Okay, so uh this is about as far as I've written so far. I kinda want to include a little more about how Malik and Ryou get on after the collab ends, Malik's call with Isis, and check in with Kek again, but I'm not sure how long it'll go on for, so hopefully I'll have it finished soon?

CW: Drinking, flirting, creep being a creep, physical assault (of a bad guy), sexual jokes

"Please, Ryou!"

Ryou sighed, glancing up at his friend. Yugi leaned across the counter, decked out in his usual punk outfit. "Yugi, I'm very busy at the moment…" He loved Yugi. He really did. However, the last thing he wanted after a long day of work was an awkward dinner with two people he didn't know.

"It'll only be an hour." Yugi pressed his hands together and gave Ryou his best pleading look. "He's bringing a friend too, and you're the best judge of character I know. Please? I really like him."

Ryou let out a slow breath. "Okay," he whispered. "Yeah, I'll be there." He never could say no to Yugi.

Yugi brightened and passed Ryou his order. He'd quit his job a few months earlier to begin his own gaming start-up, but in the meantime, working as a part-time barista and dipping into his savings paid the bills. "Thank you! I swear you'll have fun. We're going to a Eurasian fusion place because apparently his friend is vegetarian, and he and I both want meat, so there'll be plenty to eat, and loads of desserts."

Ryou managed a small grin. "You should have just mentioned desserts in the first place."

Yugi's laughter tinkled through the general morning buzz of the coffee shop, lightening the dreary atmosphere emanating from every customer searching for a caffeine boost on their way to work. "You're right. But I really will buy you whatever dessert you want."

Free dessert and a chance to hang out with Yugi again after weeks of schedule clashes. Ryou rubbed his eyes and grabbed his coffee, taking a slow sip. The double chocolate mocha warmed him, a promised brace against the cold outside. "Thanks."

"No worries. And you also wanted a…" Yugi checked the receipt. "An iced matcha? Really?"

Ryou shrugged, taking another sip. "Seems like an iced matcha kind of day for him."

Yugi shook his head but began work on the second coffee. "Your coffee sense really is magic."

"No, it's not." Ryou chewed his lip. "It's just… I don't know. I get a sense of it from a person."

"Like I said." Yugi looked up and made a 'poof' gesture with his hands. "Magic."

Ryou snorted. "If you insist." Once Yugi finished the iced matcha latte, Ryou wrapped his hand in his sleeve, so the iced drink wouldn't assist the weather outside and freeze his bare skin, before picking it up. He bade Yugi a quick goodbye before strolling outside. Even with his sleeve protecting his skin, the moisture from the coffee soaked through and burned his hand, so he sped up, eager to pass the coffee on. He gave Miho at the reception desk a friendly wave before riding the elevator up and nudging the door to Malik's office open with his foot.

Malik, of course, was already there, but was standing to talk on the phone rather than his computer, chatting in quick French, too fast for Ryou's twelve-year-old secondary school knowledge to catch.

Ryou silently placed the matcha latte on Malik's table, earning a grateful smile, before retreating to his own desk and opening his notebooks to see where he had finished up the day before. About twenty minutes later, he heard Malik thank whoever was on the phone and looked up as the other man hung up. "All okay?"

"Actually…" Malik leaned his hip against his desk as he turned to Ryou. "Yes. I just cosigned Kek's lease."

"Really?" Ryou blinked. "Why? Surely he has references or-" He cut himself off. "Sorry, that's rude of me to ask."

"You're fine." Malik dismissed the apology with a wave of his hand. "Kek was living in an independent assisted living block. He had his own apartment, but there were RAs and a nurse on call at all times. Because of that, the landlord wouldn't rent to Kek unless I cosigned."

Ryou pursed his lips. "That's… irritating for him, but I'm glad it's sorted now. Where is he living?"

"Near the park you brought me to," Malik replied. "The shop is nearby, so he'll be able to walk to work."

Ryou's tight expression faded into a gentle smile. "I'm glad. That's a nice area to live."

Malik hummed in agreement, stretching. "Now I just need to get through dinner tonight, and I can relax tomorrow." Malik always took Sundays and Mondays off and gave Ryou the same.

"What dinner?" Ryou started up his computer.

Malik sighed. "Meeting a friend's boyfriend for the first time. I don't think I've ever met one in the past, so it must be serious."

"Oh." Ryou blinked. "That's… coincidental. I'm doing the same tonight." He grinned. "But I've met a few before. My friend likes to bring me because people find me…"

"Spooky?" Malik suggested, lips upturned.

"Exactly." Ryou laughed and leaned back in his seat. "I swear, one time an ex of his wouldn't leave him alone, so I threatened to call a spirit to haunt her. She genuinely believed I could do it, so he never heard from her again."

"I'd almost believe it, from you." Malik picked up his latte. "Maybe you called a ghost to follow me around and get you my coffee orders."

"Malik." Ryou frowned. "I would never call upon the dead for such trivial matters." After a beat, they both started laughing, but it marked the end of their conversation, and they quickly fell into their regular routine of work. At lunch, Ryou managed to drag Malik outside for crepes, but they returned a little early so Malik couldn't be tempted into skipping again. Ryou still counted it as a win. They finished at exactly six thanks to Malik's alarm and their pre-existing commitments, and Ryou made his way home to change.

He considered going with his safe outfits, the ones he wore to the museum, but Malik's words rang in his head. Colour suits you.

He picked out his custom-ordered black turtleneck with small biblically-accurate angels spreading across it. He'd found the designer on Etsy and had collected quite a few of their pieces. He paired it with snow-white chinos, a pastel blue overcoat, and gold converse splattered with red, acrylic blood.

He reached the restaurant before the others and stood, waiting just inside the door. The waiter taking bookings gave him an odd look - whether because he was waiting or for his outfit, Ryou didn't know - but didn't say anything.

When the door opened, Ryou looked up and stared as Malik stepped into the restaurant, dressed in a gorgeous cape-sleeved knee-length dress. It was a golden yellow, with a sheer lace petticoat to cover the sunflowers growing up from the hem, while the cape sleeves were a rich brown to match the pollen of the sunflowers, only a few shades lighter than Malik's skin. But his hair… every day at work, even earlier that day, Malik had it straightened and primped to perfection, but now it was loose and in tight, natural coils, far more similar to Kek's hair type than Ryou had initially imagined possible. Still, Malik kept his hair in a half-updo style, bangs pulled back to reveal cutthroat eyeliner and rich golden eyeshadow. He was taller than usual too, wearing five-inch open-toe heels that glittered under the warm lights.

He paused when he saw Ryou. "Oh. Hello."

"Hi." Ryou shook his head. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm meeting my friend for dinner." Malik frowned. "The one I told you about earlier."

"So am I." Ryou chewed his lip, and he glanced at the door. "I never caught your friend's name."

"Uh, Bakura." Malik shook his head, curls bouncing. "Why?"

Ryou sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Of course, the universe would punish him for helping his friend. "Because," he said, voice strained, "that's my friend's boyfriend. I'm here with Yugi."

Realisation dawned, and Malik covered his mouth to hide a snort. "Of fucking course."

The door opened seconds later, and Yugi walked in, hand-in-hand with a man in a red hoodie and jeans, hair pulled back into box braids with crocheted silver and teal ends that hung just past his shoulders. He glanced between the two and grinned, the scar on his cheek curving. Bakura, Ryou assumed. "No way. Yug', this is your friend?"

"Yeah." Yugi gave Ryou a smile, though he was frowning a touch, confused. "Why?"

"Malik and I work together," Ryou explained. Yugi still looked confused, so Ryou cleared his throat. "The… collab between the museum and the Ishtar translation company?"

"Oh!" Yugi's frown cleared. "Of course! Sorry! So you two already know each other?"

"That's one way to put it," Bakura snickered.

Malik shot him a quick glare before turning to Yugi. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Malik." There was the manipulation-ready nice Malik that Rishid had assured Ryou would come out on his first day of work. Ryou was glad he was never on the receiving end of that facade.

"You too." Yugi gave Malik a small bow. "And Ryou, this is Bakura."

"We've almost met." Bakura grinned.

"Have we?" Ryou tilted his head.

"I was with Malik at Nova a few weeks ago," Bakura explained. "He was… surprised to see a coworker there."

Ryou had been too, honestly. He'd struggled not to stare at Malik, hissing at his friends to stop teasing so loudly when they'd noticed. Yugi had been working on a project that night, or he might have had some backup. "Ah. I didn't realise I was so memorable."

Bakura flicked a braid over his shoulder. "White hair always is."

"Stop being a vain bitch; your hair is grey." Malik sighed. "I haven't eaten yet, and I'm starving."

"Right, of course." Yugi grinned and quickly checked in with the waiter, who led them to their table. "I hope this is okay for you."

Malik nodded as he sat, sweeping the skirt of his dress under him so he could sit properly. "I've eaten here once or twice. It's quite good." He ended up beside Bakura, across from Ryou.

Ryou opened the menu but struggled to process what was in front of him. Any time he looked up, Malik was watching him. Once they ordered, Ryou fidgeted with his napkin. "So," he said to break the silence, "what do you do for a living?"

Bakura hesitated. "I work at a cybersecurity company," Bakura replied. "I actually did most of the work for Malik's company security."

"That's…" Ryou shook his head. "So interesting."

Bakura snorted. "No, it's not. You just don't know what to say."

Ryou paused and laughed when Yugi's eyes widened. "Yeah, I really don't. I haven't done one of these in a long time."

"Ryou!" Yugi swatted his arm lightly, but Bakura grinned.

"Yeah, don't worry about it. Yugi tells me you're a huge Monster World nerd. Have you convinced Malik to play with you yet?"

"I don't have time," Malik protested.

"You can absolutely sacrifice one night every fortnight for a campaign," Bakura insisted.

Ryou's eyes widened. "Oh my gods, really? You play? You'd be up for a campaign?"

"Fuck yes." Bakura took a piece of complimentary bread. "I'm a level thirty thief at the moment."

Ryou glanced at Malik, who sighed. "Okay, fine. Level twenty-seven bard. Every two weeks is manageable."

"If we're doing this, can I join?" Yugi asked. "Ryou, you've got my character sheets already, and you can be the DM."

"Yes!" Ryou pressed his hands to his cheeks. "I don't think I've run a proper campaign in two years."

"Sorry." Yugi winced. "That's my fault. I've been really busy with the game development."

"Hey, it's fine." Ryou shook his head. "We've both been busy." If he was honest, he didn't blame Yugi. It was their other friends, the ones who only really accepted Ryou because Yugi did. The ones who babied but villainised him, never protested if he showed up but never extended an invitation. "You're up for it now."

"Okay, this is kinda great." Bakura grinned. "I expected to get drilled for the first hour, not accidentally organise a campaign."

"Bold of you to assume it was Ryou who'd drill you," Yugi whispered, but not nearly quietly enough. Bakura started cackling while Malik coughed and Ryou swatted Yugi's arm right back.

"You're such an ass," Ryou complained.

"Oh come on," Yugi giggled. "It was right there!"

The conversation was much more relaxed from that point, jibes thrown in all directions with other patrons staring at them when their laughter got a little too loud. By the time they finished and split the bill, Ryou was regretting the night was over.

"I'd better go," he said as they stepped outside. "I don't want to miss my train."

Malik frowned and opened his mouth. What for, Ryou didn't know, because Yugi jumped in to say, "Oh, the stairs to the station are just there, right? I'll walk you."

Ryou smiled and bowed to Malik and Bakura before walking with Yugi to the steps. "You could have been a touch more subtle."

"I wanted to see what you thought." Yugi turned to Ryou, nibbling his lip. "Well?"

Ryou sighed and bumped Yugi with his arm. "He seems great," he said. "Seriously. A bit impassive, but he really seems to care about you." Yugi lit up at that and threw his arms around Ryou. Ryou laughed but caught him. "Yugi?"

"Thank you."

Ryou shook his head. "You have nothing to thank me for. Really. I'm just saying it as I see it."

"Still." Yugi hid his face in Ryou's shoulder. "I haven't been this excited about a relationship in... fuck, years? It's nice to have some validation from a friend that it's not all in my head."

Ryou gave Yugi a gentle squeeze. "It's definitely not all in your head. Trust me." He pulled back with a smile. "But I really do need to catch my train, so-"

"Oh, right! Of course." Yugi grinned and stepped back. "Get home safe, and thanks for coming out tonight."

"I was glad to. I had fun," Ryou admitted. "Now go back to your boyfriend."

Yugi laughed but turned and wandered back to Malik and Bakura, who stopped talking as soon as he walked up. Probably a similar conversation. Ryou smiled at the sight and climbed the steps to the train. He swiped his card and checked the times. Two minutes to wait. Not bad. He glanced over the railing to see Bakura and Yugi chatting away, and Malik staring up at the station. Their eyes locked and Ryou waved his hand in a sheepish, final farewell.

Malik mimicked him with what looked like a smile, and Ryou turned away as the train rushed into the platform.

Malik drummed his manicured nails on his desk and glanced at the clock. It was almost six. Ryou sipped on his fifth coffee of the day, leaning back in his chair in front of Malik's desk.

He had managed not to spill coffee at all that day, probably due to the neon leopard-print monstrosity of a jacket with purple pants that he claimed was a good luck outfit. It looked fabulous on him, despite the best efforts of whoever designed the two separate pieces, and Malik was almost jealous.

"Relax."

Malik's eyes flickered to Ryou and back to the clock. "They said we'd hear back by now. If they have last-minute changes, we're fucked."

"We'll stay late, worst case scenario," Ryou pointed out, "but they won't have changes. Our work speaks for itself."

Malik grunted. His fingers continued drumming.

Ryou reached out and covered Malik's hand with his own. "Please," he said. "You're making me nervous."

Malik huffed but withdrew his hand, crossing his arms over his chest. A few minutes later, the phone rang. It didn't even finish its first ring before he picked it up. "Hello?"

"Mr. Ishtar." Miho Nosaka from the front desk. "The museum called. They told me to thank you for your excellent work and assure you everything looks fantastic. They're happy to go ahead with this official translation."

Malik sank back in his chair. "Great. Thank you, Nosaka." He hung up.

Ryou leaned forward on the edge of his chair. "Well?"

Malik considered teasing him, seeing how long he could drag it out, but the grin was already spreading across his face. "We got it. They're happy with the translation."

A relieved groan escaped Ryou, and he pumped his fist in the air. "We did it."

"We did." Malik rubbed the back of his neck. "Thank you for all the hard work."

Ryou chuckled, shaking his head. "I thought we were past that. Besides, we both put in the same effort, so thank you too. I know this will really help the museum." He tossed his empty coffee cup behind him, and it landed perfectly in the bin. "I can't believe it's over, though."

Malik hummed in agreement. "Time for a few well-deserved days off."

"Agreed." Ryou stretched his arms above him, arching like a cat. His shirt rode up a bit on his stomach, revealing a tiny bit of pale skin.

Malik forced himself to look away. "Any plans for tonight? To celebrate?"

"Oh." Ryou lowered his arms. "I was going to get take-out and watch a horror movie. You?"

Malik shook his head. It was the middle of the week, and Bakura had work in the morning, so his usual way of blowing off steam wasn't available. He paused. "We should go out tonight." Ryou blinked at him. "Nova. You up for it?"

"I- sure." Ryou smiled. "I need to change and get something to eat first, but that sounds good. Eight?"

"Eight-thirty," Malik decided. "I'll wait until Rishid is done to eat."

"Sounds great." Ryou stood, stretched again, and grabbed his computer bag. "I'll see you then."

When he left, the office was oddly quiet. Malik had grown used to Ryou's presence, and without the random noises from Ryou's breathing to his scribbling that Malik filtered into the background, it was too still. He shook his head and walked out, down the hall to Rishid's office. He knocked lightly on the door, pushing it open when his brother called for him to enter.

"Malik." Rishid looked up at him. "Time to go already?"

"No, I finished up a little early." Malik leaned against the door, hand on his hip. "Want to get out of here?"

"Sure. Just give me a minute to send an email, and I can go." Rishid smiled at him. "You can sit if you want."

Malik hummed but wandered over to the couch along the wall and sat. He sank into the too-soft cushions and glanced around as Rishid returned to his work. As much as Rishid often visited Malik, he was rarely in Rishid's office. It was, in a word, cluttered. Shelves with various trinkets from Egypt and business trips lined the east wall, and various plants grew in any spare piece of sunlight. The walls were decorated with art and photographs alike, and an entire corner bookshelf was dedicated to various books on social media growth, contracts, Japanese business law, and white magic. Malik never put much faith in the stuff, but Rishid did. Swore by it, too.

Rishid shut his laptop and looked over at Malik. "So what's wrong?"

Malik blinked, turning to him. "Why would you think something's wrong?"

"You never finish early." Rishid's smile was gentle. "I usually have to pull you away if you forget to set an alarm."

Malik turned his gaze to the floor. Rather than the hardwood lining his own office, Rishid had elected for a plush cream carpet. "Nothing's wrong." The words hung empty in the air. "Ryou and I just finished the translations for the tomb. We got the go-ahead from the museum. They're going to use it as the official translation."

"That's excellent. Well done." That soft voice was still there, coaxing Malik to say more. When he didn't, Rishid continued. "And you're… sad that you won't get to continue working with Ryou?"

"I didn't say that."

Rishid sighed. "You didn't have to." He stood and made his way over to Malik, sitting next to him on the couch. The hand on his shoulder didn't quite make Malik flinch, but Rishid still stilled until Malik relaxed again. "It isn't a bad thing."

Malik snorted. "I'm just glad I won't have to try to decipher his notes anymore."

"He's a positive influence on you." Rishid gave his shoulder a squeeze. "I still struggle to believe he managed to convince you to take an afternoon off."

Malik's head jerked up to stare at his brother. The light shone directly on his face, causing his tattoos to stick out. "You knew about that?"

"Of course," Rishid chuckled. "You are both a lot of things, but subtle? Subtle is not one of them. Nosaka gave me a call, worried she had missed an out-of-office meeting of yours."

Malik groaned and dragged a hand through his hair. His fringe fell askew over his forehead. "I didn't realise. I didn't mean to make her worry."

"Relax, I told her I had insisted you both take a long lunch," Rishid said. "She was as surprised as I was, but I was glad. You need that in your life. Breaks."

"Ryou and Kek said the same thing," Malik huffed. He pulled away from his brother, walking over to the window. The sun was setting over the skyscrapers. "I'm going out with Ryou later, to a club."

"Good." Malik saw Rishid nod out of the corner of his eye. "And then?"

"And then we go back to normal." Malik nodded to himself. "He goes back to the museum, and I start work on the Mesopotamian tome again. We keep up the bi-weekly campaign, but otherwise, nothing changes. Business as usual."

"And what do you want to happen?"

"What do you mean?" Malik didn't turn to Rishid. If he did, he didn't know what would happen, but Rishid would know. "That is what I want."

Rishid hummed, and Malik knew his brother already knew exactly what he wanted. "If you say so."

The thumping music enveloped Ryou as soon as he stepped into Nova, and he made a beeline for the bar. He'd arrived a few minutes early, but the queue was long, and by the time he made it to the top, Malik was sidling up to him.

Ryou couldn't help but stare. He'd caught glimpses a few weeks ago, but from what he had seen, Malik had outdone himself. He donned a sparkling silver jacket with a halter top in the shape and style of a pink and purple butterfly which hugged his sides and left thick, hard abs on too much display to be decent. A long, purple coin skirt with slits all the way up to his thighs clung to his hips, and a pair of strappy heels with tiny butterflies on the toes shone under the strobe lights.

"Hey." Malik grinned at him. He'd gotten far more liberal with his facial expressions over the weeks, particularly his grins. "You look good."

"You're one to talk." Ryou smiled. Next to Malik, with his usual undereye makeup with only a little extra glitter, a black shirt with day-glow white ghosts dotted across it and a few buttons tastefully undone, a blue necktie and pinstripe blue pants, Ryou felt positively underdressed. Or perhaps overdressed.

Malik hummed, grin spreading. The tiny crow's feet by his eyes crinkled, and Ryou realised he'd also worn makeup - a shimmering highlighter, purple eyeshadow, and a sinful black lip. "Let me buy the first round." He tapped his credit card against Ryou's arm. "Get whatever you want."

"Are you sure?"

Malik simply raised an eyebrow.

Ryou giggled but took the card. "Alright, but I'm buying the next round."

"Delightful." Honey dripped from Malik's voice. "I'll take a glass of the Hibiki Sakaida."

Ryou's eyes widened, but he nodded, feeling a lot less guilty about the cocktail he'd planned on getting. "Alright. Grab us a table?"

"On it." Malik winked and disappeared, hips swinging, into the crowd.

Ryou swallowed but turned back to the bar just in time to catch a bartender's attention. "Can I get a- a glass of the Hibiki Sakaida, and one Sex on the Beach?" He asked.

The bartender scanned him, and Ryou fidgeted under his gaze. He subconsciously hid a frayed patch on his pants with his hand. "Just so you know, the Hibiki Sakaida is almost a hundred thousand yen."

Ryou licked his lips but nodded. "That's fine."

The bartender shrugged and quickly fetched the drinks, keeping an eye on Ryou as he swiped Malik's card. Once it was approved, however, the man grinned. "Have a great night."

"Thanks." Ryou took their drinks, Malik's with far greater care than his own, and made his way through the crowd. It didn't take long to spot Malik at one of the corner tables, waving him over, and Ryou carefully handed him his drink. "I don't think I've ever been so careful not to spill something in my life."

"Oh, you didn't need to worry about that." Malik sipped the whiskey like it was nothing. "We're celebrating tonight, so I'm going to fight your anxiety."

"It'll be a losing battle," Ryou snorted, "even with your muscles."

Malik hummed, eyes raking over Ryou. "I doubt it. I'm sure I can find a way to take your mind off it."

Ryou flushed but took a long drink from his glass to hide it. He wasn't sure he quite succeeded. "So what will you be working on next?"

Malik's face dropped a touch, but he swirled his whiskey in its glass. "There's a tome I started on just as we started working together. It's an old Mesopotamian text, possibly a more complete version of Gilgamesh. Not an original - it's too new for that - but I need to try and figure out its authenticity and when it was created."

"That sounds amazing." Ryou's eyes lit up. "I've always wanted to work on Mesopotamian artifacts."

"Really?" Malik hummed. "I thought your specialty was Egypt."

"It is," Ryou admitted. "It was my major for my masters' thesis, and it's popular, so the museum hasn't really let me branch off from it. My doctorate was actually on Mesopotamian mythology though."

"Interesting." Malik ran his tongue over his bottom lip.

The song changed, and Ryou's eyes widened. "Gods, I haven't heard this song in ages! We have to dance!"

Malik blinked but grinned. "Sure. Whatever you'd like." He downed the end of his whiskey like a shot, as if it cost him pennies, and Ryou quickly drained the end of his own cocktail before dragging Malik to the dance floor.

Bodies writhed around them, and Malik's hips swung with the music, hands on Ryou's waist. Ryou flushed but did his best to mimic Malik's movements. As much as he loved dancing, he wasn't exactly good at it; not in the way Malik was. Still, Malik's gaze clung to him as he moved, and Ryou giggled, the alcohol and adrenaline of the moment rushing to his head.

Malik's grin returned, growing, until they were laughing along to the beat, movements half-disrupted by the giddiness of the moment.

"What's so funny?" Malik finally managed to shout over the music.

Ryou shook his head. "I don't know! This?" He could never have imagined being here, with Malik, in his first few days of the gig.

Malik snorted and caught Ryou's hand to twirl and dip him. Ryou's breath hitched, and he clutched Malik's hand tightly. Malik hovered just above him, lips within easy reach- and Ryou fumbled. Malik tightened his grip to keep him steady, but the two actions sent them both sprawling to the floor, laughing.

"You're such a clutz," Malik teased, propping himself up. The music continued, and people moved to dance around the fallen pair.

"Hey, you dropped me." Ryou reached up and booped Malik's nose.

"Yes, because you wriggled like a fish," Malik snorted. He pushed himself up and then leaned down, extending a hand towards Ryou.

Ryou took it, pulling himself to his feet. "Alright, my turn to get us drinks. What would you like?"

Malik hummed, considering. "I'll take whatever you're having," he decided. "I haven't had cocktails in a while."

"Sounds good." Ryou smiled. "I'll be back in a minute." He swerved around other dancers to the bar, and when he looked back, Malik was dancing again. Ryou leaned over the bar as his turn came. "Hi can I get-"

"He'll have what I'm having." A strange arm wrapped around Ryou's waist. "Right, sugar?"

Ryou cringed and unwrapped the arm from around him. "Actually, can I get two strawberry daiquiris, please? Thanks."

"Oh, don't be like that."

Ryou rolled his eyes and turned to face the man behind him. Was that- was that an American flag bandanna on his head? Ryou cringed. "Thank you for trying, but I'm not interested."

"Sure you are." The man grinned, sunglasses obscuring his eyes. Really, who wore sunglasses to a nightclub? "I'll cover those daiquiris, but I'm sure they won't be as sweet as your lips."

"Okay," Ryou chuckled, "I'm alright. You can go, and take your 80s pick-up lines with you. I'm sure some other twink would be very happy to hear them."

"I'm not interested in someone else right now." The man took a step towards Ryou, backing him up against the bar counter. "I'm looking at you, aren't I?"

"Look…" Ryou hesitated.

"Keith," the man supplied.

"Look, Keith, I'm flattered, but I'm actually here with someone tonight." Ryou gave Keith his best, most charming smile. "Maybe next time."

"Oh, but I'm only here tonight. I fly home tomorrow." Keith took another step forward, and Ryou's back hit the counter. "Come on, baby, I'll make you forget all about whoever you're with."

Ryou's frowned at Keith. "I don't know what you-"

"Hey, buddy." He looked over Keith's shoulder to see Malik stalking toward them. "He said no. Take a hike."

Keith turned with a scowl, glancing Malik up and down. "This is none of your business, punk."

"I think it is when he's here with me tonight." Malik stopped in front of Keith, arms crossed over his chest. "Go find someone else to creep on, yeah?"

Keith's cheeks turned bright red, and he turned, wrapping a tight arm around Ryou. "We're perfectly happy here-"

Ryou grabbed Keith's finger and wrenched it until he howled, yanking his arm back.

"What the fuck?"

Ryou smiled, lips pursed tight. "As I said, I'm here with someone else tonight. Kindly, back off." He grabbed the strawberry daiquiris from the counter and quickly moved past both Keith and Malik.

Malik hurried after him, but by the time he reached their table, Ryou had already downed most of his daiquiri. "Hey, are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Ryou pushed Malik's drink across the table to him. "You didn't need to do that."

Malik blinked but sat down. "It wasn't a problem. He was being a creep."

"But you didn't need to." Ryou frowned at the table. "I can take care of myself."

"Of course," Malik agreed after a beat. "I know that."

"Do you?" Ryou drained the end of his glass and stood. "I should go."

"Ryou, wait." Malik caught his hand, but Ryou pulled away. "Please, I- I'm sorry, I just don't know what I did."

"Forget about it." Ryou shook his head. "I'll-" He almost said 'see you tomorrow'. He swallowed. "Have a good night, Malik." He pushed through the dance floor to the door, breathing deeply as he stepped into the cool air. The door shut behind him, cutting off the thumping music. He tilted his head back and whispered, "Fuck," to the dark, starless sky.

Alriiiiiiiight I'm gonna go crash for a bit. Please comment and let me know what you thought! See ye tomorrow!