Damn. Mission fail, Simon thought to himself when he followed Ashley’s finger to the boy in the back. He had to admit, though, he was mildly surprised that Kaye was simple, what with his good looks.
“Same here, I haven’t had a boyfriend in……. four years?”
"Four years?" Kaye repeated, his eyebrows raising in mild surprise. To him, Simon didn't seem like someone who would be single for so long; especially since everyone had been looking at him when they first walked into the bar. Plus, Simon had good looks, which just added to Kaye's disbelief.
Simon raised an eyebrow at Kaye, slipping his hands into his pockets. “You look surprised.” His words were slightly slurred from the drink he’d just finished, but they were crisp enough.
“People don’t tend to.. enjoy my company.” At all.
"What do you mean?" Kaye asked curiously as he glanced over towards Ashley, though the taller boy had already left to tend to other customers. Simon seemed pleasant to him, maybe a little detached, but that could be because they had just met. Most people didn't like to open up at first anyway.
Maybe it was the alcohol messing with his decision-making skills, maybe it was the fact that he was finally talking to someone who seemed to find him bearable, but Simon couldn’t help giving Kaye a small nugget of the truth. “They find me…. intimidating? Annoying? Both?” Obviously he couldn’t speak about his lineage, he had no idea how Kaye would react.
"I mean, I can see how you can be a bit intimidating," Kaye started, fiddling with the drawstrings on his hoodie as he thought. Even he was a little intimidated when they first met, though it was probably because of their height difference. "And even if I just met you, you still seem nice," he added, though quickly realize that his complimenting skills weren't great. Kaye had always had a hard time putting what he thought into words anyway, so he hoped that Simon understood.
Simon shrugged, strangely touched by the small compliment. “Thanks, I guess.” Suddenly very awkward, he glanced away, trying to figure out what to say next.
“How are those bruises holding up?”
"They're a little sore," Kaye answered with a loose shrug, wishing that he had more alcohol to numb the feeling, though Ashley would never agree to giving him that much. "It's just my lip that I'm worried about. It might need stitches." He explained, touching his bottom lip with the pad of his finger, careful not to press too hard. There were some supplies for stitches in the back of the bar, though he had never actually figured out to use them.
Simon frowned slightly, and in his tipsy state, made a stupid, irrational suggestion. "I can give you stitches when I'm sober.. I've done it before.." He immediately wished he could take the words back, but it was too late now. Sh*t. Goddamit.
"Are…are you sure? I don't want to trouble you," Kaye replied quickly as he glanced down towards his empty cup, trying to look at something else for a few moments. It was true that he didn't want to trouble Simon. If he needed the stitches quickly, he could go and find someone at the bar who could do them.
"It wouldn't be troubling me," he reassured the other guy, wishing he hadn't had that much to drink. "When do you think you'll need them? I don't think it's entirely safe for me to give them to you after that drink…" Simon shrugged, running a hand through his hair.
"I can wait. We can do it whenever you feel ready," Kaye answered with a small reassuring smile. He watched Simon for a few moments, trying to decide on what they could talk about. "So, why you walking around earlier?" He asked, referring back to when Simon walked into the alley.
Once again, Simon's drunkenness led to him spilling truths he would never have told sober. "I was frustrated.. I took a walk to clear by head. My dad was……………" he trailed off, the memory hitting him like a sledgehammer.
"What happened with your dad?" Kaye asked, his tone faintly changing to something a bit softer. He was a little confused as to why Simon was telling him this, though he guessed it might have been the alcohol. It was even making him a little tipsy too.
Simon finally got a grip on himself, realizing what he'd just let slip. Sh*t. He'd messed up, and badly.
"Never mind," he said quickly, pushing himself off the wall. "I need to go to the washroom, which way is it?" He cleared his throat, attempting to Sing Kaye into believing him. "Nothing happened~" He wasn't sire how well it would work, considering his current state, but it was worth a try.
Kaye had a confused look on his face when he heard Simon sing a few words and it was clear something in him trying to push against it. Though, after a few moments, he felt a bit groggy and the last few moments of the conversation slipped his mind. "Oh, the washroom. You walk down there, and it should be the door on the right," he explained, motioning towards the other side of the bar.
Simon nodded, slipping away. He passed Ashley, but failed to notice him, stumbling through what he hoped was the right door.
Once in the safety of the washroom, he leaned his hands against the sink, sighing and allowing himself to relax as he scrutinized himself in the mirror. God, he was never going to drink again, he hated this stupid fog that came with the alcohol, hated the words that tumbled out of his mouth. Memories came back to him, just snippets, enraged shouts, glass shattering, a woman yelling. He squeezed his eyes shut.
Kaye watched as Simon stumbled towards the washroom before he suddenly took interest in another drink that had been set before him. He took a few sips from it, enjoying the burning sensation that resided in his throat as he tried to think back towards the conversation that he seemed to be forgetting. Though, the last thing he remembered was something about…stitches?
It took some time, piecing both himself and his composure together, but when he finally managed, Simon let out a long sigh. Here goes nothing….. Inhaling deeply, he opened his eyes and poured all of his intent into his next words, forcing himself to obey. "Sober up~"
Singing oneself into submission was an impressive feat, and immensely difficult. But the results were more than satisfactory, even if they brought on a pounding headache. Sighing once more, he left the washroom and returned to Kaye.
Kaye glanced back up when he saw Simon's figure approach their spot once again, a lopsided grin crossing his features. Compared to the now sober looking man in front of him, he had had one too many drinks when the other had been in the washroom.
“Hey, Kaye,” Simon greeted with a slight groan as he sat down next to the other man. He pressed two fingers to his temple, wincing slightly. At least I’m not drunk anymore… that’s a definite plus.
"Are…are you okay?" Kaye asked, his voice a bit slurred as he propped his chin up on the palm of his hand, though the concern was still there.
Simon couldn’t help a tiny smile at how drunk his companion seemed to be. “I’m fine, Kaye, just a headache,” he told him, running a hand through his hair. “How much have you had to drink?”
"How much have I had to drink?" Kaye repeated, a small hum in his voice as he tilted his head to the side towards Simon. "Maybe two. Or three," he admitted, wiping at his lip where it had started bleeding from when he bit down on it earlier. It was a habit he was trying to stop, especially since his lip was already cut.
Simon sighed, admittedly amused, though he did his best not to show it. Grabbing hold of a napkin, he pressed it into Kaye’s hand. “Wipe up your lip, and be careful, okay?” A sudden thought occurred to him. “How are you getting home? You can’t drive like this..”