Chapter 3
Realization
Bea wakes to another droning alarm and stares at the ceiling for a few moments. Eventually, she huffs and forces herself up, stumbling out of bed and into her kitchen to prep a pot of black coffee. She stares at the cigarette pack on her counter, still unopened, and loses a few minutes of time mentally berating herself until the coffee maker buzzes at her.
A quick change of clothes and two cups of coffee is all she has before she's out the door and in her car, watching the sun rise over snow-laden rooftops on her way to work. He soon arrives at The Ol' Pickaxe and piles in to begin her day, double-checking inventory and the schedule she has memorized at this point just to kill time. Thankfully, there's no deliveries today, but Mae and her former employee Creek's son Daryl are set to work today.
It proves a slow morning, with the snow already largely cleared and no storms set to come for another week. But that does little to assuage Bea's worry when Daryl shows up and Mae is nowhere to be seen. She hums to herself and narrows her eyes, rhythmically tapping her fingers on the counter. "… two weeks and not a minute late. A month, and no days missed. Not so much as a message today?" She pulls her phone out. Still nothing. Around ten, she finally gets tired of not knowing and calls into the back room. "Hey Daryl, today's dead anyway, if we're this slow now we'll have nobody come noon. We're closing up early, I'm gonna go check on Mae."
"You got it boss!" Daryl's a capable and quick employee, but also just as quick to drop what he's doing and go when his breaks come up- quite literally, when she hears a heavy box of screws hit the floor as he bails to get his jacket.
Bea huffs and grabs her own jacket and keys, locking up behind him in a hurry and piling back into her car. "There better be something wrong, Mae. You better not be slacking off." She grips the wheel tighter. "… and you better be ok."
She pulls up to the front of the Borowski residence to find the car gone and no signs of either parent home. As to be expected, Candy is always at the church, and Stan is surely dealing with more union negotiations.
But from here, she can see a light coming from the attic.
As much as she hates barging in unannounced, her worry over Mae overrules it and she digs out the spare key they hide in one of the hanging flower pots on their porch. A quick turn unlocks the door and she marches upstairs to track Mae down in her attic bedroom. It's been a long while since she's been up here. Not since she carried Mae up her in her drunken stupor after that atrocious party. Not the best memory, but one tender moment at the end soothes her just enough to keep from blowing up and calling out to Mae on her way upstairs.
What she finds up those stairs and through the door is a truly sad sight. The door across the attic to Mae's personal bathroom is wide open, the only available source of light, reflecting off the skewed cabinet door's mirror. Bottles and toiletries are scattered across the sink and floor, some kicked about to form the borders of a trail back to Mae's bed. There she lays, out cold with the empty bottle dropped to the floor beneath her dangling arm.
Bea shudders at the sight, needing but a second to tie the sight back to what Mae told her on Gregg and Angus's battered couch two months ago. She eventually steps through the doorway and takes a seat beside her slumbering friend, worriedly brushing her claws through the tuft of auburn atop her navy-furred head. With a heavy sigh, she kicks her boots off and lays beside her, staring at the ceiling as she wonders how easily Mae can be sent spiraling into these episodes if it could happen so soon after the amazing day she just had.
Then she recalls how quickly her own mood dove the moment she left them all and went home alone. Yeah… that easily. It had to be about Casey. So many reminders yesterday, it had to get to her at some point.
While trying to occupy her mind and not be a creep watching Mae sleep, she eventually rolls to turn her back on Mae and notices the open laptop. Ok, still kinda creepy, but the messenger is there. Clearly a working wifi signal in the house. She pulls her phone out and tries to get a message out to Angus.
Hey, you there? We've got a problem.
A few moments of silence pass, but as always, he's swift to reply when he's not working.
Is it a Gregg problem or a Mae problem?
Definitely a Mae problem. She never showed up this morning. Closed up early, went to her place, found her passed out on cough syrup. She had another episode.
Angus takes some time to reply to that, clearly mulling over what he'd only heard of now happening in real-time.
Glad you got to her. Is she cold?
She takes a moment to check. Mae always feels warm to her, but that's to be expected of a reptile interacting with a mammal.
Nah, she feels about the same as ever. Breathing's fine too. I don't think it was a full bottle, probably not even half. What's still in it is dried out, so she probably took it late last night and it'll just keep her out for another hour or so.
You plan to still be there when she wakes?
Of course. I'd have to be stupid to leave her like this.
I see. Do you think Gregg and I should stop by when he gets off work?
No, I've got this. Best you avoid telling Gregg so he doesn't sprint over here. For now at least.
Got it. Keep me posted.
Bea sighs deeply and sets her phone down, then rolls back over- to nearly jump out of her skin when she finds Mae staring at her through weary, but surprisingly focused eyes. "Shit, Mae, you scared me half to death! Goddamn nightmare eyes…"
Mae snorts and forces on a half-hearted smile, but lowers her head and casts her gaze away. "Yeah… one hell of a nightmare to roll over to, h-huh?"
"I-" Bea silences herself, then huffs and forcefully raises Mae's chin. "Mae, you already know I'm kind of a bitch and never really mean that shit, so don't take it seriously, ok? You really think I wouldn't be here when you woke up from this shit if I didn't seriously care about you?"
Silence falls as that sinks in, but Mae slowly curls in on herself. "W-Why are you even h-here? I didn't even call out of work… I just… I-I just got wasted on more cough syrup and blacked out…"
Bea huffs and closes her eyes. "Mae… you've been doing great for so long now. And… I know how hard it is to not slip up, even when things are good. I almost smoked last night, and had a bit of my dad's leftover booze to knock myself out faster." Mae's eyes widen as she peeks up to Bea in shock. "Yeah, I know. I'm the most disciplined person you know, and I still did that shit. So when you broke your streak without a word today, I knew something was wrong. I've been worried sick about you all morning, Mae. I closed up early just to come check on you."
"Y… Y-You turned away customers for me?"
She nods and strokes her claws through Mae's fur. "I did. And I'd do it again. Especially if you have another episode like this." She sighs deeply. "… How bad was it?"
Mae cringes and wraps her arms around herself. "… I... I held the shapes off long enough get up here, but… even my own room fell apart. It was a struggle to even find my cabinet and the cough syrup…" She grumbles. "I-If I didn't always put it in the same place, I might have ended up drinking bleach or something…"
Bea shudders at the mere thought of it. "Damnit… give me your phone."
"W-Why?" Though curious and worried, she doesn't hesitate. She knows Bea is doing what's best for her.
Bea takes it and starts digging through. "Of course you don't keep it locked… I'm adding myself to your speed dial options. I see you never bothered making any… but, now I'm in there. Just two buttons away." She sighs in relief. "Thank god for all the government shit going on in town making them finally fix our cell service."
Mae stares at her phone as she takes it back. "O-Ok, but… why?"
"Call me the moment you start having another episode. Got it? The shapes pop up anywhere, anytime, call me."
Mae stares at her phone for a moment, tears slowly welling up in her eyes as just how important this moment is sinks in. She slowly peeks up to Bea, lips quivering for a moment as her heart races. There's so much she wants to say, to do, and she just can't condense her thoughts enough to act on any of it. ".. B… B-Beabea, I… t-thank you." She swallows her doubts and finally starts to smile.
Bea manages to smile in return. "Don't mention it, Maeday." She snorts. "Really, don't. I'll never hear the end of it from Gregg if he finds out. And Angus would probably drop stealth jokes about it for a few weeks just to annoy me."
Mae chuckles nervously. "R-Right, got it. Not a word." Surprisingly enough, she does go silent. An oddity, for sure. Her brow is furled, her mind lost in thought Bae can't even begin to comprehend.
Eventually, Bea sits up with a groan. "Ugh, you cats really can sleep anywhere… don't you ever plan to upgrade this thing to a better bed? Ya know, with an actual mattress?"
"O-Oh, um…" Mae bites her lip. "Hadn't thought about it, but… m-maybe. I might wait until I can move out of here, though. Maybe if this plan for the band works out."
Bea pauses. "Oh… right." She pulls her phone back out and checks her messenger. "Jackie got back to me while I was at work. She's curious about it, and wants to come check us out next weekend. Her schedule's pretty packed right now with college, so that's the soonest she can get out here."
Mae swings her legs off the bed and sits up beside Bea, tucking her phone away. "G-Great! Damn, well, I-I guess I should do a lot more practicing on my days off." She chuckles nervously. "Try to make a… better impression than I have so far."
"Yeeaaah, she really doesn't like you still, but…" Bea reaches over and ruffles the extra fur atop her head. "You've grown a lot, I'm sure you can change her mind now."
Mae shakes her off, but smiles. "Thanks, Beabea. I…" She sighs. "I'm fine now. And…" She slouches and looks away, though she cringes upon seeing the empty bottle of cough syrup on her floor. "… I'm sorry I scared you so much."
Silence falls for a moment, but Bea shrugs it off. "If anyone can scare and worry me as much as you do and not scare me off, obviously, you're doing something right." She hops off the bed and stretches. Mae's eyes drift over her for a moment, but Bea fails to notice. "Now, are you sure you're alright? Ya need me to stick around longer?"
"N-No, I'm fine!" Mae puts on as wide of a smile as she can. "There a-anything I can help you with today to make up for missing work?"
"Hmm…" Bea scratches her chin. "Well… alright, there is one thing. I may have closed, but there's still another salt shipment coming later today. Emergency order after how much we sold the other day."
Mae nods and pops up form her bed. "Sure! I'll see you there. I uh... might go check in with Gregg and Angus until then." She snorts. "Wow, one day missing work, and back to old habits."
"Eh, it's a decent habit." She turns for the door, but hesitates, before turning and providing Mae with a much-needed hug. "I may keep telling you ya need to change, but that's something you definitely shouldn't." She pulls back and waves as she heads for the door. "Otherwise, I'm not sure how I would have gotten through autumn." She snorts. "Or hired you and done half as well in the shop."
Mae stares at her back as she descends the stairs, then slowly peeks back to her phone, still stunned by the new speed dial option, let alone the sudden hug. Bea is… never that affectionate. But every moment of that was…
Mae instantly knows what's happening and it scares her shitless.
.
.
Gregg sits at his chair behind the counter at the Snack Falcon, guitar in hand as he strums away a few notes, testing a new riff. Ever since the idea of becoming a real band came up, he's been wracking his brain for new songs, new sounds, anything to really make this work.
But, work itself draws his attention away as the bell at the front door chimes, and he sets his guitar down. He looks up to find Mae wandering in at half her usual pace, eyes glued to her phone and typing frantically, only to shake her head and erase swaths of whatever it is and start again.
"Uuuh… dude?" Gregg leans over to speak to her. "I don't think I've ever seen you write this much since finals in senior year. And you look just as stressed. What's gotten into you?"
"O-Oh, Gregg!" She looks up from her phone and around the room. "Got here on autopilot. A-Anyway, I'm fine man, just… working on some lyrics."
"Ooooh, really?" Gregg's arm snaps across and grabs her phone, and he ducks further behind the counter to read it as she lunges to take it back.
"Gregg, give it back before I fuck you up!"
"Oh, you already have a title!" Gregg paces behind the counter, out of her reach. "Wait a second, isn't that…" He pauses and narrows he eyes and he looks deeper into it and lowers the phone, staring at Mae as a sickeningly wide grin spreads. "Dude. Mae. Margaret. My dearest and most awesome friend. When the fuck did this start?!" He slides the phone back across the counter to the bashful cat, who reels back and tucks the phone away as a blush creeps across her face. Gregg's tail is going a mile a minute.
"U-Um… I… I-I guess it's been a long time coming, but… s-she doesn't know yet! Dude, you can't tell her anything, I'm not even sure she swings that way!"
Gregg grins wider and drops back into his seat, arms behind his head. "And the song's a good way to work that out while ya figure that out, if ya tell her or not, right?" Mae nods solemnly, her ears down and looking about as insecure as she can get. Gregg sighs and nods. "Alright. Here's the thing. I wasn't sure about Angus either, up until I asked him. I have you and Casey to thank for pushing me to do it. But for this case?" He leans back into he counter. "Ya need tact and style to get her attention. A bit of her, a lot of you. So we're gonna finish this song. And when it's done…"
Mae's ears perk as it sinks in. "I sing it at band practice."
Gregg reaches out for a high-five, and it's gladly given. "Ok, you need to do most of the writing, I'll proofread it for you and help to fine-tune it, got it?"
"Got it!"
.
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A.N.: Ah, spring hasn't even arrived in their timeline, but love is sure as hell in the air. MaeBea is a wonderful ship, and I hope you guys enjoy what I have in mind for them. For those who may have complaints about Bea's sexuality compared to the incomplete canon, just wait and see how it's addressed in a few chapters, as I've already written the scene where it comes up. So, keep reading, faving, commenting, spread it around your communities, and I'll see you all again in 2 weeks for chapter 4! I know you're gonna love it, especially those of you who are musically inclined.
