Stranger In a Strange Pan | Episode 8: Hello, Twenties!

[puckandpie]

[Sat square in the middle of the screen, Bitty is smiling. There are a number of new framed photographs of Elvis visible on the wall as well as a few pictures on the bookshelf that are more clearly selfies of Bitty with various different friends. Sitting up a little straighter, Bitty's smile flashes brighter and he waves at the camera.]


Hi there! I know I've been absolutely awful at keepin' up with y'all and I'm so, so sorry about that. The past few months have been pretty hectic over here what with working about sixty hours every week and baking what I can in the meantime and going to the rink whenever I can manage. I'm afraid these vlog posts have just been fallin' to the wayside. I'd like to say I'll get back up on the horse and be better goin' forward, but to be honest with y'all, I'm not sure if anything's likely to let up anytime soon so I can't go makin' any promises.

But! I couldn't let today go by without posting a little something. Because!

[Here, Bitty pauses for a second, stretching out the anticipation with a quiet grin before throwing both his arms out in presentation.]
Today's my birthday!

The time here is all outta sorts so it feels like I've been waiting for this day for so long, but I also have all these memories of celebrating my last birthday back at Samwell except I couldn't have because I skipped right over it when I showed up here. I know none of that really makes much sense, but I promise y'all, it makes even less sense in my own head.

Oh, I don't think I've filmed one of these since all that memory stuff happened, have I? Y'all don't even know about Betsy!

Oh, goodness.

Okay.

[Bitty takes a dramatic breath and then reaches for the camera, turning it so that his kitchen is visible just over his left shoulder and zooming in as well as he can on a rather sad-looking oven smooshed between the sink and the fridge.]
Can y'all see her? My poor, beloved Betsy? She's the sweet thing in there that looks like she's seen better days. She showed up here a couple months ago, just-- Wham! Right in the middle of me tryin' to bake a cake for Lee and Eric and sent me straight to my knees.

[Zooming out and fixing the angle again, Bitty once more fills the screen as he takes a seat, still looking cheerful even if his smile isn't quite as bright as before.]
She's busted, unfortunately. Not much more than dead weight in there. And, honestly, her suddenly showin' up wasn't even the weirdest thing that happened that day. Because all that memory stuff I mentioned came at the same time, just slammed into me from all sides, all this stuff that happened back at Samwell over the past year or so, from winnin' an award on the team to starting my sophomore year to taking a class with Jack and meeting all the frogs on the team. Just-- all of it all at once.

It was... well, honestly, it was kinda scary, but once the dust settled, it was nice, too. Most of the memories are good, at least. Even if-- Well...

[Bitty trails off for a second, his cheeks flooding pink though his smile brightens. He gives a one-shouldered shrug, still looking at the camera.]
Okay, so. I got all those new memories, right? Well, there were a few that sorta stood out more than others and sorta, uhm. Sort of a feeling, too.

For Jack.

It felt kind of awful, I'll admit. Not-- I mean. It sounds horrible when I put it that way, but after everything that's happened in the the past few months, I was just so darn sure I managed to get myself stuck in the same situation all over again, of wanting a boy who could never ever want me back.

I tried to stop it, I really did. It's just-- We were all in each other's space back at Samwell, of course, what with bein' on the same team and havin' class together and livin' right across the hall from each other. But here there's even more of that. I'm just about the only person he really knows all that well for one thing, and he's been strugglin' so much with not having hockey so I make sure to see him every day and check in and make sure he's gettin' along alright.

I just didn't wanna mess up and say something or worse, do something, that might make him think I had some sorta designs on him or something.

I mean, I've always thought of Jack as straight, I guess. Or at least mostly straight. And even if he wasn't, it seemed like a pretty far leap to think I'd be the kind of guy he'd date if it was an option.

But I guess, uhm. I guess I was wrong.

[His cheeks are definitely bright red now, his smile bright even through his embarrassment and he rubs a hand along the back of his neck self-consciously.]
To be honest with y'all, I'm still not sure what we are. If... if we're dating or just kinda seein' what happens or what. We've kissed. Really, uhm... really nice kisses. And goodness, it's just. It's incredible. There hasn't really been a lot of time to talk about things, but he did say he wants to do somethin' for my birthday so maybe we'll talk then.

I'm still mostly just tryin' not to let my hopes get too outta hand. I sorta get the feeling that this is all new for Jack and it's definitely new for me, but I already know how I feel about him. I'm not sure he knows how he feels about me.

But I can wait, I think. I hope.

I really really like him, y'all. Really like him. The worst thing in the world will be if something happens to hurt our friendship, but I still wanna take a chance. I think it might be worth it.

[Bitty goes a little quiet then, lost in his head a moment, his smile soft and wistful. With a breath, he squares his shoulders again, smile still warm as he brushes a hand over his cheek.]
Anyway, enough on all that for now.

I should probably start wrappin' this up soon. I think I almost have Lee and Eric's cake-- Oh! I was meanin' to talk about that. I know I've mentioned my friend Lee here before. Well, he's been doin' a whole lot better. I guess he got his hands on some experimental medication and it's doing wonders. He looks so good, y'all, and he's so happy! He met a guy even, one named Eric if y'all can believe it, and they just fell head over feet in love right off the bat and got hitched and everything.

Of course, I got all bent outta shape 'cause with it happenin' so fast, they didn't really do a wedding. But now they're plannin' one and they've asked me to bake the cake! And be Lee's Best Man! So I've been workin' hard the past couple months to make sure I can bake the best wedding cake two amazing people could ever ask for and I think I'm nearly there!

You would not believe how much harder cakes are than pies, y'all. There is a reason they're not my specialty.

Plus, I have to decide what sorta party I want for my birthday. I've been meanin' to go to a club for months so I'm leanin' toward that. Derek'll probably give me the night off and I can just text everyone the location. Hopefully the notice isn't too short.

And I bet Blue will help me pick out something that looks good without looking stupid. I might even be able to drag Jack along for awhile!

[He pauses then, biting his lip as he clearly thinks it through and then, after a moment, gives a single, definitive nod.]
I'm gonna do it, I think.

Yeah. Yeah, I'm gonna do it!

[Flinging his arms out wide again, Bitty beams wide.]
I'm twenty, y'all! No longer a teenager! Time to get this party started!

I hope all of you out there are still doing well and if you've got anything to say, feel free to leave a comment. I promise I'll try to pop in again sooner rather than later. Until then, thanks for watching!

[Giving one last wave to the camera, the screen goes black and the video ends.]