A/N: I have no real, planned plot for this. Just add it to my never-ending list of WIPs, because I needed to write something fluffy and sweet, for once.

Something Just Like This

She said, where'd you wanna go?
How much you wanna risk?
I'm not looking for somebody,
With some superhuman gifts,
Some superhero,
Some fairytale bliss.
Just something I can turn to,
Somebody I can kiss.

-Coldplay, The Chainsmokers

It's official. Queens is beautiful, yet boring. It's the first Friday night their boss has given them off since she moved here, and her coworker has dragged her to a Block Party where everyone is drunk on Margaritas and trying to dance to locals band's ballads with far too much vigor. And the only reason Aubrey is laughing is because she's just tipsy enough to not be feeling secondhand embarrassment when someone hits the asphalt in the worst break dance attempt she has ever seen, that he then tries to cover with the worm. It's not that she can think of a better way to spend her Friday evening, but she can't exactly think of a worse way either. She's grown far too used to paperwork and the sporadic coffee run routine that has been in play for the past seven months.

"Okay, Aubrey," Brian steps in front of her, effectively blocking her view of a conga line that is failing as quickly as it's starting, "I know this may sound strange to you, but the point of a Block Party is to mingle with people who live on the block."

"How many of these people do you think actually live on our block?" Aubrey asks, sipping on her drink. "Don't you think it's a misnomer when half of these people are New Jersey wanna-be New Yorkers, who have to catch a train home before midnight if they don't want to spend the night sleeping in Penn Station?" She places one hand on his shoulder and pushes him out of the way of her only entertainment. "I mingled with the guy selling drinks."

"He offered you a Blackberry wine cooler, and you asked him if he had Peach," Brian says dryly.

Aubrey holds up the bottle in her hand. "And it paid off." She takes another drink, savoring the peach flavor. "I don't see you mingling."

"I don't mingle, because I already have friends," Brian says, "I'm waiting on them to show up."

"Them?" Aubrey turns to face him. "I'm so proud of you. More than two people finally tolerate you?" She places her hand on her chest and gives him her sweetest, Southern 'bless your heart' smile. "No wonder you feel like you can taunt me."

Brian rolls his eyes.

Aubrey smirks and smugly turns back to the crowd. She can find somewhere to make friends where it won't take booze and public humiliation to feel included. She just needs to find the time outside of work, work, and more work – which, admittedly, she might drown herself in more than actually necessary. "So where did you get a third friend?" she asks. "I don't remember anyone new being hired at work."

"She's not from work," Brian states. "She's one of Conrad's friends. He said she just moved here a few weeks ago. Apparently, she's a vet."

"So, she's not really your friend," Aubrey confirms, with a knowing side glance at him. "Maybe you could mingle with some of these people," she suggests, "I've been told that is the point of a Block Party, after all."

"You know, I've been meaning to ask you if you moved to New York for a job or because you wanted to live somewhere where everyone else is equally as rude as you are?"

"Let me remind you, you live here, too." Aubrey rests her arm against the street lamp pole beside her and brings her drink to her lips again.

"I was born here," Brian says, "I have an excuse."

"Um, hi?" an unfamiliar voice approaches them from the side.

Aubrey lowers her arm and turns around, immediately taken aback – not so much by someone approaching them, but by her striking combination of red hair and blue eyes, and the mile wide grin stretched across her face. She blinks in confusion and looks around for whomever else must be standing in their general vicinity, but the only people near enough to be speaking to are herself and Brian.

"If you're looking to make friends, you've approached the wrong people," Brian says, then takes a swallow of his beer, "No one is social in this corner."

Aubrey frowns at Brian, because not even she is that rude. Her throat is dry all of a sudden and she drinks the last of her wine cooler.

"Oh." The woman's smile falters, but just barely. "Sorry, my friend told me to come over here and wait with his other friends." She takes a step back and looks around. "He must have been pointing out someone else. This is awkward."

"Hey!" Conrad walks their way, all smiles, two drinks in hand. He hands a drink to the woman beside them. "This is Chloe. We met at the vet clinic she works at."

"So you met when she was cutting the balls off your dog," Brian states.

Chloe blinks then looks at Conrad.

"Precisely!" Conrad grins wider. "Chloe, this is Brian and Aubrey. I'm sorry; I should have provided you with a warning regarding their social skills. This would be a lot easier if Brian would wear the disclaimer shirt I bought him.

"What disclaimer shirt?" Brian asks.

"You know, the matching shirts I bought us." Conrad makes a vague hand motion, nearly spilling his drink.

Brian pauses. "You mean the shirt you bought me that says 'I am an asshole' and the one you bought yourself that says 'I love assholes'?"

Conrad nods.

"Huh." Brian turns back to face the band. "Honestly, I thought they had a completely different implication."

Chloe slowly brings her drink up to her lips, and Aubrey can see that she's using it to hide her entertainment even though she looks like she's feeling slightly out of place.

"I'm Aubrey," Aubrey introduces herself, suddenly finding her words again. Idiot. Conrad already told her that. She sticks out her hand.

Chloe lowers her drink and shakes her hand. "Chloe." Her hand lingers for a moment before she drops it back down to her side. "I just moved here from Portland."

"Virginia," Aubrey shares her own origin – somewhat. It's hard to tell people where you're from when your father is in the army and you end up in a new place before you even have a chance to get settled in the old one. She's grown used to just saying she's from the last place she lived. She's about to ask Chloe what brought her to Queens when Conrad speaks up again.

"I have to show Brian something down the street," he says, "Will you two be okay here?"

"I've already seen everything down the street," Brian says, "Aubrey and I have been here for an hour now waiting for you."

"This thing just got here." Conrad grabs Brian's arm. "This should only take a minute."

"We'll go with you," Aubrey suggests.

"You can't," Conrad says quickly, and Aubrey frowns, "This is for Brian's eyes only."

"I'm sure we'll be fine," Chloe says, "It looks like you're taking the worst with you."

It's the innocent way that Chloe says it that makes Aubrey almost laugh.

Conrad gives them a finger wave then drags Brian off toward the crowd.

Aubrey watches them leave until she can't see either of them. She glances at Chloe, then rests her arm against the light pole again and looks down at her empty drink.

Chloe looks at her and offers her a tight, closed lipped smile. "This is fun."

Aubrey opens her mouth to reply when her phone goes off. "Sorry." She pulls it out of her pocket.

"It's fine. Take it." Chloe stuffs her free hand into the pocket of her jeans and focuses on her drink.

Aubrey arches a brow and opens the text from Conrad.

Con: she's cute. and smart. and sweet. and employed. and doesn't have much baggage. essentially perfect.

"Really?" Aubrey mumbles under her breath.

Aubrey: Who says I'm interested in girls?

Con: im starting to think ur not interested in any1. i can find u a boy if u want. cant promise he will b interested in gurls. but i think ur gonna like her.

Con: she said she was hungry. take her 2 dinner.

Con: brian and i arent coming back

Con: ur stuck with her

Con: good luck

Con: ur welcome

Con: shes adorbs

Aubrey realizes Chloe is looking at her phone, and she quickly puts it on silent and shoves it back into her pocket. "Work," she explains.

Chloe nods and looks away. She smiles and rocks back on her heels, watching as the band changes out with someone new. "I see who bought the last peach wine cooler," she comments, and side glances at Aubrey's drink.

Conrad is right about her being attractive. But, really, who ever said she was interested in girls? "I'm, I'm sorry?" Aubrey sputters, realizing Chloe said something.

"I asked the guy selling drinks for peach, and he said he didn't know if he had any left." Chloe holds up her blackberry drink. "You have good taste."

Aubrey isn't sure whether she's supposed to thank her or apologize. "Um…" She looks up and down the street, trying to spot Brian or Conrad. "I was about to go get something to eat."

"Oh." Chloe nods. "I'll be alright here, if you want to leave. It looks like there's plenty to do."

"Do you want to come?" Aubrey asks.

If possible, Chloe grins wider, and Aubrey wonders if she ever stops smiling – not that it would be a problem if she doesn't. "Sure. I'm starving." She takes a swallow of her drink then drops the bottle in the trashcan next to her. "Where were you gonna go?"

Shit. Conrad couldn't have suggested a restaurant? Aubrey tosses her empty bottle into the trash.

"I really want to try some real New York pizza," Chloe says, "I mean, we don't have to. I'm sure you're tired of it, living here longer than me and all; I just haven't had pizza here yet, and it sounds really good right now."

"Pizza sounds great." It sounds simple, anyway. There is a pizza restaurants on damn near every block. Great, though? Not so much for her diet. "Just let me tell the guys where we're going." Aubrey pulls out her phone and reopens her text chat with Conrad.

Aubrey: Fuck you and your emasculated dog.

Aubrey smiles and tucks her phone away. "Ready?" She's tempted to shoot another text to Conrad, asking if she looks like a tour guide to him. But, on second thought, she's hungry as well. And Chloe seems nice enough. She could use a few more friends. Bonding with people in a city that could have its own Anti-social Personality Disorder diagnosis hasn't exactly been effortless.

"For pizza?" Chloe laughs and nods. "I will never not be ready for pizza. It's pizza."

Aubrey's smile takes on a new level of sincerity, because, well shit, Chloe is 'adorbs' or whatever the term is. Her cheeks warm at the thought, and she rubs her face to hide the redness. She turns and looks down the street, trying to decide on the best pizza place near to their current location. "I think we should head away from the Block Party, so we can find somewhere not full of people." The places here lack seats and tables as is, and it seems like a night where people would rather eat somewhere near than somewhere good.

"Sounds like a plan." Chloe bumps their shoulders together. "Lead the way."