*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧—chapter fourteen: i only have two real friends and lately, i'm a nervous wreck
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
NICO WOULD RATHER THROW HIMSELF OFF A CLIFF THAN WALK AROUND A CROWDED AIRPORT IN FRANCE. Specifically when that airport is Nice Côte d'Azur Airport, one of the most busiest in the entire country. And it also serves Monaco, which is why he and Lewis are here in the first place.
It's winter break. They don't have anything to do, really. At least, not right now. Nico's father had paid for Lewis' flight from London to Nice, France. Then Nico and Lewis met up outside the airport, and now they're walking around trying to find Poe. Poe would be spending the next two weeks in Monaco with them before flying back to America, so the trio would have to make the best of those two weeks. That also includes having to celebrate Christmas, New Year's, andLewis' birthday. All events they have planned out already. They always pre-planned those two weeks.
Lewis has a tight grip on Nico's hand as he leads him past several different groups of people either walking around or just idling about. They had stopped earlier for some coffee and a quick bite to eat before going to actively search for Poe, the Monégasque being at some gate that Nico hadn't remembered from the message he had sent him on the phone. But Lewis had remembered and was dragging him along.
Fortunately for them—because Nico is starting to get tired of all this walking—, Poe finds them first. The biggest grin appears on Nico's face upon catching sight of the brunet. Poe's wearing a simple outfit: a cream-colored cable knit sweater and a pair of brown corduroys. There's a pair of sunglasses resting on the tip of his nose that he peers over to look at them, a grin plastered on his face, before he pulls them up to rest atop his head.
"Poe!" Nico exclaims as he throws his arms around him. The force had offset Poe's balance slightly and he would have fallen over had he not been leaning against a wall. "I missed you so, so much."
"Tu m'as manqué aussi, mon amour," Poe says, pulling Nico in for a kiss. He glances up at Lewis as he pulls away, his grin becoming impossibly wider. "Hi, Lew."
"Hey." Lewis flashes him a smile. "How was the flight?"
"Horrible. I would've been here earlier but the flight kept getting delayed," Poe explains as the three of them start heading toward the exit and making their way out of the terminal. "But, it was worth it now since I'm here and the three of us get to spend the next two weeks together. Back in Monaco."
Lewis grins. "Back home, right where you wanna be."
"With his two favorite people, of course," Nico adds, slipping his hand into Poe's as they walk, his head resting on his shoulder.
"Yes, of course," Poe replies, nodding in agreement. "I don't think I would know what to do without you guys."
✧ ✧ ✧
If Nico could always go to a Christmas party, he would. If Christmas was every day of the year, that would be even better. Christmas parties in Monaco were one of his favorite events. There's just always something that makes attending them worth it every time. Especially this year, at a local club. Nico's not sure if it's the hustle and bustle of the partygoers, the scent of different alcoholic beverages mixing with the strong scent of cologne and perfume—that alone is intoxicating—, or the fact that he's there with Poe and Lewis. It could just be that, though: the fact that he's not alone and that he's having one of the best times of his life.
Except for this time.
He's sitting in a stool directly beside Poe at the bar. Monégasque is downing shots of something—Nico can't tell what it is, but based on the scent alone, it's very strong, probably tequila or whiskey—, and then proceeds to order a Boulevardier. Nico is drinking something non-alcoholic. A Shirley temple.
"What the fuck are you doing?" Nico questions, having to shout a bit over the speakers blasting music towards the back of the club.
"Nothing! Just having..." Poe trails off, picking up the shot glass that the bartender just refilled, and downing whatever's in it before setting it back down, grinning at him as he leans against the counter. "... fun, what about you?"
Nico winces. That was right in his ear. He notices now that Poe is sitting a bit to close to him, and when he meets his eyes, he can't help but be concerned as he observes him. Poe looks a complete mess. The scent of alcoholic is strong. His face is flushed and he's sweating. He looks completely out of it, he's not exactly making eye contact with Nico, he looks tired, and his words are slurred.
"Poe." Nico stares at him, a look of disbelief on his face. "You don't like alcohol, remember? What's going on?"
"What's a party without drinks?" Poe says with a shrug and the bartender slides him the glass. He grabs it and takes a sip of the drink. "If the— If the opportunity is there, I'm gonna take it."
"No. No, you don't. You never— I'm taking you home. Let's go," Nico replies, fishing a hundred Euro note from his pocket and handing it over to the bartender as he climbs off the stool and has a firm grip on Poe's arm as he leads him away from the bar. "We just need to find Lewis."
"You coulda let me finish my drink first..." Poe frowns, resting his head on the blond's shoulder as they walk. Nico has his other arm around his waist, keeping him steady as he couldn't even walk in a straight line. "You know I love you... very, very much."
You're also very drunk right now, Nico thinks, giving him a tight-lipped smile. "I know you do. I love you, too."
Finding Lewis had been a bit of a challenge. He hadn't been anywhere in the main parts of the club, which Poe had pointed out as the two of them searched everywhere. Nico eventually found the Brit in the bathroom, retching into the toilet of one of the stalls.
"Probably shouldn't have drank so much..." Lewis says as he stumbles out of the bathroom, meeting his two friends right outside the door.
"Yeah, I can tell." Nico sighs with a shake of his head as he gestures to Poe. "At least you're not like this idiot."
"I'm no idiot," Poe mumbles, his eyes fluttering closed, resting his head on Nico's shoulder again.
"Of course," Lewis snorts.
author's note poe, you are, in fact, an idiot. you're welcome 💀😭
this chapter was originally supposed to be twice as long (i was gonna include a new year's scene and lewis' birthday) but once again writer's block has taken over, i fear. and i really wanted to get an update posted
