—Ashes to Ashes

“Is that the Salem town motto? Everyone drink more water?” Dahey rolled his eyes, it was annoyance from something Lachlan had nothing to do with but Dahey wasn’t in a great mood and didn’t need reminded to drink water. For the first time since putting it on, Dahey took the jacket of the costume off and breathed a loud sigh of relief. They were going to have a hard time putting that back on. 

Before Dahey’s brain could settle on small talk, they lit up bright and looked at Lachlan all rosy cheeked and glossy eyed. “Do you have any cigarettes? Now, before you start, I’ve just been drinking and a lot and you know what it’s like. Everyone does stuff they normally wouldn’t when drinking, if you know what I mean.” Dahey barely knew what they meant but rushed all the words out all the same, making sure to punctuate it all with an over the top wink. Putting emphasis on strange words and lisping due to the vampire teeth and being too inebriated to work around them. 

**

Bad moods seemed to be contagious in Salem, and he could tell by Dahey’s tone that something was off. Alcohol as a means of escape wasn’t just for him, then... That was good to know. 

He almost thought about going back inside, leaving them both to their own shit, but he’d never been able to turn down someone who might need help... “Nah, I’m not a smoker,” he said, patting down his pockets all the same - as though one might magically appear. Mostly to appear just distracted enough he could pretend not to notice the wink, which he couldn’t even begin to unpack the meaning of. “Yeah, sorry. No luck. I do have some mints, though?” 

CLOSED STARTER - @lachlan-peters​ LOCATION - Danse Macabre

“Oops! Sorry Lach!” Kacie giggled, a little tipsy honestly, as she spilled a little bit of her drink onto his shoes. She was on her third one of the evening, though that was about as much as she ever drank since it mattered to her that she keep her composure at least a little. “You look cute in those glasses. In a dorky kinda way.” The blonde teased as she reached a manicured finger up and tapped his nose. He looked like he was having fun and Kacie was thankful to have someone to hang out with to distract her from how stupid she felt after asking Jude out and being shut down. “You wanna dance? Or wander through some scare zones with me?”

**

After his disastrous encounter with Fei, Lachlan threw all caution to the wind. The drinks were overpriced, but that didn’t stop him from downing two back-to-back, and by the time he saw Kacie’s smiling face, he was well past the point of good decision making. Not enough to be out of his mind, but enough to not stand in his own damn way. Their date had gone well, but (like he didn’t fucking know it...) crossing the line from friends to something more was harder than it sounded. Or it could be, if not aided by some heavy social lubricant... “I have a better idea,” he smirked, more confident than usual as he took hold of the hand she’d just used to tap his nose. “We went on a date, right? It went well, I thought. You think I look cute in these glasses, and god you look incredible in that skirt... I’m tired of not saying how I feel. We’re not in high school anymore. We can do whatever you want, but I don’t wanna just be friends with you.” 

Most people thought she was an angel. Some sort of golden cherub. A fairy, perhaps. She supposed if she wanted people to get it straight away she’d have had to create some sort of spherical object to live inside of all night, and this outing was uncomfortable enough without the threat of rolling down the hill if she were to fall over. So she got used to explaining, or letting people believe what they wanted to, depending on how quickly she wanted to get away from the conversation. 

Most conversations tonight were dull. Most conversations overall were dull nowadays, but that was probably because (in her grumpy, sulky mind) there was only one person in the whole world worth talking to, and he was currently avoiding her at every turn. She’d seen him search for the nearest exit every time she entered a room, and she couldn’t blame him, but it didn’t make it hurt less. They used to be magnets; never apart for longer than they needed to be, never even a foot further away than was absolutely necessary. She used to joke that if she couldn’t hear his heartbeat, he was too far.

She hadn’t even seen him at all tonight, and she’d somehow managed to have a bit of fun. She’d seen people she didn’t hate, and met people she might even like, and she felt cute as hell in this costume. Overall, it was a good night, for a good cause, and she’d left her Airbnb for hours at a time, and that was enough. She wouldn’t allow herself to be disappointed, because she hadn’t even let herself imagine what she might say to him if she saw him.

But then, a voice in her ear. A hand on her arm. A joke - a pickup line? - from a man wearing round glasses and carrying a broom. And just as suddenly, a look of horror and regret.

You’ve got to be fucking kidding me, she thought.

He was Harry Potter? She’d come here as the Golden Snitch, and Lachlan, of all people was the Boy Who fucking Lived.

She couldn’t help it - she laughed. “Oh, I’m sorry…” she said, between fits of giggles, shaking her head and trying to stop. “It’s not funny, I know it’s not… it’s just fucking… ridiculous.” Taking deep breaths, she bit her lip to stop the giggles from bubbling back up. It had always been hard for her to stop laughing once she started, even nervous giggles like this. She was sure Lach remembered that. He knew everything about her. …That thought did the trick, and she calmed back down.

“Sorry, I… I was just leaving. I’ll go. You caught me, so… the game ends. Right?”

**

He should have fucking known. He had, if he was really honest with himself, the knowledge tucked somewhere deep in his subconscious the same way some people just happened to experience precognition for inexplicable reasons; they found some way to tap into the universe, but him? He was always just tapped into her... 

It was typical, the kind of thing they would have normally laughed about, and when he heard her sweet, melodious giggle, for a split second he couldn’t help but join in on instinct. But it also made his heart ache, and the sound died in his throat almost as soon as it started. They didn’t get to laugh like this anymore, and the longer he heard it, the more it distinguished itself as the particular brand of uncomfortable giggle he hadn’t caused in years. He’d always thought it was funny before, when he was stifling his own laughter watching Fei fumble through an awkward encounter, but now he hated the sound.

He felt slightly queasy, the alcohol suddenly feeling more like toxic sludge in his gut. He swallowed hard, almost as though trying to keep bile from rising. If he hated the sound of her laughter, he hated what she said next more. “I shouldn’t have had to catch you,” he mumbled, all subtly lost after weeks of silence. He didn’t even have it in him to be angry in that moment. And it wasn’t as though he wasn’t - there were days he’d felt so mad he could hardly see straight - but he couldn’t bring himself to yell at her. No matter how many times he’d imagined it., he just.... couldn’t.  “I should’ve... you could have told me.” 

status: closed with: @lachlan-peters​ location: outside in a scare-free area

This party, so far, had been a mess. Dahey didn’t remember things being this messy back home. However, after another Halloween event themed argument, Dahey dropped more money than they wanted to admit at the bar and…didn’t feel any better. Thoughts just had something to swim in now. Why outside seemed like the solution when the last time they’d stepped out, it led to the very night ruining problems but it was so hot inside. Which was the liquor and the costume but still. 

Out there Dahey did what they didn’t want to, almost instantly. Another familiar face. This one less so though. In fact, Dahey was struggling to put a name with the face but they knew they knew it. “Alright, mate,” he asked in greeting and to announce his presence. “Enjoying the party?” 

**

Lachlan was definitely buzzed. Not to the point of being out of his mind, or even remotely forgetting the reason why he was drinking, but definitely enough that he knew he’d made the right choice in ubering to the venue. Fei wasn’t far from his mind, and it didn’t help that he kept thinking he was seeing her out of the corner of his eye. He needed a minute alone, but the sight of Dahey seemed like an even better option. 

His accent was stronger than usual, which was Lachlan’s first hint that he had also been indulging. It took him a minute to decipher his words, his eyebrows screwing up comically as he did so. “Oh, yeah, it’s fine,” he shrugged. Other people seemed to be enjoying it anyway. “You out here for a break? I’ve got some water if you need it.” He held up his water bottle for emphasis. “Cost me $5, which is ridiculous, but... it’s for charity, right?” 

It was funny enough watching it happen as a spectator - some obviously drunk former-frat bro dressed up in fairy wings and a tutu, carrying a nerf gun and yelling at random strangers that they’d been struck by cupid’s arrow. For the most part, his pairings were obvious - couples, the occasional friends as a gag... It had even been downright sweet when he hit and elderly couple, and they played along and started kissing. 

It was less funny getting an suction dart to the ass, and then knowing the eyes of everyone in the room had fallen on him. He didn’t want to be the spoilsport that ruined the fun, so he played along good-naturedly, looking around to find his supposed match. 

She was beautiful, he had to say that much as least. And his broken hopeless romantic heart stirred a little from its ashes. “Lemme guess.. prom queen? Can’t say I’ve ever had the honor before...” 

Work sucked, his father’s treatment has made the man more irritable than ever, and the one person Lachlan would normally go to to complain - the person he most desperately craved to talk to - was the very same one he couldn’t even bring himself to look at right now. And it was like she was everywhere... When he wasn’t avoiding Fei in the halls, he was hearing whispers about her behind his back. Carter in the English department had even tried to broach the subject once in the break room, but Lachlan had made it clear, in no uncertain terms, that he didn’t wish to discuss it and wanted everyone else to mind their own fucking business. 

He’d actually used that exact phrase, and spent the rest of the day kicking himself for his less than professional language. 

But the worst part about all of it was that in the few fleeting glances he could bare to spare her, he could tell how badly Fei was hurting. He didn’t want to know - in his angrier moments, he cursed her for making it so damn obvious when he was the injured party here - but it was hard to ignore. She was, had been, his best friend. It was hard to switch off caring about her... 

He shook his head to clear his thoughts. Tonight wasn’t about rehashing old dramas - it was an opportunity to get out and make a new start. He had already spent way too much on overpriced drinks, and his mind was pleasantly foggy. If only it didn’t automatically steer back to one particular person, he’d be golden... Ironic, then, that he saw something gold flit past in the corner of his eye. He turned, but surely it was just his stupid mind that made him imagine it was Fei. 

The night had been filled with random people asking if he’d “caught the golden snitch yet.” He assumed it was a stupid joke because of the broom he brought as a prop (he was already regretting lugging it around, and if it didn’t belong to his niece, he definitely would have ditched it by now), but maybe... 

With the woman’s back turned, the golden wings where unmistakable. Her slight frame reminded him of Fei, and the alcohol convinced him this was the opportunity for the perfect rebound. I mean, the pickup line practically wrote itself... 

He sauntered over, a charmingly crooked grin affixed in place. “I caught you,” he teased, only for her to turn around, and his breath to catch in his throat. 

Had Syd expected his friend to actually get up and go for it? No. But it had totally worked and Syd grinned lazily. “Love you!” He called, dropping his head back to stare at the stars and wait for Lachlan to come back over with his fried dough. He could hear him a few minutes later. “The joint has been saved… and obviously I was gonna share the dough too, babe, c’mon.” He winked, sitting up with a lazy stretch. “Was this your plan for Harvest Festival? Sit on a wall with me and get high? Eat some fried dough?” He held out the joint. 

**

Lachlan got the snack in question - and some cider and corndogs as well for good measure. No doubt his heartburn would punish him later, but right now, he couldn’t be fucked... He passed over the goods and settled in, grabbing the joint and breathing a lungful in deep, waiting for the smoke to make everything hazy at the edges. He finally exhaled on a scoff. “Plans are for suckers,” he proclaimed, allowing himself this moment of self-indulgent bitterness. What had plans gotten him anyway? A bruised ego and a broken heart... “I ever make one, you have full permission to deck me.” 

“You’re drinking tea wrong,” Dahey didn’t pass any judgement or offer the “correct” way. Simply informed the other that it wasn’t being made right if it was like muddy water. But they drank tea iced over here so he wasn’t surprised. The rest of what was said was far more interesting. As much as Dahey wanted to get to the my students part, the end had him confused enough he had to focus on it. “Fifth year senior?” he asked, dragging the words out in hopes what they meant would click before he finished saying them. 

**

Lachlan didn’t know the first thing about the schooling system in Ireland, and realized a bit too late that a phrase like ‘fifth year senior’ might be completely foreign to Dahey. “Basically just a dumbass who had to repeat a year,” he explained, feeling perhaps a tad guilty for his... less than political phrasing. As a guidance counsellor, he really ought to know better the myriad of factors that could play into someone repeating a year, but this was supposed to be about venting, he reminded himself. No need to get caught up on niceties. “I got asked my first week what I was doing out of uniform, so at least a few of my colleagues think I’m a student...” 

     There was a moment where she thought, ‘This is stupid, why are we doing this?’ when he hugged her back and paid her a sweet compliment. Surely if they were meant to be this would have happened a lot sooner right? But then again, what if they were a classic case of ‘right person, wrong time’? It was making her head spin so she shut those thoughts out and offered him a sweet smile as a thank you before allowing Lachlan to usher her inside. His large warm hand on her back felt natural and she didn’t question the way her stomach felt a little flutter when he touched her. It was good to enjoy a date, especially with someone she already knew and didn’t have to make weird small talk with over an awkward dinner.

     Once seated in the booth, Kacie slipped her coat off and placed it on the space next to her, honey brown eyes flitting up to look at him across the table. “So, did you tell anyone you were coming out with me tonight or are we seeing how this goes before talking about it?” She smiled, thinking about how her own friends would react to the idea of her going on a date with Lachlan Peters of all people. She recognized that this was probably a rebound for him and maybe that was all she needed to feel good for now. The perfect little Kingsley daughter was sick of being a porcelain doll that no one wanted to touch.

**

She was beautiful, and the atmosphere was light enough that he could pretend for a moment that everything was okay. That he was just a boy, embarking on a new journey with a girl he’d always known, but had never been brave enough to take the leap with. It was a tale almost painfully familiar, but he reminded himself that Kacie was not Fei and there was no reason to equate the two women in his mind. They didn’t know each other - didn’t even know the other existed so far as he could tell, so really, they couldn’t be more different... And, perhaps most importantly, Kacie didn’t have some secret boyfriend she was lying about. 

Her question was a valid one, but he couldn’t help but smile sheepishly about it. “Why, did you?” he teased, but continued on before she could answer. He appreciated her addressing the elephant in the room early, getting it out of the way so it didn’t linger over their heads. He was hopeful it meant she had something invested, too - that she wanted this to go well and didn’t want anything standing in their way. After... everything, he appreciated the honesty. “I’m not, like, keeping it a secret or anything, but I figured we could do without the pressure to start... Not that I still talk to that many people from high school anymore. I kinda lost touch.” He had reason to want to detach from his... youthful indiscretion. “You still close with a lot of people from that crowd?” he asked, genuinely curious. Kacie seemed like the type; he’d always thought she was the type too sweet and outgoing to ever really lose touch.

feidavenport​: 

.

This was a nightmare. And Fei had had this nightmare, many times. The setting had been different in her dream - the house, at night, Fei creeping in after dark, Nate glaring from a chair, empty bottle of scotch in his hand. He never spoke the accusation aloud in the dream, but he didn’t have to. Like he didn’t have to now. It was in his eyes, like everything else always was. She wanted to be angry, to yell at him, because at least that would feel normal. But he didn’t deserve it, and even if he did, she has no strength for it now. Her heart was pounding, desperately trying to keep her alive, and the rest of her body was a blur because of it. So when she finally spoke, it was almost a whisper.

“I didn’t… I wasn’t trying to use anything against you. I just… I’ve been trying, too, Nate. The move, the… the fucking bookshelf, that’s me trying… to make something with you. Something real, and strong, because I loved you, and I wanted that for us. I wanted us to be happy, Nate. We were happy, once. I wanted us to try… to get back to that.”

Wanted. Loved. Past tense. Whatever pieces of her heart were left intact shattered at the sound of the words from her mouth. She’d been trying so hard to hold onto both Lachlan and Nate that she’d been ripping herself in half, and bringing them down with her. Maybe the only thing left to do now was let go. He all but shouted the accusation down the hallway, and Fei could see in her peripheral vision the stares from her new coworkers. But she had no room left to care. This dumb job at this stupid pretentious school were the last thing on her mind. She couldn’t take offense to the question. It was fair, and justified, and true. But the way he phrased it, like it was something dirty, made her stomach twist. 

Are you fucking him? 

She felt horrible for cheating on Nate. They fought all the time, but she’d never wanted to hurt him. Not really. Not in any way that would actually matter. But she had, and she knew that, and it haunted her.

But even with all of that tainting the memory of her night with Lachlan, she knew she couldn’t ever bring herself to regret it. It had been perfect, and beautiful, and she’d never felt so loved. She wasn’t fucking Lachlan, she was in love with him. She wanted to say that now, to finally speak it out loud, but it would only make things worse. She was walking the line here of too much truth vs. not enough; one tiny slip and she’d fall to her death.

So she nodded. She didn’t clarify that it was only once. That it was months ago. Because it didn’t matter. She’d lied, and concealed, and betrayed him, and clarification wouldn’t make that hurt less.

Trying desperately not to cry, her voice still broke as she said, “I’m sorry, Nate.”

@nate-blackwood . @lachlan-peters​

.

It was hard to hear her over the roaring in his ears, but he did. There was a painful sort of heat in his chest that threatened to crack him open. He felt sick. Looking at her made him feel sick. And then–

Loved.

It was like freshly sharpened blade– one he hadn’t realized even had the power to cut him. He’d been stingy with his heart, had thrown up walls around it so that she’d never have the power he’d given Verity. Verity, who had shredded the fragile muscle with her own bare hands. His heart had been a wasteland when Fei wormed her way into it. 

He was only seeing now just how deeply her roots had grown.

Her nod had him rearing back as though he’d been slapped. Disgust burned to ash in his mouth and he found himself unable to grasp at a single thought. Things had never been great with Fei, he knew that. Maybe sometimes it was hard to even call it good. But he’d never been unfaithful. 

“Why?” He hadn’t even realized he’d spoken the question aloud, and wasn’t sure that he wanted an answer, anyway. But it circled around in his mind anyway. Why? Why was he not good enough? For his father? For Verity? For Fei? What was it about him that was so easy to write off? 

His hands balled into fists as he just looked at her, eyes dragging down a woman he’d shared his bed with only hours before. Who now looked like nothing but a stranger. He took a single step forward, eyes locked on hers. Gingerly, he reached out, his jaw clenching as he ran the back of his hand along her cheek. His voice was low, reverent, even as the words he spoke were coated in poison. Dropping his hand back to his side, he said, “I never want to fucking see you again.” @feidavenport​ @lachlan-peters​

**

Nate. It was a name he’d cursed from the very first time Fei brought it up. ‘I met this guy, Nate...’ She had said it so casually, full of feigned indifference the way they always talked about the romantic interests that came in and out of their lives. If Lachlan recalled correctly, he’d been two months into seeing a girl named Sarah he’d met at the gym at the time - they didn’t made it to a third...

Lachlan never set out to hate Fei’s boyfriends (not that he ever met them,) but the longer they stuck around, it just seemed to usually happen that way. He told himself it came with being Fei’s best friend, from hearing all the annoyances and complaints without witnessing the good to balance it out. He told himself that, but... yeah, he really hated Nate. 

And Nate was here. In Boston. Presumably also in Salem. And the way he wrapped his arm possessively around Fei... He knew it without even needing to seek confirmation. Fei hadn’t moved here for him. She’d moved here with Nate. And Lachlan’s name didn’t even seem to phase him. 

He felt sick. He felt like he might literally puke. His stomach twisted and he could feel his heart beating in his throat. The illusion of a world with only him and Fei was shattered, and as the shock wore off, everything around him flooded back in. The cheesy Frank Sinatra music. The garish, gaudy lighting. Distant laughter and worse, the hushed whispers of those closest to him. 

He had to get out. He had to... 

He burst out through the front door, gasping in air as he tugged at his tie, breathing like he’d just spent an eternity underwater. It was pointless, though, because what he hadn’t realized is he’d walked right back into their orbit - a front row seat to a lover’s quarrel. 

“...Fei?” He hated how pathetic he sounded, the way the word came out like a desperate plea, one last hope for an explanation. 

“An entire week?” Dahey mocked the answer but gave a genuine look of being impressed. “I think I was ten? My dad always had a cup before work, just the one, and he’d left in a hurry one day so I took it. I was barely able to get through the first drink and decided immediately that people who drink that hate themselves. Though, occasionally, I have grabbed some blended drink that I think contains coffee. It almost bothers the purists more than saying I don’t drink coffee,” Dahey ended with a proud smile. Having rambled on, not just about coffee of all things, but his family. It should have had him regretting choices but he didn’t mind. “So then, the hot chocolate really is the drink of choice and not situational? You make it at home?” 

**

He liked that Dahey made him feel so relaxed - after everything that had happened recently, it was nice to sit down with a someone who just... got it. “Oh, it’s a full-on lifestyle choice. Hate coffee, as we established - man, 10 years old, that’s enough to traumatize you... And not to offend your British sensibilities, but I can’t stand tea either. It’s like muddy water. So all I’ve got left is hot chocolate. I’ve gotten so much shit for it. My students can’t find out - I’d lose all credibility. I already look like a fifth-year senior...” 

The apartment had been too good not to jump on, and Lachlan had been eager to get out of his childhood basement. But while he’d been able to float a couple months’ rent on his own, the need for a roommate was getting pretty desperate. He’d put an ad on Facebook, even, and Duncan Flores was the first promising candidate to reach out. 

They’d agreed to meet at a neutral location not far from the apartment, a general ‘getting to know you’ before they took the next steps. Lachlan had come early, and scouted a table by the window. He recognized the guy from his profile picture, and waved them over as they entered the shop. 

“Hey, man. Nice to meet you. I’m Lachlan,” he greeted with his usual crooked grin. 

He’d been in a perpetually dour mood since Casino Night, and the general frivolity of the Harvest Festival wasn’t doing nearly enough to lift his spirits. Sure, the sight of children running around, giggling and donning elaborate face-paint brought a smile to his face, but considering he’d thought not less than a week ago he’d found the person he would eventually start a family with... well, children didn’t bring quite the warm, fuzzy feeling to his stomach it usually did. 

He hated that it was something so dramatic, just like he hated the fact that he’d allowed himself to get ahead of himself. He’d just thought — it didn’t matter now. Whatever had happened between him and Fei was clearly over now, leaving their friendship as little more than a pile of burning ashes. 

It was a cliche fitting of a man who’d planned out his entire future before even telling the woman he loved her - that just in the depths of his heartbreak, with his mind distracted and not paying attention to where he was going, that he should quite literally run into someone else, someone... 

“Jillian?” Her name came out before even an obligatory apology. “I- sorry. I wasn’t looking where I was going...” 

CLOSED STARTER - @lachlan-peters​ LOCATION - The Lobster Shanty

Some things in life were unpredictable and others could have been seen coming a mile away. After going through a string of heartbreaks, Kacie had stopped dating seriously for a while and had been on a handful of tinder and bumble dates recently instead. Whether or not matching with Lachlan on there and ending up meeting him for a dinner date was unpredictable or inevitable was still up for discussion. It wasn’t all that long ago that Kacie and Lachlan had been teenagers and she’d had a crush too silly to even mention to him. It wasn’t like she expected for him to like her back so Kacie had kept her eyes on men who would be easy to date and then leave behind when the next one came along. Lachlan was a friend and maybe it was a bad idea to be doing this right now but the fact that they had matched at all felt like some kind of sign from the universe that maybe now was the time to give things a try.

“You sure look handsome, Lach.” Kacie reached her arms up to give him a hug, the soft scent of cologne on his neck making her smile. Did he do that for her or was he already wearing it earlier in the day? “I haven’t been here in a while, do you know if they still make that killer lobster roll?”

**

Lachlan was still reeling from the revelations of Casino Night, the hurt and betrayal a desperate pit in his stomach that threatened to swallow him whole if he let it. It was exhausting, honestly, constantly trying to find an excuse to leave every time she entered a room. It was all for show, anyway; gossip spread as quickly amongst faculty as it did the teenaged students. Maybe they didn’t have the full story, but they had enough of it to speculate. He even thought about quitting - one of those desperate thoughts that come late at night - but then he thought why should he be the one to run? What had he done wrong expect love a woman who gave every indication of loving him back? 

He logged on to Tinder that very night, and Kacie’s profile on his screen felt like a sign. They’d been friends back in the day, and of course he’d thought she was beautiful. Maybe... what he needed was right under his nose. He swiped right, and the rest, as they say, was history. 

He gave her his patented crooked grin when he saw her approach, squeezing her gently as they hugged. It didn’t need to be awkward - they weren’t teenagers - and the question of attraction had already been answered when they matched. But if he’d spent a few extra minutes in front of the mirror, tidied up his place before he left, well... he would keep that to himself. 

“Please, coming from a woman who seems to only be growing more beautiful,” he teased self-deprecatingly, though the sentiment was true. She was more stunning than she had been back in the day, the awkward gangliness of adolescence softened into womanly curves. “Rumor has it they do,” he nodded. “C’mon, I got us a table.” It was maybe a little forward, the way he placed his hand at the small of her back to guide her towards the corner booth. But he was done playing with subtleties. He would be direct with his intentions.