Note: Even though I had everything plotted out from the start, this took forever to revise. And I'm still not completely sure about it.
Chapter 3: Equilibrium
"You're in a good mood for someone who just got a rejection letter," huffed Go Go. "Oh, wait. I forgot who I'm talking to."
Honey Lemon busied herself in the small kitchen area. "There's other companies besides Bragg Tech," she simply said. Honestly she hadn't even thought about it since she got home from grocery shopping. She placed several ingredients on the counter and asked, "Did you and Wasabi get any responses?"
"Not yet. We were planning to go to SFIT today to ask Grandville for letters of recommendation, just in case. Wanna come?"
"Oh, sorry, I can't today," Honey Lemon replied. "Globby's coming over for dinner and I need to prepare."
Go Go stared at her for a moment. "I thought the whole idea was to be seen in public."
Honey Lemon froze in the middle of chopping a pepper.
That's right. But she'd just gone and casually invited him to the apartment. Did she…
Did she actually just… forget?
"Your face is turning red."
A hand flew to her cheek and Honey Lemon snapped out of her unfocused stare to continue her task. "Friends can have dinner together too, you know," she hurriedly pointed out, almost nicking herself with the knife. "You and I do all the time!"
"Right..." The suspicious tone in Go Go's voice set her nerves on fire. Thankfully, Go Go dropped the subject and said, "I don't really care. See you at dinner." With that she walked out the door.
Honey Lemon put down the knife and drew in a deep breath. What was wrong with her? She shouldn't be so worked up over this. It was an honest mistake. It could happen to anyone.
...Couldn't it?
A troubled hum escaped her throat and she eyed her phone on the table. Maybe it would be better to just cancel...
But there was no way she could've intended this to be a real date. This was a totally normal thing between friends. That's all it was. Besides, Globby had readily accepted her invitation. He wouldn't have done that if he thought it would be awkward or unnecessary. And Go Go would be joining them anyway.
Convinced by her reasoning, Honey Lemon went on to make the rest of the preparations.
"This unadon is the best!" Globby eagerly scooped another forkful into his mouth. "Much better than the kind I make!"
Pride bubbled up inside her. "Aw, thanks! That's sweet of you to say." From the corner of her eye she was aware of Go Go watching her. Honey Lemon busied herself with digging into her own bowl, pretending not to notice. But the reminder of her lapse in judgment resurfaced, and she wondered if Go Go had been right to call her out on it.
Something had changed within her when it came to Globby. She found herself wanting to be with him more. Not a day went by without him invading her thoughts, often when she least expected it. And it always left her heart fuzzy with feelings she couldn't make sense of.
Honey Lemon gave her head a tiny shake, declining to puzzle over it any longer. She was sure she had a logical reason for inviting him over, even if it was only subconscious. So she casually looked for it around the room until her eyes landed on something colorful on the counter: a magazine she'd gotten in the mail. Inspiration struck. She cleared her throat and said to Globby, "So, I was wondering if we could plan our next outing."
He looked up, pondering. "Hmm… How about the aquarium?"
"Nope," Go Go spoke up, surprising her. "It's closed for repairs after Steamer tunneled into it for his 'big laundry' scheme last week."
Globby's shoulders lowered. "Oh yeah, I forgot."
Honey Lemon waited a few rapid heartbeats before giving her suggestion. "The Cherry Blossom Festival is coming up in a couple weeks. Maybe that could work?"
"Oh, that's perfect! I've always wanted to go to that."
She released the air from her lungs and grinned in satisfaction. Her small win emboldened her to say to Go Go, "You should go too!"
"Pass."
"But it's so pretty! With the trees in full bloom, and the lights-"
"Not my thing. Besides, it's mostly for couples, anyway."
"Well, maybe you can ask Wasabi to go with you."
Go Go spat out her drink.
Honey Lemon reached for napkins at the same time as Globby and she touched his hand instead. "Sorry!" they both yelped, Honey Lemon flinching away as if she'd been zapped. She blinked in confusion, her odd behavior not making sense. She'd hugged Globby many times, held his arm, even touched his knee, and none of those ever elicited such a reaction.
So why was a simple brush of the hands different all of a sudden?
Go Go's coughing made her dismiss the thought along with the flare of heat in her cheeks, and she handed her friend a napkin.
Instead, Go Go wiped her sleeve across her mouth. She glared at Honey Lemon, face burning pink. "This conversation is over."
"Go Go, I'm so sor-"
"Over."
Globby spun lazily in his chair at Big Hero 6's headquarters. He still couldn't stop thinking about the other night. How caught off guard he had been when Honey Lemon invited him over for dinner and he had said yes without even thinking twice. Or when her hand accidentally graced his, blazing within him something that was growing stronger each day- a feeling he refused to give a name to, refused to make it real.
Because if he did, there'd be no going back.
Felony Carl must have sensed it too, as he had said that Globby seemed a little off, lately. Globby denied his accusation and insisted that nothing had happened to him. Nothing had changed.
Hiro sighed irritably, bringing him back to the present. "How do you spell 'effervescent'?"
Fred slid over to the boy's side immediately. "Ooh! Is your fanfic about Karmi?"
"What? No!" Hiro covered the page with his hands, but his reddening cheeks didn't help.
Curious, Globby asked, "Does Karmi know you're in Big Hero 6?"
Hiro ran a hand through his hair. "Not yet. I'm waiting for the right time, and the right way to tell her."
Fred smirked at him. "Maybe you should tell her how you feel first. It's easy, just give her a gift!"
Hiro started to groan in protest, but Globby remembered something and said, "Speaking of gifts, I wanna surprise Honey Lemon with one as a thank-you." He tapped his fingers together uncertainly. "But I don't know what to get. I'm a little out of my element here."
Baymax held up a finger and stated, "You currently have in you… all the elements."
Globby chuckled. "No, I mean, I'm not used to getting gifts for women. Other than my mom, and she never liked anything."
"Oh." Several images appeared on Baymax's screen. "The most common types of gifts for women are flowers, chocolates, and jewelry."
Globby hummed doubtfully. While he certainly would have no trouble replicating any of those things, none of them seemed right for her.
"You can give her this Captain Fancy rock polisher I won at a carnival a while back," Fred suggested, holding it up. "I was going to keep it, but then I remembered I already have one."
"No, thanks. I want it to be something she likes."
"She's Honey Lemon. She'll be happy with whatever you give her," said Hiro.
He was right. Globby could get her a pack of gum and she'd be grateful. But that wouldn't be nearly enough to show his appreciation for putting up with him for a few months. Any of the other women they'd tried to get would've quit by now.
But not Honey Lemon.
He wanted to give her something special. Something she always wanted. Something she loved.
Globby lit up. That's it. He turned to the giant monitor. "Basemax, find every man in France named André."
He was vaguely aware of three heads turning to him in surprise.
After a few seconds of calculating, Basemax displayed a map of the country loaded with red dots. "There are currently 670,009 men named André in France."
Globby's jaw literally dropped. He formed a new one and said, "Wait, don't tell me. I can figure this out. Basemax, narrow search to between the ages of 25 and 30."
A sizable amount of dots disappeared. "16,750."
"I guess that's the closest I can get," he sighed. "Can you pull up their phone numbers?"
"You're gonna call all of them?" Hiro asked incredulously. "That'll take forever!"
It would, and Globby was almost ready to give up the idea. But he remembered who he was doing this for. "Honey Lemon deserves this," he said in determination.
"Wow." Fred stood up, wiping a tear from his eye. "I know you're not really with Honey Lemon, but you've inspired me to become a better man for Olivia. I'm going out to find the perfect gift for her! She deserves better than this rock polisher!" He tossed it behind him and told Hiro, "You should totally call Karmi and invite her to the Cherry Blossom Festival!"
Hiro grabbed his notebook and sputtered, "Can't, gotta work on my fanfic. 10 drafts to go!" while speeding out the door.
Fred ran after him. "No need to be shy, Hiro!"
Globby sighed and leaned on the table. They didn't know how lucky they were… He heard the shuffle of footsteps approaching him and realized Baymax was still there.
"Will finding André show Honey Lemon that you have romantic feelings for her?"
He shot up. "Wha- I- w-why would you say that?!"
"Your neurotransmitter levels indicate an increase in dopamine and serotonin whenever Honey Lemon is mentioned. And your temperature is elevated."
"...Okay, that's actually kinda scary how you can do that." Then Globby slumped into his chair, the truth of the matter crashing over him like a tidal wave that could no longer be held back.
He was in love with Honey Lemon.
Of course that had always been a possibility since they started this whole charade, he just never actually considered it. But despite the walls he had put up around his heart, she managed to get through without even trying. Despite his best efforts to keep her out, she had stayed. Then again, how could he not have fallen for her? Honey Lemon was his best friend. The only one who understood him. He knew she'd never, ever abandon him.
Which is exactly why he needed to end this. If he didn't, she'd be stuck in this phony relationship for who knows how long, putting a strain on their friendship until there'd be nothing left to salvage. He couldn't do that to her. Even someone as patient as Honey Lemon had to have a breaking point.
"She'll never find out. She loves André," he said, ashamed of the jealousy rising like bile in his core. "So I'm… going to let her go."
Baymax tilted his head. "I fail to see how this will improve your emotional state."
"That's not what love is about, Baymax. You wanna make the other person happy, even if they never feel the same about you." A small part of him held out hope that she did, but he knew better than to confuse her friendly gestures for romantic advances, especially when her affections lied elsewhere. "I mean, why would she ever feel the same way? She's a successful, independent woman and I'm just-" He gestured vaguely to himself. "-me."
Baymax blinked. "I have much to learn about the complexities of love. In the meantime I will still offer comfort in any way I can." Then the robot stepped closer and put his arms around Globby, patting his back. "There, there."
Globby accepted the hug with a weak smile. "Thanks, Baymax." He turned his head to look at the screen, already listed with names and numbers.
He supposed this was his way of admitting defeat. Afterwards, he would tell Honey Lemon that she didn't need to keep helping him. Things would go back to normal. He no longer cared if fangirls kept coming at him. He'd just tell them he would never fall in love again.
It was probably true.
Honey Lemon checked her makeup with her phone camera again, and saw an increasingly jittery woman staring back.
Why am I being so weird about this? she asked herself, swallowing the lump in her throat. It's just Globby. They'd been on plenty of pretend dates. Then why did she suddenly feel like she was back in high school? Back when her emotions played tricks on her and her brain was making her do things she didn't understand.
Like wear her yellow strapless party dress, for instance. The bell-shaped skirt ended mid-thigh, showing off her long, slender legs. There couldn't have been any reason other than it was her favorite for special occasions.
But this wasn't a special occasion. It wasn't a real date. The fact she even had to remind herself sent a shiver down her spine and she checked the time again as a distraction.
Where was he, anyway? They'd agreed to meet inside the park near the entrance that night. Her first thought was to hope he hadn't run into trouble.
To her excitement and relief, Globby jumped down in front of her. "Honey Lemon! Sorry I'm late. I had to take care of something."
"Oh, that's okay, Globby." She instinctively hugged him. It was only supposed to be a simple greeting, but a warm flutter in her lungs made her linger, as if she hadn't seen him in a very long time. And he didn't seem to be in any hurry to pull away, either.
Until he did, something like nervousness flashing on his face.
Afraid she'd crossed some boundary, Honey Lemon tugged self-consciously at her loosely curled hair and avoided eye contact.
"Um, you look really pretty."
She glanced up at him with a bashful grin, trying to ignore the hammering in her chest. "Thank you."
She eased into a more relaxed mood when they started to wander through the park, browsing the different stalls and sampling some of the sweets. There were plenty of other couples around, as well as tourists and groups of friends.
Seeing a particularly scenic area, Honey Lemon led Globby down the path over a zen bridge. Petals danced around them in the light evening breeze. She snapped photos of the trees, decorated with paper lanterns that bathed their flowers in a warm light. Every time she came to the festival, she never got tired of the breathtaking experience.
Her phone camera landed on Globby, catching his gaze just as he looked away at the scenery. Something about him sent her nerves aquiver, and in an attempt to block it out she said, "We should get a photo of us!" Without waiting for a response, she positioned herself beside him.
This wasn't the first picture they'd taken together, but it was the first where she noticed he was taller than her. Instead of having to awkwardly bend her knees to accommodate her other friends, she was leaning into him with her head close to his chin. The strange fluttering returned.
"Is something wrong?" she heard him ask.
Realizing she'd just been gazing at them on the screen without tapping the shutter, Honey Lemon took a photo and gave him some space. "Just making sure the lighting's okay!" she said, a pitch higher than normal. Pull yourself together! she scolded over the blood rushing to her head.
She was about to suggest that they keep walking, when they were stopped by none other than Bluff Dunder. "Globby! Perfect timing. Everyone's been wondering about your girlfriend. We all know you're a superhero and celebrity, but what's so special about her?" He elbowed Globby and added with a laugh, "Other than being super tall!"
Honey Lemon frowned, briefly flitting her eyes to the camera shoved in their faces. After so many times of contradicting the statement, she didn't see a point anymore and allowed the pang of insecurity to crush her into silence.
Then Globby snatched the microphone.
"First of all, she's not that tall. She only wears high heels because she likes it," he declared right in Dunder's face. "And she's not just pretty, either. She's the brightest chemist to ever graduate from SFIT, an amazing artist, and she runs her own online store." His tone softened. "But the best thing about Honey Lemon is that she sees the good in everyone and she'll never give up on you." He was looking at her now, his eyes tender. "Some may think being soft is a weakness, but all I know is that if it wasn't for her faith in me, I would still be a lowlife villain with no happiness or purpose. It's her greatest strength."
Her lips parted in awe. He wasn't acting.
He glared again at a shocked Dunder and the boldness returned to his voice. "So you better show her some respect, because she's loyal, mature, brave, and I honestly don't deserve her."
The microphone dropped, carrying with it the weight of his final words. Speechless, Honey Lemon let Globby lead her by the hand away from the stunned anchorman.
No friend had gone to such lengths to defend her. Nobody's words had ever stirred inside her something so warm, a fondness she was becoming more aware of. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "I… Thank you, Globby."
The bitter look on his face melted but he didn't turn to her. "...You're welcome."
She was still thinking about it when they soon reached the square that had been set up as a dance floor with a live band playing in a gazebo on one end. The bulk of the crowd engaged in conversation and drinks along the perimeter while the less-reserved couples took their places in the center to sway in time with the music.
Globby stopped near the edge, and that's when he let go and turned around. "I have a surprise for you," he said, seeming apprehensive.
She clasped her hands. "Aw, you didn't have to get me anything!"
He just shrugged with a little smile and glanced over to the dance floor.
Her pulse suddenly raced. Was he… going to ask her to dance? She followed his stare to a figure that had stepped away from the crowd and began walking towards them.
And her heart flipped when she saw who it was.
If it weren't for his unchanging eyes, she might not have recognized him. His face was sharper and stubbled. Gone were his glasses, either due to eye surgery or replaced with contacts. And his hair was longer and slicked back.
Nevertheless, a river of emotions and memories came flooding back to her, and all she could whisper when he stopped in front of her was, "André?"
He flashed a charming smile. "It's good to see you again, Honey Lemon." He still had his accent, but it wasn't heavy. Obviously he kept up practicing his English. André took her hand and kissed the back of it.
The heat rose up her neck, but it wasn't as intense as she was expecting.
He gestured toward the other dancing couples. "Shall we?" The crowd seemed to part for them as he led her to a space on the floor where they would have room, and he initiated a dance to the slow rhythm.
Honey Lemon followed automatically, her mind swirling with questions. It had been so long, she didn't know where to start. He was close, too close, making her limbs tremble. She'd often dreamed of this moment, of meeting André again and finally telling him how she felt. Now that she thought about it, the dreams had been getting less and less frequent, as did her musings about him in general. Maybe she thought she'd never get the chance.
And now here he was, right in front of her, and she had no idea what to say.
His voice pulled her from her thoughts. "You look beautiful."
She flushed shyly and replied, "Thank you. You look handsome."
"Merci, mademoiselle."
She snuck a glance at his left hand - there was no ring - and then for reasons she couldn't explain felt bad, almost guilty, for doing so. The silence hung over them again and Honey Lemon wondered if she should just get her confession over with. The very idea made her stomach flop and she delayed the opportunity. "So, uh, how have you been?"
"Excellent. Work has been busier than ever." He gave her a proud smile. "I'm a bond trader now."
"Congratulations, that's..." She searched for a compliment. "Exciting!" I think?
He shrugged. "Well, it did buy me a cottage in the south of France. You should come visit sometime. C'est magnifique."
"Really?" Flattered though she was, Honey Lemon had to admit she was jolted by him being so quick to offer. "That sounds nice, thank you," she said politely, unsure if it had been an empty gesture or not. She cleared her drying throat. "So what brings you here?"
"That science monster called me and asked if I would come see you tonight. A bit short notice, if you ask me, but he did compensate for my airfare with rare metals."
She raised her eyebrows. Globby had actually done that for her? It must've taken him forever just to track André down! She looked around, only to see that her friend had disappeared. "Oh, where'd he go? I should thank him." Her heart twisted in regret; she couldn't believe she'd actually forgotten about him.
"Later," André said, turning her chin back towards him. "Quite the bizarre fellow, though."
She blinked. "What?"
"He is rather ugly and disgusting, no?"
Her lips tightened. Okay, so not unusual for someone's initial reaction to Globby. But this time she felt offended for him. Still, better to give André the benefit of the doubt. "Well, he is unique, but after getting to know him you'll see he's just the sweetest guy."
André scoffed. "Are you saying you actually enjoy his company?"
"Yes. That's exactly what I'm saying," she replied, an uneasy knot forming in her stomach.
"My naive Honey Lemon," he chuckled condescendingly. "It is unnatural for a woman like yourself to be seen with such a freak. You would do well to choose your friends more wisely."
She stopped dancing then. Pulling her hands away and taking a step back, she narrowed her eyes at him and said, "Then maybe I've made the wrong choice here."
He reached out to her. "Oh, come now, I am only trying to do you a favor."
"I don't need you to do anything for me," she told him firmly, refusing his hand, "except leave my friends alone."
The smirk on his face changed into a scowl and he tilted his head, looking down at her in contempt. "You always were a strange girl, with your crazy experiments and incessant optimism."
"At least I don't hide who I really am," Honey Lemon shot back. Was André always this callous? Then again, she'd only known him for five months, and during that time had mostly been observing from afar. She just thought he was cute and smart. It felt like a lifetime ago.
"And what about your oh-so-special friend, who can literally change his appearance?" André sneered. "I hardly think I have any comparison to him."
The last chain binding her to the past was shattered. "You're right. He's not like you at all. Globby is respectful, selfless, honest, and-" Her voice caught as she finally understood the meaning behind Globby's words about her. "And he thinks he doesn't deserve me..." she said, her heart skipping. The rest of the pieces clicked into place and her eyes widened. "But maybe… I'm the one who doesn't deserve him…"
Honey Lemon spun away from André and ran off the floor. If he called after her, she didn't hear it. To think she'd been pining over such a jerk! All these years felt like a waste of her feelings. If it hadn't been for Globby…
She chose a path at random and kept running, occasionally calling out his name.
For one so observant, how could she have been so blind? Not only to Globby's feelings but to her own. If she hadn't kept her heart reserved for André, then maybe it wouldn't have come as such a surprise - one that in retrospect should have been obvious. And now her ignorance might have hurt the man who actually loved her.
Disoriented, she stopped and scanned the area, looking for his familiar shape. To her dismay, every face she saw was a stranger. He could've been anywhere, hiding in plain sight.
He could've been long gone.
"Globby," she whispered despondently. The strangers became blurry and danced with the blotches of light in her vision. She felt her mascara run.
This was all her fault.
She was in love with Globby. And she may have just pushed him away.
The blossoms and festive decorations did little to cheer Globby up as he made his way through the park. He tried not to look at the happy couples sharing picnics under the trees. Tried not to wish he was the one dancing with Honey Lemon instead.
She was with her true love. And as much as it pained Globby to have to give her up like this, he knew it was the kindest thing to do. So he tried to be happy for her.
"Come on, you can bounce back from anything," he muttered thinly to himself. But this wasn't like falling off a building, or getting sliced in half, or splattering across a window. This was a kind of hurt that he couldn't make go away no matter how much biokinesis he used.
At least he had her friendship. That in itself was special even if he never looked at her the same way again.
"Globby! Wait!"
His head snapped up, wondering if thinking about her so much was causing him to hear things. The rapid clicking of high heels against the paved stones made him turn around hopefully.
And there she was.
"Honey Lemon? What are you doing here?" Her tear stains had him frowning in concern. "Are you okay?"
She nodded, cheeks lightly flushed, eyes full of anticipation. "There's something I wanted to give you too," she said breathlessly.
He furrowed his brows, puzzled. Her hands were empty.
Until they were holding his face. And before he knew it, she planted a quick kiss on his lips.
A radiant warmth bloomed where his heart used to be and spread throughout his whole body, soothing the pain. He felt light, so light, as if he had actually turned into a cloud. Every molecule sang with happiness. His round eyes gazed at her own, sparkling in the glow of the lanterns.
She was smiling at him, a slash of deep pink across her face. Despite the way her hands shyly retreated to clasping behind her, she was brimming with confidence.
When his surge of emotions finally let his mind work, he stammered, "W-what about André?"
"I guess I forgot how much people can change over time," she confessed. "Including me. I used to think I knew what kind of guy I wanted. But seeing André just now made me realize that the perfect guy for me had been in my city all along. I'm just sorry I never realized it sooner."
Her words touched him, but still he hesitated. "Are you sure? I mean, I'm not exactly… normal."
"Globby, I don't love you because you have superpowers. I love you because you're you. My best friend. My second non-normal half." She held his hands, beaming. "And when we work together, there's nothing that chemistry can't solve."
Her heartfelt assurance dissolved any insecurities he had and a calm joy settled in him. He added knowingly, "In more ways than one."
She gave him a wink. "Exactly."
Globby embraced her then, resting his cheek against the top of her head, welcoming the sensation he'd denied himself for so long.
Her arms wrapped around his neck and she sighed contently into his chest, "I really am lucky."
"Me too," he murmured with closed eyes. For a moment he forgot everything else. There was only the two of them, and the rest of the world faded into nothing.
Until a high pitched squeeing startled them, and they reflexively pulled away.
The rest of Big Hero 6, along with Karmi and Olivia, were standing nearby. By the way Fred was bouncing on his toes with a broad grin, it was easy to see who'd done the screaming. "I knew it would eventually happen!" he exclaimed. He finger-gunned Wasabi. "Pay up, bro!"
Wasabi sighed and slapped 5 bucks into Fred's waiting hand.
Honey Lemon spoke up, "Wait, you all thought..."
"It was pretty obvious," Go Go said with a smirk. "Well, for some of us."
"Hey, I thought André showing up would've sunk them," justified Wasabi.
Hiro asked, "What happened to him, anyway?"
"I can explain later." Then Honey Lemon twisted her lips. "Too bad he's still gonna get away with those rare metals."
Globby straightened. "Oh shoot, I just realized he'll probably get stuck in customs at the airport."
Honey Lemon gave him a surprised look, and suddenly hugged him without explanation. "Thank you."
Globby exchanged perplexed glances with everyone else, then they all shrugged. Clearly they would need to be filled in later.
Clutching Hiro's arm eagerly, Karmi said, "I'll have to add this to my fanfic series. Can't believe no one thought of it yet!"
Baymax piped up, "And I will use the data to update my knowledge about love. Thank you for your contribution to health science."
"I think we've embarrassed them enough," Olivia joked. "Let's give them some space."
The others agreed and started to leave, with Fred giving them a thumbs-up in parting.
Still sheepish from all the attention, Globby faced Honey Lemon and asked, "So, what do we do now?"
"Well," she said with twinkling eyes, "I was hoping we could dance."
Elation swelled within his chest. "So was I." He held out his hand to her and she took it, mirroring his smile with one of her own. To him it felt like a current was running through their touch, an acknowledgement of their steadfast relationship, of both having been transformed by overcoming the odds. A bond like that couldn't be so easily broken.
Because no matter the obstacles, questions, or fears that could possibly come up, together they would overcome those too.
The End
Note: I tried really hard not to make a "they have chemistry" pun... Then it became the title.
Thank you so much for reading. Even if you don't ship it I still hope you enjoyed. If you would be so kind so as to let me know what you thought, I'd greatly appreciate it.