Younger | Station 19

thirty six

*Aria's p.o.v*

We are all sitting in the beanery eating dinner when Pruitt was handing us some chocolates from Hawaii.

Jack: Wait, you went where?

Pruitt: Hawaii. Here this is for you *hands chocolate to Jack* And for you, young man. *hands a box to Ben* Chocolate covered. *hands one to Tuck* Very delicious.

Me: Hey, Tuck

Tuck: Hey, Aunt Aria

I walk over to him and he stands up and we do our little handshake. After we do our handshake he gives me a hug.

Me: I miss having you around here. Tell Warren and Dr. B to let you come visit more often.

Tuck: I will. I miss seeing you and playing that game with you. 

I watch as he sits back down and picks up the chocolate box. He turns around to Ben and asks him a question.

Tuck: Can I have some?

Ben: When you eat your actual dinner. *takes the box from him* Mom won't let you keep coming to eat with me if all I do is fill you with sweets-

Tuck rolls his eyes and went back to eating his dinner.

Travis: So you just up and went to Hawaii?

Andy: Yes he did!

Travis: Hawaii Hawaii. With the luaus and the drinks inside the pineapples-

Pruitt: I even got to climb a dormant volcano. It gives you some perspective on firefighting, let me tell you.

Travis: Sorry, it's just a little hard to compute you relaxing. Wearing shorts. Flip flops, and- did you put on one of those flower leis?

Vic: What is this?

Andy: Oh my dad got lei'd 

I burst out laughing and a second later everyone joined in and laughed with me.

Ben: *laughs* She-she uh-she means a necklace. You know, of-of flowers.

Me: Oh come on Warren, I'm sure Tuck is old enough to know what Andy means.

Pruitt: The trip was a very spontaneous decision...one I do not regret.

Maya: I'm all for spontaneous!

I watch as she looks up and makes eye contact with Jack. I choke on my food a bit making her look at me. I looked away from her gaze and looked at Dean who was walking inside the beanery.

Pruitt: Miller. Aloha.

Vic: What's wrong with you?

Dean: I can't do it anymore. My mother's list of possible dates is endless. How does she know this many people? How does she persuade them all to go these dates? It's like waterboarding. But with small-talk and twinkly lights.

Vic: I don't think you understand what waterboarding is...

Tuck: I don't either. What is it?

Vic: Uh...

Ben: *chuckles* Hey, what-you want one of these now, actually? *holds up the box of chocolate*

Dean: I am exhausted. I need it to stop.

Andy: Can't you just make it stop by saying, "Mom, I am stopping this now."

Jack: Mm. Yeah. You haven't met Dean's mom.

Dean: It's all or nothing with her. We struck a deal. Now, either I hold up my end of the bargain, or...there-there is no "or".

Vic: Sounds like the only way to win is to bring home a living, breathing girlfriend, on the list, or not. I-If your mom's that by the books, she's not gonna encourage you to cheat, right?

Tuck: So, like a, fake girlfriend?

Dean: You're kind of small. But you're ideas are big...

Ben: Don't-Don't encourage him, Tuck.

Me: I'll do it

Dean: Noooo. Aria, you're like my little sister. No way am I gonna pretend to date you.

Me: That is rude, but fair.

Maya: What about me? I'm an Olympian. I'm hilarious. I've got a killer smile. You'd be lucky to have me. Turn this down, and you're missing out.

The lights start to flicker as we're eating and we all looked up at the lights.

Jack: It looks like the blackouts have made it to this neck of the woods.

I look over at Tuck who stands up and puts his jacket on.

Tuck: I'm done. Can I go?

Ben: Um, o-okay.

Before Tuck picks up his bag, he gave me a hug. After I hugged him back, he picks his backpack up and walks out of the beanery.

Ben: Excuse me. *follows after him*

I look over at my food and widen my eyes. I continue to eat my food and we all kept going with our conversations. After I finished eating, I cleaned my plate and headed back down to the lobby. I started working on the paperwork and I did it neatly since today was my last day on desk duty. The alarm went off and everyone ran to the barn to get into the trucks.

*end of shift*

I was heading out of the station when I got stopped by Maya. She looked at me and I looked at her confused.

Maya: I'm sorry. I know that it's wrong for me to have done what I did, but-

Me: Maya, I don't care. We weren't dating. We weren't anything. I don't care.

Maya: Are you sure? Because, you're acting like you do.

Me: I don't care. I'm happy for you *I slightly smiled*

I gave her a slight pat on her arm and I walked out of the station and into my car. Once I got inside my car, I drove home and when I got to my apartment complex, I went straight to my apartment. When I got inside, I went straight into my room and went to bed.

Author's note:

This is a short chapter, but I'm gonna try and write a bunch of chapters today. Also, sorry for the time jump LMFAO. I didn't feel like adding in the scenes of the episode cause she's stuck on desk duty, but next chapter may or may not be long.