don't stand so close to me.

“For the record, I think you’re hot always, so write that down,” Vicky corrected, toying with the collar of Will’s shirt. “But you got angry while defending my honor. Which damsel in distress doesn’t enjoy watching her valiant knight fighting off a fire-spitting dragon for her?” The usual humor was surely coming back, a mischievous smile appearing at the veiled insult to the other woman.

“Either way, yes, it’s kinda hot to see you being assertive when your blood boils,” she concluded, wrapping an arm around the back of his neck and pressing in. “I wonder what else makes you lose your composure.”

Will wasn’t going to protest the valiant knight metaphor, not when it hit pretty close to home after that night’s events. He smiled and shook his head at Vicky’s playfulness, even as she was twining her arm around him and squeezing the space between them into nothing. 

Vicky pursed her lips; rightful or not, Susan had said all those things to everybody in hearing range. She wondered if that hatred came from still harboring feelings from Will, which made little sense as she knew that Susan had been the one to fuck up their marriage. Yet matters of the heart could be confusing…

Vicky sighed, eyes closing at the tender little kiss. “You can’t know that for sure, babe,” she replied, but it was much lighter than her previous words. She placed a hand on the back of Will’s neck, caressing slowly with her thumb. “She did sound way too hysterical and people will definitely talk about that too. It doesn’t matter. You, on the other hand…” She smiled. “You were perfect. Kinda hot, to be honest.”

Being welcomed home by Fitz soothed the sting of the unpleasant words thrown her way that night and Vicky affectionately petted him to show how grateful she was. It inevitably reminded her that the dog had only come to Will’s life after Susan had left the house, which was really telling to Vicky in terms of how cold-hearted the other woman could be.

She nodded slowly, strengthening up from where she had bent down to play with Fitz, the tension on her shoulders loosening a bit when Will’s hands came up to caress her arms. “Well, I don’t think anyone likes being called a gold-digging whore,” she replied bitterly, then sighed. “It’s not… I don’t know? I couldn’t care less what she thinks of me, I’m a threat to everything she had dreamed for herself when the two of you were together, but that doesn’t give her any right to talk about me that way where everybody can hear.”

Will managed to not visibly flinch at the sound of the words gold-digging whore falling from Vicky’s lips. “It doesn’t give her any right to talk about you that way at all,” he rebutted pointedly, squeezing at her shoulders. “You did nothing to earn that much vitriol, and she doesn’t get to have an opinion on where I choose to invest my emotions anymore.” 

Vicky really was too good to him by half. There had to be some sort of catch, some explanation for why she wasn’t upset with him after how he’d behaved… And yet there really wasn’t. When Vicky talked about the way he’d exploded, she didn’t look up at Will with any fear or anger—just curiosity. It soothed him a little, more than he’d expected. 

“I like to think I have a good hold on my temper,” Will replied quietly, ducking his eyes. “I don’t like being angry. I don’t like the person I can become. But the way she kept talking about you, I just… Well, it got to me. And I think some old resentments that I’d bottled up for a really long time spilled over as well, so…” He sighed, giving Vicky’s hands a final squeeze before turning to the car pulling up to them. “Still, whether or not you’re upset, I’m sorry you had to see that,” he added, touching the small of her back to guide her to the car. 

“Oh, I don’t think that your angry side was responsible for any of that, believe me,” Vicky urged on, shaking her head. It was understandable, really, and he hadn’t done anything to harm her. “Don’t apologize for it, sweetheart,” she said just before they got into the car that would take them home. It would be pushing it to say that she wasn’t upset at all – she just wasn’t upset at Will.

Maybe Yvonne was right and he had become avoidant when it came to talking about things. 

Will took a moment to reply, kneeling down to greet a happy Fitz when the door opened. The house looked warm and welcoming, safe, and Fitz’s fur was soft under his hands as he whuffed and begged the both of them for attention. He wanted to take in that serenity before he answered, absorb it so that he could milk some of the venom out of his memories of that conversation. “I never thought Susan would---that she could---start a scene like that,” he said gravely. He looked away from Fitz, looking up at his girlfriend. “I’ve never seen her do that. Usually she’s more the way she was when you talked to her---catty and petty, but never... explosive.” He sighed, standing after a moment with a final pat to Fitz’s neck. 

Vicky shook her head, eyes softening as she looked up at Will. “You didn’t do anything wrong. I don’t think any girl can complain over having her honor defended so fiercely,” she said with a quirk of her lips. “She was unfair and incredibly rude, yes, but none of it was your fault. I do wish I had stayed back, though, to see how much of that she would have said to my face…” Some heat seeped into her voice and she tried to shake it off once more.

“I have to admit I didn’t know you could get that angry,” she continued, giving him a curious look. “Now I see how far someone has to go to make you lose your temper.”

Vicky really was too good to him by half. There had to be some sort of catch, some explanation for why she wasn’t upset with him after how he’d behaved... And yet there really wasn’t. When Vicky talked about the way he’d exploded, she didn’t look up at Will with any fear or anger---just curiosity. It soothed him a little, more than he’d expected. 

Vicky had held onto Will’s hand and not let go all the way out of the party, the reassuring voices of their friends becoming only a buzz to her ears. Between weak smiles and trying her best to convince them that everything was alright, she felt like she could only breathe properly again once they were standing by the sidewalk in the crisp night air.

She tilted her head to look at Will at his mumbled cursing, face twisted between her own embarrassment and a deep sympathy for what he had gone through. “It’s not your fault, Will, she’s clearly drunk. You’d think a woman like her would try to keep it classy, but… yeah.”

Will didn’t notice Vicky turning to look at him---he’d barely even noticed the grip she’d kept on his hand, his fingers twitching when he realized she was holding his hand. He only turned when he heard her voice, coming back to the present moment as his eyes scanned her face. And even though she looked absolutely miserable, she was so, so sweet. 

Although Vicky had been told to stay away, she managed to get their little group of friends closer to the kitchen as the music went on, the party seemingly undisturbed at first. The hope that they could avoid a full-blown argument was all lost in a few moments, however. It was impossible not to hear the voices growing louder and louder, until it was the only thing anyone seemed to be paying attention to.

Well, that and the furtive glances at Vicky herself.

She bolted from her seat and would have crossed back to the kitchen if not for Yvonne’s hand on her wrist and Rick’s silent shake of head. It was simply ridiculous, the scene that raging bitch was making as if she had every right to dictate Will’s love life. As if it hadn’t been enough to ruin it once by her own merits. Someone had to teach her a goddamn lesson and Vicky was glad that Will had found the courage to do so but…

God, she felt like digging herself a hole in the ground and hiding forever.

In the pause it took for them to breathe, friends from each side went ahead for damage control. A woman Vicky hadn’t been introduced to yet wrapped an arm around Susan and tried to guide her away while Jayda stepped in front of the little crowd gathered by the door.

“Okay, folks, show’s over, come on,” she called out while Vicky used the distraction to slip into the kitchen at her back.

“I think it’s time for us to go,” she said in a wavering voice as she extended a hand for Will, purposefully ignoring Susan’s presence for the sake of her sanity. “Come on, honey.”

With each passing second, the mortification grew. Will stared at the kitchen sink as Jayda started ushering people away, rubbing a hand over his face as if it’d help scrub away the shame he could feel burning on his cheeks. 

Oh, this was not good. This was really not good. He didn’t even think he’d blown up like that at the holiday Christmas party. Oh god. 

And Vicky. Will looked at her at the sound of her voice, and she looked---spooked. Embarrassed. Because of course she was with Susan calling her gold-digging jailbait loud enough for the whole party to hear, and Will... Will just absolutely losing his shit in the middle of what was supposed to be a fun night. “Yeah,” he replied, his voice low and rough from earlier. “Yeah, I---let’s go.” 

Leaving was a blur of nodding to their friends’ supportive words and accepting shoulder-pats and hugs he didn’t really want, ignoring side-eyes and whispers, a very genuine and slightly stammered apology to Hilary (who was near tears and also apologizing for Susan coming like it was all somehow her fault), slipping out the door as unobtrusively as possible---

And it was only when they were outside in the fresh air and the Uber was a minute away that Will felt the angry ringing in his ears subside. 

Vicky would have liked to hear what Susan was clearly preparing herself to say, but Will was quick to save them from the embarrassment of a potentially heated argument in public. She fought the urge to pout, knowing that he was trying to protect her even as he attempted to cheer her up with his playful comment. She glanced at the other woman over Will’s shoulder before finally relenting, letting out a deep breath.

“Alright. I don’t like leaving you with Cersei Lannister and her glass of wine, but you’re the leading authority on ex-wife matters,” she replied begrudgingly, squeezing his hands to let him know that she wasn’t angry at him specifically. “I’ll be waiting for that drink.” Vicky smiled and stepped to the side. “It was… I’m glad to have met the Susan everybody talks about,” she said simply, soon walking away to return to their friends.

Will’s soft smile as Vicky stepped back was reassuring, one of his hands lingering on hers to give it a final squeeze before letting go. There was something peaceful about his smile, a quiet promise that everything would be alright. And for a few minutes, it seemed that everything would be. 

And then the shouting started.

“---into a goddamn laughingstock, I had to hear from Bethany---” 

“---sound so bitter, you always do this, never learned to stop meddling in other people’s---” 

“---caring that you’re going through a midlife crisis, what’s next, are you going to get a Porsche and---”

“---are NOT FUCKING MARRIED ANYMORE, SUSAN!” 

Everyone attending the party had started turning one by one towards the noise, heads craning to get a glimpse into the argument spilling out from the kitchen. It’d been slowly growing louder and louder until it was overtaking the cheerful music suffusing the house. 

And when the music was turned down by a very pale Hilary, Will and Susan’s voices echoed through the house. 

“Oh, you made that really fucking clear, Will! Trust me, I KNOW!” Susan screamed, angry splotches of pink high on her cheeks and her eyes glassy from tears. “Otherwise you wouldn’t have shown up here with a goddamn co-ed! Is she even old enough to drink, Will? Or are you going to get her some fucking APPLE JUICE?” 

“Are you fucking kidding me now?! We were younger than Vicky when we got married---”

“AND WE WERE BOTH KIDS, WILL! Neither of us was forty! God, you’re just robbing the cradle now, how can you just---” 

“And it’s none of your fucking business, Susan! Just because you couldn’t hold down an actual job at twenty-four---” 

“---oh let me guess, does she call you daddy too?”

“CHRIST, SUSAN!” Will exploded, face red from the kind of rage he’d felt only a handful of times in his life. He raked his hands through his hair, palms pressing to his temples. “Always so fucking crass! What the hell kind of a low blow---when, when are you going to learn that my life is NONE OF YOUR GODDAMN BUSINESS---” 

“OF COURSE IT’S MY BUSINESS! You heard that smug little bitch---” 

“Don’t you fucking call her---!”

“---because it’s me people are laughing at, Will, just as much as you for dating a fucking child! If you don’t think she’s a gold-digging little whore then you’ve got another thing---” 

“Oh my god, SHE HAS NO IDEA ABOUT THE FUCKING MONEY, SUSAN! NOT EVERYONE CARES ABOUT MONEY AS MUCH AS YOU! WHO THE FUCK’S THE GOLD-DIGGER, THE GIRL WHO JUST MET ME OR THE ONE I PUT THROUGH SCHOOL, PAID A HUNDRED THOUSAND IN LOANS FOR---”

“How dare you---”

“---BOUGHT A HOUSE FOR, PUT MY LIFE ON HOLD FOR---” 

“---DON’T YOU FUCKING YELL AT ME! You don’t have that right, how dare you!” Susan was crying in earnest now, angry tears streaking her face and her hands shaking, and it was like all Will could hear was a low roar in his ears. “Is she your muse now, Will? Is that what you’re saying? How you’re justifying it?” She sniffled, wiping angrily at her eyes. “God, you’re such an elitist armchair-intellectual asshole.”

Vicky poised herself for a fight at the pause that stretched on for longer than necessary, the words devoid of any warmth as Susan’s eyes bore into her. The only thing keeping Vicky from being more aggressive was the certain knowledge and her reactions could be used against her – it could be the true reason for Susan to engage into conversation, ready to expose any lack of maturity on the younger woman’s part.

If Vicky could help it, she wouldn’t offer that particular satisfaction.

“Very kind of you to give us a heads-up on the current… circumstances, as you say,” she commented, letting her scowl show her distaste while keeping a level tone of voice. “But if people are talking, you’re a part of the story as well. You might want to steer clear of any gossip, before the inevitable comparisons start. We can deal with the rest of it.”

The way Susan straightened her back let Will know she was about to say something unforgivably rude to Vicky---so he cut her off before she could get the breath, stepping between the two women. “Susan, enough,” he snapped, then turned around to Vicky and took her hands in his, kissing the knuckles of each hand lightly. 

Vicky had to bite down on her tongue to stop herself from pointing out that yes, perhaps Will did always try to see the best in everyone, because he had waited long enough in their marriage even when Susan she stopped offering him any kind of positive affection. It was difficult not to get belligerent, especially as the older woman went on to say that she did care –Vicky wondered what angle Susan was trying to go for, since she doubted that there was still any chance at reconciliation.

She didn’t move, holding her ground as Will took a step forward to stand by her side. She wished that such encounter could have happened in a more secluded place, instead of just on the way to the kitchen, where anyone could run into them.

Either way, Susan clearly didn’t feel like addressing her directly again, turning her full attention to Will. Vicky was considering excusing herself to let the two sort it out – as much as she didn’t want to leave Will dealing with it alone – but the hesitant approach taken to describe their current situation caught her attention.

“I don’t,” the young redhead replied, a confused frown taking over her delicate features. “I wasn’t aware that we’re in any kind of special circumstance. Last time I checked, a divorce means that both parties are free to date any other consenting adult.”

Susan’s eyes slid slowly to Vicky when she spoke, the contrite twist of her face not reaching her eyes at all. “Of course you are, dear. Isn’t that what I just said?” 

“It wasn’t exactly what you were implying, though, was it?” Will replied, and Susan looked like she was barely containing a scoff. Her sugary veneer seemed to melt a little with her next sip of wine, a brow arching mockingly at him. 

“Please. I just told you I don’t care about where you find your...” Her green eyes were cold on Vicky, and she seemed to think better of whatever word she was about to use when she looked back at Will. “... Happiness. Just trying to figure out why you didn’t say anything about it sooner. You never used to care what people think of you, I guess I’m just surprised you let gossip get to you like this.” 

“Oh, there’s gossip, is there?” Will scoffed, barely resisting the urge to roll his eyes. He was hyper-aware that they were right in the middle of the party and that he couldn’t lose his temper---but by God, Susan made it difficult. “Jesus Christ, Susan---” 

Vicky nodded, deciding against asking the older woman to call her by the usual nickname – she wasn’t feeling particularly friendly after everything she had heard about Susan, it would be wise to keep some emotional distance if they could. Keeping a polite, close-lipped smile on her face, Vicky tried her best not to show any distaste, although she couldn’t avoid a frown in response to the uncalled for advice.

“Is that really necessary?” She questioned, veiling the sharpness of her disapproval with a soft voice. “Female competition is kinda outdated these days, I’d rather not be suspicious of every woman that has known Will for longer than I have.” Was she always that rational? Probably not, but she had the odd feeling that Susan was like a predator, with a sensitive nose for fear.

Susan’s smile froze on her face at Vicky’s immediate rebuff at her attempt at friendliness, green eyes boring into the younger woman unerringly for a moment. No matter how sweet Vicky’s voice had come, Susan had always been able to read between the lines in situations like the one they were in---and excel in a way Will had always hated. When her expression melted into a laugh, the pretty sound was at odds with the flint in her eyes. “Oh, I can see why Will likes you,” she replied, an edge to her smile. “He also always expects the best from people, just like that. How fitting.” 

When she touched her wine glass to her lips and held the younger woman’s gaze, Will had the horrible feeling she was taking Vicky’s measure. Expects the best from people, she’d said. Once again, he found himself disappointed in Susan’s talent for quashing his hopes. 

“I’m surprised you didn’t tell me more about your new girlfriend, Will,” Susan said, her tone still deceivingly light. “You’ve been so cagey about the whole thing.”

“Have I?” Will asked, subtly moving out from behind Vicky to stand by her side. He kept a hand on her back, not quite able to quash the urge to want to shield her from Susan no matter how capable he knew she was. “I guess I just didn’t think it was something you’d want to hear about.”

“Of course I would. You know how much I care about you,” Susan replied, a reprimand in her words that made Will’s jaw clench before he forced himself to relax. The way she was staring up at him unblinkingly reminded him unnervingly of when they used to argue, when she’d had that same look on her face. “I want to know when you’re happy, no matter the... circumstances.” She smiled up at him, and there was something---something mean in her eyes that Will hadn’t seen in a long time. “You know I don’t care about that kind of thing, it doesn’t matter to me.”

“Excuse me?” Will asked, voice turning sharp. Susan looked calmly up at him and took a sip of her fucking red wine (it was always the fucking red wine) before twisting her features into something almost contrite---if he hadn’t known her for twenty years. 

With Will’s reassuring affection and the easy conversation the group fell back into, Vicky soon stopped thinking about the older woman’s presence. Now that the relationship with Will seemed stable enough not to suffer under ghosts of the past, Vicky didn’t think she had anything to worry about. Laughter replaced frowns of concern – and it did help that they always had a drink in hand.

In fact, that was the reason for the couple to wander away from their friends for a moment, meaning only to make a beeline for the kitchen and back. They were just before the doorway when someone came from the other side, all of them stopping right on the spot to avoid a collision.

“Oops, sor—” The apology died on her tongue when her eyes met the other woman’s. There she was, the (in-)famous Susan. “Sorry.”

Will had been following Vicky faithfully, all concerns from earlier mostly forgotten as they navigated through the house with her delicate hand tugging him along. He’d turned his head when someone waved and called out to them, flashing a smile---and bumping lightly into Vicky’s back when she suddenly stopped face-to-face with Susan. 

His ex-wife’s eyes were wide for a fraction of a moment, taking the sight of them in. Then Susan smiled and tilted her head, wearing an expression Will had seen far too many times. “No problem at all, I should’ve been watching my step,” she assured, flashing her perfect smile at Vicky. “I don’t think we’ve met before, I’m Susan,” she introduced, eyes flicking over Vicky’s shoulder to Will and back again. “And you must be Victoria.” 

“Hey, Susie,” Will greeted, raising a hand to rest on Vicky’s shoulder. “Didn’t know you were coming tonight.” 

Vicky barely paid attention to the discussion around her, taking the moment to observe Susan from a distance. An elegant woman, for sure, and prettier than she would have liked her boyfriend’s ex-wife to be. The mention of her name made Vicky look back to their tight-knit circle, brows furrowed as she considered the possibility that she would be watched through the rest of the night.

“It’s fine, really,” she followed up. It was hard to believe in Will’s hopeful approach, but she also agreed that a confrontation wasn’t necessary by any means. “And nah, I’m sticking with this one, I wouldn’t want to get drunk where the judging glare of a scorned woman can find me.”

“You’d still be nicer to hang out with,” Yvonne commented, the joking tone less cheerful than before the unexpected arrival.

“But don’t mind Rick,” Jayda pointed out as their friend walked away to get himself another drink. “Even if he’s right and she’s here to spy on you, I also don’t think she would risk causing a scene. She can be a lot of things, but she’s not vulgar.”

“Hey, I meant it, I’m fine about it.” Vicky offered a simple smile, her arm wrapped loosely around Will’s waist. She sounded calmer than she truly felt. “It’s not like either of us is doing anything wrong.”

Will hummed at Vicky’s words, turning his head to press a kiss to her temple. He couldn’t be sure if she was really as unaffected as she sounded---Vicky was generally fairly confident, both in herself and in their relationship, but he remembered how awkward the very thought of Susan had made her early on. It wouldn’t hurt to show her a little extra affection to soothe any lingering insecurity still there. 

Vicky raised her eyebrows as Will barreled in before she could poke into the issue and find out what was so special about him being drunk. Well, she would have to ask later. “Ah yes, I wrote about sextortion, interviewed some women that have gone through it and are getting together to provide a support network. It’s as modern as they want my writing to be, but it’s actually productive. No offense to the artistic work I follow but…”

The words died out as she noticed that something else was stealing the group’s attention, prompted by a sharp intake of breath from Yvonne.

“What the fuck is she doing here?” Rick all but growled, the anger in his voice making Vicky whip around to see who had just arrived – although she already had a pretty good guess. “I’m going over and—”

“No, you’re not,” Jayda said firmly. “Will didn’t get all of the friends in the divorce.”

There Susan was, as flawless as ever in a white sheath dress and her long blonde hair in a plait, laughing with Hilary and a couple others by the doorway. Will didn’t realize he was clenching his jaw, a step away from angry, until he felt Yvonne’s hand on his arm and turned his head to see her concerned brown eyes. He took a deep breath, calming himself down. 

“Could be a coincidence,” he said flatly, not sounding convincing even to his own ears. 

“Fat chance,” Rick replied, still irritable. Will vividly remembered the last time Susan and Rick had been in the same room together, the huge blowup that’d followed---he prayed that Terri’s presence would keep that from happening again. “She came here to scope out Vicky, I’d bet money on it.” 

Yvonne sighed and turned her back to the door, shaking her head. “What a lovely surprise,” she muttered, her previous spark a little dimmed by the new arrival.

“It doesn’t matter,” Will said, firm. If his hand tightened a bit on Vicky’s waist, he didn’t notice. “Guys, c’mon. Relax, she’s not going to ruin our night. She has enough class to keep to herself. She’s here for Hilary, and she knows that she has no place bothering Vicky. Chances are Susan doesn’t even know she’s here. Honestly.” 

“I really love how hard you’re working to convince yourself of all that,” Rick muttered into his rapidly disappearing beer. Will really wished, for only a second, that his best friend were more capable of bullshit---and then he remembered that the only reason Rick hated Susan so much was because of how he’d started losing parts of himself throughout their marriage, and he couldn’t even be mad.

“Rick, just ignore her, alright? For me? I really don’t want a rerun of last year’s incident.” Susan was still bitter enough about how the others around him didn’t talk to her anymore that she wouldn’t bother them, and they wouldn’t bother her---it was Rick choosing to get into a tangle with her that Will wanted to avoid.

“Thank you, sweetheart,” Vicky replied with a little smile and a glance over her shoulder before her attention went back to Jayda’s invitation. Vicky had begun navigating through Will’s circle of friends with more ease than she would have predicted, the things they had in common surpassing the usual age difference. It was similar to how well she had clicked with Will and it proved that she didn’t have any reason to worry.

She was ready to accept the kind offer with Will’s obvious approval when Yvonne sneaked into the conversation, lean arms wrapping around Vicky’s shoulders. The younger woman laughed, swaying between the two of them with a wide smile. “Hey now, no fighting over me,” Vicky admonished playfully. “It’s okay, I’m pretty sure that taking my boyfriend to the theater is how I should care for him, if I read his instructions right, but us ladies can think of something fun to do on our own too.”

“Not fair, he gets way too many privileges,” Yvonne sighed wistfully, only managing to suppress her smile for a moment. “We should go out dancing then, Will is too old for clubs anyway.”

“Can’t disagree with that,” Will laughed, amused at Yvonne’s teasing. She flashed him a brilliant smile. “Though that might just be me, I think I’ve gone clubbing... twice in my life? Maybe?” 

“Exactly twice,” Jayda confirmed with a smirk. “And I was there both times. You had a good time when the tequila shots kicked in!”

“Ooh, that’s right,” Rick laughed as he joined the conversation, a fresh beer in his hand. “Vicky hasn’t ever seen Will drunk yet, has she? Aw, Vick, you’re in for a treat. Drunk Will is hands-down my favorite person in the world.”

“And on a different note,” Will cut in, wanting to stop that line of conversation before it got past his control, “Vicky’s finally strong-armed Alliance into giving her some leeway to start branching out into things that interest her. Tell them about this week’s article, sweetheart,” Will encouraged, not noticing the happy raised voices at the other side of the house as a late arrival was welcomed into the party.