Word Count: 1,537 words
Rory’s not too sure how they went from begrudging acquaintances, with Rory feeling like she was constantly ‘rescuing’ Pasi from stupidity of his own making, to kinda-sorta-friends-but-not really. If anyone were to ask, she’d go; “It’s complicated.” And attempt to leave it at that.
If she was pressed further she’d tell them; “one of my cats keeps going over to his place and I have to keep bringing him home.” Or maybe; “he helps me with my homework sometimes.” Or even; “sometimes we watch movies and he plays with my hair while he’s wasted. It’s weird but this way I can make sure he doesn’t like, drown in his own vomit or drop into some sort of drug induced coma.” All of the statements hold a certain truth to them but they don’t quite really make sense either.
But a friendship between Rory, whom Pasi has taken to calling Nugget or Nugget girl, and Pasi, whom Rory affectionately calls Idiot, doesn’t make a whole lotta sense either. Yet - it exists and it works, which is probably more mystical than anything else.
It becomes a regular thing for Rory to show up to Pasi’s house whenever he’s not in class or working on some fancy side job. Often, she shows up without warning, with her long board tucked under one arm and her messenger bag slung across her chest and some sort of baked treat in her hand.
Pasi always looks unimpressed and a bit confused when she shows up, but usually lets her slip beneath his arm and into his house. Sometimes he’ll go; “What are you doing here nugget girl? I don’t have your cat.”
And Rory’ll huff, “I know, but dad’s working late and I need help with my homework.”
Math and science aren’t her strong suit and after she’d helped him home after Anthemusa and done some homework while his intoxicated butt was laying on the couch criticising her work, they’d somehow managed a weird tutory situation. Rory shows up unannounced with a pile of homework, helps Pasi with dinner or cleaning or whatever he may need, and then they work on their own thing until she’s got some a question or he pipes up with a “wrong answer” and then explain what she did wrong and why.
It’s a bit refreshing considering Rory doesn’t have too many friends and her dad is always working late. It’s not easy, trying to provide a good life as a single father, but pops tries and Rory can’t fault him for it.
Sometimes, when she shows up unannounced Pasi’s got someone over and she’ll still force her way in with a variety of sassy quips.
Pasi always makes an effort to send her away, because it’s a little exasperating that this tiny thing of a girl is either a) perpetually c**k blocking him or b) somehow managing to always get him to cave which is a mystery as to how or why but she does.
The conversations usually go a little something like this;
“Oi, nugget girl. Go home. I’m busy.”
“I’ve got a physic project due in two days that I need you to look over.”
“Busy” Pasi’ll reiterate, then usually add, “adult things, now shoo.”
To his dismay, Rory always seems to have a sassy retort handy. “I know what sex is, idiot. I brought headphones, will set up in whatever room with be unused and you can let me know when you’re done.”
And she’ll say it in such a matter-of-fact, no room for argument, sort of way, that he relents despite how having some kid in his home is sort of a mood killer. But, true to her word, Rory is always very far out of the way and so absorbed in her homework that her presence is almost unnoticeable.
Still, it never stops Pasi from thinking, how the hell did it end up like this?
Rory’s favorite nights are when Pasi’s stoned enough to relent and agree to watch movies with her while she works on some sort of project, homework or volunteer work. It’s easier to get him to agree to chicken nuggets and ice cream for dinner those days, especially when she promises to let him play with her hair - something that they both, ultimately, enjoy.
It’s like, Pasi’s favorite past time activity while high, besides sex, because he’s always marveled at how thick and soft and fluffy the turquoise strands are. Rory likes it because it keeps him busy and occupied and he usually does her hair up in an intricate manner.
For someone with such big hands, Pasi’s capable of doing the most delicate of designs and braids and Rory shouldn’t be surprised considering all of the little trinkets and toys he’s built but it still marvels her every single time.
One night, they’re sitting in his entertainment room, with Pasi strewn across the couch, fingers idly combing through Rory’s hair, with Rory sitting back against the couch with her knees drawn up and a binder balanced upon them and Winter Soldier playing in the background. (It’d been Rory’s choice but Pasi gave in when she made an argument for the excellent cinema work AND the overall attractiveness of all cast members.) Pasi points out a mistake in the middle of the boat fight, leaning over the couch and the broadness of his chest pressing against Rory’s small back so that he can point a finger directly at where she messed up.
“You’re heavy,” she complains, twisting to shove him back onto the couch when he starts laughing. It’s that same endlessly amused laugh that he’d emitted back at the festival and despite all her annoyance Rory’s unable to keep the grin from her mouth.
“You’re just minature,” he argues, with no heat but mirth and laughter still on his mouth and tongue.
He’s not wrong, mostly, when she stands next to him she feels endlessly small but also fiercer somehow.
“S’not my fault you’re a giant,” she huffs in protest, arms folded across her chest when she twists to glare at him. Her hair slips out of his hands and he seems to pout at her, fingers grasping pathetically at the air where her hair used to be.
“So grumpy, nugget girl.” Pasi sighs, throwing himself back onto the couch in an unnecessarily dramatic fashion. One hand hang off the couch, by the side of her face, and he occasionally makes a grab for her hair, but until she settles back against the cushions he only gets air. “Such rage in small package,” he mumbles in what sounds like a sleepy voice.
“Hey Pasi?” Rory says in a very quiet voice, pressing her chest to her knees and looping her arms beneath her legs and trapping her binder between her body.
“Ja?”
“Can we get nuggets?” Normally she demands them instead of asking for them, but usually Pasi’s sober and not strung out on anything except for maybe sex endorphins. And she knows that if she demanded she’d probably get it, because Aurora Jane Willows is a tiny force of nature just like her sphere, but something about the softness of the moment and the general teasing has left her feeling more vulnerable and raw. Exposed.
“Check the freezer.”
“You’re out.”
There’s a sigh and then a shift, with Pasi’s legs swinging off the couch and settling beside her shoulder. One of his knees knocks into it and she looks up at him with a mix between a scowl and surprise.
“Fine,” he sighs, rubbing his face to shake the grogginess that has inevitably settled over him.
After a beat, Rory goes; “Can we get ice cream too?”
Pasi groans, grips her by the back of the too large hoodie she stole and pulls her to her feet. “Ja,” he huffs in that defeated way of his whenever he caves and Rory gets her way. “Come on nugget girl,” he instructs, palm pressed between her shoulder blade before he ushers her forward. “I get to play with hair after, ja?”
Rory’s school work is abandoned on the floor, and she nearly trips over it in her haste, but it’s hard to suppress the joy that spreads to her toes and fingertips.
“Yeah,” she agrees, automatically reaching for his hand because she’s afraid he’ll wander off or leave her alone.
Pasi looks a little confused when he looks at their hands, brow furrowed and lips pressed in a frown but he doesn’t pull his hand away or tell her to let go. Instead, he let’s this short little teenager lead him out his front door.
Rory thinks that their relationship is a little weird and doesn’t make a lot of sense, but she’s still grateful for it even if Pasi’s kinda jerk sometimes and she’s too stubborn for her own good. She wouldn’t be able to explain how they got to this point, but finds that there’s a sort of beauty to that.
And, maybe Rory’s never had siblings before and she never will but that doesn’t stop her from feeling like, despite the bregrudingness of the Finn, Pasi’s as close to a brother as she’ll ever get and she’s happy about that.
Even if she pretends otherwise.
