Kian had to rush home after work the next night, covered in sweat and smelling like coffee. He opted to spend an extra fifteen minutes in the shower to relax his aching limbs and wash the tiredness off his body. He didn't want to overdo his appearance, but at the same time, he didn't want to look like a slob either.

After rummaging through his dresser, he finally found a half-decent pair of black jeans and a distressed charcoal gray pullover that hugged his shoulders and skimmed his collarbone. He pushed back his towel-dried wavy hair and put on the cologne he had only ever applied around his plausible dates. He could dress up okay, in case someone was taking notes.

Why was he thinking about his looks so much? He smacked himself mentally. It was just a friend catching up with another, not a date.

Thirty minutes later, Kian led Audrey through a buzzing, dark nightclub Ricardo's. A thick haze from the smoke machines globed the air, punctured by the red and purple neon lights. He was pushed right into the frenzy of college kids, hopping to the thumping music, bodies pressed together, grinding with sexual frisson and revving his heartbeat.

Ricardo's Bar was the craziest venue, with a dance floor that could accommodate the whole city and good music. Since it was closest to the college campus and the most happening place, Kian could see boys and girls with multi-colored hair and piercings writhing against each other. While some dripped from the walls and bar stools, others encircled the DJ booth, punching the air to the electronic beats.

"You'll be fine, K. Just try not to kiss him," Audrey shouted into his ear before breaking away to a group at the corner of the bar. Kian spotted a few frat boys and girls from his year crammed together in a booth. His stomach dropped as his eyes fell on the boy with dirty blonde hair and angular jaw, pulling Audrey for a tight hug as soon as she reached the group. Jackie Montgomery, the jock with devilish charms that worked on almost all the girls and an ugly grin in as a smile currently directed towards Kian.

"Fuck off," Kian mouthed at him through clenched jaw and hands bawled into fists on his sides. The jock's response was to squeeze Audrey's waist.

Kian made a mental note to keep an eye on him for the rest of the night. He shook his head and made his way through the grinding bodies towards the open bar.

At the bar, he waved at Kelly: the bartender, a girl Kian had known for a long time and hooked up with a couple of times in the first year of his college. Things didn't work out as they had expected, and it turned into a strange sort of friendship, wherein he helped her with mathematics in return for free drinks every once in a while and some harmless flirtation that never went beyond. 

The bar was packed, and the bartenders were rushing to take orders, but as soon as Kelly made eye contact with Kian, he raised his eyebrows and flashed his charming smile with one dimple on his left cheek. It worked every goddamn time. She poured him two shots of Jameson, and Kian downed them without thinking twice. Maybe, he needed a little liquid courage to loosen up the two years' worth of tension with his crush.

That was when he walked in. Kian put on a brave smile, his heart thrashing against his chest and a sheen of sweat collecting on his forehead. Enzo looked fashionably handsome and ramp-ready in his white casual shirt with the top two buttons open enough to show his tempting collar bones, faded jeans, and curly hair falling over his forehead. He looked so irresistible that Kian's hands shook to touch every inch of his toned, carved body.

His cheeks flushed, and Kian tried to pass it on to the warm atmosphere inside the club.

"Hey, Kiki," Enzo said, reaching his arms out. Probably for a brotherly hug, something they used to share as teenagers until...

Kian ended up pushing a side of himself into Enzo's open arms, sort of a side hug. It was a simple touch, yet it set goosebumps loose all over his skin. Enzo was only about two inches shorter than Kian, but it didn't stop Kian from realizing how perfectly Enzo would fit into his arms if he were to pull him in for a real hug. The thought alone was enough for him to break away and share an awkward smile.

"I thought you would bail on me again," Kian said, waving at Kelly again for two more shots, one for himself and one for Enzo.

"And why would I do that?" Enzo leaned on the bar counter beside Kian, just a foot away. The bar was packed, and there was hardly any space left for Kian to move away from the proximity. Enzo looked at him through thick eyelashes, fingers on the counter and softly drumming. Kian's mouth went dry at the sight of two silver rings glinting on his fingers. He had an urge to reach out and make him stop but touching Enzo was out of the scenario. He had to stop giving too much attention to every single detail.

"Just speaking from my experience." Kian shrugged, gathering a scowl on his face. He figured an honest response would be the best way to start.

"And you are still pissed at me. I know. . . we have a lot to talk about." Kelly slid the shots towards them, her eyes raking over Enzo, head to toe and giving Kian a knowing smirk. Before Enzo could notice, Kian handed him a shot and gave Kelly a glare. As soon as Kelly turned to other customers, Kian busied himself with the dance crowd. So he didn't have to look at Enzo and his smooth cheeks or at his lips as they tugged upward in a soft smile.

The sight of writhing bodies rippling like waves of a vast ocean under the stormy lights swam in front of his eyes. It conjured up images of nasty make-out sessions at the cloakroom, the lingering hands, grinding bodies, and couples pushed against walls. Kian quickly averted his gaze from one such pair eating each other's mouth in the dark corner.

"So, um, why are you here in California?" Kian asked after they shared a super intense eye contact that made him scratch the back of his neck and look away.

"I joined a popular local rock band in LA as the drummer. You know how much I like music. I met this band at one of the concerts. Their drummer met with an accident the same day they had a lineup at one of the hottest nightclubs in Connecticut. The lead singer of the band is my friend's big brother. That's how I came to know about their crisis. I offered to help, and the rest is history. I guess I meant to be a musician. I'm pretty good at it." He shrugged one shoulder. So impulsive. Always so impulsive.

"Just one show, and you knew you're supposed to be a drummer, not a soccer player?" Kian asked, and he nodded.

"There are layers and layers of identities hidden underneath our skin, hiding, slumbering. It takes just one reality check to know our true self." Kian could sense some deeper meaning in his words.

"If this is what you want to do, then I'm glad you're doing it."

"I do. I know how everyone thinks it's a stupid reason to quit college but being an artist is no less than being a doctor, engineer, or any other profession, for that matter. I pour my heart out into my music. It gives me happiness. A chance to be who I want to be," he smiled, taking the shot in his hand. Keeping his gaze locked with Kian, he lifted it to his lips and tipped it back. Kian matched him.

"Your dad must be furious to know you quit soccer." Kian laughed.

"That's one way to put it. He's fine, though." He said, pushing some of the curls behind his ears and leaning over the counter. His father would certainly not be okay. There was more to the story than he was willing to share.

"So you're here with your band then?" Kian rested his elbow on the counter where Enzo was leaning. He could smell the faint scent of Enzo's cologne and watch his pulse jumping along the vein in his throat. And that was how Enzo found Kian when he turned towards him slightly.

"Yeah, we have lineups in almost every hottest nightclub in California. In fact, we are playing here in Ricardo's this Friday. You could, maybe watch me drumming. If you're free, obviously." Oh wow. He was already setting up another meeting and it would involve watching Enzo on the stage, drumming. 

"So, you said you don't have an apartment here..." Kian trailed off. He started to sound concerned about Enzo, which wasn't a good sign. And he needed another drink. He turned back to wave at Kelly, but Enzo beat him to it.

"Hey, Kel. Four shots of Jameson and two bottles of Budweiser, please." Enzo shouted over the loud bass pounding throughout the club."

"Coming right up, pretty boy," Kelly replied with a cheeky wink his way.

Kian rolled his eyes and turned to the front. His eyes instantly captured Audrey on the dance floor with her girlfriends and the jock Jackie pushing his way towards her.

"Did you just roll your eyes?" Enzo asked, leaning close to his ear, and suddenly proximity was an issue than watching over his roommate. It only took one long second, barely a touch, just an exhale of breath, for him to go from chilled to heated. 

Enzo lifted the beer bottle to his lickable lips and downed the amber liquid. A subtle smirk played on his lips.

"I guess you already met Kelly," Kian asked quietly, taking a slug of beer himself, the burn sloshing through his veins. Why was he feeling jealous all of a sudden? Enzo could flirt with whoever he wanted.

"Yeah, we met during my last performance. The night I went to Brew Story Café, we had our first contracted gig here. Big day, a big party, and that's why I was shite faced by the time I reached you." Enzo threw his head back, releasing a laugh and exposing his veiny neck in the process. Kian quickly looked away, downing some more of the beer. He was pretty buzzed by now.

"So that night you came to visit me?" Kian frowned. "How did you know where I worked?"

"I know things I really need to know, Kiki." Enzo leaned back to meet his gaze.

Kian shook his head. He couldn't tear his eyes off him. Bathed in the neon lights and hypnotizing buzz of the trance music, Kian was falling hard for the boy once again.

Don't fall for a straight guy, Kian. The words echoed in his mind pulling him back to his senses.

He cleared his throat. "I might have missed all the calls and emails stating your surprise visit."

Enzo leaned closer, clicking his beer with Kian's. "I'm here to make amends. Give me one chance to prove that our friendship means a lot to me."

How could Kian ever say no to that?

***

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