coco

It was happening again. Anasui could feel the atmosphere change around him at the drop of a drink. All at once the noise of that dingy bar he was in became so hard to ignore. Who knew that such a tiny building could hold so much noise.

They were supposed to be there together, drinking away the week's stress from work, studies, and tests. And Anasui had the pleasure to watch the only four people he cared about leave, two at a time. Jolyne was getting hyper. By the time Hermes was able to wrestle her out the door she had her knee on a neighboring table, trying to pick a fight with a guy twice her size that she deemed was too loud. Hermes had apologized, leaving both their half of the bill while she took Jolyne to their car.

Following a little after, Foo Fighters needed to be taken home, too. Always the lightweight. They were never good at holding their alcohol. Their face was about the same shade of green as their hair by the time Weather decided to drive them home.

And that left Anasui, rotting, left alone with nothing but his thoughts. Something he didn't like. He was sure he heard Weather speak softly to him. A gentle, "will you be okay by yourself?" Anasui wasn't sure if he responded coherently. Or if he just kept staring at the peeling booth in front of him, realization of what was happening slowly starting to sink in.

And the bar became too loud. His little bubble of security was popped, being flooded by all of those negative thoughts and ideas once again like a punctured submarine. And there Anasui sat, in a far off corner of the building in a booth seat alone, with only his iced down liquor to console him. He loved his friends, he loved them deeply, even more than his own self. But he hated the feelings they left him with to fight alone. A dark, deep set hunger he wasn't sure how to satisfy. A painful panging in his chest for something more. It made it all the more tempting to find something to feed his humiliating ticks.

He was alone now, depressive thoughts slowly circling and constricting his alcohol ladened mind, like how his finger followed the rim of his glass. Tonight was the last day he had to enjoy his time with friends. By the time the sun rose tomorrow morning, the girls would all be busy with school, whereas Weather Report and Foo Fighters would go on with work. Leaving him to drown in more school work with other idiots who classified him as a human garbage fire. It'd be another seven days until he could wrap himself in the embrace of his friends once more and forget everything for a short while. But now, he was left to shiver in the cold leather booth that stuck to his bare skin.

Anasui decided one more drink wouldn't hurt. Or two. Maybe three.

You weren't Anasui's original target. Simply put you were stuck in the crossfire between him and a friend, playing shield to a man cowering under the woman's menacing fist.

You just got out of the bathroom.

"It is way too late for this." You exhaled noisily. After pinching the bridge of your nose you took a once over of your damsel in distress. He looked familiar, and pathetic, as the only regular you knew that wore so much fishnet, plus the hot pink hair was a dead giveaway. Normally you'd see him every Saturday night in a group of five. Your friends usually left before they did, but tonight flew a little south. One of your girlfriends was hitting a lucky streak with the pretty bartender, it took an extra hour for her to seduce them into giving her free drinks and a ride home. That left you, two drunks to babysit, and the other designated driver. Oh, and the koala glued to your back.

"What did he even do?"

"Asshole tried to grope me!" Helena shouted, pointing an accusing finger at behind your back. "Called me by some other chick's name and threw himself at me! Do you know this guy?!"

"Hela, don't you think it's obvious this guy is drunk? He must've thought you were someone else!" You were already over this. But no one was going home until everything was settled.

Come to think of it, you have seen this guy with a girl before. Black locks, tan skin. From a distance, you could see where he was coming from. Being drunk probably didn't help either. "Huh. You kinda do look like her." You confirmed with a tilt of your head, eyeing her hair.

"Yer agreeing with this dick?! So you do know him!" You groaned in frustration.

Helena wasn't going to quit without an apology. That was how she rolled. You really needed to quit giving the angry drunk liquor... Or keep her confined to her apartment.

Luckily for you Stacy was there to calm her down. After a painfully slurred apology from the man in mesh, it was deemed good enough. Although barely. Helana's designated driver hauled her out to the car, you and your other friend following outside. She was still sipping away on a bright blue fruity drink, watching the show in the car go down.

You looked between her and your new "friend".  Definitely not fit to stay here by himself. Now he was leaning on you for support, swaying on his feet, shivering. Jeez, curse your bleeding heart. You couldn't leave him like this.

Roxanne felt your gaze, slurping down the final gulp of her drink before turning to you. "What are you thinking 'bout, baby driver?"

You took a deep breath. "Rox, I know this is gonna sound crazy, but would you mind staying with Stacy and Hela tonight? I wanna stick around and help this oaf."

"Oooohh," Roxanne wiggled her eyebrows, slurping down the nothing in her cup and making an annoying noise. "I can do it, but I didn't think you were the type to pick up boys at a place like this."

"Not a chance. I just wanna help this guy get home."

"Suuure," Her bright blue eyes rolled back in her head. She dropped the glass at the door of the bar, before sauntering to the car with her other two friends acting giggly. Stacy didn't seem to mind. the five of you were always sleeping over at each other's abodes. Most of the time it was to your house because you were the only one that didn't have to worry about neighbors. You had already finished college, found a great job and made the big bucks. You were the team's honorary sugar momma.

Speaking of... You didn't think you saw any of them pay for the tab. Damnit. That left you to do it.

"Those..."

You waved your friends goodbye, a pleasant but forced smile on your lips while Roxanne waved back, riding off back to Helena and Stacy's campus.

"Bitches." You finished strong once their car disappeared. You sighed.. Whatever, you'll get back at them. Somehow.

From behind you, the drunk hiccuped, taking you out of your revenge fantasies. He was nuzzled into your collar, appreciating the feel of your shirt. It would've been cute, if he was. I don't know. A child.

Wait. Right. Finding this guy's owners.

"Okay man, let's find your friends." You huddled back into the bar, first paying off your friend's tab, second scanning the tables and the booths for any faces that wrung any bells.

"Hey. Hey, pinky. Where did you and your friend's sit?" It was worth a shot. Luckily, it worked, the guy pointed a weak finger at the corner of the room with a booth. But the booth was empty, already cleaned, no glasses or plates or anything.

"What the..?" You turned around, lightly gripping his shoulders to make him look you in the eye. "Hey, listen. What's up? Did your friends already leave, or-?"

"They left." He confirmed with a sniffle. "They left already. Without me. I'm...."

Like it finally hit him what happened, he froze. Tears began to show in his eyes as he gripped tighter on to your cardigan. "I'm all alone."

"Oh! Oh, jeez, okay," He practically threw himself at you, silently shaking. His sighs vibrated against your neck as he tried to find his breath. "I don't wanna be alone anymore. Please... Please don't leave me..."

No. Were you actually thinking about taking this stranger to your house? What were the odds that this guy was some insane murderer, and this was all some elaborate plan? Looking down at him right now, he didn't seem vicious. Just very, very... sad. He was acting like a lost puppy.

God. You were actually going through with this.

Tab paid. Dog man in toe. You walked back outside to your car. You had his arm slung around your shoulder to lead him to the vehicle faster. He was still mumbling incoherently, but at least he wasn't crying anymore. You weren't sure your poor heart could handle it. "Hey, real quick, can you tell me your name?"

You finally got him into the passenger seat. Immediately he curled himself into a little ball, shivering from the surprisingly cool summer air. Then again, he was only wearing mesh, that was probably why. "It's Anasui." You heard him whisper, huddling closer. You paused, before shouldering off your cardigan, throwing it over his arms. You gave him your name.

"Listen Anasui. I'm taking you to my house. After you get some sleep and sober up I can take you back to your place. Does that sound okay?" You paused again, then added softly, "I'm not gonna leave you alone tonight, alright?"

He sniffled. "Alright."

Great.

Then you were off. The drive home was a  little uncomfortable. The silence was deafening, and there wasn't anything good on the radio this late at night. 

"Damnit..." You gave up, staying on a station playing early 2000's hits with the volume on low. Not exactly your cup of tea, but Anasui seemed to take interest in it. You didn't know what song was playing. It was some sort of pop, but on the slower side. Anasui sounded like he knew the song by heart. He mouthed gibberish into his headrest, eyes closed, fingers lightly tapping the beat. It was kind of sweet, even if you couldn't understand a word he was saying. But the thought immediately turned sour as you were reminded that this Anasui guy was just drunk, and you'd just found him alone at a bar. "Tch, I can't believe your friends would just abandon you like that." You remark offhandedly, not expecting any response. You're surprised when you do get one.

"They didn't leave me drunk." Anasui sighed, burrowing his face deeper into the fabric of his seat. "Leas' I was sober when they left."

"So why did you start to drink more? Why not leave? That's so..." You didn't want to scold a grown man. "...That sounds very irresponsible."

"I know." He mourns. "I was'n thinkin'. I'm so stupid."

You've finally stopped the car in the driveway up to your house. It was a nice house. You were proud of it. Anasui seemed to think so, too. You get out, swiftly making it over to his side and opening his car door. "You're not stupid," You assured him, waiting for the man bundled in cotton to unbuckle his seatbelt. "Some people just make some bad decisions. Look at me and you, we're still young, it's bound to happen."

Anasui was able to get out without help, still clutching to your cardigan like a lifeline. The same couldn't be said for the walk up to your porch. "Besides. Sometimes we just need some help getting through a rough patch. I can't blame you for that."

You unlock the front door. The house was deep black inside. You didn't think to leave any lights on. Not that it mattered, your eyes had already adapted to the night, Anasui behind you would probably get sick if you turned them on now. And you knew your house like the back of your hand.

Unfortunately. Anasui didn't.

"Ow!"

"Sorry! The door leads to the dining room. Just follow behind me, I'll try not to let you bump into anything else." Try was the key word.

You praised your past self for choosing the room on the bottom floor as your own. Upstairs was the guest room, and you didn't feel like lugging Mr. Tipsy up the stairs. He would be okay in yours for a night.

You liked your room a whole lot. Maybe you splurged a little more than you should have after you moved in, but your teen self would've been so happy. And the best part? Dimmer switch.

The room was illuminated by the warm lights in the ceiling, but only the softest glow that allowed you to see under your feet and the scattered posters on the farthest wall. You deposited Anasui on your bed, before moving to your dresser, pushing past your favorite shirts and others you couldn't remember wearing in the past year. You seriously needed to throw them out. But for sentimentalities sake, you couldn't bring yourself to.

A white shirt caught your attention. An old, extra large Van Halen shirt you got for your last birthday as a last ditch attempt for a gift, with the "Panama" cherub on the front with his cigarettes. You liked it enough, even if it was a little big. You just needed something that could fit the redhead on your bed, because surely those fishnets were not comfortable at all.

He looked about ready to conk out, as he was barely holding on by the time you came back. The cardigan was placed delicately to the side as he swayed in place. Looking very, very sleepy. "Here's this. You don't need to strip if you don't want to, but I thought you'd appreciate it better than that mesh crap." You offered him the shirt, explaining the deal. You weren't even halfway through with your last sentence before Anasui began to peel off his skimpy outfit and his hat-thing, you watched in a mixture of shock and impress at how easy it was, to both strip with an audience, and just in general. You weren't sure if you could've pulled it off so easily.

"...Right. I'll be back, I'm just gonna get you some makeup wipes real quick," You had to peel your eyes away from his physique. He was godly. He was able to keep that lean figure without sacrificing the muscles, incredible!

But no! You mustn't let your mind wander. Anasui was drunk and sad, the last thing he needed was some stranger ogling his muscles.

You found those makeup wipes, along with some Advil and two sips of water for you and your new friend. This whole fiasco as well as the headache from babysitting Helena and Roxxy wasn't helping you focus.

When you got back, Anasui's mesh was at the foot of his bed, with him huddled underneath your thick and very pale comforter. Two totally different alarms started buzzing in your head. The one warning you of expensive makeup staining your sheets, another making the painfully clear observation of the skirt and go-go boots next to Anasui's outfit. His lower half was underneath the covers, you prayed he was wearing something underneath.

"H-Hey! You aren't off the hook yet, sit up so I can clean your face!" Anasui complained with an outraged moan, but he got up anyway. He took his medicine while you prepared the wipes for his face.

You took him into a gentle hold under his chin, beginning at the mascara that stained his pretty cheeks. The way he held eye contact the whole time unnerved you slightly, put you powered on, tossing the old wipe to the side to get a new one for his lips. The lipstick stained his mouth a pretty shade of pink. You leaned back to get a good look at your work. He looked a lot better without the makeup, his natural beauty taking you by surprise. Maybe the dim lights wouldn't see you blush. Hopefully.

There was a light pause. This time, it was Anasui getting embarrassed by the attention. He looked to his lap, and the hands he rested there.

"Do.... Do you think my friends hate me?"

You tossed the used wipes away, looking back at the man to answer truthfully. "I don't think they do." You moved back to the bed, "But, I do think they don't understand what's going on in that head of yours. I don't think they knew leaving you alone was gonna do... this to you."

You were interrupted by Anasui propping his head on your stomach. He was affectionate like a cat, hands wrapping around your waist. Subconsciously your hand went up to brush through his hair. Tonight was full of firsts, why stop now.

"You should try to talk to them about it, I'm sure they'll understand."

"And what if I was right, and they leave me if I told them?" It felt weird to have him talk against your stomach.

"Then they aren't real friends, are they? Anyway, I'm sure that's just your head lying to you." You couldn't get over how insane his hair was. It was silky soft, without any tangles. You were adult enough to admit you were jealous. "And on the tiniest, minute off chance I'm wrong, you could hang out with me and the girls! I promise Helena is super cool when we aren't out drinking." He didn't talk back immediately, and instead of agreeing he asked, "You're not leaving, are you?"

"Well, I was expecting to sleep upstairs and give you your privacy," You sighed, beginning to think that was just wishful thinking. Anasui finally looked up at you, violet irises sparkling like puppy eyes. "Stay here with me, please?" You echoed back the same groan he made previously, but you guess deep down, you really didn't mind. You just wanted the guy to feel better. Plus, you were tired, and ready to have this night end. "Fine. Just let me change in the bathroom quick, then I'll get in bed."

By the time you got out again, he was already dozing off in the covers. Again, you were envious of his skill to fall asleep so quickly.

You got an extra cover, not chancing sharing one with him, whether he was half naked or just a blanket hog. The room was extra cold, so you made sure to get a big one. You could finally get into bed, your sore muscles immediately relaxing into the mattress. In the blink of an eye, Anasui sensed the new presence, quickly sliding over to mooch off of your body heat. You've officially given up, allowing him to stay close. He smelled good, at least, and it felt nice to cuddle. Maybe it was wrong to admit to liking sharing your bed with a stranger, but you couldn't say no to Ana. Maybe in the near future he wouldn't be a stranger, maybe this didn't need to be a one time thing. You weren't in love with this guy, not by a long shot. He was emotional and clingy. But maybe you could grow to like him more. And if you didn't start to develop those feelings, maybe he could stick around as a new buddy? Maybe keep this one away from the juice, though.

Anasui woke up the next morning alone, in a bedroom he didn't recognize. He was scared for a second, but he got to calming back down quick. He didn't feel sticky, or gross. He was clothed, well, for the most part. Nothing hurt aside from his splitting head and his empty stomach. The smell of cooking food didn't help it at all.

He looked around. The new morning light lit up the place in warm oranges and yellows. There were clothes scattered around the floor, metal and classic rock posters on the wall next to the big window, the two dressers in the room were covered with carelessly placed books and knick knacks and trinkets that didn't go together. Was he picked up by a teenager?

The door opened, Anasui threw his covers over himself in surprise. He recognized your pretty face. Speckled with a drunken haze that gave you a glow like a halo. Imagining you seeing him in such a state made his cheeks hot, but he tried to ignore it.

"Morning!" You chirped. "How're you feeling?"

Bad. Anasui wanted to say. "Sober." He said instead. At the same time his head throbbed, and Anasui grabbed at his crown, groaning in pain. He changed his mind. "And bad. Everything hurts."

You nodded, "I'll go get you some pain meds, one sec."

He took the two pills gratefully once you came back, along with a cold water bottle that tasted like the nectar of the gods. "Thank you." He said. After a pause he added, "I wasn't too much trouble last night, was I?"

"No way," You giggled. "It's nothing I haven't had to deal with before."

Memories started to trickle in to Anasui. Memories of watching Hermes leave, then Jolyne, then Weather, and Foo Fighters, the memory of him clinging on to a stranger's back sobbing like a loser. Come to think of it, that stranger was probably standing in front of him right now.

The cringe on his face was probably obvious, if the obnoxious laugh you let out was anything to tell by. "Hey, we don't have to talk about last night if you don't want to. I've got breakfast ready in the kitchen. Wanna join?"

The promise of food, maybe bacon and eggs, made Anasui's mouth water. You smirked slightly. "Just put your skirt back on, I'll meet you in the dining room pretty boy." And you left without another word. The little comment made his heart flutter in a weird way. Anasui didn't think little pet names on his appearance would make him feel so light in his chest, but you've proved him wrong.

He put his lace back on, along with the boots and his skirt. But he wanted to keep wearing the Van Halen shirt. What a stupid little thing to get excited over, sharing similar taste in music, but he couldn't help himself.

Your house was much more tidy than your room. It was cozy, and Anasui liked it a lot. He found you setting two plates down, piled high with breakfast food with two glasses of orange drinks. You settled at the table in your seat, looking proud of yourself, "Eat up, afterwards we can drive back to your place. Or go back to the bar, if you have a vehicle."

"Thank you. For everything." His fork poked at some eggs. They were bright yellow, fresh. Anasui had never seen yolks so bright in his life. "I can't remember the last time I had an actual breakfast."

Your smile faltered a little bit at his tone of voice. "It's no worries. Don't beat yourself up over it, I would've done all this for anyone."

"Thinking like that could get you hurt." He muttered rather darkly. You snorted in response. Most of your conversation with him was like that for the rest of breakfast. He was much more mature sober, you appreciated that. Made him much more appealing. He was a little more haughty too, though. Any sarcastic comeback was met with more sarcasm, though sometimes you'd say something that would make Anasui stop and look away. Like the shirt.

It was after he helped clean your dishes. You walked him out to your car, swinging your keys around your pointer while Anasui shielded himself away from the sun like a vampire. He stopped you before you'd completely gotten into your car. He was about to pull off your shirt before you stopped him.

"Keep it." You told him.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

"Yeah. Why not? You can give it back next Saturday, after you clean off the drool and makeup." He raised an eyebrow.

"So, this won't be the last time we talk?" You laughed, unlocking the car and getting in. "Shoot, no. We go to the same bar every weekend, I see you every time! Me and my girls will crash your friend's little get together next Saturday, to pay back your babysitting fee."