A/N: Hello! I hope everyone is having a fabulous Saturday :)
This chapter is sort of filler-ish, so sorry about that. It basically introduces more of the "penthouse / party" mystery, but it does set up what will happen in the next chapters. It also reveals more about the AU NYC world the Anubis gang are living in.
Same characters are in this chapter and the only pairing is Peddie (so far!) :D I will introduce all pairings when they come into play and who the Anubis characters are supposed to semi-represent when they appear too :)
I do hope you enjoy! :)
Disclaimer: I don't own House of Anubis or The Great Gatsby
ii.
Saturday, June 22nd, 2019
Sunshine took over the green light's glory, causing Fabian to groggily turn over in his bed. It was already hot, hotter than it was yesterday he thought as he inhaled a huge breath. He kicked off the covers and rubbed his sweaty face. He slept awfully last night, his mind had never shut off and his dreams reflected his persistent thoughts. Though sticky with sweat and very uncomfortable he didn't want to get up, hoping that he would fall back asleep any moment now…
Nope. He was wide awake.
He sighed.
He sat up and picked up his calculator watch from the end table. It was almost noon. Noon? That was crazy! Fabian had never slept in this late in his entire life. He hadn't even slept most of the night! He took another big breath and wrapped his watch around his wrist. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and got up, walking over to the window to open it. He glanced outside and saw that the street separating the two apartment buildings was completely alive.
The road—Sound St.—looked unpleasantly hot and he felt awful for the rubber tires and hot-sole shoes traveling on it. All sorts of people walked this way and that on both sidewalks and he could even hear some of their chatter. It was like a scene pulled right from the movies. It all looked too perfect, too wonderful. He looked at the building directly in front of him.
Now that was something that put the definition of perfect to shame.
It was truly magnificent—even more so than this beautiful apartment complex. The apartment building that sat on the opposite side of Sound St., The E. Egg Complex, was ten floors tall, like W. Egg Plaza, but there were no other similarities. Every apartment had a medium sized balcony and brand new, shiny windows. Only a few rooms at W. Egg had balconies, Eddie and Patricia's was not one of them. E. Egg was all white and had lovely front double doors. Fabian could see inside if he squinted. He could make out the glimmering of crystal and gold diamond tiles, but that was all he could see from this angle. The penthouse alone—or should he say Amber's home—made the building seem like it was in its own world. The walls were made completely of glass and thick, white curtains hung behind them. Today they were open and Fabian could see inside her home. He didn't stare long, feeling like he was invading her privacy. Or was he? If Amber had a home like that, how could she keep the world out?
Well, Amber did like attention…
Overall it was a lovely, rich looking building that must hold only the best of the best.
After gazing out the window for a good ten minutes, Fabian started to feel much better now: remembering that he was in America—New York City to be specific—made the excitement of yesterday come rushing back. He smiled and stretched his arms above his head. Minus the heat, he felt like today was going to go swell.
He opened his bedroom door and turned right to go use the restroom. He pushed the door open and it knocked into some stray tools on the floor. Fabian saw the air conditioner positioned on the far bathroom wall, surrounded by a toolbox and miscellaneous tools he didn't know the names to.
Oh Eddie, Fabian thought. At least he tried!
After he used the restroom, he traveled back into the living room. He looked over towards the kitchen and saw Eddie there, flipping pancakes. The first thing that popped into Fabian's head was why Eddie was using the hot stove in this dreadful summer heat when a refreshing bowl of cereal with ice cold milk sounded delightful.
Then he mentally slapped himself.
Fabian loved Eddie's pancakes more than any other food in the world.
"Morning," Fabian called out, going to sit on one of the barstools that overlooked the kitchen. Eddie looked over at Fabian right as he tossed a pancake in the air. It landed perfectly in the frying pan and Fabian was impressed. Eddie was such a pancake professional.
"More like "good afternoon" buddy," Eddie said with a smirk.
"Then why are you making pancakes when it's lunch time?" Fabian countered back slyly. Eddie slid the fresh pancake on to an already cooked stack.
"It's always pancake time." He put three pancakes on a separate plate and handed them to Fabian. "I don't know why I'm sharing since you openly criticized my masterpieces."
Fabian quickly backtracked. "No, no you're right! In fact, you're always right!" He told him, snatching up his plate. Eddie laughed.
"Tell my wife that," He said with a smile. He put five pancakes on his own plate and went to sit next to Fabian.
"Is she still asleep?" Fabian asked after taking a bite. Aw man…he had missed Eddie, but his pancakes were a whole other story…
"She doesn't feel too great," Eddie said with his mouth full. Fabian waited for him to swallow to continue. "She woke up with a massive headache from last night so she's just resting."
"Can't blame her," Fabian said. "My head was up all night too."
"Sorry," Eddie apologized. Fabian waved a carefree hand.
"It's not your fault," Fabian said quickly. He didn't want Eddie to feel bad about the mystery person's loud music. There wasn't anything he or Patricia could do to stop it, so why fuss over it? "Really, I'm fine with everything you both have done."
Eddie nodded, feeling Fabian's sincerity. He had finished his five pancakes, shocking Fabian: he had hardly finished his first and Eddie was done? His appetite sure hadn't decreased. He stood up and started to reload his plate.
"I'm going to see if Patricia's okay and bring her some food." He informed Fabian.
"She eats your food now?" Fabian joked, his eyebrows raised jovially. He remembered the multiple times Eddie had offered to make Patricia a meal back at Anubis and she declined every time, either not trusting his cooking abilities or believing everything he ate was disgusting. Or both—the majority of the time it was for both reasons.
"Ha ha," Eddie said dryly. "My pancakes can win over the most stubborn of people, Fabian, i.e.: my wife."
And with that, he retreated into his bedroom to check on his Patricia. Fabian smiled and shook his head. He sat at the bar, continuing to eat and fully enjoy his brunch when the doorbell rang three times in a row.
"Make the ringing stop!" He heard a crabby Patricia yell from the next room over. Poor Patricia, he thought. She must not really feel good or else she would be furiously flinging the door open to bite that person's head off. Poor Patricia…
"I'll get it!" Fabian shouted, sliding off his chair and sadly leaving his pancakes behind.
"Fabian what are you, five-years-old? Inside voices!"
"Yacker, stop acting like his mother! You can't tell a grown man what to do."
"Oh yes I can; I tell you what to do all the time."
Fabian chuckled to himself because Patricia was speaking the truth. He cleared his throat and walked over to the door. He twisted the hot, brass knob and the door opened.
There stood a man in a button down black suit coat and long pants. He wore black loafers and had one single pink rose in his jacket pocket. His collared white shirt looked freshly ironed, as did the rest of his outfit. His brown eyes and hair were dark and sort of intimidating to look at, Fabian thought. He shifted nervously in the doorframe and cleared his throat once more.
"Can I help you?" Fabian asked hesitantly, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"Is this the residence where a, uh, Mr. Roo—tter is staying?" The man asked, his voice low and thin.
"It's Rutter, and yes this is he," Fabian answered. The man didn't give his apologies for messing up Fabian's name. He sniffed loudly and held out a white-gloved hand towards Fabian. He was holding a pristine white envelope.
"My employer wishes for you to read this," he told Fabian, not once breaking eye contact although Fabian desperately him wanted to. "He is highly anticipating seeing you tonight."
"He? Tonight? Who are you talking about? I don't know hardly anyone here in—"
"Good afternoon Mr. Roo—tter."
The man turned quickly on his heels and walked down the hallway and back upstairs without a second glance. Fabian stood with his mouth open. What just happened? He had no idea who that man was or whom he was referring to. Fabian's only friends that lived here in W. Egg were Patricia and Eddie. Who else could be here that Fabian knew? He didn't know too many Americans, other than Eddie, KT, and Nina, and he was sure it wasn't someone from college or high school. They wouldn't haven been so uncomfortably ominous.
Fabian Rutter was utterly befuddled.
(That was a new feeling for him).
He didn't go back inside the apartment. He actually walked out into the hallway because it was air-conditioned and it felt so good. He leaned against the wall next to the door and flipped the envelope over in his hands. It only had his name and Eddie and Patricia's apartment address on the front. There was no return address. Should he open it? He almost didn't because he really couldn't understand how someone that he apparently knew would act so creepy and weird towards him…
…but that man scared him, so Fabian opened the letter.
Fabian,
I heard through the grapevine that you're in old New York for the summer. I do hope Eddie and Patricia are treating you well. Have you spoken to Nina? My fingers are crossed for a happy reunion between you two. I'll stop the rambling now, buddy, and get to my point: I'm having a small get together tonight and would appreciate if you would join me for a fun filled night. You're free to bring whomever you like, buddy—a friend of yours is a friend of mine. The party starts promptly at 8:00 pm but most people arrive by 7:00, so do come early if you want food and wine before it's all gone (although I make sure to never run out). Take the elevator up to the penthouse. You'll find me eventually.
Looking forward to your arrival, buddy.
No name? There had to be a name—what kind of crazy person didn't sign a letter? Fabian had no clue of what to make of this. Who was this person? How did he or she know about Patricia and Eddie? How did he or she know that Fabian was here, staying with them?
How did he or she know about his and Nina's previous relationship?
This letter made Fabian feel like he had no choice but to go. He felt like he needed to make sure his friends and he were safe and sound, and going to the party might do just that. The letter didn't sound threatening, but considering the circumstances that he was currently in, he didn't feel too good or super secure. If anything he wanted Eddie, Patricia and very much so Nina, to remain all right. After all, Patricia and Eddie just wed and Nina…well, he didn't know anything about her but he couldn't do anything to jeopardize her wellbeing.
He wouldn't be able to live with himself if he didn't.
Maybe he was overeating. It was just a party invite. People got those all the time…
…Only they got them from people they know of, either through the mail or hand delivered by the said person they liked, cared for, or loved. Not by the scary looking employee that worked for the even more so ominous and odd employer/party host.
Now Fabian thought he had more to worry about than just the butler guy being suspicious…
"You got invited to the penthouse party?" Eddie asked in awe, his eyes five times their normal size. "That's insane!"
Fabian had gone back into the hot apartment and decided to go inside Patricia and Eddie's bedroom to tell them about the letter. He only entered when he had felt it was safe. Patricia was downright unpleasant when she was sick or in an awful mood. She must have been feeling better since she invited him in; her head had cleared up. She sat in her pajamas, resting against the headboard of her bed. Eddie sat in front of her.
"You're telling me," Fabian said, a sight shiver running up his body. He sat in a chair next to Patricia's side of the bed.
"And what did that delivery guy look like again?" Patricia questioned. She had just finished reading the letter and was looking over at Fabian, her eyebrows raised in suspicion.
"He was tall, wore a suit—despite the heat—had brown hair and really beady eyes." Fabian said again. "He looked scary, like if I hadn't taken the letter, he'd take me outside to beat me up in an alleyway until I did take it."
Eddie laughed at Fabian's exaggeration causing both Fabian and Patricia to glare at him menacingly. He cleared his throat and looked down.
"Sorry."
"I don't recall ever seeing someone like that in the building before," Patricia thought out loud, going back to the original conversation.
"I think that was the guy I had talked to when I had gone up to complain," Eddie told them, rubbing his chin in contemplation. "But it was a while ago, I don't completely remember."
"You don't think it was the owner of the penthouse, do you?" Fabian questioned thoughtfully. He just wanted to figure out this mystery…whoa, he hadn't had a mystery to solve since Sibuna.
He felt really old now. His birthday was in fact coming up soon…
"Why would he act like that and give you this note if it was him?" Patricia said like it was obvious. "Use your head Fabian."
"My head is beginning to not feel so great," Fabian mumbled, rubbing his head. Patricia grabbed a bottle sitting next to her and threw it over to him. The label read Advil. He laughed softly and smiled, unscrewing the top.
"I think the really big question is: are you going to go tonight?" Eddie said. He was totally interested in this mystery. He hadn't realized how awesome it felt to be "back in business" in a sense.
"I don't know. Probably not." Fabian said after he swallowed a pill. "I have no idea who this person is. He or she knows you two and Nina and I don't want to put you all at risk or—"
"We're all grown up now, Fabian." Eddie interrupted with a shrug. "We can handle ourselves."
"Sure, put my safety out on the line, why don't you?" Patricia scoffed at her husband. "It's not that I like living or anything of the sorts…"
"Hey, we've been in worse situations than this due to our Sibuna days. We managed to survive all sorts of evil and graduate at the same time." Eddie patted her leg comfortingly. "I'm pretty sure we're good."
Patricia rolled her eyes and huffed. She stretched her legs out to rest in his lap. He gladly let them rest there. Eddie looked back over at his friend.
"You should go. You know, to see who it is. Maybe it's someone from England that you know like—"
"Harry Potter?" Patricia teased with a smile. She was on a roll now. "Because he and Fabian practice magic and read hieroglyphics every Sunday over afternoon tea."
Fabian burst out laughing, as did Patricia. Eddie narrowed his eyes, yet smiled at their silly forms.
"Say what you will, mock me if you must; I know he's out there somewhere." Eddie said confidently and one hundred percent seriously. They still continued to laugh and he rolled his eyes and gave a huff. Hey, if cups could keep people young, a mask could weep tears of gold, and a hundred-year-old archeologist could come back to life, then Eddie completely believed that Harry Potter was real. "And if he and Fabian did get together, they'd totally be drinking pumpkin juice, not tea. Wait what am I saying? He wouldn't be with Fabian he'd totally want to hang out with me, his biggest fan. Get it right, both of you!"
Eddie eventually gave in and laughed along with them; their giggles were just too hypnotic, how could he resist? All three ended up forgetting about the mystery note, tbe scary butler, and how Fabian was somehow already known throughout the city. And it felt good to just act…natural. They hadn't had a moment like this since high school. Six years was a long time and this moment of pure bliss was so needed in their lives.
Right now, it was just good to be with friends. Goofy, fun, Sibuna friends.
Fabian, ever being the voice of reason, eventually brought the mystery back up once they had settled down enough to where they could think and semi form words.
Well, once he and Eddie had settled down. Patricia was holding back her laughter with all her might. Oh that had been bloody brilliant, she thought to herself, blinking away the tears of laughter that lurked in her eyes.
"Maybe I will go. You know, just to see who it is. That's all." Fabian contemplated. Patricia had dropped the letter to the floor in her fit of laughter. He picked it up and held it with both hands, staring at the ink and its message. The diction seemed oddly familiar: was it normal for someone to overuse the word "buddy" in practically every sentence? He knew Eddie called him "buddy" but never as frequent as this. He felt like someone used to though, or maybe not directly to him. Still, Fabian definitely knew he knew of someone who said that word a lot. But who…
"That a boy," Eddie said with a smile. "It might be fun. Minus the ear-screeching jazz music and all, there is the possibility of having a good time."
"I like jazz," Fabian defended. He looked up at his best mate incredulously. "It's classic, meaningful, and pure awesome!"
"Figures you'd like it," Eddie said with a shrug. Patricia nodded in agreement. She was afraid to speak for the fear of starting to laugh again. She wasn't partial to her laugh and her stomach was already in pain from laughing too hard. Everything just seemed so funny now…
"Nina likes it too!" Fabian shouted indignantly. He needed someone to help his case. Jazz was beautiful, soulful. It was music that Fabian could always find words too when he could never find the words himself. It put him at peace, and it had made him soar with happiness when his ex-girlfriend had liked it as well. He remembered times when they would lie together on the floor of his and Eddie's old dorm room, simply listening to his old record player that played the gorgeous tunes. They lied flat on their backs, their breaths synchronized together, their eyes closed. Well, Nina's eyes were closed. Fabian's eyes were glued to the perfect form of his peaceful, serene, amazing best friend/girlfriend the whole time…
But you know that was then they were still together, still friends, still speaking…back when life was sort of simple, but nevertheless marvelous.
"There's an idea!" Patricia shouted enthusiastically, her laughter finally dying down. She swung her legs off Eddie and over the side of her bed to sit face-to-face with Fabian. He and Eddie just stared at her in confusion. She sighed. Boys could be so slow sometimes. "Take Nina with you to the party."
"What?" Fabian yelled at her, eyes wide. "Are you mad? I haven't spoken to her since she went back to America in the twelfth grade. I can't just waltz up to her and ask her to go to a stranger's party with me."
"You could waltz up to her if some jazz was playing in the background," Patricia laughed lightly. He glared at her. She sighed again. It was so obvious what he needed to do! How could he not be getting it? "Fabian, this is your opportunity to get her back." She ennunciated every word slowly. When it came to romance, Fabian Rutter was clueless.
"Who says I want her back?" Fabian questioned hotly. He didn't like this subject; it made him feel sad and mad and betrayed and hopeful and so good all at once and he didn't like it one bit.
"Me, Eddie, Joy, Jerome, Mara, Amber," Patricia listed with a smirk. "Even Willow and KT do too and they've never met the girl." She saw his cheeks redden and she smiled. Her plan was just too good. Besides, she was trying to do something nice; for once, no one was telling her she had to. "It's not like you two have to get right back together. Just go slow; be her friend first."
"Who knew you were so good at relationship advice?" Eddie nudged her playfully. "I should have come to you when I was trying to get you back all those times."
"Ha ha," Patricia said, nudging him right back. "Apparently in the eleventh grade, Joy and Mara would come to me for boy advice, but I swear I don't remember ever telling them anything useful or even boy-related!"
Eddie chuckled because that sounded so like Patricia. She turned back to look at Fabian.
"Just ask her to the party, make up and then make out. It's really quite simple, Fabian."
Fabian shot right up out of his chair. "Well if everyone thinks it's best, maybe I will do just that!" He shouted sarcastically. He was so flustered over everyone knowing about his feelings for Nina that he was just down right embarrassed. Yes he had gotten over her at one point and had genuinely cared for Mara when they were together, but no one really forgets their first love…
Aw man: Fabian Rutter had been crushing on the girl who had mysteriously disappeared from his life many years ago all this time without even realizing so.
How could he be as intelligent as he was and miss that?
"Good!" Patricia shouted right back, standing up to face him. She chose to ignore the dripping sarcasm in his words and make it sound like he was being completely serious. Eddie stood up as well, more so because he didn't want to be the only one sitting. "Go cross the street, knock on her door, and ask her right now. Persuade her with that dorky vibe you've always had to you, sweep her off her feet and jitter bug the night away."
"The jitter bug wasn't even created in the 1920s!" Fabian shouted. He threw his arms up in the air dramatically and very much so disappointed that Patricia didn't know her dance history. "The 20s were all about the Charleston and the Lindy Hop dance!"
"Whatever," Patricia rolled her eyes. "Just do as I say."
"Don't tell me what to do!" Fabian shouted, his voice nice and high. "I'm not going to make amends with Nina when she clearly has no interest in wanting to herself. If this is what she wants, then so be it. And I am perfectly capable of getting her back if I wanted to—which I do not—by myself!"
Fabian stalked out of their room and walked straight into his own, slamming the door shut behind him. What just happened here? Eddie turned to look at Patricia. Her arms were crossed like she had already won. He then looked back over to Fabian's shut door. He snickered and out his hands in his pockets.
"You going to change and go over to her house?" Eddie called out.
"No I absolutely am not because I'm not going to see her!" He heard his friend's muffled reply from behind the door. Eddie looked back at Patricia, giving her a, "I–think-you-lost-that-one," look.
"Just wait for it," Patricia said quietly. Low and behold, Fabian's door swung back open and his head peaked out. He looked sheepishly across the hall into their open door.
"Okay, so what if I am? I want her back. Don't judge me, just help me get ready to make amends!" He squealed like a nervous child. He pulled his head back inside and shut his door. Patricia sighed triumphantly and Eddie whistled. That was impressed.
"I see why Joy and Mara came to you for relationship advice: you're awesome."
Patricia patted her husband's cheek and smirked.
"Oh Eddie. You're telling me something I already know."
A/N: Whoever came up with the headcannon of Eddie being such a fanboy for Harry Potter, YOU ARE A GENIUS! I LOVE IT SO MUCH AND IT'S SO TRUE AND WHY IT WASN'T WRITTEN IN THE SHOW, I'LL NEVER KNOW!
That Fabina memory though :D Forshadowing maybe? You'll have to stick around to find out! :)
What do you think will happen when Fabian meets Nina? Will it be a beautiful reunion or a disaster in the making? And what about that creepy butler and the note about the party? All shall be revealed soon! I'll try and have chapter three up by next Saturday, but no promises. I haven't finished writing it yet.
Read and review pretty please! Have a great rest of the weekend :)
