Kian ended up pulling an all-nighter for his physics assignment. He was only asleep for a few hours when the sun started to filter through every corner of the living room. He cracked open an eyelid to get startled by a wall of brown watching him intently from the other side of the couch. He sat up away from it and the sudden movement had him landing on the hard floor.

"Fuck!"

Unfortunately, his ass took the burn of the fall and his ears rang with the sound of muffled laughter from his crazy roommate. "You okay there? Looks like you hurt your dumbass."

"I'm fine. What time is it?"

He glared at Audrey while rubbing his sore butt and digging around for his phone. Audrey was all dressed up and ready with a cup of coffee which reminded him of his early morning lectures. He had planned to sleep after finishing his assignments but at the last moment he ended up checking Enzo's social media handles.

Two year worth of catching up on his life without Kian which included pictures of him both shirtless and in sexy graphic shirts, his early life at college campus, in some parties, with friends, at the beach with a group of unknown boys and girls. Kian's stomach flipped at the latter, taking in shirtless body lazing on the beach, his muscle tucked beneath his tanned skin. He had to shut his phone and toss it aside to stop developing a Crush on him all over again.

"Shit. I've to submit my assignment before the class starts." He jumped up as soon as he registered the time flashing on his mobile screen. He didn't work his ass off all night for nothing.

"Thanks for the coffee," he snatched the cup from Audrey's hands and before she could grasp whatever happened, Kian had already run towards his bedroom. "I will make one for you tomorrow morning, I promise."

"Asshole!" He heard Audrey shout after him just before he slammed the door shut. The shower was totally out of the play, so he quickly changed into a clean shirt, stopping just a second longer at his dresser to run his fingers through Enzo's leather jacket hanging in his closet. He put on some light deodorant and grabbed his laptop from the coffee table on the way out.

If there was one subject he hated the most, it had to be physics. So to pass the subject with a decent grade he really needed to be on his professor's good side even if he was more into guys and she didn't seem to take that hint while flirting with him, later giving him a tough time for the same. What a torture! Thank god, it's just for a semester.

That evening when he showed up at Brew Story Café, he found Audrey behind the counter, wrapping up her shift and waiting for Kian to take over. Apparently, she wasn't pissed at him for the coffee snatch. All he had to do was prepare his signature bubble tea for her and add it in his tab.

"So, Simone told me about your friend's visit yesterday." Kian snapped his head towards the said man running instructions in the Kitchen. Simone gave him a sheepish smile in return of Kian's scowl.

"Yes he did." Kian cut the conversation short but he knew Audrey wouldn't let him get away without details. And that was exactly what Kian didn't want to recall. He didn't want to think too much about how close they were standing at the back alley of the café and how in a weak moment he had the strongest urge to grab him and kiss him so hard that both of them stopped breathing. He wanted to sift fingers through his hair and slip that shirt off and taste his collarbone.

Yeah, he shouldn't have scrolled through his social media last night and definitely shouldn't have checked his shirtless pictures. Too bad he already did that and now those images were messing with his head.

"Why are you so red, Kian Advani?" Audrey's gasp pulled him out of his fantasies and he realized he had been zoning out. "Don't tell me Enzo came here for you? I thought I was making up the jealousy I saw in his eyes that morning. Turns out it was true. I'm almost a little surprised."

"Okay, that's enough. Don't let your hopes high. He just wanted to catch up on our old friendship. And he's still straight, for the millionth time. God, I hate you all for making me chant it like a mantra. You're not helping, Audi. You know I'm so close to getting my heart broken again."

Audrey opened her mouth to counter maybe but shut it. She released a sigh and rested her cheek on his tense bicep. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't associate you with Enzo not when there's no hope there. The thing is I want to see you happy and if Enzo coming back to your life isn't helping then maybe, you should stay away from him."

Yeah, he should totally do that. Except he received a call from Enzo this morning when he was in the class. It was full ring and then a text followed after.

Tried reaching you. Please call back.

It took him another two lectures and a lot of soul searching in the library to finally grab his phone and do the most cowardly thing. He sent him a text message.

Hey Enz, sorry for missing your call. I was in the middle of a lecture.

That sounded way to mechanic, not the way you chat with your one time best friend but Kian wasn't sure what else to say, so he phrased a most decent reply. Enzo responded within the next second.

Not a problem. I should've known not all of us have dropped out of college.

"Shit!" Kian tightened his fingers around his phone and raked his hair. He didn't want to rub his schedules on Enzo's face but that's what he ended up doing. While his fingers worked on a half decent response, Enzo sent another text.

Hey, Kiki. Are you free tomorrow night? I was hoping maybe we can go out. How about Ricardo's?

Kian released a scoff. No doubt he found Enzo drunk the other night. The boy probably spent every night in a different club. Kian couldn't help but smile as his heart thudded inside his chest while he read Enzo's message. It wasn't an invitation for a date so he really had no reason to feel the excitement pulsing through his veins. Enzo only wanted to catch up as an old friend. Kian cursed his bisexual self, internally.

Sure. My shift ends at seven.

His fingers trembled a little as he sent the message. He wasn't sure why he felt so nervous and anxious about it. It's not like he had been hoping for this meeting all his life. He wasn't the same hopeless guy who didn't know why he felt attracted towards his best friend. He had changed. But maybe, you can never change around certain people in your life.

Sounds great. Meet you at Ricardo's. Enzo even added a wink emoji at the end. Huh. Kian couldn't fathom all the warm gestures Enzo had started showing towards him. Maybe, he was serious about mending the bridges or whatever.

After all, they were best friends forever until Kian messed it up. If anyone, it was Kian who should get his emotions under check. Maybe, they could be friends again if Kian worked through his crush.

"Are you even listening to me, Kian?" Audrey asked, nudging his back and looking up with a curiosity in her eyes.

"Huh?"

"I was saying, you need to get laid if not with Chris then a random one night stand. It will stray your mind off Enzo. Just saying." She laughed, giving him a wink before walking out of the café.

Although he knew Audrey was joking, Kian couldn't stop mapping out the possibilities in her words. Perhaps all he needed was a random hookup or real one to purge Enzo out of his system and finally move on for real. It's funny how many times he had been using the moving on as an excuse to indulge with some strangers and it never actually worked.

But Chris was different. He was handsome, with a gentle smile and crystal blue eyes. Everything about him was in contrast with Enzo. Fuck! If Chris was willing, maybe Kian could hook up with him. Even if it was an arrow in the dark, there was a chance of something real too.

Hours later, Kian was still moping around his apartment, fretting about everything until tomorrow night. He picked up his phone twice, typing a decent excuse to postpone their catching up meeting but backed out.

He wasn't ready yet. Not when he knew drinks and music would be very much involved in the scenario. Ricardo's was known for its wild nights. So, when Audrey volunteered to join, he didn't think twice before nodding his head.

***

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