𝙹𝚄𝙽𝙺𝙷𝙴𝙰𝙳༉‧₊˚. ᴄʜʀɪꜱ ᴄᴏʀɴᴇʟʟ

𝘁𝗲𝗻.

DECEMBER 31st, 1990
SEATTLE ࿐ྂ

"AM I STUPID?"

Chris asked suddenly, tuning out whatever Stone had said the moment before. His words were slightly slurred as he looked at Delia across the large living room. Stone followed his gaze to see what he was looking at.

"What?" He asked, considerably more drunk than Chris.

"She looks good man." Chris glanced back at his old friend, his thoughts all a tangle. Stone knew almost immediately who he was talking about.

"Do I think you're stupid..." he started, trailing off. "For not being with her her?" He asked, still so lost.

"No. Nah we've been friends for too long." He reasoned, mainly with himself. He didn't know what had came over him in the New Year's party. Delia looked beautiful, that much was given. The more he thought about it, the more he realized how much sense they would make. But he didn't want her that way.

All it was was slight physical attraction that was messing with his hazy mind.

"Everyone already thinks you're fucking." Stone patted his arm with a cheeky grin. "By the way!" He yelled over the music.

Chris sipped his drink, considering Stones words. "Why?"

"You gotta be joking!" He stared at him, eyebrows raised. Stones gaze went to Delia, watching her talk to various different groups of people in the room, sipping her coke. "You are stupid." He confirmed before leaving Chris' side to flirt drunkenly with a girl far out of his league.

Someone had turned on the ball drop, and the countdown to 1991 had begun. The partygoers crowded into the living room, counting down loudly.

Chris stood where he was, apart from the crowd as he sipped his beer. He looked around for Delia, spotting her as midnight struck. The crowd erupted into drunken cheering, and Chris watched almost surprised as Delia pulled Eddie in for a kiss.

It didn't last long, but Eddie was left grinning with a slight blush. Again Chris felt what he had at the party earlier in the month.

Not quite jealousy, but something close to that. Delia caught his eye and made her way to him, smiling.

"No new years kiss?" She asked, leaning close to him so he could hear her.

He shook his head no, "you got one though?"

"Yeah, he's a good kisser!" She yelled back.

"That's... great!" He replied, not sure what to say to that.

Suddenly Delia brought her hand up to his jaw, standing on her tip-toes to kiss his cheek. "Or else you'll have bad luck!" Her rum raisin stained lips left a mark on his cheek.

Chris laughed, "oh yeah?" He smiled down at her, finding his friends belief in traditions like that funny.

"Yeah!"

They talked a bit longer before Chris made his way to one of the bathrooms of the nice house, realizing he smiled when he saw Delia's kiss mark.

He stared at it a little longer before wiping it off, returning back to the party when he was done.

He saw Delia and Eddie together on one of the couches, her legs stretched over his lap as they talked. He ignored this and made his way to the kitchen, throwing back two shots of fireball.

The familiar warm burn of the alcohol went down his throat, and he chased it by taking a few sips of his beer.

To his right, standing close was an unfamiliar woman. She was pretty. Not his type, but still.

"Pour me one?" She asked, and he nodded, pouring her a shot. "Thanks."

"No problem." Chris replied, offering her a tight lipped smile as he began to leave the kitchen.

She called after him, introducing herself. "Come here with someone?"

Chris thought for a moment, rebound, rebound, rebound!

"Yeah." He paused, "I did." Mentally, he facepalmed himself.

The woman leaned against the counter, her face falling a bit. "That's too bad."

He shrugged, not too interested in a woman who didn't care if he had a girl. (A fake girl, but still.) He stood in the kitchens doorway for a few more seconds before returning to the living room.

Even though it wasn't too late yet, the party had thinned out a bit, people having caught word of a different one most likely.

Delia and Eddie were still together on the couch, and she beckoned him to join them. Chris had grown to like Eddie in the two months he'd been in Seattle, the pair becoming quick friends.

But that didn't stop his feeling of partial jealousy when he saw them together. He couldn't determine what exactly that was, so chose to ignore it as he sat beside the pair.

He talked with Eddie about Mookie Blaylocks album recording and their February tour with Alice In Chains, Delia hung onto their words, she loved any talk of their music.

Her eyes lingered on Eddie's lips, letting her mind wander to what it would be like to kiss him again, and not in a new years peck way. A real kiss.

Chris let his mind wander as well as Eddie talked, wondering why Delia didn't kiss his lips instead of his cheek. Either way he appreciated, but wouldn't have cared if she did. He didn't know why that little detail was bothering him so much, but it did.

She'd kissed Eddie but not him, who'd she known for much longer?

The answer was simple and Chris knew he was obsessing over it for no reason.

They were just friends.

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