The mixed smell of whiskey and hair gel permeated the room. A soft glow from the lamp in the corner cast shadows over the small apartment. Water rushed out of the bathroom sink, an occasional splash interrupting the constant flow. Somewhere in the apartment, a phone vibrated viciously. The music coming over the phone speaker stopped playing, but it was left alone to ring. A steady rain began to tap on the windows. It had been overcast all day. It would result in a thunderstorm for sure. The squeaky knob on the tap turned until the water shut off. Heavy footsteps echoed across the small area. Smoke filled lungs and another shot of whiskey took the edge off a bit. One cigarette, then two, then three were gone. A glance at the phone screen revealed it was after 1:30 in the morning. If he didn't leave soon, there would be no night out.
Another shot of whiskey turned into funneling more into a silver flask. With that sealed up tight and stuffed into a pocket as well as it could fit, all that was left to do was turn off the light and lock the door. Wallet and phone were stuffed into a separate pocket. He decided it might be best to grab a coat as well or he'd be walking home in freezing rain without cover. Rummaging through the washed yet unfolded clothes on the small table against the wall proved to be difficult. He almost gave up his search.
Just as a leather jacket had been pulled from the mix, a light knock rang through the tiny living space. His head perked up and his brow furrowed as he focused. It wouldn't be the first time he'd imagined things. Another light knock confirmed he wasn't crazy. Who the hell is that? At this hour? He slipped his jacket on and grabbed his pack of cigarettes off the floor before opening the door slowly.
"Shy..." The visitor's voice cracked.
Shy stood with his mouth agape as the door opened wider. Standing in front of him was a man he knew all too well, yet barely recognized in that moment. He shivered from the cold rain that soaked his clothes and hair. His hair clung to his forehead and sunken cheek. The clothes he wore stuck to his small frame, much smaller than it was just weeks before. His eyes were bloodshot and purple underneath. He was very clearly worn out.
"Oh my God..." Shy managed. "Stefon, what happened to you?" He stepped aside for the young man to enter. So many emotions racked his brain but at the moment he was entirely focused on his concern for his friend. Before Stefon said a word, he added, "Go change. I have a bunch of clean clothes on the table. Maybe a towel. Just grab something."
Stefon pried his soaked shoes off with his feet and did as he was told. He grabbed a pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt from the mix and made his way rigidly to the bathroom. Shy watched him as he kicked off his boots and removed everything from his pockets. What was one night of staying in? Another cigarette was lit as he sat down on the corner mattress and removed his jacket. A rough cough from the bathroom signaled to him that his friend was even worse off than he looked, probably from the chill. When Stefon emerged from the bathroom with a small pile of wet clothes, he was met with a large warm blanket and a half smoke cig. Shy grabbed his clothes and walked back into the bathroom. He hung them over the shower curtain rod and returned to his companion. Together they sat in silence for a while. The shivers slowly left Stefon's body. Occasionally they returned in small convulsions, but subsided as soon as they came on.
Shy took a swig of whiskey from his flask and handed it off to Stefon. He couldn't help himself as he pulled the frail man closer to him, hoping his body heat would help a bit.
"Thank you, Shy," Stefon practically whimpered.
"What happened?" Shy finally asked again.
There was a pause for a sniffle. "Seth... he kicked me out. He went through my phone and there was a mess of trouble over me calling you. Things went south really quick." The more he went on, the raspier his voice became. His wet hair brushed Shy's cheek as his head instinctively went for his open shoulder. He took another sip from the flask before handing it back to its owner.
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Everything
Fanfiction"This relationship has everything..." Stefon is finally coming out to his family, officially this time. He has sat down every important person in his life to give them the news. His brother and cousin pretty much have it all figured out, but his pa...
