06. Collarbone Trouble?

"I'll take a beef bourguignon and the pretty lady here will have a soupe à l'oignon. Champagne for both, please."

The human waiter nodded understandingly as he jotted everything down on a notepad. He appeared incredibly professional and didn't make any sort of expression that would give away any reaction he had of the guests in front of him.

"Anything else?"

"Ah, no. That's all."

"I understand, sir. If there's anything you need, please press the button. Assistance will be available immediately."

Noam smiled, nodding as the waiter bowed and walked away, closing the door of the private room behind him. A sigh immediately heaved out of his chest as Noam turned around, swiftly pulling out a number of napkins. His coat was ruined from the altercation he had with Soren and his hair was a mess. His entire appearance wasn't fairing any well as he was scuffed up, with dirt marks and brain matter everywhere and a wound festering at his temple from where the bullet wound was still recovering. Since it was a serious laceration, it would surely take some while to heal. It would have taken a day if he had consumed fresh blood recently. Thanks to that, he was in peak condition. He took the blood as a precaution because he knew that Soren wouldn't fuck around with his anger. Of anything, he hadn't just ruined his life but helped in advancing his anger issues fairly well.

Noam let out a groan, burying his face in his hands as his head pounded in complaint against the wound. It was not going to be a good night after all.

"You okay?" His guest smiled, slipping out even more napkins as she reached in, wiping the side of his face which was roughed up from the concrete.

"The only good thing today was that I saw him," Noam mumbled, muffled through his hands.

The lady scoffed in mock disbelief, "Look here, I ran all the way here immediately for you and it seems that my efforts are unappreciated since you're moaning for your past lover."

"God, I had expected as much but why was I still disappointed? And who was that stupid mongrel coming with him?"

"Nothing new, you keep having expectations as you go. You're bound to put yourself through deep pain one of these days. And don't call Lycans a mongrel, that's discriminatory. You should know better."

"I didn't know what i was expecting but i sure wasn't expecting he would do that this easily. I didn't think of how he would hate me until this moment, I saw it in his eyes. The hatred, the disgust…"

"How much more shameless can you get?" Madeline looked warily to the same waiter who had just entered the room with an ice bucket and a bottle of champagne, "Have some remorse. Any trace of guilt, feel something, anything. How can you expect him to come back to you after what you have done to him? I can't believe I am on your side. If I was ever in his position, I would kill you at first sight. Decapitate you and leave your body under the sun until it rots away, then I'd soak your head in a bottle of bleach and close the lid shut so you couldn't get out and you would choke in it."

"..."

"..."

"You have really thought this over, haven't you? I thought you loved me."

"You better hope that your little dog doesn't ever meet me, you would be in trouble after the ideas i would give him. It'd end your life for good, you'd rethink your immortal life."

Noam sighed and leaned back, tugging at his turtleneck as the heat seemed to crank up inside the room. He silently watched as the waiter laid the food out, and then clicked his tongue in a frustrated height, startling the waiter out of his wits

"Fuck, this is going to be harder than i thought." He mumbled, ignoring the scared human waiter.

"Dad, leave him alone. What's the point? You have spent ten years without him, what's one eternity more?" Madeline reasoned, waving the waiter away. He scuttled away immediately.

"I just…" Noam groaned and threw his head back, "what should i do to get him back?"

"Why do you want him in the first place?"

"Hmm…?"

"Why do you have to get him back?"

"Why not? Are you saying I should leave him alone?"

******

"I TOLD YOU TO LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Reya reared back, brows lifted in wonder as Soren pointed an accusing finger at him. He was currently having the time of his life. What was this? He didn't see this coming. The huge lifeless junior was actually a sloppy drunk? Who would have wondered! Reya bit back a smile of amusement as he watched Soren let out a huge audible sigh as he rested his cheek against the bar. Well, this was a new side. Reya didn't think that the newbie would be this interesting.

"Two more." Reya whispered to the bartender, pointing to empty plates in front of them.

"Don't complain...about what happened as though you hadn't taken a part of it."

"Uhuh…" Reya nodded in an exaggerated motion as he grabbed the restocked meat from the bartender.

They did go for a drink in the end. Reya figured that there was no need to be a tight ass when he can just lie and dump all the responsibility to the kid. After all, technically he wasn't a part of the fight and technically, he did try to stop it. It's not like he didn't do anything. Now he figured that he didn't need to worry about his position, given that a drunk Soren repeatedly tried to reassure him that this wouldn't reach the boss. He told himself that he would take it slow and that was exactly what he would do.

And if he hadn't decided to do this, he wouldn't have had this. A drunk Soren, who was unexpectedly expressive with a constant scowling expression as though he was expecting someone to reprimand. It didn't take long for him to get drunk after the first round of meat and drinks. Before Reya even realized what was happening, Soren was smacked, slobbering over the counter and over-explaining everything. It was as though he had to talk and he just couldn't stop talking. Reya wondered if anything would break Soren's cool facade and he got the answer almost immediately.

Vampires and alcohol.

Now Reya couldn't help enjoying himself. The difference between his personas was too striking not to enjoy.

"Hey…" Soren mumbled, his head nodding off as he drowsily tried to straighten up.

This man was everything but especially entertaining.

"Hey what?"

"You haven't asked me about what happened?"

"What happened?"

"What happened?" Soren dumbly repeated, his brows furrowed in a scowl. Reya leaned back to take a proper look at the man beside him, his hand poised on his thigh as he grinned,

"Exactly. What happened?"

"Huh??"

"Well, will it get me in trouble?"

"No way, that scum is a total softie. He wouldn't do anything to put me in trouble. He probably didn't even see you at all."

"Reassuring. Well, I don't see a reason why I should be trying to stuff my hands in your pockets. Keep your shit together and I'll do the same to mine."

"You wanna stuff your hands in my pocket?"

"What? Oh, I didn't mean that literally."

"Sure, go ahead."

"What?"

"Go. Ahead." Soren stressed, completely drunk and literally no sense in his eyes as they appeared more droopy than when he was sober. His lids were covering half of his pupils.

Reya gulped, his eyes traveling down as Soren leaned on the counter, his unbuttoned shirt giving away.

"Erm...ah...well…" His mouth was suddenly dry and he couldn't tear his eyes away as he uncomfortably stared at the exposed coffee coloured skin and the (surprisingly) seductive curve of his collar bones, "Wha…?"

Soren moved, suddenly falling face first on the counter and Reya jumped out of his daze, as the motion broke his views. He blinked and looked around, his mind in a muddle of thoughts. It was like the cells in brain was screaming in terror. Only one thought broke through and it immediately made him want to jump off a cliff.

Was he seriously lusting over a view of his collarbone? And a bit of exposed skin?

Wow, he needed to get out of there ASAP. The full moon was driving him nuts with sexual deprivation.

He cleared his throat and made sure he kept his eyes away. Suddenly a hand came forward and fell on his back with a loud slap. Reya jumped and turned back in bewilderment. Soren chuckled at him, even though his eyes were closed.

"We won't get in trouble. You don't need to worry, Noam."

Reya looked away, flushed as he barely heard what Soren was mumbling in his stupor, "Yeah, yeah. No trouble."