#alanbarry

 Coming home was the hardest part, almost as hard as dealing with the fallout of Al's worst habits, if Barbara was honest. She could deal with those (some of those, at least) ever since they were both in primary school; not a writer and her agent but two girls, one with a predisposition for annoyance and bursts of anger, and the other with a motor for a mouth that could get her out of almost any trouble she'd cause or get tangled in.

 No... cleaning up Al's messes was, if anything, the only art she truly excelled at.

 But coming home -Al's home- and feeling the bubble of night excitement mixed with booze burst by the eventual presence of her husband was such a sour pill to take, she hated it. And, only in her weakest, most inebriate moments, she would hate him.

 What did it matter if Alana ran off from party to party into the night? It was good for business, she argued, and it wasn't like she was alone! She had her best friend and best agent on her side, god dammit! Did he not trust her to keep her safe? Bold words from someone that only knew her for a couple of years when they've been together practically all their lives!

 Alana laughed at her side, a tsizing sound that betrayed her drunken state, and Barbara wondered if she said that last part thing out loud or not. Probably not. Hopefully not.

 "Anyway, Al," she continued, slurring her words on pair with her feet, stealing a couple moments more with her, "What, what I'm trying to say is..."

 "Is...?" Her best friend dragged, in the sweet middle point between encouragement and mocking.

 "I just miss you, is all!" Alana snorted, stopping on the hallway to lay her back on the cold wall, dropping her coat on the floor in the process.

 "Barb, we see each other all the time, we, we work together" Barbara joined the wall at her side, her now naked arm warm to the touch.

 "I know! I know, but..."

 "I think you just miss crashing at my house." She laughed, a bit harder than she anticipated.

 "Hey, can you blame me? You have a gorgeous place, despite your hubby's tacky photography." Alana rolled her eyes, but the smile didn't waver. Barbara's did, only when she realized the sudden light under the door at the end of the hall. God, did he had a sixth sense? What was he up for, anyway? It was late. "I just miss having you around off the clock, is all..." With him always skulking around, she didn't say, sighing instead. "Remember how we used to do movie nights and stuff? When was the last time we had a girls night at your place, huh?"

 "We should have a girl's night." Alana nodded, booze and sleep tinting her words as she leaned her head on her friend's shoulder, both of them ignoring the fact that they've been going out nearly weekly by now. Alana liked the alcohol, and Barbara loved to see her friend happy. Alec wasn't fond of either, apparently, for when the door at the end of the hallway eventually opened the eyes that met Barbara's were cold.

 "Alana...?" And just like that the warmth at her shoulder ceased, as the other woman turned to meet her lover with a dopey smile.

 "Hi honey. I love you." His face softened, and Barbara rolled her eyes.

 This was her cue to quietly get away if she didn't want to hear a mouthful later, yet as they said their soft greetings Alana didn't move from her spot at her side. Her skin burning now with inevitability.

 Barbara shook her head and that thought off her mind and instead decided to say goodbye on her own terms. She wouldn't give Alec the satisfaction.

 "Well. Guess I'll be going then." She stated, slowly bouncing off the wall to stand upright, grabbing Alana by the waist so neither of them would fall down by the inertia. A faint noooo came out of her mouth as she slightly wavered on her grasp, like a tree by the wind or some other colorful metaphor that she'd use in one of her books, before the extra height that separated them fell to meet her in a lazy departure hug while she nuzzled her neck.

 Laughing, Barbara wrapped her arms tightly around her friend, squeezing her for good measure, and then some more at the sight of her husband standing still on the threshold, waiting for his lover to finally say goodnight and come back into his loving arms. He'll have his time later, she thought, as she sank her face on the nook of her shoulder not quite ignoring but pointedly defying his gaze.

 In nights like this, Barbara almost wanted to be selfish. To snatch her up in the name of a concerned agent for the ever growing popularity of her star. It was a matter of business, nothing personal.

 And yet, when an idea sparked on her mind she was too drunk to pretend there was no ulterior motive behind it.

 Without dislodging herself from her thinner frame Barbara pulled away just enough to face her, cradling her head with a proud smile shinning through. Alana's eyes were so glassy, yet immediately lighted up at the gesture.

 "Hey, Bestseller, you did good today, you know, right?" Fingers affectionately running through her long hair made her friend hum, smile sliding as easily as hes eyes closed with content, until she finished with a chuckle. "Zero broken noses and I didn't have to call the lawyers once!"

 "Hey!"

 "Kidding, kidding."

 She chuckled again, before taking a breath. Biting her lip, she wondered. And without thinking about it too much -she swears- Barbara angled Alana's face a bit to plant a kiss on her warm cheek. Her friend's hands still idly wrapped around her waist pulled her closer as she heard her make a noise, between a content humming and a surprised giggle. Alana got affectionate and touchy-feely when smashed, couldn't Barbara be the same? Couldn't she kiss her cheek a second too long, her touch linger on her skin a moment too much?

 When she parted her cheeks were red, partly flushed because of the alcohol but mostly for the matching tacky lipstick mark she left on her wake, something burning on her chest that she refused to acknowledge most days but could easily distinguish as possessiveness in that moment.

 Oh, her best friend was so pretty, like that.

 Her best friend.

 Breathing in that picture Barbara smiled, fondness washing over her as her best friend beamed. She really loved seeing her happy.

 "Night, Al."

 "Night Barb..."

 Finally letting her go from her embrace, it was Alana who paused to look at her before looking at the window, ignoring the way Barbara locked eyes with a now beyond pissed off Alec behind her back as she called the elevator. She expected her to leave now, and instead she asked:

 "You sure you'll be okay, going home at this hour?"

 Barbara raised an eyebrow, lightly wondering what would the alternative be and trying not to enjoy Alec's reaction in the background.

 "Don't worry about me, Al. New York is not as bad as it is in your books, most of the time."

 As the elevator's door finally opened with a charming ding Barbara stepped inside with a last hand wave, a smug smile escaping her lips in private while hearing the remnants of conversation between her dear friend and her husband.

 "What the hell was that?"

 "What...? Oh. You know how Barb is."

 "I can't believe she'd just-"

 "Relax, that's what girls do"

 Oh, he really was fuming, wasn't he? Mirth filled her for a second as the voices faded away, giving room to the mechanical sound of the building followed by the roar of the city life, persistent even at the supposed death of night. Embarrassment would come later with a hangover, alongside hints of guilt for disturbing Alana's precarious marital situation further. She really disliked seeing Alana unhappy... and Alec, well, dealing with him after an argument was always a drag she tended to avoid.