and who am I to say no?

[...]

It was probably the hundred sigh Phuwin let out of his mouth, as he was refusing a hundred glass of who knows what was inside. Dew was by his side, laughing his ass off at a stranger's joke, which Phuwin was sure Dew didn't understand even a word. Gosh, how he hated when the alcohol was getting to his best friend, but not him. It felt odd. Everything felt odd.

Of course he felt a little lighter, but that was it.

He rolled his eyes when a girl passed by, purposefully letting her hand caressing his arm, as if it would have turned him on or something. He sighed, again, and again, and again, ignoring her smug smile, before turning his back to the dance floor. At this point, he would much rather let his mind be distracted by the paintings up on the fancy walls of this bar, behind the bartenders who were busy running from mile to mile. They were perfect, efficient, just like this place, just like this world.

Phuwin felt a bit out of space.

Yet it wasn't his first time in those places, Dew always dragged him everywhere anytime, especially after a shitty day. And it's been three whole years since they knew each other, so he should have gotten used to it already. Yet, it never happened. He still felt like he didn't exactly fit here. Which was probably truer than any smile out there.

He took a glance at Dew, who was considerably closer to the stranger than to him, and sighed even louder, the basses were covering it all obviously. When he locked eyes for a second with the guy Dew was talking to, Phuwin couldn't help but roll his eyes. He looked exactly like the type of guy to make promises, after promises, before leaving one day without a word, making you feel like you were the one doing it all wrong. His smug smile was even more insufferable than Pond's. And when Phuwin was thinking about the latter, he couldn't help but agree with what he said once.

Dew indeed had bad taste in guys.

The only one who was worth it was Tee, one of his closest friend, but as always, when something good was happening to Dew, he always, always, ended up finding a way to fuck it up. This relationship wasn't an exception. And right now, Phuwin almost wanted to call his best friend's ex so this night would be cut short. It was tempting. Even if he knew there was probably nothing left between them more than just shattered memories.

Nah, that'd be too evil.

Phuwin wasn't exactly the type to rule by his moral principles, but still, he knew how much that relationship mattered to his friend—he couldn't do that just to bail some more hours here. He still had a little angel by his side.

The devil would come naturally after some glasses.

He did so and asked for five other shots of Tequila, sipping cocktails wasn't doing its thing, he needed something stronger. The bartender smiled at him and hurried, so focused it almost made Phuwin feel bad for them. He could never understand the pressure they were probably under, since the place was that lavish. He just hoped they were paid well and would make sure to leave some tips. That's all he could do.

When his shots arrived, he took another glance at his friend, who was having the time of his life smiling and laughing. Gosh. Dew was so annoying when it would come to guys. He probably was the epitome of a pick-me, without the part where he would feel the need to put down his friend to feel superior or better. Thank God, just what we needed after all.

He sighed, honestly, he was getting really bored. And it was worse to be in a place full of sinful things to do, and still do nothing. But it wasn't his thing either to go on full demoniac mode with people he didn't know at all. For that, he needed to be way more drunk. Talking to strangers would be easier that way. He never thought being a not so social butterfly was something bad, or something that was weighing on him, so he wasn't even frustrated to be sitting—almost—alone, but it was true, he was getting hella bored. Of course, Dew had tried to bring him into their conversation, at first at least, but it was clear to Phuwin and that white-boy that they weren't ready to do a step for the other. Phuwin was probably seen as a rival more than a best friend, and a weird tension was lingering between them whenever they would accidentally meet eyes. Phuwin hated those types of guys.

As yet another sigh escaped his mouth and he was about to chug down his first shot, his eyes catched a twinkle of blue light flickering across the counter, to his left side—from his friend's side especially. His eyebrows raised, his face completely turned down to the little space between him and his best friend. Before he could help himself, he let his curiosity get the better of him, snitching Dew's phone swiftly.

The latter was too preoccupied by his handsome stud of the night to care, and Phuwin who knew his password, immediately unlocked the phone. He was too bored to care if it was immoral or not, and honestly, it wasn't the first time he was getting through his best friend's phone, since the latter practically gave him access to everything. Though tonight, it was true that Phuwin expected to find anything a bit more... juicy. Whatever it was or whoever it was.

What a deception when his eyes fell on the contact of Dew's brother, very beautifully named "Jerk 1" as he scrolled through the messages the latter just sent like a maniac spammer.

Jerk 1 - today, 9:48 PMjst came home

Jerk 1 - today, 11: 54 PMtf r u little shit

Jerk 1 - today, 11: 55 PMill end u when u come home cuz who tf r u not answering like a busy minister

Jerk 1 - today, 00: 15 PMtext me if u need a lift I won't b asleep so soon

Phuwin raised an eyebrow when he saw the last message, a small smile covering his face. Pond could act all though indeed, he still cared, a lot even. Even when he was showing it with a bit of... violence. But who was Phuwin to judge when he was insulting Dew just as much? If not more.

He laughed to himself, way more entertained by those texts than anything happening around him. His eyes lingered for a moment, and his smile grew as he almost felt like he could hear Dew's annoying brother talking through those messages. Impulsive, he chugged down one of the shots, bringing himself some courage, while his fingers tapped on the screen with a new sense of familiarity. He felt an odd pang of adrenaline cursed through his veins as he pushed the sent button.

Me - today, 00: 17 PMYour brother is basically jerking off some random ass dude with his eyes while I'm getting bored to death, care entertaining me?

The response didn't take long to come. Phuwin kept smiling without realizing it.

Jerk 1 - today, 00: 17 PMIceman?

Me - today, 00: 17 PMMy name is Phuwin, dumb golden retriever

Jerk 1 - today, 00: 18 PM🙄🙄

Jerk 1 - today, 00: 18 PMu cant even remember my name ICEMAN

Me - today, 00: 18 PMYour name is Pond dumbass

Jerk 1 - today, 00: 19 PMoh?

Jerk 1 - today, 00: 19 PMinterested in me perhaps 🙈👀🥵

Phuwin rolled his eyes but his lips were twitching. Right now, he didn't feel like he was stuck in a too huge place, bothered by the greatest unnecessary things of the whole universe. He felt at his place, belonging in what felt like a "normal conversation", and not stuck in one of those where people obviously expected something from him, whatever it was, even if he wasn't ready to give.

Me - today, 00: 19 PMYeah want to suck your dick so hard rn 🫣

Jerk 1 - today, 00: 20 PMWHAT

Jerk 1 - today, 00: 20 PMR U DRUNK???

Jerk 1 - today, 00: 20 PMICEMAN??????????????

Phuwin was laughing like a madman staring at the phone. The thought of Pond actually thinking he was being drunk and for real making him wheezing on his curved stool. The people passing by were probably thinking he was hallucinating or something laughing to himself like that.

Me - today, 00: 21 PMCan't get the sarcasm now, Bailey?

Jerk 1 - today, 00: 21 PMwho knows uh

Jerk 1 - today, 00: 21 PMppl have a hard time resisting my charms yk 😥😞😖

Me - today, 00: 22 PMWhat charms????

Me - today, 00: 22 PMBecause besides your smug annoying smile and your arrogant personality I don't see anything much unfortunately

Jerk 1 - today, 00: 22 PMoh so u do like my smug annoying smile umm

Me - today, 00: 23 PMCan't you read???

Jerk 1 - today, 00: 23 PMi meannnn

Jerk 1 - today, 00: 23 PMu r the one mention it 🤷🤷

Jerk 1 - today, 00: 24 PMand 4 ur concern, i have a LOT of different sides yk...

Jerk 1 - today, 00: 24 PMi can always show u ifyw it so bad

Phuwin rolled his eyes once more but only amusement could be read on his face. It was weird to talk with Dew's brother like that, just them, in "private", when their barely interaction from earlier was quite vivid and chaotic.

Me - today, 00: 24 PMI'll pass 👍

Jerk 1 - today, 00: 25 PMu b answering like some eighty yrs old grandpa w their 👍

Me - today, 00: 25 PMYou be writing like some six years old who don't know about capital letter and punctuation

Jerk 1 - today, 00: 25 PMÔ excuse me Shakespear... didn't know i was talking to a victorian french man 😰😰

Me - today, 00: 26 PMFirst, "i" is incorrect writing this way

Me - today, 00: 26 PMSecond, what does that have to do with french?

Me - today, 00: 26 PMThird, stop making me laughthe bartenders are starting to look at me weirdly...

Jerk 1 - today, 00: 27 PMyk... there's a french saying that says "homme qui rit, à moitié dans mon lit" I'll let you google it :))

Intrigued, Phuwin copied and pasted the text in quotation marks, and pressed the translate button on Google, not actually believing it meant something and led somewhere. When his eyes scrunched up through the screen waiting on the opened page, his gaze widened when he read the translation.

Man who laughs, halfway in my bed.

And even if it was roughly translated, the meaning stayed the same, all clear and bright. Phuwin snapped, reaching back to the conversation, even if the warmth he suddenly felt on the back of his neck was telling a different story.

Me - today, 00: 30 PMYOU PERV

Jerk 1 - today, 00: 30 PM🤣🤣

Jerk 1 - today, 00: 30 PMits a joke tho chill

Jerk 1 - today, 00: 31 PMbut I meannn

Jerk 1 - today, 00: 31 PMexcept if you still want to end up in my bed...

Jerk 1 - today, 00: 31 PMu do know where I live right 🫣

Reading his messages made Phuwin feel weird in the stomach. Even when he rolled his eyes, trying to laugh about his nonsense, he couldn't help feeling it. Coiling in his stomach like the weirdest but also most exhilarating sensation he ever felt. He didn't know if Pond was deliberately flirting, if he was just saying things like that, out of a broken sense of humor and sarcasm—but he liked it.

And Phuwin didn't exactly think it was a good thing.

Yet, he didn't want to stop talking either.

It was out of boredom, nothing else, he could swear it.

Me - today, 00: 32 PMYou wish uh

Jerk 1 - today, 00: 32 PMu have no idea

Jerk 1 - today, 00: 32 PMI only dream abt you 😞🥵🥵

Me - today, 00: 33 PM🙄🙄

Me - today, 00: 33 PMAnyway sweet talker, what r u doing up at this hour? Jerking off on some bad porn?

Jerk 1 - today, 00: 33 PMon u 🥵🥵

Me - today, 00: 34 PMThat's disgusting

Jerk 1 - today, 00: 34 PMbut yk... ppl actually work at ur age uh

Me - today, 00: 34 PM😱😱

Me - today, 00: 35 PMDaddy's boy can actually work 😱

Jerk 1 - today, 00: 35 PMdaddys boy is DewIm only their greatest disappointment 😞

Me - today, 00: 36 PMI'm almost feeling bad 😞

Jerk 1 - today, 00: 36 PMJERK

Without any real reasons, Phuwin burst into laughter. His gaze had softened up and his features seemed way more relaxed by now. His eyes fixed the screen with great intensity as a smile covered his beautiful face. He had to admit, Pond was great when it was coming to make him relax, make him feel like maybe he belonged somewhere too.

With a mastered hand, Phuwin chugged down the rest of the shots. His throat was burning but it felt oddly good. He felt like his mind was getting suddenly blurry and dazed, but the sensation of talking to someone who was making him laugh and feel weirdly seen was exhilarating somehow.

Maybe he was getting drunk, too worked up. Maybe it was the boredom that was making him feel this way. Either way, he didn't want this discussion to end just yet.

Me - today, 00: 37 PMI'm laughing like a madman because you wrote JERK and it's your contact name too

Jerk 1 - today, 00: 37 PMill kill dew when I see him tonight

Me - today, 00: 37 PMI don't know why he put a "1" besides tho

Jerk 1 - today, 00: 38 PMwhat tf r u talking about

Me - today, 00: 38 PMDew wrote "Jerk 1" so who's Jerk 2 or 3 or 33?

Jerk 1 - today, 00: 38 PMok Iceman, I think you drank too much

Me - today, 00: 39 PMDon't call me Iceman I dont like it

Jerk 1 - today, 00: 39 PMoh?

Jerk 1 - today, 00: 39 PMhow do u want me to call u then um?

Jerk 1 - today, 00: 40 PMbaby?

His cheeks flushed red in one go, and Phuwin stared at the phone stunned, before squealing alone on his stool as one of the bartenders was shaking his head in his direction with a knowing smile. He had seen a lot of lovebirds coming and leaving by this bar, it was always adorable. A change from all the unnecessary drama that could happen.

When Phuwin replied this time, his fingers were hesitant and sure at the same time, he was smiling like a fool but maybe it was still because of the alcohol. Either way, he didn't exactly care about his reasons, and his bottom lip found his teeth, when he pressed the send button.

Me - today, 00: 40 PMbaby is good I like baby

Jerk 1 - today, 00: 40 PMyeahh definitely drunk ummm

Me - today, 00: 41 PMdon't act as if you're not dying to call me baby

This time, it took him an unusual time to reply. Phuwin furrowed his brows, his nose scrunched in weird anticipation.

Jerk 1 - today, 00: 43 PMwell...

Jerk 1 - today, 00: 43 PMdoes my baby want me to pick him up?

Me - today, 00: 43 PM🤨🤨

Me - today, 00: 43 PMand why's that?

Jerk 1 - today, 00: 43 PMdon't act as if my brother's love interest of the night entertains you Phuwin

Me - today, 00: 44 PMI rather baby

Jerk 1 - today, 00: 44 PMok you're done. Im coming.

Jerk 1 - today, 00: 44 PMsend me ur address now.

And Phuwin didn't know why, but as he stared at the phone, still unaware of the turmoil he just stirred, his stomach fluttered weirdly, a heat inside consuming him little by little. Without thinking twice, he shared his location.

To hell Dew and his stupid love interests.