The best part about hanging out with Britta, Abed decided, was that she didn't live in his apartment. She was simply a third party who would listen to his stories and interject her own wisdom, occasionally half-baked as it was on occasion. A little more frequent with her new weed card, but it also meant she could drop more references.

Britta is loyal and smart. As much as certain people didn't want to believe it, she stood on her own two feet and thought deep and could do about anything. She could make anyone feel like an ass trying to disprove feminism. (*sigh* "Pornography is created to arouse cisgender, heterosexual men, more often than not, but the actors and actresses are allowed to do what they want with their own body and the directors are allowed to freedom of expression. It's the same with The Big Bang Theory." All in a monotone and distained look on her face). Not to mention, she's the only one who recognized Abed's You Made it Weird quote two weeks ago. Abed was glad the "kiss to get her out of his system" worked, because she was now one of the closest friends he ever had.

Abed hadn't even had a crush on her for more than a year. After season/year 3 started, he noticed something new about Britta. Maybe it was better lighting, maybe it was what Troy wrote about her in his diary, but something new came out of her to him. He imagined her in his Halloween stories, which was the closest thing he came to telling Jeff. Troy and Annie knew. Annie shipped it like FedEx and Troy seemed jealous. He kinda made it clear she was his, which was bullshit. Britta was no one's. That's why Jeff didn't have her at first (that and the lying).

It wasn't until the pageant ended, and the study group went caroling to his apartment that he made any sort of move. Abed wasn't sure what character to go with, so he went as himself, went with honesty. Britta was alone on the fire escape, just looking out. She looked glazed and tired, like she's seen a war and a half.

"You okay?" Abed asked. Britta jumped. She turned, and her pale skin had turned red. Whether from embarrassment or the chill, he didn't know, but she smiled. She was okay, probably.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Wanna join me?" She scooted over and Abed took her place. "It's a nice night, and the best cell service is here."

"Wi-fi, too," Abed added. "This is where Troy and I watch videos. Summer is good for that."

"Mmmm," Britta closed her eyes, still smiling. She looked like she was taking it all in. She looked like a princess, a rarely content smartass, and indie chick all at once: Abed's three most attractive tropes.

"I need a favor," Abed started. This felt uncomfortable, but it wasn't bad enough he couldn't power through it.

"Mmmm?"

"Could I kiss you?"

Britta's eyes darted open. The cold probably burned. "Why?"

This wasn't a "no", but not a "yes". Abed felt hopeful. "I found myself falling for you. Since you'll inevitably end up with Jeff-" insert Britta's eyes rolling here "-I want to, so to speak, get it while you're hot."

"Why not sex?" Britta moved her body to face his. "I mean, that was even a Buffy plotline. A Friends plotline. Probably several more."

He learned leaning his head up a bit made confessions look like you didn't care who knew. He used it a lot. "I'm not super into sex," Abed admitted. "I've had it and enjoyed it, and I've had sexual feelings, but I only like it in chunks, you know?"

Britta shrugged. "Seems legit." She leaned in, darting her soft, pink lips first. Abed's film knowledge came in, and he took out what he knew from movies. Britta seemed to enjoy it, and he certainly did. This was two years ago. After that kiss, they didn't really feel that way about each other. She was with Troy for a while and is back with Jeff now, and his perma-crush on Annie took over once again.

#

"So, the other day," Britta toyed with a spoon in her empty milkshake glass, "Jeff and I were talking about what to do for Thanksgiving. As if it were even a discussion. We're seeing his mother. We never don't see his mother at least a little every holiday we've had together."

"Even the one with William?" Abed slurped his second helping of chocolate malt.

"Even the one with William. She broke her leg, we stopped by with smuggled pumpkin pie." She snickered at the memory, then her face went flat again. "And I'm not welcome at my mother's house, and my father has his two free chair's full with his girlfriend's nephews in Pittsburg, so I won't go until Christmas."

Abed nodded. "I might see my mom's new family. She got pregnant again. Makes four since she started having kids again."

Britta's eyebrows furrowed. "How old was your mom when she got married?"

"Married at 18, had me at 19. My dad was a spite marriage, and I was the product." Abed smiled a little this time. "I like to think of us like the Funke's, and I'm Maeby."

"She made movies! Mediocre ones, but it was in a commercial studio." They both shuttered. Networks.

Once Abed was home, he found Troy and Annie watching Pushing Daisies. Troy and Abed got her started towards the end of the year last year. They knew she'd love the cute romance, the beautiful set design, fun costumes, clever dialogue, and Lee Pace's Disney Prince features. By now, she's seen the full series at least 3 times over, some episodes more than that, and much of the Fuller catalogue (Hannibal freaked her out).

"Hey," he said.

Annie paused the DVD strategically around Chuck's skirt (she liked her season 1 wardrobe, but accredited season 2's to Chuck trying new things), and Troy turned around. "How was your practice therapy, buddy?"

"Cool," Abed replied. He walked towards the easy chair Annie took up, and she instinctively moved to the arm. He wasn't planning on sitting to rewatch, but Annie looked so appealing on the squishy arm of his chair, and she clearly just showered and probably smelt nice. He sat gently on the chair. He didn't want Annie to move, like disrupted cats did.

She smiled. "What'd you talk about?"

"Thanksgiving, mostly," Abed shrugged. "Is this the Molly Shannon episode?"

"Yeah," Annie said, "but I'll never watch just that one before bed. I feel bad for Ned and Chuck at the end."

"I get it. Shipping is tough." Abed turned his head. "TV taught me how to feel."

"Now real life has no appeal," everyone responded at the same time.