Come Back Home
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!
"Don't forget your uke!" Samantha waved goodbye to Balthazar as he hopped out of her car, instrument in tow. Like he would ever let his uke out of his sight.
His friend had driven him to and from his usual Saturday gig, and she always reminded him to grab whatever instrument he had with him because she knew Balth would never dream of forgetting one of his precious babies. Apparently, she thought it was really funny and always laughed to herself when she said it. Sam actually laughed at a lot of her own jokes.
Balth had met Sam at university when he quite literally ran into her on move-in day. Her blonde hair was pulled back in braids around her head, and she immediately made him think of Hero. He quickly learned, however, that her personality was a lot more Ben-ish. Sam talked a lot, and he was happy to let her.
Now, five years later, they were still friends, best friends in fact. Balth knew everything about her, and she knew everything about him, including his preference for boys. She did not know about Pedro, though. Nothing. He had been careful to never mention his old best friend - hard as it was, it helped him push away the past.
Ursula still called and skyped frequently, but conversations with her were limited to the here and now. What did she do last weekend? How did his band practice go? Every once in a while, she would include some news on their high school friends. She stayed in touch with everyone, like a spider keeping her web of friends together, even if by dangerously thin thread. Hero opened an art studio and moved in with John. Ben and Bea got married while vacationing in Paris and didn't tell anyone till they got back. Meg started and quit tap dance lessons. Balth often wondered what she told the others about him. "Balthazar's still living by himself in that dinky studio apartment. His band's falling apart at the seams, but he's too afraid to go solo. He's still desperately in love with Pedro. Basically Balth's life is simultaneously boring as hell and a complete mess. But, yeah, he's doing ok. Thanks for asking."
It was true: Balthazar was alone when he wasn't hanging out with the few friends who had stuck around after graduation. Everything in his apartment was broken, and the landlord kept hinting that a dinner date might speed up the maintenance process. No one else wanted to date him, though, so he spent his evenings writing music and listening to music.
His band was a complete mess. During his second year at uni, Balth had met three other guys who fit his musical vibe, and the four of them had started playing at local bars and coffee shops. They had all meshed pretty well at first, but soon they were arguing over whose song lyrics to use or who was accidentally speeding up the tempo. Balthazar was basically done with them, but the idea of performing alone scared the hell out him.
Sam and Ursula were the only people in whom he confided his fears and regrets. His parents and sister were sweet, but they also kept trying to bring up Pedro - they still didn't get the hint after five years. Instead, his two best friends would just sit and listen when he really needed to vent. Balth usually talked about the band and his general lack of direction in life, but sometimes he wanted to pour his heart out about his continuing feelings for Pedro. He never did, but Ursula could always tell when his mind strayed to their mutual friend.
Balthazar wanted to call Ursula after Sam dropped him off, but then remembered that she was having coffee with a new guy who had "potential". Instead, he turned on Sheep, Dog, and Wolf's newest album and lounged on his couch.
Ursula's call came as a surprise, breaking through the haze of a mid-afternoon nap. "Beatrice is in the hospital. You need to come home. Now."