like the sun
summary; she doesn't want to admit it, but kyle is right (frederica x marie and freddy & kyle brotp)
Falling in love, Frederica thinks, is extremely annoying. The fact that she's fallen in love with her best friend is enough to make her puke. She realises, her nose wrinkled up in disgust, that she's become a cliché. A horrible, boring, and thoroughly played out cliché. The type of cliché she rolls her eyes or sniggers dismissively at when it pops up in books or movies. Best friends falling in love with each other? Ack. One best friend falling in love with the other and the other being blissfully unaware? Double ack.
The realisation that she's become a cliché hits her hard. Extremely hard. Someone may as well be hitting her with Kyle's inflatable beach hammer, screaming the word over and over again for what it's worth.
She groans as she slides against the kitchen counter - the urge to bash her head against it is worryingly strong and she has to ball her hands up until little fists, digging her nails into her skin, to stop her from actually going through with it. How did it get like this? How had she allowed it to get like this? She's angry with herself. Angry that she didn't put a stop to this madness the second she caught herself looking at Marie as if she were the sun.
As if on cue, Marie suddenly laughs at something either Shao or Van says, and it takes all of Frederica's self control not to peek up from the kitchen counter and stare at her. Instead, she stubbornly turns around, crosses her arms over her chest and marches to where Kyle is stood trying to work out how much time their popcorn needs in the microwave. Next to Marie, she figures Kyle is probably her best friend. Though she won't admit that to him - he doesn't need the ego boost - but she figures he's smart enough and she really, really, needs some advice now.
Somewhere in the back of her mind, a voice remarks that she really must be desperate if she's going to Kyle for romantic advice.
"That better be butter," she mumbles as she sidles up next to him, eyes narrowing slightly as she watches him empty the kernels into a bowl.
"That's what you asked for, isn't it?"
"Since when do you listen to me?"
He turns to her and shoots her his trademark smile and, objectively, she feels she can understand why he's got a significant number of people on campus drooling after him. She thinks it's kind of funny actually. Despite his "look at me!" attitude, he hates that kind of attention, and she enjoys watching him come up with new ways to ways to ditch his ever growing following. What was it he called it? Aromantic?
"Oi."
He flicks her forehead suddenly and she cuts her eyes as she look back up at him. Half annoyed that he flicked her, and half embarrassed that she's been caught daydreaming.
"You ok?"
She clears her throat and glances over her shoulder, making sure Marie isn't listening on their conversation. She isn't. She's flicking through Kyle and Shao's DVD collection with Van, looking for a movie for them to watch.
She turns back to Kyle and fixes him with a stern look, "don't laugh."
"You haven't even told me anything," he frowns, "but, now you've told me not to laugh, I might just have to laugh…"
He teasing her, but she's not in the mood.
"If you laugh, I'll swap your shampoo for shaving cream."
"Again?" he nervously fingers the edges of his hair, remembering the last time he'd angered her that much. It had only been by luck that he'd only lathered a tiny bit of shaving cream into his hair before Shao burst into the bathroom and screamed for him to stop.
"Again," she says, "or maybe it'll be your toothpaste this time."
"Alright, alright. Point taken," he grumbles as he pushes the buttons on the microwave and watches as it zings to life, "so, what's up?"
"I have a crush."
For a moment, she's sure Kyle is going to laugh. His nostrils flare slightly and his lips twitch and she's about five seconds from storming out of the flat and running to the supermarket to buy some shaving cream. But then his features relax a little and he leans against the countertop, a thoughtful look on his face.
"And?"
Her stomach twists tightly and she glances back over her shoulder. Kyle notices this time and his eyes widen slightly.
"Shao?" he whispers and Frederica pulls a face.
"Van?" he asks and Frederica rolls her eyes. Van is cute, yes, but in the same way your baby brother or a lost puppy is cute. He's not her type.
Kyle's eyes widen a little more.
"Marie?"
She bites her lip and nods quickly, "yes."
For a second or two, they stand there staring at each other and Frederica wonders if perhaps she should've just kept this to herself. Kyle isn't exactly known for his tact after all. But then Kyle smiles, a genuine smile, and he claps her on the shoulder.
"Nice!"
"Nice?" Frederica frowns, "that's all you have to say? Nice?"
"Is it…not...nice?"
The microwave pings and Kyle tugs it open, pulling out their bowl of popcorn.
"No! She's my best friend!" she makes an ugh sound. Kyle doesn't get it, "I'm not supposed to fall in l-"
She pauses. She's not ready to say that word out loud yet - even if it is true. Instead, she just sniffs and snatches the bowl of popcorn from the counter, "whatever, just...just forget I said anything."
She moves to go back to the living room to start the movie, but Kyle pulls her back and she's suddenly reminded of why, next to Marie, Kyle is her best friend.
"Freddy," he calls her the nickname they used as children, "you're really making a big deal out of nothing."
"Nothing?" she hisses, "nothing? Kyle, she's my best friend and I'm going to ruin everything with this stupid crush."
She fights the urge to stamp her foot childishly on the floor and instead glares up at Kyle who, annoyingly, is still smiling gently.
"No you won't."
"Oh, thank you Mystic Meg."
Kyle rolls his eyes, "Freddy, you know Marie loves you."
"Not like that."
"Does it matter? Can't you just enjoy the friendship you've got now? You both love each other - does it really need to be something more? What's really going to change between you two?"
Frederica opens her mouth to argue, but she finds she has no retort. Kyle is right (she cringes inwardly at having to think that). Nothing really has to change. It's not like she wants anything more from their friendship. She's perfectly happy with having Marie by her side.
She glances over towards Marie, who is now wedged into the sofa, patiently waiting for them to get over there with the popcorn. Marie glances up and catches her eye. Her lips spread into a wide grin and she waves her over.
"Freddy, come on" she calls, and taps the empty space next to her, "we're ready!"
Frederica's heart squeezes slightly, but she nods and begins walking towards them.
She's not going to admit it, not to him at least, but Kyle is right.
She loves Marie. But that's not really anything new. She's always loved Marie, she's just a bit more aware of it now.
Behind her, Kyle smirks. A small part of him wonders if he should tell her he had pretty much the exact same conversation with Marie just a few weeks ago, but he decides not to.
It's more fun this way.
A/N: *writes fic for a fandom that doesn't exist and that nobody will probably read*
On the off chance you do read this, please review!