Fantasma... That's Spanish for Love (A Holtzbert Story)

Chapter Six - And to Love is What You Have Shown Me

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Down in the basement, Abby and Erin investigate.

"Well this must be where the owner says he almost got slimed." Abby walks around the puddle of green.

"Hopefully it's got it all out of its system now and will cut me a break from this very crappy evening." Erin huffs.

Abby gives her a pitying look. "Date didn't go very well, huh?"

"You don't even know the half!" Erin sighs.

"Well that's their loss, right?" Abby asks, giving Erin a comforting pat on the shoulder, earning a weak smile from her friend. "And I'm sorry I wasn't there sooner to comfort you... but it looks like Holtzmann was." She pauses. "Call me crazy but I'd say that Patty and I almost interrupted something back there."

"No!" Erin says, feeling her face flush and trying (and failing) to hide the embarrassment in her voice.

"Really? Because you don't usually have a conversation with a friend with your lips an inch away from theirs." Abby points out.

"It was not an inch!" Erin replied almost immediately.

"Uh huh! Even Patty pulled me aside to say that if we would've walked in just a few minutes later, we'd probably have to burn the couch." Abby says. Erin groans with her hand covering her face. "Look Erin, we're not blind. None of us. Not even Kevin with his lens-less glasses. We've all noticed!"

"Noticed what?" Erin asks.

"That you and Holtzmann have the hots for each other. Though with the way Holtz was pouting at dinner, I'd say that isn't all she has for you."

"She was pouting?" Erin asks, her voice barely audible.

"Uh yeah! The same way you were pouting the time that waitress slipped Holtzmann her phone number at that bar a few weeks ago..."

"I-" Erin starts but is cut off.

"Don't think we didn't notice!" Abby says. "Look, I've known Holtz for years. I've seen her flirt with women. Hell, I've even seen her flirt with men just to get a kick out of it. I've also seen her crush, mostly on celebrities but still. But you know what else I've seen?" Abby asks.

"What?" Erin asks quietly, looking down at the floor.

"I've also seen her limit her flirting to one person. I've seen her take the numbers of women that have flirted with her and put them in her pocket just to throw them away when she thought no one was watching. I also that when she gave that speech in the bar that day and when she went on about family and then love... she looked at you. Erin, I showed Holtzmann love by being her friend when she thought she didn't have anybody but you've showed Holtzmann so much more than that in the short time the two of you have known each other."

Erin stays quiet.

"And you- she's changed you. Granted, saving the city from a ghost apocalypse and having people believe in you did too but even before that she changed you. You went from 'uptight, stick up her ass Erin' to 'semi-uptight, more easy-going, fun Erin'..." Abby pauses. "And don't you panic about your sexuality with me."