The prompt: "Jeff & Annie have done something to annoy another member of the study group."
Britta eyed Pierce in concern, unsure what to do about the low growling noise he was making. She watched him for a minute before taking a deep breath and squaring her shoulders. She could do this. She was gonna do this.
"Um, Pierce… Why are you growling?"
"Huh? What? Oh, blondie. I'm irritated." She nodded uncertainly.
"Okay. Why? Maybe I can help." He turned to look at her then, taking in her surprisingly genuine expression, and decided it couldn't hurt to throw her a bone. He snickered to himself before he remembered why he was upset.
"Jeff." He spit the name out with all the venom he could muster. He was slightly disappointed to realize it wasn't much. "He and Annie have been…" He trailed off, trying to think of a way to put it that wouldn't induce dry heaves. "Spending time together. Annie's my favourite." He winced, realizing Britta might be offended, but she waved it off. "But I hate Jeff Winger!" That garnered a reaction.
"Seriously, Pierce? I thought you guys buried the hatchet or whatever after the whole axe incident!" He sighed at her.
"We did. Sort of. But he's still an ass. And I know him. I was him! He's not good enough for Annie." He caught her eye and nodded his chin toward her. "He's not good enough for you either. Not yet." Britta smiled and moved to stand beside him, staring out the window at the scene outside.
"Pierce… Jeff is an ass. But he's not so bad when he's with Annie. And we all had a hand in that. I get that them… Spending time together is irritating but they're good for each other. It's weird. Jeff studies and Annie loosens up and they're both too busy to get caught up in Troy and Abed's schemes. It's good." They both watched silently as Jeff pulled Annie's books out of her arms to carry them across the quad.
"I still don't like it." She patted his shoulder.
"You don't have to."
"What about you?"
"Me? I don't have a horse in this race." He raised an eyebrow. She rolled her eyes. "Fine. I wasn't really happy about it at first. But… They're happy, you know? Jeff and I were never like that. And Troy… I don't know. But I'm okay with it." He put his arm around her shoulders and squeezed.
"You'll make a good therapist, Brittles. When you relax that stick up your butt." There was another eye roll in response but she stayed silent otherwise.
They stayed like that, quiet and contemplative, as Jeff's free hand tentatively reached out to hold Annie's and the two were out of sight.
