In typical Ipswich fashion, people began arriving to the Abbot's by the dozens, the moon held full and sky of constant clouds whispering that the night would surely end in yet another storm. Shadows were dodging day old puddles and piles of leaves, or at least putting in an effort to, littering the driveway and street edges with cars and toting in cases of beer, boxed wine and premixed drink pouches.
Less than half an hour was all it took for the exterior of the household to no longer contain the upscale and uptight curb appeal it usually held and the interior was being made quick work of, debatably quicker.
As Reid approached the doors, vibrating to the beat of the blaring music within he'd almost instantly received an additional surge of energy from the uncontrollable buzz, foyer coated in a layer of people and almost non-discernible whether what someone heard was from music or the hundreds of various conversations taking place.
"You made it, Whiskey!" Pogue shouted over the bustle, immediately pushing past the crowd.
"Could've been here sooner if you just made up with Baby Boy already." He informed, clapping a hand on his shoulder and handing over a gift of Putnam Single Malt Whiskey.
"Yeah, yeah, tell me something I don't know."
It wasn't something he'd ever actually admit to but he was really beginning to not be able to stand things being so stale between the two of them. His best friend in the world refused to look at him and he wasn't prepared to apologize. He never apologized but it was getting to the point where he very well may have to swallow his pride.
"Where is everyone by the way?" He inquired, taking the first sip and damn it went down smooth.
Pogue shrugged. "Caleb was with Sarah last I saw, Kate and Ana are dancing and Tyler went off-" He paused, glancing, "Somewhere a while ago, I'm not really sure."
"Alright, catch up with you later man."
Making his rounds about the congested hallways, bottle in hand, he chose to begin his night as more of a fly on the wall. He could very well down half that bottle, work on the rest slowly and not remember anything tomorrow but something told him to walk around this time and observe with a buzz instead. Unsure of why, he listened, casually scanning the rooms and greeting anyone who greeted him first. It didn't take him long at all to realize that he was hoping to find Ana.
"Looking good tonight, Reid." Placing a hand on his upper arm, April smirked, licking her lips suggestively and unapologetically giving him a once over.
"Not now, April." He dismissed, disappearing into the horde before he could even hear her hand slide off and drop to her side, unable to focus on much of anything else except searching for a head of messy blonde waves in the sea of people.
Attempting to rebuff the idea that she wasn't special was a joke and one that he hadn't been able to convince himself of no matter how badly he desired to, it becoming painfully apparent to him when he so easily passed April to the side. He'd have never done that, not before she came back home.
He wouldn't deny that he had become somewhat of a womanizer over the years, seemingly craving the thrill of the chase, a cat and mouse game that was the right amount of a challenge and never lasted too long. He'd become so accustomed to it: play with them and leave them. It was safe, practiced, a system he'd developed and gotten down to an exact science. And yet with her, he craved it every second of the day, scouting her out just to have a chance at getting her alone and not worrying about causing it to lead to the bedroom. It confused him beyond all reason, went against everything he'd essentially let become his lifestyle for the longest time. The thought of her was practically all consuming at times and he was left stunned, baffled as to what it was about her that was so different.
It didn't make sense and he had to change that.
Making it a point to backtrack, he headed deep into the crowd, walking toward a known good-timer and her friends in the corner, Heather looking him up and down slowly and fully aware of what he was hoping to get.
Reid placed a hand on her waist, inching her toward him until her backside was fully pressed to him and speaking sweet nothings to her ear, causing a giggle from the girl. Setting up the groundwork, he let her grind against him, getting to feel the bulge she so clearly wanted and obtaining a free ego boost in the process when she moaned simply from feeling the hardness.
After he'd teased her enough to know good and well she'd be wanting nothing more than a piece of him later on, he ventured to the living area which had currently been transformed into a type of large dance floor.
Looking out into all of the faces and finally seeing Tyler for this first time that night, it was hard not to notice him pretending not to notice Reid. Shaking his head, he approached lightly and openly, wanting it to be known that he had no ill intent. He wanted nothing more than for everything to go back to normal, to just talk.
"Look, I'm sorry, okay?" He began, "I shouldn't have dismissed you like that. I know you're only trying to help."
Tyler was quiet for a moment, then sighed.
"I've only ever tried to help you. I always have your back, you know that."
"I do know that, I swear." Reid spoke, more sincerely than he had in a while, "And I really want that back."
"So you're done being an asshole?" He asked, "No more than usual, at least?"
"Sounds good to me. I'll see you later."
He saluted to him and Tyler shook his head, giving him one back with a chuckle. Looking around the room once more with a smile after making amends, it didn't take him much time at all to spot Ana with Kate just as Pogue had said earlier. They were laughing about something as they were swaying to the song, who knows what with those two, Ana throwing her head back and when she'd finished she looked in his direction, surely as she could feel his stare.
She'd smiled when she caught his eye, returning to her conversation just as quickly as she'd left.
And with his heart beating a little more heavily, he took another swig from the glass bottle.
Ana was positive her and Kate had been dancing for an hour straight, at minimum. Covered in a layer of sweat and her throat dry, for the first time that night she split from her as Kate decided to go find Pogue. Making her way to the kitchen, free drinks courtesy of the Abbot's sounding like exactly what she needed and she'd only just been looking over what she wanted when Aaron sauntered in, unaccompanied by his leech.
"Ah, just the blonde I was looking for." He claimed proudly, throwing an arm around her shoulders and wreaking of Samuel Adams.
"You mean to tell me a girl can't even get a drink without you rearing your ugly head? Shame." Ana replied impassively, gently shrugging the arm off.
He'd stumbled backward a touch, his temporary impairment obvious and humorous as she prepared herself for whatever drunken thoughts would fall from his mouth. It seemed to her they wouldn't be much of an improvement from his everyday jargon but it still happened to peak her interest as it was well received that drunken words are sober thoughts.
"You know you're really pretty, right?" He started, "Much too pretty to be single."
Rolling her eyes, she didn't say a word.
He sighed, standing before her with mischief in his look. "Got anyone special in your life lately, Ana?"
"No, but aren't you supposed to?" She deadpanned, taking her no time at all to deduce that he was just as annoying drunk, "Where is she anyway?"
"We aren't attached at the hip, she's with her friends."
His voice held the slightest tinge of annoyance and she smiled.
"Well I'm sure she fucks around on you almost as much as you do on her, don't worry."
"You just think you know everything, don't yo-"
"It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know you're a little spoiled, compulsive lying prick, Aaron." She spoke vacantly, forgetting the drink to take pursuit of the open archway.
Moving quickly, he clapped a hand loudly against the wood, horizontal and palm down, standing arrogantly with a smug face to match at blocking her exit. She jumped a touch with irritation evidently written across her face, cocking her head to the side, locking her jaw and finishing with a signature eye roll she wasn't even aware of half the time as he simply chuckled with pride.
"I was going to ask you, but I guess I'll just have to present the facts." He stated, having Ana decide against her better judgment to indulge him just this once.
"I've seen you looking at him, babe."
"Look, you don't know what you're talking about, as usual."
Exasperated by the exchange already, she made the reach to throw his arm down and by all intents and purposes expected her encounter to end there. Yet he leaned in closer, cupping a hand around the side of her neck with his voice low and drawing her ear toward him, quite literally forcing her to lend an ear to his antics.
"You know, you should probably learn how to sneak around better. Someone might think you two are actually together."
"Do you ever shut up, Aaron?" She scolded, planting her hands on his chest and pushing away firmly, turning on her heels.
Positioning a foot securely behind to catch himself, he then lunged forward a step and took a rough hold of her wrist, beginning to pull her back toward him until he caused her form to collide against his chest. He'd muttered that he 'wasn't done yet' as she let out a very clear and irritated sigh, rolling her eyes once more with grinding teeth and stared directly back at him because he might not be but she sure as hell was. She stood unwavered and unaffected by his stance, the move obviously bothering him as he felt the need to open his mouth again in a feeble attempt to claw underneath her skin.
"Just can't wait for the moment you can wrap those long, skinny legs around lil' Reid every time you see him, can you?"
Aaron punctuated his sentence with a sneer, Kira clearly rubbing off on him in more ways than one and challenging her with wild eyes. Ana's glare stayed locked in place while attempting to rip her arm from his grasp, imagination running rampant at what exactly he was hoping to gain from this.
"Maybe I should let everyone know just how good he fucks you."
"Yeah?" She retorted, the calmest of smiles gracing her lips accompanied by an unrelenting stare, "Prove it."
She'd no longer been interested in removing the grip, almost as if a switch had been flipped, a new goal in mind as she stepped forward harshly until there was no room left at all between them, all the while never removing her eyes to kill from his own. He may have an upper hand in strength but he wasn't nearly as clever and she was well aware that he possessed one of the quickest tempers she'd ever witnessed in person, testing the limits and knowing she'd won when she felt his fingers loosen in surprise. Almost instantly his look grew darker, feeling his hold return stronger than before when a voice broke through the tension.
"It'd do you some good to let her go, Aaron." Tyler spoke, composed but firm, blue eyes holding steady on the position of his hand.
"God, you fucking him too or something?" He spat, dropping his hold completely, unconcerned with concealing his annoyance that his 'fun' had been ruined.
Tyler stepped forward and his target was obvious with a clenched jaw and a fist to match, his stare going up into flames. She instinctively put a hand out against his chest gently, his muscles tight, shaking her head that it wasn't worth it, he wasn't worth it, standing directly beside him until his breathing became steady again.
"You're disgusting." She grumbled, looking back at him and crossing her arms definitively.
Aaron slurred fast profanities beneath his breath while looking between the two for a moment, snaking another beer from the refrigerator and at last heading to the open archway, not before childishly bumping into Tyler's shoulder however. He let out a frustrated, low chuckle at the drunken entitled ass, licking his lips and waiting a beat before he spoke to her. She was unsure of why but something in her didn't want to meet his gaze, knowing full well that it would hold confusion and pity and for some reason those feelings showing through his eyes was the last thing she wanted.
"You ok?" He asked quietly, gently rubbing the pink, raw area on her wrist.
"Yeah, yeah I'm fine." Ana rushed, practically seeing the thought bubble appear above his head, the curiosity evident in the stare she didn't want to meet.
"Hey, um - don't worry about that, alright?" She insisted, nodding her head to where Aaron had previously been, "Please?"
His hands were thrown up in defense, tight lipped and indicating that he could take a hint. He was prepared to not say a single word but also wouldn't forget what he had seen and she was aware of it, more grateful than anything else that it was him who witnessed.
Ana bit her lip, raising her eyes from the floor and standing to face him, sending her arms around his neck while taking a large breath, as much as her lungs could contain before letting it inch from her body slowly. He was tense at first blush, the sudden affection throwing him for a loop, closeness being something he hadn't had much experience with but always tried his damnedest to disguise it. Her eyes pinched shut when she felt him relax and enclose her small frame securely, letting loose a sigh.
"Thanks, Tyler." Her muffled words spoke against his shoulder, "Seriously."
"Anytime." He whispered.
So a long overdue update is still an update, right? I suck, I know but hopefully this chapter doesn't! It's exxxtra long. Please be sure to follow and favorite if you enjoyed reading and leave me a review down below. I would love, love, LOVE to know what y'all think! xx