Ben was busy kissing Ronan and not paying attention to the pub anymore, so when Nicky came over he took a few seconds to realize she was there. When he did, he was still buzzing from the kiss and missed the tension entirely.
"Nicky! I'm glad you came over. This is my Ronan," he said proudly, arms still possessively around his lover. "Ronan, this is Nicky. She'll have you believe she's a heinous bitch, but she's not as bad as all that."
He grinned at them both, but the animosity slowly penetrated his happy daze. "And you two already know each other." It wasn't a question. The way Nicky was glaring at Ronan, and the way Ronan was tense at his side were both telling in their own way.