Work Text:
It started on a Thursday evening.
She had just finished a round of grading, one filled with countless rounding errors and not a lot of As, when there was a knock on the front door. Nora, being in her office, wasn't able to get there as fast as Abbey, who was somewhere on the ground floor.
After starting and finishing a second batch of last night's homework assignments—mostly Bs, much better!—she left the comfort of her desk chair to see who had been at the door. Her curiosity over who it could be nipped at the back of her mind the entire time she was crossing out answers.
She didn't get many visitors, and even less on a school night. The only monsters who tended to stop by were Viktor and Viveka Stein, and that was always for a cup of tea or to ask how Frankie was doing in her classes. Any other associates visited her during her office hours (coworkers and parents), on the weekends (rarely), or required her to be at their own residence for a meeting (Dracula, of course).
Unless it was an emergency, nobody should be at her home right now. That thought was the main reason she rushed to get through her self-appointed grading session. She never allowed herself to leave (to freshen up, to check on Nightmare, or to make dinner) until it was all completed.
But since Abbey didn't come and get her, it couldn't possibly be an emergency. Plain and simple, the only option was that someone had come for Abbey.
Now, that didn't entirely narrow it down because Abbey was quite the popular monster. She had struggled at first—as Abbey's parents had predicted she would, mostly due to a cultural difference—but now she had a main group of ghouls who always stuck by her.
Nora was very satisfied that it was Frankie and her friends who welcomed Abbey into their group, as there were certainly worse options. She didn't have any favorite students (she definitely did), but Nora knew that some students at Monster High could exhibit... less than favorable behavior at times.
Abbey was in good hands. She had been in good hands for a while, actually; the cultural clash with Frankie was so long ago that it was ancient history (for a ghoul who was 16, of course).
And Abbey's friends visited often: to drag her along on an impromptu adventure, to check up on her when she was feeling down and homesick, to drop off their homework instead of waiting for class to roll around...
So why did this time feel different?
Nora's steps down the staircase were heavy, purposefully, to allow Abbey to know she was coming down.
It was still a new experience for Nora to be hosting a student in her home, even after housing Abbey for the past two years. She was trying her best to balance Abbey's privacy with her safety, though Nora struggled to think of a thing in the world that Abbey couldn't protect herself against.
At the halfway point, she recognized Abbey's... unique laughter, a low grunting sound. It took a lot to bring that sound out of her. Always had.
The final step creaked slightly, and Nora lingered, not quite knowing how to proceed.
Abbey was next to the open door, blocking her view of whoever was standing on the doorstep. Interestingly enough, her arm was bent at the elbow as if she was holding something.
The monster on the other side spoke and Nora just barely missed what was said. Abbey responded quickly with a touch of laughter to her tone.
"You is funny boy, but must be going now. Headmistress Headless being very busy. Not to be disturbed." She paused. "Thank you... for gift."
Just when it seemed like Abbey would pull away, she turned back.
"Tomorrow morning. Same place. Don't be late this time. Was 'fashionably late' last time, but if you late again, I will think fashion not the only thing on fire."
"Wait, you think my clothes are—"
Click. She shut the door in the visitor's face. Now turned towards the stairwell, Nora was finally able to see what she held in her hands.
A bouquet of flowers.
Through Nora's limited knowledge, they appeared to be chrysanthemums, or primroses, perhaps both. They ranged from deep violet to a blindingly bright white, with a few blue flowers spaced out around the edges.
The bouquet was wrinkled and the colors were so extreme that the whole ensemble clashed, but that wasn't what Nora was focused on.
"Aren't you allergic?"
Abbey hummed thoughtfully. She waved a hand, brushing it off like it was no big deal.
"If open window, should be fine."
Whenever she glanced at the flowers, a small smile sprung up on her face. The edges of her mouth quivered like she was trying to fight it but wasn't having much luck. Fading light through the window cut across her face, revealing hints of a blush.
Oh.
So this was... romantic?
Nora moved to grab for a vase. This particular one was pushed to the back of her cupboard, an old relic. It had probably been around 100 years since she had used it last.
One quick wash later, she passed the vase over to Abbey. The yeti had to adjust her hold on the flowers to keep them from further damage. She carefully set them in the vase, the way a mother would lay a baby in a cradle.
Nora considered asking her who they were from, but that felt a little too personal of a question for a family friend to be asking. Not to mention that she was Abbey's headmistress. There were certain social etiquettes she was expected to uphold, and she took her job very seriously.
So, Nora took a step back.
She placed her head on the counter and set to making dinner—tonight was going to be blood beet soup with a finish of ginger tea and scones slathered with marmalade.
Abbey almost always helped her prepare dinner, whether that be cooking or setting the table. Once, Abbey even attempted to make her breakfast in bed, but Nora always woke up far too early for that to be feasible. Still, she had appreciated the effort.
Tonight, Abbey was distracted. She had a far off look in her eyes, and brows that stayed creased in thought, even as she stirred the soup at just the right temperature, something that had always come naturally for the girl thanks to her yeti upbringing.
"Will be right back," she said, once her help was no longer needed. On her way out, she grabbed the vase to take with her to the guest room she'd been staying at on the second floor.
A few seconds after Abbey rounded the corner, Nora realized...
The stems of the flowers were burnt.
Over the next few days, the signs became impossible for her to ignore. What had been transpiring before was suddenly obvious in a way Nora had failed to notice.
On Friday morning, Abbey was waiting by the door a few minutes earlier than usual, ready for their trip to school. She flexed her fingers. She shifted her foot. All things considered, she seemed a bit more eager than normal, and it didn't go unnoticed.
'Same place', huh?
Saturday, Abbey informed her that she would be out for most of the day. When Nora pressed her for details (out of a safety concern), Abbey said she'd be going to the movies with a friend.
When she returned, five minutes later than their agreed-upon time, she wore a flushed face and a guilty look. For a split second, Nora wondered if the flush was from trying to get back in time for curfew... or something else entirely. She didn't hold it against the ghoul, but only because Abbey was usually mindful of curfew and always kept her updated without Nora ever having to ask.
And if Abbey was late but safe, then something—or someone—had made her lose track of time.
The final straw, the confirmation of what Nora had suspected ever since she first heard Abbey's laughter in the foyer, came in an oddly mundane way.
Abbey was doing homework in her room, and sent Nora on a quest to fetch her iCoffin. Really, Nora had much more productive things to be doing, but it was only a quick stop in the kitchen.
The phone had been left on the island, face down. Nora never pressed on the screen, but the device lit up anyway.
She was greeted by a collage, one made up of several different images: Abbey with her friends in the creepateria, Abbey making snow angels with Shiver, a photo of her family she had taken last summer. And front and center was Abbey holding a giant stuffed narwhal at the New Salem carnival, standing next to Heath Burns, who was, per usual, unmistakable.
Also, partly on fire.
It was so innocent, so coincidental, so perfect... that Nora almost wondered if Abbey had planned it on purpose, to avoid having to outright confess to it.
They weren't touching in the photo. Instead, Abbey was leaning close to him and staring into the camera with a light smile, probably seconds after yelling "say Yak cheese!" Heath, however, wasn't looking at the camera; he was looking at Abbey—not nearly discreet enough—with a huge, mischievous grin plastered on his face, like he was already picturing her reaction to finding him staring at her in the photo. The ends of his hair were smoldering, but then again, when were they not?
Nora sighed. Truly, she didn't know how to feel, or how someone in her position was supposed to feel. She had no frame of reference, no script to follow, and no one she could take this to.
Did she handle this like a headmistress? Or did she handle this like a parent?
In either scenario, it didn't matter who Abbey chose to date. That wasn't any of her business and she didn't intend to disrupt whatever it was they had going on.
Maybe it wasn't a big deal. Maybe it was nothing.
But Abbey showed her love through small, near inconsequential things, something that Nora had long since made a habit of herself. Whether it was a certain look she gave or the way she laughed around you (or her lack thereof), it spoke volume about how Abbey felt towards someone.
And for that image of Heath and Abbey to be the first one that captured the eye... on Abbey's phone... that Abbey was the main one who used, well...
That said all that Nora needed to know.
No, the problem was not that Abbey was dating, nor whom she was dating. Well, not exactly.
Though Nora couldn't lie and say she wasn't surprised by Abbey's pick.
Through all her years of knowing the yeti, Abbey had been a stoic, grounded, and hardworking ghoul. She took her schooling seriously, with a fervor that rivaled the greatest minds Nora had ever known. She was thoughtful and honest, to her own detriment at times.
Abbey was a green card type of student, a blue card on a behavioral chart that didn't even go that high. Nora could always trust her to take care of herself and to make the right decisions.
Heath, meanwhile, had a penchant for mischief and chaos, a habit of being annoying. The boy was childish, unruly, and a classic type-red student. He prided himself on being a "class clown" and a "chick magnet", both titles he'd assigned to himself that nobody else agreed with.
Luckily, from Nora's experience, those tended to be short-lived phases that he was destined to grow out of.
Judging from the photo, maybe he already had.
Nora, for her credit, knew that none of that really mattered. She was merely housing Abbey and didn't have a right to get involved. Heath caused problems, but he also had a lot of genuine friends who cared about him—and that counted for something.
And there was something there that had attracted the attention of Abbey Bominable.
Still, that didn't excuse the fact that there was high potential of him breaking her heart, and Nora felt a fierce desire to protect what was hers.
Because at the end of the day, when it all came down to it, Heath Burns was one of her most difficult students. He always would be.
But it wasn't until she saw the photo that it dawned on her just how much time he'd been spending with Abbey. Nora had somehow managed to miss how they met up at the front of the school every morning, that they walked down the hallway to classes together, that they were practically joined at the hip during every school trip, every school dance, every school event, all of it.
It wasn't an insult to Nora's perception, rather, it was a testament to Abbey's discretion. They had been entirely out in the open with their gestures, and yet, Nora had never suspected a thing.
In hindsight, there might have been some signs...
A brush of their elbows against each other in class.
A shared look after a friend told a particularly bad joke.
A layering of frost on Heath's hand when he turned in an assignment—a darkening on Abbey's fingertips that Nora noticed on the ride home.
That time they won Prom King & Queen.
That time the boys had begged her to let them skip school to go to Scaris with the ghouls, and Heath seemed just as desperately eager as Deuce and Clawd.
Abbey and Heath dancing together at Halloween, which she had made a note of while chaperoning, but there was no inappropriate conduct, so she hadn't intervened.
Abbey and Heath standing together at the Fraidy Hawkins dance last year, but she hadn't thought anything of it at the time.
Abbey and Heath's Home Ick project, though Nora had assumed Abbey was just unlucky with her partner assignment.
And Abbey's... interesting art project.
Nora had done her best to ignore all of those things, though an inkling lingered in her mind. Maybe, in a way, she had known about it all along.
Perhaps it was not so much that she hadn't known they were involved, but that she hadn't known they were official.
Their dalliances had always been... fleeting, mere passing moments in the grander scheme of texts, exams, and occasional attacks on the school grounds. Heath had a tendency to ostentate and juvenilize, and from what Nora could understand, Abbey hadn't been searching for a relatinship.
But now, here they were. From Nora's outside perspective, it seemed that Abbey and Heath were finally in a relationship. And she could disapprove all day, but that didn't change the fact that it was happening.
So yes, the problem was not that Abbey was dating, nor whom she was dating.
Instead, it was... what was Nora supposed to do now?
She vowed to herself that no matter what happened, she would be a shoulder for Abbey to lean on. As she took the steps up to Abbey's room, she could only hope that she'd keep her head on in turn.
Abbey was on her bed doing homework when Nora returned. She looked oddly serene like that, with the textbook in her lap and her head down as she wrote what was likely the correct answer onto her paper.
Nora knocked on Abbey's open bedroom door; it was second nature at this point, a habit from the days when she used to regularly have guests, back when this was still nothing more than a guest room. It brought her a sense of satisfaction to see how many decorations Abbey had filled the room with, to see just how comfortable Abbey had made herself here.
That must have been what Abbey was feeling, too, before she saw Nora's stern expression and startled a bit.
"You haven't done anything wrong. I just wanted to remind you of the house rules," she said, stepping past the threshold.
Abbey didn't move, so Nora crept a bit closer and sat down on a nearby chair. Abbey's chair was soft, inviting, different from her own desk chair that she had once thought so cozy - though, she supposed, they did serve drastically different purposes.
It had been a long week. She knew she would need to make an effort to stay on task.
Nora set to that now; she folded her hands in her lap, trying to convey the perfect image of casual innocence. Because, perhaps, she really had just come in here to relax, to engage in some invigorating small talk.
Abbey wasn't buying it.
"Headmistress. Is something wrong?"
Abbey's eyes traveled across her face, subtly scrutinizing her, until they caught sight of her phone on Nora's lap.
"Ah, I am knowing what is going on."
"Mhm, and since we both know what is going on, I can expect that you will be making an effort to continue following the house rules, now more than ever. I simply came in here to remind you of them. Firstly, curfew is at 9 pm and extends to 10:30 on weekends, as long as I know what you're doing, where you're at, and who you'll be with. Secondly, no going into human territory under any circumstances. You remember last Halloween. Oh, and the door stays open if you are having anyone over."
Abbey's expression turned gravelly serious. She nodded along like she had known this was going to happen eventually.
Nora had originally put the house rules into place for herself, since she wanted a clear guideline for how active of a presence she should be in Abbey's life as her guardian. She wasn't her mother, and she didn't want to overstep her boundaries.
Nowadays, it still served that purpose, but it also allowed Abbey to have a normal amount of freedom, just like her friends, and assure Nora that she would be staying safe.
Because Nora would never be able to forgive herself if something happened to Abbey. If during Halloween, it had instead been Abbey in Holt's position, or if Frankie's plan had failed, or if Abbey had just never come home...
Nora bit her tongue, a plethora of horrifying imagery forcing any other thoughts from her head. She needed to keep talking. If she didn't hurry up with it now, she'd never tell the ghoul all that she had to say.
"Lastly, I want you to know... that you can talk to me about anything."
And Nora meant it. Abbey straightened in her seat. There was an odd look in her eyes, and a tilt to her head, but Nora kept going.
"If anyone is bullying you or making threats to harm you or any of your friends - anyone you know at all - I want you to know that you can tell me and I will listen. I can't promise that I will leave the situation alone, but I am always available for any conversation you are willing to have."
The corners of Nora's eyes were wet. She desperately hoped that Abbey wouldn't notice.
"And if anyone hurts you or even thinks of hurting you, then I will not be overstepping if I treat the situation like a parent rather than a headmistress. While you are in my care and under my roof, you are my responsibility."
In a lower voice, one she poured every ounce of emotion into that she usually kept carefully hidden, she said: "If that boy breaks your heart, then I will be keeping a very close eye on him in the classroom, to ensure that he does not attempt to approach you again... even if I have to use force. I am certain that your parents would not disagree with the decision."
She adjusted her head on her neck. This onslaught of emotions... it was so unexpected she feared it would fall off.
And yet Abbey, the sweet ghoul that she was, had the gall to laugh.
"Oh, Headmistress, your face—hah! It look like yakling who try to act like big strong Mama yak... but fooling no one."
The tension left her body, and her shoulders relaxed. Nora could feel her face softening already. It was hard to act this stern when the monster she was addressing was smiling so wide, in a way she so rarely did. It seemed that both of them were showing more of themselves than usual.
Nora covered her face with a hand, hoping to hide any signs of embarrassment this situation might be presenting. With her luck, she was sure Abbey had already seen.
"Yes, it seems I might be getting a bit carried away... still, I mean every word." She cleared her throat, adjusted her tie and bun, in a rush to get back on track. "Ah, before I forget, I am sure that your parents will not exactly be thrilled at the idea of you 'dating' or whatever the kids are calling it nowadays. But you'll have to tell them eventually and surely they will want to meet him. So how about, sometime in the next couple of weeks, inviting Heath over for dinner, as a sort of... preparation for meeting your parents?"
This would give Nora an excellent opportunity to view how Heath treated her off of school grounds, outside of a classroom structure, as long as she was subtle in her observing.
She knew Abbey could take care of herself—Nora knew this to be true better than anyone, it was a fact she was most certain of—but she couldn't say the same about Heath Burns. And if Heath couldn't take care of himself, then how was he supposed to take care of Abbey?
That would leave Abbey to do most of the heavy lifting, and while she was incredibly strong, was she strong enough?
Abbey pondered Nora's query for a moment.
"I am not knowing if that is good idea."
"I believe it is customary in this situation. At the very least, it is the verdict that I have decided on," Nora said.
She made to stand from her seat, though the comfortable plush had little give. "If we are all good here, I will let you return to your homework."
Nora paused when Abbey cleared her throat.
"Yes, but one thing having confusion on... Shouldn't Heath being told this?"
Nora's eyes flickered to the phone, the one that was still in her lap. "What an excellent idea."
And before Abbey could say any more (and before Nora could hesitate too long and realize she was acting mighty inappropriately considering the situation at hand), Nora had unlocked her phone and was scrolling through the contact list. Thankfully, Heath wasn't catalogued under any weird name—Abbey was never the mushy type, so Nora wasn't particularly surprised.
Not a moment later, Heath's nasally voice filled the room, on speaker, which she would shortly learn was a poor decision on her part.
"Hey baby! Couldn't get enough of me? Abbey! I meant Abbey, not baby," he fumbled, trying to correct himself, then said in a small voice, "...I can spell."
Abbey rolled her eyes. Well, if Nora had any doubts before about the two of them being romantically intertwined, they were certainly gone now.
Heath, naturally, felt it fitting to continue talking. "Oh! Are we still on for that thing? For, uh... Mad Science! Hey, told you I'd remember!" He giggled, which swiftly morphed into a wince. "It's not at your place, right? 'Cause I understand why you have to stay with Bloodgood, but it's sooooo awkward and—"
"Heath. Burns."
"O-oh, gods, no."
"It might be best for you to work on that, Mr. Burns. If you are going to give away all of that information unprompted without even knowing if Abbey is listening, then you might end up having to repeat yourself quite often."
"Abbey's quiet. She likes when I talk."
"Is true." Abbey shrugged. "Except when being annoying."
"Hey!"
This was familiar. The teasing, the casual carefreeness and simpleness of their interactions... and yet, something about it felt different. Perhaps it was the intention. Or, rather, what was hiding behind their words, the things they weren't saying.
Heath didn't give her any time to figure out which one had more merit, already moving on to his next talking point.
"Hey, um. I'm not in trouble, right? Because I've been doing pretty good with this whole 'not getting detention' thing, and I don't really want to mess it up."
"You are not in trouble. Yet."
"Oh, phew. Wait, yet?!"
Nora looked to Abbey, who was doing nothing more than shaking her head. Her homework had long been abandoned, sad and neglected.
If Heath could stop rambling for a moment, then Nora could accomplish what she'd set out to do.
This was mildly frustrating.
She sighed, and caught sight of an empty vase on Abbey's windowsill. That... that was the vase that had once held those flowers, the ones Heath had given her. But where were they now?
Oh dear.
Nora was overstepping. She was making a mess of things, assuming far too much. Not only was she intruding on Abbey while she was doing her studies, but she was intruding on Heath, and she was intruding into their relationship.
She needed to allow Abbey to make her own decisions, even if they resulted in mistakes. Hades knew that Nora had made many of those in her own greatly extended lifetime.
Maybe if she had asked him to stay, he would still be alive. Maybe if she had told him how she felt, she could still have some piece of him, even if it was not his heart. Then again, maybe not...
Maybe he was always supposed to never come back, to take his arm, his heart, and every little piece with him.
Nora cleared her throat. She took a moment to breathe. Deep and uninterrupted, it calmed her head. Searching the room, mindlessly, while Abbey picked at her claws and Heath stayed silent, she once again found those precious little flowers. They were spread out on Abbey's desk, frozen and preserved, not a hint of brown tarnishing those gorgeous petals.
Nora and everyone she knew would probably die before those petals even showed a single sign of rotting.
Was she doing the right thing?
She looked at Abbey, thought of Heath on the other side of the phone, tucked away safely inside his home on a school night...
"Teach? You good?"
Nora brushed a hand across her face, brushing over her eyes. She knew what she needed to do.
"Now," she began. "As Abbey's guardian, I am insulted that you didn't think it important to inform me of your courtship. However, you can make up for that by coming over to dinner sometime next week. Think of it as a "meeting the parents" before the real thing."
He wisened up. "Oh, shoot, that's right, we have to tell Abbey's parents."
"And Heath?"
"Yeah."
"Page 54 in the textbook is due tomorrow. If you need help, Abbey appears to be working on it right now." She grabbed the book and moved it a little closer to Abbey's outstretched hand. Just for good measure, she passed the phone over, too. Abbey mouthed a thanks.
There was crackling on Heath's end. "Oh, uh, thanks but... I've totally already done that, so..."
She sighed.
"Good evening, Mr. Burns. We will be in touch."
"Uh, yeah, you t—"
Abbey hung up the phone, returning the room to sweet, blissful silence, if only for a moment. She frowned. "Will have to call him back to help with homework."
"I wanted to apologize again, Abbey, for my behavior earlier. I am not your mother, so there is no need for me to be embarrassing you like one."
"Seems even headmistresses can make mistakes. Eh, sometimes."
"Yes," Nora said, hiding her smile. Such a whimsical ghoul. She was giving Nora far too much credit as well.
"I am sure I have given you much to think about. I will be leaving you to your homework now." She rose from her seat, and found that while the chair in Abbey's room was pleasant, it was not where she was needed right now.
"Headmistress?" Abbey called to her on her way out. Nora paused by the doorframe, just in time to catch Abbey's wink.
"Will keep chainsaw in the working condition just for you." And, suddenly, the ghoul was laughing, brought fourth from her own joke, though Nora couldn't quite be sure if it was one.
Nora smiled once more. Abbey's laughter was a joyous sound, indeed. She and Heath could agree on that much.