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anya decided to wait until later in the day to drop off shawns keys, after all, he probably was going to be asleep. poppy and jasmine both left a few hours after they had all eaten breakfast, and casually chatted about the party last night, and organising to meet up the following day.

then anya was left alone once more. anya was thankful that no one was around her, she could get some work done, and just relax for the rest of the day.

at around 7, anya decides to get up from the comfortable couch and deliver the keys to shawn. she picks them up from the marble kitchen counter, before putting on a pair of slides, and leaving her condo, taking her keys with her too.

she comes up to shawns white door, and knocks firmly, making sure he can hear it. she waits outside for a few seconds, before shawn yells something out.

"it's open!" he yells, going back to his cooking.

anya sighs softly, opening up the door, making shawn jump in shock at her. "oh, i didn't think it was you," shawn says to her, looking up from the chicken he was grilling.

"uh yeah, i found your keys," she says, placing them down on the counter.

"oh, thank you," he sends her a small smile, as anya nods in response. "i called john up earlier, he got us all a box for next week if you're up for it."

"sounds good," she nods, folding her arms against her chest. "something smells good."

"it's just chicken and quinoa, basically the only thing i know how to cook, actually the quinoa is a microwaveable packet, but-" he cuts himself off with a laugh. "it's stuff i can warm up, basically." anya lets out a small chuckle. "hey, i know this is random, but there's too much food. do you want to maybe stay for a bit?"

"um," anya bites her lower lip anxiously. free food? hell yes. "okay, only if you don't mind though."

"i don't, honestly," he smiles at her softly. "just take a seat, this should be done in about five," shawn says to her, motioning to the kitchen island. anya nods, taking a seat at one of the bar stools, looking down at her hands in front of her. she looks up, seeing shawn plating up the meals, before walking over to anya, handing her a plate.

"what would you like to drink? we can open a bottle of wine if you want," he suggests, taking two glasses out of a cupboard.

"um, yeah that sounds good," she nods, making shawn smile again, as he places the glasses down, crouching down and opening another cabinet, taking out a bottle of white wine. he pours two glasses, handing one to anya, which she responds to with a thank you. "how was your trip to mexico?"

"it was good, thanks," he grins. "yeah, it was fun. i haven't been on a relaxed holiday with my family for a while. it was nice to get away from everything with them."

"how are they? your family?"

"they're all good. aaliyah misses you loads though. she's always asking about you," he tells her gently.

"i miss her too, remember when we were all around yours when we were like fourteen, and she wouldn't stop telling us all things about you?" she asks, a small smirk on her lips. "that day was the best day ever, i found out so many secrets."

"oh god, don't remind me," shawn chuckles, rolling his eyes. "aaliyah still reminds me of that day."

"do you remember when she took care of your drunk ass after ian's 17th? that was hilarious," shawns cheeks flush gently, as anya continues to laugh. "and then trying to make sure you looked sober to your parents, oh god, i couldn't stop laughing."

"okay, okay, so do we have to remind you of that day you decided to randomly get drunk," shawn teases back.

"that was nothing, i just got drunk," she says to him with a laugh.

"anya, you slept in the bath," he says to her, making the bells ring in her head, and a look of realisation cross over her face, before she sighs, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment, as she lets out a few chuckles.

"i miss those days," she says softly, after the two of them stopped laughing. "no worries, no bills to pay, no food to cook, no adulting to do, no worrying about if you locked the door or not." she lists, letting a sigh escape her lips.

"really? you get to travel the world now," he points out. "with me, and occasionally brian."

"we never really got on, shawn," she mentions, looking at the now, man, beside her. "we still don't get on. even when we're all the way on the other side of the world, we still don't get on. you always have something to say about me, and i always have something to say about you." shawn looks down at the table, his smile turning into a frown.

"i understand, but why can't we change that? we're adults now, anya," he compromises.

"why are you being nice?" she squeaks out, feeling her eyes burn with tears yet again.

"i am a nice person," he argues, his eyes going completely soft.

"oh really? you're always a bitch to me," she mutters, looking away.

"anya," he whispers, reaching for her hand. "tell me what's wrong," he urges, wanting to find out what's making her so upset.

"i'm not upset," she says quickly, pulling her hand away. "it's just- you-you walk around, acting like every single girl you know is some piece of gum under your shoe, apart from the girls who have high names and high reputations. it's stupid, shawn, you literally treat me like a doll, and don't think i don't know what you always say to georgia, shawn," she bursts. "you really need to get your act together. one of these days, no girls will be there for you, and you'll be alone."

"is that how you feel?" he asks her gently, slightly shocked to hear her perspective. it's probably true, though, he thinks to himself. she's always been right. "because if you do, i'm sorry."

"it's not how i feel, it's just how i think," she says, sighing gently. "you've always been like that to me."

"anya-"

"let me finish," she mutters, making shawn nod. "remember my 16th? i was wondering around the house the entire party, trying to look for you. you didn't even turn up, shawn. we used to be friends, and you didn't even come to my birthday, when you said you would. then lauren told me you were busy, and couldn't make it, which i understood because your career was just taking off, but the next few days, when you didn't even answer my calls, and avoided me? that hurt." shawn looks down at the table guiltily. "but whatever, it was four years ago, i don't care about it anymore, and we shouldn't dwell on it. it just hurts."

"i'm sorry," shawn mumbles. "i'm so sorry."

"don't worry," she says softly back to him, finishing what's on her plate. "it was meant to be, everything happens for a reason, right?"

shawn ponders for a few moments, thinking back to that weird day, that day when he changed. that day when he lost a friend.

"yeah," shawn answers, not particularly wanting to think about it. "yeah."

"anyway, thanks for dinner," she says to him, standing up and taking their plates to the sink, rinsing them, before placing them in his dishwasher. "i'm sorry if i cast a downfall on dinner, i didn't really mean to-"

"anya, seriously, don't worry about it. these things happen, and now i understand how you feel, don't worry," shawn reassures her, making anya smile gently at him. "i'll see you around, okay?"

"text me about next week," she walks over to him, giving him a small hug to say goodbye. "see you around." she leaves his condo, shutting the door behind her, before heading straight back to hers.

she opens the door immediately, and closes it with a sigh.

what an eventful dinner.