Want to Need
(Read on AO3)
Femslash February prompt: Ritual
Brooke paces back and forth in the living room, looking out the window every 30 seconds or so. She tries not to - she goes into the kitchen to find something to eat, but nothing looks appetizing. She tries to read one of the many textbooks she’s falling behind on already this year, but her eyes glaze over the words without comprehending a single one.
She checks her phone again - no notifications. She messaged Haley half an hour ago, which was half an hour after she was due back from her shift at the cafe.
Brooke isn’t used to this. She never had anyone around consistently enough that she knew when she would see them next, let alone someone she cared enough about to worry when that time passed. She isn’t entirely sure she likes it - how do people worry like this all of the time?!
Another peek out the window and she spots Haley walking up towards the door. Brooke nearly throws herself onto the sofa, picking up her textbook to make it look like she wasn’t just waiting for Haley to show up.
Haley opens the door, takes one look at Brooke, and raises her eyebrow.
“I saw you at the window a second ago,” Haley accuses.
“No you didn’t. I’ve been studying,” Brooke tries to lie.
“Oh yeah?” Haley asks with a smirk. “Your textbook is upside down.”
Brooke looks down at the book in her hands, frowning at the upside down text in front of her. “Oops.” She sighs, putting the book down onto the table in front of her with a huff. “Fine. I wasn’t studying. And I was at the window - because you’re late.”
“Yeah, sorry about that. We were swamped at the diner, then Lucas stopped by and we got caught up talking, and…” Haley pauses, narrowing her eyes at Brooke. “Wait, were you worried about me?”
“No,” Brooke denies immediately.
Haley says nothing, only eyeing Brooke expectantly.
“And if I was, so what?” Brooke continues. “You’ve never been late before, and you weren’t answering your phone!”
“Yeah, I didn’t charge it before I left so it died before I got home. I’m sorry, I didn’t think you’d mind if I was late.”
“Neither did I,” Brooke admits. “But apparently I’m so used to our nightly ritual that I don’t know what to do with myself without it.”
Their nightly routine consists of dinner, pieced together from whatever scraps they have stuffed in the back of the fridge and what Haley gets to bring home from the cafe that they’d otherwise throw out. It’s coupled with Haley helping Brooke with whatever class assignments she’s currently struggling her way through, followed by Brooke filling Haley in on all of the juciest gossip that Haley pretends not to care about despite hanging on Brooke’s every word. Then, finally, Brooke helps Haley with whatever the day’s self-care is: hair, face, nails, etc. It didn’t take much convincing for Haley to agree to let Brooke teach her the finer art of some general upkeep routines beyond splashing water on your face.
“I tried to eat, or to go ahead and do my deep conditioner without you, but none of it felt right,” Brooke sighs. “I mean, what’s that about? I’ve been on my own for… well, for as long as I can remember, really. One month of living with you and suddenly I’m, what? Needy?”
Haley gives Brooke a smile that’s mostly kind but a little bit sad. “Brooke, it isn’t being needy to want something for yourself, especially something you didn’t have for such a long time. You aren’t alone anymore,” she points out, walking over to sit next to Brooke on the sofa. “So it makes sense that you don’t want to lose it, even for a night.”
It makes sense, not that Brooke will ever admit it out loud. Her subconscious can suck it up and deal, because she’s Brooke Davis, and she’s never needed anybody.
Or maybe it’s that she never wanted to. It’s always been a choice, to keep people at a distance. But Haley… she doesn’t want to keep Haley out. She wants her here, by her side, as often as possible.
It isn't just that Brooke needs her… she wants to need her. And she wants Haley to need her as well, at least enough to send a text if she's going to be late.
“Am I too late for that curl treatment?” Haley asks hopefully, holding up a paper bag full of small takeout containers from the cafe. “And sandwiches for dinner?”
Just like that, any insecurities or doubts Brooke has melts away as everything falls back into its usual place.
“Never too late,” Brooke promises, but she doesn't get up right away. She's a bit lost in her thoughts, musing over how quickly Haley's presence turned her entire mood around. It's as impressive as it is scary, but the good kind of scary. The kind you're afraid to lose.
“Everything okay?” Haley asks.
“Yeah, everything's perfect,” Brooke grins, because in this moment, it is.
She has everything she needs right here.
2 notes
·
View notes
GUYS. IVE BEEN FUCKING AROUND WITH POSSIBLE PASSWORDS AND BELOW ARE SOME THAT IVE FOUND THAT WORK.
MASSIVE SPOILERS FOR THISISNOTAWEBSITEDOTCOM.COM BELOW. IF YOU WANT TO TRY AND FIND THESE FOR YOURSELF, DO SO BEFORE READING. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.
4 CATEGORIES:
TEXT ON SCREEN
DISPLAYS IMAGES
OPENS TABS
MISCELLANEOUS
ALSO: THIS IS MOST LIKELY UNFINISHED. THIS IS BEING UPDATED AS FREQUENTLY AS I AM DISCOVERING NEW PASSWORDS FOR THE TERMINAL.
1. TEXT ON SCREEN.
T.J. ECKLEBURG: DON'T MENTION THAT NAME AGAIN.
AXOLOTL: YOU ASK ALOTL QUESTIONS
PINES: A GOOD FAMILY TREE
GRAVITY FALLS: NEVER HEARD OF IT.
BOOK OF BILL: HIDE IT UNDER SHIRT DURING PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
PORTAL: PORTAL.EXE HAS BEEN DELETED. BET YOU COULD BUILD ONE
29121239168518: WHO COMES FROM ZIMTREX 5?
JOURNAL 3: THE JOURNAL FOR ME
JOURNAL 2: THE JOURNAL FOR YOU
JOURNAL 1: THE JOURNAL OF FUN
DEER TEETH: FOR YOU KID!
DISNEY: RAT.GIF HAS BEEN CENSORED FOR YOUR PROTECTION
YOURE INSANE: SURE I AM WHATS YOUR POINT?
TRIANGLE: )
GUN: OH YES OH YES THEY BOTH
MOUNTAIN DONT: WHATS A MEDIEVAL HOMONYM?
3466554: WHAT LEAVES A THIN LINE IN THE SNOW?
DUCKTECTIVE: DUCKTECTIVE STARS IN "LOVE, QUACKTUALLY" COMING TO "OI, ITS THE COCKNEY CHANNEL INNIT?" THIS FALL
BLENDIN: TIME AGENT LOST AND PRESUMED INCOMPETENT
HISTORY: "NUMBER 3 IS THE MAGIC NUMBER" - SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK
YES: WHAT'S MCGUCKETS FAVORITE SODA?
NO: YOUR LOSS...
AM I BLANCHIN: GIRL WE BLANCHIN
SEASON 3: SEASON 2
SEASON 2: SEASON 1
SEASON 1: SEASON -1: ANTIGRAVITY FALLS
GIFFANY: INPUT DELETED. AI ANTIVIRAL ACTIVATED.
GIFFANY (2ND TIME): WARNING SECONDARY FIREWALL BREACHED.
GIFFANY (3RD TIME): FINAL WARNING: SYSTEM UNDER ATTACK
GIFFANY (4TH TIME): SOOS!! I STILL LOVE YOU! WE WILL BE TOGETHER
GIFFANY (5TH TIME): NOW DOWNLOADING GIRLFRIEND (THIS ACTION CANNOT BE UNDONE)
(SEE CATEGORY 4 FOR 6TH TIME)
SCRIMBLES: LIFEFORM NOT FOUND
ANSWER: QUESTION
QUESTION: ANSWER
BYE GOLD: BYE!
FAMILY MATTERS: DID I DO THAT?
FILBRICK: IM NOT IMPRESSED.
WHO ARE YOU: I COULD ASK YOU THE SAME QUESTION
SCIENTOLOGY: SUPPRESSIVE PERSON DETECTED
HOLOGRAM: UNIVERSE
REALITY: IS AN ILLUSION
THE UNIVERSE: HOLOGRAM
2. DISPLAYS IMAGES
THERAPRISM: ELEVATOR INSTRUCTIONS
STANFORD/SIXER/FORD: MEDICAL DOCUMENTS
LOVE: IMAGE OF A BOOK TITLED "THE LOVE TRIANGLE"
PACIFICA: NOTE FROM PACIFICA
DIPPER: BILL TRYING TO GET DIPPER TO LOOK IN THE SUN FOR 13 HOURS STRAIGHT
BLIND EYE: EYESIGHT TEST
MASON: NOTE FROM DIPPER
ROBBIE: ONLINE CHATS
WENDY: NOTE FROM WENDY
SOOS: NOTE FROM SOOS
SPOOKY/SCARY: BOOK
LALALA/BABY BILL: DO NOT ASK.
HORROR: THE "ALWAYS GARDEN"
IRREGULAR: COLORIZED MUGSHOTS
DIVORCE: O SADLEY'S BEER BRANDING
PLATINUM PAZ: ONE OF PACIFICA'S NIGHTMARES.
ABOVE IS A CODE I FOUND.
SORRY: UNRIPPED PICTURE OF STAN AND FIDDS IN COLLEGE
AD ASTRA PER ASPERA: DIARY ENTRIES ABOUT BILL'S STATUE
BAAAA: PASSAGE ABOUT SHEEP. MUSIC CUTS OUT.
BOOBERRY: A QUESTION MARK CALLED "THE MEANING OF LIFE"
SEVEN EYES: IMAGE OF THE ORACLE
GOODNIGHT SALLY: BILL T-SHIRT
DESTRUCTION IS A FORM OF CREATION: FIDDS GOES INSANE: THE NOTES
3. OPENS TABS
BILL/CIPHER/BILL CIPHER: WIKIPEDIA PAGE ON THE EYE OF PROVINCE
STANLEY: EBAY SALES FOR BRASS KNUCKLES
MCGUCKET: YT VID OF COTTON EYE JOE
MEOW: VID OF TIKTOK OF THEME COVERED BY CAT PIANO
BLANCHIN: YT VID ON HOW TO BLANCH VEGETABLES
WADDLES: GOES TO A PIG WEBSITE
ABUELITA: VID ON BEST VACUUMS FOR FLOORS AND CEILINGS
STANLEY (3RD TIME): DOGS PLAYING POKER ON EBAY
STANLEY (4TH): 8 BALL CANE ON EBAY
STANLEY (5TH) MAE GIRDLE ON EBAY
STANLEY (6TH) SHRINER FEZ ON EBAY
STANLEY (7TH) COLONEL SANDERS TIE ON EBAY
MONSTER: GOOGLES "THERES A MONSTER AT THE END OF THIS BOOK"
ALEX HIRSCH: GOOGLES "FLANNEL"
MYSTERY SHACK: GOOGLES "CONFUSION HILL"
4. MISCELLANEOUS
GIDEON: AUDIO CLIP OF HIM SINGING
MABEL: ADDS STICKERS TO THE HOMEPAGE
WEIRD: VIDEO OF WEIRD AL
CRYPTOGRAM CODEX: DOWNLOADS FILES
GOD: VID OF ALEX'S AXOLOTL
VALLIS CINERIS: WEIRD VID OF BABY BILL
HECTORING: SONG FROM ONE OF BILL'S BANDS
CONSPIRACY: VID OF SOMEONE FREAKING OUT OVER THE WEBSITE, BY THEN COUNTING BACKWARDS STILL
DORITO: WIERD ASS VID OF A DORITO
SCREEN: MAKES NOISE, I CANT SEE WHAT IT IS
ONE EYED KING: HYPNOSIS VIDEO
MATPAT: VID OF HIM SAYING "YOURE ON YOUR OWN"
GIFFANY (6TH TIME ENTERING HER NAME): DOWNLOADS "IMNEVERLEAVING.ZIP"
STANLEY (8TH) TAKES YOU TO THE WHEEL OF SHAME! (SECRETS FOR A FUTURE POST)
BABBA/DISCO GIRL: DIPPER SINGS DISCO GIRL (A PERSONAL FAV)
IM STILL ON: A VIDEO OF THE SEA GRUNKS
LIES: THE GAME OF LIE
TANTRUM: RANT BETWEEN BILL AND TIME BABY
IF YOU FIND ANYTHING ELSE, LET ME KNOW.
443 notes
·
View notes