#boy if this gave meggie sportsmethyd tease i can only imagine how yall are gonna feel

[missjanjie]

Signed, Sealed, Delivered | (3/?)

Title: Signed, Sealed, Delivered Summary:   Jan is in love with her French pen pal, Nicky. Her roommate, Crystal, is in love with her best friend, Gigi. A (perhaps ill-thought out) plan emerges: give Nicky a reason to visit by inviting her to Crystal and Gigi’s wedding. With a month to pull the scheme together, no one knows how this will end up. Word Count: ~2.9k (this chapter) / ~8.6k (total) Relationship(s): Sportsdoll (Jan Sport/Nicky Doll), Crygi (Crystal Methyd/Gigi Goode Rating: T (so far)

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as always, thanks to @janssports for beta-ing ♥

-

It was well into the middle of the night when Crystal let herself into Jan’s room. She hesitated, unsure if she really needed to bother her friend with her problems. But the anxiety of being alone with her thoughts any longer won out and she gently placed her hand on Jan’s shoulder, slowly shaking her awake. 

Jan was sleeping on her side, facing away from Crystal, but she flopped onto her back as her eyes opened, though not all the way at first. “Huh?” she rubbed her eyes, though with it being completely dark and her glasses on her nightstand, she didn’t actually see anything beyond the vaguest details. What she could make out was just enough for her to be reassured that she was, in fact, looking at Crystal and not a sleep paralysis demon. 

“I can’t sleep,” Crystal explained, sitting down at the edge of the bed and running a hand through her hair. She sat hunched over and looked down. “I feel like I’m freaking myself out over nothing, like I’m going crazy.”

“Oh, sweetie…” There was sympathy in Jan’s voice, and she sat up quickly, pausing only to adjust her tank top so she wasn’t still partially exposed. She shifted over in bed so Crystal could lay comfortably, waiting until her roommate was looking and gesturing for her to do so. “You’re not going crazy, okay? Tell me what’s on your mind.” 

Crystal laid down and curled up against her friend’s side. “I’m worried that something’s gonna go wrong and Gigi’s going to end up hating me, or I’m just going to fall irrevocably in love with her and she’s gonna find out and never talk to me again,” she confessed. 

Jan frowned. “Hey, you listen to me,” she said gently, brushing Crystal’s hair off of her face. “Your friendship with Gigi is incredibly strong, you guys are close. I don’t think she could ever hate you, especially over feelings you can’t control. Maybe worst case scenario, she doesn’t feel the same way. I don’t think she would just drop you like that. I don’t think that for a second.”

It did make Crystal feel a little better, because she could tell Jan meant everything she said. That was one thing she could always count on from her—sincerity. She believed it was part of why Jan was so naturally kind and thoughtful. “I hope you’re right, I just… I hate to think of who I’d be without her.” 

“You’d still be you,” Jan replied without missing a beat. “You’d still be Crystal Elizabeth Methyd, and no crush could ever change that.” 

“Thanks, Jan,” she exhaled, expression settling into a warm smile. She hugged her tightly, still staying close when she let go. “You know, maybe if this doesn’t work out, and we’re still single in ten years…” 

Jan giggled and kissed the top of her head. “We’ll elope in Vegas,” she playfully promised, nudging Crystal’s side with her knee. “Now let’s get to sleep.”

—

Jan had raced back to the apartment after her morning class, from the outside it looked like she had an emergency to attend to. But no, it was a text from Nicky that read ‘skype me when you can, i have something to show you :),’ and she certainly couldn’t keep her waiting. 

After a quick freshen up, Jan sat in front of her laptop and called Nicky. “Hi, sweetie. What’s going on?” she asked brightly. 

Nicky seemed just as excited to hear from her. “I finally perfected a new song, and I learned it because it makes me think of you,” she explained, practically bouncing in her seat. “I’m going to start now, yes?” She waited for the go-ahead from Jan before playing the music and starting to sing. 

And Jan recognized the song instantly, “Hey There Delilah,” and she thought it was very cute. Obviously it was because she lived in New York City–there was no other explanation that she could come up with. She knew how much Nicky likes little referential things like that, how the songs she picks are always for a specific reason, and she found it so endearing. 

When the song was done, Jan applauded gleefully. She loved Nicky’s singing voice; it was softer and more subdued than her own, which she found pleasant and relaxing. “Aw, that was so sweet. And you’ve been sounding so good lately, I’m fully impressed.” 

“You’re not just saying that?” Nicky asked, grinning from ear to ear. “Because you can tell me if I need to improve on anything.”

“I’m not just saying anything, gorg,” she readily assured. “I know you can handle constructive criticism, but you totally don’t even need it. And that was such a cute song choice.”

Nicky had a slightly strained look on her face, one that could’ve read ‘I have more to say’ if Jan had picked up on it. But she was able to swallow her thoughts with her penpal none the wiser. “I was hoping you would think so.”

“I swear, I’m gonna find a pretty French song and learn it for you,” Jan promised. She had mentioned it before, but had yet to actually sit down and follow through. While she could pick up an English song pretty quickly, singing in another language would take extra time and effort, which, of course, she would put in for Nicky in a heartbeat.

“I would love to see that,” she beamed, the fact that Jan would go out of her way to learn a song in a language she didn’t speak made her feel all sorts of warm and fuzzy inside. “I could give you suggestions if you want.”

Jan shook her head and waved her hands in front of her face. “No, no, no, I want it to be a surprise. I’ll just keep searching until I find the right one, it’ll come to me, and then you’ll be wooed.”

“What is ‘wooed’?”

Realizing what she had said brought a blush to Jan’s face, and she had to think fast, lest she try to explain her way out of that. “It means impressed.”

Nicky didn’t question that, just nodding along. Jan must have been used to filling in the blanks with her English, and she was always so kind about it. “I know I will be. Anyway, I have to get going, but I’ll talk to you later,” she said, and their call ended soon after. 

—

Crystal looked around as she and Gigi walked into the secondhand store. She couldn’t quite explain how, but it was just different from the ones she would frequent. It was more organized, less weird. Considering they came here with a specific purpose, it was probably for the best. They couldn’t get too distracted—they were on the hunt for something they could pass off as a wedding dress for Crystal. 

“It doesn’t have the usual thrift store smell,” Crystal observed as she looked around. 

Gigi tilted her head as her brows knitted together. “Which is…”

“Mothballs, mostly.” 

“Duly noted.” Gigi nodded, a soft laugh mixed into her words. “Hopefully you’ll be able to make do without smelling like a grandma’s attic,” she said as they walked through the store, off to the side where the nicer dresses were kept. 

Crystal looked through the racks, only to realize after sifting through prom dresses that all the wedding dresses were kept towards the other end. “Wow, these are nice.”

“You pick out whichever one you like, baby,” Gigi cooed playfully. She came around to the whole fake relationship thing quick enough, and she did get a kick out of teasing Crystal about it. “Just as long as the one you like is within the two hundred dollar budget.”

“Don’t worry, I’m a cheap date.” After about ten minutes of browsing, Crystal’s eyes locked on a dress and went wide. “That one. That has to be it,” she said, grabbing it off the rack and running into the dressing room before Gigi could even get a good look at it. She had one of the store employees lace the back up, wanting it to be a surprise for her “fiancée.”

Crystal walked back out with a broad grin on her face and rosiness in her cheeks. “Okay, what do you think?” She twirled around to show off the dress. It was elegant, yet playful - a strapless with a straight-across neckline, mermaid style with ruffles of tulle as the tail. 

Gigi’s eyes went wide and her jaw dropped. It was like the moment in a romantic comedy where the nerdy girl gets a makeover and the popular guy realizes she was the one for him all along. But it wasn’t a makeover, it was still the Crystal she knew, just in a pretty dress. And she would never consider herself shallow enough to let someone’s appearance change her perception of them, but something about the way her best friend looked in a wedding dress that fit like it was tailored to her body just made her feel something. “You look amazing!” 

“You really think so?” she finally stood in place after being too excited to stop twirling around. “I know I’d have to wear like, a better bra, but other than that, it’s perfect.” 

“Perfect is exactly the word I’d use,” Gigi agreed, collecting herself so she no longer felt so breathless. “Get changed and we can go pay for it,” she said as she helped Crystal off the platform that was set in front of the mirrors.

Crystal felt like she was on cloud nine as they left the store. It may not have been her actual wedding she was shopping for, but the way that dress made her feel gave her a rush of excitement either way. Sure, part of that might have been due to the fact that it allowed her to further indulge in the fantasy that she and Gigi were actually together, but she wasn’t about to let that detail ruin her mood. 

“We should have a photoshoot,” Gigi mused, already planning it out in her mind. “I have a photographer friend that owes me a favor, we could set up something cute in the park.” 

“Oh, I love that,” Crystal nodded. While yes, it would help make the fake wedding more believable, she was more interested in the idea that she would have a tangible reminder of herself and Gigi posed as an engaged couple. If nothing ever came of this, at least she would be able to look back and pretend or think about ‘what if.’ 

Gigi checked her phone. “I’ll text them later.” She shoved her hands into her pockets as they walked back towards Crystal’s apartment. “How do you think people know when they’re in love?” she asked casually, looking up at the sky. 

Crystal’s heart leapt into her throat and she swallowed thickly to push it back into place. She wanted to answer honestly, but she also didn’t want to give too good of a description and make  Gigi suspicious. “I don’t think it’s the same for anyone,” she mused. “I think it’s like… You’re just hanging out with someone just like any other day, then they look at you and smile and you suddenly realize you want them more than anyone in the world.”

“Huh, that makes a lot of sense. Usually I have to get you high to get that sort of whimsy out of you,” she hummed, bumping shoulders with her. 

“What about you?” Crystal took the focus off of herself as soon as she could. “How do you think people know when they’re in love?”

Gigi pressed her lips into a fine line, wondering why she asked something she didn’t have her own answer to. “I think the world just becomes a little brighter. You know, the sun shines brighter, the flowers seem to bloom more, the air feels lighter. Like… just existing feels better because you’re in love,” she told her.

“I guess love songs make a whole lot of sense when you put it that way.” Crystal had to admit, something about Gigi’s description made her heart melt. Sure, she knew it didn’t mean Gigi felt that way at all, let alone about her. But the sentiment, the fact that Gigi didn’t look at love as cynically as she had in the past, sent a pleasant chill through her body. 

“You'd think that people would have had enough of silly love songs,” Gigi joked in an almost-singing tone, then looked at Crystal expectantly. 

And Crystal didn’t miss a beat. “I look around me and I see it isn't so,” she cooed, not attempting to sing. 

They both laughed at the sheer corniness of that, but at the same time found each other to be endearing for it. 

—

Once again, it was late at night. This time Crystal and Jan were on Crystal’s bed, as it was just a bit bigger than Jan’s (as the trade-off, Jan had the better view), sitting cross-legged with the leftover takeout they were still picking at between them. 

“Are you in love with Nicky?” Crystal asked between forkfuls of fried rice. 

Jan, on the other hand, set her fork down to think. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “I have such strong feelings for her… But to be in love with someone, I feel like, requires some sort of reciprocity, and I have no idea how she feels.” She hadn’t given too much thought into defining her feelings towards Nicky; usually, if she thought about it for too long, she would be overwhelmed with yearning and just end up feeling sad.

“What about unrequited love?”

“It’s different,” Jan shook her head. “That’s just loving someone. To be in love with someone isn’t something you can do on your own, at least in my opinion.” She paused to finish her food. “Why? Do you think you’re in love with Gigi?”

Crystal shrugged, setting the now empty containers on her end table. “Dunno, guess that’s why I asked. I think I do love her in a way, I just can’t explain it, but it’s definitely why pretending to plan a wedding with her has felt like… If I could bottle this feeling and get high off of it, I’d never need weed again.”

Jan nodded as she laid down. “I think that’s sweet.” She smiled. “It’s kind of like being able to play out a fantasy, huh?”

“Maybe.” She chuckled. “Most of the fantasies I’ve had about Gigi can’t exactly be acted out in public, you know.” 

“Not with that attitude.” 

Crystal laughed and shoved Jan playfully. “Shut up!”

Jan giggled lightly, then picked her head up and dropped it on Crystal’s lap. “We’re kind of stupid, aren’t we?” She sighed.

“You’re just realizing that now? I came to terms with that years ago.” She looked down at Jan, lightly playing with her hair. “But think of it this way, our lives wouldn’t be nearly as interesting if we had a normal amount of functioning brain cells.” 

“I guess so.” Jan looked up at Crystal. “Will you teach me how to smoke? At least that way I’ll have an excuse for the lack of brain function.” 

Crystal laughed and nodded, opening her drawer to take out her pipe and stash. “Wow, I can’t believe this is driving you to drugs,” she teased, sitting Jan back upright before packing a bowl. “I’ll go first, okay? Watch me,” she said before lighting up and taking a hit. 

Jan watched attentively, making sure she mimicked her roommate’s movements to a T. So when Crystal handed her the pipe, she was able to take a hit and only coughed a little bit. “Did I do it right?” she asked, handing the pipe back and fanning the smoke away from her face. 

“Honestly, you did better than I expected. Good job,” Crystal praised, taking another hit. “Go open the window, though.” 

“Yay, you know how important doing a good job is to me.” Jan hummed as she got up and opened the window, taking a moment to look down at the city below. Maybe it was the high, but everything suddenly seemed so much more interesting. “We live in such a cool place, don’t we?”

Crystal laughed, laying back to watch her. “Some say it’s the greatest city in the world. And I only have Springfield to compare it to, so it may as well be.” 

Jan threw herself back onto the bed. “I’m sure Missouri has some redeeming qualities,” she offered. 

“I guess.” She shrugged. “But Manhattan has my two favorite girls in it, so it’ll never measure up.”

“Aw, I love how mushy you get when you’re high.” Jan hummed and poked her cheek. “Everything is gonna work out for you and Gigi, I just know it,” she added, booping her nose instead. 

Crystal set the pipe back in her drawer and pulled Jan to lay with her. “And you and Nicky will be French kissing in no time,” she promised. She looked at her friend fondly, amused at how Jan seemed to get especially touchy-feely when she got high, and she honestly needed a bit of affection after the emotional roller-coaster she had been on when it came to Gigi. If nothing else, she and Jan would come away from this with their friendship stronger than ever.