Chapter Text
Steven put his phone up to his ear with a right big smile at the dial tone. He honestly felt quite bad having sidelined his mum for his big adventure for so long! He didn’t get any new postcards this go round, but seeing the old ones by the fish tank reminded him of his most important daily ritual.
Where was she again? Was it France? No no that wasn’t quite right… either way, she must be in quite the different time zone when the automatic answering machine sounded off followed by a dreary beep.
Holding the phone clamped between head and shoulder, he scavenged his fridge for some juice, “Hello, mum! I know it’s been a while since I last called! How’s your trip been going? You’ll have to remind me where it is you currently are- dreadfully sorry, I still can’t quite keep my memory straight! Marc said it had something to do with our system.
Oh! That’s a new development too. I’ve been doing a lot of research lately all abo-”
Steven was interrupted by the door unlocking and opening. He took his phone and pressed it into his shoulder making sure to give Layla a welcoming smile and hello.
Lifting the phone back up to his ear, “Hey, I’ll have to call you back! My friend just got back. Laters gaters!” the phone found its way back home into his pocket.
With his hands free, he didn’t mind walking over and taking some of the grocery bags from Layla’s hands to let her close and lock up the door. They’ve been spending plenty of time now that they’ve gone back to London together to lay low and relax after everything that happened. Steven and Marc have especially been taking this time to rebuild their new life in tandem.
Steven needed a job to pay for their apartment after all!
The biggest part was that Steven and Marc have been more open with Layla about their past and their situations recently. He didn’t know how much she knew given he felt Marc was saying things purposefully without him around, but that was something for another day.
For now, the two worked together to put cans and juices, and vegetables in their proper spots.
“Hey, who were you talking to by the way? On the phone that is when I came in?” Layla broke their comfortable silence, canned beans clinked away into the cupboard.
“Oh, I was just calling my mum,” He gathered bags into one to save them for later use, “I haven’t talked to her in a hot minute so I felt I owed her a quick call up, y’know?”
“Your… mom?” a million thoughts flitted through her head. That couldn’t be right? Marc had told her that he admitted to Steven who was sending him postcards and where his calls were actually ending up. She even remembered how Marc teared up when recounting how Steven reacted upon learning the truth after her death.
“Steven…” the man turned towards her, eyebrow quirked, “Don’t you remember? Your mom… died…”
She felt bad at the reminder with the way Steven’s lips pulled downwards, but she was a bit more worried about his well-being if she let this form of denial continue.
“That’s… that’s not true… It’s not, right marc?” Steven’s eyes searched the nearest reflection but Marc wasn’t there? He knew Marc has been trying to give him space where he can, but he still could feel the other lurking under his own consciousness.
“Marc?” Steven repeated because he still couldn’t find the man looking back at him anywhere and it was starting to scare him. Why wasn’t he answering? Did Steven upset him? Did he do something wrong?
He didn’t even realize he was drawing into himself until Layla put her hands on his shoulder, eyes snapping up to hers, “Hey, hey it’s okay Steven. You’re okay,”
Whatever other assurances she was saying flew over Steven’s increasingly tangled-up head. His thoughts were clashing and twisting, wondering what was true. He hated forgetting things, he hated being reminded he had forgotten things. But this.. This isn’t right. Everything in his brain was telling him she was alive.
The postcards, the calls… they pointed to her being alive even if another part of him tugged saying that there was something about those things he was forgetting about. But what was he forgetting again?
But would Layla lie to him? No she wouldn’t do that. They were friends! She always just tries to be helpful and- and honesty was a big thing for her after Marc’s disappearing act.
But that couldn’t be true! Steven didn’t even realize how he was hyperventilating at the thoughts swirling around him. He didn’t even realize Layla was hugging him tight right now.
That wasn’t true. She wasn’t dead. She was alive. She was alive. She was alive. She was alive. She is alive.
He felt everything slow down as a fuzzy feeling flooded in. Those tangled thoughts were a confusing blur now that he couldn’t make out what thoughts started where. Actually… what was he thinking about again? Why was he freaking out again? Where was he?
Steven blinked and looked to who was holding him, “Oh, hello Layla. When did you get here?”
Layla pulled back slower than Steven thought necessary and looked at him with a concerningly confused look. It lasted for a moment longer, her eyes staring deep into his, before she gave a gentle smile and pulled away.
“I got here not too long ago, Steven. We were talking about your mom, remember?”
Something irked his mind deep inside at the mentioned figure but the concept was too fuzzy to care for, “Ah bloody hell…. I’m so sorry, but I don’t remember. But that does remind me that I should call her soon… been putting it off since our Egypt adventures ha ha.”
Layla nodded, biting her cheek a bit because this was something that wasn’t going to be solved by insistence. She’ll just have to talk to Marc about this… she’s trying her best, but there’s clearly a lot she still doesn’t understand.
She gave another nod and patted his hands gently, “Hey, how about you help me make lunch, and talk to me about your day?”
Steven gave his winner, nervous smile and they were soon at it searching ingredients for what they were in the mood for. Even Marc slipped in for him at some point so he could rant about Steven’s job. He just let himself settle into the mindspace, that fuzzy feeling still clinging on.
Mustn’t have been too important if he’s forgotten it, he tried to joke for himself.