"You don't like me, do you?"
"Wow. Nothing gets past you, Sherlock. Do you keep one of those magnifying glasses tucked away in that little vest of yours?"
•••
Lydia Beowulf works for the Hostage Response T...
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The autumn leaves found themselves to be victim to the boots of anyone who grazed the sidewalk that night. The crisp air sent a chill down the spine of every soul on the block. The frigidity outside was the only reason Lydia was thankful for having everyone she knew meandering inside her new home. Sure, she agreed to it, but there was only so many extrospective conversations she could handle.
That's all she was doing since her housewarming party started. Directed everyone to where the veggie plate and wine was and answered questions about trivial things. Anna was the first to arrive to help Lydia frantically get everything ready since they got back from their case later than they were expecting. JJ and Will were next to to show up, claiming that they were itching to get away for the night after finding a sitter. Then Hotch, for a similar reason. Followed by Rossi, Emily, Penelope, who graciously brought homemade snickerdoodles, and Morgan.
Once Theo arrived, he was practically glued at her hip. Mingling with the other team members while being sociable and so nauseatingly likable. But Lydia couldn't focus on how the man snaked an arm around her waist, because her mind was somewhere else.
Spencer hadn't shown his face yet, and Lydia didn't know if she was grateful or not for it. That concerned her.
Her brownstone was decorated with candles and garlands of fake autumn leaves. Her fireplace was lit, warming the entire first floor that everyone was congregating at. The sound of Chopin's repertoire filled the room from her CD player. Anyone would see the illusion that she was put together and sophisticated, but yet again, it was her best friend shining through her. Anna chose all of the decorations and wine choices, even to what veggie plate brand they'd buy from. Any other time, Lydia would be grateful. Lately, she was anything but that.
Anna sat with Will and JJ, while Emily stood with Penelope near the bay window seat as they sipped their wine and talked about god knows what. Every now and then the sound of Emily or Anna cackling would echo through the entire home.
Lydia and Theo were sitting in each others presence on the couch while Hotch and Rossi stood behind them, chatting with their glasses of wine in their palms.
Lydia turned to Theo who was pressed beside her, their shoulders touching. She swirled the wine in the glass before looking at the side of his face. He was a handsome guy, she couldn't lie to herself about that.
They'd met for coffee once or twice and been texting consistently since the first blind date they went on. It was always casual, just getting to know each other. She even met his dog after they met at an outdoor cafe. But no matter how much she felt and understood him as a kind and gentle soul, lingering feelings of doubt snuck into her mind. She appreciated his presence though, especially at that party.
