unedited, and a lot of talking about eyes/staring lol sue me

four

It had been days since Stevie had last seen the group from 4D. She'd spent almost the entire week holed up in her bedroom, sleeping, crying and eating entire blocks of KitKat chocolate. Her skin was breaking out and she smelled awful, but it was better than facing the world. 

It had all hit her now. The fact that she was going to be alone. The idea of not having someone to hold or kiss or just...exist with. She had never handled her emotions well, and since she'd spent the last couple of days with Jess, Nick, Winston and Schmidt, she felt mentally exhausted too. She didn't have any close friends who could force her out of bed, and it wasn't like work needed her - if anything, Josie, the old lady who worked part-time, enjoyed the extra hours and cash in her pocket. 

There was another knock at the door - the fourth that day. Stevie didn't bother getting up, she had no idea who it was and she didn't care. She hadn't reached the online shopping stage of her sadness yet, so it couldn't be a delivery. The most likely was her mother, who would try and convince her that everything had been a mistake and she needed to get her head out of her arse before she farted and suffocated herself. 

Stevie wasn't in the mood for that conversation. 

So, she hung around in her room, watching Dharma and Greg on her laptop as the world continued to turn around the sun. She peed when she desperately needed to, and brushed her teeth because she didn't like how the taste of orange juice lingered on her tongue. But, her room was a mess, and so was her brain. 

But, she'd get over it. She always did. Right?

"Stevie!" Jess managed to make herself heard over Thomas Gibson's voice. Stevie turned the volume up and buried her head deeper into her pillow, as if she didn't hear anything. "Stevie, I know you're in there! I have cookies!"

Stevie sighed, before bundling herself in her comforter and dragging herself to the door, opening it without looking Jess' way. "Hey, Jess."

"I'm so glad you finally answered!" the sprightly woman exclaimed, shutting the door behind her and looking around. Stevie's apartment was quite plain in the teacher's opinion, the only decorations being some film posters and a shelf stacked with records and unread self-help books. "Nice place you got here."

"You don't have to lie to me," Stevie said, wandering towards the small kitchen area, where she poured herself a glass of water. "It's a shithole."

"No..." Jess trailed off, noticing a wine stain on one of the couch cushions. "No, it's lovely. I, um, was just checking in to see how you were after all the shenanigans that took place last week? You didn't seem all that talkative when it was all over."

Stevie pursed her lips, turning back to face the woman. She didn't have the energy to give an emotive response. "It's all kicked in now, you know? The whole...single...alone forever..."

"You won't be alone forever!" Jess insisted, rushing over. She tried to reach for Stevie's shoulders, but the comforter was so thick she ended up accidentally holding a boob and an elbow. "Why don't you come out with me tonight? Nothing too crazy, we can stop by the bar Nick works at for free drinks, and then we'll go from there?"

"I don't know, Jess," Stevie said, her voice soft and hesitant. "I haven't done anything like this in a while."

"Well, now's your chance!" Jess exclaimed. She then turned towards Stevie's wardrobe and threw the doors open, sifting through the plainly coloured clothes. "I always encourage slutty behaviour in my friends."

Stevie grunted as Jess threw a tight black dress her way, accidentally hitting her square in the face. Followed were a pair of stilettos, which she narrowly ducked, then a fedora, which she caught and tossed back into the closet. "Absolutely not."

"Good girl," Jess glanced back and grinned. "That was a test."

★☆

Cece smacked Stevie's hands as they reached down to fix the hem of her dress. "Cut it out, you look hot."

Stevie flashed her a worried look, but the model returned it with a teasing glare. "I can't do this."

"Why not?" Jess was awkwardly moving her hips side to side in an attempt to dance to the music. She was completely off rhythm and the bright colours of her outfit were slightly off-putting, but it was amusing all the same. "I'm sleeping with a guy who thinks I'm a professional dancer. He's a doctor. You've just got to amp it up, lie a little."

"Exactly," Cece piped up, gesturing to Jess' moves. "If Jess can convince a guy to sleep with her based on that, anything its possible."

"Ouch," Jess muttered, though she didn't make any effort to stop. She did look up, however, and pointed at the bar. "Nick's here! Go, my child, start drinking!"

Stevie swallowed, allowing Cece to yank her to the counter, where Nick looked up and froze a little. "Hello, British lady from Apartment 3B."

"Her name is Stevie, and you know that," Cece deadpanned, and he blubbered a little like a fish out of water. "Two shots of tequila."

"Yes ma'am," he dipped his head with a sheepish expression.

The two shots appeared in front of the women within seconds, and Stevie nervously stared down at it. He'd had also provided them with a customary slice of lime and salt shaker. Her eyes flickered up to Nick, who was busying himself with cleaning glasses so that he wouldn't have to talk to them. "Thank you, Nick."

"Huh?" his head shot up. "What? Oh, uh, no problem...Stevie."

She smiled softly, and he awkwardly returned it, before disappearing somewhere else. Cece chuckled beside her. "Did I do something wrong, or is he just like that?"

"He's just like that," Cece responded. She nudged Stevie and pointed to the shot glasses. "C'mon, I'm not drinking this on my own. It tastes like nail varnish."

"Fantastic," Stevie mused, picking the shaker up and tapping some salt on the outside of her thumb. Cece did the same, and they both took a deep breath before licking the salt, taking the shot and sucking the lime. Stevie hissed through her teeth once she finished, her throat feeling hot as the alcohol ran through her. "Jesus, that's strong."

Cece blew out a breath, blinking a few times to adjust to the taste in her mouth. She then patted her new friend on the back, and winked. "Tonight, that's a good thing."

★☆

It was a good thing. An hour and a half later, and a fourth suitor was already making his way to Stevie. The thing was, she wasn't enjoying it in the slightest. While Cece and Jess were sitting at a table nearby in attempt to watch the events unfold, Stevie had taken a seat at the bar, a heavy wave of anxiety setting in. 

"You okay, kid?" Nick asked awkwardly, sliding a beer across the countertop. Stevie didn't even hesitate before taking a large sip. She managed a smile at the bartender. 

"I'm pretty sure we're the same age," she mused, and he shrugged. He'd been tasting drinks since he started his shift, so he was now bordering on tipsy. She could tell he wasn't as nervous around her as he had been a little while ago. 

"Calling people 'kid' makes me feel wise," he leaned against the bar, pouring himself a glass of bourbon and cola as she chuckled. He looked up at her, tilting his head. "Didn't Jess say you were out here looking for a hook up?"

She made a face, and he raised his eyebrows. "I thought it'd be a good idea, but being hit on makes me so uncomfortable."

Nick hummed, a joking smirk slipping onto his face. "God, yeah, I can relate. The girls love me, you know. They always tell me how much they want a piece of this ass."

Stevie laughed. She genuinely laughed. The reaction made Nick grin, and he got the confidence to talk a little bit more. She listened, and for a moment she forgot about the stress weighing on her shoulders. 

Then, there was a light tap on her shoulder. She jumped a little bit and glanced back, looking up to see a broad man standing behind her. Nick cleared his throat and took a step away. He'd gotten a little too comfortable. 

"Hey there," the man grinned down at the small woman. She swallowed, her tongue running against her top row of teeth (a nervous habit).

"Hello," she said politely. 

He took the seat beside her without asking, waving Nick back over. "Two beers for me and the lady."

"Sure, man," Nick muttered. His eyes darted towards Stevie, who had quickly become uncomfortable. 

"I'm Lucas," he held his meaty hand out. 

"Stevie," she slipped her hand into his, shaking it. 

"What brings you here tonight?" he asked, not sparing a glance at Nick as the drinks were set in front of them. 

"I'm just with some friends," her response was short, for she didn't really know what to say. She'd never been good at this sort of thing, especially after being in a long-term relationship. She hadn't flirted in what felt like a lifetime. She nodded over at the table where Jess and Cece were watching excitedly. 

"And you're not sitting with them?" he leaned in a little closer, his knee brushing up against her leg. She shifted a little, eyes veering to Nick, who was serving another customer. 

"No, I thought I'd come up here and talk to Nick for a little bit."

At the sound of his name, Nick walked over, gaze set on the man. "Everything all good here?"

"Yeah, everything's fine," Lucas nodded, his arm slithering behind Stevie's back. His fingers curled around her waist, and Stevie's jaw set a little bit. "What are you, her boyfriend?"

Nick and Stevie didn't even look at each other. "Yep."

All three of them froze for a second, but Stevie was the first to act, pushing herself off her seat and leaning across the bar. She grabbed Nick by the collar and in a moment of desperation, pressed their lips together. 

Nick dropped the glass he was holding in surprise. It smashed on the counter, shards flying up and cutting Stevie's skin. She yelped, flinching and knocking her head with Nick's. He yelled out, accidentally biting down on her lip, and she pulled back, a lot more bloody and pained then when she first initiated contact. 

"That was embarrassing," Lucas said, eyes wide. He then laughed, and kicked the seat back, walking away. Stevie groaned, burying her face in her arms, before groaning as she remembered the cuts on her cheeks and arms. 

Footsteps sounded behind her, and soon she felt familiar hands on her. "Oh my God, Stevie, are you okay?"

Stevie didn't reply, she just looked over at Nick with an apologetic expression. "I'm so sorry, Nick, I just wanted him to go away-"

He waved her off, quite panicked when he saw specks of blood on her face. "Just...the next time you kiss me, give me a fair bit of warning."

It was a joke, and Stevie scoffed. He smiled at her reaction and started to clean up the mess he'd made.

Cece turned Stevie around as Jess picked up some handkerchiefs, dragging her away to the bathroom to clean her up.

Stevie got one last look at Nick, who was muttering to himself about how stupid he was. 

★☆

i'll rewrite this later but for now here, my children, feast.