ACROSS THE UNIVERSE - A Petrigrof AU! (Simon Petrikov x Betty Grof)

Babs

Just as the two made it to the door, someone knocked on it from the other side.

It was strange, Simon wasn't expecting any visitors. No one in this universe knew him, no one ever came to his place, so why now? The timing made it awkward as well, he was right by the door, but now he'd have to wait a few seconds to open it...

"Were you expecting visitors...?" Betty asked, though she was sure he wasn't, given the unkept state of his apartment.

"No, I wasn't. What could someone want at such an early hour?" Simon spoke in a hushed tone, hoping the person outside didn't hear—he didn't want whoever was there knowing that he was talking about them from behind the door.

Simon slowly opened the door...

And in came Babette.

"You've got some audacity!" Babette said angrily as she came marching in. "Who gave you the right to harvest MY best friend's organs! You—"

"Babs!" Betty interrupted. "My organs and I are right here! He didn't try to hurt me."

Babette immediately turned her attention to Betty.

"Betty! I was worried sick about you..." she said, pulling in her friend for a hug.

"You... must be Babette!" Simon said, adjusting his tie—yes, he slept in a suit and tie, of course he did—and clearing his throat. "I'm Simon, it's nice to meet you! I've heard good things from Betty, here."

Not necessarily good things... but she didn't need to know that.

"Yeah, uh... sorry about the whole stalking you outside the karaoke club and following you home then sleeping outside the apartment complex you live in thing." Babette said apologetically. "No hard feelings, right?"

"Right, right... I understand." Simon replied, waving off what she just said as if it wasn't insane.

...

"Wait what?" Betty asked.

"Oh, nothing. We should get going." Babette replied nervously, hoping Betty wouldn't press, which she didn't.

And so, Simon watched the two girls leave. He was somewhat relieved Babette had stalked him, as weird as that sounded. At least now he wouldn't have to drive while hungover. Not that it would be any worse than the drunk driving he did last night.

Or did he?

He didn't remember, but he saw his car parked outside, so it figures that he did...

**BETTY POV**

Betty walked away from Simon's apartment, hand in hand with Babette. She waited until she was sure she was out of Simon's earshot to start nonstop yapping about him.

"That was dangerous, Betty." Babette said.

"No it wasn't, he wouldn't have hurt me. He was a total sweetheart! He made me a big breakfast, let me use his shower, and— and—"

"And it was reckless. Are you even sure he didn't poison the breakfast?"

"He didn't, and it was delicious!"

The two girls got into Babette's car and Betty continued to swoon over Simon.

"He's so proper and polite, and he has such a cute little apartment! Oh and he gave me these clothes, don't they look so... so..."

Betty looked down at the green turtleneck Simon had given her.

It was... comfortable, but it wasn't her style.

"...Distinctive!"

Babette rolled her eyes. "It looks good, but only because you're the one wearing it. What happened to the clothes you came with? Did that weirdo eat them or something?"

"No! I mean... maybe? I think I left them in his bathroom..." Betty rubbed her head, still slightly hungover from last night. "Ah, well... that'll give me an excuse to come over unannounced sometime."

**BABETTE'S POV**

The date? Saturday night. The time? 7:00 pm sharp. That's when he knocked on the door. Was this weirdo Betty was seeing waiting outside just to knock on the door at the right time...?

Babette crossed her arms and scowled at the man outside the door as he left with her best friend.

He really thought it would be that easy, didn't he?

But no, oh no...

Babette waited until the two were in Simon's car before grabbing Betty's keys which she'd left behind and getting into her car, promptly following the two.

Once they arrived, she sat outside the karaoke club in the car, which was parked across the street. Thinking, waiting, thinking some more... what kind of man was Simon anyway? He was old, he looked like he'd be some kind of creep. She figured he must be.

She wouldn't be surprised if that's the reason Betty was so attracted to the man, given her history.

What kind of guy wears a suit and tie to a karaoke club?

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of waiting, the two stumbled out of the club, drunk as hell. Betty definitely seemed more drunk than Simon, though. She wondered if he'd spiked her drink, and the thought was enough to make her want to march up to him right then and there and rip that cute bow tie right off him, then shove it down his old man throat.

But, there was still a chance that her assumption wasn't true, and that would ruin their date... so she contained herself.

Simon and Betty got into Simon's car and Babette followed in Betty's car.

She followed them to Betty's house, parking down the street so that she wouldn't be noticed...

...Then watched them drive away? This wasn't right... why was he driving away? Where was he taking her? Alarms were going off in Babette's mind— this wasn't supposed to be happening.

She followed them to wherever Simon was going, still keeping her distance.

Eventually she pulled into... an apartment complex? Okay, now this was definitely sketchy.

She watched Simon get out of the car and then walk to the passenger's side.

She watched him get the sleeping Betty and pick her up, struggling. She giggled at this, because he kinda looked like a wet noodle trying not to drop her.

And... she wasn't sure why, but she wasn't worried about Betty, suddenly. She tried to be, but she just... wasn't. She seemed like she was in good hands.

Or noodle arms, rather.

But she wasn't going anywhere. She'd sleep in the car tonight, and if she heard police sirens, she wouldn't hesitate to walk right up to this Simon guy's apartment and shove the nearest boot she could find right up his ass.