Chapter Text
Why you so afraid?
I can see you waiting, waiting
Withering away
I can see you dying, dying,
Why? Why?
I can love you better than she can.
Its always been such a conflicting feeling in his life, how the one person on earth who made him the happiest was given to him by the person who made him feel the most insecure and incompetent these days. Fez might as well have been a single parent to his six year old daughter, Kai the way his wife was never home, always off on a work trip every couple of weeks leaving Kai with a measly peck on her forehead and a promise she'll be back soon. Things weren't like this in the beginning, he recalls. He actually loved Chloe, still does. They had gotten together over ten years ago back in their hometown when a mutual friend has introduced them. They bonded over their unstable childhoods and ambitious goals for the future, though vastly different goals but ambitious nonetheless. They were drawn to each other and couldnt't get enough of each other and some days, Fez wondered how they've grown so far away from that.
Fez knew what it was like to grow up in an unstable house so he didn't want that for Kai which is why he was still with her mother but he also doesnt know if this is much better, barely seeing her and when they do, the two of them are usually in each other's faces exchanging language a six year old shouldn't be hearing.
Fez was lucky enough to work next door at their neighbor's farm in the yard so his close proximity to home allowed him to always be there for Kai but that didnt mean he could do it all. Kai was still struggling in school a bit and he barely stayed in school long enough to know how to help her with her homework so his wife decided to be helpful and find a tutor that his parents-in-law are paying for.
The tutor was coming by today for their first session, Fez was excited because it quite honestly felt like he'll have a babysitter around for two days a week so he can tidy up around the house, do laundry, clean, mow their lawn without Kai calling him every two seconds because her doll's head popped off the body or because she wanted a sweet snack after just having dinner.
Despite Fez' dillegence to clean up whenever he could, Chloe had texted him to remind him to clean up the house since the tutor was arriving in several hours and she didn't want people thinking she lived in a pigsty, always taking light jabs at him and their life together but nonetheless their two story house was clean and at 5pm on the dot, their front door bell rings. Fez calls Kai down from her room as he gets off the couch to go answer it, swinging the door open and is met with the complete opposite of what he had envisioned as the tutor. Stood in front of him is woman, a little shorter than he, with silky brunette hair and soft features clad in a pair of plaid pants and a loose creame sweater with a bag on her back. But Fez is too busy gazing into her eyes to focus much on anything else, too focused on how pretty this woman is and wondering how Chloe found her.
"Hello I'm Lexi, the tutor. Are you Fezco?" She asks after they stood in silence for about five seconds too long.
"Yes, yeah sorry uh--come in." He says moving aside and closing the door after, and leading the way down the corridor. "Kai is coming down, you can sit here." He says gesturing to the dining room table. "How do you know my wife?" Fez asks, standing aside as Lexi sits down, pulling things out of her bag, "I don't. I work for a tutoring company and they assigned me to Kai based on the subject she need helps with, her age and such." She explains as Kai runs downstairs, and Lexi gets wind of big, red curly hair and a pale freckled face as she zooms into the kitchen, stepping in her stool to grab a snack.
"Kai, come here. Your tutor is here."
She returns with a juice pouch and comes into the dining room. "Hi Kai, I'm Lexi. I'm going to be helping you with school. I think you need help with science and english, right?" She asks.
Kai nods, mouth still on the straw, a bit weary of the stranger talking to her. She takes a couple steps towards her dad and wraps her arms around his leg, reluctant to talk to the stranger, "You good, Kai. She's nice" Fez says.
"I would love to help you so you can do well in school, do you mind getting your books and everything?" Lexi asks gently. "I really like your hair by the way, its beautiful." That comment makes Kai blush and open up a little and she nods and runs to get her things. As Lexi is shuffling through some papers feeling eyes on her, her gaze shifts up to Fez, "You can leave us now. Our session will be over in an hour."
"Right, um cool. So I'll just be chillin in the living room." He says gesturing behind him before scrambling away.
Fez stumbles his way into the living room foolishly wondering why he feels like a 15 year old again by the short interaction. He puts the television on a low volume to not distract them and so he's able overhear them in the dining room.
And he thinks Lexi's method of teaching is quite cute. He hears them getting to know each other a little bit, about the things they love to do for fun, favorite foods and then they get into their favorite and least favorite subjects in school, the conversation helping Lexi to figure out what might be the reason Kai is struggling. He overhears Lexi say, sometimes its not you, sometimes the way they teach may not work for you so we'll also try different ways of learning to see what works best for you." And for some reason his heart palpitates at how sweet and endearing that comment is, that Kai isn't struggling, she just would prefer a different way to be taught. They work on an upcoming assignment Kai has and thats when Fez kind of tunes them out in favor of the show on his screen.
An hour zooms by because it feels like minutes when Kai is coming into the living room and jumping on top of her father, "Lexi is leaving." She says to him. He picks Kai up in his arms and walks into the dining room where she is packing up, "How did it go?"
"It went well, we completed her assignment due tomorrow. Im not sure if you know but I'll be here Tuesday and Thursdays at 5pm if that's still okay, it'll take a bit of time for her to get it and improve on her own and feel comfortable."
"Ight, that's cool. Thank you."
Lexi smiles and walks over to the front door and waves goodbye to them as she leaves. "Lexi's pretty, daddy." She says tucking into his neck.
"Yeah." He huffs as he locks the door behind her. She might be trouble, he thinks.
.
On Thursday, the bell rings promptly at 5pm again and Fez hurries down the steps to answer it when he sees Kai standing at the front door letting Lexi in, "Yo, you know you not supposed to be answering doors." He says swooping her up into his arms as she giggles. "I knew it was Lexi." She chuckles.
"Hey." Fez says finally glancing towards her and nearly chokes on his own spit as she's stood in front of him in a simple black dress, that with their small height difference he swears if he gets closer can see a little cleavage but he gets himself togther quickly, "Come in."
"Let me down, daddy." Kai wriggles in her dad's arms as she runs into the dining room and sits down, "I have everything Lexi and got my favorite colorful pencils and pens too. Aren't they pretty?" Fez follows suite standing nearby the girls.
"They're so nice, which one is your favorite?" She ask joining her at the table. "This one." She says grabbing the purple one and holding it up to her. "What's your favorite color?"
" I really like green or yellow the best." She shares. "How was school this week?"
Kai groans dramatically, "Boring."
Lexi laughs, "School can be fun, Kai. Or at least learning is always nice."
"Are you in school too?" Kai asks and Fez peaks up at the question.
"I am. I'm almost done. I'm getting another degree and then I'll be done."
"Degree? Whats that?" She asks.
"When you go to college, you get a degree when you graduate. And you can go back and get more and more degrees. So I'm getting my phD right now."
"I wont be going back to school again." Kai groans. Lexi laughs, "Okay, lets get started." She says looking up at Fez, "Right, privacy." He says, turning to walk away.
"Actually, can I have a cup of coffee?"
"Sure, black or?"
"Yes, just a dash of oat milk please."
"Oat milk? Girl, this aint no cafe. We got regular milk here."
She chuckles, "Okay Fezco, just sugar or something on the side is fine. Thank you." She says as she starts her lesson. Fez heads to the kitchen and frankly he doesn't know how to make a cup of coffee, Chloe is the only one who uses the machine but he's seen her do it a thousand times so it cant be that hard. He grabs one of the little pods that Chloe keeps in the drawer and puts it in the machine and just presses a button once he puts the mug down. He grabs her the packet of sugar and brings her the hot coffee when its ready, "Here you go." He says placing it down as she crosses her legs and thanks him. He pretends not to notice how the hem of her black dress slips down, revealing some of her thigh and he needs to get out here before he has an aneurysm.
.
The session goes smoothly. They seem to be having more fun than getting work done with all the laughing he hears but he doesn't question it as long as her homework is getting done. They wrap up ten minutes later than they're supposed to but seem to be in good spirits when they do. Kai goes to use the bathroom and Fez comes out into the dining room, "Did it go all right?"
"Yes it went well. You have a super sweet daughter by the way. I think she's just very high energy and creative which is why she doesn't like school which makes sense." Lexi says. "I mean I'm not a psychologist but--"
"What you in school for anyway? PhD. That's some shit."
She smiles as she puts on her jean jacket , "For social work. This is a side job. I really like kids and I really like learning and school so I thought it'd be a good way to make money while I finish out my degree."
Fez nods, licking his lips. "You real smart"
"Thanks Fezco"
"You can call me, Fez"
"Fez. What do you do?"
"I help out at a farm next door. A lot of harvesting and shit and also helping out with the animals."
He notices the way her eyes light up, "Thats really cool. I always wanted a farm."
"For real? You don't look like a farm girl. All proper and shit?" He smiles.
She chuckles and looks down at her outfit and noticed her sneakers are untied. She kneels down to tie them, looking up at him, "I still really like animals though and want to own a farm one day. I always imagined that for me" She shares and Fez should be paying attention cus they could bond over that but the way she's leaned over tying her shoes and looking up at him. He can see right down the top of her dress and she ain't got no bra on and he's trying to be respectful and not look there but she makes it pretty damn hard.
"That's cool" He says shuffling awkwardly, looking back waiting for Kai. "Thats cool. Me too. So it's nice that I could do it next door."
Lexi stands back up. "I have to head out but I hope you have a good weekend. Tell Kai I'll see her on Tuesday"
"Alright, bye Lexi. Have a good one" Once the door is closed, Fez lets out a breath he didn't even know he was holding.