[ meant for this to come out on the 25th, but I started throwing up at 4:30 Christmas morning and am only just now feeling normal :( but I hope you like it! and look at how pathetic and sad david looks in that gif. it's so hot. I love when a man is pathetic ]

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HOOKIN' UP WITH YOUR SHIT BABYSITTER IS CREEPY.

SCOTT needed to let off steam, so he was thrilled when Javi asked him and a few of the other StormPAR workers to go out to the bar with him. Himari had been working with the Tornado Wranglers for three weeks now, and every day, she worked more and more at his nerves.

Even now, as he was trying to relax, he couldn't help but complain about her to his best friend as they sat in a booth together, the table full of beer bottles. And it certainly didn't help that Javi was goddamn defending the girl to him.

"I'm just saying," Javi said, putting his hands up innocently as Scott glared at him. "She's kinda funny."

"Nothing she has done is funny," he said flatly.

"That one yesterday was funny."

Scott pinched the bridge of his nose. "She made a tiktok on their official account of footage of us losing a tornado while 'The One That Got Away' played in the background."

Javi snickered to himself. "And that's fucking funny," he said, grinning. Then he nudged Scott's foot under the table. "Look, it's not brand new information that we're struggling to get the data we want. If we can't laugh at it, then what? Just be miserable like you are all the time?"

"I'm not miserable all the time," Scott grumbled, and that made him more miserable because he'd said something similar to Javi before meeting Himari. "But she makes me miserable. God, we need to get them back. Wreck their drone or key Owens' precious truck."

Javi looked at him skeptically, because he was nearing his thirties and Scott was actively in his thirties. What business did they have keying cars? Himari could get away with it as a senior in college, but them? Not a chance.

"Scott, my man, act your goddamn age around that girl. Damn," Javi huffed.

That earned a hard glare from Scott — a trait he'd gotten from his brutal uncle who'd raised him. "She's the one acting like a child, always sabotaging our data and equipment! I should be able to retaliate," he insisted.

"Retaliate? This isn't war. We aren't in the trenches," he laughed. "Calm down. Have another beer, and just forget about Himari. Like I keep telling you, she'd stop if you'd stop reacting."

"I can't forget about her," Scott admitted while childishly avoiding eye contact. "She's - she's..."

As Scott trailed off, Javi understood. It had always been clear as day — Scott, despite his outward frustration, was a complete goner for Himari. But Himari not returning those feelings and constantly being mean to him hurt Scott's feelings. And Scott, as emotionally constipated as he was, didn't do well with hurt feelings.

"It'll get better if you ignore her," Javi assured him. "And if it doesn't, just talk to her. Like, a real open and honest conversation. So, she hates how you make a living. You're not thrilled about her job either. Talk it out or something."

Talk it out or something.

Or something.

God, Scott knew just what that 'something' was that he craved so much. Sure, he'd been gentle with her that night they shared together. He'd let her take control. He'd pleaded softly and let her be on top, certainly not complaining about the view.

It was like a flip had switched over the last two weeks. All Scott wanted now was to hear Himari beg. He wanted tears in her eyes and bruises on her knees. He wanted her to shut up for once in her goddamn life as she choked on him.

But Scott knew that wasn't happening, so he was left to down the rest of his third beer and listen as Javi changed the subject off the one person Scott was always thinking about.

Of course, the universe couldn't even let him be distracted by science for even ten minutes before the dreaded Tornado Wranglers waltzed into the same bar. And when Javi saw Scott spacing out, he took one look over his shoulder and realized his best friend was a goner for the night. All he'd do was stare at Himari, so conversation was pointless.

Granted, Himari was something to stare at in her attire. She'd dressed up in a short denim skirt and a top made out of a white bandana that Boone leant her. It was paired with her cowboy boots, and her hair was pulled high into a sleek pony tail.

Scott had to hold back an annoyed groan, because of course, she looked damn near perfect. And of fucking course, she was leaning against Boone's side as they all walked to a huge round booth to share.

She was always hanging off Tyler or Boone, then calling her 'baby' and twirling her around in big hugs after chasing a storm. Their shared affection was a constant mockery to Scott, who didn't know he could hate those two men more than before he met Himari.

It didn't help that Boone was always filming Himari's pranks on StormPAR.

And it didn't help that when there wasn't enough room at the biggest table in the bar, Himari slid onto Tyler's lap, who leaned back against the booth casually, plenty comfortable.

"Jesus Christ," Boone muttered, shaking his head as Dexter waved down a waitress. "Ty, I figure Scott's trying that heat vision thing again. This time on you."

Tyler hardly spared a glance at the other side of the bar, seeing that Scott's eyes were fixed on him, or rather Himari's ass on his lap. It just made him smirk as he looked back at the amused group of friends.

"Ooh," Dani snickered. "Bet if we get Ty drunk enough, we can get Grumpy over there something to really be jealous of."

At the mere thought of being with Tyler, Himari gagged as Tyler also grimaced.

"She ain't my type," Tyler declared while also wrapping an arm around Himari's exposed waist, Scott's eyes following the movement like a hawk.

"And hookin' up with your shit babysitter is creepy," Himari added.

"I was not shit," he insisted, looking down at her.

A noise escaped Boone's throat. "You let her stay up on a school night to watch 'Scream' when she was eleven."

"I mean, that's fine though," Lily said, coming to Tyler's defense. "No nudity despite it being a horror film. Just language."

"Yeah, and I'm sure she'd heard those words from you and him before," Dexter said with a smirk. Then he smiled kindly and the waitress named Sammy, who took their orders.

Once they all had drinks in hand, they settled in for the night, sharing stories and laughs. For just a bit, Himari managed to forget about Scott until he moved toward the dart board with Javi, it putting him right in her line of sight.

Scott looked good, her seeing him for the first time in casual clothing — being stark naked wasn't the same. He looked damn good in a tight blue t-shirt — not only was it her favorite color, but it brought out the blue in his eyes. The fabric tugged at his biceps each time he lined up a perfect shot. And god, his jeans hugged his ass perfectly.

Himari couldn't help but whine pathetically before downing her vodka cranberry quickly. "I need another drink."

Lily followed her line of sight and smirked. "I think what you need is another night with Mr. Fascist over there."

"Ew!" Boone whined as Tyler shook his head. "No way. She can do so much better."

"Like who, Boone?" Dani asked, grinning. "You?"

At the thought again, Boone grimaced. "Ew!"

It made Himari laugh with the others as she looked away from Scott. And of course, at hearing her laugh, Scott looked at her. The sight of her now leaning against Tyler's chest and smiling warmly at Boone with pink cheeks was sickening as far as he was concerned.

"Ooh, heat vision is back," Lily noted. "Let's see if we can get him to actually melt one of y'all on the spot."

Himari rolled her eyes. "He's not actually jealous, y'all. He just hates us all."

"Nah," Tyler said while brining his third glass of whiskey to his lips. "That's pure jealousy. I know the look. He'd kill to be in my position right now."

"Well, he knows he could be if he'd decided to stop being a dick monetizing off people's tragedy," she muttered, feeling her bitterness creep up.

Because Himari so liked Scott. She dreamed of him and their night together. She lived for the moments when he gave her all of his attention — albeit because she'd messed with his equipment or something equally as childish. He was all she thought about most of the time.

Scott Miller was under her skin, and fuck, if it wasn't annoying.

With a determined huff, Himari stood suddenly before looking at Tyler, holding out her hand. "Come on. You're three deep. Means we can dance."

Lily and Dani both snickered and shared a look, knowing what Himari was doing — she was gonna make Scott jealous.

"Well," Tyler said while standing and taking Himari's hand, "you'll just look foolish, because I'm the best dancer there ever was. Then you'll fall in love with me, and I'll have to break your heart."

"You just keep on insisting I'm not your type," she said as they headed to the dance floor. And of course, a pair of blue eyes were fixed on them. "What is your type?"

As they reached the sawdust floor, Tyler smoothly turned Himari in his arms before grabbing her hips and pulling her back against him. And as he did so, he made eye contact with a furious Scott across the room.

"Blonde," he said simply.

Himari scoffed in amusement, beginning to move to the beat, trying her best to not look at Scott and gauge his reaction. And he was certainly having a reaction that had Javi walking away in annoyance, knowing they'd never finish their round of darts now.

"Of course, you'd have the most stereotypical, shallow answer."

"Well, I'm a simple man," he said, chuckling a bit, her feeling it since his chest was to her back. "And so is Scotty Boy, who looks like he's seconds away from knocking my teeth out."

"That's a really hot mental picture, I must admit," Himari said with a smirk.

Then she finally glanced at Scott, nearly flinching from the white hot anger in his eyes as he stood against the back wall, his fists shoved in his pockets to keep them from shaking. God, he looked hot when angry. When jealous.

So, Himari covered Tyler's hands on her hips and then moved them up her bare sides before pressing on of his open palms to her stomach like Scott had the night they'd danced. Admittedly, Tyler was a much better dancer — he was fluid and not nearly as awkward as Scott had been. Maybe if Himari hadn't been so obsessed with a certain engineer, she could've enjoyed the feeling of having Tyler pressed so close against her.

"Oh, he's not gonna make it much longer," Tyler noted in a raspy voice, his throat sore from the alcohol. So, to speed things along, he pushed Himari's ponytail off her shoulder before leaning down, his lips brushing her neck, making a show of it. Though he wasn't really kissing her, it sure looked that way as she craned her head to the side and shut her eyes.

And just as she did, she missed as Scott stormed off, his chest heaving and face red as he left the bar altogether. He was gone when her eyes fluttered open once more.

A low, childish snort left Tyler's throat as they stopped dancing instantly. "That was easy," he said, putting more distance between them. "And that was more fun than I thought it'd be."

Himari smiled at the ground as they started toward the table where the others had watched the whole thing. "Don't think this night could get better," she said with a snicker.

But suddenly, Tyler came to a stop, his eyes fixed on the ground, his eyebrows furrowed. Then he knelt down and picked something up curiously.

"What's that?" Himari asked, looking over her shoulder at him.

Tyler looked at her with a smirk, holding up a wallet. Scott's wallet.

"I bet I know of a way you could make this night better."