She’d briefly considered trying to hit up Tinder to find a date to the party, not because it seemed lame to spend New Years Eve alone, but because she didn’t particularly want to. Honey had been feeling lonelier than usual. With the holidays, everyone’s lives seemed busier, and she didn’t want to bother her friends to hang out with her when they had so much on their plates. Troy had been her saving grace, never seeming to mind listening to her ramble about new discoveries or frustrating roadblocks in her experimenting, even if it my as well have been nonsense to him, and she was thrilled to hear how his games went while she busied herself with a late dinner.
Hearing his voice, she didn’t hesitate to return the embrace, not minding at all. If he hadn’t initiated it, she would have, fresh from practice or not. “Just me, myself and I!” She was smiling from ear to ear as the hug broke, shaking her head to answer his question. “I’ll probably spend most of the night bugging my friends whenever I run into them.” She was surprised she hadn’t already. She almost didn’t ask, realizing he may not love his answer — but really, she had no right at all to be jealous. “Did you come with anyone?”
"The team, as usual." Troy motioned his head to the side, showing her the couple of rowdy men who happened to occupy a space on the dance floor. "That’s my bunch right there.” He chuckled, feeling a bit embarrassed, but also generally grateful to be there. Honey felt so familiar to him that he couldn’t help but seek her out. She talked about the most complex things, and Troy was always just along for the ride. It was worth nothing in his head that she seemed to enjoy a lot of sports, thus, the two got along pretty well. "Let me get you a drink then. I don’t think I’ll be joining my men tonight. I’ve had their faces up on mine the last four hours, I’m sick of them." He said jokingly, walking themselves to the bar.
The two spent some time talking and drinking inside their little make-believe bubble, while most of the people around him blurred out of his line of sight. Troy was now opening up about the fact that he could sing, and he does actually love to sing and perform on a stage. He doesn’t usually open this topic up for strangers to know, though at this point, Honey was no longer someone he could consider a simple acquaintance. "The first time I knew I could sing was at a New Year’s Eve party, a karaoke, to be honest with you." He chuckled, downing a shot of tequila. "For a time, I had to choose between basketball and theater, and it was a crazy ride. One of the most defining moments of my life." He admitted, this time pushing a shot if tequila to her side. "Alright, your turn to share in a secret, or drink… or do both. I already forgot our own rules." Troy laughed, a bit drunk, and was definitely having a wonderful time.