Healer

xanderscrimgeour‌:

rileyxthompson‌:

Riley had been having a better time than even she’d expected - she still didn’t know what to feel about Xander, and having everyone all together made it even easier to slip back into their old habits. It also helped that she was fairly drunk, but for one night, she wanted not to think about it. To just let loose and have a good time, like there was nothing complicated going on in her life. “Do you know -” She murmured, the alcohol making it way too easy to admit things she should probably keep quiet as she toyed with the ring she’d decided to wear around her neck for the night - Xander’s ring - her old engagement ring, which up until tonight had been sitting at the bottom of her jewelry box. “That you were my last New Year’s kiss? Merlin, that’s sad, isn’t it?” She laughed, shaking her head. 

Glancing around, she tried to locate her friends. She felt slightly guilty. She’d dragged them all here, and felt like she was spending most of her time with her ex. Her eyes landed on a familiar face, but not that of Rylie’s or David’s. “Arwen!” She cried, lighting up in excitement as she waved her over. “Xan!” She chastised, turning back to the man for a moment. “You didn’t tell me she was here!”

@xanderscrimgeour​

Xander’s gaze was transfixed. The moment she had begun fiddling with what he clearly recognized as the engagement ring he had given her he had felt a surge of hope, of possibility and positivity flood through him. She hadn’t thrown it out, hell, she hadn’t even hidden it away. She was there, in his bar, wearing his ring. Alright, so it wasn’t on her finger, it wasn’t like they were engaged again, but it had to mean something, it’s not like she’d wear it by accident. He was going to respond, to tell her that he hadn’t had a New Year’s kiss since her either, that if it was sad then at least they were in good company, but her sudden excitement had him thrown and as much as he hated himself for thinking it, he couldn’t help but be somewhat disappointed at the fact she had found his best friend, that their conversation was clearly no longer a private one.

Looking towards where she had spotted Arwen he threw his friend a slightly strained smile as he noticed another familiar face behind her. His lips pursed at the sight and he turned back to her with a forced smile. “You didn’t tell me Ryan was here either,” he responded, watching as the man came over. “Merlin, I hope he’s not going to hex me,” he muttered as much to himself as his ex. “Ryan!” he spoke in a rather fake friendly tone, “good to see you, how have you been?”

@rileduprylie​

Of all the club’s they could have picked, Riley just had to go with Xander. It was like being stuck in a waking nightmare. One that Rylie was trying to drowned out with shots. But he had stopped when Riley had hit her limit. He couldn’t be more drunk than her tonight.

He sighed at his empty glass as he headed for a water. That was until he saw Rylie with Xander and the ring twirling on her fingers. Maybe one more drink. “Hey man, nice place.” Rylie said with a nod and a slightly forced smile. Any thing to make Riley happy. That was always his goal. “Rils, water?” He asked before seeing Arwen joining them as well. “Hey stranger! Long time no see. Can I get you a drink?”

@arwenholiday

Arwen noticed Riley fingering something around her neck. She suddenly felt as if someone had punched her in the stomach. It was a ring. Xander’s ring. The ring he had given Riley when they had gotten engaged. Arwen would have thought Rile would have thrown it out, but her she was with it on a chain around her neck. She couldn’t stay here. She couldn’t watch the two of them together. 

“Arwen!” Riley had seen her and now she was trapped. She steadied herself and forced herself to smile back. She caught Xander’s eye and recognized the smile he threw her as a strained one. She shrugged slightly and mouthed sorry. 

Her mind whirled as she struggled with what to do now, but her attention was soon caught by the arrival of someone else. Rylie Ryan. Riley’s best friend. The tension in Xander at his arrival was immediately obvious. Arwen tensed up, expecting a fight. She stepped closer to the three of them, hoping to defuse the situation. “Oh...uh...thanks, but I...uh...I was thinking of heading out.”

“Well, thank you,” he laughed easily at the compliment, patting her hand with a jesting wink. He had always been a big fan of the theory that laughter was a good medicine, although ‘best’ was something of a stretch, but nonetheless, he did want to see her smile. A sad, or, in this case, sick Arwen was simply not something he could condone. “You know I have to try and match you, and no one can quite get to your level of friendship.”

“I was thinking either chicken and corn or chicken and vegetable, either way I’ve got what is needed, you just need to tell me what you want and I can go make it for you, or, if you’d rather, I can help you out to the couch so I can keep an eye on you while I cook. Your choice.”

Arwen forced herself to smile at his words. If he only knew how hard it was to be his friend and nothing else... “You make me sound like a super friend or something. I’m not. I’m just a friend.” Just a friend. The words felt bitter in her mouth.