i think it's love | ethma

five

"I'm sorry about ditching you last night," Mark whispers into Emma's ear when they finally got a moment to talk, after the speeches of the banquet and sitting with their coffee and desserts at the reserved table at the head of the large ballroom. "You look beautiful tonight, by the way. As always."

Emma makes a face into her cup. She almost regrets taking Mark as her plus one. He's still acting a little off.

"You do look really nice," chimes in— Riley, she thinks— Ethan's plus one, a beautiful and leggy blonde. "That colour looks so good on you!"

Emma glances down at her shimmery green dress. It is nice, she admits. It's beautiful, in fact. But her mother gave it to her to wear specifically to this party; even though she'd wanted to go more reserved, her mother had insisted that it was important her daughter looked good tonight. And that alone makes it unworthy of praise in Emma's eyes. "Thanks."

"That colour looks like vomit," Ethan comments helpfully. Emma idly wonders why the planners have seated them at the same table.

"Be nice," Riley chides him with a tinkly laugh, hitting his shoulder. He remains unrepentant, sipping his drink and raising his eyebrows challengingly at Emma.

Emma glances around, making sure none of the adults are around before replying, "Go to hell, Ethan."

Ethan pretends to check his watch. "I've already been here for two hours."

Will, seated nearby Emma, snorts into his creme brulee. Emma remains unamused, shooting Will daggers. He immediately smooths his expression into an almost robotically neutral one.

"At least it's almost over," Grayson remarks sullenly, sinking lower into her seat. Almost unconsciously, Ethan and Emma exchange concerned looks. She knows just as well as he how much this brother hates these functions.

"That's true," Mark remarks after a silence, trying to make conversation. "And I've never been to one of these things before. It was interesting though, in its own way, wasn't it?"

There's a long pause where no one answers.

Finally, Will, not one to leave anyone in the dust, replies slowly in a way that seems almost painful to him to agree, "If you can look past all the bureaucracy, you could say these things are interesting. Hypothetically," he adds thoughtfully. Emma hid a grin.

Ethan gives Will a sceptical look. "What, because your dad got the citizenship award?" His tone implies exactly what he thought of that decision.

"Ethan." Emma scolds, a little defensively. "He did some good work this year."

"But not three years ago when he was mayor and shooting down every proposal to inspect the pipeline in factory district," Ethan mutters, friendliness gone.

Emma is left a little uncomfortable and irritated. Will is her best friend, but she can't argue with Ethan. If Theo Jojin had taken the time to get the pipeline inspected, they might have all had warning for what was now regarded a historical disaster. A disaster that left Ethan and Grayson orphans.

Ethan mutters "whatever" and pours himself another drink. He really doesn't look like he gives a shit about the conversation anymore, which is honestly a positive when it comes to his attitude about things.

Emma silently turns to send her best friend a reassuring glance; he shrugs, looking unbothered. Will doesn't take it personally, of course, this thing against his father that a lot of people in town have. He just sighs and moved on. He's a good person that way. He's trying, always trying, to just keep the peace. He just isn't the politician his father was and Emma loves him for it.

Still, Ethan is an ass for bringing it up. She settles on a heavy glare burning into his profile, but he either doesn't notice or doesn't care. Most likely the latter.

Luckily, Sophia approaches the table before the silent antagonism between Ethan and Emma can reach critical levels (it's happened more than once that they both have to excuse themselves from a function to have a shouting match in the hallway). She's got a practiced politician smile set on her face, which doesn't bode well. "Can we get everyone in a picture, guys?" she asks sweetly, beckoning towards the photographer. Emma makes a face. Always about the publicity.

In any case, everyone at the circular table humors her and scoots closer together for the photo. Emma slips on her own practiced smile which drops immediately after the flash.

They're accosted afterwards by some of Sophia's colleagues.

"This is your daughter, Mayor?" exclaims a blonde councillor, coming up behind her. "Oh, she takes after you."

Her mother's face stretches into a wide grin. "Doesn't she?" Emma makes a face at her mother. "Emma, this is Diana Sydney. She's new to the council but she's going to do some really good work here, I can tell."

"Nice to meet you," Emma says, smiling. Diana's returning one is slick, a little more obviously practiced than Emma's.

"And you," Sydney returns, and glances to Ethan and Grayson. The way her eyes flicker over Ethan a moment too long makes Emma shudder internally. "And this must be your brothers!"

"He's not my brother," Emma snaps at the same time Ethan says, "She's not my sister."

It's a sticky moment; Sydney's brow furrows, and she's looks like she doesn't know what to do with herself. Sophia's mouth opens and closes a few times. Emma knows she's made a blunder. They're not supposed to act like this in public.

Ethan recovers first, adding, "Grayson's my brother," smiling widely, and reaching to hug him close. Grayson smiles too. Emma smiles. Sophia smiles through her teeth. They're all fucking smiling. It's insane.

"Right, of course," Sydney finally says with her own awkward-looking smile. "I suppose three years isn't quite enough to really get used to it."

"That's right," Ethan replies, but he sounds terse. Emma folds her arms and looks up at the ceiling, fervently hoping it'll open up and swallow her whole.

Sophia claps her hands together suddenly, making them all jump. "Alright! Who's up for more dessert?"