#4 – Keys

''To freedom!''

''To freedom!'' Robert repeated after John, as they toasted once again with their pints.

''Robert, I can't tell you how happy I am right now!'' John wiped his mouth with his hand and looked at his friend. ''She is gone, and I don't need to see her ever again for the rest of my life!'' After almost 10 miserable years, Vera Bates was no longer a Bates. The divorce papers had been signed, their shared assets divided, and John could not feel happier than he felt at that moment. ''Miss, another round!''

''Don't you think we've had enough?'' Robert managed to ask. They'd been in the pub for the last four hours, celebrating John's divorce, and he had to admit that he was starting to feel slightly ill from all the alcohol they'd consumed.

''Maybe,'' John smirked. To tell the truth, he did feel a little dizzy. ''Tell you what - let's have one more round, and then we'll go, OK?'' He leaned on the bar and looked at Robert, his eyelids drooping, but the biggest smile on his face. He was ecstatic to finally be rid of that witch he could now happily call his ex-wife.

''Just one more?'' Robert held up one shaky finger in front of his face.

''Just one more,'' John laughed and smacked him on the back, throwing Robert off-balance and almost making him fall off the chair. ''Hey, hey - easy.'' John caught him just in time, and pushed a fresh pint into his hand. ''Here, drink up!''

''So are you finally going to make a move on Anna, now that you're a free man?'' Robert managed to ask before burping. ''Sorry.'' He covered his mouth and looked sheepishly at the waitress.

''What?'' John turned to him, almost spilling the pint he was holding. It had been almost 6 years since Mary had introduced her best friend to him, and to say that he had been completely mesmerized by her would be an understatement. To John, Anna Smith was perfect. Not only was she drop dead gorgeous, but she also had the kindest heart he had ever encountered. They had clicked from the moment Mary had introduced them, and the only thing preventing them from growing closer had been Vera, especially after Anna had moved into a flat across the hall from his. He and Vera had already been living apart, but the moment the witch had found out that John had been spending a lot more time with the young woman, she was back in the flat within two days, claiming she had missed him and wanted to give them another chance.

But John was no fool. He'd known exactly why Vera had come back. She was jealous, and no matter how many times he had told her that she had no reason to be, deep down he knew that she was right. He and Anna had started as acquaintances, then casual friends, and then friendly neighbours, lending each other milk, eggs, and other staples when one of them had run out. But slowly he had found himself thinking about her a lot more than he had the right to. She was much younger than he was, and that alone had been reason enough to know that he would have no real chance to ever call her his. Not only was she too young for him, she was also too good for him, and what was he? A middle-aged, divorced man with nothing to offer her but his problems.

''Anna...your neighbour? The reason you can't sleep at night?'' Robert teased, well aware of John's feelings toward the young woman.

''Shut up and drink!'' was John's only reply.

''Why shouldn't you make a move? You and I both know that you like her,'' Robert continued, nibbling on peanuts from a little bowl on the counter. ''And to be honest, I'm sick and tired of watching you pine over her, when we can all see that she feels the same about you.''

''Robert - shut up, or I swear to god I'll punch you,'' John replied, taking another sip of his beer. He and Anna were just good friends, he told himself once again, just as he had repeated continuously in his head for the last three years. He knew that she could never feel anything more than friendship toward him - she just couldn't.

''Oh, don't be like that. Vera's gone, Anna is single...what are you waiting for?'' Robert persisted. He was running of patience with his best friend. Everything was always Anna said this and Anna did that, all the bloody time. And now when John had finally gotten rid of Vera, he suddenly didn't want to talk about Anna at all.

''We are friends and nothing more, Robert. We could never be more than that,'' John whispered, and drained the last of his pint.

''You are full of bullshit, John Bates!'' Robert stood up and wobbled in place. ''You love her, and she loves you, end of story!'' He grabbed John's shoulder to steady himself. ''And now if you'll excuse me, I need to get the toilet.'' His face turned a unique shade of green before he zigzagged in the direction of the loo.

xXx

Two hours and more than just one drink later, an even tipsier John stepped out of the taxi in front of his apartment block. After paying the driver, he slowly made his way inside and not so quietly started to climb the stairs to his flat.

''Come on, you little shit!'' he muttered, when his keys fell to the floor as he attempted to unlock his door. Picking up them up, he tried a second time, but the damn key would not fit in the keyhole.

''For god's sake!'' He raised his voice in frustration, causing the dog in the flat below to start barking, followed by a faint shout from an angry-sounding woman.

''Sorry, Mrs. O'Brien,'' he said under his breath, but then started giggling, very much enjoying the fact that the dog had woken up the old witch downstairs.

''Oh, come on!'' John tried to get the key in the lock again, but for some reason he could not manage it. He knew that he was a bit tipsy, but he didn't think that he was too drunk to unlock the damn door.

Taking a step back, he stared at the door and chanted in a low voice, ''Opeeeen.'' He started to chuckle at his own silliness, and then he couldn't stop giggling, so had to lean against the doorframe for support. Suddenly the door actually opened, and John was so startled that he jumped back and nearly lost his balance.

''John?'' Anna stared at him from the open doorway, half asleep and clutching a soft pink robe around her body. She had already been sound asleep when Mrs. O'Brien's little monster's barks had woken her up. She had been just drifting off again when she'd heard fumbling and scratching noises at her front door. Was someone trying to break in, she had wondered. She'd crept to the door and peeked through the peephole, only to see her precious John on the other side.

''Anna!'' He beamed at her sudden appearance in front of him. ''She is gone!'' he announced, and without thinking twice, he lifted her up in his embrace, and stepped into what he thought was his flat, unaware that he had confused the two doors.

''John, put me down,'' she giggled, but he didn't seem to have heard her, continuing to wobble slowly down the hall toward the kitchen, with her still in his arms.

''She is gone!''

''Who is gone?'' Anna wrapped her arms around his neck to steady herself, sensing that he had no intention of setting her down right away.

''Vera, who else? She signed the divorce papers today!'' John looked up and smiled at her, feeling his head spinning. He might be drunk, but he still noticed how gorgeous she was, with her hair mussed and wearing the fluffy robe he had gotten her as a Christmas gift the previous year.

''She is gone!'' He raised his voice happily, causing the dog downstairs to start barking again. ''Oh, shut up, you little shit!'' John yelled, resulting in the barking and Anna's giggles growing even louder.

''Have you been drinking?'' she asked, when he finally set her down in the kitchen doorway and walked shakily toward the fridge to get something to eat. He looked so adorable, standing in the middle of her kitchen, wobbling a bit as he stared into her fridge.

''What is this?'' He looked perplexed as he pulled out Anna's tofu cheese, wondering how something like that had gotten into his fridge.

''Where did I buy this crap?'' she heard him say, and had to chuckle at his confused expression.

''John?'' she tried again, as he continued going through the fridge, discovering even more of her healthy snacks. ''John?''

''What?'' He turned around and grinned. She was so beautiful.

''Have you been drinking?'' she repeated her question.

Closing the fridge, he made his way over to her. Leaning closer, he gave her one of the special smiles he reserved just for her, then whispered, ''Can I tell you something?''

''What?'' She stared at him. Even though he was drunk, he was irresistible to her. The stubborn lock of hair that always fell over his forehead, his soulful hazel eyes, his soft lips turned up into a crooked smile...if only he knew how much she wanted him to be hers.

''You are so beautiful,'' he said, and rested one of his arms against the doorframe next to her. ''So, so beautiful.''

''John, you're drunk,'' she replied, starting to feel annoyed with him.

''Maybe I am, but…'' He chuckled. ''…I'm telling the truth.'' He gazed directly into her eyes, which stared back with the same adoration.

''John…'' she whispered and closed her eyes, as he lowered his face to hers. She could smell his cologne mixed with the scent of the peppermints that Robert had offered him to mask his beer breath, and she knew what he was about to do. And maybe it was wrong for them to share their first kiss while he was drunk, but some powerful force had been pulling them together for the last 6 years, and they were both tired of fighting it.

But just as their lips were about to meet for the very first time, John suddenly shifted his head to the side...and the next thing Anna was aware of was John vomiting all over the fluffy pink slippers he'd given her with the robe.

''John! You didn't!'' Anna shrieked, and jumped away from him. But her practical nature soon won out, and within the next few minutes she had helped him to the bathroom to get cleaned up and then to her bedroom, where he collapsed on her bed. He babbled what sounded like an apology to her before falling asleep almost immediately.

The next morning John was surprised to wake up in her bed, and did not remember a thing about having almost kissed her or even having been sick. Anna was disappointed that their encounter had ended that way, but given the circumstances it was probably for the best, and she didn't say a word about any of it to John.

They had loved each other silently for such a long time, but both felt they were still so far from making any kind of change in their relationship. Little did they know that just one month from that day, they would be sharing their first kiss and so much more after he gallantly saved her from fainting in an ill-fitting Halloween costume. Patient hearts are often very brave hearts, indeed.

BETA: !annambates! :D thank you!

hello! :D thanks for R&R! and please let us know what you think about this ^^^ :)