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“You know,” AJ drawled, eyes twinkling with mischief as she shot a lazy smirk in Drift’s direction, “for someone who claims to not care about me, you’re very easily riled up.”
Drift huffed, rolling her eyes. “That doesn’t mean I care. That means you’re annoying. There’s a difference.”
AJ grinned, delighted. “Is there?”
“Obviously,” Drift countered, crossing her arms. “Maybe you just can’t tell the difference because everyone is constantly annoyed by you.”
AJ hummed, as if considering this.
“Maybe,” she offered, then took a pointed step closer, “but I don’t think that’s the case with you. I think that you’re annoyed by how much you do care — and how bad you are at hiding it.”
Drift sucked in a breath, refusing to back away. “You know,” she started, determinedly maintaining eye contact, “you’re always so sure that you know so much about me… but I don’t think you know anything at all.”
AJ puffed out a laugh, shaking her head. “That’s the thing, isn’t it?” she mused, head tilted in thought as she inched slightly closer, leaving enough room for Drift to back away if she wanted, but knowing, of course, that she wouldn’t.
“You’re like a paradox,” AJ explained, “I can read everything you think and feel right on your face, clear as day, but one of those things is the fact that you’re hiding something… and that it scares you — ”
Drift swallowed.
“ — almost as much as I do,” AJ finished, with a satisfied smile, before finally taking a few steps back.
“You’re wrong,” Drift tried to argue, but it felt weak even as she forced the words out of her throat.
AJ raised a brow. “Am I? Or are you just not being honest with yourself?”
Drift shook her head, dismissively. “I’ve had enough of your mind games, AJ,” she muttered, “don’t you have someone else to bother?”
“Ah, so I do bother you, then,” AJ quipped, that infuriatingly smug grin back on her face.
“Seriously,” Drift bit out, “if you don’t have anything useful to talk about, leave me alone.”
AJ threw her hands in the air in mock surrender, continuing to walk backwards. “Alright, alright,” she conceded, “I know when I’m not wanted. See you around, Princess.”
She punctuated her statement with an exaggerated wink before sauntering away, leaving Drift to try and compose herself. There’s no way that she knows, she thought, panic rising in her chest, right? That was just another stupid nickname. But what if—
“Hey!” she called out before she could stop herself, heart pounding as AJ turned around, looking amused. “What did- what did you mean by that?”
AJ shrugged. “What, ‘Princess’? Just that you act like one,” she grinned, “what with the very apparent stick lodged far up your—”
“Alright!” Drift interrupted, which only made AJ’s grin widen, “I get it.”
“Why? Don’t like it?” AJ asked, and Drift froze, trying to think of a way out.
“Of course I don’t like it,” she spat, “not that it would make any difference to you.”
AJ studied her for a moment, and Drift did her best to school her features into what she hoped was her usual look of annoyance. It seemed to satisfy her enough for now, as she nodded and gave a dramatic salute.
“I’ll keep that in mind, Open Book,” AJ replied, voice low and tinged with that familiar kind of teasing that felt like it was teetering on the edge of something more.
Drift didn’t have a chance to respond with anything more than a scoff as AJ made a quick pivot and began to walk away.
Once she was finally alone, Drift let out a long, shaky sigh, scrubbing her hands across her face in an attempt to cool her burning cheeks. “Man…” she mumbled to herself, “I seriously hate that guy.”