when the sun came up

xxiv.

Three vodkas, lime and sodas were slammed down in front of her by the harassed-looking bartender, startling Emma from her reverie. God, what was she even doing playing voyeur to something that was none of her business? Feeling irked with herself, Emma paid up and swiftly transported the drinks back to the table, relieved to get away from the sight of Ethan making yet another conquest.

Mike and Jasper were already in full flow at this point, performing an intensely enunciated beat poetry piece that was alternately puzzling and hilarious. Emma found her friends half giggling, half gawping as the boys took turns intoning their parts with oddly elaborate accompanying gestures, all the while maintaining sombre expressions. She settled into her seat and attempted to follow along, all the while reflecting with some amusement that the boys may or may not have had some form of herbal assistance with the inspiration for their piece. If the wide grin on Olivia's face and the meaningful look she shot Emma was anything to go by, she was clearly on the same wavelength.

Michael had arrived and Jasper and Mike were in the last throes of their act by the time Ethan re-joined their table. He stopped to give Gray a one-armed hug before taking his seat next to Nathan, tilting his head in greeting with a surprised half-smile as he noticed Olivia and Michael together. His gaze travelled quickly around the table, cataloguing all the new arrivals, before it landed on Emma, who felt a slight frisson of connection when she caught his eye. She hadn't realised she'd been watching him so intently.

Ethan's smile twisted into a small smirk as he raised an eyebrow at her. Emma flushed slightly even as she rolled her eyes back, annoyed and embarrassed to have been caught staring. It was just Ethan, after all, but... well. She didn't know if he'd done something different with his hair – washed it, perhaps, she thought wryly – but it looked rather nice. He was wearing her favourite turtleneck of his as well, a black one she'd complimented him on in the past. The colour set off his tan perfectly, and making his green eyes stand out more.

It occurred to her that he looked unfairly good. This bugged her more than it should have.

Abruptly Emma cut her gaze, directing her attention back to the Mike and Jasper show just in time for their closing lines. The sound of clapping filled her ears and she joined in enthusiastically, their whole table hollering and stamping as the boys bounded off the stage and made their way back through the crowd, high-fiving a few people on the way and grinning ear to ear.

"Wow," Grayson said, looking momentarily lost for words and as if he was about to burst into hysterical laughter at the same time. "That was really... wow."

Olivia snorted, while the rest of the boys snickered.

"Thanks!" Jasper and Mike chorused happily, seeming not the slightest bit perturbed at the quizzical and amused looks their friends were shooting each other.

"Glad you enjoyed it," Mike added solemnly, the enigmatic twinkle in his eye belying his serious tone. "Now that's done, anyone for drinks? Jas and I will get this round."

There was a clamour of activity as half the table prepared to top up their beverages. Jasper and Mike had ostensibly been the last act of the night, as a live band had now taken their place on the stage. The next hour passed happily, with the non-stop banter of the group growing steadily louder and more ridiculous the more alcohol was consumed. Emma ended up leaning her head sleepily against Mike's shoulder as they talked to Gray and Michael. As it turned out, he and Mike knew each other and were already firm friends, having joined and led some of the activities for "some smarty pants Engineering club" together (in Jasper's slightly slurred words).

At some point, Emma looked up and noticed that there was a new addition to the table. Jasper had disappeared some time ago to the bathroom, but the girl Ethan had been talking to earlier at the bar had joined them and was currently merrily chatting away to Nathan, Elizabeth and Olivia. Ethan was at her side, lips quirked upward, seemingly watching over them approvingly like some sort of... some sort of...

Pathetic child showing off his new toy, Emma thought scathingly, then was so shocked with herself that she stumbled a little, straightening up off Mike's shoulder. It wasn't just the vehemence of the thought that had (literally) tripped her up, although that in itself was surprising and uncalled for, but rather the intensely possessive tug in her gut that had accompanied it. She stared at the girl, at the way Ethan was looking at her, and probed at the feeling that was only becoming blindingly apparent now that she was actively acknowledging it existed.

I'm actually jealous.

Really fucking jealous.

The notion had her reeling back, head spinning. Emma reached out to place her drink on the table, slapping it down perhaps a little more forcefully than was needed. She was oblivious to the way Gray's attention had suddenly snapped toward her, eyes narrowing.

"Hey, Mike," Emma said in a would-be casual voice. "Who's Ethan's friend?"

"Oh, that's Stacy," Mike said, turning back to Emma with a smile. "She's pretty cool, we met her earlier tonight. I think she and Ethan are friends. They met a couple weeks ago when he was bartending for some party she had at his work."

"Looks like she wants to be a little more than friends, if you ask me," Michael said, smirking.

"Well, who wouldn't?" Mike replied. "Just look at the guy. He's a regular dreamboat."

Both boys chuckled heartily while Grayson rolled her eyes.

"You're both hilarious," he said with heavy sarcasm, grinning nevertheless as he slipped off his stool and leaned forward to tug on Emma's arm. "I need a new drink. Wanna come with?"

Emma, who'd barely processed the conversation and didn't know how to respond to it in any case, simply nodded and followed Grayson to the bar. Once they'd been served their drinks, instead of making their way back to the table as Emma had expected, Gray yanked on her elbow and drew her over the side of the counter where it was quieter.

"Right," Gray said, all business, giving Emma his best stern frown which was slightly less stern than usual considering his tipsy state. "What is it?"