#this is an ao3 exclusive bc i’m doing this on mobile & i refuse to format a whole story on mobile gfdjldgf

[quicktimeeventfull]

hand me your hand, let me look in your eyes

4k words

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Content notes: Depictions of eating disorders. (In particular, EDNOS which includes purging.) Also includes nonbinary Light, Canada, brief allusions to Beyond studying mycology, and craft beer.

College AU. Beyond prefers to think of L, the beloved and unofficial head of their university’s queer centre, as untouchable and invincible but he is, of course, just a regular human being with regular human problems. When L has a really, really bad time at a holiday party, Light and Beyond do their best to help. Alternatively: Hurt/comfort in which everyone is really, really nice to L for a while.

L had called Beyond at one-thirty in the morning. Beyond, who had been working on a paper about mushrooms, picked up immediately. He didn’t have to check the name — he’d given L a special ringtone weeks ago.

“Hi,” he’d said, aware that he sounded a little breathless. He was always a little too eager with L. Most people found this off-putting, but neither L nor his partner ever seemed to mind. Beyond had met the two of them them through their university’s queer centre, and no one had ever been half as nice to him as they were.

“Hi,” L had sounded very distracted. He must have been on speakerphone, because the sound was very tinny and he could hear someone moving around in the background. Presumably it was Light. It sounded like xie was moving furniture, which Beyond was sure their neighbours appreciated at this particular time of night. “Listen. There’s a party tomorrow. For the holidays. At Kiyomi’s. Do you know Kiyomi?”

“No.”

“Oh. Well, anyway. You’ll love her. She’s very tall. Light and I wanted to make sure you knew you were invited.”

This didn’t sound quite right. He couldn’t imagine why Kiyomi would invite someone she’d never met. “Am I invited?”

“Yes. I’m inviting you. So you are.”

continue