Commissions

Spencer/Ava #2

(Commission for @/flowerhound on Tumblr)

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"I still think I want a school of tetras, first." 

Spencer sighed as the automatic doors opened with a soft whoosh, admitting him and his girlfriend into the cool, brightly lit store. They'd had this argument the entire car ride here, and it seemed it wasn't going to end anytime soon. 

"But I read that platies are very hardy, and good for beginners," he said tiredly, glancing around. The aquarium supply superstore wasn't much of a "super"store--it was about the size of a McDonald's and smelled of saltwater. The walls were lined with glass tanks; brightly colored dots flashed back and forth in the crystal water, stretching up to the ceiling. It felt like being underwater, and Spencer wondered if the effect was intentional. 

"So are tetras," Ava retorted, making her way through an aisle of plastic tank ornaments toward the wall of fish. "And they're so much prettier! Their scales are, like, iridescent." 

Spencer followed, trotting to keep up. Ava's legs were shorter, but years of speed-walking down hospital hallways had made her annoyingly fast. "I think most fish scales are iridescent," he pointed out.  

She ignored him and continued toward the tanks. 

When Ava had first announced that she wanted a full aquarium for her apartment, Spencer had been skeptical. Aquariums were expensive, and as far as he knew, the hobby was complicated at best for beginners. And Ava was always so busy; did she really have time for a full community aquarium of several different fish species? 

But she had insisted that her apartment was lonely, and then pulled up several articles on the de-stressing effect that aquariums supposedly had. The news that she was receiving a substantial raise at the end of the month only made her more certain that she needed an aquarium, and a movie night featuring a Blue Planet documentary was the final nail in the tank lid. And so it was that Spencer was spending his Saturday helping her pick out her first school of fish. 

Upon reaching the wall of tanks, they were stopped short by the beautiful array of aquatic animals on display. Betta fish with long, flowing fins; stunningly striped angel fish; long-whiskered Cory catfish; long, ribbon-like loaches--there were so many species in so many different colors, neither of them were sure where to start first. 

Spencer's attention was drawn to a school of little yellow-and-black fish, swimming serenely in and out of a driftwood log. The sign read Variatus Platy. 

"Look, Avie. Here's the platies I was talking about. Aren't they cute?" 

But Ava wasn't paying attention. She was intently watching a school of tiny blue-and-red fish, their brightly colored scales flashing in the light. "Neon tetras," she announced, leaning closer to peer at the tank. "And look, they have other kinds, too!" Sure enough, in another part of the tank was a school of the same fish; but these were black and silver. Mixed in with these were flashes of iridescent orange-and-white. 

"Those are pretty," Spencer had to admit. The platies had a cuter fin shape, but the tetras were so bright and lively. 

Ava glanced over, noticing the tank of platies. "Oh, but these are so charming." She watched the fish, seeming suddenly torn between the two tanks. "They're all so cute!" 

"We can look at tank decorations and come back," Spencer suggested, touching her arm. He knew she'd end up taking all the fish home if she could, and he had to admit that he couldn't blame her. 

Tearing herself away from the glass, Ava nodded and followed him down an aisle of tank ornaments and decorative gravel. There was a surprisingly wide selection; the strangest assortment of fake skulls and plastic pirate ships sat nestled among stone castles and tiny cars. There were lots of miniature buildings, including a firehouse (An underwater firehouse. Ironic, thought Spencer), a garage, a schoolhouse (...Oh. I get it), and--

Ava gasped. "Oh, I have to have this one. It's too perfect." Grinning, she picked up the miniature hospital and examined it excitedly. 

Spencer smiled. "Absolutely. And look," he said, picking up a heavy aquarium tree in the shape of a stethoscope. "Even better!" 

Ava's face lit up and she squeezed his arm in delight. "I'm so glad I picked this store." 

Before Spencer could point out that he had actually chosen the first aquarium store in the Google nearby search results, a different thought came to him. "You know, if you can't decide on a first fish species, you could always get a nurse shark." 

It took her a moment. When she realized, she smacked his shoulder and began marching back to the wall of tanks. "Hilarious." 

Grinning, he trotted after her. "Seriously, though. If you can't decide on a species, take my advice and get the platies," he said, watching her as she admired the fish. "I know it's not my aquarium, but--" 

"What if it were? Then we could get both." 

Spencer stopped, staring at her. What? 

"Sorry, what?" he stammered, unsure if he'd heard her correctly. 

"What if it were our aquarium. In our apartment. Then we could get both species, and both be happy." She said it simply, as if it were not a wonderfully life-changing proposition that meant much more than just a shared school of fish. 

He tried not to sound over-eager in his answer. "In that case..." Taking her hand, he squeezed it, watching her reflection in the glass. "I really think we should get the platies." 

Ava grinned and squeezed his hand back. "Tetras it is, then."