she’s out of school, but before Jefferson comes home.” She couldn’t help but rave about the little girl who’d stolen her heart even faster than Jefferson had. “Love at first sight, her and me.”

“That’s so sweet.” Verity didn’t have a whole lot of interaction with children outside the shop, or her own niece and nephew. She didn’t really understand the ‘love at first sight’ thing, but she could absolutely understand the bright grin and powerful love that Alice apparently felt for the girl. That was the way Ver felt about her niece and nephew. “I’m really glad that he’s going through with it. The adoption, I mean. And that you have someone you love so much in your life, too.”

Alice smiled off at Grace, waving and biting her lip. “I love both of them. It’s … I don’t know, have you ever met someone and known you belong with them?” She didn’t know how Verity had come to fall for Oliver, and she didn’t want to assume.

Verity paused, for a moment wondering if she should say it. “Actually, yeah,” she said, nodding as she thought about it. “I do. When I first walked into For The Lulz and met Fred and George.” They were her family away from her family, the brothers she always wanted.

That made Alice grin. “I’ve seen them online, they’re adorable. You’re lucky to have mates like that.” Alice would’ve been fibbing if she’d said she’d immediately been friends at first sight with Oliver; it had been something else at first, then transformed.

Verity nodded. “They’re my best friends in the whole world. I don’t know what I’d do without them.” Apart from her family and now Oliver, there weren’t many people in the world that Verity couldn’t live without. Fred and George topped the short list. Thor was on there, too, just below them.

“Friends like that are important.” Alice grinned at Oliver, giving him a little wave. “S’how I feel about Oli. It’s why I’m so glad he fancies you. You’re … I don’t know, you two fit really well. He lights up when he talks about you.”

Verity gave a little nod, looking anywhere but at Alice. She was slightly pink now. “That’s good. I mean, I’m pretty keen on him, too.”

“Good. He’s a lot more squishy and fragile than he lets on.” Alice liked the way Verity blushed, it was the pleased, ecstatic kind, the kind that both Verity and Oliver deserved.

“I think he hides a lot of vulnerability,” Verity said, giving a little nod. “I guess I can’t blame him. I know he wants to be impressive.” She shrugged one shoulder. “But he’s already got me. He doesn’t need to keep up the bravado.”

Alice nodded. “Right? I mean, sometimes I want to tell him that when he’s around people who care about him, he doesn’t have to be scared to be himself.” It made her sigh, made her hurt to know that somehow, Oliver didn’t think that much of himself. She’d have done anything for him, but he still was nervous around her. She knew it was similar for Verity.

“I don’t know if it’s scared to be himself. He just wants to show off the best sides of himself, and not let us see the weaknesses.” It was all Oliver, though. She knew that much. The best parts and the worst parts that he hid from the world. She loved it all.

“But if we love him, and we do, in different ways, the weaknesses are a good thing. They make him Oliver.” Alice smiled happily. “He likes me, even though I’m kind of impulsive.”

“I agree. I wish I could see everything, and not only when he thinks I’m not looking.” Verity said, softly. “Lord knows he’s seen my bad side. I was blue.” Literally. Though, of course, Alice was there, too, and knew all about it.

Alice nodded. “Honestly, it’s important to see the crappy bits of everyone you’re dating.” She laughed, realizing how bad that sounded. “I mean, I don’t mean it in a bad way, I mean it’s good to know everything about the people you’re going to date.”

“I don’t think Oliver has a whole lot of experience in that department,” Verity said, completely agreeing with Alice about... well... all she’d just said. It was important to see the good and the bad. Especially when they were building a foundation for... whatever. If that’s what they were doing. “I don’t think he knows what to do. Not that I have a much better idea, really.”

“I suppose all you can do is stay honest. I’ve been in lots of relationships, but they’ve all ended, so I’m not very good at them, I suppose.” Alice smiled to herself as she looked at Jefferson. “But I think as long as he knows where I am, things will be okay. So you and Oliver, I think you’ll be okay. I can see how he looks at you, and you him. It’s amazing. I hope you guys never stop that, it gives me hope.”

“I haven’t had many,” Verity said. And it was true, she hadn’t. “The last one I had... it ended badly.” Her face darkened considerably, and her whole demeanor seemed to chill at the memory. She was blushing a bit, though the thoughts about her ex-boyfriend were really bringing her down now. She tried to smile at Alice. “Thank you.”

“It’s good that it ended, then. You’ve got something better now, hopefully.” Alice reached out to squeeze Verity’s hand, then hugged her. “You know the saying, doors close and windows open. It’s the last thing anyone wants to hear right after a bloke’s been an asshole, but it’s true. Eventually.”

Verity was a little surprised by the hug. She lifted one arm to return it, awkwardly. "Thanks, Alice."

“I just wanted you to know that I want to be friends. And I hope someday you can forgive me.” She broke the hug, smiling off at Jefferson. “I love Oliver, yes, but I’m in love with Jefferson. I’d never do anything to hurt him, not on purpose.”

Verity blinked at her, pulling out of the hug. “...forgive you?” She asked. “...forgive you for what?”

“Having shagged him. I know it’s hard to understand being friends with someone and casually shagging him, and it’s … sometimes I wish I hadn’t, it’d be easier for you two without me in the way.” Alice smiled at Oliver who was flirting with Grace, melting her eleven year old heart.

Verity shook her head. Though what Alice said felt true to her, it wasn’t Alice’s fault that Verity had confusing feelings going on about the whole thing. It was a really strange situation for Verity, who didn’t understand casual sex. Not only didn’t understand it, but she didn’t believe in it. She didn’t think that sex could be casual. She truly believed that sex and emotions were linked. But she didn’t want Alice to feel guilty about what had happened. That just felt... selfish.

“There’s nothing to forgive.” Verity said, softly. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“If it hurts someone, it’s wrong.” Even if Alice couldn’t have known. That was what she believed.

“That’s not fair.” Verity said, shaking her head. “It wasn’t malicious. How were you supposed to know that it was going to hurt?”

“I could’ve thought about it. I don’t know.” Alice smiled wryly. “Guilt isn’t always rational.”

“I know.” But the next girl that Oliver dated could very well have been more Alice-like, and less Verity-like. Though, Alice knew how Oliver felt about Verity when they had their casual sex the last time. It was hard for Verity to reconcile. She shook her head a little. “I don’t want you to feel guilty.”

“I’ll stop when you two are okay.” She squeezed Verity’s hand. “I’m just glad you’re here, he really wanted you to come.”

Verity had no idea when that would be. She wasn’t sure what ‘okay’ even meant anymore. Would they ever be ‘okay’? She simply nodded and returned the squeeze. “I wouldn’t miss it.”

Alice hugged Verity briefly again. “Good.” She didn’t know what else to say, and wondered when things would stop being awkward.

It was a brief hug. Verity gave Alice a warm smile--a little less forced this time. She nodded once. “Thank you,” she added, “those girly products in the bathroom came in handy.” Then she grinned.

“I thought they might,” Alice beamed.