title: five
competition: dauntless competition ; round one ; part two [knife throwing] ; represent that character
characters: hugo ; roxanne
pairing: background hugo / lysander because what the fuck do i even actually ship at this point [also roxanne/women]
summary:no one's ever been quite as close as roxanne and hugo. five moments. dauntless competition.
notes: question: how did i decide hugo and roxanne are bffls? i don't know.
i.
When Hugo is thirteen, he realises he likes boys. Like, a lot. Probably more than he should, or at least, too much compared to what he thinks he should. So he sends Roxanne an owl arranging a meeting, and he doesn't come down for breakfast because he's waiting for the boys to leave his dorm so he can hurl and breathe properly. He doesn't cry. [lie.]
When they meet in their 'secret spot', a little alcove out of sight and fairly far from anyone, usually, Hugo is first to get there. Roxanne is late. Roxanne is always late. [truth.] It's a spring afternoon, Hugo's gold and black tie loose around his collar, robes discarded and shirt unbuttoned two buttons. He finds himself missing their old abandoned cove, their first secret spot. It was a little cavern, damp and dark, by the lake nearby Hugo's home, but it'd been their place.
Roxanne arrives twenty minutes late, fingers stained by ink and and short hair a bit of a wreck. Her brown eyes are big and sleepy, and she's trying not to run her dark blue fingers through her cyan hair. "I'm sorry!" she blurts. "I fell asleep on my homework."
As she pulls off her robe and rolls up her sleeves, he can see ink stains all throughout her arms. "Smooth," he grins, and the Gryffindor shoots him a glare.
"Shut up," she says, and he ducks to avoid her light smack, because he really does not want ink on his head. "I get sleepy during homework sometimes, ok?"
"Saaaame," he intones teasingly. [lie.]
"What's your dilemma?" she asked carefully, reminding him of why he was here.
"I'm gay," he says flatly. [truth.]
"Saaaaame," she says.
"What? Rox, that's not funny-"
"Well, that's good, because I'm not kidding."
"Oh," he blinks. "Ohhh."
"Dumbass," she says lovingly.
ii.
Hugo is drowning.
There's a boy in his year holding his face beneath the water, a handsome boy with green eyes and lips he wanted to press his to, skinny wrists and muscled legs.
Hugo just kissed a boy and now he's going to die for it, because that's what happens when you're fourteen and can't keep your mouth shut.
Hugo's always been afraid to drown, and tonight, in the Great Lake underneath the half moon, he's going to.
Or, he thinks he is, until suddenly he's dragged back and gasping for hair, swallowing lungfuls, and the handsome boy has a black eye and Roxanne is pulling him out with bruised knuckles.
John stumbles back, then turns and run, and Hugo pretends he isn't crying on Roxanne's shoulder. [truth]
"Are you okay?" she asks.
"I'm happy I'm not dead," he says. [lie.]
iii.
When Hugo is sixteen, he develops a crush on Lysander.
He's watching Lysander over Roxanne's shoulder every few minutes, and when Lysander passes by, his fingers bump into Hugo's as he reaches to borrow a book they were finished reading. Hugo nearly jumps back, electricity going through his arm.
When Lysander walks away, Roxanne gives him a 'look'. "Do you have a crush on Lysander Scamander? The guy pining over Lily?"
"N-oh. Oh. Oh no. Ah, shit." he monologues as Lysander shoots him a shy smile from way far away, out of hearing range. He can feel his heart drop to his stomach. "Fuck."
Roxanne frowns.
"Like that's any better than your crush on your brother's girlfriend," he says defensively, and Roxanne sighs.
iv.
Lysander kisses him after a major battle with a dark witch, taking place in the Great Hall [no breaks for any generation, huh?], slinging his arms around the taller boy's neck, one climbing to his long, ginger hair, and when they part, Hugo can feel his breath against his lips.
Roxanne cat calls. Hugo flips her the bird. Lovingly.
v.
The night before Hugo gets married, Roxanne calms him down.
She slaps him first, and she takes his whiskey so he wouldn't be hungover in the morning.
"Night," she calls, heading to Alice's to sleep.
"What if I screw up," Hugo mumbles, ninety percent asleep. "What if he leaves me at the altar."
"You'll be fine," she assures, kissing his forehead. He pulls her down next to her. "Dumbass," she adds. Lovingly.