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Parties are not a place Roman would find himself, a waste of valuable time in his eyes, but he could not slither his way out of this one. Typically, he would leave while the event was at its peak, staying in the eye of the storm until he was out of the building. This time, however, he was trapped. Jaiden had volunteered him to speak at a luncheon held by neighboring hunters after a very successful mission. How keen of him.
Roman swirled his drink around in his glass, watching the dark liquid slosh near the edge before falling back to the bottom. Roman took a sip. Brookes was nearby, picking onions off his plate. Roman could only glance in annoyance at this. It wasn’t Brookes's fault he was particular, but at this moment, anything could get onto Roman’s bad side; his mask was falling off, and he refused to be seen like that in a public space. Roman took a sip. He wouldn't be perceived as vulnerable by these people; he wouldn't be seen as weak. Weak.
“Aye chill, Roman.” Brookes set his plate down, walking towards his scowling boss, reaching for the whiskey to his now-empty glass. He hadn't even noticed he had finished the glass, watching Brookes pour him a new one. “Cheers!” Roman met his gaze with an unchanged expression. “I didn’t ask for another drink.” Brookes frowned at his response. “I don’t want to make a drunken ass like the rest of you do.”
“It’s just to help your nerves, big man, trust me, you’ll be fine.” Brookes shrugged, chugging his drink. Lake looked at him with a disgusted face, walking away from the two men with Tonya. Tonya glanced back at the boys, looking down at her drink. “Do you think Brookes is right?” Lake’s face contorts more. “I literally can’t believe you just said that, Tonya.” She shakes her head.
“I don’t know, I thought maybe a drink or two might loosen me up as well.” She sighs. “Whatever, I’m going to go find something edible.” Tonya skitters off, Lake watching with a slightly sad expression. Tonya was trying just as hard as Roman was to fit into the scene, which makes sense since they are glued to each other's hips. Tonya eyed the tables, shaking her head at the food in their trays, American slop.
Lake leaned on the table and watched the crowd gather around Roman and Jaiden, listening to Roman spit out an array of words so opposite to his usual cold slew of manipulative text. “Is he okay?” She glanced over at Brookes. “Ah yeah, he’s fine, just loosened his gears a bit!”
Lake made a repulsed face towards Brookes, allowing the awkward silence to sink in on him. “Ough, not like that! I just gave him a couple of drinks.” He rolled his eyes, picking a piece of cheese off a toothpick. “I could do with another drink.” She says, grabbing Brooke's cocktail. “Hey, that drink will cost ya!” Brookes leaned towards Lake, pursuing his lips, Lake backing away to avoid him. “Back the fuck-up.” She sips her drink, coughing it up upon a sudden force against her back; she had gone too far and made contact with another person. “So sorry!”
Behind her stood a tall, tan man, adjusting his glasses. “No, it was my fault, I should've looked where I was going.” Lake admired the man for a second, and with that, he was gone. “Who was that?” Brookes looked over. “Oh, he was with Bobby and the Winchesters. I don’t know his name.”
Across the property, having her party, stood Tonya in the front yard. Poor Tonya is all alone, not able to fit into the crowd, but purposefully pushes them away. She set her glass onto the concrete, finally reaching her limit. “Ugh, I want to go home,” she sulks, leaning against the fence. A shadow rolls up her legs, covering her entire body and hiding her from the porch lights. “Why are you out here all alone, Tonya? Surely you're not thinking of leaving without the rest of us?”
As she looked up, she saw Roman looming over her, cleared her throat, and attempted to stand straight. “I just needed a moment.” Tonya looked down at her empty glass, or well glasses, and frowned. “I’m not having a great time, Roman.”
Roman sets his arm around her shoulder, leaning on her slightly. “I understand, this isn’t the best place to enjoy solitude.” The scent of his cologne,whisky-soaked breath was stronger as they got closer. She accepted his embrace and leaned in. “You’re so much nicer when you’re drunk.” She chuckled a bit. “I’m always nice.” Roman tightens his grip on her shoulder slightly. “Especially to you, Tonya, you’re my right hand.”
Tonya smiles, pushing her hair out of her face. “Yeah, I love you too,o Roman.” She looks up at Roman. “Maybe we should find the others.. I don’t feel so bad now.”
“I wish I could say I feel the same.” He wipes his lips, looking past the fence. Tonya looks back, slightly thrown off by what he said. “What?” He looks over. “I wish I could say I feel the same, but I don’t think I can love anyone.”
Tonya sighs, laying her head on his chest, staring off past the fence with him. “I understand what you mean.” Roman stayed still. “I feel empty. Am I not meant to feel love like others? I just- don’t get why it’s so important.” Tonya laid her hand on his chest. “Some people just can’t help it, I can’t.” Roman huffs a bit, looking down at Tonya. “I don’t deserve this, Roman. I want to be free.”
“Free from what?” He responds as she gets off of him. “Of this curse, it isn’t fair to be damned to something that leads to nothing.” She sets her glass on the ground and turns towards the crowd on the other side of the courtyard. “Do you think we’ll always be like this?”
“Maybe.” Is all Roman can say back.
Tonya turns back, walking towards Roman, laying a hand on his chin. “You don’t feel anything.”
“No, I don’t.” Roman narrows his eyes at Tonya slightly, glaring.
“Can we try something..?”
Before Roman can finish, Tonya leans forward and stands on her toes.
“Just once.”
Roman felt his whole world pause, like everything was stone. His blood ran cold, sweat pouring from his palms like waterfalls. Why? This wasn’t a new feeling, but not with her, not like this. What is different this time… Stomach in knots, everything's blurry.
“Stop!” as he realized the words leaving his lips, his palm was already in front of him, and on the floor was Tonya, holding her bloody nose. Roman steps back at the tiny pools of blood across the pavement, her white dress stained red and brown, like the prom in Jennifer's Body. Tonya sucked back a tear as she held her face, and Roman held his gut, his eyes darting towards the grass as he stumbled. Falling to his knees, he proceeded to lurch forward and hack up his appetizers from earlier. Two drunken fools in the grass, a stupid mistake to keep between the two of them.
“I-I’m sorry.” Tonya stumbled away, and Roman sat next to his puddle of bile, watching her leave. She finally steps back, and he pushes her farther away, just like everyone else.