The blonde girl raised an eyebrow, scanning Marley over with her lip curled up in a scowl, "He paid me, sweetie!" she shouted back, crossing her arms mockingly.
She could feel Aiden's arm wrap around her waist to pull her back, "Marley-"
She held up a hand to shut him up, locked in a stare down with this cheap blonde, Snooki knockoff, "I will rip your extensions out of your big head if you don't walk away right now!"
The blonde took a step closer. Aiden was now trying to intervene but his voice was getting carried by the music. Marley was fighting him, her stance defensive and her tipsy mentality that she could take this girl down in a way that would put World Star on a stretcher.
"Maybe he paid me because I can give that hottie more than you can!"
"Oh, like Chlamydia?!"
The blonde shoved at her shoulders and in an instant Aiden was catching Marley and holding her behind him by her forearm.
"Walk away. Now," he growled.
Aiden's voice was so chilling that even though the girl was interested in him, even though it seemed like she wanted to fight Marley for him - she stumbled away on her platform heels as fast as she could.
As a result of the girls leaving, there were seven open bar stools that were quickly being occupied by Kelly, Tristan, Bree, Gabby, and Sarah.
Aiden set Marley down on one of them by her hips, leaning on the counter beside her and waving down the bartender without taking his eyes off of her.
Her arms were crossed and she was huffing and puffing, "Why didn't you let me indent my heel into her face?!"
"So drunk Marley is a little brunette hell on wheels, huh?"
She turned to narrow her eyes into a glare at the joke - when she really did want to stomp on that girls' face.
His blue eyes softened and he leaned in to kiss her temple, lowering his lips to her ear, "You don't have to fight for something you already possess."
She shivered at his warm exhale, scooting closer to him and locking her bare left leg around his right like a vine, "Can we make out a lot now?" she blinked up at him with wide, coy hazel eyes, biting on her lip.
Aiden Matthews, with her beer goggles on, looks like a full course meal - as Milly called him once - tonight and she was hungry for his hands and his lips-
Aiden grabbed her knee and untangled her leg from his; to her credit he was flustered with darkened eyes, "Number one: you're drunk, and number two: it's girls night, remember? No boys allowed, though, in case you were wondering, your seduction efforts are sinful as hell, spitfire."
She pouted, her hands lifting to his chest, "But this shirt is so...tight...maybe it needs to come off? Is it bothering you?" she blinked up at him through her lashes innocently, watching his jaw clench and his eyes dart away from hers.
His hands locked around her wrists and used their hold to spin her towards the counter.
She slumped against the bar in defeat, knowing he was right about this being girl's night. While she was speaking with Aiden, one of the what seemed like dozen bartenders had already arrived, and the girls were showing him their stamps, speaking loudly over the noise. Beside her, Aiden flagged him over.
"Do you have any food back there?"
Marley jumped in her seat, "Mozzarella sticks!" She shouted, "I want cheese sticks!"
Aiden placed a hand on the small of her back to calm her, but it only served to muddle her mind more, to make her more tipsy.
The bartender glanced between them, "My boss just ordered a shit ton of McDonald's cheeseburgers for the staff, I can grab her one?"
Aiden nodded, "That'd be great. Just charge the tab for it. Thanks."
He nodded and slid away while Marley turned at a tapping on her shoulder. Sarah was beside her, pointing across the bar, "Foreign Russian hottie, six o'clock has been staring! He's into you girl!"
Marley also leaned in, "It's six o'clock in Russia?"
Sarah frowned, "No! It's six o'clock in Madagascar!"
Marley gasped, "Do the animals actually talk there?!"
"Hell yeah they do!" Sarah shouted back just as the bartender re-appeared with a tray of six shots and a small yellow round package that he slid in front of Marley.
She narrowed her eyes at it critically, "Is that the yellow infinity stone?! Thanos is about to destroy this place!"
Aiden grabbed the stone and unwrapped it-oh. Marley gasped, her eyes wide with wonder as the cheeseburger made its appearance, "Is that a...is that a Krabby Patty?!"
Aiden's blue eyes rolled, "No it's-" he paused, his eyes scanning over the hopeful gleam in her eyes.
"Yes, it's a Krabby Patty."
Marley snatched it from him at the speed of light, shoving it in her mouth and chomping down on it hungrily.
As she chewed, she spoke through her mouthful, "Did you know that Mr. Krabs is a cannibal who kills other crabs to make his patty's and that's why it's a secret?!"
He watched her, amused as she shoved the last bite in her mouth, jumping when she was shoved in the shoulder again.
"Shots!" Sarah shouted, shoving a glass in front of her. Marley grinned eagerly, reaching for it until it was slid out from under her.
"Aiden!" She whined, watching him pick it up to dump it in the garbage over the bar. She snatched his wrist and he turned to look at her.
"Two is enough! You'll thank me later."
"You can't tell me what to do!" She shouted back, gripping it between her fingers and tugging at it until he let it go.
Not looking away from his blue eyes, Marley put it to her lips and tilted her head back, downing it in one go and coughing, slamming the glass back down on the counter while she practically heard him sighing in frustration.
In the background, the beat dropped and it vibrated the floor around them, the beginning lyrics of the song Right Round by Flo Rida playing over the speakers.
The girls had all taken their shots, too, and were stumbling out of their chairs and chatting to each other over the noise, linking arms. Marley nearly fell on her face as Sarah grabbed her wrist, "Let's dance bitch!"
So she calls every girl a bitch when she's drunk, then.
Marley was expecting to feel Aiden's typical warmth or hand on her arm to stop her, but Sarah led her towards the dance floor no problem. Marley was going to look back and see where Aiden was, but it was too crowded and too easy to trip over her own heels for that.
As soon as they found their way on the dance floor, she had a new understanding as to why it was so crowded.
With the pulsating music, the blinding lights in the floor, and the warm bodies pressed together, it's some weird kind of infinite that you feel. There's no future, no past, no present, as you're dancing when you never knew you could.
The girls were all gathered together and the more tipsy Marley got, the less and less aware of her surroundings she was. Her friends' hands were on her hips but she wasn't sure who was touching her anymore. The music changed and she had no idea what song was playing. Her body was moving but she didn't have a grip on it anymore.
It felt free. The buzz. The high. The rush.
Once in a while, Marley caught a glimpse of burning electric blue eyes and a large hand on the collar of a shirt, anger and yanking back of someone with a pale face and hands up in surrender, but she was too far gone to tell what was really going on.
At some point, she had suddenly realized why her father drinks. He's a fuck up and he continues being a fuck up to forget that he's a fuck up in the first place. When he drinks, when he experiences this loss of time - he didn't lose his wife and son, he never hurt his daughter; he's not running low on money when he can't see the ground anymore.
It makes sense. It made her see his perspective. And maybe that's why she grabbed the first shot in the first place. To feel what he feels so she can understand the one person she's never been able to.
Sarah was the most drunk out of all of them, still shouting about dancing on a table and trying to convince the rest of the girls. Marley knew with the last brain cells she had left that she was trashed, stumbling on her feet and only remained upright due to the congested bodies around her.
Bree had grabbed her hand and spun her in a circle, but when she turned her back around it was to put Marley's back to her front, her finger pointing at somewhere in the distance.
Her breath was warm and panting in Marley's ear, "Your boy's popular," she slurred.
Marley squinted her hazel eyes with the same rage she felt before but worse - boiling her blood. As the crowds parted, she got an eyeful of a brunette bombshell leaning on Aiden's right side. He was trying to remove her hand off his bicep.
His mouth was moving and he was nearly falling off his barstool to get away from her. Jason, Brendan, and Ryan were snickering, taking drinks of their beers as if it was funny that a girl was all over Marley Hoover's man.
She shoved herself through the bodies, stumbling in her heels with her fists balled - target acquired. She stomped over, alerting Aiden of her presence as she titled to get in front of him, glaring down the brunette girl as Aiden steadied her between his legs, whispering in her ear, "Marley, calm down."
"Who the hell is this ugly troll?!" The brunette shouted, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes.
Marley growled, "I'm polymerized tree sap, you're an inorganic adhesive! Any verbal projectile you launch in my direction is reflected off me, returns to its original trajectory and adheres to you! Was ugly troll the best you can come up with you ugly troll?!"
The brunette blinked a few times, while Marley felt Aiden's chest rumbling with laughter behind her. If he thinks this is funny he's got another thing coming after she wards off this dementor.
The brunette girl straightened and crossed her arms, "Hate to break it to you, bitch, but your boyfriend was all over me and now I see why!"
"Light travels faster than sound. You seemed like you were bright until you opened your mouth!"
"Okay, we're done here!" Aiden shouted. Marley felt herself being jostled as he stood from his stool and wrapped an arm around her waist, dragging her away from the brunette girl who shot her the finger, huffing away.
Aiden was practically carrying her with his speed and how she couldn't even walk in a straight line, leading her through the crowds while she was still vibrating with rage at how that slimy snail had her hands all over her man.
Well, she knew why.
There isn't a place that Aiden doesn't shine in. There isn't a place where he isn't magnetic. Where he isn't looked at, pined after by the female population.
Marley's stomach turned, having a brief sober thought that this would be the new normal dating Aiden Matthews, especially in college - warding off his endless number of fan girls.
And then Drunk Marley came back.
Heels are made for indenting into groupies' faces, honey.
Yeah, she would be just fine.
Marley wasn't even sure where Aiden was taking her, but the loud music had started to fade and she could hear his deep voice speaking though had no idea what he was saying. The club was still as busy as it was two hours ago when they arrived, but somehow Aiden managed to find somewhere quiet.
A lounge.
He unlocked the door and kicked it open, leading her inside and closing and locking it behind him. Marley took a quick glance around at the red walls, the array of round, black leather couches, the glass chandelier and the long granite countertop that included a mini fridge. She could feel her body start to heat for a different reason - at the fact that her and Aiden were alone.
She felt him lead her to the couch and sit her down, watching him turn away and head for the mini fridge through double vision. But still she saw his sexiness and hotness and absolute gorgeousness just fine.
"Forget hy-hyrdogen," Marley leaned backwards on the couch as he came towards her again, "you're my number one element."
As he approached, she noticed that he was carrying a bag of Doritos and a bottle of water, but she more noticed how tight his shirt was and how mussed his hair is and how blue his eyes-
The bag crinkled as Aiden opened it, sitting down beside her and handing it to her as he cracked open the water bottle, "Eat. Drink."
"According to the second law of thermodynamics, you're supposed to share your hotness with me." She shoved the food out of the way, her body leaning towards his and her leg swinging over his lap.
Aiden grabbed her hips to still her, "Marley. Calm."
Her hands moved because her body couldn't, sliding up his chest and fumbling for the buttons, "I wann-wanna lick your abs."
She was being lifted and placed back down on the couch, her wrists moved away from where she was gripping his shirt, "Eat the Doritos, Marley."
"You're hot."
"Thanks spitfire."
"You're sexy."
"So are you."
"Not as sexy as you."
"You're sexier, actually."
The Doritos were being shoved into her hands, and when her stomach growled loudly she realized how hungry she was, diving a hand in the bag and grabbing a handful. Shoving them in her mouth, she ended up spilling crumbs all over her dress.
"It's ruined!" She gasped, the world spinning around her for a few seconds and causing her to pause, "May-maybe I should take it off!"
"You should finish your snack and relax, Marley. You're nearly on the floor."
She smiled a Doritos smile after she shoved another handful in her mouth, dreamily gazing at Aiden, who was leaning against the back of the couch with his calf resting on his opposite thigh.
He was smiling right back at her, but his blue eyes were twinkling with amusement.
"You should finish this snack," Marley gestured to herself with orange fingers, "and relax, Matthews."
He chuckled deeply, "You're smooth as butter, Hoover."
"I try. Hey, Aiden?"
"Hm?"
"You're so hot. Why are you with me?"
"Because you're so hot. And a multitude of other things sober you would appreciate more than drunk you."
She slumped against the couch, shoving the last of the Doritos into her mouth, "Thanks."
"Anytime, Spitfire. Anytime."
Marley sighed in contentment, "Are you sure we can't make out a little?"
"Not when you're drunk, Marley."
"Just a little. Cop a few feels, some tongue action, maybe like three buttons on your shirt?"
"You're lucky I love you or else I would definitely make fun of you for this in the morning."
"I'll negoti-negotiate it down to, to one feel, no tongue, and your shirt off."
"When you negotiate, you typically lower the demand, baby. You went from a few shirt buttons to no shirt."
"But I wouldn't lick your abs!"
"You'd try."
"Yeah, I'd try."
She took another chug of her water at Aiden's meaningful look, letting out a breath of air and slumping against his chest, "You took me here for a reason. You're supposed to be a bad boy, Aiden!"
"I am, with sober Marley."
"Lucky bitch."
Aiden hummed and kissed her hair, wrapping his muscled arms around her body.
"You're supposed to be all over me in this dress."
"You're every guys' dream in this dress," he agreed, "There were many I had to warn off of you while you were dancing."
Marley gasped, remembering flashes, "That's what you were doing! And then you...you get mad at me for scar-scaring the girls away."
"I wasn't mad at all. The opposite, actually. I thought it was sexy as hell."
Marley hummed, "Yeah. Same."
Aiden froze for a moment, his arms locking around her, "Same?"
Marley grabbed his right hand and started playing with his fingers, "Staking your claim..." she began, slumping her head back to his chest when a dizzy spell hit, "really helped your case...last time."
"Wait," There was a heavy pause for about ten seconds, "Did you just...the thing with Noah. Are you saying it helped me win you back instead of pushing you away? I said sorry for nothing?"
"If we're making...um...accusations. Then you just admitted you only said sorry because you thought I was mad."
She could practically hear the 'fuck' go off in his head as he realized what he just said. Marley shifted in his lap, smirking victoriously at having enough working brain cells left to catch his slip.
"Same situation. Same thing. Would you go and...stop Noah?"
She heard a resigned sigh from above her, and his lips press against her hair, "I've already dug myself in deep...so why don't we do an answer for an answer? I tell you why I apologized and you tell me your real thoughts on the Noah thing."
Drunk Marley didn't even hesitate.
"Deal. You first."
He held her tighter and intertwined their fingers of the hand she had been playing with, "Watching you walk away from the clearing that day, I thought it was an unspoken message that all I did with Noah just put more distance between us and I couldn't...I couldn't handle that. So I thought about how you would see what I did as an overstep, and talked to Ian about what I could say to make it right. As much as it hurt, Marley, to give you the choice I realized that I couldn't force you to choose me at a time when you wanted me to consider whether or not I'd choose you."
Drunk Marley caught about two words of that.
"And you?" He murmured, "I just poured my heart out, Hoover. You've got to give me something."
Her eyes narrowed in focus, trying to remember what he even wanted her to talk about. Ah hah!
"It um...showed that you cared. All I'm going to say is that it stirred some feelings up. Because even drunk Marley knows that...she's gonna be in serious trouble in the morning too."
"Company in the dog house will make it more bearable."
"Yeah. But Aiden?"
"Hm?"
"You'd do it again, wouldn't you?"
It was quiet for a few minutes, long enough for Marley count all his fingers five times. It took her a while because she kept forgetting what number she was at, and he kept trying to catch her hands.
"I'm just glad...that some part of you, even if it's small, doesn't resent me for it. Because yes, I'd do it again. No matter what. I love you, so anyone who tries anything with you or hurts you or makes you uncomfortable will piss me off and will be dealt with. Just like I have to live with your stubbornness, you have to learn to live with that. I've said this before, I'll say it again. I will always, always protect you. In small ways, big ones, and all others in-between. There's also the fact that you're mine, no one else's, so I'm going to put anyone in their place who believes otherwise."
"Do you like me now?" She murmured, "I thought you didn't like me."
"What? I love all of my Marley but the only version of Marley I love more than you is sober Marley."
"Why? She's lame. She wouldn't offer to lick your abs."
"I would have to propose it," Aiden agreed, "and if I did, she'd be blushing, smacking my arm and shrieking Aiden Matthews!, and I'd remember why I love her so much."
Marley played with the collar of his shirt, "What if...what if you meet another brunette who shrieks Aiden Matthews and blushes, at Brown?"
"Then I'd tell her I already have a more beautiful girl to fill that job requirement, who does it better."
"That's me right?"
Aiden chuckled, "Yes. That's definitely you."
When the couch vibrated, Marley jumped while Aiden lifted to search his pockets, "It's you," he said, slipping her phone out of his pocket and holding it out for her to see.
She grabbed it and squinted at the screen for a few rings, answering when she finally focused her vision and read: Gabby Collins.
Marley put the phone to her ear, "Aiden took me away to a private lounge so I'd dance on his lap! What's Gucci?!"
"No I didn't!" Aiden bent to speak into the phone but she just placed her hand on his face and shoved while he grumbled against her palm.
The music was pulsing through the speaker, but beyond that Marley could hear distinct sobbing as clear as day.
***