Fezco has to go to a parent/guardian meeting at Ash’s school, and he really doesn’t want to. Ash has had some problems with fights but does well in his classes.
But then Fez meets Ash’s English teacher, Miss Lexi Howard and….well being dragged into school doesn’t seem like a bad thing anymore.
They spoke every single day. Every. Single. Fucking. Day. About anything. Fezco would call up Lexi to talk and she would do the same. Laughing, smiling, sharing personal stuff. They consoled one another. One night Cassie didn’t come home. Lexi felt bad that she started to not even worry about her sister. To tell the truth, she didn’t feel like her sister anymore… Lexi missed the old Cassie. And Fezco was always there for her to talk to. He would sometimes just close his eyes and lay back, listening to her voice. He could listen to her forever. And she would do the same. As if they were meant to be there for each other.
————
Lexi laughed as she sat on her bed, knees up with a book faced down on her legs. Long forgotten as soon as she saw her screen light up with Fezco’s name.
“So what book was you readin’?” He asked.
Lexi actually forgot the item was still in her lap and blinked down at the book and then smiled.
“Oh! Erm…it’s just a collection of short stories from various writers.”
She looked at the cover and closed the book, putting it at the end of the bed and moved back to leaning against the headboard.
“You really are smart you know that?”
Lexi felt her cheeks burn. He would always do this. Compliment her, and she wasn’t used to it but the feeling she got was intoxicating.
“Fezco, I just read-“
“Nah, I remember when I first met you. And I thought, ‘damn.’ Especially when you started to come by more with Rue and hang out more. The shit you would say would just blow my mind shawty.”
Lexi smiled and bit let lip to hearing her nick-name. He started saying it a week ago and she loved it.
“You remember that?”
She heard and huffed laugh come through.
“Course I do. How can I not? Ya kno?”
————————-
Lexi thought back to that day.
Rue has asked her to hang out and of course she obliged. Rue told her they would just walk around, here and there and maybe get some food and watch a movie.
Sounded grand to Lexi.
“Can we stop by here? Get some things for…you know later and stuff?” Rue asked and shrugged a shoulder, narrowing her eyes from the bright sun, trying to see Lexi in the daylight.
Lexi nodded and walked towards the store. “Yeah sure.”
Her eyes went to the ice cream freezer and a drinks cooler that was outside.
“Hey, you want an ice cream?” She asked.
Rue was more focused on getting inside and talking to the dude she was told about but she didn’t want to go alone and thought well if Lexi did see anything she wouldn’t say anything.
She quickly looked at Lexi and let out a, “yeah, sure, yeah.”
And went into the store.
Lexi was looking over the freezer and cooler, wondering what to get.She opened and closed the door after struggling to open it for a bit and then looked up through the window right in front of her.And there he was.
She saw Fezco talking to Rue but only saw him properly when he stood up and opened the freezer door.
She was just staring at them wondering what Rue was doing until he leaned in as if being handed something and then handed it to Rue quickly.
Fezco said something to Rue and motioned his head to Lexi as he was looking at her. She quickly looked away from his stare and walked into the store to buy the ice cream she grabbed.
She walked in with an awkward smile and lifted her hand with the ice cream.
“I grabbed us these.”
Fezco looked up and down at her and he nodded his head.
“Good choice.”
Lexi looked at him and smiled.
“Lexi this is Fezco. Fezco this is Lexi.” Rue introduced them and shifted awkwardly as if she felt a little awkward.
Little did Lexi know why at the time.
“Lexi Howard.” Lexi pushed her hand forward and then cringed at herself.
“Sorry, I don’t know why I did that.”
Fezco let out a laugh and shrugged one shoulder.
“Nah, you got manners and shit. S’all good.” He went to shake her hand but was too slow as she brought her hand up to hide her embarrassment briefly.
“Do we need anything else Rue?” She asked her friend who stood there watching them. She shook her head, hiding her smile.
Lexi walked closer to the counter to pay until Fezco lifted a hand.
“Nah, you good. My treat.” He let out.
Lexi smiled and lifted her brows.
“Oh… thank you! …you-you sure?”
He nodded and grabbed a neatly rolled joint that was hidden behind his ear that she didn’t see. “Ye.”
Was all he replied and he shyly looked away.
“Anytime you guys wonna’ drop by, feel free, kay?”
Rue smiled to this and told him she would.
Lexi just smiled and nodded her head and looked away from the glances he was giving her.
———————
“Luckily you liked those ice creams….’cause it got you to keep comin’ back.” Fez laughed.
Lexi looked at the phone in her hands. “It wasn’t the ice cream.”
She swore she heard him chuckle out “aw shit”
“Well…for Rue it was something else….” Lexi’s voice went sad at the thought of her friend. Rue’d sudden loss of her dad and turning to anything to take her away from the pain she was feeling. To feel anything other than the pain or nothing at all seemed to be her goal most of all. She just wanted to see her dad again.
And so did Lexi.
And that was probably why she didn’t tell anyone about Rue. She was also missing her dad. But her circumstance was way different to Rue’s. Her dad was gone forever, no way to get in touch, or just the thought he was still around.
Lexi’s dad disappeared, yeah he wasn’t around but the thought that he was still breathing, that she knew of, was one of comfort compared to the thought of her dad no longer even existing.
“You….you know I was always hopin’ you would come back with her to the store ya’ kno?” His voice sounded so soft and quiet.
Her stomach felt like it dropped to hearing that, but in a good way. “Really?”
“Ye. Every time Rue would show up…I….I’d be like lookin’ for you. Times when you wasn’t there, damn Lexi I’d be so hurt.” He laughed at the end which made her laugh too.
He really liked her from the first time they met.
“Remember when I tried weed?” Lexi randomly let out. The memory was burned into her brain.
She cringed thinking about it. She though why the hell not when Rue suggested it.
They headed to Fezco’s house one day, but just sat in the living room. Not seeing the rest of the house, not that she can remember that really other than waking up to Fezco and Rue laughing, calling her Bobby and saying there was a fire.
She didn’t know Rue drew a beard on her face until she got home and Cassie said, “Nice new look.”
Fez giggled down the phone.
“Yeah, I was worried about you tryin’ it. Didn’t want you to feel like you had to…”
“…..I dressed up as Bob Ross for Halloween because of that day.” She confessed.
She couldn’t tell because she obviously couldn’t see him. But Fez was grinning widely now.
He knew she did, and he saw her at the party when he arrived dressed as Tony Montana.
He saw Rue and Lexi sat on the sofa at the party and went to go over and join them until some guy grabbed his elbow and asked him for some pills.
He glanced back over to them before turning his back to make the deal, but by the time he turned around he saw Rue and Lexi both stand and make their way over to the other side of the room to another sofa, watching Rue bend down and talk to some young kid and girl sat down.
Fez thought he best just find a place to chill since he just came here to deal and relax, choosing to go sit outside near the pool with less people. He took one more glance of Lexi stood there, blue shirt, fitted jeans, that wig on her head and he smiled to himself before heading outside.
“I saw you. I wanted to come say ‘hi’ but….you guys were busy and I had some shit to deal with. But I’m sorry I didn’t get to tell you how cool your costume was Lexi.”
She was blushing again. “Thanks”
She wanted to tell him she saw him too. She spotted him in his suit, the white substance over the front of it resembling Tony from Scarface. She wanted to go up and tell him he looked great and she liked that movie too.
She wanted to tell him she liked him all those years ago.
But she was just happy they were able to reconnect and feel as if they’d been talking every day since he looked at her through the window.
This post wasn’t for the romantic side, I just wanted to show Lexi and Fez’s interactions this season, but I wanted to clarify one information, for people to stop false speculation. In an interview Angus responded that Fez is a year older than the other teens, which means that while Lexi is 17, Fez is 18/19. I don’t know how they approached it, or if Lexi will end the show at 18, but it definitely should there is a clearer statement on this…
“ I’m excited for y'all to see how he kind of comes out of his hard shell a little bit and he kind of exposes his softer side. You see a little bit of his innocence and you see that he’s kind of been forced into this life, but he’s… What am I trying to say, exactly? He’s still a kid like everyone else. He might be a year older, but he had to act like an adult from such a young age. But his inner kid is still in there and you get to see it come out slightly. “
Sometimes you meet that one person in your life, the one that just makes sense. You don’t remember a time before them and can’t imagine one without them.
Fezco was your best friend. You first met back in high school, both dumb pothead freshman. You sat in the back of biology class, with slightly baggy cargo pants and a large black hoodie over.
“Hey Bro, you got a pencil?” Fez asked as he kicked your chair slightly to wake you up.
“Uh here.” You mumbled looking over and handing him a lead pencil. Who doesn’t bring a pencil first day of school?
“Pink? That’s a little girly” He asked giving you a goofy smile.
“I am a girl.” You said letting the hoodie fall off. Fez’s eyes widens noticing how pretty you where even with no makeup and the baggy clothes.
“Shit- my bad” He said hoping he didn’t fuck it up with his lab partner before the year even started.
But in fact it didn’t bother you at all, you never where one to flaunt your body, you didn’t like more attention on you. And that year that’s all it took for Fez to mingle his way in your life.
You almost wanted to hate him when he dropped out of school leaving you alone. You weren’t really alone, you had Rue and a few others but now you here a senior.
“Got any bud on you?” You asked before jumping on the counter of Fez’s convent store.
“You ain’t hang out with me for free weed” Fez teased as he looked over at you. He felt his cheeks slightly heat up when he noticed you wearing a tight tank top and a huge pair of sweat pants. Parts of your stomach was exposed and your boobs still looked pretty huge even if you only wore a sports bra. He wasn’t used to you showing skin. Since the day he met you, it was always baggy clothes.
Then something happened, he’s not sure when or why but you seemed more of a girl to him. You weren’t self concise about your body, you thought you had pretty good assets actually. But you just never wanted people to stare. You never had anyone to impress either so why not be comfortable all the time instead.
“I would never, I just ran out” You said as you where kicking your legs watching him stock the beer.
“You went through it that fast?” He asked giving you a look with a raised eyebrow.
“I had a lot of college essays to get through, couldn’t do it without being high” You huffed as you opened a soda.
“Hey Fez” You heard a shy voice. You looked up to se Lexi standing against the refrigerators.
“Lexi Howard, how are you?” He asked bring his attention to her.
“ I’m good.” He started but you just rolled your eyes before jumping off the counter and finding Ash in the back. You grabbed a rolled blunt smiling as you sent Ash an wink before taking it.
“Jesus Y/N, what did I tell you about smoking inside the store.” Fez said giving you a glare. Lexi was already making her way out the store.
“Sorry sorry. So you and Lexi?” You asked giving him a nudge.
“Nah I don’t know. She’s cool” Fez said not wanting to talk about it, especially with you.
“She’s pretty.” You admitted. sure you knew he kind of, you knew her sister Cassie way more.
“You into girls now ma?” Fez asked smirking.
“No it’s not like that gezz.” You said getting annoyed with this conversation already.
“You sure?” He said pushing you a little too much.
“High school boys are just dumb. Whats the point of dating? Bad sex and emotional damage? “ You asked before rolling your eyes and making your way out the store. It bothered you that Fez didn’t see you as anything else. It was probably the same as he saw Rue. Fez just sighed going back to work and not minding out little out burst.
“Do you think I’m ugly?” You asked out of no where making Rue let out a laugh. Beside Fez, Rue was your number one. You’ve stuck with her through the worst.
“What’s this about?” she said passing you back the blunt.
“Do you think Fez sees me as a guy or somthin?” You asked knowing Rue was pretty close to Fezco.
“No you just never give him the time of day to see you a different way.” She said honestly. She’s knows you pretty well.
“What’s that suppose to mean?” You asked looking up at her from your bed.
“Maybe dress up, show off that you can be more womenly or whatever.” Rue said thinking over what she was trying to say.
“I know the perfect person for this.” Rue said as her eyes got bright as if a light bulb went off.
That’s how you found yourself Friday at Jules house with Rue. She knew there was going to a house party and knew that Jules is the perfect person to help you dress up and feel confidant.
“This feels weird.” You huffed as Jules did your makeup. You weren’t new to makeup but the most you’d do would be mascara and your eye brows.
“ You look great, I wish I had this much ass.” Jules said as she perfected your cat eye. You wore a white spaghetti strap dress that clung to ever curve. It might have been a size or two too small since it was Jules’.
“I don’t think this is a good idea.” You said looking at yourself.
“No this is a great idea” Rue said laughing before pulling you along with Jules out the house.
The house was filled with drunk and high teenagers. The music was way too loud echoing almost. You felt too many eyes on you as you moved through the crowd with a drink. Your eyes darted to a certain someone leaning against the kitchen counter.
“Well look at you (y/l/n).” Fez said still not being able to comprehend that this was his best friend in front of him.
“Kind of Rue and Jules doing.” You said looking down at the mini dress. You had to admit you did feel pretty.
“For what?” Fez asked not knowing why’d you be dressed in this get up. To him you where always the prettiest in the room, it seemed like you drew attention even when you dressed like a 12 year old boy. Fezco never seemed to worry about boys around you, you always brunt their ego.
“You don’t like it?” You asked feeling a little self conscious under his stare.
“Nah ma, you like nice.” He said as a slightly pink blush came to his face that matched your own pink blush. But before you can say anything else someone came up to Fez to make a deal. And you knew better then to get involved with Fezco’s job.
That’s how you found yourself a few too many drinks in and stupidly dancing with Maddy and Cassie. Fez would bounce back from making deals to making sure to keep an eye on you. He knew this wasn’t good.
“I-m going to get another drink” You mumbled pushing yourself away from the crowd.
“Gross” You sighed looking at all the beer and half finished drinks everywhere.
“(y/n) never thought you would be hiding this much.” Nate voiced chimed in making you cringe as his eyes scanned every part of you.
“And?” You said not even bother to give him any attention as you grabbed the vodka and pouring it in a cup mixing it with soda.
“Do you want to dance? Or I have more booze in my truck?” Nate asked stepping a little too close to you.
“No thanks.” You said rolling your eyes. You weren’t best of friends with Maddy but everyone knew her and Nate’s on and off again toxic romance. And you wanted no part in any of it.
“Come on, why else would you come out looking like this?” He asked grabbing your wrist pulling you closer to himself.
“Fuck off Nate.” You mumbled trying to push away from him. As you turned bringing the drink to your lips you felt his hand on your upper arm puling you back.
“What the fuck.” You groaned as you felt the drink spill over you. And maybe wearing a tight white dress and no bra wasn’t the best idea.
“Holy shit.” Nate whispered with a smirk as he stared you down. He didn’t have a chance to do much else as Fez came up shoving him away from you. He lets you out of his sight for 5 minutes and your in a wet t shirt contest with Nate.
Fezco quickly slipped off his green sweat and pulled it over your head. He notice the look of dread in your glossed over eyes. It was the puppy eyes he could never say no to. He knew when your lip quivered you where either angry or about to cry.
“Ash take her to the car, we’re bout to roll out.” Fez said gently pushing you back to Ash.
“Fez don’t” You said reaching out grabbing his wrist. You knew he could get violent especially with Nate Jacobs.
“Please ma, Just go to the car.” Fez said with pleading eyes. He didn’t want you to see what he was about to do. Maybe if it was someone else he would’ve just took you and drove you back to his home. But it was Nate, and there was too much bad blood there.
“Yo really startin’ to become a pain in my ass.” Fez said not liking the smirk on Nate’s face.
“It wasn’t like that man.” Nate started to say but quickly got cut off when Fezco grabbed him by the shirt and pushed him up against the wall. Though Nate was taller he stood no chance against Fezco strength.
“I ain’t gonna beat the shit out of you again.” Fez said fuming with anger that he was trying to control.
“But you go near (y/n) you as good as dead.” Fez said glaring through Nate.
“What are you her guard dog? She shouldn’t be flaunting around like that if she didn’t want attention-” Fez couldn’t take it. He let his anger over as his fist kept hitting Nate.
“I ain’t gonna hold back next time. Leave her da fuck alone.” Fez said letting go of Nate letting him fall to the floor. He walked out to the car to seeAsh sitting in the back. Fez got in noticing you passed out as Ash held your hair from your face.
“She good?” Fez asked driving back towards their house.
“Yeah, ain’t ever see her this drunk before” Ash said not paying mind to his older bother. Fez kept stealing glances to make sure you where fine all the way home.
“Come on now Ma.” Fez said as he pulled you out the car. He quickly picked you up brining you in the house.
“Got to wake up lil ma.” He said as he sat you on top of the counter in his bathroom.
“No” You mumbled feeling like if you open your eyes you might throw up. Your whole body felt like it was spinning in motion.
“Got to get you cleaned up” He said as he took a wet wash cloth and pressed it to your forehead.
“mhmmm Fez” You whispered opening your eyes barley.
“Tonight sucked” You mumbled out finally feeling like you where a little more there in reality. You jumped off the counter slowly peeling the sweater off and throwing it in the hamper. Fez couldn’t help when his eyes darted to your wet dress that clung to everything.
“What you thinkin comin dressed like that?” Fez asked wanting to know what was going on in your head. He never had trouble before knowing everything going on with you. But this was really out of the blue for you.
“I was trying to be more.” You said still drunk in thoughts.
“More?” Fez asked desperate to get a real honest answer from you that actually made sense.
“Just more of a girl.” You said thinking of how to word your scrambled thoughts without sounded like a complete dumbass.
“You are a girl?” Fez pressed since this still wasn’t making any sense to him.
“I just wanted you to look at me differently.” You confessed rolling your eyes at your best friend who still held a puzzled look. He watched your every move as you walked to turn on the shower. Your body felt so sticky, the dress felt too tight and you swore you could hear your own heart rate pounding through your head.
“I just thought I could be more pretty.” You said as he walked closer to you.
“Your so damn pretty. Why you got to make it weird. Thought I was more to you then that.” Fez said finally putting the pieces together.
“Didn’t feel like you saw me more then some bro.” You said as your hands rested on his chest as he cornered you against the counter.
“You are my bro, you my best friend. Your my family. I ain’t got much but your the most important constance in my life ma.” Fez confessed as his hand came to hold your waist.
“I love you. I ain’t good with words but thought you knew that ma?” He said slowly leaning down his eyes almost begging for some sober response from you.
“I love you stupid, why didn’t you ever just make a move or something?” You asked hitting his chest.
“Why didn’t you?” He said as he made you look up at him.
“touche” You whispered leaning closer to him. His lips pressed against your sending a shiver down your spin. It felt like your body was acting on it’s own as your gripped on to him like dear life. Fez pulled you up as you legs wrapped around his waist. He never felt like this, like everything just made sense. The kiss felt like it was everything and he couldn’t get enough of you.
“Fez” You whimpered as he forced himself to pull away from you.
“Just shower, I ain’t takin you drunk.” He said still a little breathless from the kiss.
“I’m not drunk” You huffed out but you knew you had no room to argue with him.
“Please (y/n)” He said nodding to the shower. You gave up pulling off the dress making Fez freeze. He never seen you like this, and maybe you still had a little bit of drunk confidence. You slipped into the shower as Fez walked out the bathroom.
When you where done you slipped out finding a pair a sweats and hoodie folded on the counter for you. It was your favorite hoodie of his. You walked back into his room to find him in his bed on his phone.
“How you feelin?” He asked lifting the blanket so you could join him.
“Not great.” You mumbled curling up at his side like you’ve done many times before.
“Ight go to sleep, tomorrow gonna be a new day.” Fez said wrapping his arm around you. He was right, too much has happened today.
“I love you ma.” He whispered before pressing you closer to him. You smiled letting sleep finally take over knowing you theres no other place you’d rather be then here with Fezco.
When Rue is reading the last part of her dads eulogy; it parallels what Fez is experiencing. it’s right after Fez watches Ash be killed.
First she says “I was in the hall when you died”
Then she goes on
“Maybe the reason losing you felt like a movie is because it’s part of a larger story. Maybe one that I could still shape.”
While she’s speaking, the camera is focused on Lexi’s note. It’s being trampled, but it’s intact; unopened. The metaphor is a little heavy handed, but it’s clear.
Fez losing Ash is the catalyst for him to leave the drug business and hold on to Lexi.
It’s also not lost on me that the next scene after ash died is Lexi waking up to find out her dad is in the hospital.
Is it time to use all my experience as a teacher to write a “Lexi as a teacher, Ash as her student, Fez as his older brother/legal guardian” AU? perhaps…
I’m seeing the post-finale explorations and AUs starting to roll in on ao3 and I just want all y'all to know how grateful I am for each and every one of them
I don’t think you understand, I will forever be TRAPPED in that moment where Fez’s tone changes and he stumbles on his words a bit as he says “they got three kids in that show”
im actually trembling, shaking, HYPERVENTILATING, thinking about a fexi hug. it would be perfect. they would be perfect. fez’s hands around her waist, lexi’s arms around his neck. fez’s face buried inbetween her neck and shoulders, lexi’s hands resting on the back of his head.
don’t talk to me I’m unstable
istg i no longer have life i breathe and see and hear fexi
I relate to her on a spiritual level: always in the shadows, been the only one with nothing going on romantically when left and right people are always experiencing love and talking about sex and whatnot. She’s not a wild like everybody else, but at least in comparison with them, she feels real, because her struggles are real. She can be awkward, introverted, she can talk too much and say stupid things or never says the right thing. She thinks too much about what happened over the day and wallows in regret for the things she could’ve done differently. She fantasizes about a different life where people would listen to her and understand her. She longs for something everyone else seems to have, but she is out of reach for her, whatever that might be.
Enter Fez.
The bad boy with a golden heart, the only one that can truly see her. She is different, out of his league, his world, and he knows it. I’m already talking as if they’ve been in love for 10 seasons, but I feel like their chemistry is off the charts. They can be good to each other in a forbidden, frowned upon sort of romance. He’ll show her the ways of love and be her first boyfriend. Never pressuring her into anything, worring about her and treating her right. And she’d see the good in him, maybe try to “fix” him.
I think every good girl that rarely ever got male attention (and honestly I don’t even know is sexual orientation matters, cause, well… patriarchy :)))) dreamed of this kind of boy. The boy people would whisper about and wonder what the hell he sees in her and viceversa. I still dream of bringing such a guy to my highschool reunion as if I have something to prove.
If this ship ever sails, it will be like a win for girls like us, like Lexi. But I still think it’s a beautiful fantasy, an impossible scenario nonetheless, because the bad boy with the golden heart and the good girl That Can Be And Do More never meet and fall in love.
