Invincible

ninety-seven

FIRST OF A DOUBLE UPDATE.

dedicated to @vantablack because this is a from-willa's-perspective chapter and i remember you wrote the loveliest willa-appreciation-comment earlier on. also your comments in general are just the bomb.

i also have the next two chapters after these written (i.e. the penultimate 99, and 100, the laST CHAP excluding the epilogue), but I'm kinda wary of posting all at once in case people accidentally just read the end, bc that'd be a massive spoiler. SO I'm thinking maybe these two today, next two tomorrow or tues?? and then i reckon I'm not gonna get a chance to finish writing the epilogue till after my exams, but the end is pretty conclusive so i won't be leaving u guys hanging or anything dw xD

Willa had spent the afternoon in a mixture of excitement and nervousness at the prospect of seeing them both again. Cara dropped her off outside Jared's and grinned dryly at her as she got out of the car.

"Have fun?"

Willa rolled her eyes.

"See you tomorrow Car. Love you."

"Love you too."

Isaac answered the door, and before Willa even had a chance to process how much better he looked he had thrown his arms around her and hooked his chin over her shoulder.

"Hey you," he said. Willa felt stupidly like crying.

"Hi there," she managed. He gave her a squeeze.

"Thank you for- everything."

She shrugged as best she could in his fierce hold and said,

"'Snothing."

Isaac snorted.

"Don't be silly," he told her fondly, then drew back with a small smile. "Now, d'you fancy coming in off the doorstep?"

----o----

Willa had thought it might be quite- painful, seeing her ex-boyfriend with the guy he was in love with. But the thing was that she loved them both so much that it almost wasn't painful, because they were happy (or getting there) and maybe that was all she'd wanted. It still hurt, of course, but she and Jared had always been friends first and foremost, and she'd had a bit of time to deal with it all now. She amused herself by casting herself as Harry facing Ron and Hermione. This could work. They were still her best friends.

They were still her best friends, yes, and it was beautiful to see Isaac so close to himself again. She couldn't help but smile whenever he smiled, laugh whenever he laughed just because he was smiling, and laughing, and making dorky jokes like he used to. It was such a tremendous relief to see that it made her feel sort of trembly.

They ate pizza and watched Age of Ultron illegally online ("So badass, J," teased Isaac, laughing when Jared threw a cushion at him). To be honest, Willa spent most of the evening trying to work out whether they were in a relationship or not. She almost came to the conclusion that they were, but that they didn't want to rub it in her face. Isaac for example would throw himself onto the sofa so close to Jared that they might as well be cuddling, and Jared would just automatically make space for him as if this was something they did all the time- and then Isaac would pause, as if remembering Willa, and shuffle a few inches away.

There was also all the little touches - the good-natured shoves when they were teasing each other and the skimming hand when one of them left the room to get something, Jared's fleeting touches at Isaac's back and waist when he passed him in the kitchen. Willa watched and thought they probably didn't even realise they were doing it, probably didn't even see how hilariously domestic they were in how they didn't ask what drink or ice cream or pizza or popcorn the other wanted because they knew, already.

Willa did feel jealous but it wasn't so much of Jared as it was of their relationship, so easy and natural. Your time will come, she reassured herself almost mockingly, laughing silently at herself because she was eighteen, for god's sake, and it was a little early to be feeling like some lonely spinster.

Isaac started yawning repeatedly during their third movie and he kept falling asleep on Jared's shoulder.

"I'm gonna head up to bed," he said eventually, stretching his arms out. His hair was all stuck up on one side and Jared reached out to ruffle it back into place. Willa almost rolled her eyes. They were such stupid, adorable little idiots.

"Okay," said Jared. "I'll be up in a bit."

Willa held out her arms for a hug, which Isaac dived back onto the sofa to give her.

"See you in the morning Wils. You're the best, okay?"

She laughed.

"Okay. Night Isaac."

Isaac got up to go, passing a hand automatically through Jared's hair as he rounded the sofa.

"See you later alligator," he sing-songed, and Jared snorted.

"Night dork."

Isaac huffed.

"Fuck you, you're supposed to say in a while, crocodile."

Jared just held his middle finger up without turning round and Isaac laughed, heading off up the stairs. Willa lasted all of two minutes before turning to Jared with a excitedly half-whispered,

"So you're together now?!"

Jared's eyes widened in comical shock.

"No?! We haven't- we haven't talked, yet, about that."

Willa just stared at him for a few moments and then loudly burst out laughing.