𝕸adeleine got up early with the sole purpose of getting some coffee, waiting for June to wake up and get out of the house as soon as possible.

It's not that she didn't have a good time yesterday, it's that last night was the first time in months when she's talked so much with Trevor and when she went to bed longing to rap on his bedroom door and pull him out for a chat, she knew something was deeply wrong with her.

Up until now, she'd been too busy wallowing in self pity that she forgot the real reason the breakup hurt so much.

Trevor, for a while, had felt like her person. He'd been what she had been yearning for all her life. He'd become her best friend.

And then suddenly, he ripped the bandage off the wound that had only just begun healing and left her there to tend to the damage all alone.

So, now she remembers what it was like.

And she does not want to remember how much she's missed his company all these months.

She walks into the kitchen and busies herself looking around for coffee mugs, grabbing one then mindlessly checking all the cabinets for the coffee powder.

Of course it's in top cabinet. Just her luck.

She stands on her tiptoes trying to get ahold of the jar, her hand barely reaching the shelf.

Straining, she jumps up to grab it but to no avail.

She huffs glancing down at the countertop, considering hauling herself up on the surface to take the jar out.

Defeated, Madeleine pulls her knee up exhaling loudly as she attempts to push her entire body onto the counter.

"Woah, easy there".

She startles at the voice, stuck in the awkward position with one knee up on the marble surface and the other leg standing on its tiptoes.

She glances back and finds the one person she's been trying not to think about.

Just my fucking luck.

He gives her a humourous glance as if he's holding in his laugh and moves closer, placing his hand by her knee still resting on the counter.

"Mind if I . . . .?", he gestures at the cabinet and oh, what the hell.

Madeleine hops down, straightening up and patting down her dress, going to step away when he steps closer standing inches away from her side turned body as he effortlessly grabs the coffee jar off the shelf and brings it down to her.

They stand there only a few centimeters apart, his amused eyes connected with her careful stare, his hair disheveled in the cutest way and it's like the proximity is going to kill her even though they're not touching at all.

"Don't try to climb anywhere. You've got tall people in this house".

And just like that, the spell breaks.

She snorts, snatching the jar from him and busying herself with the coffee maker when he settles on the other side of the kitchen island.

"No, Lena. I'm serious. You'll get hurt".

The nickname stills her, her hand resting over the button of the machine but not moving.

Something flares up inside of her so quickly that the moment it extinguishes it's like she can feel it everywhere.

She presses the button and turns, leaning back on her hands.

"Don't call me that".

He looks surprised, almost . . . . rueful.

His Adam's apple bobs as he swallows harshly, tightening his folded arms that are resting on the island.

"Why not?".

"You lost the right to call me that a long time ago".

He bites down his bottom lip and he looks away, the pain of maintaining eye contact with her too much for him to handle.

Coward — she thinks when he nods, gaze still averted.

There's an uncomfortable silence whilst she pours the creamer into the mug and sits down opposite to him, completely ignoring his presence.

He seems lost in thought, scratching at a spot on the marble, bottom lip pulled between his teeth.

She tries not to stare at him, she really does but it's difficult when he's right there and he's someone who is actually really pleasant to look at.

Weird how he looks so familiar but also so different, like someone she used to know but someone who's now just one of the passersby in her life.

I really need to stop thinking.

"About last night", he begins so abruptly that she almost spills the coffee on herself.

"What?", she splutters out, inhaling deeply.

He shrugs, "June and Jack. Will you help?".

"Trevor".

"No, hear me out, alright? Have you seen them together? I know Jack's had a crush on her since quite some time. And I don't think June's ever just tolerated him. So, someone needs to do something".

"Why are you so fixated on this?".

He frowns, "What?".

"Why", she looks him dead in the eye, "do you care? They're adults, they'll sort it out themselves".

"Because", he runs both hands through his hair, "they're my friends and . . . I don't know, it's crazy if I don't help. I feel like it's my duty to do something".

"And what 'something' does that entail?".

He purses his lips, "Anything that will help".

She opens her mouth to protest when Quinn enters the space, looking shocked to see them together, talking and alone.

"Morning", he announces glancing between the two.

Madeleine clears her throat.

"Good morning".

"What are you doing up so early?", he squints at Trevor who shrugs carelessly.

"You know, since you're up we should probably talk about this with you too".

Madeleine groans, "God, Trevor".

"I know you saw Jack going into June's room last night", he states ignoring her.

Quinn raises his brows, intently looking at him for a few seconds before tilting his head.

"How'd you know?".

Trevor grins, "Heard your door close last night only a minute or so after Jack's. So I figured. I was really only assuming, this would've been way awkward if you hadn't actually seen him".

Madeleine rolls her eyes at his back.

"Your point?", Quinn asks just as she says, "Is that all you do all night? Hear people's doors shut?".

Trevor looks back at her at that, smirking so obnoxiously that she just knows he's gonna say something that will piss her off.

"Not when I have something interesting to do".

Do. Not. React.

She holds herself together, staying back from not saying anything because that will only give him more ammunition.

"So, what's this about?", Quinn asks amused, Trevor visibly relaxing at the interruption.

"Well, as Maddie and I were discussing last night—".

"Not discussing. You were yapping".

"—discussing", he glares at her, "we need to push them in the right direction. Their babies need to arrive soon—".

She scowls, "June's in college, you bitch".

"—I'm already the godfather of their first born so you can choose a different kid", he once again ignores her pointing at Quinn, "and then they can live their happily ever after".

Madeleine blinks.

"Last night you said you'd be the godfather of one of their kids".

Trevor sighs turning back to her, "Yeah, well. Now I choose the first born because obviously I'm important to their parents getting together".

"I think they're doing just fine on their own", Quinn remarks.

"They're not, Quinn. Trust me. He's in love with her, I can see it. But he shuts down every time we try to talk to him about it. So it's time to start planning".

Quinn shakes his head, backing out of the room.

"I'm not getting in between this. And you shouldn't either".

"Don't you want them together?".

"Only on their own terms".

Trevor exhales dramatically, calling out as Quinn's walking away, "It won't happen unless we intervene".

The oldest Hughes disappears from sight and Madeleine watches Trevor turn to her with a pleading look.

She narrows her eyes.

"You heard the man".

"Madeleine".

"Just leave it be".

"I know you're itching to do something, don't you bullshit me".

She freezes, slowly looking at his self satisfied smirk.

Why. Just why.

"You stay out of my way the rest of the time and don't bother me. I'll only work on these terms".

A grin immediately takes over his face.

"Deal".

And Madeleine wonders just exactly what she's gotten herself into.

***
😋💞