gram and yok reminiscing about their youth?
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"Do you miss it?" Gram asked as he passed over a beer from the edge of the table.
They'd decided to go out for drinks after their recent dinner with Gumpa, Sean, and White. Black's whereabouts remained a mystery but White and Gram didn't seem concerned so they'd decided not to press the subject. Black was like a cat, he'd show up exactly when he wanted to and not a minute before - preferably without some surprise gift or injury for his efforts.
"Of course," Yok began before taking a long pull from the bottle. "I miss getting together like that every day, not just when we can spare the time. I miss feeling like I'm making a difference, I miss feeling indestructible." That particular delusion had evaporated far sooner for him than the others. The scars still ached horribly on particularly cold days.
"What about him?" Gram wondered, though didn't bring himself to say his name. Most of them refused to even acknowledge he'd ever existed, but he'd etched his name on Yok's heart; a cautionary tale of his youth.
"Yeah, sometimes I even miss him." He took another long swallow of the alcohol, avoiding Gram's pointed gaze. "You know I'd do it all again."
"Yeah, I know. I think I would too, maybe just tweak a few things." Gram smiled and finally drank his own beer.
"Yeah, like maybe confess to Black before he did?" He dodged the wadded-up napkin tossed in his direction. "What! Just thought you'd like to get to the happily ever after sooner." Yok chuckled, tapping his fingers in a rhythm against the neck of his bottle.
"Come on! Like you wouldn't do anything different?" Gram smirked, though it was strained. Of course, there was one night Yok would do differently, one little change he would make. That didn't need to be said.
"I stopped agonizing over the past a while ago." It was a lie, but Gram didn't need to know that. They only saw each other every so often, he didn't need to drag the mood down with his regrets.
"Of course you have. So how's your own happily ever after going? Seeing anyone?" It should have been an innocent question, maybe even one Yok would have been eager to answer if the answer was anything other than a negative.
He dropped his eyes to his bottle before downing the remaining liquid and shaking his head.
"No, haven't seen anyone in a while, but it's fine. I'm happy enough as it is, and mae is getting older so I like to spend extra time with her." Yok explained as he set the empty green bottle aside. His eyes dropped to his hands, tracing over each of the tattoos skittering across his fingers. He truly was content, his shop brought in good money and a lot of repeat clients, he'd been in a few magazines lately and attended some exhibitions. He really couldn't complain.
And yet that yawning, echoing loneliness clawed at his chest and rent the soft flesh that housed his ribs.
"How's the firm coming along? Nuch still more popular than you?" He hastily changed the subject as Gram finished his beer across from him.
They'd talk well into the night; Gram would eventually snort at a text from Black and look all too eager to return to his apartment. Yok would insist he was fine to go home, that he'd get himself a cab. Instead, he'd walk several blocks with only his melancholy thoughts to accompany him. If he flinched at the sound of a police siren in the distance, well, that was no one's business but his.
After the seventh block he'd pull out his phone and press his thumb over a contact. It would take four rings until the call connected.
"Hey Dan, yeah I know it's late, everything's fine... Are you busy?"
