things were going fine. well, given the context and all. it’s not like this is jaime’s first time getting thrashed and doing regrettable things. ( yes, getting kicked out of the club after puking over his friend’s shoes DOESN’T top that list. ) and it’s not like he has a awful lot of dignity to go around, so he can’t say he feels particularly bad about his pride or anything. so, under those circumstances, the fact that this awful night seemed to end with a strengthened bond between himself and nico and maybe a long nap at adan’s place —– it was a bright side. until, of course, everything had to go to hell because he notoriously lacks absolutely any sort of filter once all the things he’s been drinking ( and taking ) entrap him in their clutches. at first, it seems like he’s off the hook ; nico’s response doesn’t warrant much. if anything, it just sounds like dismissal of a drunk rambling. he’s ready to play the part and just forget it all ever happened — but life hates him, so that hope dangled before his eyes is snatched away right as he’s about to grab it.
who else are you in love with? alright. that’s fine. that can be eluded somehow. are you in love with adan? as kids would eloquently say: AND I OOP. does he KNOW you’re in love with him? oh, it’s only going downhill, folks. maybe it’s the alcohol, or the tiredness, or just his life in general —- but he can’t help it. he shuts his eyes tight and, after a moment where he wallows in his own shit luck, he just starts laughing. actually, properly cackling. he plants his palms over his face and slides down against the bench, until he’s basically half-kneeling on the ground and with his back against the seat. when he removes his hands and his eyes open, he sees the starry sky above him. “ —– oh, man. ” he gives it a few more laughs after that, wrapping an arm around his rattled rib cage. “ that was amazing. ” you couldn’t write this up if you tried. he thinks he deserves an award or something. “ no, nico. it’s victoria. don’t you know it? ” he gives a clumsy slap to nico’s knee as he turns his gaze toward him. “ i like the ones playing hard to get. ” for someone who doesn’t really make a lot of jokes ( not like this, anyway ), he sure knows how to time them absolutely horrendously. “ god. ” he covers his eyes again, then struggles to shift his position and actually sit on that bench again. he reaches for the last cigarette in his pocket and begins his chain of attempts to light it up ( drunk sight be damned ). “ he doesn’t know. ” there it is. finally addressing that elephant. he didn’t answer nico’s first question —- because the answer to the second one does that already. “ is that lyft here yet? ”
he wondered if just perhaps, this was all too much to ask jaime in his drunken supor. the other wouldn’t have admitted so much had he been filtered and sober. maybe he should let bygones be, ask him when he was more functioning. still, he was... well, CONFUSED didn’t cover it. he knew how close adan and jaime were, but he hadn’t ever considered it was more then that. though, the fact that it was didn’t fully surprise him. or at least, it was on jaime’s end. truth be told, however, nico didn’t doubt it was true on adan’s side either. though., the other returning jaime’s feelings didn’t un-complicate the situation. not in the least. it just was what it was. messy. but when had their group been anything but messy? they just were. and dealt with it however they could. he was about retract his question ( less retract, more put it on the backburner ), but then jaime started laughing like ithat and it was... worrying. “coming up with a super villan plan or something?” he did sound like a proper madman after all. eyes remained on his friend as he crumbled in oh himself. welp, yeah. if he wasn’t worried before, that box was officially checked.
he wondered if jaime would be less laughing and more mortified had he been sober. well, ACTUALLY, nico would wager to guess jaime was pretty moritfied now. after all, it wasn’t quite normal for such a reaction to be elcited. victoria. he cracked a smile at that much, the ide aof victoria and jaime as a relationship--- beyond the phsyical kind, it was one long and far away. releasing a deep breath ( the one he started holding when he wondered if jaime was having a mental breakdown ), he leaned back into the bench. as jaime shifted in his seat, nico clasped him on the back. not too hard or anything, just something to assure the other. “that’s rough buddy.” being in love with your best friend, them not knowing. nico didn’t doubt adan would return jaime’s feelings, it still wasn’t an easy situation though. there were so many things going on in their lives, not to mention so many other people involved too. he considered helping jaime out to light the smoke, but the ride would be here soon anyway ( and in his experience, most drivers weren’t a fan of drinking or smoking in their vehicles ). “soon.” he glanced at his screen one more time where the driver was being tracked. “nowish.” and in such words, a car came to a stop before them.