Chapter Text
Laurie was not proud of the person he had become. It wasn’t as if he was a disappointment, he just wasn’t sure there was much of him left, then again, he hadn’t really been his own person before. Most of him was lost after the death of his parents, and he’d let the socialites of Concord shape him into a version constructed of their destructive traits. Then there was Jo, the girl he loved too much. He knew that, but he never thought it was a bad thing. He was just a boy who loved a girl, one of the simplest things in the world, yet it consumed him in the worst ways possible.
He never felt that way about Amy.
They say that falling in love is like falling asleep, slowly and then all at once. Somewhere along the way, that’s what happened to Laurie and Amy. At least he thought so. All his life, she had been there, more than he’d cared to admit.
He still remembered her being twelve years old and wide eyed. Her little blond braids and the very specific type of pencils she carried everywhere. Then she was sent away to live with Aunt March, and that was the first time Laurie saw her as something more than Jo’s little sister. Admittedly and he was ashamed to say this, Amy had always struck him as a little vain when they were younger.
That had all changed after Beth got sick. She was different on the drive there. Quiet, reserved, very unlike the prim and proper girl he’d known. Somewhere along the ride they had shared a moment, where he’d looked into her eyes and saw desperation. It was a desperation born from pain, fear, and love. It was clear Amy loved her family, and it was then Laurie realized Amy sometimes morphed herself to accommodate what her family needed. Perhaps parts of her were created by others just as he was.
Then, Amy turned fourteen and they were going to private school together because Aunt March decided Amy was going to be a part of high society. Suddenly she wasn’t a wide eyed little girl. She was all grown up. Her blond braids were replaced with golden curls, her eyes lost their childlike sparkle leaving behind a bright curiosity. All her hand-me-down clothes, like Meg’s old jean skirts, Jo’s outgrown t-shirts, and Beth’s rugged sweaters, that had never quite fit her right, were gone. Aunt March had made sure she had a brand new wardrobe to go with her brand new persona.
She wasn’t the same person she was at school than she was at home, Laurie noted. In the privacy of her home, she was quieter, choosing to spend more time with her paints. She was less cautious of all her actions, not so worried about the way she walked, what she said, how she said it. At school, she was bold and popular. They loved Amy because she wanted them too. She said charming words and batted her eyelashes, flirting her way into a grand social life. He thought she was beautiful, he’d always thought she was beautiful. But Laurie was naive then, Jo was still constantly on his mind, and Amy was still just Amy.
Laurie was sure he loved her then, he wasn’t sure why he never noticed.
“When is our next trip?” Xander, Laurie’s best friend, announced and threw his arms around their other traveling companions. Laurie had lagged further behind the group, preferring to watch people.
“We just settled down in Paris, Xander.” Laurie replied. “Let’s stay for a while.”
“Tired of the lifestyle already?” Xander prodded. Quite honestly, Laurie didn’t have an opinion. He didn’t mind traveling around the world, just going about his life doing what he wanted, but there was something meaningless about it.
“No-” Laurie began, but was abruptly cut off by the high pitched sounds of his name.
“Laurie!” She cried, the familiar sound sending adrenaline through his body. “Laurie! Laurie!”
He turned around sharply and he couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face. Amy March was running towards him and she quite literally sparked more emotion in him than anything in the last year. Her golden curls had grown softer, probably to match with the Paris aesthetic, but she was clad head to toe in her signature baby blue color. Laurie was sure there wasn’t a day he hadn’t seen her in anything but. He missed Concord, he missed the March’s, sometimes he thought he missed Jo, but he definitely missed Amy.
“Amy!” He called, and his feet were moving towards her unconsciously, catching her small frame as she collided into his arms. She smelled clean and sweet, something akin to home but something new. He spun her around in his arms, and tightened his grip before lightly placing her on the floor. He didn’t let go of her hands. He didn’t want to. “ My God, look at you!”
Her cheeks were pink and she was just as he remembered her, poised and elgenat. “You said you were going to meet me at my school.” Amy said in a rushed breath, still ragged from running after him.
It was true. He had caught wind from his grandfather that Amy was in Paris. At the time, he and his friends had been traveling in Zurich when his grandfather had called with his weekly lecture and check-in. Laurie was sure his grandfather intended for him to end up in Paris just by the tone in which he’d casually mentioned Amy’s name. Despite the obvious ploy, Laurie had convinced his friends to get on a plane the next day and they’d moved into a temporary estate in the center of the city. Laurie would be lying if he said she was partially the reason he wanted to settle in Paris for a while. He had texted her and had gone to her school, he waited at the front and caught a glimpse of her leaving with her friends. She was stunning, bright, her mouth contorted into a wide grin as she engulfed her friends in a hug. The sight of her, all grown up and making a life for herself, it just reminded Laurie he wasn’t, and it was a bit too much for him to handle, so he'd left. He drank a little more than usual that night.
“I couldn’t find you anywhere.” He lied, his eyes still trained firmly on hers and their fingers were slowly intertwining. The familiarity and warmth comforted him, something he hadn’t felt in a long time. Her hand had always fit perfectly with his, when they were young and that hadn’t changed now that they were older.
“Well maybe you didn’t look hard enough.” She accused him with a sweet smile on her face. Her voice was softer than it used to be. It was more controlled and elegant, probably a result of being away from her sisters. Something about being with the March’s always bore chaos. Perhaps she’d been gone just as long as he had.
“Well maybe I didn’t recognize you because you’re so beautiful.” He retorted cheekily. She blushed a light pink and wrinkled her nose. He almost reached out to caress her cheek.
“Oh, stop it.” Amy said and rolled her eyes at him. He scoffed and turned his head.
“I thought you liked that sort of thing.” Laurie said, instantly reminded of all the boys that used to fawn over Amy, attention she flourished under. She was smart about it though, flirting back just enough to keep them following her.
“Where’s your grandfather?” She asked, looking around, behind him if he might pop up and greet her.
“He’s in Germany.” Laurie replied, finally letting go of her hands. He felt like he didn’t have a right to hold onto her. Not after he’d avoided everyone after Jo. “Still traveling, I’m traveling with my friends-”
“Flirting, and gambling, and drinking.” She scoffed lightly. He laughed softly and nodded, but the truth to her words reminded him once again that he hadn’t been doing anything worthwhile.
“Yes, well, don’t tell your mother.” Laurie said, and to his credit, he did feel semi guilty about the thought of Marmee being disappointed in him. She’d taken him in after his parents died and filled a maternal role without replacing his own.
“Are you chasing some young girl across Europe?” Amy asked. Laurie almost laughed at the irony, because he was quite literally chasing after her. Not that he would tell her of course, it wasn’t as if he wasn’t chasing her in the same way assumed he was chasing someone else.
“No.” Laurie answered simply, his tone slightly melancholy. It was the first time he’d seen her in almost a year and that was the second time he lied to her. It was also a sharp reminder about Jo, how he’d loved her, how she didn’t love him back. It reminded him of their last encounter, which always left his heart feeling bitter.
“I-I, couldn’t believe Jo turned you down, I’m so sorry.” Amy said, and although her words were short, she meant them, and Laurie knew it too. It didn’t surprise him she had some semblance of what had happened. The March sisters never kept very much from each other. Besides, he had left soon after his fight with Jo, and while he felt a lot of anger and remorse over what had happened between them, he still felt the regret over not at least offering Amy an explanation or a goodbye.
“Don’t be, Amy, I’m not.” He amended and smiled softly at her. He’s uttered those words to Xander, to his grandfather, to his friends many times before, but he’d never quite met them. He wasn’t even sure he met them when he said it to Amy, but it definitely felt different, like he could mean them eventually. He supposed Amy had that effect on him, she’d always had.
He wanted to say something more to her. Tell her he was sorry he left, that he missed her, something she deserved. He just never got the chance.
“Amy!” Three girls came running after the youngest March. One striking and dark, the other very much a blonde French model, and the last very sweet and pretty with a semblance to Meg.
“Oh my.” Amy said guilty. “I think I might’ve scared my friends.”
Before he could get a word in, the Meg-like girl collided into Amy. “Are you alright?” She asked as soon as they caught up to her.
“I’m fine, Lottie.” Amy said and patted her hands. “You guys I want you to meet someone,” she said and forced all three of her friends to quiet down and look at Laurie. “This is Laurie, Laurie these are my friends, Gabby, Dominique, and Lottie.”
“Hello.” Laurie greeted them and couldn’t help but chuckled as they sized him up. Well, it was more of the former two who were looking him up and down, while the latter girl stared sweetly, but still had a questioning look in her eyes.
“What about us?” Xander called out, his British accent thick as he dragged along the rest of the entourage and stopped just in front of Amy.
“Right, right.” Laurie said and motioned for his friends to stand before the girls. “Amy, these are the friends I’m traveling with, William, Elijah, Christian, and well you already know Xander.”
Xander had met Amy back when they were all going to private school together in Concord. He was as charming and loyal as they come. As soon as Laurie had decided to leave for Europe after graduation, Xander was on the plane right beside him. Since then, the two of them had been together.
Unsurprisingly, Xander loved Amy.
“Well, well, look at you, Amy!” Xander announced, grabbing her offered hand and twirling her around before pulling her close and planting a kiss to each of her cheeks. “Still as gorgeous as ever.”
“Still a flirst, I see.” Amy retorted, leaning into his touch. She adored him just as much as he adored her.
“I figured I’d let you have your reunion with Laurie first so I could have your full attention.” He smiled.
“It’s nice to see you, Xander.” Amy murmured, her tone full of affection.
“This is lovely and all.” Dominique interrupted. “But we have to go, Amy, we’re going to be late.”
“Late for what?” Laurie asked automatically. He felt an unfamiliar disappointment at the thought of her leaving. Laurie wasn’t even sure why he did it, but he grabbed her hand and ran his thumb across her knuckles. Her hand curled into his and he smiled down at short frame. His breath hitched, and he hoped she hadn’t heard it.
“Our school is having a charity ball tonight and we have to get some of our assignments in before it starts.” Amy explained, but Dominique was already pulling her away. “Oh, you should all come!”
“We’d love to.” Xander said and smiled flirtatiously at Amy. She winked at him and laughed lightly.
“Meet me at our apartment.” Amy said and looked expectantly at Laurie, she wasn’t asking, she was telling. He nodded at her and grasped her hand one more time before their fingers slipped apart. “Eight o’clock.” Amy said while Gabby dragged her away. “Top hats and silks!” She called one more time before she was shoved into the car.
“You didn’t tell me she was in Paris.” Xander mentioned coyly, throwing his arm around Laurie. He wasn’t paying attention though. He was watching the car drive away, the feeling of her hand still perfectly imprinted in his.
“How did you know I knew?” Laurie mocked. Xander didn’t respond, and Laurie wasn’t sure he wanted to hear the answer anyway.
Laurie supposed that might’ve been when he began to fall in love with her