House of Meret
(A House of Anubis fanfic)
AN: I don't own the characters / setting / mysteries of House of Anubis. Future-fic, so generalised spoliers for Season 1. Nothing in specific though. Also don't own "God Only Knows" by the Beach Boys, it's a favourite song in a favourite movie, which always makes me a bit weepy.
AN 2: Future AND Song-fic. Two things I rarely do, so both in one fic is odd. Actually, I don't do this type of song-fic, with the lyrics in the writing. But that's the way the fic went, and who am I to argue with the bright-green plot-bunny?
It was summer, one of those lazy summer days that seemed to last forever when you were young. Amber had wanted to go shopping, but Nina had declined the offer to accompany her, saying she was quite happy to spend a lazy day at home. Okay, it wasn't technically home, but as Amber's family had practically adopted her for the longer school holidays, and the house was big enough that she had her own room; she considered it her England home.
Her afternoon all planned-out – sitting out on the porch-swing with a book, and writing a letter to her Gran the highlights – she was just settling down when her mobile beeped. Figuring that it would be a picture of Amber in whatever new outfit she was planning on buying – Nina not wanting to go shopping didn't stop Amber from wanting to include her in all decisions made – she ignored it.
The phone rang a few minutes later, and Nina answered without looking at the caller ID. "Amber, I'm sure you look gorgeous in whatever it is, and Alfie will fancy you rotten in it. You don't need me to tell you that every time you want to buy something."
A low laugh from the other end of the line. "Sorry Neens, I'm not calling for fashion advice, and it would make me fairly ill to think that Alfie fancied me," came Fabian's voice.
"Oh, I'm sorry Fabian! I didn't check the phone before answering it." Nina could feel her face heating up, and she was grateful that Fabian couldn't actually see her. He had been able to do that to her from almost the first moment they met, make her blush without actually doing anything to cause it.
"No problems, it's good to know that I'm not the only one who does things like that." There was a change in his voice when he spoke again. "I was wondering if you were doing anything this afternoon? I was in the area, and thought I'd come visit. It's been ages since I've seen you."
"Do you have Betsey with you?" Nina demanded. "Because if you're going to interrupt my quiet afternoon, I expect you to entertain me. And I've missed the tuneless strumming at all hours of the day and night," she finished teasingly. It had amused her greatly when Fabian had told her that his guitar had a name, and she took every possible opportunity to tease him about it.
"Tuneless strumming!" he answered mock-angrily. "Just for that, I won't play the latest song I've been working on for you."
"For me?" she squeaked. "You'll have to come over now, I'm intrigued."
"I'll be round shortly." He ended the call abruptly at that point.
Although Nina had been looking forward to her afternoon to herself with pleasure, she couldn't help but feel the butterflies in her stomach start with Fabian's call. She didn't realise just how much she would miss him just being there, within an arms-length mostly, until the summer holidays started and he wasn't.
Last summer she had gone home to Gran for the holidays and she had been so busy that she hadn't had time to miss the Sibuna gang. But this summer was different. She had a lot more time to herself as Amber was busy a lot with Alfie, and her friends back home weren't always able to talk when she was free.
But if she was being truthful with herself, she missed Fabian most of all. Things had been progressing to a point while they had been looking for puzzle pieces and solving the mystery of Joy's disappearance, and then Joy had come back to the House and slipped back into her old friendships. And somehow, she had monopolized Fabian's friendship to the exclusion of everyone else.
It had taken a broken promise, a fight of epic proportions, and some home-truths from Amber of all people for Fabian to realise that he was ruining all his other relationships over Joy's exclusive friendship. This then caused another fight of even more epic proportions, resulting in plate throwing, door slamming, and one less person in the House.
Nina smiled in gleeful remembrance of that day, seeing Joy slam out of the front door of the house counted as one of the better sights of her life. Not that she didn't like Joy, she did usually, but she understandably resented her taking Fabian away.
"What are you grinning like a loon for then?" a familiar voice asked with a hint of laughter.
"Fabian!" Nina squealed, jumping up from the porch swing and throwing her arms around him in a hug. After a moment's hesitation, Fabian circled his arms around her waist and hugged her back. As much as he loved Nina's spontaneous touches, they were also torturous as he always wanted more when they had finished. For about the thousandth time this year, he regretted the mess with Joy that had derailed his and Nina's friendship. Which had been progressing into something more, or at least on his side. He didn't think you were supposed to have met the love of your life at fifteen, but he was pretty certain that's what had happened to him.
Nina stepped back from the hug and sat back on the swing. She patted the seat beside her. "Come. Sit. Talk." She looked around, "Where's Betsey? I told you that if you were going to interrupt my quiet afternoon, I expected to be entertained."
"She's out in the car. I wasn't sure if you were serious or not, so I didn't bring her in. I can go and get her, no problems."
"Please do, I want to hear your latest song."
Fabian went back through the house to his car, where he got the battered guitar case, and gave himself a short pep talk. This was going to be his opportunity to finally confess all his thoughts and feelings to her. If he didn't do this soon, she would be going back to America for good and he'd never have told her. And her going back to America was something he tried not to think about too much, it made him feel sick whenever he did.
He stood at the back doorway, taking the chance to look at Nina when she wasn't conscious of it. She was a beautiful girl, even though she didn't seem to realise it most of the time. She compared herself to Amber, and found herself lacking in that comparison. But Fabian found Amber's prettiness too common, too samey. It would fade with time, whereas Nina's would mature and she would become more beautiful.
"Neens? All present and correct with Betsey. Now where shall I set up for this grand request performance?" he asked, once he had stored the image of her relaxing on the swing, idly pushing it back and forth with a single foot. She looked so serene and tranquil that Fabian fell just a little bit more for her, if that was possible.
Nina opened her eyes and looked over her shoulder. Fabian had grown up a lot in the last few years, had become a handsome boy – man, she corrected herself quickly. He was a man, and she needed to remember that.
"On the steps, I think. Then I can see you while you're singing," she waved her hand airily to the steps leading down into the garden. He would still be in the shade out of the hot sunlight, but far enough away from where she was sitting that she could see him properly.
"Your wish is my command, fair lady," Fabian teased. "One grand request concert coming up. And after the concert, a talk I think. I've missed our talks."
He sat on the top step, took Betsey out of the case, and tightened a loose string. A couple of deep breaths to settle his nerves, and he was ready to say in a song something he had wanted to for ages but he'd been too shy to say in words.
"This is from one of my mum's favourite-ever movies, and it says something I've wanted to tell you for a while," he said.
"I may not always love you God only knows what I'd be without you If you should ever leave me God only knows what I'd be without you God only knows what I'd be without you If you should ever leave me God only knows what I'd be without you
But long as there are stars above you
You never need to doubt it
I'll make you so sure about it
Though life would still go on believe me
The world could show nothing to me
So what good would living do me
Well life would still go on believe me
The world could show nothing to me
So what good would living do me
God only knows what I'd be without you
God only knows what I'd be without you"
He let the last note trail away, and kept his eyes fixed on his hands. He'd poured his heart out, and there was no going back from this.
A sudden flurry of movement and Nina dropped to her knees in front of him. She put her fingers under his chin and lifted his eyes to hers. Her eyes were gleaming with unshed tears, and Fabian's heart dropped to his stomach. Oh, no, he thought desperately. She's going to let me down gently, and break my heart in the process.
"Oh, Fabian," she breathed. "How long have you felt this way?"
He shrugged, a flush of red staining his cheeks. "Long enough."
"Why didn't you say anything sooner?"
"Shy. Nervous. Embarrassed. But mostly scared."
"Scared? What of?"
"That I'd say something that you didn't want to hear, and that it'd ruin the friendship we had. And that is more important to me than anything else. I'd already messed it up once over Joy, and I wasn't going to risk it."
He took her hand in his, and laced their fingers together. "Nina. I love you. And I couldn't go any longer without telling you. I know that you'll have to go back to America some time, and each day that passes brings it closer. I've spent the last few weeks trying to find the perfect way to tell you that." He looked anxiously at her, a bit concerned with Nina's silence.
Nina was biting her lip, her eyes focussed inwards as she thought on what Fabian had said. It was all-or-nothing now; there was no ignoring or going back from what was in the air between them. A decision made, she nodded her head once, and leaning forward, pressed her lips to his.
It was a short kiss, but filled with the promise of many more.
She broke away, smiling at his dazed look. "You're a far braver person than me Fabian. I'd've never said anything cos I was too scared, just adored you from afar as it were. I do love you also, Fabian, with all of me." She leaned in and kissed him again. "And to steal a line. God only knows what I'd be without you."
Fabian smiled brilliantly in response to her words. It was like a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He had finally said what he felt, and it had resulted in something precious starting between them.