They say a man isnāt supposed to cry and Ethan Wood was no exception. Instead, even in the wake of all the death and destruction, Oliver Woodās middle sonĀ let a bottle of Ogdenās Old cry for him as heĀ slumped back against a thick oak tree, the neck of the firewhiskey laced tightly between his fingers.Ā From his vantage point, Ethan could see the ruins of the stadium, an arena that had always been like a second home to the chaser and his beloved best mate.Ā He couldnāt muster the strength to return home to their actual flat, not yet at least. Their unfinished match of pool was still fresh on the table waiting for Ethan to rack it back up as he made a ridiculous comment about Alfie moving the cue ball while they were away. Heād even bet there was a mug of old tea beside one of Alfieās latest sketches turning as icy as his insides were right now.Ā
āHow could you fuckinā leave me, too?!ā Ethan shouted into the fading summer air as he allowed himself a brief moment of raw human emotion. Alfie was always there for the wayward chaser and never gave up on him, not when Puddlemere rejected him or when he let his anger get the better of him. Alfie was his best friend, his teammate, his mentor,Ā his brother, he couldnāt be just be... gone.
There was only way Ethan knew how to temper the sting and he cracked it open hungrily.Ā Unhinging his jaw like the serpent some believed to be his true nature, Ethan brought the untouched bottle to his lips allowing itās contents to slither down his esophagus and drop into the depths of his empty stomach without so much as a shiver, just the hunger toĀ numb the pain for however long the bottle would allow. Ethan continued to chugĀ as if reaching the bottom would bring Alfie back, spiraling into the oblivion he so desperately craved.
A voice called his name. At first, he didnāt budge, fixed only on his surmounting grief and the unsettling opening and closing of his own heartbeat. He wasnāt even sure if the voice was real or just a figment of his budding intoxication.Ā It wasnāt until a second calling that Ethan turned around finally lowering the bottle down from his lips.
