#inapril

a/n: Ah! Here’s my self-indulgent story about how Paterson met his future wife (in my head they are a poet and a book store clerk/ keeper pair)! I love the idea of them properly meeting at a Halloween party or something really cute. Enjoy! I might make this a multi-chapter thing.  <3

wc: 1.9k 

Summary: Paterson finds that one cute woman from the bookstore and they have a fun time. Unknowingly meets his future wife. Fem(y/n)

Masterlist!

“I just feel like it’s a little overboard.” 

Paterson felt unsure about this whole situation. Just because he saw a cute bookstore clerk at the local store did not mean it was an invitation to be all gussied up and dramatic about it. Right? Yea, Halloween was time to dress up and all, but it seemed a little out of his element. Especially to draw attention from someone he had just met. 

“What? No. It’s perfect.”

“But… It’s… um, I don’t know. It stands out?”

“That’s the point. It’s supposed to draw attention.” 

Marie had invited herself to help Paterson get ready for tonight’s costume party at the bar after he mentioned meeting someone interesting at the store. After everything, he seemed a little less lonely when he talked to her and it felt nice for a change. That's at least what he told Marie one night. She thought it would be best to catch her attention, in a big way. Paterson did not like big ways. Or attention. Not anymore. He just wanted to be left alone to write and read with no distraction. That’s what he wanted so bad and it led him right to this clerk. 

“I still don’t know about this.” He looked incredulously at his costume then at Marie. This was not what he had in mind. He’d rather be on the couch writing poetry or reading a classic. Or rereading. That was totally fine too. Being at the bar on a night like this meant having to socialize and do friend stuff. It just didn’t feel right.

“It’s fine. You’ll be fine. It’s only for one night.” Says the girl who’s going as a witch, thought Paterson. He deeply inhaled and exhaled. Oh god, why did it never cease? He could turn back now. He could just say no. Right now, no. He could take everything off and just say, actually I don’t feel like it. Or, no thanks, you go on without me. It was so tempting to think about. This was uncomfortable and not even in Paterson’s range. It didn’t feel right. He could feel the anxiety of talking to someone new and he just wanted to crawl in bed. Paterson wished Marvin was still here to give him the excuse, aw no thanks, I actually have to take care of my sick dog. 

“I hope you’re satisfied with this.” 

Paterson immediately regretted the words that just tumbled out of his mouth. This was going to be a really long night. Are costume parties even long? How do people stay in costumes all night? Was he going to come home early enough to be in bed on time? What was he even thinking, he’s a grown man, bedtimes don’t even exist. This was more stressful than it had to be. 

“Thank you! I was hoping you would say yes.” 

“I’m still not so sure about it though.”

“Come on, let’s go before you change your mind.” Paterson gathered his keys and wallet before heading out with Marie and meeting up with another of her friends. He walked behind them. 

The whole walk over there, Paterson was a nervous wreck. He didn’t even know if she was going to be there. Again, Paterson just hated the prospect of being there. If he was her, he wouldn’t even bother. 

By the time they reached the front door, he was almost prepared for what the night had in store and by the guesses of it, no. He was not going to bed at a reasonable time. The whole bar was decorated with crazy orange pumpkins. There was an old couple handing out candy outside. They probably didn’t want to be in the middle of a crowded bar tonight. Maybe Doc asked them to. Children were passing by in their little mermaid costumes and Scream masks. Grown adults were walking in the bar in costumes that left little to the imagination. Paterson felt uneasy as he opened the door and walked into literal chaos. 

He had to close the door and walk back out to take a deep breath. This can’t be as hard as it seems. Not to a regular person. So it won’t be. Paterson frowned and walked back in with a little more confidence and observed the surroundings. 

Doc’s bar had transformed into a haunted buffet with themed food and drinks. It was a bar after all, so there were martinis with eyeballs, beer served in skeleton cups and shot jellos the color of blood. How amusing. The lights changed colors from red, to green and then blue. Everyone seemed to be dancing already and having a blast. There were a couple of people sitting at the actual bar, the rest were up and at it. 

Paterson suddenly didn’t feel as self-conscious anymore because here he was in the middle of a very large group of people dressed as ghouls and goblins. It was almost like living in Halloweentown. God he loved that movie. 

As he sat down at the quite possibly furthest seat from all the action (which was really hard because the bar itself was tiny) Paterson picked up a skeleton head and checked it. Just in case. He took a sip and deemed it okay because this was Doc’s bar after all and everyone here had to be over college age. The barley taste soothed his palette as he smiled when a mummy sat next to him and ate an eyeball. He nodded and the mummy nodded back. 

He had lost Marie and the others almost instantaneously when they walked in so it was only him. Me, myself, and I, Paterson thought. As usual. 

Paterson knew he couldn’t keep drinking when he finished this cup so now was big decision time. He also knew everyone was in costumes so his so-called “mission” as dubbed by Marie, was probably getting thrown out the window. How could he possibly know who the clerk was? He didn’t even know her name. That made Paterson look down in a sort of shame. Here he was trying to find this woman, he didn’t know anything about her except that she worked at the Lovegood Bookstore on the corner of Maple and Monroe avenue. In the middle of a costume party, that was worth less than a dust bunny.

 Paterson frowned deeply and downed the last of his beer. Maybe this was kind of useless and embarrassing. If he left now, no one would notice. No one would say, “Hey Paterson! Where are you going? Gonna miss all the fun?” No one would care. He wasn’t going to dance anyway. A tall, lanky man like him couldn’t dance, even if he tried. As Paterson made the mental decision to just leave the party, someone tapped him on the shoulder. He looked up. 

“Hey! Aren’t you that guy I saw the other day at my store?” The stranger giggled and kept her hand on his shoulder. Paterson blinked. 

He managed to stammer out, “Hey, maybe.” It was the best he could do, she was all giggly and probably drunk. Ah, a drunk red queen of hearts. Magnificent. “It looks like the mad hatter could use a madly good time! Drink?” 

The red queen giggled as Paterson smiled and hesitantly took the cup, being careful to not offend her by not drinking out of it. He answered dramatically, “Thank you, your majesty.” Paterson laughed at his own Alice in Wonderland reference. He duly noted not to do that again in front of a girl. She started to laugh uncontrollably at his reference. She understood it? Surprisingly she remembered it in all her glorious drunk state. Her red heart lipstick was kind of smudged from drinking. 

“Well if my mad hatter won’t be mad about the drink at least tell me your name.” She sat in the stool next to him. Paterson’s brain started to swim, this was overwhelming. He smiled and kindly answered in a really bad British accent, “Paterson, at your majesty’s request.” She giggled and huffed a fake breath. 

“I could never say off with your head, let’s dance shall we?” She was getting smooth with the references. “Wait.” Paterson mentally kicked himself. Wait? What was he gonna ask her? Something deep? Jesus man. 

The red queen swiveled around from her already starting position and stared at him with a smile. She waited for a reply. 

Out with it Paterson, you got this. “I don’t even know your name.” 

“You don’t remember me? Im (y/n), from the bookstore.” 

The bookstore? The bookstore! This was she.

She didn't seem offended but Paterson still felt bad for not remembering. He put his hands over his chest and tipped his fake hat. “Forgive me (y/n). How could I forget such a face.” He practically had to shout. Paterson felt strangely more confident in this costume and it was purely a large coincidence that she was matching with him. The irony. (Y/n) took his hand so fast that Paterson barely had time to put his cup down. 

He felt suddenly so much better and blamed it on the amount of beers he had drank before the queen had whisked him away. 

They spent what felt like hours dancing and every once in a while, they would take a break. A drinking break. But only for her, he still had to get home on his own. Marie had her friends. He didn’t. Throughout the course of the night his hat had been shed somewhere and her shoes for whatever reason were lost. Paterson hoped she had an extra pair. 

It was almost two in the morning when the party decided to die down and wither away. Paterson almost felt bad that the whole ordeal had to end. Contrary to how his night had started, he actually felt weightless, like all his fears had walked away with the rest of the trick-or-treaters. It felt good. Uplifting. 

As people filed out the door, Paterson helped (y/n) sit at a table and he asked a very tired Doc for a glass of water. She drank three. 

“Thank you.” The frazzled and very drunk red queen croaked. Paterson offered her more water and a napkin for her makeup. He stared at her as she wiped it mostly off. 

“Do you have any friends that can take you home? Anyone you came with?” Paterson folded his hands over the hat on his lap slightly concerned. The red queen wiped her tired eyes and then they widened. “My friends. Oh gosh I left them!” She frantically looked around but everyone was pretty much gone except for the occasional drunk, doc and the pair. 

Paterson gave her a sympathetic look. “It seems like they’ve left you.” He grabbed the napkins and threw them away. “Do you need me to walk you home? Do you live far?” He checked his watch and deemed it ungentlemanly if he didn’t walk her home. 

She blinked and cracked a smile. “Why thank you kind sir. I would like that very much.” 

Paterson smiled too and thanked whatever god was out there that she wasn’t the type to argue about being walked home. He didn’t want anything to happen to her. 

“Well then, my Red Queen of hearts. Shall we go?” He got up, offered his hand and looked at doc for a split second. Doc just smiled and tipped his hat.