hardlydead | (( them gods gonna hurt you son; when you play with a loaded gun ))

[ okay well this isn't why he gave evan this number. it takes him a little while to get around to it (juggling three numbers is a lot, okay) and when he does, he doesn't think he's crazy for detecting a tone there. ]

[ or maybe it's just evan's perpetually grouchiness shining through. david raises an eyebrow at it, looking from his phone to the girl in question who has, coincidentally, spent almost the entire day so far sleeping off a bender in his bed. (the one in his parents' home, obviously.) ]

Amelia? What about her?

[ there's always a tone with him. even through text, evan can't stop himself from projecting every inch of frustration he lives with every second of every day. ]

Been the same girl for like two weeks

You two serious or what

Who's serious about anything after two weeks?

Never seen you stick with someone that long

[ then again, he wasn't really paying attention to the who until recently.

also, he's not including himself. because the idea of doing so would make him implode. ]

It's not the first time.

Seems like it

Keep seeing you two leaving clubs together

She's a fun time. What about it?

[ how does he express jealousy while totally failing to realize he's actually jealous? evan stares at the phone for a while, because he has enough self awareness to know this shouldn't really be a problem for him. ]

She's not your type

[ wait. he can't just say that. ]

What the hell does a 'fun time' even mean

[ ... not his type? is it weirder that he's right or that evan even said that in the first place. ]

Why do you care?

You show these girls off and you don't even really give a shit. Pisses me off

The fuck's your problem? Who cares if I'm with a girl for a night or a month?

[ him?? obviously?? ]

Yeah. Right. Who cares

Not like you don't have another one waiting when this one kicks you out

What are you so pissed about?

Nothing. Just still sick of your showoff shit

Don't think I'll ever care for it

Nobody's forcing you to look.

Hard not to when you're at every goddamned club I walk by

Then get the fuck over it.

[ ok, fine, he WILL. and he does (sort of). he doesn't reply to that, and there's a steely silence on his end for a while. his own fault, really, for opening up what was supposed to be a hidden communication with accusations he only half understands himself.

but it's maybe a week or two later that he's out with a girl, and in public. it's not common, but he's done it before. he doesn't like her that much, but she's good looking enough - enough that spending time with her isn't a chore, although he's pretty sure the feeling's mutual.

he doesn't show off, not the way he always feels like david does. but they're not exactly subtle, either. not the way he would be if there was something real going on. ]

[ well that was weird and frustrating. it's not the first time evan's given him shit, but this time felt different. more heated. personal. david chalks it up to evan decidung to open up the conversation on their burners by being a weird, judgemental asshole instead of the intended use. and here he was being briefly happy to see a new message on this phone. ]

[ amelia is still a mainstay a couple of weeks later. she's gorgeous and fun enough, but the important thing is that his parents like her, probably because they don't know her family's working class yet. either way, david figures he can squeeze a few more months out of this if he's not stupid. ]

[ they're out together when he sees evan walk in with a pretty girl on his arm. it's not the first time, though it's a relative rarity, but even before their current situation, david's always been hyperaware of evan whenever he's around. it means he sees that is different straight away.
evan usually looks like he can barely stand anyone he's with, like being out with them is a chore. this... actually looks like a date. ]

[ the sight floods him with a combination of feelings that confuse him. on top, david mostly thinks "good for him, maybe he'll calm the fuck down for a bit," but there's more than that. something churns in his gut that he can't put a name to, makes him narrow his eyes as he watches evan walk in. it's anger, but it's not. like he's offended by the sight, like evan did this specifically to piss him off. ]

[ he knows david sees them immediately, but he only spares him a brief glance before focusing on moving ahead. he's not here to gloat (mostly) or show off ( ... maybe); he's here for a drink with a girl who he's not dating but could, potentially, someday. maybe.

the reason he can put up with her is because his father doesn't know about her yet. she's not the daughter of an old family friend or someone they want to go into business with. he picked her up in a bar, they had a halfway decent conversation, and that was about all he needed, really. he's not sure what she sees in him. money, probably.

evan makes a point to not bother engaging david at all. like he's here to enjoy himself with this girl and not start a fight to ruin everybody's night. when someone points david out as evan's getting his drinks - not the only one out tonight, you know? - he looks over, doesn't smirk, doesn't snarl. just gives him a flat look and then turns away with a shrug.

i ain't here to kick someone's ass.

that gets a few laughs, and a slightly less than impressed look from his date, but as long as he's not out of his seat she probably doesn't care. and all the while, part of him is relishing the surprise - almost a glower - he swears he saw on david's face. ]

[ being snubbed is insulting, if expected, and david's expression hardens at that. not so much as a nod of acknowledgement? who the fuck does he think he is? asshole probably came here on purpose, just to rub his face in-- ]

[ in what? they're not together, they're both free to do whatever they want. david puts an arm around amelia as the thought occurs to him, as if to reassure himself so he doesn't work himself up into a frenzy. she responds by tucking herself against his side, tilting her head up to murmur a joke in his ear that makes him laugh. makes him relax. almost a shame she'll be out by the end of the year, he thinks. if he was in the market for a wife, she'd be a great pick, she really is very good at this. ]

[ as evidenced by the way she keeps david's attention off evan, trying to make sure their night isn't ruined by david starting a fight. but david can't entirely help himself, obviously. ]

[ he remembers how weird evan used to be about being bought a drink, at his insistence they either end even or with evan buying more. when he goes to the bar for fresh drinks, he also takes the liberty of ordering a couple with a gesture to evan; for the happy couple, he says. a glass of wine and another of whiskey, (though the thought of ordering a gin instead occurs to him and he shakes it off,) both high quality and extremely overpriced. doesn't matter if it's a gift or an insult, he knows how evan's going to take it. ]

[ the drinks are an insult. he thinks it immediately, knows it immediately, or at the very least something in him that still knows he's supposed to hate david with every breath has the idea at the forefront of his mind. he half-turns, glowers at david. tries to figure out what the fuck he does next.

he can't just accept it. letting someone else buy him drinks? might as well off himself right now. returning the favor the obvious gesture, but what happens while they're at a bar together hiding isn't the same as in public. word gets around, fast. well, maybe he can use being with a girl as an excuse. stupid thoughts.

she, of course, has already picked up on the animosity, taking her wine with a sardonic look at evan. just let him buy some. he's got enough money, right? but of course, that's not the point.

it takes him maybe a few seconds too long to take his whiskey, raise it toward david in a gesture of thanks, asshole before downing it all in one go. she sighs, everyone else laughs, and as he puts down the glass he tells the bartender to cover their next drinks. just those, though. he's not quite dumb enough to do some stupid grandiose thing like covering the whole tab, even if it'd make him look ... well, rich. ]

[ david smiles brightly at the raised glass. as if he doesn't know what he's doing. as if he's doing it on purpose. it's just a friendly gesture. we're having a night out with our women, no need to start a fight. as if to prove he's being completely, 100% genuine, he doesn't even buy ridiculously expensive drinks with evan's cover. just the same ones they've been drinking all night so far. ]

[ from there, he does his best to ignore evan for the rest of the night. can't stop himself glancing over a few times, but his date does a good job redirecting his attention when his gaze wanders — though when she teasingly says you'd think he's prettier than me doesn't exactly go over well, but david catches himself. laughs it off. smooths it over with a comment on the idea of anyone being prettier than her being insane, she likes that. ]

[ ... maybe he should leave. somebody's already tipsy anyway, and it's hard to enjoy himself with evan around anyway. part of him is just constantly primed for a fight, and that's absolutely all it is. but on the other hand... isn't it kind of ceding defeat if he leaves first? much to think about, better have another drink and mull it over. ]

[ in turn, evan's girl keeps his attention mostly away from david. she's brighter than a lot of girls he's dated - actually smarter, in fact, with a degree he couldn't hope to get, so that makes her smarter than him, too - and that's enough to keep most of his focus. but he's in a bar. drinking, if not heavily. with david nearby.

and he can feel him nearby, the same way he can feel the presence of other people he hates (or fears). he's certain he knows what david's probably thinking. he hopes this stings. that the sight of him with someone that looks almost serious burns.

... why? he doesn't know. but as he drinks - not to get drunk, just to get buzzed - the justifications don't seem so pressing.

he shouldn't start a fight. he should leave. they should leave, together, leaving david to seethe and wonder like evan's sure he's doing. but. is that what he wants?

he leans forward to catch the bartender and try to buy another round for david and his girl (the girl he doesn't even like), but his own girls stops him. if you want to start shit, you can wait until I leave, she says, a little sharply. so evan backs off, but he gives david another glare with an edge of a smirk that's almost smug. ]

[ the smirk gets a confused look from david in return, slightly intentional — he's sure it has to bug evan — even as part of him wants to yell at evan to focus on his girl instead of him. but that's opening up a whole can of worms that david isn't ready for. ]

[ david murmurs something to amelia and she immediately perks up, telling him in a too-loud voice that she wants to go dancing for a bit and her favourite dj is in town this week and he'll love it, she swears. ]

[ fine by him, it gives david the excuse he wanted to get out of here without looking like he just couldn't handle being around evan or some shit. ]

[ another thought occurs to him on the way out, as he settles his tab. quietly, he asks to pay for whatever evan and his date have had so far. doing it and leaving is one thing, evan won't be able to return any kind of favour, but by doing it discreetly means hopefully evan won't even know until he comes to pay himself. ]

[ either way, he's out of here. ]

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