Situationship

Author's Note: I came across this term and thought it may be a relationship I could do something with. Expect the next chapter under it's own story heading by the same title—I'm going to play with this a little more. Let me know your thoughts.

SSSSSSS

It was the second time this week she showed up at his place with food and Ressler wasn't sure what to make of it. In truth, his confusing relationship with Liz stressed him out a little. They'd started sleeping together a few weeks ago; a wonderful addition to their friendship. But he wasn't really sure she wanted much more. She had said she wanted fun and light. So, they were fun and light, despite him wondering every time he saw her if fun and light was all she ever wanted from them.

"Is that a pie?" He asked when he opened the door and looked at the domed dessert in her hand.

"Coconut cream," she said with a smile before she walked toward him, kissed the side of his face, and started to walk into his apartment.

"Uh," Ressler said when she stopped dead in her tracks at the sound of others. "It's poker night."

"You have a poker night?" Liz asked him, her voice a little louder than expected.

"Is that Liz?" a familiar voice called.

"Shit," she hissed.

He chuckled, knowing she was not getting what she'd hoped for tonight. "Yeah, every second Thursday."

Aram appeared in the hallway behind Ressler looking at her curious.

"You brought pie?" Aram asked looking at Liz, Ressler, and the pie.

"Uh, yeah, I…"

"She lost a bet," Ressler said as he took it from her.

"Hey Aram," Liz smiled at him.

"Thanks for the pie, the guys will love it," Aram said.

"Guys?" Liz asked.

"Aram, a couple of guys I play pick up with, and Henson," Ressler called from the kitchen as he cut into the pie and grabbed plates.

"Security guard at the post office Henson?" Liz asked with a raised eyebrow. She had no idea he and Ressler were close.

"Yeah, he's a great player," Ressler smiled.

"Oh," Liz said, suddenly realizing she hadn't really known about this poker-playing part of Ressler's existence.

"Well, I should go now that I've dropped off my payment," Liz said as she shifted awkwardly.

"At least let me introduce you to everyone," Ressler said, handing Aram two plates with pie and forks on them. "It doesn't really go with everything else, but I don't know any man who turns down pie."

"Come on," Aram nodded with his head for Liz to join him.

She turned and glared at Ressler who, again, chuckled at her, before she followed Aram.

"Hey everyone, this is Liz," Aram said as he smiled in her direction. "Liz this is Peng and his husband Felix, and you know Matt."

"Hi everyone," Liz smiled at them. Peng and Felix were an incredibly fit couple and Matt looked different in casual clothes; she was used to him in combat gear.

Ressler walked in behind her and handed her a plate of pie.

"Oh no, I'm not staying…" Liz said, trying to give it back.

"You should at least taste the pie you bought," Ressler said. "I saw how much it cost."

Liz chuckled and tried to will her face to not go any pinker. She had sexy plans for the pie that would not come to fruition. And sexy underwear on under her black jeans that would not be shared tonight.

"This pie is delicious," Felix smiled at her. "Thanks for bringing it. The whip cream is light as a feather."

"Liz lost a bet, and this pie was her paying up," Aram offered.

"What was the bet?" Peng asked.

Liz shot Ressler a look; she literally had no idea what to say.

"Who scored highest on target practice," Ressler offered before he turned to go back to the kitchen and get himself a piece of pie after handing out plates to everyone else.

"He's a really good shot," Aram said.

"I haven't seen you signed in for target practice for weeks," Matt called to him.

"We went to a gun range," Ressler called back from the kitchen before he started to walk back.

Liz nodded in agreement with the lie and shoved pie in her mouth. It was delicious. It would have been more delicious licking it off each other.

"Doesn't sound like a fun date to me," Felix muttered, and his husband shot him a look.

"So, give us the goods on Don," Peng smiled at her, trying to cover for Felix's comment.

"What goods?" Liz asked with a raised eyebrow as she felt Ressler come up beside her to stand.

"Is he really doing all the Captain America stuff Aram claims he does?" Peng asked with a wink.

"Captain America, huh?" Liz teased as she hip-checked Ressler playfully.

"Aram tends to embellish," Ressler admitted, his face going red.

"Did he drive a car off a dock with a bomb in it?" Felix asked.

"Uh, yeah," Liz smirked.

"Hell yeah," Matt said. "I thought it was just people talking up…"

"No, that really happened," Liz said. "Saw it with my own eyes."

"So, he's the real deal?" Peng asked.

"He's the real deal," Liz said as she eyed Ressler and blushed.

Ressler cleared his throat and walked around the table to put his pie down.

"You staying?" He asked. "We can deal you in."

"Yeah, Carrie couldn't come," Aram said, getting back in his seat.

"Carrie?" Liz asked.

"I know her from the gym," Ressler said, not meeting Liz's eyes.

Suddenly Liz felt the air shift between her and Ressler. Sure, they had been sleeping with each other, but she had, very purposefully, said she needed this to be easy. Did easy mean he slept with other people too?

"Uh, no," Liz said awkwardly, suddenly feeling incredibly out of place in this part of his world where he had gay friends, was friends with a security guard she barely noticed on most days, and women who played poker with him and possibly did other things with him. "I just needed to drop off the pie."

"Shit, Estella," Felix said as he rose from his chair and put his phone to his ear.

Liz looked at the group confused.

"He's an OBGYN," Peng explained. "On call for a few patients tonight who may deliver."

Liz nodded. "I better go, and let you get back to your game."

"I'll walk you out," Ressler said, standing. "Felix will be on the phone for a bit anyways."

Matt clicked on the TV and a basketball game was on the screen.

"They still down?" Peng asked as their eyes went toward the game.

"See you tomorrow, Liz," Aram called to her and smiled.

"Nice meeting you Liz!" Peng called.

"See you tomorrow Liz," Matt smiled at her.

"Yeah, see you tomorrow," Liz waved, taking in the surreal scene before her of Ressler's life that she had never been part of.

She walked with him toward his front door and heard Felix on the phone in Ressler's bedroom asking about spacing between contractions.

Ressler threw his feet into a pair of slides and walked out into the hallway with her.

"Ressler, go back inside, you shouldn't…" Liz said, embarrassed she had thought she could just show up to his place whenever and he'd be waiting for her.

"Sorry, I didn't know you were thinking of coming by or I would have…"

"I didn't know you had a poker night," Liz said, taking a deep breath. "You never mentioned it."

He shook his head. "I'm surprised I haven't. It's been going on for almost a year now…"

"Which is great, it's so great that you have those friends and…and…Carrie and…"

He reached for her elbow, and she was caught off guard by the action.

"Carrie and I," Ressler swallowed hard, and she saw his jaw tighten slightly. "We, uh, helped each other out for a few months but that hasn't been going on since the summer."

"Oh, uh, okay," Liz nodded. Thinking that helped each other out was some sort of guy code for friends with benefits. And then she wondered, was that what they were? No, they were more to each other than that, but how much more?

"Look, Liz…" Ressler started.

"I should apologize," Liz interrupted as she touched his chest. "I shouldn't assume that I can just drop by whenever the mood…"

"I'm happy with you dropping by," Ressler interrupted. "And most nights I don't have a bunch of people…"

"No, I really need to text you and check that it's a good time for you as well and…"

"It's always a good time," he supplied as he stepped a little closer to her and placed his hands on her hips.

She smirked at him and looked over his shoulder, making sure his door was still shut before she leaned in and kissed him softly on the lips.

"I still need to check," Liz said as they pulled back from the kiss.

"You sure you don't want to get dealt in and stay?" He asked with a grin as she felt his fingers reflexively squeeze her hips.

She shook her head in the negative.

"We are usually done by eleven," Ressler said. "I could…"

Just then the door behind Ressler opened and Felix appeared at it, surprised to see them standing so close with their hands on each other.

"Oh, uh, sorry," he said as he quickly pulled the door shut behind him so no one else would see. "I didn't mean to…"

At that point, Ressler and Liz had quickly stepped apart and Ressler was rubbing the back of his neck, embarrassed and Liz was looking anywhere but at Felix.

"Estella is in labour, and I need to…" Felix said as he pushed past them. "I, uh…I won't say a thing, I promise. Not even to Peng."

Ressler waved at him with a very red face. "Thanks, man."

Felix didn't turn back around, but waved, not looking back at them before he disappeared quickly down the stairwell.

"So, that's a very clear…shit, I need to go," Liz said with a nervous chuckle.

"Uh, yeah, I think that's probably….I mean, before we get into any more…"

"Yeah," she laughed. "I'll see you tomorrow, Ressler."

He smiled and nodded as he watched her walk toward the stairwell that Felix had just raced down. She turned at the stairwell door and smiled and waved, just as the door behind Ressler opened again and Aram appeared.

"I think we're all calling it," Aram said. "Hey, is that Liz just leaving?"

"Yeah, she was telling me about Agnes with Scottie," Ressler said absently, thinking that tonight was just really weird between him and Liz.

"Oh, how's she doing?" Aram asked.

"Good, having fun," Ressler said absently. He was still thinking about Liz and what he couldn't quite put his finger on with them tonight.

"Okay, well, we're all cleaning up," Aram said as he stepped back inside and held the door for Ressler.

Ressler turned and walked back into his apartment with his friend to clean things up, but he couldn't shake a strange feeling that there were more layers to what happened with Liz tonight then he was seeing.

To be continued….