MINE.

Tea is Served

Once back upstairs in the penthouse, Ana went to change, while Kaden helped himself to the kitchen to make some tea. He had seen a kettle in there the other day, along with a plethora of different flavors to choose from. Just as he was stirring some honey into a steaming mug of chamomile, the elevator opened, and Dan walked out into the penthouse.

"Where is she?" He asked, voice laced with panic of his own.

"Changing," Kaden replied, "but I'm sure she wouldn't mind you checking on her."

"Right," Dan said with a tight-lipped smile, setting a bag down on the counter and making his way to Ana's bedroom. Knocking lightly, he called out for his friend on the other side of the door. "Stass, you alright?"

Dan heard a mumbled "Yea," in response, followed moments later by, "You can come in. If you want."

Ana was sitting on the floor, leaning her back against her bed, knees tucked close to her chest. Dan wasn't sure, but it looked like she had started changing and given up halfway through, as she was wearing only an oversized hoodie, underwear, and a single sock.

"I can't do this, Daniel," she looked up at her best friend, eyes rimmed red and puffy from crying. "I'm only going to let him down. He's gonna hate me knowing that I can barely even take care of myself, let alone him and-"

"Woah, woah, slow the fuck down." Dan knelt next to Ana. "Can I touch you?" She nodded, so Dan moved to take her face in his hands. "You know, he's out there making you tea?"

Ana blinked slowly, "I... I thought he was going to leave once you got here."

"Do you want him to, 'cause I can go tell him to scra-" Dan moved to stand, causing Ana to giggle, shake her head, and pull Dan back to her.

"No, Kaden can stay. I need to finish getting dressed, you go play nice." She shooed her oldest friend away to the kitchen.

"I'm nice!" Dan feigned offence as he left the room, closing the door behind him.

When Dan got back to the kitchen, Kaden's back was to him. It looked like he was on the phone.

"No, Jaimie, I don't know what time I'll be home. Yes, I am with the person I told you about. "Is this about to be a problem, James? 'Cause you aren't my boss, you aren't my father, and you sure as hell aren't my boyfriend." Kaden spat the last word through the phone like poison. "I'd appreciate it if you'd leave me alone for the night, Jaimie, you're being unreasonable and you know it." There was a pause, "Yea sure, goodnight."

"Scorned ex-lover?" Dan spoke up once he'd noticed Kaden end the call.

"Jesus, you scared me." Kaden caught himself on the counter.

"It's Dan, actually, but I get that pretty often." He smirked, leaning against the wall and pointing in Kaden's direction. "Was that the roommate you mentioned? The overbearing one?"

"How could you tell?" Kaden chuckled, rubbing his hand over his face and shrinking into himself. He didn't like talking about his relationship with Jaimie, it wasn't that it was a bad relationship, it was just messy, but when Dan gave him the look that seemed to say, 'go ahead,' Kaden couldn't help himself. "We've been friends for almost 20 years on and off, and we live together now."

"How long have you lived together?" Dan asked, genuinely interested, sitting across from Kaden on a barstool and resting his chin on his hand.

"I moved to New York when I was 18, fresh out of high school. I didn't walk in my graduation or anything, I just followed Jaimie here. We've lived together the whole time." Kaden took a deep breath and continued, "He's a few years older, and was always taking care of the financials while I was in school, I didn't, I don't have anyone else." Kaden thought about how much information he was ready to share with Dan, information he hadn't told anyone in a while. "I- it doesn't matter how we got here, I'm just tired of him treating me like a child."

Kaden turned back to the second and third cup of tea he had made, stirring them slightly and bringing one to the counter where Dan sat.

"Kaden," Dan started, "You're a good guy, you care a lot. Don't let that be the thing that takes you down." He smiled an awkward smile, a took a sip of the tea Kaden had made. "Wow, Kaden, this is good."

"Thanks," Kaden chuckled, taking a sip of his mug, "Uhm, my sister used to get panic attacks, and this was her secret recipe to calm down after one of hers."

"I didn't know you had a sister." A small voice came from the other side of the kitchen. Ana looked much better than she had when they first got back. She had washed her face, brushed her hair, and changed into her favorite comfy clothes before joining the boys in the kitchen.

"Oh, uhm, yea. I did." Kaden responded cryptically. "It's a story for another time, if that's okay."

Ana smiled, walking over to Kaden and tucking herself under his arm, "As long as I can still try this miracle tea."

Kaden smiled and slid the mug he'd made for Ana over to her. Watching intensely as she took the first sip for a reaction. As she sipped the 'miracle tea,' Kaden and Dan watched as her body seemed to physically relax. The tension in her shoulders dissipated, and her facial muscles eased back to where they belonged.

"That is miracle tea," Ana whispered, snuggling even closer to Kaden with her hands wrapped around the warm mug.

"You going to be okay, Stass?" Dan asked, eyeing his friends up and down, unsure how to proceed. He trusted Kaden, especially if Ana trusted him; that wasn't the problem. He just was more protective of Ana than he'd ever admit.

"Yea babes, I'll be alright." Ana padded across the kitchen towards Dan, hugging him gently. "I love you, always and forever, you know that?"

Dan smiled, his eyes welling slightly with tears as he wrapped his arms around his lifelong friend. "Always and forever." 

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

Dan left shortly after their teas were gone and their mugs washed. Kaden and Ana decided to curl up and watch a movie. Kaden insisted on Ana picking whatever she wanted to watch, promising he'd be engaged and interested no matter what.

"We're watching Little Women, the 1994 version, not the newer one," Ana said, gesturing for Kaden to join her on the couch. "Can you stay close? Sorry, I get this way sometimes after a panic attack, I get kind of needy and clingy and—"

Kaden shushed Ana as he got comfy as close to her without squishing her. "I'm here for you, okay? We don't have to think right now about anything except how bad Laurie and Jo are for each other." He smiled at the look on Ana's face when she heard him reference Little Women.

"You know the story of Little Women?" She asked, and the opening scene began to play.

"I'm an American History and Literature professor, of course, I know Little Women." He grinned, kissing Ana's forehead. The two sat, cuddled together for the duration of the March sisters' tale until they fell asleep, entangled on the couch. At around 3 a.m., Kaden's phone began ringing incessantly.

"Kaden..." Ana tried hesitantly to wake up her cuddling companion, but he wouldn't budge.

Finally, on the 5th phone call, from the same number, Ana answered the phone.