Fjord didn't know exactly when it started, so all he knew was that he was so, so screwed.
Jester danced around the kitchen humming loudly and smiling. Molly danced around with her and the pair of them laughed and entertained themselves. The kitchen smelled delicious and that was thanks to Jester's famous cinnamon bun recipe that was in the oven.
Fjord had just been working peacefully at the table, minding his own business, when Jester had arrived at the house unannounced with a bunch of newly made, not yet baked cinnamon buns. She had gone straight to the oven and put the buns in. Molly had emerged from the basement shortly after because he smelled Jester's baking.
Now, Fjord knew he would be lucky if any of his work was sensical, much less legible, because he couldn't tear his eyes from Jester. She looked carefree and happy and her smile made the whole room glow.
Just as Fjord was resigning himself to the fact that he wasn't going to get any work done, one of his other roommates, Caleb, poked his head into the kitchen.
"Ah, so Jester is here. I was wondering what the smell was," he commented, stepping into the kitchen and sitting across from Fjord at the table.
Molly laughed. "Yeah because god forbid any of us actually be a good cook."
"Hey," Fjord said indignantly. "Cad is a great cook."
Molly waved dismissively. "He's also at home for the break, so," he pointed out.
Fjord shrugged. His fourth roommate, Caduceus Clay, was a gentle soul who was quiet, but not quite as timid as Caleb. Caduceus had elected to spend Reading Break with his family at home, leaving the house to Caleb, Fjord, and Molly.
The four of them were certainly an odd group who one might not expect to be friends, much less roommates. Molly was a theatre major with the largest personality Fjord had ever known in a person. Caleb was a history and political science double major who buried himself in books and his studies most of the time. Caduceus was studying plant biology and was probably the most insightful person Fjord had ever met. Fjord himself was studying marine biology.
As it stood, there should have been absolutely no interaction between the four of them, but they had connected through mutual friends: namely, Jester and her roommates. Jester was studying visual arts and roomed with Beau who was in her third year of undeclared arts, Yasha who studied general sciences, and Nott who was in engineering.
Fjord had met Jester on the first day of orientation in first year. They had been in the same orientation group and Jester had been ecstatic to find out that Fjord was also from the West Coast. From there, Jester had become one of his closest friends and had been the one to really bring their group together.
Jester and Beau were roommates in first year so when there was Jester, there was often also Beau. Fjord and Beau had become friends pretty quickly too. Jester met Molly, and subsequently Yasha, through hers and Molly's theatre class. Caduceus and Jester had taken a first aid course together in second semester. Beau was actually the one who met Caleb and Nott since she shared a history class with Caleb.
The eight of them had become a tight-knit group of friends mostly thanks to the outgoing efforts of Jester and Molly, so when it had come time to look for student housing for second year, they had split into two groups: the girls and the guys. As it worked out, they had managed to find houses on the same street.
It was common for people to show up unannounced or to crash on couches or share beds. After a crazy, not-so-fun high school experience, it was still a bit baffling for Fjord to have seven incredibly close friends on whom he could rely. Still, Fjord considered his relationships with Beau and Jester to be the closest and most important.
And Jester was currently a source of serious internal conflict for him.
Jester was pretty, very pretty, and everyone knew that. Fjord had known that since the moment he had met her and she had made a stupid joke about how the two of them ought to stick together because of their non-human complexions. She was funny and passionate and protective of him and the rest of their group of misfits. Jester had a sweet singing voice and a knack for showing up unannounced at the boy's house to bake for them or watch movies or just sleep over.
And Fjord, in all of his stupid glory, had come to the very frightening realization that he was desperately in love with Jester. But, she was his best friend and even though she had a tendency to flirt, Fjord knew that she flirted with everyone and had given no indication that she liked him seriously.
So he desperately tries to quash his feelings for her, but it was moments like this, where Jester was being carefree and utterly herself, that Fjord could hardly take his eyes off of her.
"Hey, Jester," Molly said suddenly, perking up. "I got the new Mac palette this weekend, do you want to come experiment with some of the shades with me while these things bake?"
Jester squealed. "Um, of course I do." She turned to Fjord and Caleb and winked. "No touching my buns until they're done!"
Fjord's sanity momentarily deserted him as all he could think of was a different kind of bun, but when he managed to snap himself out of it, Jester and Molly had disappeared to Molly's room and Caleb was staring at him.
"What?" he demanded, his cheeks feeling hot.
"You are sweet on Jester, ja?"
Fjord stared down at his textbook and didn't reply.
"You should tell her because Jester will not be single forever."
Fjord glanced up and gave Caleb a flat look. "And I should take love advice from you, why?"
Caleb shrugged. "Molly and I have at least spoken about what is between us. You have avoided all discussion of Jester since you realized your feelings."
Fjord chewed on his lip and went back to his notes. "I'm won't mess anything up," he said finally.
He was saved from further discussion about his hopeless crush by Beau waltzing in the front door, accompanied by Nott.
"Sup, bitches. I heard Jester was baking."
Caleb rolled his eyes. "Ja, she is making cinnamon buns. Molly and her are discussing makeup downstairs."
Beau crinkled her nose. "Ew, makeup."
Nott slipped off her shoes and slid into the chair between Caleb and Fjord. She glanced at what Fjord was working on and wrinkled her nose.
"I still don't know how any of you are studying biology, it's clearly the worst science."
Fjord shrugged. "At least I have a major."
Beau laughed and feigned offence. "Hey, I strive to be undeclared as long as they'll let me, if only just to piss off my folks."
Caleb shook his head. "You are ridiculous, Beauregard."
"Oh, the full name! I'm so scared!" she teased. "What were you idiots talking about before we showed up?"
"Nothing," Fjord said at the same time as Caleb said:
"Fjord's crush."
Fjord's face flooded with heat and he glanced nervously at the door to the basement.
Beau laughed. "Ah, the hopeless infatuation continues."
"Shut up," Fjord grumbled and dropped his head to the table, landing it with a thud on top of his textbook.
Three days later, Jester had appeared at the house unannounced again. She had strolled in without a care and walked into the living room where Fjord was watching TV.
"I'm boooored," she announced loudly.
Fjord looked up at her and blinked awkwardly. She was wearing a sparkly, low-cut shirt and skin-tight jeans. She had obviously been planning on going out, so he wasn't sure why she was standing in his living room. He tipped his head in confusion and she mirrored him for a moment before apparently remembering what she was wearing.
"Beau bailed on me because Keg's going to be there and she refuses to acknowledge that they had a thing, so now I have no one to go with since Molly and Caleb are actually hanging out for once." Jester pushed her lips into a frustratingly adorable pout and crossed her arms across her chest.
"Are you here to convince me to go out with you?" he asked hesitantly.
Jester waved him off. "No, I don't feel like going out anymore. What are you watching?" She crossed the room and dropped onto the sofa next to him.
Fjord unpaused the TV and his documentary resumed. Jester laughed as she realized.
"Only you would watch ocean documentaries during the break, Fjord."
He shrugged. "It's relaxing," he explained.
Jester shrugged and snuggled in next to him. Fjord tensed momentarily before relaxing and tucking his arm around Jester. She was naturally very touchy and they'd been loosely cuddling while watching movies since first year, so it felt comfortably normal.
Unfortunately, Fjord struggled to focus on his movie much since Jester was warm and comfortable as she tucked into his side. He refused to look down at her, keeping his eyes focused determinedly on the TV because otherwise, he was looking right down her clubbing shirt.
About half-way through the movie, Jester yawned and Fjord realized that she was probably not comfortable in clubbing clothes while lying on the couch. He retracted his arm slowly and Jester looked up at him, looking confused.
"Come on," he beckoned, pulling her to her feet. She followed him without question as they headed to his room. Jester scuffed her toe along the hardwood and Fjord thought he detected a flash of nervousness in her violet eyes.
He walked to one of his drawers and opened it, pulling out a loose t-shirt and grabbing a clean pair of sweats. He turned and offered them to Jester and she beamed at him.
"I'll just," he gestured back towards the living room and Jester nodded, a smile curling up her lips.
Fjord headed back to the living room and tried valiantly not to think of Jester changing in his room. When she re-emerged, he realized that he had made a mistake. His clothes were huge on her, swamping her, but she had cuffed his sweats five or six times to make them an appropriate length. She rejoined him on the couch, snuggling into his side.
"Thanks, Fjord," she said sweetly.
Fjord's arm wrapped around her like it had a mind of its own. "You're welcome, Jess."
Fjord woke up to early morning light filtering through the curtains of the living room and falling across his face into his eyes. He blinked and moved to stretch out his arms before realizing that there was a weight pinning him in place. He glanced down and was surprised to see Jester curled against his chest.
They were slotted together on the dingy couch with her head resting between his shoulder and his collarbone, tilted so her horns didn't stab into him. Fjord's arms were loosely wrapped around her waist and his right hand was brushing against pale blue, bare skin. The giant t-shirt he had loaned Jester had ridden up just enough that his fingers were grazing her bare hip. He shifted his hand quickly and tried to keep his face cool.
It definitely wasn't the first time Jester had fallen asleep on him, but it was one of the only times Fjord had also fallen asleep with her and it was definitely the first time that he'd found them in such an intimate position subconsciously.
There was a blanket stretched up across them too that definitely hadn't been there when they were watching the documentary. The TV was also turned off and that meant that one of Fjord's roommates had seen them which meant that he was never going to live this one down. He could always try to play it off on Jester's naturally happy and affectionate personality, but the blush he'd inevitably get would give it away.
He gently lifted his hand to Jester's shoulder and squeezed. She mumbled something under her breath but stirred. After an awkward second, she blinked her eyes open and they made eye contact. Fjord smiled uneasily, but Jester just beamed at him with her usual bright smile. She lifted herself off him and slid to sit next to him. Fjord swung his feet down so that they were sitting on the couch side by side.
Jester started untangling her hair from her horns and without thinking, Fjord reached over to unwind a lock on the horn nearest to him. Jester gave him a quiet thank you and they worked silently for a moment until Fjord dropped the last smooth lock of Jester's dark hair. She turned to face him, her curls bouncing and she grinned again.
"Sorry for falling asleep on you, Fjord," she said brightly.
He shrugged. "It's no big deal. As long as the girls weren't going to worry about you for not coming home?"
Jester waved him off. "It's definitely fine since I told Beau I was coming over, definitely."
Fjord stood up from the couch and tilted his head to the living room. "Breakfast?"
Jester beamed. "If you have anything edible. Otherwise, I'll steal from Molly."
They walked into the kitchen together and saw Caleb sitting at the kitchen table, nursing a cup of coffee while flipping through a history textbook. He looked up and didn't even bat an eye at the fact that Jester was there, so Fjord figured that he had been the one to give them the blanket last night.
"Good morning Caleb," Jester greeted brightly. "You're up early considering that you and Molly got home pretty late last night." Fjord caught on to the teasing lilt of Jester's words and he turned away, feeling heat sting his cheeks at the mere ghost of a thought about his two roommates.
Caleb just shrugged, the innuendo rolling off of him easily. "We were actually at your house for most of the evening with Yasha and a skulking Beau. Molly ended up crashing there so I suppose we have temporarily traded roommates."
Jester laughed and Fjord's lips twisted into a strategically hidden smile as he kept his back to his friends.
"So you just fell asleep watching the documentary?" Beau asked as she helped him reset the bar.
Fjord shrugged. "I mean, I assume. I just remember watching the movie and then I woke up in the morning." He laid down against the bench and braced his hands against the bar.
As Fjord began his reps, Beau watched him as a spotter. "And you're one hundred percent sure that there was nothing else involved?"
Fjord paused and let the bar fall back against the rest, narrowing his eyes at her. "What are you getting at?"
Beau raised her hands defensively. "Hey man, I'm just saying that her wearing your clothes and you guys sleeping together like that is awfully couple-y."
Fjord sighed and gripped the bar again. "This is Jester we're talking about. She's like this with everyone."
Beau stared down at him, folding her arms over her chest. "If you keep talking yourself out of it like this, I don't know if you'll ever be brave enough to do anything about it."
Fjord didn't reply and just finished his last two reps before sliding out from under the bar and sitting up. Beau rolled her eyes at him and turned away.
"If you hurt her I will kick your ass, Fjord, gym buddies or not."
Fjord nodded. "Yeah, I know."
"Good," she replied stiffly. She jammed a finger in his face. "So man up already."
"Jester wants to know if you need anything from the grocery store while we're out here," Beau asked.
Fjord flipped a page in his book. "No," he said into his phone. "I'm good."
"Alright, well you're not going to bail on pub night again, are you? Because I, for one, have been really needing this drink all week."
Fjord laughed. "No, Beau, I won't bail on pub night. I'll be there tomorrow."
There was a muffled voice in the background that sounded like Jester over the rumble of her car. Beau snorted with laughter. "Yes, I won't forget to remind him." There was a brief pause as Beau's attention redirected to him. "Jester wants you to wear that grey shirt you have because it brings out your eyes and we're going to be taking lots of pictures apparently."
Fjord glanced over his shoulder at his bed where the grey shirt was folded next to black jeans that he was already planning on wearing to the pub. "Tell her I will."
There was another pause before Beau cackled again. "Jess, I should just give you the phone but I'd rather not die while you drive or have you get a ticket. Fjord, Jester said some very flattering things that you'll hear tomorrow again, so that's that."
"And everyone is coming, right? Caduceus gets back later today and Yasha's still around?"
"As far as I kn-JESTER, YOUR-" The call cut out suddenly and Fjord's eyes snapped to his phone screen. His screen was blank with no evidence of the call he had just previously been engaged with.
Fjord unlocked his phone and opened his call log. The call had been terminated from the other end, leaving Fjord confused and concerned at the panic that had resonated in Beau's voice before the call dropped. He placed his phone down and took a deep breath. Beau and Jester were adults. They could look after themselves and they would call him if they needed anything from him. Plus, Beau was known to freak out easily and hung up midway through conversations more than anyone else he knew.
He turned his phone over and tried to go back to work, but he found his attention kept straying from the comprehension questions in front of him. Fjord rubbed his brow and tried to forget the sharp fear he'd felt when he'd lost contact with them. He opened a new tab on his laptop and pulled up the university website so he could check on some due dates.
Finally, he managed to focus himself back and get to work on his project for his lab. He managed to work for an hour, but he was interrupted by a knock on his door and he looked up sharply. Caleb was standing in the doorway, his shoulders hunched with tension and his lips pressed firmly together.
"Hey, Caleb, what's up?"
"You haven't drunk anything today have you?" the redhead asked quickly.
Fjord shook his head. "Just coffee and water," he answered honestly.
Caleb nodded. "Good, well I'm meeting Mollymauk and Nott and need a ride somewhere if you don't mind."
Fjord closed his laptop lid and stood up. "Yeah, sure, I can get my groceries for the week now too."
Caleb turned and walked away without another word. Fjord grabbed his car keys from the hook by his door and followed his roommate. He pulled on his boots and slid on a coat. Caleb led the way out to Fjord's car and slid into the front seat. Fjord started the engine and glanced at Caleb.
"So, where to?"
"I'll direct so you just have to drive," Caleb replied cryptically.
Fjord frowned. Caleb was a private person, but he wasn't usually this short or secretive about things, especially if he was meeting with Molly and Nott. He pulled out of the driveway and followed Caleb's directions.
The further he drove, the more he began to notice a creeping worry appear in Caleb's guarded expression. Generally, Fjord recognized that he was being directed to the city centre and specifically the East District. He thought momentarily about notable places in the East District and came up with City Hall, the city library, and the main city hospital.
"Turn left here," Caleb instructed.
Fjord got into the left lane and realized that he was turning towards the hospital and away from any other notable locations. A stone sunk in his stomach.
"Caleb, why are we going to the hospital?" To Fjord's dismay, his voice trembled a bit as his mind raced wildly.
"You should park," Caleb said, avoiding the question.
Fjord pulled into the nearest parking spot and Caleb immediately got out of the car. Fjord followed him and watched his roommate cross the road towards the hospital without pausing. Dread curled around Fjord's insides, but he followed Caleb as soon as his car locked. They headed for the emergency doors and panic threatened to fill Fjord, so he stuck as close to Caleb as he could considering the fact that his roommate was moving with incredible purpose.
Caleb strode up to the receptionist and asked something that Fjord missed before immediately turning and walking down the hallway to a patient area. The receptionist gave Fjord a sympathetic look and he hurried after Caleb.
Fjord spotted Beau at the same time as Caleb did and panic blossomed in his chest much more fiercely than before. Beau was lying on a hospital bed, her arm in a sling and her face set in both worry and pain.
"Beauregard!" Caleb called out. Beau's eyes snapped to them and relief blossomed across her face.
"You're here!"
"Beau, what the fuck happened?" Fjord asked desperately.
Beau didn't answer right away and Fjord noticed that her eyes were rimmed with red and puffier than they should have been. "God, we were both distracted with talking to you and there was a guy who couldn't stop and he just hit us. The car's wrecked and it was a mess. Both of our phones disappeared and we were taken here. The only number I know by heart is Caleb's so thank god you're both here." Her words were quick, slurred, and slightly panicked.
Cold fear curled so tightly around Fjord's stomach that he was almost sick. "Beau, where is Jester?"
Beau just shook her head. "We rolled and we both screamed and other people were yelling and everything was so loud, but Jester, she didn't move. She was stuck and then I just remember sirens."
Before Beau could elaborate any further, Caleb straightened and nodded to a doctor that was walking towards them. The man was holding a clipboard and scanning a chart, but he looked up as they approached.
"Ms. Lionett, isn't it?" he asked.
"Yeah," Beau replied.
He flipped up a page and creased his brow. He looked back up at them and took in Fjord and Caleb. "Your friends?"
"My family lives far away and Caleb was my emergency call," Beau said shortly.
The doctor nodded. "Of course. I'm Doctor Grint, and I've just looked at your charts. We'll be able to get your arm fitted into a cast soon enough and I'll get someone on gathering your prescription while you wait for that."
Beau nodded slowly, glancing at her arm as if she had just remembered it was injured. The doctor looked like he was about to leave, but Beau jerked her good hand up to catch his attention again.
"Doctor, where's my friend? Jester? She's the one who was driving the car."
The doctor's previously neutral expression softened a bit. He glanced at something on his chart and looked over his shoulder down a hallway. "Ms. Lionett, I was informed of your accident and I must admit, you and Ms. Lavorre are lucky to be alive, much less have walked away from the crash with the injuries that you did sustain."
Fjord frowned. "Doctor, please, where is Jester?" he prodded gently.
Dr. Grint nodded. "Well, she's in surgery right now. She is going to be fine, but she's obviously not able to take visitors at the moment. I promise, if it's still during my shift, I will let you all know when she gets out of surgery since she also has no family nearby, I'm assuming."
"That's right," Fjord mumbled. He desperately wanted to see Jester to make sure she was breathing and that she was going to be alright, but he knew the best thing he could do for her right now was to wait with Beau for her to get out of surgery. "Thank you, Dr. Grint."
The doctor smiled. "It's a really unfortunate accident that befell you, and I assure you that Ms. Lionett here will be back on her feet in no time and Ms. Lavorre will be on the road to recovery soon as well." With that, he turned and walked off, returning to his rounds.
Caleb glanced around the open room. "I am going to see if they have any chairs for Fjord and I, and I am also going to call Nott. She and the others will want to know that you guys will be okay."
"I'll go help you find chairs," Fjord offered quickly. Right as he turned away from Beau, her hand reached out and grabbed his wrist.
He turned back to her and her ears pinkened. "Hey, uh, actually, would you mind waiting with me? I really hate hospitals and the hour before you guys got here was the worst."
Fjord felt his lips twitch into a smile. "Don't like hospitals? I thought you spent all your free time in one?"
She scowled at him. "Good one," she said dryly. "I don't choose to be here, asshole."
"With all the fights you pick, I can beg to differ."
Beau stuck her tongue out.
It was around an hour and a half later–thirty minutes after Molly, Nott, and Yasha had arrived–when Dr. Grint finally returned. By this time it was getting later in the night and the emergency waiting room was emptying out. The group had dragged all the chairs that the nurses would let them around Beau's bed, but Nott was still sitting on the armrest of Caleb's chair. The whole group looked up as the doctor approached and he raised an eye at the addition of three more people.
"Found some more friends, have you?" he asked Beau.
"These are my other roommates Nott and Yasha as well as my other friend Mollymauk."
Dr. Grint nodded. "Right, well we're ready to put your cast on now, Ms. Lionett, if you'd like to come with me. And your other friend, Ms. Lavorre, is safely out of surgery. She is going to be fine, but she'll be here for a couple of days under observation. She's still asleep at the moment, but one of you is welcome to go in and sit with her for the next half hour until visiting hours are over."
"Fjord will go," Nott suggested quickly. Fjord tensed in his seat and narrowed his eyes at the goblin, who stuck her tongue out in response.
Hearing that Jester was out of surgery and was going to be fine had lifted an invisible weight off his shoulders, and though Nott's comment irritated him, his desire to see Jester was a lot stronger.
"Yeah," he mumbled. "Where is she?"
"1014," the doctor replied. Beau stood up from the cot, limping slightly and followed the doctor away to get her arm cast.
Fjord glanced at the rest of the group briefly again. Molly rolled his eyes and waved him towards the occupied rooms. Fjord nodded and headed towards the recovery rooms. He walked slowly down the halls and let his breathing even and relax and some of his stress fade. He scanned the room numbers and very nearly walked right past Jester's room, but he saw it at the last second.
He stopped outside of it and looked through the small window. His friend was lying on a cot, hooking to an IV, with her chest rising and falling slowly. He couldn't make out much from through the glass so he steeled his nerves and opened the door.
Naturally, Jester didn't stir, so Fjord closed the door behind him and sat in the visitor's chair at the side of the bed. Up close, he could see stitches closing a gash that ran up into her scalp and several other small scrapes. There was some slight deep purple bruising forming on her blue skin around the stitches, but he couldn't make out any other injuries above the blanket she lay under.
Her hands rested atop the blanket, crinkling the thin material, and Fjord stared at her fingers. She had on dark red nail polish with a white smiley face dotted onto the ring fingernail. The IV and heart monitor were both clipped to her right hand, and Fjord sat on the left, so he didn't have to look at the plastic fingertip.
The monitor beeped smoothly and methodically, and Jester slept.
Fjord reached out and carefully cupped Jester's hand between both of his own. He swallowed roughly and internally reminded himself that she was alive. She was hurt, but alive, and he had to be grateful for that.
"Wake up soon, Jester, even if it's just for my sake," he whispered gently.
She didn't stir at his words and Fjord kept his eyes trained on her face while his hands cupped her slim fingers. He sat with her for as long as the hospital staff let him, but left when they told him visitor's hours were over.
He walked out into the main room and saw that Beau, Yasha, and Molly were gone, but Caleb and Nott were in conversation with a half-elf nurse at the counter. The goblin perked up when she saw Fjord before she abandoned the conversation to run up to him.
"How does she look?"
Fjord exhaled. "Okay, I guess. She's asleep and she should be fine."
Nott nodded. "That's good. Yasha and Molly checked out with Beau and are bringing her home. Caleb and I were just sorting out Jester's emergency contacts."
Fjord glanced at Caleb who appeared to be concluding his discussion. "Actually," he mumbled.
Nott waved him off. "We listed you as first to call, don't worry. They'll update us when she wakes up, or we can come back at 11 tomorrow when visitor's hours start again."
Fjord looked down at Nott and felt a tiny smile twitch his lips at her thoughtfulness. The two of them didn't exactly see eye to eye, but he nodded to her in respect and thanks. "I can pick you up tomorrow if you want to come sit with her with me," he offered.
Nott sighed. "I really, really wish I could, but I have a design team meeting that I cannot afford to miss. I know you'll update me when she wakes."
"Yeah," Fjord agreed. Caleb was walking towards them now. "Let's go, I'll drive you and Caleb home."
Fjord reclined in the plastic chair and tapped his pen against the corner of his mouth. He had brought his textbook with him to the hospital and was working through a couple of problem sets while he sat with a still Jester.
She hadn't woken up overnight, and Fjord had been sitting with her since visitor hours started, except for a brief break for lunch where he swapped with Molly.
He drew a circle around the definition in the question and frowned. The word he recognized briefly from one of his other readings, but the context of it was entirely new. He flipped back a couple of pages and observed the diagram displayed across most of the page.
"Your tusks are really coming in, aren't they?"
Jester's voice was quiet and tired from his left and it startled him into nearly dropping his book. She had tilted her head marginally in his direction and her violet eyes were trained on his face. She blinked a few times at him like she was still processing and Fjord shut his book, depositing it onto the floor.
"Jester!" he breathed.
"Hi Fjord," she replied softly.
Fjord reached out and took her hand. He squeezed it tightly and she weakly squeezed back.
"How are you feeling?"
"Sore," Jester replies immediately. She broke their eye contact and looked around the room briefly. "And confused," she added. "Am I in the hospital?"
"Do you remember what happened?" Fjord asked, his brow creasing.
Jester pressed her lips together while she rearranged her memories. Her lips formed a small 'o' and she shut her eyes briefly. "We got hit. Beau and I, in my car."
Fjord nodded. "According to Beau, you guys flipped and rolled and all the windows were broken and the doors mangled enough that you couldn't really get out." He saw hurt flinch across Jester's features momentarily and he squeezed her hand to comfort her gently. "But, Beau is okay, and you're going to be fine soon enough."
Jester exhaled deeply and then flinched. "Ouch, ribs are not good." She pulled her right hand up and touched her head gently. Her frown tightened. "Head's pretty bad too."
Fjord dropped her hand and stood up. "I'll get a nurse. They should know you're awake."
"You won't leave, will you?" Jester asked shyly.
Fjord smiled at her. "Not unless they drag me away." He crossed the small hospital room in two strides and was reaching for the door when she replied.
She relaxed into the bed a little and nodded. "Yeah, okay, well, I'm glad you're here now."
Fjord had already opened the door, but he paused in the doorway and looked back. "Me too, Jester. And I'm really glad you're okay."
"So far," she teased.
He laughed and slipped out of the room. Jester was going to be fine and he finally felt like he could breathe again.
It was a couple of days before the hospital was ready to release Jester, and it was Saturday, just two days before classes started again, when she called Fjord from the hospital and asked for a ride home. Naturally, he dropped everything he had been working on to pick her up.
She already looked better as her bruising was fading and her hair did a good job of hiding the stitches along her face. Jester grinned when she saw Fjord before turning and thanking the nurses before making her way over to him. Fjord opened the passenger side door of his car and beckoned her in.
"Thank you, my Prince Charming," Jester teased.
Fjord rolled his eyes, but walked around and got in the car himself. As he was fastening his seatbelt, Jester grabbed his arm, excitedly brandishing a new phone in his face.
"Look! Mama sent this to the house yesterday after she heard about the accident and Beau dropped it off for me."
Fjord smiled at her. "Guess we're going to have to make a new group chat to include you again then, aren't we?"
Jester punched his shoulder lightly. "There is no group chat without me anyways. I'm the life of this party."
Fjord chuckled and started the car. "So, where to? Home?"
Jester's smile dropped a little. "Actually, would you mind just going for a drive? I kind of want to look out from the top of the hill."
Fjord pulled out of the pick-up area and onto the main road. "Sure, I've got nothing else to do today."
Jester directed him through town and made him stop momentarily so she could pick up some pastries from a local bakery before they continued towards the largest hill in the city. They made easy conversation about school and what had happened while Jester was in the hospital as they drove to the peak.
At the top, Fjord pulled into the lookout parking lot and parked right against the railing. Jester jumped out of the car and ran to the edge, gripping the wooden railing in her hands. Fjord followed her, a little more slowly, but he studied her as he approached. She had her chin tilted up to catch the breeze and her eyes closed.
"You know," she murmured, "I thought I might never feel this again when I was in that car."
"Jester," Fjord said gently.
She shrugged. "I'm here though and I feel alive. I'm grateful to Beau and the firemen and the hospital staff. I'm still here, and I get to be here with you." She looked at him when she finished and her cheeks were dark with a slight blush as her eyes twinkled.
"I'm glad you're here," Fjord said firmly. He stepped a little closer to her and placed one of his hands over hers.
Jester's eyes widened a little bit, but then her cheeks darkened and her grin split even wider. She turned back to the view and squinted out over the city. "I can see the university from here," she declared proudly, lifting her hand out from under his to point out the familiar cluster of buildings.
Fjord instantly felt the loss of something when Jester moved her hand. She didn't look at him again, just kept staring at the city, so Fjord tucked his hands into his pockets and leaned back against the railing, facing his car and the road.
Jester was quiet for a long moment after that before she spun her whole body to face him suddenly. "You know, this whole experience would have been so much worse without everyone. I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't had you guys when I was in the hospital."
Fjord exhaled sharply. "Well, if you and Beau hadn't been talking to me, you probably wouldn't have even been there."
Jester frowned instantly and threw her arms around him, catching him in an unexpected and fierce hug. "Don't blame yourself. I was trying to say that I'm thankful for you guys. No blame-game," she ordered him.
Fjord slid an arm around her to squeeze her back. "Yeah, okay."
Jester lifted her chin and grinned at him victoriously. "I think all of us will be friends forever. Our group of crazy friends, the Mighty Nein!"
He laughed at her and nodded. "At this point, I can barely imagine school, much less life, without the team."
Jester poked him in the chest. "And us west-coasters have to stick together above all else."
Affection bubbled in Fjord's chest. "Of course," he replied easily. "Always."
The party was loud. The rainbow lights flashed erratically and the music was loud enough almost to make the walls tremble. People were yelling and laughing and singing and dancing and it was a bit chaotic, to say the least.
Fjord clutched his drink and leaned back against the wall. Molly had dragged Beau off to play some chaotic drinking game in the other room and Caleb, Caduceus, Nott, and Yasha had all elected not to come to the party. Jester was apparently around somewhere, but Fjord hadn't seen her all night.
He had almost come to the decision that he'd rather just leave and join in on whatever tame event the other members of the Mighty Nein were having at the boys' house when a familiar figure broke from the crowd and approached him. To his dismay, it wasn't Jester or even Molly or Beau.
Avantika was pretty unfairly pretty with curly red hair, sharp features, and an attractive body. She was in his program and in a bunch of his classes. They had talked a bit in first and second years, but they were partners in a biology lab this semester, so they interacted a lot more recently.
Fjord knew what flirting looked like and Avantika was incredibly flirty, but he was still taken a bit off guard when she stepped right into his personal space and ran a finger down his chest, smirking.
"Mr. Strong and Silent, over here, aren't you?" she teased.
While Jester's flirting usually made him warm inside, Avantika's just made him a little uncomfortable. She stayed firmly in his personal space, expression coy and apparently waiting. Fjord pressed his shoulders more flatly against the wall to try and escape, but she followed him determinedly.
After another moment, right as the lights flashed, Avantika surged up and kissed him firmly. Fjord felt her lips on his, cold and sticky from alcohol for a long moment before she pulled away. One of her brows cocked expectantly, but Fjord could only focus on the face that he had finally spotted over her shoulder.
Jester, clutching a plastic water bottle, was staring at him in a mix of hurt and disappointment. Jester's eyes searched his face for a moment longer before she spun and disappeared into the throng of drunk university students.
Fjord immediately pushed Avantika away and followed her. He shoved his cup into the hands of a completely wasted Sabian as he pushed by, and kept walking. He caught the briefest glimpse of her horns slipping out the front door and he darted after her. She had already reached the sidewalk in front of the house by the time that Fjord had made it through the front door.
"Jester! Wait!"
At the sound of her name, she paused and looked over her shoulder, surprised. She tensed when she saw him, but didn't walk any further away as he approached.
Fjord stopped right in front of her and placed both of his hands on her arms at her side and peered at her, concerned. "Where are you going?"
"Home," she replied shortly. She dropped her gaze from his and looked stubbornly off to the side.
"Jester, what did I do?"
"Nothing!" she cried, her voice a pitch higher than usual. Fjord lifted a hand and turned her face back towards him, his brow furrowing. Jester sighed and shut her eyes. "Shouldn't you go back to Miss Avantika and her pretty hair and eyes and body and lips?"
Realization sparked in Fjord so suddenly he was surprised that he didn't catch fire. "Jester, I don't like Avantika," he said slowly.
She opened her eyes and frowned. "Didn't look that way! I've spent three years trying to make you like me, and yet you still don't even see because here she comes with her perfect hair and her confidence and you're just kissing her!"
Fjord laughed shakily. "I don't see you?" he questioned. "Jester, I am head over heels for you. I see you in a light that I've never seen anyone else in, ever. You're radiant and special and beautiful and everyone knows that I'm obsessed with you. Avantika initiated the kiss and I, frankly, wanted nothing to do with it."
Jester's violet eyes widened dramatically. She appeared to be completely stunned into silence. Fjord laughed again, feeling tension drain out of him as he was filled with a reminder of how much he loved this girl.
"I'm crazy about you," he repeated. "And I see you, more clearly than ever, tonight," he said gently.
Finally, something clicked in Jester's mind and she stepped forwards, perching on her tiptoes as she kissed Fjord tentatively. Fjord's hand shifted to cup her jaw and he pulled her closer, sliding his other arm around her waist. He kissed her back for a long time and this kiss felt warm and right and perfect in every way.
After a long moment, they broke away breathless, but Fjord didn't let Jester move further away from him.
"You're serious?" she asked softly.
Fjord pressed his lips to her forehead. "As serious as Caleb is the night before a paper is due."
A small smile curled up her lips. "Okay."
She leaned up to kiss him again and just as their lips met, there was a whoop of joy from behind them, and they broke apart, startled. Molly and Beau were both standing in the doorway of the house, grinning like crazy people.
"It's about damn time!" Beau cheered drunkenly.
Fjord pulled away a little bit, his face burning, but Jester slid her hand into his and squeezed it tightly. He glanced at her and she smiled radiantly.
"I see you too," she whispered. And it was true and it was good.
Author's Note: Happy Fjorester Week everyone! I'm too busy with school to write for each day, but this is over 7000 words so that's the same as writing 1000 words a day, right?
As always, Tumblr: nicolewrites and AO3: nicole_writes
xoxo
Nicole