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“Bob, you need to keep your hand on red!” Mickey yelled as Bob lifted his hand up.
“But my nose itches.” Bob said in a defeated drunken tone. Mickey moved to scratch at Bob’s nose, finally giving him some relief. It was an insanely rare occasion, all of you being able to be like this. Natasha had decided to throw a house party, a dagger squad exclusive. All of you had brought your own drinks, the intentions of barely waking up tomorrow on everyone’s mind.
Drink after drink had led up to this. Natasha, Bob, and Reuben sprawled out on the old twister mat Natasha had dug out of somewhere. Mickey was in control of the spinner while the rest of you chimed in. A drunken haze had descended upon all of you, some of you a few shots further into the haze than the other.
Bradley had encouraged all of you to start the night with shots of tequila. Natasha had protested and suggested shots of vodka instead. That led everyone to do a shot of both tequila and vodka. Everything was smooth after the initial shots, Javy making a multitude of mixed drinks for everyone to try.
“I don’t know how much longer I can do this!” Reuben yelped as he tried to change his position slightly. You stared at the three pilots on the mat, not exactly sure where one began and the other ended. You leaned back against the couch, shoulder brushing and pressing against Bradley’s. Bradley tilted his head to look at you with a small smile on his face. You offered him a similar smile before looking back around the room.
Bob, Natasha, Reuben, Javy, Bradley, Mickey. Suddenly it clicked in your brain. Jake was missing.You did a small double take, now noticing that Bradley’s attention was on Natasha yelling at Reuben not to give up. You stood up and slipped away, everybody too drunk to notice your absence. You crept to the bathroom, checking it to see if it was possible Jake wasn’t handling his liquor. After checking Natasha’s bedroom you went back to the living room, blocking out the sound of everyone drunkenly arguing.
You stared at all of them, puzzled as to where Jake could have disappeared to. You turned to look outside through the sliding glass door, the night time darkness setting in fully. The shape of a man sat upon the picnic table in the backyard. You found your way to Natasha’s fridge, swiping a bottle of water before slipping out the sliding door.
The cool night air felt nice on your hot alcohol inflamed skin. The sounds from inside turned into barely noticeable muffled noises, after you closed the door behind you. A smile pulled at your lips as you made your way over to the table. Jake sat there on top of the table, looking up at the stars. A beer bottle was still in his hands as he stared up at the sky.
“Whatcha up to?” Your words had a minor slur to them. Jake barely acknowledged you, eyes fixated on the night sky.
“It’s almost like home.” A little bit of his Texan accent slipped through. It made your heart warm whenever Jake talked about Texas. You could tell it was a place he missed dearly. It wasn’t common of him to visit home, something he tried to do once a year if permitted to. Jake finally tore his stare from the sky, looking over at you. A soft look was in his eyes as his lips curled a little bit.
Jake tilted his head towards the spot on the top of the picnic table next to him. A silent offer for you to sit next to him. You climbed up onto the table top, settling down next to him. Your knee brushed against his, making your heart flutter underneath your rib cage. You could feel the heat in your cheeks, Jake looking at you briefly before staring back at the sky. You cracked your water bottle open as you looked at the sky with him.
“Texas has these gorgeous open skies.” Jake started up again.
“Michigan has them too, but the trees make it hard to see them sometimes.”
“Texas doesn’t have too many trees.” Jake quipped while bumping you with his elbow, then took a sip from his beer. You took the time to take a swig of your water. “Just a lot of open fields.” Jake looked back up to the sky. The two of you sat in silence for a moment, nursing your drinks while watching the stars. “I’d like to take you to see it some time.”
“I’m not sure if Texas is the place for me.” The both of you broke out into laughter. It wasn’t a secret that you weren’t a fan of Texas, but for Jake you’d at least visit. Your arms bumped while you laughed. This closeness was what you always appreciated about him. You could always be yourself around Jake. Jake never judged you.
“I know it’s not your thing. But just once. You have to see the Texas stars.” Jake sipped his beer again. “It’s the second prettiest thing I can think of.” A questioning look covered your face, wondering why he would say second.
“Yeah? What’s number one then?” You asked with a small mocking tone. Jake paused for a moment, a smile covering his lips.
“You.”
The heat in your cheeks intensified. You? That had to be a mistake. “Jake, what are you saying?” You shook your head before looking over at him. He noticed the small confused look on your face. His emerald eyes locked with yours as he spoke again.
“You’re the prettiest thing I’ve ever seen. Prettier than the Texan skies.” The two of you stared at each other for a moment, the both of you leaning in. His lips were soft on yours, gentle you might even say. Your lips moved together for a little bit longer, the two of you parting to stare into each other’s eyes. A giggle bubbled up in you, the alcohol still running rampant through your system.
“That’s quite the compliment Jake.” Your nerves started to catch up with you now, fingers tightening around your water bottle as you looked away. Jake just watched you, his lips tugging slightly to one side.
“It’s the truth though.” Jake brought his fingers to your face, pulling you back to look at him. “You’re the prettiest thing I’ve ever seen.”