#* austin

It hadn't felt right, going through them all on her own but now that she was heading up the path to Austin's front door, she hesitated. Maybe she should have called, asked even - were any of the photos tucked away in the envelope she held something he wanted to see? Was she overstepping? Seeking out some kind of connection to Nico that she didn't have now - through her ex? Whatever answers she might have found, long forgotten at his front door opened and the man she sought stepped outside. "Austin," she stopped, dead in her tracks and her mouth open with undecided words. "I uh..- I'm sorry, I should have called but I just, I found some photos and figured we could.." We could, what? Look through them? Wander down nostalgia lane together? "I thought you might want to keep some of them."

Despite not being on call, Ela didn't intend to get. A few glasses of champagne in, and she felt the all-consuming warmth prickle at her fingertips, and that was where she hoped to stay for the remainder of the night. Truly, she'd never enjoyed the feeling of being drunk and with everything going on, it certainly didn't feel like a good idea anyway. What it did do - much like anyone else - was give her liquid courage to say things she might never have ever considered before. Which might have explained why she turned to Austin as he settled at the bar only a few feet away after the woman next to her made a comment about how beautiful the wedding was. "It is, isn't it?" Doe hues now seemed to fixate on her ex, all the while her features remained as soft and welcoming as ever. "Obviously I'd never be able to throw money around the way Kit does, but... -- I think this comes pretty close to what I'd imagine my own wedding to be like. What do you think, Austin?"

No matter how often Ela had come face to face with death, nothing had really prepared her to see the look of it reflected in her best friend's empty features. It carved something within her that she knew would never heal and as she stood on the doorstep of his home, she couldn't find it in her to go back inside. Headlights blinded her momentarily, recognition striking her when the height of the driver was revealed as they stepped from the driver's side. It swelled her throat so tightly it hurt, "Austin," and no Nico to exist as the buffer between them and so much more. "Hey, I.. -- just needed some air but there's uh.. some b-boxes.." it broke somewhere in her throat, "in the kitchen."

"It's like nobody realizes that talking about the tension makes the tension all the more obvious," did her bringing it up now do just the same? Brielle wasn't sure but if she had to listen to one more person ask her about Ana and Max's drama as if the entire town wasn't totally up to date on it, she might scream. "I know pretty much everyone is trying to take it easy and all that, but I think there's still a bottle of vodka I stashed here last time I stayed with Ana. Does Mr Parker feel like partaking?" Maybe he'd succeed in keeping her mind from the many elephants in the room.

The end of her shift felt like it could never have come quick enough, the onslaught of people that came through the doors following the fire and attack at the Jones' residence had felt never-ending, and yet she'd never looked up despite running into overtime. Ela knew the second she got home, she'd collapse and likely pass out until another call came through for the department - at least, if she ever made it out of the hospital to begin with. What she hadn't anticipated was seeing Austin in the waiting room as she headed out. Offering a slight nod to the co-workers she was with, mentioning that she'd be right behind them, Ela took a second look and already felt some sense of regret sink in, "Austin, hey.." She smiled - tried to smile, trying to file through the patient she knew were still here, "Are you waiting to see someone?"

"Let's get...." pursed lips caught a crease at the tip of her nose as she tried to decide on what exactly she was about to drink down as easily as water when shadow cast it's way across her and the bar itself. Whomst the fuck turned out the lights..-- She blinks a few times until the shadow settles into something that holds more form and recognition hits her. "Austin!" A more than welcome surprise. Brielle knew that Harrison and him were close, and truly, she'd hoped he might be here, but the thought hadn't crossed her mind since she'd arrived. "Holy shit, look at you! Hey - tequila or sambuca?"