#which was a nice gesture AND means i got five minutes with bff this morning 🥰

[dreaming-of-assclass]

"ive never felt like this about anyone before!" with terasaka and nagisa?? (or just karmagisa if ur uncomfy with that! :>)

Pairing: Nagisa Shiota/Ryoma Terasaka

Genre: Romance, Fluff

Word Count: 1,588

A/N: Aww this is a cute pairing! I decided to go the classic route of confessing with chocolates UwU. Also ft. BFF/wingwoman Kayano!! I really like the honest simplicity of Nagisa and Terasaka’s relationship, and I hope I conveyed that well.

Before joining 3-E, Nagisa never really thought of himself as unpredictable. He’d always been a simple guy, with not many quirks. Maybe a bit of a wallflower, even. He liked observing others and the nuances of human nature. He liked seeing how other people could be surprising. 

But then 3-E happened, and he kept receiving constant praises of his “natural talents.” How stealthy he was, how he took down Takaoka, how he kept on shocking his classmates and teachers with his capriciousness, etc.

Nagisa couldn’t help but enjoy the attention, although he tried his best to hide it. But truth be told, he still saw himself as a simple person. And a part of him preferred it that way, seeking out some normalcy in the midst of his transformed life. 

And now, as he stood in his kitchen, eyes wide at the countertop covered with a dozen different ingredients, he was wishing he’d been more unique after all. 

Chocolates on Valentine’s Day? How unoriginal, he sighed internally. 

Nagisa reached for his plain navy apron and looped it over his head, the fabric tickling his nose. He tied the straps behind him and took a deep breath, eyeing the gourmet bar of 80% cacao he’d purchased.

Before he could linger on his doubts and call off the entire thing, his best friend (and baking partner) returned from the bathroom. Kayano bounded into the kitchen with a grin on her face. “Sorry for making you wait, Nagisa. I just had to take care of a small hair emergency!”

“No, no, it’s fine,” Nagisa quickly reassured her with a smile. He glanced at her dark messy bun, fondly recalling the old quirky jade pigtails he’d grown used to for an entire year. “Thanks again for helping me out, Kayano.”

“Of course!” she replied, skillfully tying on her own butterscotch apron. “What are friends for, if not helping you make chocolates because you’re a hopeless mess in the kitchen?”

Nagisa laughed and stepped back to give her room as she started examining the ingredients. “Yeah, I would’ve destroyed my kitchen. Cooking is one thing, but I’m not good at baking...and I’ve never made chocolates before.”

“That’s fine. They’re pretty easy to make, once you get past the beginning,” Kayano assured him with a smile.

They fell into comfortable conversation as they worked through the recipe. Nagisa’s clumsy hands nearly made a few mistakes, but Kayano was quick to assist him. Eventually, they stood by and waited for the chocolate to melt over the stove, with Nagisa continuously stirring it.

“I really appreciate you helping me. Seriously, that’s so nice of you. Let me know if there’s anything I can help you with.”

He paused then quickly fixed his words, stammering. “I-I mean, you can ask for anything at any time, of course! I just meant to return the favor, you know?”

Kayano laughed. “Relax, Nagisa. This is nothing compared to what an awesome friend you’ve been for me. You don’t owe me anything.”

He frowned slightly. “But…”

She hummed in thought. “I guess I am pretty curious to know who you’re giving them to, though? But only if you’re comfortable sharing!”

There was a brief silence, only the stirring of the liquid chocolate filling the air between them. 

“Nagisa…?”

“Terasaka-kun.”

“Huh?”

He sighed with a smile. “I’m making these for Terasaka-kun.”

“Really?” Her eyes widened. “Aww!”

Nagisa winced at her high-pitched squeal then smiled at her acceptance. “You’re not surprised?”

“Not really,” she admitted. “You guys have always had a very sweet and trusting relationship.” 

Nagisa felt his face heat up. “You think so?” he asked quietly, returning his gaze back to the pot.

“Yes, I do,” she smiled. “They say the best relationships always do come after one of you nearly blows the other up, anyways~”

He groaned as she laughed. 

Another stretch of comfortable silence passed and soon, they were onto decorating the chocolates. Nagisa watched in awe as she delicately laced the top of the rich chocolates with a caramel icing. 

Finally, it was his turn. He carefully made a tiny flower design with the hazelnut icing tube. “You know…” he began.

“I’ve never done anything like this before,” he admitted quietly. “Making chocolates...confessing...I never acted on my feelings or was proactive.” Nagisa’s eyes were trained on what he was doing, but he could feel Kayano’s gaze on him.

“But...the way I feel about Terasaka-kun. With him. Around him…” A small smile etched onto his face. “It’s such an intense, engulfing feeling. But at the same time, it makes me feel lighter than air.”

“I’ve never felt like this about anyone before.”

The next day was Valentine’s Day, and Nagisa swore, he never heard his own heart beat so rapidly before in his whole life. 

He had texted Terasaka that morning to meet up somewhere, under the context of borrowing a book. The five minutes in which he’d awaited a response were the most agonizing he’d ever felt. Was he being too obvious? Terasaka responded positively though, with a short “yeah ofc. see u later.” Nagisa had fallen out of his bed in relief.

Now he was standing outside the local library, clutching onto his schoolbag. He was still in his uniform, and he bet Terasaka would be as well since school hours had just ended. 

Valentine’s Day had been uneventful for the most part. He’d gotten friendship chocolates from most of the girls in his class, a completely platonic gesture. Nagisa made a mental note of who he would give gifts to on White Day, to return such a kind gesture. Outside of that, he’d just watched in amusement at some of the antics going on around him. Chocolates being given by the hundreds to popular boys, confessions going wildly wrong and descending into chaos, fangirls, all the like. 

“Yo!” His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a familiar voice. Nagisa jolted up at the sight of Terasaka making his way towards him. The object of his affection was uniform-clad in a rather neat manner, with his school bag slung over his shoulder, wearing a fond grin once his eyes locked with Nagisa’s.

Nagisa felt his stomach tighten, as if a bunch of knots were tied inside. This is it… “Hey,” he greeted with a smile, waving to the taller boy. “It’s good to see you.”

“You too,” Terasaka replied warmly, slowing to a stop a couple feet in front of him. “How’s this crappy holiday been for ya?”

“Heh, pretty boring,” Nagisa chuckled. “Like always, I just get friendship chocolates from the girls in my class.”

“Really? That’s still cool.” 

Nagisa hummed. “What about you?” He asked, instantly dreading the answer.

Terasaka laughed lightly. “I got some from the squad as a joke, and I’m completely fine with that.”

“Oh, haha.” Nagisa felt a weight lift off his chest at the response, and his grip tightened on his bag.

Terasaka frowned slightly at him. “You okay? You’re acting a little weird.”

Now? Nagisa questioned himself. Now feels right…

Finally making his resolve, Nagisa chose not to answer verbally. Instead, he quickly opened his bag and pulled out the decorated box. He opted to go simple, rather than the ornate boxes he’d seen people give. It was a small square shape in a deep crimson color, topped by a golden bow. 

“Terasaka-kun…” Nagisa let out a sharp breath he was unaware he’d been holding. He lifted his gaze to meet Terasaka’s, and offered him a genuine smile.

“I really like you. And I made you these chocolates.” He extended his hand holding the box. “Will you go out with me?”

A tiny part of Nagisa’s mind, within his conscious, was blown away at his actions. He was seriously confessing to his crush. With homemade chocolates. Is this for real?

But Nagisa was nothing if not honest. And that extended to even himself. 

A second had passed and Terasaka gently took the chocolates from him, a warm look in his eyes that made Nagisa melt just a little. His lips were curved into a rare smile of faded surprise and contentment.

Finally he spoke, his voice like honey, full of affection. “Of course I’ll go out with you, stupid. I like you too.”

Nagisa’s chest swelled with joy. He smiled stronger than he ever had before, a rush of emotion passing through him.

Terasaka’s attention had shifted to the box in his large hands, and he tugged the bow off. “You made these yourself?” He sounded curious.

“Yes...but with a lot of help from Kayano,” Nagisa admitted sheepishly, rubbing the back of his short hair.

Terasaka laughed as he opened it, picking up the one that Nagisa had decorated with a flower. “They look awesome.” He plucked it into his mouth and chewed thoughtfully. His eyes soon lit up. “Woah, they taste great too!”

“Really?!” Nagisa asked excitedly, feeling a bit of pride. 

“For sure.” Terasaka nodded with a grin that soon turned shy. He averted his gaze slightly, his face pink. “Thanks for making these for me…”

“I’m glad you like them,” Nagisa said somewhat absentmindedly, his attention focused on how cute Terasaka’s shy smile was.

His thoughts were interrupted by Terasaka suddenly leaning in closer. “Wait uh…” His crush’s face reddened even more. “...Can I kiss you?”

Nagisa felt his own face flush as he nodded. 

The kiss was simple and sweet, yet filled with strong genuine emotions. It was almost like a representative of their bond. 

And Nagisa wouldn’t have it any other way.

[sky-casino]

Competitive as Hell

Genre: Angst, Fluff Pairing: Jaehyun x Reader Word Count: 7,472 a/n: I was inspired to write this fic based on two facts about Jae: 1) he can drink 3-4 soju bottles according to the members themselves 2) he's competitive as hell. Enjoy!

Monday morning. First day of college. You were right in front of your university's tall and intimidating gates, hesitant to enter as you watched your fellow students excitedly do so.

Originally, you were thrilled to start this new chapter of your life. But the heartbreak caused by your ex overpowered the excitement. You've been with him for the last two years of high school when he suddenly broke up with you last week. After all the summer adventures that brought you happiness and made you think he really was the one, he dumped you out of the blue. When you asked him why, he couldn't even form a single coherent sentence. A few mumbles and stutters later, he simply said that he wasn't so sure anymore. That's it.

As you slowly entered the gates, you felt like a fragile porcelain doll that might crumble anytime. Your cheerful self is dead and gone and the excitement of entering college has turned into pressure and discomfort. 

You were not in the mood to be friendly to anyone. But during the freshmen orientation that morning, you found yourself sat beside a very talkative Japanese student. His name was Nakamoto Yuta. He kept trying to befriend you and you were a little bit pissed at the beginning. However, you realized that your ex and what happened between the two of you shouldn't dictate how you treat others. You started to talk more and smile more, even just a bit. 

After lunch, your professors dispersed you into your respective courses and sections, separating you from Yuta who was taking up Sports Education.

"I'll go this way. Let's keep in touch, okay?" He said after you exchanged numbers.

"Sure. See you!"

And with that, you were alone again. You realized how harder college life would be if you didn't have any friends. You told yourself that you needed to bring back your old friendly self, but it was difficult and you might come off as fake if you try too hard to make new friends. So you decided to just go with the flow and not overthink.

Going with the flow earned you another friend, Seulgi. This girl shares the same course as you, Psychology. You sat together during the first official class and you were thankful that you clicked right away. From then on, you were pretty inseparable.

Fast forward to the end of the school week, Friday. You were having lunch with Seulgi who was talking about the welcome party that the student council was throwing for you and your fellow freshmen that night. It was meant to encourage camaraderie and sense of belonging. Seulgi was excited about it and wanted to go, but you weren't really hyped.

"Come on, Y/N. Let's go! It sounds fun. Please~" She said with her hands clasped together.

Before you could reply, Yuta suddenly showed up and sat beside you.

"Hey!" You greeted the boy. 

Instead of greeting you properly, Yuta took a couple of your fries.

"Seulgi, meet Yuta. Yuta, meet Seulgi. My BFF and classmate." 

"Wow, it's just the first week and you already have a BFF?" Yuta retorted at you as he chewed. "Nice to meet you." He said, nodding at Seulgi. "Oh, by the way. You're not the only one who made a friend, Y/N. Meet Winwin. He's in my Literature class." Yuta said as he introduced the shy and cute Chinese boy.

"Hello. Take a seat!" You said as you gestured him to sit beside Seulgi. 

"Are you going to the party later?" Yuta asked you and Seulgi.

"I want to! But Y/N is thinking twice." Seulgi said with a pout.

"What? Are you serious? It's gonna be fun! I heard there's gonna be a huge bonfire and lots of food and booze. Winwin and I are going." Yuta said as he playfully tugged your left arm.

"Fine, fine! I'm going! Jeez." You said in a defeated tone which made your three friends cheer.

"So where do we meet up?" Winwin asked.

"Hmm, how about here in the cafeteria at around 5pm? It starts at 5:30 and will take place at the open field." Seulgi replied and to which all of you agreed.

Yuta and Winwin had to leave earlier for their Laboratory class and a few minutes later, you and Seulgi headed to the library.

"I'm so excited for later! It's great we're gonna be with those two. The more the merrier. Are you excited?" Seulgi asked.

You hated to admit it but yes, you were starting to feel the thrill. "Hmm, I guess? Yes, I'm excited." You replied with an embarrassed chuckle.

"See! You need to enjoy and loosen up! We're gonna help you forget that jerk who broke your heart." Seulgi said in a cute but supportive tone before you entered the library. You really appreciate your friend.

A few hours of studying and boring lectures later, you and Seulgi are with Yuta and Winwin again on the way to the open field.

The bonfire is not yet ignited but you could already see the huge logs of wood being drenched in gasoline. People were starting to swarm around it and tables of food and drinks were being lined up already.

When the clock hit 5:30, the student council president went onstage to deliver his welcoming speech and to announce the beginning of the party. He along with the other student council members lit up the bonfire and it was one of the most beautiful things you've ever seen. The sun was setting and the fire complimented the sky.

You quickly found a table for you and your three friends while Yuta and Winwin got food and drinks for the four of you, which were all free of charge.

"Here you go! Samgyupsal, ttokbokki, and sausages with some cider and soju." Yuta said as he and Winwin placed down the plates and drinks.

A few seconds after you started munching, you heard a loud voice from the neighboring table.

"Yuta!" A tall boy with brown hair yelled as he approached your table.

"Hey, Johnny! I didn't know you're just near." Yuta replied as he high-fived the much taller guy.

"Hey guys! Are you all having fun? I'm Johnny, Yuta's roommate." Johnny said as he shook his hand with each of you. You were pretty sure this boy is friendlier than Yuta. 

"Do you guys want to merge your table with ours? That way, it'll be more fun." Johnny suggested.

"Oh, sure. It's.. it's fine." You said as you looked at Winwin and Seulgi for confirmation, to which the two of them nodded in agreement.

Johnny single-handedly pulled your table right next to theirs and when you finally took a good look to see who he's with, you were intimated and overwhelmed because all of them were boys, good-looking boys.

"Meet Taeil, Taeyong, Doyoung, Mark, and Jaehyun. We all live in the same floor in the dorm so Yuta already knows them." Johnny said.

You were too shy to say anything so you just smiled at them before focusing on your plate of food and bottle of soju. 

Doyoung suggested for all of you to introduce yourselves one by one. You didn't expect it to be that fun because along with the usual introduction, the boys also said some weird and funny stories that happened in the dorm.

"One time, Taeil was choking on ice but we just kept laughing because we thought he was just joking! We didn't know he was actually choking!" Yuta said and all of you laughed out loud. 

You drank the last drop of your first bottle of soju and was about to open your second one when Jaehyun called your name. He sat diagonally from your spot.

"Hey, Y/N."

"Hmm?" You asked with wide eyes. You weren't sure but hearing him say your name felt nice yet so foreign. You could get used to it, though.

"How many soju bottles can you take? Like, the maximum? Before you completely pass out?" He asked with a slight smirk, showing his dimples.

"F-five? Why are you asking?" 

The entire table let out a loud and long "Woah~" after you replied.

"I'm asking because you're already on your second bottle while the rest of them is just reaching half of their first. I'm opening my second bottle right now, just like you." Jaehyun said. 

"Damn, girl. Five?!" Doyoung asked loudly.

"Yes." 

"I don't believe it." Jaehyun retorted as he slowly shook his head.

You were starting to get pissed at this guy. He's handsome as hell, yes. But a bit arrogant.

"You don't have to." You said as you rolled your eyes, drinking from your second bottle.

This time, everyone let out a low "Oooh~". They're feeling the tension from you and Jaehyun.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you." Jaehyun began. "I just found it unbelievable that a girl can drink five bottles. I can only drink max of four."

You didn't even look at him and just continued eating.

"Alright. I understand you're pissed. I have a suggestion to settle this down. Let's have a showdown." Jaehyun said and Mark's jaw dropped. 

"Showdown?" Seulgi and Mark asked at the same time. The others were looking at each other, realizing that this has turned into something serious.

"Yup. With that, Y/N can show us that she can actually finish five. Plus, it'll be fun." Jaehyun replied, smirk still plastered on his face.

"I don't need to prove anything to anyone. But your competitive and stubborn ass needs to learn, so alright. I accept your challenge." You said, finally looking at Jaehyun and finishing your second bottle with ease. 

Everyone is getting pumped up except for Seulgi. "Y/N, calm down. As you said, you don't have to do this. We can leave if you want to." 

"No, I'll be fine. I can really finish five bottles." You smiled at your friend. 

"Game?" Jaehyun asked before finishing his second bottle.

"Game."

"Alright. Both of you have finished two bottles already. So in order to win, each of you have to finish three more. Got it?" Doyoung announced.

"Yep. No problem for me. I don't know with him, though. He said he can only finish max of four." You said confidently as you looked at your competitor.

Honestly, Jaehyun was very surprised yet impressed by your confidence and fighting spirit. It's his first time to invite a girl to a drinking showdown and he didn't expect that you'd actually accept it. While everyone were making weird cheering noises, he chuckled awkwardly as he looked down at his bottle. His cute dimples were distracting you a bit.

The game has started and by the end of the third bottle, you were starting to feel a little tipsy. Just a little. While Jaehyun was now as red as tomato and had his eyes closed, struggling to keep them open. 

"You know, you don't have to do this. It's clear for everyone to see who's gonna win." You told him not with the intention of mocking him, but because you're honestly concerned. 

"No need to worry about me, darling. I can hold my own." He said after massaging his temples, finally opening his eyes to look at you. You wanted to deny it but your heart fluttered a little when he called you "darling". Just a little.

"Fine." You said as the two of you twisted the cap of your fourth bottle. You looked at him more carefully to observe how he is when he's drunk and you realized that he was actually cute. He's still arrogant but it's really cute how red his face, neck, and ears were and how his smirk that has become a smile showed his dimples. And to top all of these, he had his eyes closed, obviously wanting to just doze off right there and then. He was letting out subtle giggles too.

You gulped your fourth bottle fairly smoothly, but not as smoothly as before. You were starting to wince. Jaehyun on the other hand only took a couple of gulps when he started vomiting.

"Ugh I knew this would happen." Taeyong panicked a little as he held both sides of his head.

"Okay and the winner is-" Doyoung playfully announced but got interrupted by Jaehyun.

"No! I'm not yet done. There's still no winner here." Jaehyun said as he wiped his mouth. He quickly grabbed his bottle before anyone could stop him.

To your surprise, he successfully drank the alcohol bottoms-up. You were about to open your fifth bottle with more determination when Jaehyun suddenly passed out. Right. His max was four, remember?

The rest of the boys either let out yells of complain or were laughing and clapping hysterically. 

"That was fun, Y/N!" Yuta patted your shoulder before giving you a high-five.

"I recorded the whole thing!" Mark said as he played the video for everyone to see.

"Jaehyun is the most competitive and the best drinker among us. I'm sorry for what happened." Taeyong told you with a solemn expression.

"It's fine. Don't worry. I should be the one to say sorry." You replied, looking at Johnny and Doyoung supporting Jaehyun from both sides as they walked slowly to the dorm.

"I think we should go? It's kinda late already." Seulgi whispered to you.

"R-right. Yes." You replied.

"We'll go now. Thanks. I had a good time." You said as you slowly stood up, careful of losing your balance. 

"Bye! We had a lot of fun because of you!" Mark yelled.

Yuta walked with you until you found a cab to ride together with Seulgi. "Like what Taeyong said, Jaehyun is competitive. Expect him to invite you for another showdown." 

"What?! Another one!" You exclaimed.

"Uh, yes? You can turn him down, though."

"Yeah, will do that. Or not. It was fun to beat him." You said and the three of you laughed.

A cab eventually arrived and Yuta bid you and Seulgi goodbye. "See you on Monday!"

"They.. they are a weird but fun bunch of guys." Seulgi said with amusement.

"I know right. Really weird but really fun." You replied with a giggle, secretly thinking of Jaehyun's cute drunk face.

The next morning, Jaehyun woke up with an almost unbearable hangover he couldn't get up from his bed.

"Fuck!" He said after a long and loud groan.

"Oh, you're awake." Doyoung, his roommate, said non-chalantly.

"Meds. I need meds. Give me painkillers." Jaehyun begged as he was so close to crying.

"They're right beside your bed, dumbass." Doyoung replied.

Jaehyun struggled getting up because even a slight movement caused the throbbing pain in his head to worsen. He took the pill and laid down again.

"You looked so stupid last night." Doyoung said as he laughed non-stop.

"Shut up."

"But it's true! She defeated you so easily. Johnny and I had to walk your unconscious ass back here while Y/N walked to the taxi bay just fine to get a ride home. That's how huge your differences are! You can't beat her. Never." 

"I'll drink with her again and again until I beat her. Remember that." Jaehyun said groggily but still with determination.

"What the hell? Fine. If you wanna look stupid in front of her again, then be my guest."

"How stupid did I look anyway?"

"You were beet red and giggling for no reason and then the worst: you vomited." Doyoung hit the table repeatedly as he laughed.

"Oh, for fuck's sake." Jaehyun groaned.

Mark entered the room with a pot of hot beef soup. "Morning, here's the hangover soup Taeil and Taeyong made for you."  

"Thank you so much. Just put it on the table, I'll get up soon." 

"Mark, guess what."

"What."

"This loser is planning to invite Y/N to another showdown just to get defeated again." Doyoung said.

"Hell no."

"Hell yes." The two high-fived and kept laughing and laughing.

"Can the two of you fuckers get out? You're making my headache worse."

"Sure. We'll get out now to announce your stupidity to the others. Bye!" Doyoung said sarcastically, leaving Jaehyun alone in his agonizing headache.

Yuta was right when he told you to expect another invitation from Jaehyun.

It was Monday morning, right after your first class ended. You were surprised to see Jaehyun leaning on the locker beside yours after you closed it.

"Jeez, you scared me. What do you want?" 

"Uhh, okay. First of all, good morning." Jaehyun replied as he followed you.

"Okay. Good morning. What do you want?"

"Why are you so snappy? I'm the one who lost the showdown last Friday. If there's someone between us who should be irritated, it's me." Jaehyun protested as he took a closer look at your face.

"I'm just asking, what do you want?" You said as you continued walking to your next class, not sparing him a glance.

"Are you free this Wednesday? Let's do it again! I swear this time, I'll win."

You scoffed in response. You expected this.

"Can't. I have a 7am class the next day."

"How about Friday night again?"

"Why are you so confident? You should practice drinking five bottles without passing out first before you challenge me again." You raised your brow at him.

"That's what I did this weekend, as a matter of fact."

"Oh, is that why you don't look.. your best?" You teased.

"What? What do you mean?" Jaehyun asked with a slight panicking voice, trying to fix his hair and straightening out his shirt.

"Hmm.. I'm not really sure, but you look exhausted? Eyes a bit red and dark spots under them. You should just give up. What's in it for you, anyway?" You said as you examined him from head to toe.

"I don't like losing. That's all. And I have my reputation." Jaehyun said as he suddenly cornered you against the wall with his arm, smirking at you.

"Oh please, it's not like you're gonna lose your friends just because of this."

"Ugh, can you just say yes? Please?" He backed off and looked at you with pleading eyes. Which surprised you because you realized how much this matters to him. Like what Taeyong said, he's competitive.

"Fine. But this will be the last time, alright? Whether you win or lose, it'll be the last."

"I promise! Thanks, Y/N!" Jaehyun said before going for a quick hug that was so quick you weren't even able to hug him back. 

"See you on Friday night! I'll text you the place!" He yelled across the hall as he ran away. 

"Yeah, see you. Loser." You whispered to yourself with a blank face as you watched him.

Yes, you had another drinking showdown with Jaehyun that Friday night. But no, unlike what you told him, it wasn't the last. 

In contrast to his snarky and confident self the first time he challenged you, he was more quiet and serious this time. But still, you beat him the second time and the other boys were present to witness his downfall. There was no improvement in his performance, still passed out right after finishing his fourth bottle. 

Another Monday came and he challenged you again while you were having lunch with Seulgi at one of the benches under the trees. 

"Nope."

"Please, Y/N?"

"I already told you that Friday night would be the last, remember? Or did forcing yourself to drink five bottles has affected your memory already?" You scoffed.

"I.. I only agreed to that because I thought I'd be able to beat you." Jaehyun admitted.

For the first time, you just looked at him because you didn't know what to say. 

"Alright. See you. Same time, same place." You replied as you picked up your chop sticks. You weren't exactly sure what it was but looking at him convinced you to say yes, again.

"Yes! Thank you and sure, same time, same place! Bye!" 

You continued eating as Seulgi looked at you with a displeased face.

"Why did you agree?

"No important reason. Just realized I'm actually having fun with this stupid showdown." 

"You're... you're not catching feelings for him, are you?" Seulgi asked cautiously.

You choked on your drink upon hearing the weird question. "Excuse me but what?"

"I'm sorry. I just can't help but think-"

"For the record, no. I don't feel anything for him."

"Well, that's great. Because we both know you just..." 

"Got my heart broken? Yes, I'm very much aware of that, thank you. But that's also the reason why I should put my mind on other things, to distract myself."

"And drinking with Jaehyun is your way of distracting yourself?"

"Seulgi, I'll be fine. Okay? It's not like I'm gonna hook up with him. I'm not like that. Just relax. Yuta and the other boys are with us too, it's not like it's just me and Jaehyun."

"Fine. Just text me if something happens."

As the weeks passed by, the other boys ended up getting bored of your showdowns because you always won, anyway. There was no thrill anymore. And so it was just you and Jaehyun, eventually. 

Besides his competitiveness, you got to see different sides of Jaehyun when he's drunk. He's not only giggly but he could be very dramatic as well. There were nights when he'd just laugh and be silly and nights when he'd sulk and rant about life. He amused you to no end, which was why you ended up saying yes to each of his invitations.

Jaehyun always waited for you to arrive at the bar before he took a single sip. So you were a bit surprised when you saw that a quarter of his first bottle was already empty that night.

“Aww, you didn’t wait for me?” You asked sarcastically.

“Sorry, I just needed a sip.” He sighed deeply, not looking at you.

“I was just joking, jeez. I don’t mind. Are you okay? You seem... off.” You replied, taking off your backpack and signaling the bartender for a bottle.

“Hmm, so-so.” Jaehyun replied curtly.

“That’s not good. Want me to invite the rest of the boys?”

“Nope. I like it like this. Just the two of us.” He smiled bitterly.

“Oh, alright.” The bottle of soju came at the right time to distract you as you felt your cheeks heat up. You finished it without stopping.

“Damn Y/N, relax.” Jaehyun said with a chuckle.

“Can’t. You started without me so I had to catch up.”

Instead of replying verbally, Jaehyun finished his own bottle as his response to you. “Now we’re fair.”

Second bottle.

Jaehyun was unusually quiet and serious, just looking down at his bottle and swirling the alcohol in it around. Looking at his phone from time to time and overall just avoiding your gaze. You were worried about him.

Third bottle.

Jaehyun was starting to get giggly and laughing for no reason. You felt relieved for a few moments until you realized that his laughs and smiles weren’t genuine like before. There were sadness and bitterness in them that you couldn’t exactly point out.

Fourth bottle.

He was showing a mixture of dramatic and silly and you were very weirded out by what you were seeing. He was laughing one second and then sobbing the next.

“Jae, maybe now is not a good time. We can disregard this night and just start again tomorrow. Let’s go home?”

“No! I wanna defeat you.” He protested while stomping his legs repeatedly like a child.

“Oh my god, Jeong Jaehyun. I swear to god.” You placed your bottle down with a thud.

The both of you just looked at each other with polarizing expressions. You looked exasperated and he was starting to smile flirtatiously.

“You know,” He began as he leaned on the table, studying your face more closely. “You’re actually pretty. Really beautiful, if I do say so myself.”

You were pretty sure your breath hitched and your heartbeat started to race as you looked away, unsure of what to say.

“Oooh, you’re turning red!” Jaehyun teased you, pointing his finger at you as he laughed heartily.

“Shut up, Jaehyun. It’s the alcohol, not you and your stupid cheesy words.”

“Whatever, Y/N. What you say doesn’t matter… because…” He said in between hiccups.

“Because what?”

“Because all I know is that I really like you.” He continued, looking at you with serious yet sleepy eyes.

“You don’t know what you’re saying.” You shook your head.

“No, honey. I actually do.” He said with a bitter smile. “All this time, I thought I was just spending time with you because I wanted to defeat you. But along the way I realized that I genuinely enjoy your presence. When we’re not together, I miss you so bad. I always think of you. I want to text you and invite you to hang out without getting drunk and just spend the day sober, doing normal things. But... but I was afraid. I am afraid.”

You looked at him as tears threaten to fall from your eyes. Is this the reason he’s been acting strange the whole night? You asked yourself.

“Well, congratulations. You finally won, Jaehyun. You have defeated me in this game of yours.”

“What? What are you talking about? We’re not yet… done.” He said right before he passed out.

That’s when you finally let the tears fall. You didn’t know why but seeing Jaehyun so hurt and sad broke your heart.

“Hey. Pick up your passed-out friend here at the bar. I asked the bartender to watch over him until you arrive. I’m going home now.” You told Yuta as you looked at Jaehyun sleeping soundly.

“Wait! Why are you in such a hurry? Wait for me there and I’ll drive you home too.”

“No need. I’m fine. And also…”

“Also?”

“This is the last time I’m doing this with him.”

“Doing what? The drinking showdown?”

“Yes. This is the last time, no more next.”

“Woah, that’s surprising. But why?” Yuta asked as you heard his car starting up in the background.

“Nothing. I just don’t find it fun anymore. I’m tired. I’ll be hanging up now. Bye.” You ended the call even before Yuta could say anything in reply.

You hesitated to bring yourself closer to Jaehyun but you realized that this might be the only chance you’d ever get to look at him so closely. You laid down your head next to his, your noses almost touching and you could feel his hot breath hitting your lips. You stayed in that position for a few seconds before you ruffled his soft dark brown hair. You loved the smell of his shampoo.

You bid goodbye to the bartender and reminded him about Jaehyun. This bartender, Yukhei, became your and Jaehyun’s acquaintance due to the frequent visits at the bar.

10:34 AM

"Good morning, Y/N. I lost to you again last night. As usual, I was gonna challenge you again. But Yuta told me just now that you don't want to do it anymore? He said you no longer find it fun. May I know why?"

2:15 PM

"Hey, Y/N. Did I do or say something inappropriate last night? Please tell me. I want to apologize properly :("

4:48 PM

"Looks like I really did something you didn't like. I'm sorry. But please tell me what exactly happened. My memory always betrays me the day after I get wasted. You know that. Really hoping to hear from you."

You didn't reply to any of those messages because you had no idea what to say. Obviously, Jaehyun wasn't aware of the fact that he confessed to you and you decided that it's better to stay that way. Telling him about it would just embarrass him and make things awkward between the two of you. Or worse, he might completely deny everything. 

While you laid down on your bed looking up at the ceiling with these thoughts in your head, Jaehyun couldn't stay still in the dorm, never letting go of his phone as he waited for at least one reply from you.

"Jeez, Jaehyun. You're making me dizzy. Can you sit down for a while?" Doyoung asked irritatingly.

"She's not replying. What the fuck did I do last night?" Jaehyun let out a deep and loud sigh.

"Who knows? We weren't there, were we?"

"Yuta, is that really everything she said? 'It's not fun anymore'?" 

"Yeah, that's all."

"How did she sound like? Was she mad or anything?"

"Hmm, no. She wasn't mad. She sounded.. tired and.. a bit sad." Yuta rubbed his chin with his thumb as he tried to remember his call with you.

"What if you accidentally confessed to her?" Mark innocently asked before filling his mouth with potato chips.

"Accidentally what? Confessed?" Jaehyun squinted his eyes at the boy.

"Y-yeah. Confessed."

"And what will I confess to her?" The taller boy defensively asked as he approached Mark.

"That you like her, duh?" Winwin said, playing on his phone.

"W-what? Excuse me? I do not like her."

The rest of the boys snorted in response.

"Wow you guys. You don't believe me?" Jaehyun asked with wide eyes and scrunched brows, obviously taking full offense.

"Okay, listen. First, you are so worried about her not wanting to drink with you anymore and not replying to you. Second, you called all of us here in your room to ask us for advice. Those pretty much confirm our theory that yes, you do like her, Jae." Johnny declared.

The other boys nodded their heads in unison and Jaehyun's face and ears were red as tomato.

"I think you should just talk to her in person on Monday." Taeyong suggested, realizing that the discussion must be ended soon for Jaehyun's sanity.

"Yeah, I agree." Mark replied.

"There's nothing wrong if you like her. But you should act fast or I will." Doyoung wiggled his eyebrows.

"Oh, so you like her now too? Sorry but I won't allow you to make a move." Jaehyun smirked at him.

"There goes our third confirmation." Taeil said before sipping his tea.

"You're not yet her boyfriend but you're already possessive." Mark said, shaking his head.

"Nah, Jae. I was just playing with ya and you fell for it." Doyoung was laughing hysterically.

Realizing what just happened, Jaehyun couldn't help but let out a loud groan of defeat.

You always dreaded Mondays but you dreaded this particular Monday even more. You've been so cautious about your surroundings and deliberately moved faster, hoping that you wouldn't bump into Jaehyun. 

But it's Jeong Jaehyun you're avoiding, the most determined and persistent guy you've ever known. So of course, any attempt was futile.

"Y/N. Y/N!" You heard him calling from a far but you didn't look at him. His running footsteps were getting louder and closer and you mentally gave up.

"Hey, good morning." He said as he was catching his breath.

"Morning." You replied, focused on the ground.

"Uhm, so... Did, did you get my texts last Saturday?" The dreaded question.

"Y-you texted?" You pretended.

"Yeah! Several times. You didn't get any of them?" 

"No, I don't think so. I was on digital detox the whole weekend so I turned on my phone's airplane mode." You tried so hard to sound normal so he wouldn't catch you lying.

"Oh, digital detox. Yeah, I've heard people have been doing that lately. That's.. that's great."

You didn't respond and so he continued.

"So I texted you because Yuta said you didn't.." His voice faltered and you swallowed hard. "He said you didn't want to drink with me anymore?" You felt his eyes focused on you and it made your whole being jittery inside.

"Y-yes. I said that."

"Because it's no longer fun?"

"Yep." You never thought that your classroom was this far from the main gate. You wanted nothing more but for it to suddenly appear so you would have an excuse to end this awkward conversation with Jaehyun.

"May I know why?" Jaehyun asked, putting himself right in front of you, stopping you from walking any further. For the first time that day, you looked him in the eye, causing you to stop breathing for a second. His eyes are full of worry and you never saw him this sad before. Was he really this affected by your decision?

"No special reason. I just.. don't enjoy it anymore. As simple as that."

"But why? You kept on winning against me."

"Maybe because winning is not everything, Jae."

Jaehyun was left speechless for a short while before he continued, "Did I do or say anything that offended you? I'm sorry-"

"Don't worry, you didn't. As I said, no special reason." 

"Okay. Well, we can do other things. Things that are fun for you. What do you want to do? We don't have to drink anymore, if that's what you really want." He asked, a glint of hope in his eyes. A hope that you weren't sure if you're ready to entertain.

"I..." You began as Jaehyun anticipated your full reply.

"I'm already five minutes late, Jaehyun." You stated with a tight smile and you saw his face turn from hopeful to disappointed. 

He slowly moved out of your way and you ran to your classroom quickly, with him watching your back from a far.

You had a hard time focusing on your classes for the rest of the day, extremely guilty that you have hurt him. You were on your way to meet with Seulgi at the main gate before going home when you saw Jaehyun again. This time, he was sat on one of the benches. You saw him looking at you and he just gave you a slight smile before turning back to Mark who was chatting passionately. It didn't look like he was going to talk to you again about the same topic. He must have accepted your reason and moved on, you thought to yourself.

It was Saturday night and Jaehyun is back at the bar with the other boys. 

"I have no intention of passing out, thank you. One bottle is enough." Jaehyun announced after they settled in.

"You're no fun." Yuta replied before the others started booing Jaehyun. But the latter didn't change his mind.

While the other boys were having fun drinking, dancing, or fooling around with girls they just met, Jaehyun only took a couple of sips from his first bottle of soju.

"You look so out of it. Sorry if I forced you to come with us. Just wanted to help in taking your mind off things." Yuta comforted Jaehyun.

"Oh, no it's fine. Thank you. It's just.. this was the place where Y/N and I had our last drink exactly a week ago. I wonder what really happened. She wouldn't tell me. Or maybe I'm just overthinking."

"Jaehyun, Yuta! What's up?" Yukhei called out as he began his shift for the night.

"Hey, Yukhei. We're good. You?"

"Great. By the way, Jae. How did Y/N respond to your confession? Been curious about it the entire week!" Yukhei excitedly inquired as he started working on a drink requested by a customer.

Both Yuta and Jaehyun looked at him, very confused. "What did you say? What confession?" Jaehyun asked.

"The confession last week. Oh yeah, you were already drunk that time. No wonder you forgot about it. You even passed out a few minutes later. But dude, I gotta be honest. That was so sweet! Didn't know you had that romantic side." 

Jaehyun's heartbeat gradually got louder and faster as he realized what Yukhei was talking about. 

"So I actually confessed to her?" He asked Yuta with wide eyes.

"Looks like Mark's guess was right."

"I need to talk to her." Jaehyun said as he ran out of the club, so quickly that Yuta didn't even manage to say anything.

Jaehyun drove to your house and in thirty minutes, he was already slamming your doorbell button.

"Jaehyun?" You asked, surprised to see him on your doorstep on a Saturday night. "What are you doing here?" 

"You told me I didn't say anything that night." He replied, face and ears beet red. You didn't know if he was mad or whatever.

"What?"

"I asked you, remember? I asked if I said anything inappropriate or something you didn't like that night."

"Are you still on about that? I thought we're already done-"

"No. We're not yet done." Jaehyun's aura was so strong that you were starting to get a bit scared and intimidated. 

"I honestly don't know what you're talking about, Jaehyun."

"Yukhei said I confessed to you while I was drunk last week."

You couldn't help but widen your eyes and open your mouth in shock. You had no idea that Yukhei heard everything.

"So it's true, huh?" Jaehyun scoffed before rubbing his face with his hands. This was what you were avoiding, seeing him extremely embarrassed. 

"That's the reason why you suddenly decided to stop drinking with me, am I right? Why you started avoiding me. Why didn't you tell me about it? I already asked you what happened that night so I can apologize." Exhaustion and frustration were apparent in his eyes and voice.

"And I already told you not to worry about it because you did not say anything that ticked me off. You don't have to apologize for anything!"

"Then why did you suddenly act like I'm the worst person to be with?! No calls, no texts. Just pure avoidance and you didn't even have the guts to tell me face-to-face that you didn't want to drink with me anymore because it's no longer fun for you. Why? You think I won't be able to handle that? If you don't like me back, you can just tell me. Instead of acting like we never knew each other."

Listening to his tone and words made you realize how much you have hurt him, which was totally unintentional on your part. 

"Y/N, don't cry. I'm.. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you. Oh my god, I'm so sorry." Jaehyun hesitantly reached for your arms to caress them.

"I'm not ready." You said and Jaehyun just squinted his eyes and scrunched his brows in confusion.

"I'm not ready for feelings. I got hurt last summer and so now I'm scared."

"To get hurt again?" You nodded.

"But I won't hurt you. I'm not like that bastard. I'll even help you forget."

"By what? Drinking the night away? Jaehyun, please-"

"No. Like I told you before, we don't have to drink ever again and I'm totally fine with that. We can do other things that you want to try or things that you already enjoy doing. Watching movies, cooking together, visiting coffee shops, reading books, whatever you want. Just tell me and I'll join you so we can do it together. Please, just let me spend time with you. Let's do something where I'm not gonna pass out." He said the last sentence with a chuckle, an attempt to make you smile even just a bit.

"You deserve someone better." You said with a bitter smile because in your head, that's what you believed to be true. Even though it was painful for your heart.

"But all I want is you."

"No, Jae. You deserve someone who's not scared, someone who's willing to love you and be with you right here, right now."

"But I can wait. I will wait until you're ready."

 "Jae-"

"I promise!" 

You looked at Jaehyun and given that you knew how stubborn he was, you were certain he wasn't going to back down in any way.

"Fine. But I'm not gonna blame you if you end up leaving. I'll understand."

"Honey, I know you underestimate me when it comes to drinking. But I'm telling you, you shouldn't underestimate my feelings."

You and Jaehyun spent the last few months of the semester still a bit distant from each other but in better terms. Now that he confessed his real feelings and you admitted your fear, things have become clearer and you knew how to treat each other better. 

He constantly exerted efforts to let you know that he still likes you and he's still waiting, but he also made sure to give you some space so you wouldn't feel pressured. He sent you flowers every two weeks with some chocolates and sweet messages and even though the two of you were not seen physically together, you always texted to see how each other was doing or just to talk about anything. He assured you that you would always have him, whether as just a friend or something more. He made you feel at ease and the jokes he sent through texts always seemed to erase all the exhaustion from your stressful days. Jaehyun was always the last person you text at night before sleeping.

While finals week was approaching and everyone was busy studying and working on projects and papers, Jaehyun was at the rooftop waiting for Yuta.

"Where's he? He's fifteen minutes late already, damn it." Jaehyun asked himself as he looked at his watch.

The door slowly opened and Jaehyun stood up ready to complain to Yuta when he saw you instead of the Japanese boy.

"H-hey, Y/N." He greeted you with wide eyes and rosy cheeks.

"Hey." You replied with a smile as you walked to him. 

Jaehyun seemed so speechless so you decided to continue, "You're alone?"

"Y-yes. Actually, I'm waiting for Yuta. He asked me to tutor him for Chemistry. But as you can see, he's late." Jaehyun stuttered as the two of you walked to his original spot and sat down.

"Hmm.. actually he's not coming."

"What? Oh.. okay. So did he ask you to come here to tell me that?"

"No. It's the other way around. I asked him to tell you to come here so I could meet you. I wanted to surprise you."

Jaehyun just looked at you with mouth slightly open.

"I'm sorry I know that sounded confusing!" You said in embarrassment as you fanned yourself, feeling your cheeks burning up.

"Don't worry, I got you." He laughed.  "This feels a bit... weird. Don't you think?" He continued.

"What feels a bit weird?"

"This." He replied as he pointed to the two of you. "It's been a while since we actually spent time together like this. We text every day and night but we haven't been with each other, right?" 

"Oh, yes. You're right." Your heartbeat started to go faster as you realized that you were in Jaehyun's presence again, that he was right next to you and you were only three inches apart.

"But I like it." He continued. You quickly looked at him and you saw his dimples that you missed so much. 

"It feels weird but I like it. I missed you so much, Y/N. No amount of texting can replace being with you." 

You looked away and shook your head after hearing his words because you literally couldn't take his sweetness and cheesiness. "Still as cheesy as ever, Jeong Jaehyun."

"But I mean it." He said with a pout.

"I know. Here, I have a gift for you." You said as you brought out a bottle of soju and placed it in his hands.

"Woah, darling. You're the one challenging me now?" 

"Oh, this is not a challenge. I only bought one for each of us." You showed him your own bottle. "It's not a challenge, but a celebration."

"Celebration? For what?" He asked as you opened both your bottles.

"Because I'm saying yes." You smiled warmly at him.

"Yes?"

"Yep." Jaehyun just squinted his eyes in response.

"You know Jaehyun, you're smart and competitive as hell, but you're real slow sometimes." You rolled your eyes.

"I'm sorry..."

"I'm saying yes to you, Jae." 

You said and the two of you shared a moment of silence as you waited for Jaehyun's reaction. When you saw his eyes lit up and his mouth about to move to say something, you quickly pressed your lips on his. You could feel that he was taken aback but in just a second, you felt his arms wrap around you to hold you tight.

You pulled away to catch your breath. 

"So this is what you mean by 'yes'?" Jaehyun chuckled.

"Uh-huh. That's the answer you've been waiting for, remember?" The two of you laughed for a while.

"But I'm sorry." You said.

"For what?"

"I feel like I made you wait too long. You didn't deserve it. I just didn't know how-" You started sniffling.

"Baby, don't worry about it. It's totally fine. I understand, okay?" Jaehyun said as one of his hands caressed your cheek and the other your hand.

He kissed you again before raising up his bottle, "Cheers?"

[snarkystjames]

Yay, Friendship! || St. Smythe

Date: November 30th, 2017. Night.

Location: Dalton Academy & A Nightclub.

Starring: Jesse St. James & Sebastian Smythe ( @asksmythesebastian)

Notes: Jesse and Sebastian go out for a little contest at a nightclub which ends in the beginning of a new friendship.

Warnings: underaged drinking

Jesse was looking forward to a night out with a new friend. Even if that friend was a few years younger than him, age was no issue when it came to having some harmless fun. He parked his sedan in the Dalton Academy parking lot, texting Sebastian on where he should meet him since he'd never been there before. "Hey, there you are," he greeted Sebastian once the teenager came into view. "You ready to party?"

Sebastian checked his reflection in his phone to make sure his hair was perfect before slipping it back into his pocket, coming over to Jesse. "Always." He grinned, zipping up his jacket. "Should I call a cab? I'm not really planning on drinking too much, I could always drive your car back, if you are, though."

Jesse shrugged his shoulders, unsure of how the night would play out considering it hadn't even started yet. "Get a cab; who knows how sloshed we'll get tonight." He replied, already thinking in his head what he would get to drink first.

Sebastian nodded, pulling his phone back out and ordering an Uber. "Okay, fair enough." He looked over at Jesse. "I have a boyfriend, though. So no funny business."

Jesse laughed. "Don't worry, hot shot. I have my eyes set on one girl in particular right now. But boy, do I feel sorry for the gay suitors at whatever bar we're going to." When the Uber arrived, the two got inside. "What kind of bar are we going to, anyway?"

Sebastian nodded, sliding in after Jesse and shutting the door behind them, giving the driver the name of the club. "It's more of a nightclub. Just a normal one. But it's near a gay neighborhood, so, I figured I'd still have a good chance. Either way, my looks will give me an advantage."

Jesse's expression brightened at the mention of a nightclub. He was bisexual so suitors of all shapes and sizes was more appealing than just one type of people. "Uh, but have you seen me?" With a coy grin, Jesse ran a hand through his hair before clicking his tongue and pointing a finger-pistol in Sebastian's direction. "All the guys and girls swoon for St. James."

Sebastian couldn't help but check Jesse out a little, cursing himself after he did. Damn. This might actually be a little bit of a challenge. He shrugged and rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I can speak French. It's sexy."

Jesse felt a little threatened. He didn't know this guy was bilingual-- sometimes Jesse had trouble with some English words as it were. "O-oh, yeah?" he asked, trying to put on a bravado to hide the fact that he was a little intimidated. "And what are you going to say to the guys to get them to buy you drinks?"

Sebastian moved closer, whispering in a husky voice, speaking in French. "It doesn't matter. Not when I look this good." He smirked, wetting his lips and glancing up at Jesse.

Jesse listened intently, the smooth-sounding foreign language and direct eye contact causing the older man to swallow thickly. Goddamn. He had no idea what Sebastian had just said but it was awfully attractive. "O-okay, so you have a few tricks up your sleeve. Whatever." He brushed it off and continued to play coy, crossing his arms over his chest.

Sebastian winked and sat back in his seat, satisfied. "Told you. I'm more than a pretty face. Not like it'll matter to the idiots at the club."

Jesse smirked despite the feeling of defeat washing over him for having let himself basically admit Sebastian was smooth. "Please, Ohio's full of idiots that've probably never heard a word of French in their lives. You could ask them where the bathroom was and they'll think you're flirting with them." Maybe after this Jesse would try to pick up a second language to impress Rachel.

Sebastian nodded, crossing his arms over his chest. "Exactly. It's easy. You better start making a plan, because I want to have a least a little bit of a challenge."

Jesse scoffed at Sebastian's confidence. "Oh, I think despite your French-speaking ways, it'll be more than just a challenge." When the two of them arrived at the nightclub, Jesse got out and looked up at the neon signs outside. It was a bar he didn't recognize but just glancing at the few people walking in, it seemed like a popular spot for people his age. "You know a lot of girls really love even just hanging out with a winner-- telling them I'm a four-time national champion does wonders for my game."

Sebastian rolled his eyes, following Jesse. "Oh yeah, I'm sure show choir just gets them soaked." He cut the line, going up the front and slipping the bouncer a bill, gesturing to Jesse and leading them both inside.

Jesse let Sebastian lead, raising his brows in mixed surprise and approval as they cut the line to get straight into the club. "In a podunk state like Ohio, you'd be surprised," he replied, heading straight to the bar. "I need a drink in me before we start this little contest." He waved the bartender down and ordered himself a shot. "You want something? First round's on me."

Sebastian sat beside him, raising an eyebrow. "Does that count as a point?" He shrugged, ordering a whiskey while making sexy eyes at a girl a little further down the bar.

Jesse rolled his eyes. "Nice try, but no, it doesn't." He downed the shot easily and got himself another drink before opening a tab. He noticed the way Sebastian had given a girl down the bar a look, her obviously noticing and flirting with him by giving him her own look back. "Damn, you weren't joking when you said you had game." Jesse chuckled nervously, sipping at his drink and scanning the bar for any eligible-looking suitors for the night.

Sebastian sipped his drink, patting Jesse on the shoulder and heading over in the direction of the girl. "See ya." Less than a minute later, he waved at Jesse and held up a second drink in his other hand, grinning from ear to ear.

Jesse watched as Sebastian left his side to go chat up a girl, a look of surprise painted over his face when the younger man showed off his second drink. Determined to not have Sebastian show him up, he spotted a pretty young thing sitting all by his lonesome. A quick chat and an empty glass later, Jesse found himself with his own second drink.

Sebastian didn't even bother to pretend to be interested in the girl after he got his drink, immediately moving on to the next guy, who literally sitting right next to the girl he'd just gotten a drink from.

Jesse had a vastly different approach; he wasn't as ruthless as Sebastian and instead spent at least a little time talking to the people he got drinks from. Doing so put him at a disadvantage but he just wasn't as practiced in getting free drinks in the same way Sebastian was. By the time Sebastian was on his fourth drink of the night, Jesse was still on his second, chatting up a friendly-looking girl who really liked talking about her job.

Sebastian kept a tally on his phone, only taking a couple sips from the drinks. He walked over to Jesse, holding drink number five, and sat down beside the girl he was talking to. "This is too easy. I'm bored."

Jesse had downed his second drink and the same girl he was speaking to offered to buy him another. Never one to turn down a free drink, Jesse easily agreed. "You're cheating," Jesse tried to argue with Sebastian when he rejoined him at the bar, a full drink in his hand, "Are you even drinking these?"

Sebastian raised an eyebrow, offended. "How am I cheating? It's not my fault I was born sexy." He rolled his eyes, taking another sip. "I had a little. I don't want to get drunk, I have a final in the morning."

Jesse shook his head. "Okay, so if you quit does that mean I win?" Jesse asked, taking a generous gulp from his drink. He could feel the alcohol thrumming through his body and if he was being honest he didn't really care about his and Sebastian's little contest anymore. "Whatever, I don't care-- we should just have fun," he said, pulling Sebastian in the direction of the dance floor, effectively blowing off the girl he was just with.

Sebastian was surprised when Jesse pulled him, but didn't fight it. He danced around him, shaking his head. "Never. I've never lost anything in my life. I've had to fight dirty, sure, but I refuse to lose." He shrugged. "However, in the hopes of friendship, I'd be willing to help you with Rachel, if you'll help me on my date with Blaine." He held his hand out. "A truce?"

Jesse cheered, taking Sebastian's hand into a firm handshake before slinging an arm around him. "Hell yeah! Friendship!" He exclaimed, downing the rest of his drink before he continued dancing along to the beat. "I am going to make such an awesome waiter-- just you wait and see!"

Sebastian laughed, watching Jesse. "Are you sure you've only had a couple drinks? Did you buy yourself some?"

Jesse made a noise of half-guilt and half-amusement. "Okay, you caught me; I bought myself a couple, too," he laughed. "But that's why I opened up a tab, duh!" He grooved to the music and he was just having a really good time with his new friend. "Oh, you totally have to introduce me to your boyfriend now that we're BFF's," he slurred, obviously drunk.

Sebastian eyed him, smirking. "Uh-huh. You heard about the threesome, didn't you? Because I think Sam's the only person he's comfortable doing that with, sorry pal." He patted Jesse's shoulder.

Jesse burst out laughing. "No, I didn't hear about any threesome but thanks for the heads-up," he shook his head and when he was starting to feel tuckered out from dancing his ass off, he led Sebastian back to the bar to get another round of drinks. "Y'know, Vocal Adrenaline would be lucky to have a guy like you and your boyfriend on the team. You don't have to wear your silly schoolboy uniforms when you sing and dance, too-- we have cool costumes."

Sebastian sat down beside Jesse, ordering himself a Sprite and shaking his head. "I appreciate the offer, but I don't think so. I'd rather drown myself than go to public school."

Jesse shrugged then, deciding not to press any further. It would be more fun to have Sebastian as competition, anyway. "Yeah, well, that public school kicked everyone's ass when I was the lead singer," he clinked glasses with Sebastian before taking a sip of his new drink. "But I'll admit-- if your singing is as good as your flirting, then maybe I should be a little worried." Being drunk seemed to have put Jesse's vocal filter out of commission because those were words he wouldn't say otherwise.

Sebastian smiled at him. "Thanks. It is. I don't half ass anything I do. But Blaine is better than me, at singing at least. My dance skills are better, though." He patted Jesse's hand. "I turned you on before, with the French, didn't I? At least a little bit?" He squinted at him, trying to read his face.

Jesse listened as Sebastian described his and Blaine's skills and thought to himself that he would re-watch some of Dalton's competitions now that he knew who he was looking out for. He shrugged again, unable to deny or even pretend being turned on because he was so drunk. "Yeah, the French was pretty attractive," he admitted begrudgingly. "Maybe you can teach me a few phrases so I can improve my game."

Sebastian smirked, taking a sip of his drink. "Knew it." He laughed softly. "God, it's so tempting to teach you embarrassing shit just to watch you make an ass out of yourself, but I'll refrain, for the sake of friendship."

Jesse laughed along with Sebastian, albeit a little louder than the other because he was drunk. "Just teach me the good stuff and I'll teach you shit that I know; I mean, I'm not a private school scholar and I'm not bilingual but who knows? Maybe one day you'll have a show choir-related emergency and then it's 'Show Choir Whisperer' Jesse St. James to the rescue!"

Sebastian slid back off the bar stool, holding his hand out for Jesse to help him up. "You'd give me advice? Wouldn't that be like, a betrayal of your team?"

Jesse quickly took his hand to help Sebastian balance himself, his other hand grabbing onto the bar. "I dunno," he slurred, shrugging. "It's not like I'd be giving you my team's set list or divulging their weaknesses-- our biggest of which is funk, by the way-- but a few pointers and advice wouldn't hurt."

Sebastian furrowed his eyebrows, leading Jesse back over to the dance floor. "Funk? What the hell does that even mean?" He noticed an objectively cute girl checking Jesse out. "Hey. Someone's looking at you. Or me. But probably you. Why don't you go dance with her?"

Jesse didn't know what Sebastian asked but was aware that he was being led back to the dance floor. "Funk is music," he answered, unaware it was an incomplete explanation. When Sebastian pointed out the girl across the way, he quirked an eyebrow and she gave him a flirty look. "Yeah? You think I should?" He asked, puffing his chest out a little and regaining his confidence.

Sebastian was still confused, but let it slide, figuring it was just drunk chatter. "Yeah, sure. Why not? I'll just be over there." He pointed to a group of tables on the side of the room. "And sexting Blaine."

Jesse decided to follow Sebastian's advice, leaving his side to go chat up the girl. If anything, it would be good practice for when he would get back together with Rachel. With liquid courage surging through him, it only took but a few moments before the two of them were grinding against each other on the dance floor.

Sebastian sat down, keeping an eye on Jesse while he texted Blaine, chuckling under his breath. That dude was a lightweight.

After dancing and having himself another few drinks, Jesse jogged back over to where Sebastian sat. He was sweaty and his wet locks stuck to his brow. "Hey, what're you doing sitting out on the sidelines like a fuddy-duddy?" He asked, laughing with a grin spread wide across his face. He waved a napkin in Sebastian's face, showing off the fact that he'd gotten the girl's phone number. "I guess she likes me."

Sebastian shrugged, looking up at him. "I don't want to lead someone on, and be accused of being a tease." He slipped his phone back into his pocket. "Hey, good for you. And someone who actually dresses age-appropriately too, well, if not a little slutty."

Jesse shrugged right back at Sebastian, looking back out at the dance floor. "There's no harm in dancing with someone, is there? Dancing isn't sex or even a relationship. Neither is drinking." He pointed out Sebastian's soft drink and chuckled. "I don't think I'll call her; I've still got my sights set on Rachel."

Sebastian shook his head, getting a little uncomfortable. "No, I've... made that mistake in the past. You can't always tell what something will mean to someone. You might be agreeing to more than you think." He frowned, looking at him. "Why? Rachel's taken, and that girl is cute. Even I can see that. And it looked like you were having a nice time dancing with her."

Jesse sat down next to Sebastian, trying his best to read the other's body language despite being drunk. "What mistake? You dance with someone who expected something more?" He asked, having a difficult time understanding what the other man was getting at. "And yeah, the girl was cute but she's no Rachel Berry. I'm not looking for just fun; I want Rachel."

Sebastian shook his head again. "Forget it." He picked up his glass, moving it between his hands. "I don't know why you would, but I agreed to help you, so... what do you need me to do? You should be aware that she hates me, so I'm really not sure how much help I can be in this whole situation."

Jesse didn't press the serious conversation, not wanting to overstep his boundaries in his brand-new friendship with the Warbler. "I don't know, do you have any dirt on that boyfriend of hers? You're both on the same team, right?"

Sebastian scoffed, raising an eyebrow at him. "You could say that." He took a sip of his Sprite. "Only sort of, he's bi, like you, not full on gay."

Jesse furrowed his brow. "That's not exactly dirt. I meant like, how do I get under his skin and show Rachel that he's not someone she should be with?"

Sebastian sighed. "I don't know. I don't really... feel right about this. We're trying to move on from all that drama, and I'm tired of it. His dick was mediocre anyway, it wasn't worth all that." Sebastian's eyes widened at his slip of the tongue, quickly taking a drink to try and stop more words from coming out, hoping Jesse hadn't caught that last bit, or would at least be too drunk to remember it later.

Jesse blinked, unsure of what he had just heard. "Wait, wait, wait-- what?" He asked, holding his index finger up. "Did you just say his dick was mediocre? How do-- Did you and Rachel's boyfriend--" The end of his question dangled, almost as if he was too surprised to finish his sentence. "Now see, this is dirt," he laughed, pointing at Sebastian. "Wait, is this why you and Rachel hate each other? Did she steal him from you or something?"

Sebastian sighed, dragging his hands down his face. "I blew him. Once. Okay? That's it. Don't... please don't bring it up. It was before they got together. She didn't steal him from me. I was with my boyfriend by then. She hates me because I'm a fucking asshole who clearly can't keep his mouth shut." He grabbed Jesse's hands, pleading with him. "Please. Just... pretend I didn't tell you.”

Jesse could see that Sebastian was practically begging him not to talk about this. "Okay, okay, relax, man," he chuckled to let him know everything was okay and there was no need to worry. "I won't tell anyone about it." Even if he wasn't going to repeat this information, it was still valuable and maybe he could use it to his advantage somewhere down the line. He pulled his hands out from Sebastian's hold and patted him on the back. "Seriously, I promise I won't tell anyone."

Sebastian nodded, not entirely sure if he could trust him, but relaxing a little. "I... need a cigarette. I'll be back in a minute." He quickly went out a side door, pulling his jacket tighter around him.

Jesse frowned at the soured moment between the two of them, watching him leave through the side door for a smoke. After downing the rest of his drink, Jesse followed after Sebastian and shivered at the cold biting wind that hit him as he stepped outside. "Shit, it's cold out here," he chuckled softly, shoving his hands into his pockets as he stood there with Sebastian. "Hey, I was serious when I said I wouldn't tell anyone. Hell, I don't even remember what we were talking about." He reassured him, playing along with pretending as if Sebastian hadn't told him anything.

Sebastian looked over, pursing his lips together and letting smoke blow through them. "Thanks. It's just... I caused a lot of drama by doing... that... and... it really... it was really hard on Blaine. Like, I thought he was going to have a nervous breakdown, or something. He was getting attacked by all these people he thought were his friends, and I don't want to see him that upset ever again."

Jesse listened as best he could, nodding along as Sebastian spoke. He could relate, knowing that dealing with drama was never easy for someone who was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. "Okay, so like I said, we'll keep the fact that I know about you and Hunter between us." Jesse assured him again. "We don't want Blaine to be upset, right?" He offered Sebastian a small smile.

Sebastian nodded, leaning back against the side of the building. "Great. Yeah. Thanks." He put out the cigarette and zipped his jacket up. "Are you ready to go? You can crash on the floor in my room if you want." He paused, looking at him. "Wait. You're an adult."

Jesse cocked his head to the side at Sebastian's statement. "Yeah, I am. Did me using my real ID to get into the club not make that fact obvious? So what of it?" He pulled out his phone to check the time and when the digits looked blurry to him, he chuckled. "I'm definitely not good to drive home just yet..."

Sebastian rolled his eyes. "I just meant that you probably have your own place." He shrugged. "That's why we took a cab, remember? I can just have them drop you off at your place, and then you can come pick up your car tomorrow. Unless you wanted to stay, but..." He shrugged again. "I'm not really in the clubbing mood right now."

Jesse nodded. "Yup, got my own little apartment in little ol' Akron, Ohio," he sighed, looking back over his shoulder, towards the bar. "Why don't you go on ahead without me? You've probably got to study for your big final tomorrow, right?" He said, "I'm not an idiot so I won't drive drunk; you don't have to worry about me."

Sebastian bit his lip. "Are you sure? I don't feel right, leaving you in this condition." He eyed Jesse closely. "I mean, I guess you're like, a grown man, or whatever, but still..."

Jesse laughed off Sebastian's comment and shook his head. "Hey, c'mon. I'm twenty-one. This isn't my first time in a nightclub and I'm a big boy; I can take care of myself." He assured the younger man, "I'll even stop drinking so by the time I take a cab back to Dalton, I'll be okay to drive."

Sebastian nodded, pulling out his phone and ordering a car. "Okay. Go... seal the deal with that chick. Take your mind off of other people. And text me, when you get home."

Jesse nodded back at his new friend with a wide smile. "Yeah, yeah. I'll text you, Dad." He teased, though truly he was grateful to find someone who actually cared about his well-being. "And let me know when you and Blaine are doing your little date so I can throw together a kickass waiter outfit."

Sebastian smiled a little, pointing at Jesse, the way Cooper had taught him. "Hey. Only Blaine is allowed to call me that." He nodded, slipping his hands into his pockets to warm them. "I think Sunday, maybe? It's our one month anniversary of officially being boyfriends, or whatever."

Jesse scrunched his brows together in a semi-confused expression and then un-scrunched them when he realized what Sebastian was talking about. "Kinky, dude." He laughed, but then nodded. "Cool, I'll keep Sunday open and just let me know where and what time. I'll show up."

Sebastian winked at him. "Probably around six, at my parents' place. You're cool with getting like... kicked out right after dinner, right? Or maybe even earlier?"

Jesse shrugged but then nodded. "Yeah, whatever. I'm just doing it for you to get all romantic with your boyfriend and inevitably score, right? Just kick me out whenever you don't need me anymore."

Sebastian smirked. "I don't exactly need to get romantic with him to score. It's more about doing something nice for him. He deserves it. However, if me doing something nice leads to me fucking him on the kitchen table, it might be a little awkward if you're still there."

Jesse waved a hand in front of him, "Okay, whoa, whoa, I don't need the specifics," he chuckled. "Just text me the address to your folks' place and I'll be there-- maybe text me the time too in case I forget. And when you need me to leave, just say the word and I'm out of your hair so you can bone your boyfriend."

Sebastian grinned and nodded at him as his Uber pulled up. "Sounds like a plan. I'll see you then. And uh... for the record? You can do better than Rachel."

"Alright, duly noted." Jesse frowned when Sebastian suggested he go after someone other than Rachel but waved goodbye anyway before heading back into the bar, looking forward to spending the rest of the night with whoever would grace his company.