The knocking finally stopped. Elliott had half the mind to think that Cian finally gave up and left. The thought truly didn't comfort him as much as he thought it did, as he buried his face further into his pillows.

But then, he heard his ARCANINE growl, felt his sheets shift as his HOUNDOOM and NINETALES sat up.

Someone was here. And hearing his voice confirmed that Cian got in.

"The fuck... how'd you get in?" he croaked, giving away his location if his growling Pokemon hadn't already.

CIAN MAHER

☉

"hello, dogs."

he stares at the three canines with caution as he approaches, stopping a bit away just in case.

"have you been talking shit about me to them? it's the only reason i can think of as to why they might be GROWLING at me."

Elliott Jenkins

☉

If stares could kill, Eli's and his Pokemon's would be stabbing Cian to death right now. His ARCANINE was especially intimidating, fur fluffed as he came to sit at the door as though he was guarding it.

Almost like he trapped Cian in the room.

"You deserve it," he said with a harsh tone, turning his back to him.

CIAN MAHER

☉

"i do?"

probably. he's done many bad things in his life even if he doesn't realize it. this is likely another one of them.

"the fuck did i do, eli? i was literally just having a drink with a friend."

which explains why he's still tipsy as he lingers by the doorway.

Elliott Jenkins

☉

He didn't understand why he hadn't thrown him out yet. Why he didn't tell Cian to leave. Eli couldn't handle it right now. He wanted to sulk in his misery and self-pity, not be reminded that these things existed.

These... feelings, or whatever.

He hated this more than anything in the world. It was why he never allowed himself to get attached. He didn't do anything with anyone. And CIAN MAHER ruined it.

"Yeah? A friend? That you were going to take home with you and do fuck all with like you do everyone else?"

Elliott sat up, his eyes trying to focus in a harsh glare but perhaps coming off more as an injured boy.

CIAN MAHER

☉

"uh, yeah?"

in his drunken state of mind, even if he has sobered up a little, he remains tipsy enough to not realize the reasonings behind eli's anger and annoyance.

"i mean that's what i do! that's what i've always done. why is it any different now?"

Elliott Jenkins

☉

If Cian was going to act this way, why the hell did he come here? What the fuck was the point? Eli seethed, his blood cold as he felt his heart pounding in his chest.

Tossing his covers off of him, his hounds scattered, leaping from the bed as he stood up, striding over, and shoving Cian by his shoulders.

"You're a fucking idiot. I can't..."

But instead of initiating a fight or verbally lashing into him, something led Eli to lean in. He kissed him, though definitely not gently, and all too angrily.

CIAN MAHER

☉

cian doesn't raise his arms to defend himself even if he maybe should've. he's shoved by his shoulders, forced to take a step back to stop himself from falling over. but as he leans forward, he's met with a kiss.

it's angry, passionate, some might say, and he returns it.

"what..."

he says between breaths.

"what are you doing?"

Elliott Jenkins

☉

What was he doing. It was a good question that Elliott felt like he couldn't answer himself.

He stared at Cian, his teeth digging into his lip as he tried to figure out what to say. So he decided:

"This is it. If you want to spend the night with me again, this is your last chance to."

Because after tonight, Eli had to quit.

CIAN MAHER

☉

struggling to find logic and reason, cian is forced to raise a hand to elliott's chest. he doesn't push him away but he does push just enough to pull away from the kiss, buying him a moment to think.

"elliott..."

is this what they've become?

"look, i don't know what's going on or what you're feeling, but i think..."

come on, cian. share.

"...i think sleeping together was a mistake."

a pause.

"we're better as friends."

Elliott Jenkins

☉

Despite the honesty and despite knowing it was for the better, it didn't stop the shooting pang of insecurity and hurt that hit him hard in the chest.

Eli was emotional and high-strung. Cian was drunk. Neither of them were in a place where they should make a decision like sleeping together like this. And, maybe there was a hint of wisdom in his friend's words.

For once.

Elliott's gaze didn't reach his, focused elsewhere as he accepted his fate. He knew better. They both did. The first time shouldn't have happened, and the consecutive times shouldn't have either.

Stepping back, he turned back and sat on his bed, crossing his hands in front of him, peering down.

"How... how are we supposed to be friends like we were before, after all of this?" he asked, a genuine question from a boy who never knew or dealt with emotional feelings in his twenty-one years of living.

CIAN MAHER

☉

with distance now between them, cian breathes a sigh of relief, suddenly able to gather his thoughts a bit more clearly.

"what do you mean?"

he looks at elliott.

"it's just, like, doing everything we once did, you know? just being friends without the sex. it shouldn't be too hard."

unless...

"...unless you have feelings, i guess."

Elliott Jenkins

☉

Elliott didn't understand how things seemed to come so easily to Cian. Even with this sex and romance stuff, it was so casual and easy for him.

Why was he struggling with it so much?

"How do you do it? You make it sound like it's so easy. How do you not... think about everything that happened before? Doesn't it mess with you?"

Feelings... Eli wondered. Was that what had caused his uproar at the bar? The reason that he poured the beer all over Cian and stormed away? But why had he chased him down?

"Why did you follow me?"

CIAN MAHER

☉