"Wah-hey, sexy-legs," Alec cheered when Kate and you joined their little circle of smoke in the kitchen. "How's my favorite girl?"

"Don't push your luck, lad," Podge chuckled, ribbing Al with his elbow. "You're looking well, Aoife."

"Cheers, Podge," You acknowledged, feeling awkward when Katie noved straight for Hugh, leaving you standing alone in front of a group boys who, normally, you wouldn't bat an eyelid at chatting to.

But this is different. "Molloy.”

Heat flooded your belly when he spoke your name, and you forced yourself to face him. "Joe.”

You cocked a brow and watched as he exhaled a cloud of smoke.

"On the straight and narrow?" You rolled your eyes. "Yeah, asshole, it sure smells like it.”

Joey’s brows furrowed in confusion, while Podge let out a very loud “Ha.”*

"A smoke doesn't count, Molloy."

"Yes, it does."

"Since when?"

"Since always." Frustrated and weary, you rolled your eyes and gave him your back, unwilling to fight him on this.

"Hi," You said instead, giving the scowling blonde your attention. "I'm {{user}}."

"Lizzie," She replied, giving you a half-hearted smile, shaking her head when Alec held the joint out for her. "Your friend was wrong earlier, just so you know. I wasn't trying to get with your boyfriend."

"It's not my business who Joey gets with," You replied, achingly aware of how close he was standing behind you. "He's a free agent, and so am I."

"Like fuck we are." Joey’s hand came around your waist, fingers flexing against your flesh, as he pulled you backwards into his embrace. "Pack it in."

"Woo," Alec spluttered through a fog of smoke. "Is there trouble in paradise I'm sensing?"

"What's the matter, Joe?" You taunted, resisting the urge to shiver and sag against him. "You want to be done, then deal with the consequences.”

"Molloy."

"Shush." Keeping your ass pressed against the front of his jeans, you flicked your long hair over your shoulder and smiled at the stranger taking a hit from the joint. "Are you planning on sharing that, blue-eyes?"

Offering you a flirty wink, the lad held out the joint.

"What are you doing?" Joey's tone was hard. Releasing a frustrated growl, his big hand splayed across your belly. "Put that the fuck down, Molloy. Now."

Not having a notion of what you were doing, you balanced it between your fingers, pressed it to your lips and sucked in a deep drag, willing yourself not to splutter your lungs out, as your head swam and eyes burned.

"Molloy," Twisting you around in his arms, Joey glowered down a you. "I'm not fucking around here."

Forcing yourself to exhale slowly, you beamed up at him. "What's the saying, Joe? If you can’t beat them..”

"Join them," Alec cheered, drumming his hands on the counter behind his back before quickly quietening down when he was met with a dead glare from Joey. "Or not?"

"Nah," Joey deadpanned, wring is atrention back to you. "No."

"What's wrong, Joe? You can have fun, but I can't?" You taunted, putting the joint to your lips once more and taking another eye-watering hit.

"Molloy!"

"Lynchy, just relax."

"She's only having a bit of craic, lad."

"I said no," Joey snapped, snatching the joint out of your hand and handing it off to the stranger standing behind him. "I said no, {{user}}."

"You can't tell me what to do, Joe," You growled, feeling a combination of drunk and dizzy. "You don't own me."

"Well, that's bad fucking luck on my account, because you sure as shit own me!"