On My Own
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from Nothing Much to Do/Much Ado About Nothing.
A/N: This story is set in a universe where everything happens except Balthazar and Pedro getting together. The chapters will not take place in chronological order, so don't think you've missed anything if chapters don't match up with the ones before. Also, there'll be mention of a major character death, so yeah, there's that warning. Hope everyone enjoys this - I'll try to update as often as possible!
Hero runs to the front door to answer the incessant knocking, all the while pinning her braids into place around her head. You would think after having the same hairstyle for so long, she would be able to do it in her sleep. But, no, she still struggled with loose hairs and bent pins.
Her husband's parents were coming in today, and they had seen her with her hair a complete mess; Hero still liked to make a good impression, especially on her mother-in-law. The woman might not be her husband's real mother, but she definitely had filled in the role well. She had helped Hero through all sorts of situations - a couple of job searches, a false pregnancy, even an identity crisis. What more could one ask for in a mother, much less an in-law?
Her hair is finally in place as she arrives in the front hallway, and Hero opens the door.
Hero opened the door. He stood on the other side, fidgeting with his black button-up shirt, but immediately looked up when he saw her.
"Hey." He smiled shyly, the right side of his mouth upturned slightly more than the left. It was a quirk about him Hero loved. Not loved, liked. It was too soon for love. It was only their first date for goodness' sake.
"Hey to you, too! Let me get my coat, and we can head out." She grabbed her jacket and keys, stepped out onto the porch, and locked the door behind her. "So, where are we going?" Hero had said yes to his offer of a date without questions, and now she had no idea what he had planned.
"You'll see." Again, his smile made her heart skip a few beats.
He was driving her back from what she considered a very successful first date when it happened. As far as she could remember, it was the first time she ever heard him laugh - like, full on laugh. He had chuckled before over a stupid joke or a video of someone tripping over a cat or something like that, but this was the first time he let it out completely in front of her.
Music had been playing in the background as they drove. Hero noted his taste was eclectic, but good. As the final strains of Fife and the Drums' "Soldier On" died out, a familiar driving beat took over.
"Really? Really? You have this song?" He shrugged nonchalantly, but looked embarrassed. "Don't get me wrong, it's kind of an amazing song, I just didn't peg you as a Robyn person." Love of the song won out over his embarrassment, and he reached over and turned up the music, bobbing his head in time with it. Hero just stared.
As the lead-up to the chorus played, she readied herself for the inevitable. No one was truly able to listen to this song without singing and dancing of some sort, and she was not disappointed.
Like an explosion - "I'm in the corner, watching you kiss her, OH OH OH!" They were both singing at the tops of their lungs, and he pulled over quickly when he realized his dancing might become dangerous. Hero had never danced so hard in a car before. By the end of the impromptu dance party, they were laughing uncontrollably. She almost stopped to watch him in all his hysterical glory, but her own laughter wracked her body until she was doubled over.
"Whelp, that was really fun." He had walked her to her door, but neither of them really made a move to end the evening.
"Is it wrong that "Dancing On My Own" was my favorite part? I mean, the dinner and everything was great, but that was just, well -" Hero couldn't help the giggle that escaped just remembering his dancing. And his singing. And his laughing.
He kicked at the wood paneling of the porch before looking her in the eye. Hero had noticed that from the beginning, that he didn't seem comfortable with eye contact. Hopefully he would get over that around her. "I really enjoyed it, too. I don't think I've laughed that hard since this one time Ben and I were hanging out."
Maintaining eye contact, he leaned forward a bit into her personal space, but she didn't mind in the slightest.
Hero looks over at her husband as he laughs at a joke his brother just made. He's learned over the years to laugh at the small things, a skill he attributes to her influence.
Thinking back to when they first met, she should be surprised she can look at him at all. But here she is, smiling at him. Somehow, the laughter has outweighed the tears, and she can't even feel the scars anymore.
Songs used in this chapter: Dancing On My Own by Robyn; Soldier On by Fife and the Drums (not a real band or a real song, but the Candle Wasters wish someone would write music under the band name, so feel free :) )