Lush Life (Tradley au)

Chapter 4- Brad's POV

I wake up with a thumping head and a wish for the sunlight that's streaming in to not be quite so bright. I try to stretch out, but a slight wave of panic sweeps over me as I realise that I can't actually move. I know that I definitely didn't have sex with anyone last night, but there is someone in my bed. I look down to see a pale arm over my waist, holding me close. 

Looking up, I sigh in relief and happiness as I see that it's Tristan who I shared my bed with last night. We're both clad in boxers and t shirts, and as I look around the memories of James' party come flooding back. Him saying that he'd come back today to tidy up, Tristan asking where he should go and me telling him that he could stay with me- which obviously led to this.

He looks so peaceful, I can't quite bring myself to wake him up, so I decide to go and make myself some coffee and to call James. Whilst I'm waiting for the kettle to boil, I decide that it's probably a good idea to go and put some actual clothes on, so I head upstairs. I go back into my room, but notice that the bed is now empty.

The sound of someone retching answers my question about where Tristan went, and I quickly rush into the bathroom to find him leaning over the toilet and being sick into it. Following my instincts, I reach out to rub his back, whispering comforts to him. When he's finished emptying his stomach, he leans back against the wall, panting slightly. I hand him a cup of water.

"Thank you." he says, gratefully yet awkwardly. "I don't know where that came from. But thank you for looking after me."

I smile. "No problem, we've all been there."  He stands up slightly shakily and I reach to steady him. "Do you want some coffee? I'm making some."

"I'd love some." he says wearily. "God, why did I think getting drunk would be a good idea?"

I smile sympathetically, and soon enough we're both dressed (kind of, he's in yesterday's clothes) and sitting at the breakfast bar drinking coffee and trying to sober ourselves up. I sigh as I hear the sharp ring of the doorbell.

"Is that James?" Tristan asks.

"Presumably." I say, wandering over to the front door. It's indeed James, bearing bin bags, and weirdly enough, a mop. I offer him some coffee, which he too gratefully accepts, but he doesn't seem to be in as much of a state as me and Tristan are.

After a while, I eventually say "Right, where are we going to start. The mess won't clean itself."

"The garden?" suggests Tristan. "It's where most of the mess is, and if my mum gets back early from my aunt's, she won't see what's in the house but she can see outside."

I nod. "Good idea. My parents won't be back until the evening, so we've got a while." 

As it turns out, picking up litter and putting it in bags is really boring, so we come up with a game if who can find the weirdest item. I find a lone shoe and James finds a bra, but Tristan wins as he finds a condom whilst trying to retrieve a plate from behind the shed.

"Ewww!" shrieks James. "I'm not touching that." Despite the fact that it was him who found it and touched it in the first place, Tristan also refuses to go near it. As they're both being so childish, I have no option but to pick it up on a twig and throw it away. After an hour or two, the place is almost looking normal again. 

"I think that was a job well done." observes James, and me and Tristan nod in agreement. Part of me wants to ask Tristan about the bed sharing incident, but I don't want to in front of James so I wait until he goes to the toilet. 

"Tris, about last night..." I say nervously.

He looks up. "Yeah?"

"That was just once, right?" I ask. "I mean, it was nothing."

"Sure." he says, but I swear I see his face fall slightly. I get why though. I sort of wanted it to be something as well, not nothing.

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The cliche after party scene that literally every story ever has 😂

I need to do a chapter from Tristan's POV, it's always been Brad so far. Maybe the next one can be *muses*