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Pike showed up for girls night at eleven on the dot. She knew that Vex would already be there, holding their usual booth with drinks already ordered.
"Darling, over here," Vex called, not from their normal spot after all.
"Who took our spot?" Pike asked as she approached Vex's booth.
"Some random couple," Vex replied. "The poor hostess apologized so many times, said she tried to get them to pick somewhere else, but that doesn't matter. What does is how absolutely adorable you look, darling."
Pike blushed under the praise and did a little spin to show off the entire fit. She was wearing a denim jacked with a white crop top to match. She was wearing her favourite black leggings, and Vax had even done her hair up in space buns during their early morning class. She felt really cute, and she was glad that someone noticed.
Just then, their third came bustling through the restaurant doors. Before either Vex or Pike could call her over, she had already thrown herself into the booth with the couple. It wasn't until Keyleth had stopped stumbling over her apologies for being late that she even seemed to take notice that she was seated with the wrong people.
They watched as Keyleth's face burned read as she started stammering new apologies to the couple. The poor girl started to look around frantically for her missing friends.
"Over here, darling," Vex called from the booth they were actually seated at.
When Keyleth made her way over, and pretty much melted into her seat, she didn't bother with apologies. Keyleth took a large slurp of her drink and collapsed into the table.
"That was so embarrassing," she mumbled into the table. "And then I was so nervous that maybe I had the wrong day and came a whole day late."
Vex chucked as she reached across the table to try and reassure Keyleth that everything was fine. Pike rubbed Keyleth's back as she stifled her own giggles.
"At least we all made it," Pike stated when Keyleth finally peaked up from the table.
From there they started to relax into their drinks. Keyleth's blunder was forgotten as they started to boarder on tipsy.
"I think you're the reason that Vax is so obsessed with making fun buns lately," Vex groaned over her drink. "They look so cute on you and I think he's determined to prove that they are cute, not just you."
"He keeps trying to get them to look good on me too," Keyleth agreed. "I think my features are just too long for them."
"He even gave Gilmore fun buns," Vex giggled. "I saw him leaving Vax's room with them the other day, and he told me to not say a word before I could even laugh. They looked so ridiculous paired with his glorious beard."
"I bet that Vax had made it sound all sexual to even get him to agree to it," Pike giggled.
"The best part is that he still doesn't understand how 'fun buns' could even be misconstrued as sexual," Vex laughed in return.
"So, it's official that they only look good on Pikey," Keyleth stated. "Because I swear that Gilmore looks amazing in everything."
"Trust me, darling, he looked ridiculous."
"Shit," Pike exclaimed. "Do you think that's why the random guy was staring at me this morning?"
"The one you said was eyeing you down on your way to econ?" Vex asked.
Pike nodded as she slammed her hand on the table.
"I told you he probably just thought you were cute."
"No, I meant maybe he thought the space buns looked weird."
"But they really do look super cute on you," Keyleth drawled as she started to sink in her seat again.
"I don't want him to think that I'm cute," Pike groaned as she remembered her walk from bio to econ that morning. "He was carrying his socks and his shoes. He was even wearing a fanny pack, and not in the cool way either. He was wearing it the same way Wilhand wears it, actually around his waist like some sort of bulky belt."
It really hadn't been the most flattering look on him. He had decent proportions, and he had decent hair, but the dude was wearing a fanny pack and like a gym bro shirt without the muscles to back it up. Besides, who walked around barefoot on campus? Doing that was just asking for tetanus (or at least a cold three weeks into September).
"Who knows, maybe he's a decent guy," Vex crooned as she leaned across the table.
Pike wasn't a fan of this conversation. She was the only one of the girls who was still single. Vex had Percy, and they were all just waiting for him to propose. Keyleth had Vax and Gilmore. Pike, well, she had her friends. They were all her family. She had Grog, and no one bothered him about being single. He was a guy and it was expected for him to sleep around. Pike, on the other hand, was small and cute and focused on her studies. They thought it would be weird if she slept around.
She just didn't feel the need for a relationship. She didn't have the time for it. Her schedule was too packed for her to go out and meet someone new. She barely had time for girls nights once a week and her bro night every other week.
"Leave her be," Keyleth mumbled into the table. "If she's happy how things are now, just let her be happy."
"Okay," Vex sighed as she sank back into her seat. "I just want someone to talk about sex with."
"You never want to talk about sex with me," Keyleth whined.
"Because I don't want to know anything about what my brother's sex life is like, and you never tell me about Gilly."
"I don't tell you about Shaun because you don't want to hear about your brother's sex life," Keyleth muttered back.
"Nope. Stop. Don't wanna know that." Vex almost yelled as she covered her ears.
Pike giggled as she watched her girls fall into their usual routine. Vex would start talking about her and Percy and all the wild sex they had. Keyleth would try and follow the conversation, but even with having two lovers of her own, she was still just getting educated on everything.
Pike wasn't a virgin by any means of the word, but her sex life had fallen to the wayside as her studies had become harder. With her doing her practicum work every other semester, and her class load being doubled, she just didn't have time to get to know someone new. She wasn't lucky enough to find a lover that was already in their friend group like the other two had.
They stayed for another hour before Keyleth started to fall asleep at the table. They piled into a cab and all ended up crashing on Vex's king sized bed.
...
"You don't even take notes," Vax said as he opened the door for Scanlan to come in.
"Which is why I sit next to you, because you do."
Vax chuckled as he pointed towards his couch. He already had his notes pulled out and ready for the Scanlan to read through. How he had ended up missing half of today's class, Vax didn't know. Why he had even bothered to show up anyway, was also beyond Vax's understanding.
"I'll bring over a couple beers if you want to start looking through my notes," Vax stated as he made his way to the kitchen.
Vax watched as Scanlan sat down in front of the philosophy notes and started to scan them.
"It's pretty basic," Vax explained, walking back to the couch. "It's our review on Socrates. Nothing we haven't been learning since first year."
Vax slumped into the couch next to Scanlan and watched him. The smaller man wasn't even reading the page. He was just staring at it blankly.
"Yo, earth to Scan-man. You there, buddy?" Vax asked as he waved his hand in front of the other's face.
Scanlan sighed dreamily and put the paper down. He went to pick up a different one before Vax stopped him.
"Alright buddy, I know you aren't even reading them. Do you want to tell me who you're sighing over?"
"Who? Me? I don't sigh over people."
"Don't give me that. Every week there seems to be someone new who caught your eye. Last week it was Senokir and Uten. Before that it was Zarah. You even had a thing for the creepy old philosophy teacher we had in year two. Don't give me that shit."
Scanlan relented and dropped his head into his hands. He let out a defeated sigh before looking back up at Vax.
"I swear on the cube that I met an angel today. Well, that's a lie. I would have had to actually talk to her in order to say that I met her. But I couldn't get my mouth to work. So it had to be an angel who cursed my tongue to still in her presence."
"I doubt she was a real angel, but you're right that not being able to talk isn't like you. She must have been really something."
"Oh, she was. She had this beautiful blonde hair that haloed her head. And a perfectly symmetrical face. She was wearing a denim jacket and a white crop t-shirt to match. And she was killing it with the make up. When she walked past me, our shoulders just brushed pass, and she was shorter than what I thought, which is fine because I'm not that tall anyway. But I'm never going to get to see her again because I couldn't even figure out how to get her name."
A slight ping of recognition flashed through Vax's eyes as Scanlan described his supposed angel. Pike was wearing a denim jacket and a white crop top to bio this morning. She did have stunning blonde hair too that always seemed to capture the sun. She was also adorably short, especially when compared to her best buddy and adopted brother, Grog, who was definitely over six feet tall.
"Do you remember how her hair was styled?" Vax asked with a hint of a smirk.
"Now, I know you're mocking me, but yes I do," Scanlan huffed. "She had it up in space buns and it was absolutely adorable."
Vax giggled to himself at the confirmation.
"Must have been an angel then. I've been told that no one looks good in those."
"God. I'm never going to get over her, and I'll never live down not being able to at least get her name."
"Maybe you should write a song about it and sing it at your show on Friday?"
"I already wrote a song," Scanlan sighed. "But I don't know if it's refined enough to preform yet."
"Well, you have two more days to refine it. It's worth a shot and you miss all the shots you don't take."
A smile spread across Scanlan's face as he stood up in a rush from the couch. He sent Vax's notes scattering off the coffee table and across the floor.
"You are absolutely right you beautiful man, you. I would kiss you if I wasn't saving these lips for an angel."
"One: you've never saved those lips for shit; and two: we've done more than kiss before."
"But that was before the angel, dude."
"I know. Go perfect your song and win yourself an angel."
Vax watched as Scanlan ran out the door. Vax immediately grabbed for his phone and texted his sister.
Hey, stubby. Do you think you'll be able to convince Pickle to see someone perform in a coffee shop on Friday? It'll be hilarious, I swear.
...
Pike had a million other things that she could have been doing. She had a project in econ due on Monday. She had a mid term in bio on Wednesday. She also had to start applying for practicum positions for the winter semester. She had learned the hard way that waiting ended with her getting the shitty positions, and she was hoping to get a paid position for the following semester.
Yet here she was at a local coffee shop on her Friday night. Vex had worn Pike down about going with the promise to pay for her drink and to let her bring her laptop. At least she would be able to browse through the different practicum options. If she was really lucky, she might even be able to get Vex to look through the econ project. There was no denying that Vex was the star student in the business department and every teacher was vying to have her as their TA.
She found the table that Vex and Keyleth were already at. Vex was leaning over the table whispering to Keyleth while Keyleth looked like a toddler getting scolded.
"What did you do Keyleth?" Pike asked as she pulled out her chair.
Keyleth literally jumped in her seat.
"Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Especially not something that you should be warned about," Keyleth stammered as her hands started to flutter in front of herself. Vex sat to the side barely hiding her want to tell Keyleth to shut the fuck up.
That wasn't suspicious at all. Definitely not suspicious enough for Pike to have the time to question it. Or, at least to question it any further.
Apparently there was a performer tonight that went to their school. Why they cared, Pike didn't know, he obviously wasn't part of their core group. Apparently, Vex decided that it was important to support their peers and Pike had gotten tired of questioning it.
After about twenty minutes, a short curly haired guy got onto stage. He looked somewhat familiar, but seeing as he was from their school that wasn't a surprise. Pike was sure that she had probably seen everyone on campus at least once.
He started with some covers. Hozier. Ed Sheeran. He even did some Eminem, which was refreshing. At the end of his set, he started tuning his guitar, talking quietly over his picking.
"I'm going to do something I don't usually do, but a friend of mine convinced me that I needed to play it tonight. I don't usually play a song before it's up on my channel, but I was told that this would be worth it."
His strumming became more pointed as he watched his cords.
"This one is for you Vax-y-poo."
Pike perked up her ears. Vax wasn't a common name. There was a very slim chance that it was just a coincidence between her being here and Vax making the guy on stage play a song.
Pike took a quick look around the Cafe. She knew that even if the skinny shit was here that she probably wouldn't be able to find him. Vax was scarily good at hiding in plain sight and disappearing when he didn't want to be seen.
Knowing her chances of finding the culprit were slim, she turned her focus to his accomplices.
"I don't know what's happening," Pike started as she stared down Keyleth, who was pointedly not looking on Pike's direction. "But if it's something embarrassing I will make you regret it."
Vex was simply watching Pike with such keen eyes. It was almost like she was being studied.
Barefoot on the sidewalk
The performer started to sing.
Headphones in to let my mind walk.
In my hands I'm carrying my shoes.
There was no way. There was absolutely no way. Though, looking at him closer, he did have the same stocky frame and the same curly hair as the random dude she passed the other day.
Did Vex really force her to come all this way to hear the random dude who kinda creeped her out sing a song about creeping her out?
Pike pulled out her phone and sent Vax a text.
If this is what I think it is, string bean, we have some talking to do.
There was a lengthy pause before the reply came.
He's not that bad of a dude.
He's actually kinda sweet.
Pike sighed and shrunk a little in her seat. She watched as the guy played, keeping his eyes on his frets, obviously not having all the cords memorized yet.
He had changed a few of the details from their encounter. Things like the date and the fact that he was wearing a backpack at all. It wasn't enough for her to convince herself that it wasn't blatantly about her.
She hated that she was put in this position. She knew that her friends meant well, and she knew that if Vax bothered with this guy, then he couldn't be bad. None of that made her any more inclined towards a relationship. Pike didn't want to have to deal with a breakup because she didn't have time to keep up with the relationship. This wasn't fair to her or him.
Or a simple little "Hi"
My jaw just wasn't working for you
The song ended and the crowd clapped. A few awes were sounded out over the Cafe, along with a couple people saying, "I hope you find her."
It was all very sweet, and Pike would have agreed with them if she wasn't the one being found.
When she looked back at her table, Vex was looking at her expectantly.
"What?" Pike asked, trying not to let the bitterness show in her voice.
"I wanted to tell you. I swear that I did but Vex and Vax thought that it would be a cute surprise. You don't look happy though. And I feel like I should have warned you."
Pike sighed. She really couldn't stay mad at Kiki. She always did have everyone's best interest in mind. Pike also knew how convincing that Vex could be, and had no doubt that she had convinced Keyleth that this was the best option.
"I hope you don't expect me to go and talk to him," Pike said, training her focus on Vex.
"Oh, come on, darling," Vex almost whined. "You heard the song, he just wants to know your name."
"Vex, most people only want to know your name for two reasons. Either they want to date you, or they're a stalker. And honestly I don't want either."
"But look at him. He was up there bearing his soul for the world."
"If you think it's so cute, you can go talk to him." Pike regretted the words the moment they left her mouth.
A grin crossed Vex's face milliseconds before she was standing and walking towards the stage. Pike didn't even have time to argue before Vex was across the Cafe.
In retrospect, Pike could have ran. She could have just stood up and left. Vex was paying, so there was no bill to wait for. There was no social rule saying that she had to be at the table when Vex got back. Yet, she stayed in her seat, burying her head in her arms.
"I promise, Scanlan, she's just as cute as you remember," Pike could hear Vex's voice getting closer.
"You see, I had been wondering why Vax-y-poo was so insistent on me singing the song. And in all honesty I was expecting some of my fan girls to try and convince me that they were the girl in question."
"And would you fall for it?"
Pike could hear the tone shift in Vex's voice. Only someone who was very familiar would be able to notice the tonal change. She went from playfully teasing, to testing the waters to see if this man was worth even speaking to her precious Pike.
"It depends on how convincing they were," she could hear the smirk in his voice. She could hear Vex's trap snapping around him.
Or maybe the trap was falling around her.
"If that's so," Vex started.
"Leave the poor boy alone," Pike spoke up before she even realized her mouth was moving.
As Pike spoke up, she watched as (what had Vex called him? Scandal? Scaling?) whatever his name was, freeze in his tracks. His mouth snapped shut and his eyes found the floor. He was much less bold than he had been a few moments ago.
"All I can say is, I'm glad that you didn't say any of those things. I would have thought you were some sort of weirdo."
"Didn't you," Keyleth started but was cut short by a glare from Vex. "Never mind."
"Then I am glad I didn't say anything either," Scanlan said barely looking up to meet her eyes. "When Vax assured me that it would be worth playing the song, I didn't actually think that he knew the girl I had been talking about."
"If it helps, I wasn't informed as to why I was supposed to be here. And if I had, I honestly probably would have fought harder to not be here."
"I'm glad that it came as a surprise, then. And I do hope it was a good one."
Pike looked the poor boy over. He was still looking at his shoes, but he didn't seem to be cowering. It was weird.
"Are you thinking now? Is that why you can't look at me today?" Pike teased, causing his head to shoot up and look at her immediately.
"No. I means yes. I mean. It's not that I was purposefully not looking at you. It just caught me off guard that you're actually here. And you're actually you. And I'm also relieved that Vax didn't tell you about me. Because God. I said some embarrassing things to him."
"Well, it seems to me that Vax and Vex made it possible for you to accomplish your goal, and you've made no effort to actually do so," Pike grinned up at the boy, also pointedly ignoring Vex's knowing smile.
"My, my goal?" The musician asked, honestly seeming to not know what she was talking about.
"You sang a whole song about wanting to know my name," Pike offered, "yet here I am, and you haven't asked yet."
"Oh, shit, right," he laughed as he held out his hand to her. "I am Scanlan Shorthalt, but you can call me whatever you like, may I have the pleasure of knowing your name?"
Pike couldn't help but laugh as she offered him her hand. This guy, Scanlan, was pretentious and so full of himself, yet he seemed absolutely genuine. There was something intriguing about this strange man.
"Pike Trickfoot, but you can just call me Pike."
"Pike Trickfoot. The name of an angel," he crooned as he literally lifted her hand to his lips.
Vex would claim that Pike giggled. Keyleth would say that Pike blushed. Scanlan would claim that Pike picked him up and threw him over her shoulder and carried him to bed.
Pike simply made him walk her home as payment for the inspiration of the song. She may have also gotten his number and forgotten to text it until two days later. She may have also started this with an intention of only being friends with bennies. Pike also may have or may have not thought to ever thank Vex and Vax for tricking her into meeting who might just be the love of her life.