Work Text:
The door handle turns and Archie walks in. He immediately dumps his duffel bag, Esther’s spare key, his car keys, laundry, hairspray and entire life at the base of the staircase. He shoves the front door closed with a huge, giddy smile on his face.
“Well, hey smiley. Why are you dressed up?” Elias asks. He stands to plug in his phone.
“I am not dressed up,” Archie replies, finger pointed accusatorialy towards Elias’ face as he beelines towards the couch.
“You’re wearing jewelry for once in your life, discounting your cross necklace. And hair gel. MY hair gel. Don’t think I didn’t notice,” He continues on, talking s with his hands, pointedly flashing his own turquoise.
“Casually. YOU wear a whole plethora of rings all the time. Casually,”
Elias stops fiddling with his fingers and sits back on the couch. “That’s different, you never wear rings. I think you’ve worn that pink and blue dinosaur costume more times in your life,”
“What? I HAVE NOT- There’s no way I’ve”
The sound of some British duo singing to violins can be heard from upstairs. It abruptly stops at the exclamation. Ever-quiet footsteps come.
“Oh you’re home. Why are you dressed up?” asks Esther. She expertly jumps off from the second last stair to avoid the mess, also known as her cousin’s entire life, at the bottom.
“I’m not dressed up!” Archie huffs while Elias grins triumphantly next to him.
“Where are you going? Mum’s making lasagna tonightttt,” She ignores him.
Archie throws his hands up efficaciously. The couch frame groans in protest. “Fine. Guess,”
“You look like you’re going to cousin Zoe’s baptism,” Elias pipes up again.
He scoffs. “You fucking wish you had a fit like this at cousin Zoe’s baptism,” Archie motions over his top, totally casual rings glinting against his will.
Esther picks up a dirty shirt and throws it at him. “Where,”
“So demanding,” Archie scolds. “This is why your History teacher says you’re too curt,”
“He thought Alexander the Great was straight,” she replies.
“You’re a fucking poet, Esther,” This is Elias.
The two wait a beat.
Elias’ phone makes a charging sound. An owl hoots, not an uncommon sound in rural UHM.
“A school event?” Esther tries.
“Nope,”
“Grandma’s?”
“Why would I dress up to go to grandma’s?” Archie asks. If he’s trying to build anticipation, it’s working.
“You’re off to be a greeter at another one of Aunty Lani’s new cat parties ag-” Elias encourages. Esther raises her eyebrows at the mention of yet another one of her mother’s parties she’d bunked on.
“NO. Shut your mouth we don't talk about.…..anyway I asked her out and I’ve got a dinner date with Marie,” He finally admits, rocking on the cushions with nervous aggression.
“No you have not,” Elias and Esther say in sync, equally incredulous as joking.
Archie stands up and shows mercy on Esther’s couch. “I fucking hate you guys,”
Elias stands with him. “No way. The tourmaline’s making you crazy, mate. Leave the rings and jewels to me,”
“She likes me! I’m a great guy! You guys just wouldn’t get it. She has good taste, really,”
“Are we sure? Doesn’t Marie wear black tourmaline, Eli?” Esther teases.
“As if you know bull about crystals, Marie. You just made that up. Black tourmaline doesn’t even exist. And if it did, it’d probably like, heighten intelligence,” Archie says.
“It does exist and she definitely does wear it. On her neck AND her wrists,”
“Oh shut it, crystal boy. You’re making that up. Tell me black tourmaline doesn’t do that,”
Esther whistles and goes to thaw some mince for the lasagna. “But really? He scored Marie. Whatever happens, we’ll never hear the end of this until you graduate, you know that Eli?”
“Oh I know. And you know I support you entirely, Archie. Just don’t go all Gollum on me. I’m not even lying about the tourmaline,”
“Bitches,” Archie picks up the spare key from the mess and walks out the door, Esther miming Gollum perched on a pile of bags and laundry behind him, like the fucking poet she is.