Just One More Shot

Part

"How are you not dead yet?"

The bartender looked at the sad man in front of him with a look of both shock and sympathy. The truth is that the redhead on the other side of the bar had just downed his fifteenth shot of Appleton and he showed no signs of stopping.

His name was Valence and he obviously liked to drink. Valence raised the glass in his hand—absent of his drink of choice—and signaled for another shot. When the bartender showed signs of protest, the man slammed the glass down and fixed the other man behind the bar with a heated and somewhat disoriented gaze. The bartender could only sigh and pour the man another shot.

Smiling, Valence lifted the glass to his lips and let the bitter yet flavorful contents slip pass them and down his throat as he basked in the feeling preceding the oncoming moment he was waiting for. This was the part that he liked the most because it felt like the most amazing high. It made his eyes roll into the back of his head and his bottom lip quiver. Valence closed his eyes and just... experienced. When he opened them he was staring at himself.

His ginger hair stood out against the black leather seats of the car he was sitting in. Contrasting that was the blue-green eyes that were framed by long black lashes. A thin layer of dark stubble on his jaw was visible through the rearview mirror and he brought his hand to graze over it. He didn't have stubble before he reopened his eyes and it was a weird feeling having something that should've taken a couple days, happen in an instant.

"Why are you molesting your face right now?" a familiar voice said from beside him. Valence took in a sharp breathe, not because he was scared but because he had to steel himself; the all too familiar voice brought on a wave of emotion he wasn't ready to surf. He smiled and turned to the voice finding a smaller man sitting in the passenger seat. The man was visibly younger, and his hazel eyes held a glint of mischief as he looked at Valence. His skin was dark making his eyes pop against the chocolate planes of his face and his lips were full, highlighting the regal structure of his chin.

Valence's smile wavered for just a moment but he schooled his features before he responded, "It's a face worth molesting. I bet you want to touch too, huh?" he answered with a quirk of his brow. The man in the passenger seat rolled his eyes and gave the other a playful shove. Valence relished in the feel of the contact, it's been a little over five years since he last felt Asher touch him, he wanted to break into tears right there but he kept it together.

"Can we go now?" Asher asked him. Valence swallowed the lump he didn't realize had formed in his throat. He stared at the steering wheel and his eyes widened, he didn't want to do this. The pressure of that moment was far too real and it baffled him how only four words could change the entire atmosphere.

"How about we just skip the movie and go back inside?" Valence asked. He didn't bother to hide the desperation in his voice; he knew too well what would happen if he pulled off and followed the events of the night a second time and that had him shaking. He was only calmed when Asher placed a hand on his thigh looking up at him with concern lacing his face.

"What's wrong V?" Asher asked. Valence's body tensed at the inflection of the tone used with the nick-name. Asher must have noticed because his concerned look changed to a stern one. "V, what is going on?" he asked much firmer this time. It wasn't something that Valence could tell Asher and knowing that he couldn't change the past didn't make reliving it any easier...in fact it only made it harder.

"...Nothing, never mind."

Asher only looked at him in confusion. It was obvious that he wanted to know more, but Valence wasn't willing to tell him anything. "Ash," Valence started again, he captured Asher's attention but he kept his eyes forward. He could feel the tears welling up and he didn't want to let Asher see him, "I love you." He finished as a lone tear fell from his eye. He tried to blink it away but when he regained his vision he found himself back at the bar, the single tear still falling.