Brightside | ✓

39 | canned heat

"Oh my god," Cruella said. "Axel, you have candy dust on your jacket—"

Axel looked down and brushed it off quickly. "My bad. Thanks."

Moxie looked like she wanted to throw up. "Can't believe I'm showing up here with a straight man."

"You and me both," Eddie said. Axel elbowed her in the side and she fought a small burst of laughter. She elected to give his hand a squeeze instead.

"He's not even the only straight man here," Cruella so aptly pointed out.

"Thank you."

"That was not a comment in your favour," Cruella said.

Axel made a face. "Doesn't that put me in the company of Brendon Ellis? Sounds like a compliment to me."

"Don't you dare compare yourself to Bash," Moxie said.

"My bad." Axel dug into his pocket and pulled out a small pack of Sour Patch Kids. He'd bought an entire fun-size box when he and Eddie had gone shopping, she assumed it was for the ride home. Easier to shoot a small bag while driving. Red carpets worked too. "Payment for my sins."

Moxie snatched it from him. "I'm not saying thank you."

"That's okay." Axel shrugged.

"I wasn't asking for your permission."

"Okay."

"Oh, look!" Cruella said. Before Moxie and Axel could fight each other on the carpet. "Stevie and Maverick are here."

"Is that really going to make this better—" Eddie protested.

"Hello, my fellow queers," Stevie said, "... And Axel."

Eddie stole a packet of candy from his pocket and downed the Swedish Berries before she could complain she hadn't pulled the Fuzzy Peaches. Because her sister was phenomenal, she quickly tucked her wrapper in the pocket of her dress.

"I've been known as a fake lesb—" Axel started.

"Stop," Eddie said. She quickly pulled her phone out to check if she'd gotten any gummy in her teeth while the attention was on her boyfriend. All clear.

Moxie threw a candy at him. "Someone stop this imposter."

And because he was a healer and she was an unlicensed therapist, Brendon Ellis and Everleigh Meadowlark arrived in tow. Because the tall people stuck together like that. Axel should've joined them and they could've eaten Eddie's blue Sour Patch Kids together.

"Oh."

Eddie looked at her boyfriend who had never looked more like she didn't exist—in the best way possible. When Eddie realized she was bisexual, she was 10. The Incredibles came out in October. August saved her summer job money to take Indy and Eddie to see it in theatres. Eddie saw Elastigirl and it was over. She didn't look anywhere else the entire runtime of the movie. The only time she had, it was because she wanted to see if Indy was having the same reaction or if she was some sort of weird. And, well, twin telepathy.

The look on Indy's face in 2004 was almost identical to the look on Axel's face when he saw Brendon Ellis for the first time in person. Which could've been nothing.

It was Eddie's turn to elbow him in the side. "You good?"

"Hot. Fine." Axel cleared his throat when his voice cracked. "Yeah."