stardust

{ - }

“Oh, no, please. You’d be doing me a favour,” Hazel responded, brushing off the polite hesitance with a quick wave of her hand. Athena was far from her first target that week - she’d been sharing around casseroles and curries, anything she could convince her colleagues to take off of her hands. “I knocked out all of my meal-prep for the week between 5 and 7am on Monday night, took Damien off to school, managed to get off of work on time to pick him up a friend’s house, whipped up one of his favourite dishes… Only for him to announce that he’s a vegan now. All he could have on that plate was the broccoli.” There was a layer of exasperation to Hazel’s voice, but it all belonged to the poor timing. “Bless his heart… I’m more than happy to accommodate that, but it does raise the issue of what I’m going to do with all of this extra stuff I’ve made for the week. Aside from pawning it off on you, of course,” she chuckled impishly, tugging open the microwave door as the last second popped up on the screen. She picked up a fork, carefully stirring the chicken and rice dish, before popping it right back in.

.

athena had spotted hazel sharing her dinners around and had very quickly assumed that she would get out of such an attempt, that the younger woman wouldn’t even bother. apparently she was wrong. it was endearing really, watching hazel talk about her son. there was a beauty to it. the love in parent’s voice, even if they were exasperated at their own children, was something so precious to her. she had never allowed herself to think too long about why. “well, thank you for thinking of me. i uh...” she stopped for a moment, swallowing thickly, “i have some vegan recipes if you’d like. a friend of mine was vegan and well, i was never very good at making them. you could borrow them if you like? someone might as well get use out of them.” it was the most athena had most likely ever said to hazel in one sitting. connection to people other then her patients or fellow soldiers she literally went to war with (even then it was hard) wasn’t something that came naturally, but she was trying. it was all bash’s influence honestly.

≠≠≠

Lauren easily handed over her card, passing it over to June with a smile. Normally she wouldn’t give her information to another random store, but as a elementary school principal, it was her job to keep up with this kind of thing? “Sure… is this a phone number or email thing?”

“either one” june replied easily, tapping the card on the eftpos machine before handing it back to the other woman. “we can use both but really you only need one - as long as it’s easy for you to access.” personally, she didn’t like signing up for sorts. the sheer number of emails it brought to her inbox was enough to make her want to pull her hair out but obviously, she made an exception for her best friend’s store.

“your lack of filter is starting to become a real cause of concern,” river’s nose wrinkles. “i didn’t want to picture your clogged drains. but now here i am, picturing it.”  his features are pulled into thought - there was no real area of intrigue for the classics professor. all things sinister and forbidden stem from his own anthropological studies ; but yet, there is something quite exciting about reading tales of myth and folklore after dark, locked in a place you shouldn’t be. “this way,” he grasps her wrist to lead her along, and he squints in the low light, his trail forming only from memory, rather that sight. “if we find any ladders, rest assured i’ll let you have first dibs.”

a world renowned astronomer and resident genius of most places she’s at, rose could have done anything in response but no. instead, she did exactly what a ten year old would do and she stuck her tongue out at him. “clogged drains are very normal you know, everyone has them.

the physical contact makes bash’s smile grow wider and fonder; he knows it takes athena a while to warm up to people enough to be this affectionate with them and it makes him feel special. “your ability to always know what to say to me will never not be absolutely amazing,” he chuckles and gives her a warm smile. “but you’re right, she would love that. every now and again she tries to convince me to move back in, you know. because why should you pay rent when you have a perfectly good place to stay here,” he says, trying this best to imitate his mother’s voice and the tone of it. he doesn’t even come close but it does sound funny. “i just don’t think she realizes that i like the independence. plus, i like living with connor.”

“oh shit. i get a fair share of breaking up fights too but i work at a diner, not a hospital,” bash chuckles, already preparing more questions in his head. “do you know what they were even fighting about? hope it’s something super scandalous.”

.

athena was used to cold. her father was cold. by simple point of contact, she had grown cold too. or maybe she had always been cold, she never really had a chance to be anything else. bash on the other hand, was warm. he radiated the same warmth that a fireplace did - not only warm but also safe. when they had first met, she had assumed it to be a facade because how could people be like? how could they be so kind without expecting anything at all? then she had met his family and discovered that he was warm because his mother was warm.

when she was with them or with him, she felt a little warmer. it was why she had looped his arm through his now because she had learned, and almost trusted that his warmth was safe. it might not make sense to anyone but athena but it did make sense to her. maybe this is what have a brother would have been like, had her mother lived.

she smiled a little at his words. it was nice, knowing that she could make someone feel better when it wasn’t connected to her work. not that she always knew how to respond to gratitude. “you’re her baby. it’ll take a long time for her to realise that it’s not her, that you’re gonna be okay if she lets go” she told him, going off not her own experience, but what she had learned of others.

“their mother. it’s sad really. she has dementia and one sister accepts it and fought for her to get diagnosed but the other is in complete denial and blames her younger sister for everything that’s wrong with her.” then again, families sound complicated.

The break room was quiet, filled by the typical lull of the mid-evening. The hospital itself, of course, was bustling with chaos - but Hazel found a sense of solace in being surrounded by other fatigued nurses, all soaking up the momentary peace. That was why she winced as she opened the microwave and pressed its buttons, letting the loud beeping disrupt the near-silence. As the device hummed to life, she took a step back, glancing around her cohort with an apologetic smile - which was when she spotted Athena. Perfect. “Hey,” she said, nodding towards the microwave. “Is there any chance you didn’t bring food today? Because I have way too much here for one person…”

{ @dmndmyths​ }

athena’s cane resting on her leg as she all but melted into the couch. being a nurse was exhausting enough and while she never liked to admit it, her chronic pain made it harder. her muscles ached and her head felt like it was going to explode. she hadn’t even heard the beeping, too focused on the simple action of staying awake. it wasn’t until her name was mentioned that she looked up. “are you sure?” she asked, already feeling the too familiar guilt of taking anything offered, tugging. however, as per usual, she hadn’t bought her lunch (remembering to do such things weren’t her strong suit) but she hungry. nurse work did bring up an appetite.

≠≠≠

“Nothing else comes to mind…” even if Lauren wouldn’t hate spending more time in this comic book store, perusing all of her recommendations. That being said, she was a little too busy to justify such a drawn out visit, and with a grim smile, made her decision. “This will be all.” She gave the books a little shake in her hand. “But if I find a need for more comic books, there’s a good chance you’ll see me around again.”

with a practised ease, june put them through the till and slipped them into a paper bag. “that’ll be forty dollars, do you want to sign up for a member card? it just means you can discounts and the like once you spend enough.” she smiled as she spoke, not just because it was her job but also because the woman had been a genuinely pleasant customer. unfortunately, they could be a little rare some days.

◊◊◊

Carla nodded, mentally jotting it all down to breathlessly relay to her online friend the next day, the one who had asked. “Are you familiar with the… easier ways?” She was already trying to imagine a few, but she suspected that Athena’s answer would still dazzle her.

athena couldn’t understand why carla was still standing here and was simply stunned by her seemingly unstoppable enthusiasm. usually, a glare from the older woman was enough to stop almost anyone in their tracks. she toyed with her tags, a sign that she was starting to get a little uncomfortable with the topic. “i’m not, or at least not in the way that you want.”

.

Honestly, when she was quiet Freddie got a little nervous. Rose never took that long to answer, and he half expected her to say that yes, it was a bad idea. He almost expected her to say that she wished he hadn’t come, but he was glad when she didn’t. he couldn’t really blame her if she had done that, though. He should have eased more into it. He knew Rose enough to know she’d back away if she felt things were too… close?

A slow breath he didn’t know he was holding was released when she responded. “No, it shouldn’t be.” He agreed. He was not going to up and leave because of this. He was definitely out of line with how he was acting today. He could only blame his jetlag, and the excitement from seeing his friend again. Freddie rested his back against the back of the chair. “I’m sorry.” He said, not looking up from his cup. “I didn’t mean for today to turn out like this.”

rose shook her head. “it’s not your fault. it’s not your fault that i’m not like i should be, that i can’t be your average ex who talks crap about you to her friends because that’s what exes are supposed to do.” the words stumbled from her mouth then, lacking the usual oddness of her sentence structure and flying lilt in her voice. these were words that had been buried in her chest and came tumbling out of her as the walls that kept them in suddenly turned fragile. 

suddenly she went silent again and seemed to draw back in, right hand only trembling slightly now it went to join her left in cupping her mug. most of the time, rose could forget how small she had felt since that dreaded moment the police had turned up at her door. or, she could pretend that that feeling had left with her flee from new york. moments like this reminded her that it hadn’t.

“What the fuck? I’m not even inside!” he protests when June plucks the still-burning cigarette from between his fingers and boldly stuffed into her apron. She opens his mouth to make another comment, but it’s her ruined apron. “He’s not my son,” he reminds her, and while he normally doesn’t bother correcting people on it, he feels like he’s taking flack for something he didn’t do. He’s not the dad who didn’t bother stepping up. He’s not the mom who just up and left like she wasn’t abandoning an innocent child for her choices. He’s just some guy who happened to be there.

Deacon shifts his weight and shoves his hands into the pockets of his hoodie, shoulders hunched forward, and sniffles. The runny nose should be the first clue what he’s been up to with his ‘business’ out of town, if his days-long absence wasn’t enough indication. “Look, just hand Jackson over and we’ll get out of your fuckin’ hair. If I knew you were gonna be a bitch about it, I woulda looked for someone else to watch over Jackson while I was gone.”

june could have gone off at him right there. she could have torn him to strips. she certainly had more then enough of that bubbling anger in her chest, so so close to erupting. however, she also had dignity and the lessons that her parents had taught her as a child - one of them being to never had one’s arguments out in the open as it wasn’t good for ones reputation. so, without a word, she grabbed him by the arm and shoved him inside with all the force of an angry, middle aged (not old, thank you very much) mother and closed the door behind him both.

for a moment, she just glared at him, heart pounding. she was so angry. angry for little jackson and angry both for and at deacon. she knew he was better then this, somewhere deep down. now that they were inside, suddenly june had no words. it was as if they had all slowly fallen out of her as she thought about his words. eventually she spoke and when she did, her voice was quiet and hard. her kids always said that was when they knew she was at her angriest. “you are his father, whether you admit it or not. you could have put him foster care but you didn’t, you kept him and it’s now your duty to keep that promise you made. whether you meant to or not. now, if you disrespect me like that again, i’ll put your ass back on the street without your son and you can explain to him what’s more important then his safety.”

╔═━─────━▒ ۞Woody۞ ▒━─────━═╗

Woody preferred the quiet peace of the garage at night to the constantly humming day shift, where loud conversation and an over crowded work floor made it hard to concentrate. Here, by himself at night, he could take the time he needed to get the job done right.. without constantly being interrupted by some emergency or another. For though he had only been at the Modern Muffler for a short while, he had already proved his worth a few times over, having been able to help some of the more inexperienced mechanics through a complicated spot. In fact, he still often found some of the more difficult repairs waiting for him when he wandered in for the night shift, not that he minded. The complexity of the work helped keep his mind focused, and off of thoughts that would only lead him to trouble. 

He’d seen the note on the counter detailing the night’s appointments. Usually there were one or two, some pour soul whose schedule didn’t allow them the time to get things done at a normal hour. The receptionist hadn’t bothered to write a name, just the issue being fixed along with the make and model of the car. He was rolled under another car, unable to see the face of the woman who had come in. Something in the voice sounded vaguely familiar, but not enough to really jar him. “Just bring the car ‘round back. I’ll pop the garage up here in a minute.” His drawl carried easily across the room, and once he had given them enough time to exit the building he pushed himself out from under his current project and made his way over to push the button that allowed the door of the garage to rise. 

It wasn’t until the car pulled in and the owner stepped out that a wave of recognition washed over him like a bucket of ice, freezing him in place. For a moment he believed he was seeing things, until having blinked a few times and confirming it wasn’t some kind of drug induced hallucination. “’Thena?” The old nickname slipped from his lips with an unbidden twang, lips remaining slightly parted in shock as he took in her appearance. Was that really her?

without a word, athena quickly went to do what was asked. the quicker she got this done, the quicker she could get home. due to the rush she was in, plus her own constant exhaustion, she didn’t really register the voice that had spoken. if she had, then maybe she could have realised that it was familiar. that this was the same voice who had questioned her on lord of the rings in the middle of a football game, who had whispered sweet things to her in the back of his truck. however, she hadn’t realised and therefore wasn’t aware of the trip down memory lane she was about to be forced on to.

pulling in, she didn’t yet spare the mechanic a look, instead focusing on once again getting out of the car. shifting her cane into place, she stood up, closing the door behind her with her spare hand. then, and only then, did her eyes land on him. everything stopped. her mind stopped ticking over. and her eyes didn’t even check for escape routes as usual, too focused on the man standing opposite her. it had been almost three decades but the image of woody was too burned into her mind, to not see that this was him. it was funny, how time could still not erase him from her mind and heart.

her hand tightened her cane, knuckles going white. it was all she could do to keep from falling to her knees right then and there. he was the past, he wasn’t meant to turn up in the present. “woody.” it was all the response she could give, a one word confirmation that she was who he thought and that he did not go unrecognised. 

even though he asked the question, his lip twisted at her honest answer. “practical, but gross.” but even as river tucks his chin into his fist, and thinks about the question, he has to nod his agreement. “but yeah, even if finding shoes would be an hassle.” the darkness does not seem so ominous to him now that rose is awake to keep him company - not that he had given her any other option. but his leg began to shake, restless, knowing the hour and the strange predicament. with the whole place to themselves, it would be foolish to be sat idle until they are rescued. “come on, lets go explore. can’t guarantee we’ll find monkey bars to play on, though.”

rose laughed at his expression. “lots of practical things are gross. like emptying drains! super gross but very practical if you don’t want your bathroom flooding. i did that once, would not recommend.”

≠≠≠

Lauren didn’t know who this woman was, but she was almost certain that she had stars in her eyes. Her grace, her elegance, her knowledge… she took a book in each hand, looking over the covers. “This is… exactly what I’m looking for,” she said, awed as she flipped them over to check the backs. Finding nothing but good information, she offered June a sunny smile. “Are you always this helpful, or am I just lucky?”

“wonderful!” june beamed at her customers response. whether it came to her painting, or even simply her work at the comic book store, few things felt better than seeing a visibly pleased customer. “i like to think it’s the former” she responded, chuckling as she began to walk back to the counter. “now, is there anything else you’re looking for or will that be all for you?”

{ - }

Connor’s brow creased at the mere confirmation that, yes, that habit could lead to further complications. “Oh, god,” he muttered, closing his eyes to stave off the slight dizzy feeling that came with the thought. His attempt at shaking it off seemed a lot more like a shudder, and when he opened his eyes he frowned down at the end of his leg, from which his worries stemmed. He was fine now, he knew that, but he just had to check. “Um– thank you,” he added quickly, letting out a slow, careful breath. “Man, I had no idea… I’ve been biting my nails since I was a tiny kid. I, uh, I guess I’m just lucky it never got that bad! Not that I was worrying about that stuff before…” Connor swallowed that thought, looking up and away from his leg. He held his hands out in preperation. “Wait. Does that mean regular nail polish tastes good…?”

immediately, athena saw the shudder for what it meant. taking one hand, she began to wipe down his nails. “it’s really nothing to worry about. if you’ve gone this long without a single infection then you’re most likely fine. such things only happen once you start biting the skin and it seems like you don’t do such things. even if you did, it’s a quick solve. you’re okay.” she wasn’t usually a woman of many words, yet in her work, that changed. it had to really. “i think it doesn’t like much at all” she replied, giving him a smile then. smiles were good, smiles calmed people down, smiles had a purpose here.

      he had a foot in the door. william knew it. he knew it the second she allowed him to touch her, knew it when she didn’t look him in the face. it didn’t matter that her tone was hard or that she didn’t immediately forgive him. none of that mattered. because he knew he had found an opening and he would be on the same page with her again eventually. if it took time? so it be. as long as he could have her in his life. 

the rough inside of his thumb softly rubbed over the back of her hand. a sign of thankfulness, or relief even. 

when the car came to a stop, the irishman didn’t have the chance to find more sweet words to sugar coat her. but that was okay because he knew what awaited them. ever the gentleman, billie stepped out of the car first and offered his hand to help her get out as well. “i had them prepare this for us.” while he offered his arm for her to lean on a little as they walked, his free hand pointed at the prepared picnic in front of them. “tea instead of champagne, though i do have a bottle hidden in the car should you change your mind.” as he glanced over, william’s smile was softer again, hoping she’d enjoy that he remembered her preference.

athena didn’t like taking his arm, didn’t like the fact that she needed too but the car was fairly high off the ground and it was either take his arm or feel like an absolute idiot getting out of the car. as feet and cane hitting the ground, she let go of his hand rather quickly, only to be offered his arm. would it be rude to not take it? probably? did she care? unfortunately yes. besides, it was grass and grass was soft and didn’t like canes and being vaguely stable. maybe having an excuse to be close to him wasn’t the worst thing the world either.

despite herself, her face lit up at the prepared picnic. it looked like something pulled right out of romance. her eyes flicked to him and her expression was no longer has hard, softened by his memory of the things she liked and his clear effort to make sure she got there comfortably without him even saying a word about it. “thank you, it’s beautiful” she told him and it really was. it was the type of thing that athena had always kind of wanted to do but had never indulged in because it was also the type of thing her father would have found frivolous and she was still learning to forget his words. “let’s sit and see if your choice as food is as good as your choice in drinks.”

the fact that the automechanic in islebury was open overnight honestly had been a life saver for athena over the past few years. a bizarre work timetable with an even worse sleeping pattern meant for being pretty bad at meeting nine to five appointments. now, she had realised her tail light was broken before she headed off to work but she needed to get to work and it wasn’t like she could walk there. so she had driven carefully, both to work and then from work to here. even if she had been tempted to say fuck it and go home to sleep instead. however, she had done the vaguely responsible thing and actually turned up for her car’s appointment.

with a grimace, she got out of the car. it had been a long shift and not a good pain day. it always made for a shitty combination. moving her attention from something she was well aware she couldn’t fix, she began to look for the fabled mechanic. fabled because she had been told by the owner that he was vaguely new. huh. “hello? the car with the broken tail light has arrived” she called out, eyes searching for ways out and ways in and everything else on the checklist she still hadn’t let go of since her discharge. besides, this was a mechanics at night - the bad stories always happened here.

◊◊◊

Carla’s eyebrows rose, her intrigue showing on her face. “You speak like someone who learned this the hard way…” At this, her lips spread into a smile. “I must know everything. What’s your story? What’s your advice?” She wasn’t the one considering faking her death, but that didn’t keep her from hanging onto Athena’s every word.

.

athena shook her head. “you’re getting me wrong. i’ve simply studied and heard stories. it’s common sense really, the movies make everything look easier.” she shifted slightly, this talk of death unsettling her. it wasn’t necessarily one of her favourite topics. “i’d suggest you tell whoever is so interested in it, that it isn’t worth it. not without connections and not without money. however, if they had those, there would be easier ways of getting away.”