#he loves Rachel Chu so much he thinks she's so cool and he's so happy for her and Nick

[manicpixiefelix]

Oliver L/N comforting Astrid when she finds out about Michael cheating on her 🩷🩷🩷

I'm working on getting the next chapter of h,h,h out in the next day or so, but OH MY GOD HI I MISSED YOU AND I LOVE FHIS SO MUCH IVE MISSED THESE AUS !!!! This turned into a bit of a mini fic, but Astrid and Ollie my beloveds 🥹💖 I don't think we've talked much about the Oliver L/N AU in the present day so this was so much fun to think about 😊😊😊

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Oliver can tell that something's off with Astrid. He hadn't noticed at the wedding, mostly because his attention, like everyone else's, had been on Colin and Araminta, but at the reception, he barely has to say hi to her before he can sense there's something going on beyond all the festivities.

Astrid is, as she always has been, the absolute picture of elegance and grace, and had been trying to put everything to do with her soon to be ex-husband out of her mind. She had thought she'd been doing a rather good job of it too. Except then there's Oliver, who doesn't ask if something's wrong, because he knows there is. If anyone would be able to tell, she supposed it would be him; he's uniquely able to intuit when a well put together individual is in need of support and care, even if they're trying to act like they're fine.

It's rare to see one of the L/N siblings at an event like this without the other by their side, but Oliver barely has to explain himself for you to understand. You happily accept the burden of social responsibility for the night with Felix by your side, while Oliver dedicates his time to Astrid. It's not that they talk about the fact that they both know something's wrong, no, by all means they keep up appearances, and wear bright smiles, and Oliver even speaks candidly to the people around him, though much like you, Astrid happily bears the brunt of most conversations with others that he too was involved in. They dance and they laugh and they both know Oliver would leave her alone if she asked, but she never does.

The next day she invites him over for lunch at her place, and he agrees without hesitation. You, Felix, and Farleigh are all preoccupied finding out about the shit that went down regarding Nick Young's mother and Rachel Chu the night before. If it were any other day, he would be right there with you, but you insist he should go to her; you knew something was happening with her just by the way Oliver had been acting.

Oliver's one of the first people she tells about leaving Michael, and why. She wants him to hear it from her, not through gossip, or online, or the news, because it will be some kind of news. Listening quietly, he lets silence lapse out between them when she's done, giving her time to breathe, and himself to process. Then, after a very long moment, he hugs her tightly and apologises. Astrid insists that he doesn't need to, and Oliver says that he knows, but still, he's sorry. Not on behalf of Michael, obviously, no, quietly they both know he's apologising for the scrutiny and speculation she's sure to endure in the wake of this, from friends, family, and strangers alike. Oliver isn't family, but he's situationally adjacent in a way that means he understands the position she's in due to her social and financial status, without judging her or expecting anything from her the way her family would. Growing up, he was the closest thing she had to a little brother outside of her cousins.

Oliver is the only one who sees Astrid cry over her divorce, the only one who hears her speak spitefully and with ire about Michael's insecurities and how draining it was having to tend to his ego, to have to hide the extravagant things that brought her joy. When he asks her about what she'd bought recently, Astrid beams, mood turning in an instant; her eyes are shining with a delightfully childish kind of excitement.

"Can I show you?" Said with the kind of quiet hope of someone who's been desperate to share her joy for so long. Oliver nods eagerly, and feels suddenly much younger, like he's stepping into a memory as she grabs his hand and leads him to her closet.

Both know how well the other values privacy, these things stay between them.

They cook together, even if neither is really used to preparing a full meal for themselves. Astrid needs to do something that feels normal or she's going to lose her mind. The smell of smoke when they burn dinner, having forgot to set a timer, is bitter, and ugly, and human. Instead, they get street food, and people watch while eating, and Astrid's voice is soft when she admits that she thinks she still loves Michael. At least, the version of him that she'd married. Oliver knows Astrid's too smart to not have already thought of every answer he could possibly give her in this moment. Well, almost every answer.

"I liked that guy," Oliver agrees, petting Astrid's knee fondly as she rested her head on his shoulder, "I miss him, I feel like I haven't seen him in ages."

There's a beat as Astrid processes this before she lets out a quiet, almost disbelieving laugh, taking Oliver's hand and giving it a grateful squeeze.

"Me too."

Back in Astrid's apartment, they watch movies from when they were children while wearing silk pyjamas, and lay side by side in the dark reminiscing about their various adventures together with you and Nick from over the years.

When the conversation turns to the situation between Nick, Rachel, and Mrs Young, Astrid's expression sours considerably. The family had tried that with her regarding Michael, but they hadn't been able to find dirt on him like they had with Rachel.

"Rachel is strong, she is smart," Astrid muses quietly, "Michael was too, against all odds and the inscrutable politics of my family," she sighs with exasperation, "but the standards he set for himself, and the insecurity he felt when not meeting them, stem from expectations I don't think she will have to face. I know they'll have challenges, different challenges to what Michael and I faced, but Nick is a good man, and I hope they get through this, I really do; they deserve a happy ending."

"So do you," Oliver insists, and Astrid gives a tired laugh.

"I will find it eventually, I'm sure," she yawns, though at least she doesn't sound as defeated as the prospect may have made her feel at the start of the day.

"If you want to get away, you know there'll always be a place for you with us," Oliver tells her with a grin, "or we could even bring you to Saltburn, to get away from the city and all the people; Fi's mum has been dying to meet you ever since we told her about you and Nick. She'd probably let you move in if you wanted."

There's so much Astrid knows she will have to deal with here in the coming weeks, months, probably years, but god, escape sounds so nice right now.

"And his family loves you both?"

"So much it's a little overwhelming sometimes," Oliver admits with a chuckle, "apart from Farleigh, of course," though he amends, "well, he likes Y/N well enough, me, however, he's never really -"

"Haven't you been sleeping with that man for years?" She laughs brightly, and Oliver groans before he answers.

"He barely even seems to tolerate me then!"

"I still can't wrap my head around how that's still going on while you're in love with his cousin, and that said cousin is somehow okay with this whole arrangement!"

"It's like how Y/N and Venetia have an ongoing arrangement, except Venetia doesn't pretend that she can't stand my sibling the rest of the time like Farleigh does with me."

"Oh god, Venetia," Astrid giggled, "that's Felix's sister, isn't it? I forgot about her and Y/N; I met her that time in Milan, didn't I?"

"You did," Oliver can't help but smile at the memory, "I believe we were all absolutely plastered when you first met her -"

"Oh, because I arrived late! That's right; oh she's such a darling, you know she actually told me that I was the most beautiful woman she'd ever met in her life," the smile in Astrid's words is audible, and Oliver can't help but grin too.

"That's because you are," he says like it's a fact, continuing on when she tries to protest with embarrassment, "we all think that about you, Astrid, you're so lovely; I think I remember we had a little meeting about it in the car on our way back to the hotel that night."

"You are all ridiculous, and far too sweet," Astrid tells him fondly.

"We all love you so very much, you know that, right?"

"I know," she tells him softly, sincerely, taking his hand in the dark, "I am glad for the people you have all grown into over the years. I'm glad that you and Y/N now have a family who loves you," and she gives his hand a squeeze, "I'm very glad you're here, Ollie."

"I'm glad to be here too, you know I always will be when you call."

In the days that come, her family and the world will praise her for her strength, her elegance, her composure. Tonight, Oliver welcomes and loves Astrid for her humanity.