illicit | five hargreeves - EDITING

eight

chapter eight: crowded rooms

Anthony really had not wanted to go to this stupid party that all of the Commission's employees were invited to for some reason that he didn't care enough to find out about. Seriously this was the last thing he wanted to be doing on a Saturday night, but Herb and Dot had somehow convinced him to go, saying that they'd be too lonely there without him.

Their guilt tripping was obvious since they both knew it would work on him, but he didn't fully understand why they wanted him there so bad. Sure they were his only real friends at Commission, but they would've been fine there without him since they had each other.

It wasn't as if anyone there other than the two of them would be happy to see Anthony there; it was well known by now that not a single person at the company liked him very much, so going to a party full of the people that despised him was not ideal.

He sat at his place at the table with the two who had basically forced him there, leaning his cheek against the palm of his hand with his gaze averted to the other side of the room. Anthony was counting down to how long it would take for him to have an acceptable time to leave and go home without them protesting.

Five was there, with the Handler of course, standing across the room with her. He looked confident and comfortable as he held a glass in one hand with his other in the pocket of his suit pants, eyes focused on the people he was having a conversation with. He looked so confident and laid back, because he really was everything that Anthony could never be.

The man hadn't given him a single glance since they had gotten there, his eyes staying firmly in the group of people surrounding him. Anthony hadn't seen Five in a while, only because he had been on jobs constantly for turn past week or so, and he hadn't even expected him to be back by that night, but apparently he was.

Anthony unintentionally glared at the Handler as she touched Five's shoulder, then touched the small of his back, then his hip and eventually touching the side of his face momentarily. He knew he shouldn't have felt so jealous at the sight, but he still felt that pang in his chest nonetheless.

He glanced down at the silver ring on the finger of his left hand, frowning slightly as he looked back towards the man across the room, thinking of how unfair it was that he was over there and now anywhere near him right now.

Anthony sighed as he stood up, walking up to the bar and ordering another drink. If he was going to have to stay there he was at least going to get as drunk as he possibly could to make it slightly less unbearable. So he waited at the bar for a couple of seconds, anxiously tapping his fingers against the wooden counter. He looked around the room again in an attempt to find where Five was, but he couldn't see him in the crowd anymore.

A second later he felt a hand on the small of his back, making him jump just slightly at the unanticipated touch, "Looking for someone, darling?" Five asked, leaning down and kissing his cheek quickly, before Anthony had the chance to move and swat him away.

He didn't respond at first, just looking at the man who now stood next to him, "No one," Anthony replied, eyes intently looking him up and down, the only person he wanted was right in front of him. "I thought you weren't supposed to be back until tomorrow morning," he said.

"Yeah," Five nodded as he turned his head to look forward. "I got it done early, I just came back like an hour ago, which is why I didn't come home to you before I came here," he explained. "I wanted to come over to you sooner but she just kept talking and you know what she's like."