Welcome to Bermuda

Situation one: The blueberry muffin

A small smile played across Emily's lips as she left Kendra's office. She remembered those days, the ones that ended in a heap on the couch wondering how your life had come to this. Now she had other reasons to end the day on the couch.

She grinned at the thought as she made her way into her office.

"Thinking about me?" He purred in low tones, chuckingling against her neck when she jumped at his arms encircling her waist.

"For your information I was thinking about the pandemic."

"That grin was for the pandemic?" She felt him grin.

"For the successful treatment of-" She spun in his arms. "Okay yes Aaron I was thinking about you."

Shore let his eyebrows rise and fall, looking around before pressing his lips quickly to hers.

"No PDA at work." She reminded, rubbing her hands up his biceps.

"Yeah, yeah." He pouted, she moved her hand to his cheek before brushing it into his unruly curls. "You getting out of here anytime soon?"

"Couple hours?" She sighed, watching him wince.

"You need Seth? He said he wanted to talk to me about something." She shook her head, before fingering the curls again. "I'll still try and beat you home. Want anything?"

"Just you, the couch and the fuzzy blanket." She hummed, turning back towards her desk..

"And the rest of the Christmas Bailey's?" He asked, pulling out her chair for her.

"You do love me." She looked up at him.

"So much." He sighed, pecking her lips. "Call me if you're going to be past midnight?"

"Yeah." She grinned.

…..

"So, I wanted to ask you something." Seth finally announced. "It's one of those things you're better at than me."

"It's a pretty big list.." Aaron teased, pushing his chair back to stretch his long legs.

"Yeah okay har har." Wright smirked. "It's about Emily."

Aaron tried not to wince. He was waiting for this conversation, he knew it would come but that didn't stem the flutter he felt in his chest at the idea that they were about to go public.

"Did someone in the press..?" He let his voice trail off, looking at his hands.

"No. Nothing like that." Seth shook his head. "It's personal." Aaron looked up again. "Lately I've been getting some.." He looked at Aaron and groaned. "This is awkward. She's been.. Flirting… with me.."

Aaron tried not to choke on his mouthful of whiskey, Seth handed him a napkin as he failed.

"You okay?" Shore waved away his concern.

"Flirting?"

"Yeah you know. A look here, a touch there. She implied she couldn't stay in the west wing without me." Aaron felt his right eyebrow arch. "And this morning she left me a muffin." Aaron couldn't help but grin. He'd been the one to suggest they grab an extra muffin for Seth this morning. He'd spent the whole car ride over chastising her for picking the blueberries out of it. "I know right? That's flirting? Right? I mean it's awkward, she's my boss, but she's Emily; smart, beautiful, funny Emily."

Aaron made an uncomfortable noise.

"Seth…" He sighed softly swallowing against the lump in his throat.. "Emily's seeing someone."

Wright sat there for a moment before nodding.

"Oh." He tried not to look crushed. Aaron felt like a jerk, he told Emily she was too nice. This is what happens when people are too nice. "Are you sure?"

"I'm pretty sure." He grimaced.

"Is it serious?"

"I think so." Aaron pressed his teeth into his lips.

"So am I reading it wrong or-?" He shook his head at Shore.

"She flirts." Aaron interrupted shaking his head in the way that a guy did when they were telling someone else something that they had told their girlfriend a hundred times. "It's not you, she's just really friendly. She's also really close to you, you're probably her closest friend right now."

"Are you two ever going to fix whatever the hell happened between you last year?" Wright sighed.

"We're working on it." Aaron told him honestly. Seth nodded and the two of them looked silently into their drinks for a moment.

"Have you met this guy she's serious about?" The press secretary asked a moment later. Shore nodded.

"And he's a nice person?"

"He tries to be." Aaron held his friends eyes.

"He's good enough for her?"

"Not at all." Aaron smirked sadly, before rubbing his face. "I told her I wouldn't tell you."

"It's okay." Wright gestured, puckering his lips what Aaron knew he hoped was a nonchalant manner.

"Seth.." He looked at the bar behind him. Emily was going to kill him for this, but it was her fault for being too damn nice.

"It's not some press nightmare?" His friend pressed his thumb to his forehead and shut his eyes.

"I think it'll be fine." Aaron whispered.

"You think? That's not reassuring at all coming from you."

"Seth.. "

"He's not married or a republican or something?" Shore looked at him with all certainty.

"No."

"He's not some-?"

"Emily's going to kill me." Aaron interrupted and Seth's brown eyes blinked to meet his. "It's me."

"Oh." Wright's mouth hung open for a second. "I feel like an idiot now."

"Please don't." Aaron sighed.

"I just told you you're girlfriend was flirting with me and asked advice about-."

"She was flirting."

"How long has this-?"

"Six months."

"Six months." Seth nodded. "And I see both of you daily and I've never noticed. I am an idiot."

"Seth stop." Aaron ordered, waving the glass in his hand around catching the attention of the waitress, who gestured if she should bring another round. Shore nodded vigorously.

….

"I thought you said you'd beat me home?" Emily murmured sleepily rolling over as Aaron sat on the edge of the bed. He looked at her wearily. "What? Did something happen? My phone didn't-."

Her boyfriend put his hands on her shoulders and she tried to reach for her phone. He shook his head.

"I told Seth." He admitted.

"Told him what?" She asked, her face still stuck in professional crisis mode. He continued to stare at her until her eyes softened. "You told him."

"He wanted advice on whether or not he should ask you out."

"Ask me what now?"

"I told you, you're too nice."

"I'm too nice?"

"He thought you were flirting."

"Flirting?" She wrinkled her nose up at him, he rolled his eyes. "Poor Seth."

"Yeah he feels like an idiot and I feel like an asshole so."

"He's not an idiot." Emily said defensively.

"So should I have told him to go for it?" Aaron sighed. "Maybe given him some pointers?"

She swatted at him, but left her hand on his bicep afterward.

"I'm his boss." The idea her subordinate thought she was flirting was almost as disturbing to her as Seth thinking it was okay to ask out his boss.

"I know." Aaron mumbled. "It was weird on so many levels.

"Well I feel horrible." She sighed.

"Yeah." Aaron agreed pinching the bridge of his nose. "We should tell Kirkman."

"Yeah. Monday." She announced, dropping back onto the bed. "Looks like we're going public."

He studied her for a moment, his tongue darting out and licking his suddenly dry lips.

"You're okay with that, right?" Shore whispered.

"What do you mean?" She questioned, running her fingers over the last button of his dress shirt.

"I don't know, I just wanted to make sure." He tilted his head to the side, his eyes everywhere but on hers.

"This made you feel insecure." She realized softly.

"No. I mean.." She was grinning when he looked back at her. "That amuses you?"

"I love you Aaron Shore." She told him in a sing song voice. "I really truly love you."

His smirk returned as she lifted herself back up to kiss him.