Homeward Bound
Summary: Bex tries to reassure Andi that Bowie will, eventually, return home. Bowex.
"You'regowing to beblate," Bex said while brushing her teeth. She entered the living room, leaning against the corner of the wall .Andi looked up from her laptop, an eyebrow raised. Bex raised a finger before spitting out the mouthful of toothpaste into a dirty coffee mug on the table. "I said, you're going to be late. Cyrus and Buffy should be at the corner soon."
"I know. I was about to leave." Andi glanced down at the computer screen and pressed a button the laptop. She reached up and fiddled with the earbud in her right ear, half smiling as sound filtered out.
"You're watching the video again," Bex stated. She moved to sit next to Andi. She popped her toothbrush back into her mouth and leaned in close. "It was sweet of him." She sucked back on the little dribble of toothpaste and saliva that gathered in her mouth.
"I know," Andi groaned. She closed her laptop with a snap. "Why did I have to send him away?"
"You didn't." Bex said. She pulled the toothbrush out of her mouth and placed it into the mug on the coffee table. Bex leaned back on the couch and crossed one leg over the other. "Bowie is…one of a kind."
"I told him to leave me alone." Andi turned to face Bex. "Now he's gone. What if he doesn't come back?" she asked, her voice cracking. "I just met my dad and now I don't have one."
"You will always have one whether he's here or not." Bex placed an arm around Andi's shoulders before pressing a kiss to the side of her head. "I know he loves you."
"Then why did you hide him for so long?"
Bex sighed. She dropped her arm and uncrossed her legs. She leaned forward, gripping the seat of the couch with her fingers, tapping her nails against the upholstery. "…It's complicated," she said.
"When will you tell me?" Andi's soft voice barely filled the room.
"When the time is right." Bex reached up and rubbed the back of her neck. "Do you trust me?"
"Of course." Andi nodded
"Good." Bex then clapped twice. "Now, go to school. I'll pick you up afterwards."
"I have frisbee practice in the gym." Andi grabbed a jacket, quickly pulling it on, before placing her backpack onto her shoulders.
"Then I'll see you later. Have a good day."
"Bye Bex," Andi shouted. She slammed the door behind her. Bex winced as the door frame rattled. She lifted her eyes to the ceiling and watched with baited breath as the fan shook. She picked up the dirty mug, the toothbrush still nestled inside, and took it to the kitchen sink, filling it with water.
Bex rinsed her toothbrush and cleaned the mug before wiping her hands on a dish towel. She moved to go and place her toothbrush back into the bathroom but stopped when she heard a loud knocking at the door.
"Did you forget…your key…" Bex trailed off as she opened the door. She flinched as the cool winter wind blew into the door.
"Hey," Bowie said. His arms were crossed over his chest, his jacket covered in melting snowflakes. "You probably don't want me here."
"That's not true." Bex shook her head. She stepped to the side, allowing him room to enter the apartment. She closed the door before reading the thermostat. She then reached into the sink and picked up the mug she just cleaned. "Did Andi see you?" she asked. Bex filled the mug up with water and added a filter to the coffee machine.
"No." Bowie shook his head. He tucked his hands into his pockets, rocking back and forth on his heels. Bex nodded in response, scooping up ground coffee into the filter. She then poured the water from the mug into the coffee machine before pressing the ON button.
"She looks like she's doing okay," Bowie said.
Bex sighed. "Her heart hurts. She thinks you don't want to be part of her life anymore."
"I only left-"
"Because she told you to." Bex tapped her fingers against the counter as she waited for the coffee to brew. As soon as the glass pot was filled she poured it into the mug before handing it over to Bowie, who accepted it with a smile. "Sometimes, you take things too literally."
Bowie titled his head back and downed the caffeinated beverage. "No, Bexie. I just wanted to become the father she can be proud of." He licked his lips of the left over drink. He then took a few steps forward, trapping Bex against the counter. He leaned around her and placed the mug into the sink. "I want to be someone you can be proud of," he added, reaching up and dragging his knuckles across her cheek.
"Bowie…there's a reason why we're not together anymore." Bex reached up and pushed his hand away.
"I know." Bowie cleared his throat and backed up. He looked around the kitchen and into the living room, his eyes lingering on Andi's laptop for a brief moment. "I just wanted to stop by and see if things were going well. It looks like they are."
"They are." Bex smiled. "Thank you, for helping me get this apartment."
"Anything for you." Bowie placed his hands on her shoulders. He then pulled her into a hug, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. Bex melted into his embrace, wrapping her arms around his waist, pressing her cheek against his shoulder.
After a few quiet moments, Bowie pulled away. "I'll…catch you later." He half-smiled. "Keep up the good work." He reached out and punched her lightly on the arm. "She looks happy."
"When will you be back?" This time when Bex reached for his hand, she uncurled his fist and laced their fingers together, giving his hand a squeeze. "If you do…" she dropped his hand, turning to pick up the mug from sink. She turned on the faucet, letting the water run.
"…When it feels like home." Bowie nodded once before showing himself out of the apartment. Bex peered through the blinds, watching his shadow shrink as he walked away from the apartment. She glanced down at the mug in her hands and ran her thumb along the marks from his lips, before reaching into the sink to rinse the mug.
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