No better version I could pretend to be tonight
"It's her first time" Koa protests to Mateo, punching his friend gently on the arm. "And she's tiny. Not all of us can put booze away like you, Teo." Shaking his head, he turns a chagrined grimace back to Theea. "Ignore him- water is important. If you drink too much too hard it'll hit you all at once and you'll be fucking miserable tomorrow. Better to nurse a buzz." This is said with a sage nod and the superior tone of one with wisdom bestowed by twenty-four years of life.
Bartender boy is being weird; Koa's lips twist mistrustfully at his weirdly predatory grin. But he does as he's told, passing the water down the countertop despite the protests and jeers of his friends. "Get me another drink, then!" he grins at Kaisel. Which takes more than half a second, so Koa instead grabs the mojito out of his hand and raising it to his lips. Without breaking eye contact he begins to chug it down, draining the remaining liquid in four big gulps. "Better?"
And then Calypso volunteers body shots, and Mateo is covered in lime and salt, and maybe it's the mojito bringing him right on back to the days of their youth but Koa doesn't miss a beat. Snatching the shot off the counter, he winks at his friend before dropping down. The tongue on the botanist's chest is perhaps unnecessarily wet, but Koa's grinning wildly as he breaks away, throwing back the tequila shot and laughing at the burn. He reaches a hand to cup Mateo's head and pulls their faces together, stubble brushing stubble as he deftly takes the lime from between his friend's teeth.
It isn't the first time they've put on a show like this, and it isn't the wildest one they've done. But Koa's flushed deeply as he sucks on the lime wedge, his face all but glowing - and not just because of the glitter he's inadvertently wiped off Mateo's skin. He's very aware of Sohalia behind him, and while he doesn't dare look back to see her reaction, he really, really wishes he could see her face.
Bartender boy is being weird; Koa's lips twist mistrustfully at his weirdly predatory grin. But he does as he's told, passing the water down the countertop despite the protests and jeers of his friends. "Get me another drink, then!" he grins at Kaisel. Which takes more than half a second, so Koa instead grabs the mojito out of his hand and raising it to his lips. Without breaking eye contact he begins to chug it down, draining the remaining liquid in four big gulps. "Better?"
And then Calypso volunteers body shots, and Mateo is covered in lime and salt, and maybe it's the mojito bringing him right on back to the days of their youth but Koa doesn't miss a beat. Snatching the shot off the counter, he winks at his friend before dropping down. The tongue on the botanist's chest is perhaps unnecessarily wet, but Koa's grinning wildly as he breaks away, throwing back the tequila shot and laughing at the burn. He reaches a hand to cup Mateo's head and pulls their faces together, stubble brushing stubble as he deftly takes the lime from between his friend's teeth.
It isn't the first time they've put on a show like this, and it isn't the wildest one they've done. But Koa's flushed deeply as he sucks on the lime wedge, his face all but glowing - and not just because of the glitter he's inadvertently wiped off Mateo's skin. He's very aware of Sohalia behind him, and while he doesn't dare look back to see her reaction, he really, really wishes he could see her face.
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