Vodka & Emotions

I

He doesn't know how long he's been driving, but he's pretty sure it's been long because he can feel the aching in his knuckles from the tight grip he has on the steering wheel.
He won't cry, he keeps convincing himself, he won't, he just won't.

A crackle of thunder startles Liam as he drives with trembling hands, and tears start to blur his vision as he silently sobs to himself.

Love? fucking bullshit.

So Liam isn't the only one crying tonight, as he hears the sounds of the rain pattering on the roof of his car.
s'nice of the sky to accompany me. he merely thought

He drives with no particular place to go, until a lit-up red neon sign on the side of the street catches his attention.
YASER'S

He turns right to a large parking lot, and parks.
"let's get wasted, then" he murmurs

As Liam steps inside the plain brick building, he's taken aback by how comfortable and homey the atmosphere inside is, he spots a few middle-aged men sitting in a booth, a few teenagers on a stool at the bar located on the far right corner from the door. He realizes this is a diner-slash-bar place, when he spots people eating on comfy booths to his left.

He makes his way to the bar and flops down on an empty stool as he props his elbow on the bar, he burries his face in his palms as he sighs.

"Vodka on the rocks, please." Liam mumbles with his head in his palms
"Anything else?" He hears a smooth voice asks
He sighs, "I don't know, emotions?"
He hears a small laugh and frowns.

He lifts his head up and his brown eyes meets a pair of golden ones, he opens his mouth to say something but nothing comes out, he closes them again, feeling like a fish out of water

"You came to the right place, then. got plenty of that here, mate." The owner of said golden eyes answers
"I- uh I- was- I'm- You- uh-" Liam stutters
It's when Liam's eyes dance across the features of the bartender, all sharp bone structures, cheekbones, jawline, nose, everything. and Liam is in awe.

He coughs and straightens himself,
"I was kidding." He says
"Course you were." The Bartender answers with a half-smile, and a wink as Liam watches the man turn around and pours a shot of vodka and adds ice to it.
"Let me guess, bad break-up?" The Bartender asks as he slides Liam's drink towards the man infront of him
"Caught her cheating." Liam states as he lifts the shot and downs it, liking the burning that he feels in his throat.
He didn't want to say it out loud, because maybe, maybe if he doesn't say it, it won't be real, but what's done is done.

"I'll keep 'em coming, then." The Bartender says with a shrug as he, again, pours Liam another shot.
Liam downs it again in one-go.

"I'm Liam, might as well tell you before I start my drunk confessions." Liam says with a small shrug.
The Bartender laughs, and Liam decides he likes the sound of it, and Liam plans on making sure the sound of it keeps filling his ears, no matter what it takes.

"I'm Zayn, nice to meet you, Leeyum."
and for the first time that night, Liam smiles.